On Eagles Wings - Ron Hutchcraft Ministries

This manual will break down in great detail all of the steps in preparing for an On Eagles’ Wings visit to your community. We will provide you with a list of important items that need to be addressed and a timeline for planning for the team’s visit.

Step One – Site Visit by On Eagles’ Wings Leadership Team

This initial visit by the leaders of On Eagles’ Wings is intended to:

1. Respond to the initial invitation to have the team visit this community.
2. Meet the local evangelical ministry leaders to:
   • Introduce the On Eagles’ Wings concept.
   • Confirm the willingness of local leaders to support an On Eagles’ Wings ministry visit during the Summer of Hope tour.
   • Answer questions leaders may have about hosting an On Eagles’ Wings ministry visit.
3. Organize a local planning committee to begin the planning process.
4. Visit potential sites for outreach events, lodging, etc., as time permits.

Organizing a Local Planning Committee

The success of an On Eagles’ Wings visit is based on both spiritual and practical issues being cared for. We are an outside ministry team that God has used mightily in the past to help bring in the harvest that local ministry leaders have prayed for, sometimes for several generations.

Ron Hutchcraft, founder of On Eagles’ Wings, recently commented that the On Eagles’ Wings team is “God’s Combine,” with a track record of incredible harvest, unprecedented in Native American ministry history. In the Summer of Hope 2005 alone, God used this team to introduce and lead to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, 1,253 Native young adults through thirty-seven outreach events in fourteen different reservations and urban Native communities!

We want to stress the importance of having Kingdom Cooperation between local churches and ministries and the On Eagles’ Wings team. This is vital to the success of not only the rescue efforts, but also the follow-up needed to preserve the harvest.

We would suggest a minimum of a five member planning committee, which would include a chairman, vice-chairman, and three members-at-large. This committee would in turn recruit and involve other local Christian volunteers to help provide the local support needed to ensure a successful On Eagles’ Wings experience.

Selection of the Planning Committee

Once it is confirmed that the local ministries are in favor of an On Eagles’ Wings visit, and are willing to partner together to implement our planning, hosting, and following up the visit strategies, a local planning committee would be selected. A biblical attitude of mutual servanthood is critical to the success of a local planning committee. Note: All local involvement is done on a volunteer basis, and all volunteers agree to follow the procedures as outlined in this manual.

Planning Committee’s Roles and Responsibilities

The primary work of this committee is spiritual in nature, that being to:

• Organize and lead a prayer movement prior to the team’s visit. Inter-denominational prayer is the most important item vital to the success of the On Eagles’ Wings visit. We would ask that the Prayer Strategy found after this section be utilized in advance of the team’s visit to your community.
• It’s important to note that along with local prayer, On Eagles’ Wings mobilizes national and international prayer of thousands during our Summer of Hope.

Along with leading the prayer movement, there are practical issues that need local attention. This committee would help us:

• Seek to secure lodging for the team, such as a local, public, or tribal high school or middle school. We try to avoid using elementary schools because the facilities are often not adequate for the needs of the team.
• Help confirm that arrangements are in place for our cooking staff to utilize the school’s kitchen facilities for feeding the team.
• Help in identifying and securing the outreach event sites by getting permission and written approvals from the proper authorities.
• Help arrange and coordinate any Sunday ministry opportunities if the team’s visit includes a Sunday.
• Help in confirming a location for our Native Ministry Leader’s Roundtable Meeting, held during one of the days the team is in town (details to follow).
• Help implement our funding strategy locally to help partner financially in the outreach and follow-up events.
• Implement our promotional strategy including utilizing newspapers, radio, television, etc.

The rest of this manual will review important aspects of planning, hosting, and following up an On Eagles’ Wings team visit.

A Word about Native and Non-Native Christian Leadership

As we think through who would be the appropriate people to serve on this planning committee, the question always comes up, “Should this be a committee made up of the Native leaders, non-Native leaders, or both?”

The answer to that question will always be determined by several factors.

• The number of available Native and non-Native leaders willing to serve.
• The strength of the indigenous leadership development to this point on the part of the churches and mission groups who are doing ministry.

Our preference would always be to encourage as many Native Christian leaders, from as many cooperating evangelical churches and ministries who are willing to serve, to do so. That’s the On Eagle’s Wings way!

Where there are not enough willing Native leaders to serve, we encourage other non-Native Christian leaders to help fill in the gaps and serve any way they can.

Regardless of the ethnic make-up of the committee, the key to its success is implementing our planning strategy as outlined in this manual and ensuring all items are given the proper attention and care.