Welcome
We love having friends and family in our home! We have hosted small gatherings of people for
many years, but in January of 2025 God began to do a work we were not expecting.
As different people gathered in our home—married couples, young adults, and singles—we
would end up on our Back Porch. It is full of light and has a peaceful view of a pond. There, the
Holy Spirit would open up all kinds of conversations. Many of these led to deep healing
experiences. People were getting set free from strongholds, lies, and ungodly beliefs about
themselves, in the name of Jesus!
One young woman who experienced the Holy Spirit setting her free from bondage asked us,
“What just happened to me? I want to learn how to do this so that I can share it with others!” That
question prompted us to ask the Lord, “Are You calling us to launch a ministry that would
continue to pray and lead people in healing, and to equip others to do the same?”
Back Porch Ministry was launched in May of 2025. We are so very grateful for all those who have
gone before us and invested in us. We have led training and prayer gatherings for decades and are
passionate about equipping Christians to walk in freedom. We have experienced, and continue to
experience, the Holy Spirit’s work in our own lives.
As we continued ministering on the Back Porch, we realized something deeper was happening.
God wasn’t simply birthing a ministry for today—He was inviting us into a legacy that would
continue long after we are gone. As we entered a new season of life, we sensed the importance of
passing the baton to the generations that follow us. Back Porch Ministry was never meant to stay
in our hands alone; it was meant to be entrusted to others who would carry it with love, humility,
and reliance on the Holy Spirit.
This Training Manual is part of that legacy. Our desire is that as people participate in this
ministry, they not only will encounter God’s healing, but also will be equipped to help others
experience the same freedom. We pray that future leaders—spouses, parents, friends, young
adults, ministry teams—will rise up from this training and continue the mission of Back Porch
Ministry in their own homes and communities. It gives us great joy to think that what started on
our Back Porch will continue to grow, multiply, and bless generations we may never meet.
Jan and I have been married for over 50 years—what a testimony to God’s faithfulness! God has
blessed us with two children, their wonderful spouses, and 9 grandchildren. We have experienced
God’s faithfulness again and again, declaring the words of a worship song, “All my life You have
been faithful, all my life You have been so, so good. With every breath that I am able, I will sing
of the goodness of God!”
Our hope is that as you journey through this training, you will encounter God’s love in fresh
ways, discover greater freedom, and grow in confidence to walk with Him each day.
Welcome to Back Porch Ministry!
Glenn and Jan Manke