*Siiigh*
Be polite and follow some basic rules:
- Be Police
- Use deodorant
- Brush your teach
- Stick a mint in your mouth (When the Altar Call starts, pop that mint.)
- No matter how hard you try, you cannot give anyone the Holy Ghost
- You cannot force them to receive the Holy Ghost.
- Do not get frustrated.
When you approach someone in the altar, they may or may not know what is going on and you just might have to talk to them. Do not be afraid to stop someone from praying and explain what they need to do. In fact, you may be doing them an injustice if you don't.
- Do not yell and scream in their ear. That is rude!
- Relax
- Be calm. If you are calm and relaxed, they will relax and be more receptive.
- Talk in a normal tone of voice
Let me give you a guideline that you don't have to use word for word, but this "script" may help you.
Hi, I am (your name) is it ok if I pray with you. (hopefully they nod or say yes)
- God wants to do something for you tonight; do you believe that?
- God has something for you tonight and he wants you to know that he loves you. Do you believe that?
- The bible tells us that it is God's desire for all of us to be saved: you believe that don't you?
- In fact the very first thing that God wants us to do is to repent of our sins.
- He doesn't expect us to name each sin from A to Z, but you can ask him to forgive you.
- Its not hard to do, you simply talk to him just like he was your best friend
- Ask him to forgive you of everything in your life that is not pleasing to him and
- Forgive you of all your sins.
- Remember, you don't need to beg God to forgive you, because he wants to forgive you, he just wants you to ask.
- Do you believe that?
After you repent of your sins, do you know what happens next?
- God wants to fill you with his Holy Spirit just like he did in the bible. Do you believe that God will do that?
- Do you believe that you will be filled with his Holy Spirit?
- Do you know what happens when you receive the Holy Spirit? Just like in the bible when people are filled with the Holy Spirit they will speak in another language. This is not a learned language nor will it be one that you will understand.
- When you feel something happening to you, stop speaking English and say whatever words are trying to come out, even if you don't understand it.
(At this time you may actually have to pray a prayer of repentance for them to hear)
Some people will repent and receive the Holy Ghost without further coaching and others require additional coaching.
If they appear to be afraid or frightened by this new experience, calm them down by explaining that this experience is wonderful, beautiful and blessed. There is nothing to be afraid of. Sometimes you may have to sit down with them and show them biblical examples.
If you are part of the Altar Staff at a Crusade, you may have the speaker explain much of this for you in advance. If any of you were at any of the Spirit of Pentecost Crusades we've had, there were times that 50 to 170 people were filled with the Holy Spirit.
The speaker concluded by explaining the need for repentance, how to repent and then receiving the Holy Ghost. He then asked everyone to stand, sit or kneel and repent of his or her sins. After a few minutes he invited everyone who had no received the Holy Ghost to come to the altar and to bring someone with him or her. He told them that if they truly believed God would fill them with the Holy Spirit that they could leave this service filled with his spirit. He then asked everyone to pray.
We cannot do it on that grand of a scale in every service, which is why the Altar worker with common sense can and should coach the seeker.
