Release The APE

Plants Leave Seeds Behind

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May 3, 2013

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By Beau Crosetto

Don’t let nothingness equate to death in your mind. Just because you can’t see something doesn’t mean there isn’t life there.

A tomato plant that we had last year died like a tomato plant does every year. I ripped the roots out and threw the vine away, leaving just the dirt behind. The sod sat in that pot for 6 months totally abandoned. Six months later, a sprout sprung up out of nowhere totally surprising my wife and me.

Surprised a seed was in there…we didn’t plant it
Surprised it was growing under the dirt…we hadn’t watered once

Now that there were signs of life, we started watering it and a few months later it is full, vibrant and producing the first signs of fruit. It is pretty exciting.

It got my wife and I talking as the kids played in the back yard.

Planting & Building

one response
May 1, 2013

Dandelion

A major topic of discussion in campus ministry and many churches today is the tension between planting and building.

When do we go and start something new in a completely new place (new campus, new church, etc) or when do we just focus on where we currently are and build that stronger (current fellowship or church congregation)?

What is the role of every leader, pastor, campus staff in both building what they currently steward and then leading that group to start new things beyond their current context?

4 D’s of Missional Engagement

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April 29, 2013

4 D's In a previous post “Discipleship Catalyzed by Mission” I wrote on the importance of recognizing how God’s mission can (and should) catalyze discipleship. In the comment section someone mentioned the need to highlight engagement in mission communally—or with others. I wholeheartedly agree. Part of the need to do mission in community involves the need to create opportunities to reflect, or debrief, the how, what and why of missional engagement. The importance of debriefing with others is just one the “Four D’s” that I use to describe different components of living out missionality.

A Prophet’s Doubts

2 responses
April 24, 2013

john

[This is part of a series on John The Baptist as Prophet. You can read the other posts here!]

By Sarah Carter

One of the most intriguing windows into John the Baptist’s heart is found in Matthew 11 (or Luke 7) as he sits in jail, his life close to its end. Something about this conversation between Jesus and John speaks deeply to the places of doubt and misunderstanding in my own life, particularly in the prophetic or apostolic risks I have stepped into.

In the story, John sends some of his disciples to ask Jesus an important question: “Are you the one who is to come,or should we expect someone else?” This inquiry seems bold in its skepticism, or perhaps disappointment. Without assuming John’s attitude behind such a question, it’s safe to say he was struggling with some serious uncertainty about Jesus’ identity. Maybe it was the lack of fire baptisms, threshing, and chaff burning…basically any judgment in general (Matt. 3:12). Maybe it was tinged with a little more self-interest or even entitlement as John rotted in jail (could you help a ‘cuz out?)

The Roller Coaster of Planting

5 responses
April 23, 2013

roller coaster

By Beau Crosetto

Staring new things for God is such a roller coaster of emotion!

I really hate it some days and love it others. But if we are going to be effective at starting new things for God then we have to be faithful people. We cannot let emotions dictate how we will act. We cannot let how we feel determine if we will go forward and stick it out.

There will be high highs, and low lows in planting.

There will be days you feel super lame, get stood up, and wonder why you are even doing this. There will be days when you have the best conversations and witness the most life-changing encounter and wonder how you could ever do anything else.

But the key in it all is being faithful and showing up no matter what.

The Power of Stories

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April 18, 2013

By James Choung

I just came back from Q Los Angeles, and my brain is full of ideas and thoughts and dreams — it’ll take a month to unpack it all. But I know already what I want to do first.

I want to learn how to tell a better story.

I know the idea of stories has been around the block a few times, even in evangelical neighborhoods. But still, stories have tremendous power. The best stories tell us what the world is like, and point to how the world could be. At Q, Bobette Buster, a creative consultant to some of the biggest names in Hollywood, said that if you tell your story, then it can lead to courage and healing. But if you bottle it up, then they’re liking ticking time bombs, ready to explode in destructive ways in the world around us. We need stories to make sense of our world, and to help us picture a better one. No wonder storytelling, especially in movies, is a multi-billion dollar industry.

The Apostolic Impulse

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April 17, 2013

abstract moving lights

Last week I had the privilege of being at InterVarsity’s Directors meetings with all the Directors in InterVarsity nation wide. During the time I was in a track on planting and we talked all about planting movements, and how to increase the number of campuses that InterVarsity is currently reaching in the USA. Right now we are on 575. We want to get to 1000 by 2017 (At least some of us are dreaming that way!)

If that is going to happen we need an apostolic movement, and we have to continue to welcome this in InterVarsity. Here is a definition of apostolic that a core group of us have landed on for now:

“An apostolic person is sent by God’s Spirit to expand the Kingdom across boundaries into new places”.

The key thing about apostolic people and therefore apostolic movements is that “sending” is happening and boundaries are being crossed.

Give me Nebraska or I die?

3 responses
April 15, 2013

nebraska

By Eric Rafferty

It’s pretty much universally accepted that driving across Nebraska is boring. It’s extremely flat, it’s a long drive, and this time of year it’s nearly lifeless. So why, when we’ve found ourselves driving across the state twice in the last two months, has it been so fun? On top of the general boringness, throw on the fact that we were driving across Nebraska on the way home from sunny, sexy California and we should have been completely depressed right?

But honestly, driving across flat, bland Nebraska has felt like a travelling celebration. We’ve been so filled with joy and love!

It’s because this place is our mission field and God has filled us with His love for it. There are 35 college campuses in the state of Nebraska and God has given us vision to see multiethnic and missional communities bring his love to every corner of every one of those campuses.

So when we drive across the state, even with two noisy kids in the back seat, we look out at the brown barren looking fields and we see the place that we love. We see good soil pregnant with potential and campus after campus that groan for something more.

Unlock The Potential of an Apostolic Movement

6 responses
April 14, 2013

Linson’s Staff Team in North Texas and Oklahoma

I love planting new communities on university campuses all over my geographic area. It is a thrilling experience to meet students, empower them, and start missional communities that produce renewal. I often get labeled as an “apostolic” person, but my heart wants something more than being one apostolic person… I want to start movements that are apostolic!

But first, there has been much discussion about what it means to be apostolic. A few of my colleagues and I have landed on a phrase that encapsulates the idea of an apostle. “An apostolic person is sent by God’s Spirit to expand the Kingdom across boundaries into new places”. I like this definition for four reasons.

The Unscripted & Surprising Talk

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April 12, 2013

kids

By Luke Cawley

After several hours of careful preparation, I had my talk down to perfection.

I was ready to share with a room full of parents how following Jesus affects my parenting.

Almost none of the parents were Christians and I was keen to communicate that though I struggle with all the same aspects of parents as they do, taking Jesus seriously has at least pointed me in a more helpful direction with some of these struggles.

I printed off the talk and put it in my bag.

The person organizing the event, which was a children’s Easter party, picked me up in her car and as I put on my seatbelt I thought I heard her say that I was not addressing the parents.

I was to speak with nine and ten year-olds.

Panic hit, as I haven’t done any kids’ work for over a decade.