guest | Release the A.P.E.

How To Identify A Prophet

4 responses
March 20, 2014

Alexia Salvatierra is a prophet in our midst

This is a guest post by Rev. Alexia Salvatierra. She is currently the Special Assistant to the Bishop for Welcoming Congregations for the Southwest California Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. She also serves as a consultant to many major organizations and just released a new book, “Faith-Rooted Organizing. See her full bio, and book her to speak, train, or consult your group here.

What is a prophet? For many evangelicals, the calling/category of prophet is more confusing and controversial than apostle or evangelist. Some believe that the Old Testament prophets’ focus on communal repentance for culturally common sins (idolatry, adultery, social injustice) has been replaced from the New Testament forward by prophets who speak particular divine messages to individuals about the consequences of specific choices.

The Best Quote St. Francis Never Said

2 responses
March 18, 2014

Knight of St. Francis – Assisi

This is a guest post by Jason Gaboury. He is the Regional Director of New York/New Jersey with InterVarsity. He directs and oversees the work of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship to undergraduates in that massive area!

The yellow edged paper on Mom’s desk had the words printed in elegant script. “Preach the gospel at all times, when necessary use words.” A thin script underneath identified St. Francis of Assisi.

The script, the hand, even the composition of the paper suggested a scriptorium, monks copying aphoristic sayings of the saints by candlelight.

More than two decades later I still think of this quote when I remember my mom. The phrase captured a way of being that extended beyond the pulpit and pastor’s desk of her small parish church. It propelled her into Habitat building projects, compelled her to visit the imprisoned, and made her a companion to the suffering.

Imagine my surprise to learn, after mom’s death, that this quote was something St. Francis never said. Often attributed to St. Francis, the quote above (along with several variants) doesn’t appear in print before the 1990s.

How To Start A Ministry At Work

3 responses
March 17, 2014

Let’s be praying for ministry to start in the work place all around the world!

This is a guest post by Carolyn Chow. She wants to give you 5 principles to help you create a vibrant faith community in the workplace.

As a 23-year recent grad, I feel that I have already found my calling – I am a minister. My job title does not actually say “minister”, but The Lord has made it abundantly clear that I am called to love and minister wherever I am while doing what I love, currently unleashing my career in the unlikely place of an advertising agency.

Fully Released: Imagine Women Completely Empowered

no responses
March 6, 2014

This is a guest post by Rob Dixon. He serves as the Surf and Turf Divisional Director and lives in Clovis, CA. He’s married to Amy and together they are raising Josh, Lucy, Grace and Lily. In his spare time, you’ll either find Rob out running or in a book. He’ll be starting a DMiss program through Fuller Seminary in March. Rob blogs regularly on issues related to male privilege at challengingtertullian.com

I love the idea of releasing A.P.E.s into the world.

I also love the idea of releasing she-A.P.E.s into the world. In fact, I love most the thought of empowering apostles, prophets and evangelists of both genders to partner side-by-side in advancing God’s mission in the word.

Money On The Street: Financial Planner Gives Back

2 responses
February 23, 2014

This is a guest post from Gina Hurford. My sister of all people! She is a Financial Planner and Investment Consultant in San Francisco. She is also an InterVarsity alumni and came to faith in college at the University of San Diego. I have seen her grow since the beginning of her faith and I couldn’t be more proud of what she is doing now. When she told me this story a few weeks ago, I knew she needed to share.

Mentor or Mystic: Which Will You Be?

5 responses
February 17, 2014

This is a guest post by Brian Sanders. He leads an awesome church network in Tampa Bay called Underground. He is one of the most inspiring leaders I know. I love listening to him teach and I love the way he thinks about leadership, church planting, and missional communities. He is an apostolic leader through and through and you see this no better than in the way he is the chief architect for his network of churches. But he also comes hard with timely prophetic words. One of which lies here in this post. Buckle up for the ride and I hope you listen!

The Missing Component

Leadership is three dimensional. All our work on gifts, and even context, leave us still missing a third component to real transformative leadership. Intensity. I might be a gifted pastor or evangelist in the right place at the right time with the right people and the right gifts but I still have to wake up and go lay down my life. These variables are all (in my opinion) nothing without wholehearted, burning obedience. And that element is more a feature of our organizational culture perhaps than we realize. It is captured in the sometimes overlooked biblical exhortation from Romans 12 (one of the most relentless chapters in the bible) “Never be lacking in zeal…”

What part do WHITE people play?

no responses
February 7, 2014

Scott Hall is a prophetic voice in our culture and a great guy that I work with in Los Angeles. Here is a post I thought could be helpful that he wrote a few weeks ago. Enjoy and be challenged!

———————-

In light of this past week’s MLK holiday, and the upcoming Black History Month, I’ve been reflecting on the role White people have to play in God’s heart for justice. After centuries of being at the center of power in the West, is it time for White folks to take a back seat to people of color? Do we no longer have the right to have a voice in the conversation? Or is there a place for our voices and leadership? Is there something lost without us in the mix?

Last week I asked some of these questions to students at Pacific Lutheran University. A junior at PLU, Catherine, responded to my challenges in an email I have pasted below:

You can read the whole article and their responses here

Are Apostles For Today? What’s Their Role?

2 responses
January 26, 2014

Often times today in our churches the "road" is closed to apostolic leadership. Our hope with this blog is to open this "road" back up to the mission.

Often times today in our churches the “road” is closed to apostolic leadership & discussion.

The term apostle can provoke all kinds of reactions. What exactly does this word mean? Are there really present day apostles? If so, what do they do? And why does it matter? These are all really important questions. This blog post series is an attempt to look at these questions and point to biblical answers. I have asked Tim Catchim, a great thinker and writer on the apostolic, to write a blog series for us. Here is post two in the series “Are Apostles For Today?” (read the rest of the posts here)

As we continue this series of posts on apostles, we should probably give a brief description as to the kind of ministry that is associated with an apostle. As the word itself suggests, it is the quintessentially missional ministry as “sentness” is written into it (apo= separate stello = sent.)

We see this definition being played out for us in the book of Acts when Paul and Barnabas join up to go on their first missionary journey (Acts 13:1-8). A quick snap shot of this story will help illustrate what apostolic ministry is about.

As Paul and Barnabas are worshiping with other disciples at Antioch, the Holy Spirit says to them “Now separate to me Barnabas and Paul for the work to which I have called them.”

For Paul and Barnabas, the separation (apo) took place when they left the Antioch church. The sending (stello) aspect of their calling took place when they planted new churches in various places and people groups.

Are We On The Same Team?

no responses
December 8, 2013

FotoFlexer_Photo

This is a guest post by Bex Barton. Her day job is a rockin’ stay-at-home-mum (three crazy kiddos!) She is passionate about writing, tattoos, upcycling (Google it!) and all things artsy! She believes everyone has a role to play in this beautiful, messy life (yes, even *you*!) and seeks to help them find their way back to God.