High Praise Apostolic Covering

more than membership

what is HPAC?

Voluntarily submitting

HPAC is a mutually voluntary spiritual covering for individuals and ministries who are connected to High Praise.  A spiritual covering provides spiritual council, accountability, and protection.  Ultimately we are all accountable to God, not man.  However, we can voluntarily make ourselves accountable to another wherever we choose to submit.  HPAC provides attendees of High Praise the option to submit to High Praise as their covering.

Relationship, not control

Some view coverings as a means of controlling others (and some use them for that purpose).  However, true biblical submission is based on relationship and mutual respect, not control.  HPAC's main goal is to encourage and help guide you in your walk with God and/or pursuit of ministry through relationship.  This guidance is largely expressed through encouragement and advice, however there are occasionally times when guidance also requires strong warnings.  When born from relationship such warnings are not an expression of control, but rather love.

Who is it for?

Individuals

We are all called to do the work of the ministry, however not everyone is called to start and lead their own ministry.  You don't need to have your own official ministry to be covered.  Whatever you are doing for the Kingdom of God whether it be parenting, evangelism, marketplace ministry, a Bible study, or you just want to take the next step in your walk with God HPAC can help you take that next step.

Ministries

For those who have officially created and lead their own ministry, having a covering and accountability is important.  HPAC covers ministries that directly connected to a High Praise Church (in house) and ministries that are not (external).  An in house covered ministry will be expected to be summitted to the leadership of the church it operates in.  An external covered ministry is a ministry that is not branded, advertised or directly overseen by High Praise.  Your external ministry is still lead entirely by you, run by you, decisions are yours, branding is yours, etc..  HPAC simply lets others know that you are summitted and accountable, and provides you with counsel when it comes to the ins and outs of leading a ministry.

Benefits

There are many benefits to having a covering, especially when doing ministry.  Ministry leaders and recipients alike find reassurance in knowing that the person/organization they are receiving ministry from has some form of accountability.  Having a spiritual covering also offers a level of spiritual protection and impartation.  

Throughout the Bible, Old Testament and New, we see examples of great leaders themselves submitted to others, demonstrating that this is a spiritual principle which encompasses the entirety of the Bible.  Therefore, having a covering provides protection because it is a Godly principle.  Additionally, a spiritual covering also provides protection through the wisdom and counsel it's leadership provides.

Impartation is simply a greater level of learning and doing.  A spiritual impartation means you will begin to sound like, act like, minister like those you receive the impartation from.  It does not mean exactly the same as them, it means similar to them.  Impartations do not negate individuality.  A spiritual covering strengthens and accelerates impartation.

In addition to the built in benefits a covering provides, HPAC will also provide the following benefits to it's members:

• Greater level of counsel & prayer support

• Blessing & sending you into ministry opportunities (where appropriate)

• Access to members only content & events

• Private Facebook group & chat

• Put your name on our public list of covered ministries for outside verification (ministry covering only)

• Consideration for building use (where appropriate)

What am I submitting to?

Expectations

HPAC is a program made for High Praise available only to those who consider High Praise their home church.  There are certain things that will be expected of all voluntary members of HPAC:

• Attending High Praise service is a priority.

• Represent the values of High Praise in words and action.

• Honesty & transparency in your life and ministry.  HPAC has no desire to micro manage your ministry or life, however part of our expectation is that you will make yourself available for accountability and counsel in important matters of ministry or your life that could potentially affect either or both.  Our desire is to help, but we cannot do that where we are being kept in the dark.

• Allowing us to speak into your life and ministry.  Ultimately your decisions are yours, and yours alone.  However, when counsel is given our expectation is that the counsel is not just listened to, but it is carefully and prayerfully considered in the heart it was given: to help you.

• Ministry opportunities within the same local region as a High Praise church involving a non High Praise church/ministry carry greater potential for conflict and misunderstanding, therefore such opportunites will require greater consideration and a direct blessing from leadership of both parties to ensure unity.

• Because HPAC is a mutually voluntary agreement, members have the ability to leave the arrangement whenever they wish, and likewise leadership also will have the ability to end the arrangement if they feel the above expectations are not being met, or at least attempted in good faith.

NOTES

• A covering, ordination, and spiritual parent are all different, but related things.  

  • • Ordination is a recognition of a ministry call, a sending into that call, and a commitment to the organization providing the ordination.  This makes ordination a step beyond a covering.  As such all ordained ministers of High Praise will automatically be considered members of HPAC as well.

    • A spiritual parent is a commitment that should be viewed as a covenant relationship and therefore should be considered very carefully.  Having a spiritual parent is a form of covering, but does not need to be formal to be active & effective.

• Having multiple coverings can work, as long as they are compatible in doctrine and flow, and as long as there is a clear order of priority to those coverings which is understood and honored.  However, one should only have a small number of coverings, one often being sufficient for most people/ministries.

• Apostolic sending does not equate to leaving.  One can be apostolically sent in their own home town and still attend the church that sent them, in fact that is critical.  In cases where sending does mean a geographical move or a great deal of traveling, sending still requires the relationship to be maintained and even strengthened not abandoned.

REQUIREMENTS

• Applicants must be:  Born-again, spirit-filled & in alignment with our Tenets of Faith.

• Faithfully attended a High Praise church for at least 6 months.

• Consider High Praise your home church (serving & giving).

• Gone through both Gates of Freedom and Battle of the Altars inner healing & deliverance sessions

• Commit to continually abide by all of the expectations written above.

• Complete the electronic application