While waiting for a plane in Heathrow airport and pondering my next blog post, I found myself wondering what a “wanted ad” for 5-fold ministries would look like. Here’s my first take on it:
Wanted: apostolic leadership
Job description: This Kingdom-motivated and foundation-laying person will be sent to break new ground in order to make disciples and spread the good news about Jesus. Any applicant must be prepared to work as part of a team. Training of others and identification and empowering of new leadership will be core parts of the job. In the early stages, there may be weeks spent on the road. Experience with signs and wonders is useful. All applicants must be prepared to lay down their lives to serve those they are called to.
Potential challenges: In times past, apostles have been stoned, shipwrecked and beaten. Must be prepared to face martyrdom.
Qualifications: Training in God’s school on the backside of the desert until death to self and own ambitions or desire for limelight has been worked into the character. Ability to think strategically. Extra consideration is given to entrepreneurial experience in the workplace.
Compensation: This is not an official position but rather a divine calling. No monetary payment guaranteed; the applicant may need to take on other work to support him/herself. He/she is expected to work long hours with little reward apart from the joy of seeing the Kingdom advanced.
Does anyone else have any thoughts?
16 replies on “Wanted: Apostles”
I love it! Great post Felicity! You get good creativity sitting in airports!
I would add that the Lead Apostle needs to be a mentor for at least one or two younger Apostles (in addition to local leadership). Otherwise, where is that required experience going to come from? But overall, I echo Katie’s comments: great, clear, and concise description.
David, and Katie, thank you.
Clear and concise letter writing experience also required……also helps to have a ‘flesh thorn’ too.
Good article. The “thorn in the flesh” would be the easiest qualification. We all probably have that one.
In her book, “Aggressive Christianity”, Catherine Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, has an interesting insight. She states that early apostles did not start churches. Rather, the people went everywhere, telling people about the good news, and the apostles came and organized the churches that they had started. This way they could begin to operate and multiply well.
Now that perspective is consistent with the purpose of the five fold ministry, to prepare the church for the work of the ministry. So an apostle does in deed enable the church to multiply, but does not have to be the one to actually start new churches.
In Frank Viola’s book, Finding Organic Church, there are several questions given that anyone thinking about applying needs to ask themselves. (pp. 69-70) I’m waiting for twin granbabies to wake up for their morning bottle (ah the joy of being a grandfather-I love it !!) so I can’t list them right now. But just read them this morning. Not sure I qualify:-/
Really good post, Felicity. As you know, I’m new to a lot of these concepts, but here are a few of my thoughts. Is apostle a job or a type of person? What I’ve been thinking about lately is that maybe apostles are just people who have a gift to be super effective at planting or organizing (as Carolyn pointed out) churches. That doesn’t necessarily mean that others can’t or shouldn’t do this. One of the things that Neil Cole talks about is the DNA of the church and how it exists in the heart of every believer. An example he used was that if the whole church disappeared tomorrow and only one 13-year-old girl were left, she would contain everything necessary to rebuild the church.
I’ve picked up and put down Frank Viola’s book, Finding Organic Church, several times lately, and it always comes back to this issue of apostleship. I think that we have be reallly careful when we go forward with making requirements for things like this. Let’s not forget how much the original twelve lacked in qualifications. Of course, I am well aware that there are many individuals out there, yourself and Mr. Viola included, who know a lot more than I do about these things. I’m just seeking to learn one day at a time.
These are great thoughts, everyone. It’s great that we can learn from each other.
This is great, Felicity. Good stuff. I see an apostle as a combination of a pioneer and an ambassador…for the Kingdom. A pioneer takes riskes, leaves common comforts behind, gets in the trenches with others, and even surrenders their life, if necessary, to break new ground. An ambassador is sent to a foreign country to represent their country and establish a place for it to be represented in the foreign land. So breaking new ground for the King, while taking responsibility to establish a place for the Kingdom in the place to which the King has sent them, seems to be my basic understanding of an apostle. (Understanding the culture into which they are sent also seems to me to be an important responsibility in order to best communicate Kingdom culture in a way that it is understood and embraced.)
Brenda,
Really good thoughts! I love your combination of pioneer and ambassador.
This is the acknowledgement of servant-leaders in the body of Christ.This is wonderful in His Kingdom to chose servant -leader full of the HOly Spirit .awesome felicity.
Muy buen artículo, que sirve de guía a las personas de estos día, en donde se han proliferado gente que dicen ser enviados de DIOS y no tienen el soporte espiritual requerido; para impresionar, se colocan ellos mismos titulos (espirituales y seculares), solo para resaltar y que el mundo los respete. DIOS les bendiga. Pastor Adelkader from Venezuela.
Gracias!
How about having to have seen the Lord and chosen by Him to be His emissary? Wiling to confront the religious leaders of the day?
Good thoughts, William. I especially like your idea about confronting the religious leaders of the day. I wonder what that looks like in today’s church world. Sometimes I think our stories about what God is doing are a major affront to some who hold a different theology or ecclesiology, but they can’t argue with them.