by Kelvin Walker

I wish somebody’s church would catch on fire, burning with the Holy Ghost.

You see, when an empowered leader’s soul catches on fire,
and he or she catches a vision for going far rather than going fast
through building an empowered culture
where everybody gets to use the gifts of the Spirit
that pour out of them,
then the church catches on fire,
burning with the Holy Ghost.

When an empowered leader builds an empowered culture,
the leader doesn’t have to be the only one
laying hands on the sick and praying for healing.
The body is equipped and trained and empowered
to lay hands on the sick and pray for healing.
And the sick become well,
and the church catches on fire,
and everybody gets to play.

When an empowered leader builds an empowered culture,
the leader doesn’t have to do all the administration.
Those who are gifted with administration
will be freed up to step forward and say,
“Let me take that off your hands.”
And the administration gets done,
and the church catches on fire,
and everybody gets to play.

When an empowered leader builds an empowered culture,
the leader doesn’t have to be the only one
discerning the next steps the Lord desires the church to take.
He or she can call together the discerners in the body,
and together they discern the will of the Lord for the body.
And the church catches on fire,
and everybody gets to play.

When an empowered leader builds an empowered culture,
the leader doesn’t have to be the only one
praying to receive a prophetic word for the body.
He or she can bring together the prophets of the house
to lean in together and ask,
“Is there a word from the Lord?”
And the Lord gives a word,
and the church catches on fire,
and everybody gets to play.

When an empowered leader builds an empowered culture,
he or she doesn’t have to be the only one
who has to have faith to see that God moves together.
He builds the community of faith
and calls on those who have the gift of faith,
and together they believe in faith.
And the power of faith rubs off,
and the church catches on fire,
and everybody gets to play.

The gifts of the Spirit—He owns them; we steward them.
The gifts of the Spirit are meant to unify not divide.
The gifts of the Spirit are empowerment for all on mission.

Brothers and sisters,
If the work of the Kingdom is dependent on your gifts
and not the gifts the Spirit gives to the Body,
then it’s all done by you,
it’s all dependent on you,
and ultimately it will end with you.
But if the work of the Kingdom is built upon
the leading and the filling and the ministry and the gifts
of the Holy Spirit as He empowers the Body,
then the world will see
that God is on the move,
the gospel is being preached,
Jesus is being exalted,
the Kingdom is advancing,
empowered leaders are empowering the Body,
the collective community is going far because they’re going together,
and the Holy Spirit is the power source,
and the Church is on fire,
and everybody gets to play.

_{Originally published in the November/December 2022 issue of Alliance Life magazine.}