Young apostolic leaders have a spark that needs to be stoked into full-on flame!
[Check out “How to Identify an Apostolic Leader“]
By Eric Rafferty
When we look around the landscape of the church something is missing. Far too often, apostolic leaders are exiled instead of empowered, or when they do try new things, they fail and fall into isolation. What does it look like to empower apostolic leaders into fruitful maturity? Here are five things that every leader can do to empower young apostolic leaders (whether you are personally gifted for apostolic ministry or not!)
Believe in them[i]
The first words that apostolic leaders need to hear to be empowered are, “You can do this!” As a leader seeking to empower and activate the apostolic gifting in younger leaders around me, I cherish the sacred moment when I get to sit across the table from someone and be the first person to speak those words to them. Maybe they are recognizing a part of the city that no one else is caring for or a corner of the campus that is missing from your ministry. Maybe they are feeling a burden to start something new but because of their gender/culture/previous church experience they don’t think they look like the kind of person who can do that. What they need to hear from Jesus and from you is a resounding, “You can do this!”
Another aspect of believing in apostolic leaders in your context is to normalize failure. They will try lots of things that are way outside the box and take all kinds of risks. Create a culture that celebrates risk taking and not just results. Be their greatest cheerleader!
Give them Permission[ii]
Apostolic leaders will not always wait for permission to act on what they think God is calling them to do, but your permission will be empowering to them! Giving apostolic leaders the freedom to skip meetings and come to less “church stuff” is empowering. Give them territory to act on their vision and permission to start new things. My wife had a mentor in college who gave her permission to step away from the team she was leading in order to spend a whole semester building relationships in an unreached corner of the campus. She planted a thriving ministry among students that no one else was reaching out to because she was freed from traditional leadership structures.
Teach them to Hear from God[iii]
One of the clearest marks of an immature apostle is that they can’t tell the difference between the 500 ideas that they come up with each day and the things that God is actually calling them to do. Every idea that passes through an apostle’s mind is not a good idea. Even fewer are God ideas. Apostolic leaders must learn to recognize the God ideas. This is a matter of learning to hear and recognize the voice of God. It might be challenging to get them to sit still long enough, but to really empower an apostolic leader you have to push them to encounter Jesus. Spiritual integrity and Godly vision born out of the fiery presence of Jesus sets an apostolic leader apart.
Go to bat for them[iv]
As apostolic leaders step out in bold and risky ways they will stir up trouble. They will offend people and try a lot of things that won’t work. A key part of empowering them is going to bat for them when it gets messy. Be willing to bleed for them, to stand up for them even when they make other leaders uncomfortable. Be the one who continues to expects breakthrough for them even after a year of turning the flywheel with no results. Apostolic leaders need advocates who love them and are willing to put their own reputation on the line for them.
Stoke their imagination[v]
When apostolic leaders come face to face with the reality that “the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few” something is unleashed in them. Something comes alive in an apostolic leader’s imagination when she stands in a place that everyone else has forgotten. Their eyes start to see what no one else can and they begin to imagine what could be. One of the best ways to empower apostolic leaders (even the ones who don’t know they are!) is to expose them to the vastness of the need. Give them experiences that stir their imagination. Take them to prayer walk in an underserved neighborhood across town. Scout out a secular college campus. Invite missionaries to share at your church about a country where the church is in ruins. And watch as the missional imagination of young apostles is stoked into flames.
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[Check out “How to Identify an Apostolic Leader“]
[i] Luke 3:22 à Jesus’ sentness was affirmed by his Father before he had accomplished anything in ministry. Acts 9:13-21 à Paul’s apostolic ministry began immediately after Ananias affirmed his calling.
[ii] Acts 13:1-3 à The whole church at Antioch embodied this open handed posture as they empowered Barnabus and Paul to leave
[iii] Galatians 1:11 à Paul’s apostolic drive was born out of revelation and calling from Jesus
[iv] Acts 9:26-28, 11:22-26 à Barnabus went to bat for Paul even when he looked dangerous to everyone else in Jerusalem. He went to bat for him again years later, bringing him along to Antioch even after what were probably years of unfruitful ministry in Tarsus.
[v] Luke 10 à Jesus’ community of 72 “sent ones” saw the abundance of the harvest when they were sent out into it. Paul took a community of younger apostles (like Timothy in Acts 16) into the harvest fields and they caught the vision too.
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-Thanks for this article, you talk like you know me personally, you’re one of the few who understands!
This explains so much of who I am and why I have felt isolated. Thank you!
I’m concerned that “stoke their imagination” would lead to 500 more ideas. LOL. But… LOVE this post. It spoke volumes to me. 🙂