apostolic(3/19)
Conservative descriptions tend to domesticate the more offensive gifts
Conservatives [i.e. Shepherds and Teachers] would rather talk about “abiding,” discipleship, and community–all low-risk activities–and would rather describe the work of evangelists as simply being excellent neighbors who throw good barbeques. This is the domesticated version of what shepherds and teachers think evangelists should be. In truth, evangelists cause offense with frontline preaching of the gospel in public. If your evangelists don’t cause your leadership team occasional embarrassment, they are not evangelists.…
The apostle sees wasted mission potential
Whereas the apostle sees wasted mission potential when the church is sick, the prophet sees a stubborn bride refusing to listen.
The apostles burden is kingdom expansion
One might think that the apostle is burdened for the lost, but that’s only a part of it. Apostles are dominated by a burden for the expansion of the kingdom of God and are passionate to see the glory of God cover the earth like the seas. The first order of business, therefore, is kingdom expansion–not just geographically, but crossing societal frontiers into marginalized groups where Christ is not named.
The responsibilities of an apostle
Because of their function, the bulk of the apostles' contribution to the team and area of responsibility will be: Discipling their replacements Mobilizing every believer on mission Strategizing the gifts of others and planning how to match those gifts to needs Analyzing culture Penetrating culture Developing strategies to engage the church in risky maneuvers Working with prophetic leaders to hear God’s collective voice on the team Prioritizing prayer in advance of mission Calling attention to the marginalized Gifts commonly associated with apostolic functioning are faith, administration, wisdom, and knowledge.…
Apostles co-create with God
When I ponder the spiritual gifts listed in Ephesians, APEST, I think about function. What does an apostle do? How is it different/similar to the evangelist’s gift? Rarely do I consider the experience of using the gift with God. Jessie Cruickshank offers a beautiful homily on the parental feeling inherent in giving birth to God’s kingdom in the world. She meditates on Mary's experience as the God-bearer, the prophets of the LORD, and the artisans of the Tabernacle.…
It is a deeply intimate way of knowing God to co-create
Sometimes I think about Mary, the mother of Jesus. I think about the mystery of her co-creating Jesus with God. I believe in the immaculate conception, but that does not mean Jesus was an alien. He was not carried in Mary’s womb as foreign object. Mary was not an incubator hatching an egg. Jesus was flesh of her flesh, bone of her bone. Jesus’ DNA was part Mary’s DNA. His cells carried her mitochondria.…
A master has failed more times than a beginner has tried
The difference between a master and a rookie is that a master has failed more times than the beginner has ever tried.
A strong team will mitigate nearly every disaster that can befall a planter
A strong team will help mitigate nearly every disaster that can befall a planter, yet few planters are intentional about it on their first try.
Acts was written to trace the expansion of the kingdom
Acts wasn’t written to demonstrate how to plant a church. Rather, the book of Acts was written to trace the expansion of the Kingdom: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (NIV, Acts 1:8)
Apostolic planters have a wildness that doesnt function in the domesticated church system
Apostolic planters have a sense of wildness in them that doesn’t function in the domesticated church system.
Pauls first missionary journey was chalked up as mistakes
Much of what occurred on Paul’s first missionary journey was chalked up as mistakes Paul chose not to replicate in his later ministry, nor should we.
Pauls genius was church planting networks
If Paul had merely planted solitary churches, his speed alone would be enough to impress us at an average of one plant every three or four months. But Paul’s true stroke of genius on his serial missionary journeys was his creation of multiple church planting networks that geographically spanned a continent in just over a decade.
Planters who embark with wisdom are afraid and unsure
A failure to learn from the expertise of a builder like Paul will most likely result in building an unhealthy church to the detriment of all, including the planter. Arrogant planters (and there are many) start out with a refusal to learn from anyone, convinced that they have much to teach. They learn in the end, but they learn the hard way. In contrast, most successful planters who embark on their first voyage with wisdom are afraid, unsure, and doubt they are up to the task.…
The new testament was written by practitioners
The entire New Testament was written exclusively by missionary practitioners.
The test of a church plant is how it fares once the planter departs
The true test of any church plant is how it fares once the planter departs.
Train your team for your absence by taking them everywhere
The key to training your team for your absence is to take them with you wherever you go, having them shadow you like a disciple would a rabbi.
Wise planters learn everything they can about leadership
Once a planter recruits a team, it takes constant communication to maintain the bond of working together. In the same way that a modern soldier must clean his gun, so the planter must regularly look after the team. Many planters have not been taught basic leadership principles and know little about managing teams. Therefore, wise planters learn everything they can about interpersonal communication, team leadership, conflict resolution, and Christlike leadership.
Christ never commanded his disciples to plant churches
Christ never commanded his disciples to plant churches, because it’s not what He wanted them to focus on. Focusing on the church to be planted leads to church starting, whereas focusing on the Great Commission itself leads to church planting.
Planters sent by God are nearly impossible to stop
Planters who are sent by God are nearly impossible to stop. The only way to slow the apostle Paul was to lock him up, and the only way to stop him was to separate his head from his shoulders. Eventually, as an apostolic planter, you will wrestle with every kind of argument and excuse throughout the process of your calling; but, in the end, that call to sent-ness will defy logic, haunt you in bed at night, and keep you awake when the rest of the house is sleeping.…
I had a lifecycle in a place
If I were to go back, I would tell that young man that he was apostolic; before it was cool. Because, I didn’t understand I had a lifecycle in a place. It still to this day doesn’t matter. You put me in a position, you give me a job, you pay me a bunch of money, you give me an executive card, and I’ve been there in different roles. I don’t stay.…
Apostolic gifts focus on one mission in two directions
There are at least two flavors of apostle focus in Acts. The first mobilizes the existing faith community towards multiplicative disciple- making. The second catalyzes networks outside the faith community for the same purpose. Jesus spends most of his life on earth on mission to Israel. He invests in 3-12-72 disciples, equipping them with everything they needed to go and do likewise. Peter follows his footsteps by staying in Jerusalem and mobilizing fellow Israelites in a disciple-making explosion that expands throughout the region.…
Apostles and entrepreneurs share characteristics
The description of an entrepreneur shares many of the characteristics of the apostolic gift (Eph 4:11). Blank describes entrepreneurs as “comfortable with change, chaos, and learning from failure and are at ease working in risky, unstable situations without a roadmap” (Blank, pg. 13). Sinclair describes apostles as “[used] in a variety of ministries… the kind who tend to make things happen. Oftentimes they are good at making something out of nothing, ministry-wise, successfully starting new works from scratch…they thrive on doing things that are challenging and risky” (Sinclair, pg.…