In the most recent Church Advocate released in February, you'll note that we're taking the year to walk through a significant aspect of ministry and leadership in the Church. Often referred to as the Five-Fold Ministry, or APEST, it's the description of roles given by God to equip and build up the Church for its mission found in Ephesians 4. You can read the initial article in The Church Advocate here: http://bit.do/FebMar18Advocate |
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. (Ephesians 4:11-14, ESV)
God gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds, and teachers to do the work of the Church which is to accomplish His mission. The Five-Fold Ministry is still alive and well in each of us as we too are given these same roles within the Church. As we understand which role we are to carry out and begin to mature into it, we'll find fruitfulness, and a sense of peace is we live out who God has designed us to be.
Let's look at an overview of each of the Five-Fold Ministries:
Apostles are the sent ones. They are entrepreneurs, visionaries, and pioneers. They enjoy establishing new things or massively renovating old things, including churches, ministries, initiatives, non-profits, or businesses. They always come up with innovative ways to bring the Kingdom to new territories.
Prophets are the ones who hear and listen to God. They are problem-solver with the ability to stand back from circumstances and situations so they can see what is happening. Prophets also tend to be profoundly connected to issues of social-justice, acting as a moral compass to those around them.
Evangelists are the ones who bring good news and share the message readily. Evangelists love spending time with non-Christians and often remind the Church that the world is still out there. They know the Story of God well and have a knack for making it relevant to non-Christians.
Shepherds are the ones who care for others within the Church. They can see the internal needs of the people of God and meet them with encouragement and empathy. Shepherds are uncanny in the amount of patience they can bring to a situation and quickly empathize with others to provide the best care possible.
Teachers are the ones who disseminate the truth of God in a way that others can understand. The use illustrations, stories, and poetry to creatively make the Word understandable and relevant to those within the Church. They can often take complex thoughts and explain them in simple ways.
Each of these roles is important to the mission of the church because ultimately they reflect who Jesus was (and is) and what He did while on Earth. The perfection, the ultimate example, of each of the Five-Fold appears in the life of Jesus. He was the ultimate apostle, incarnating Himself here on Earth so that the Kingdom can come in. He was the ultimate prophet, communicating with the Father and only doing what He saw the Father doing. He was the ultimate evangelist, bring the good news of the Kingdom to every person and community He encountered. He was the ultimate shepherd, showing care and love for those who no one else would love. He was the ultimate teacher, bring Scripture to the culture through parables and His life. We look to Him to be our example and aim to be Him as we live out the role that God has given us.
Which of the Five-Fold Ministries has God given you? As a next step, take this online survey to discover your Five-Fold Ministry role: http://fivefoldsurvey.com.
**Note: Every profiling survey is imperfect, and nothing is better than a long journey of listening to God, self-reflection, and the input of trusted friends. Take your results "with a grain of salt."