Release The APE

Becoming “Bi-Vocational” Saved My Ministry

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November 10, 2014

This is a guest post by Doug Black Jr. He is a bi-vocational minister in the Philadelphia area and really passionate about making disciples where ever he goes! check him out at http://www.heyitsdoug.com

I was in youth ministry for years, reaching a group of students that (was supposed to be) between grades 7-12. These were amazing students, and many of them are still following Christ to this day, some thanks to us and some in spite of us. These students were reaching their friends at their lunch tables, giving testimonies and reports in classes, and becoming leaders in our growing little church.

And I was sitting in an office, wondering what to do while they were in school. Sure, I would prepare events and message. I would do some administrative stuff. But, I had a devastating hunger for more: making disciples where there were none, seeing ministry happened like Jesus did it, connecting with students, teachers and school events.

Are You Leading A Monument Or A Movement?

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October 29, 2014

By Jon Hietbrink

It’s relatively easy to see “flash in the pain” success, but it’s another thing entirely to lead a movement that sustains growth over time. As APE leaders we have a unique role to play in both leading change within existing systems and helping our movements “surf the edge of chaos” in a way that propels enduring momentum, and one of the key pitfalls we must avoid is allowing our movements to become monuments—slowly decaying symbols of past success, but absent of the intrinsic vitality we see in living things.

One of the key functions of apostolic leadership goes beyond merely interpersonal to systemic influence— we cultivate environments where movements can thrive and combat the temptations of monument. Here’s a few warning signs that monument thinking is taking root and organizational recalibration is needed.

Interview with Frank Viola: Beyond Awkward

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October 27, 2014

I did an in depth interview on my book, Beyond Awkward, over on Frank Viola’s blog.

Here is the first question from the interview:

Instead of asking, “what is your book about,” I’m going to ask the question that’s behind that question. And that unspoken question is, “how are readers going to benefit from reading your book?”

Jesus, Karma, and Reincarnation

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October 23, 2014

This is a guest post by Josh Howard. He works with Central Indian Christian Mission. I met him in grad school and he has a fire for the gospel. I was so impressed one day when he told me how they share the gospel with Hindu people I have wanted him to share this story for years with us! So here you go.

Christianese.

It gets us into trouble—especially in India.

“Let’s eat the body and blood of Jesus.”

“Jesus saves!”

“Hallelujah!”

What?

Have you ever thought about what this sounds like to people who aren’t familiar with the Christian culture?

Ministry Idols: Individualism

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October 15, 2014

This is a series of guest posts by Scott Bessenecker. He is the Associate Director of Mission for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Each year he helps to mobilize thousands of students to domestic and international mission. He is author of various books including his new release Overturning Tables: Freeing Missions from the Christian-Industrial Complex

[Check out post one on money, and post two on metrics.]

One of the very first words our kids learned was “MINE!” (spoken with all caps and followed by an exclamation point). One of the first sentences our kids learned was “I DO IT!” again with all capital letters and an exclamation point. Somehow the idea of private ownership and rugged individualism is picked up very early in life without an economics course or special classes in self-awareness. We appear to be born with a nasty strain of independence.

Video: What A.P.E.s Can Learn From Wolves

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October 13, 2014

My friend Gibby passed this along to me and it’s a fascinating video about wolves and what happend to Yellowstone when they intruded them in 1995. It’s remarkable the change they brought on almost every level.

A great question to ask, “What if we we re-introduced apostles, prophets, evangelists back into our ministry?”

What could it do to the ecosystem of the church?

[tentblogger-youtube ysa5OBhXz-Q]

5 APOSTOLIC LESSONS FROM THE GLOBAL CHURCH

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October 12, 2014

By Linson Daniel

I have had the privilege of going overseas to partner with various churches and indigenous ministries – especially in India. Every time I interact with believers and leaders from the Global Church, I walk away feeling inspired, emboldened, and challenged. We have much to learn from the Global Church. I gained a refreshing lens on the apostolic. Below are five lessons:

Last Day To Get 4 FREE Bonuses

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October 9, 2014

Today is the last day to get the 4 FREE bonuses that I am offering anyone that buys my book this week.

This opportunity will close at midnight tonight. I am giving away four resources that I think will bless any ministry leader greatly. These resources in themselves are worth more than the price of the book.

Ministry Idols: Metrics

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October 8, 2014

This is a guest post by Scott Bessenecker. He is the Associate Director of Mission for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Each year he helps to mobilize thousands of students to domestic and international mission. He is author of various books including his new release Overturning Tables: Freeing Missions from the Christian-Industrial Complex

I’m not interested in growth, I’m interested in flourishing. And there’s a difference.

Growth has become the ministry altar upon which we have sacrificed seeking the flourishing of God’s kingdom and God’s justice. It is sometimes the only lens through which we understand ministry health, as if constant growth were the Holy Grail of ministry success. But in a living organism there is a word for unabated growth which does not contribute to flourishing, it’s called cancer.

Evangelism: Who’s Job Is It Anyways?

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October 7, 2014

This week, in an effort to let people know about my evangelism book, Beyond Awkward, different people are posting blogs I have written taking you deeper into the content of the book.

If you buy the book by Friday night, you also receive 4 FREE bonus resources from me.

Bob Roberts Jr. is one of those people and he has a blog post on his site from me about the confusion in knowing the role of Holy Spirit and our own role in evangelism.

If you are anything like me then you struggle with this tension too: Who is supposed to make things happen in evangelism, God or me?

When it comes to seeking conversion in our friend’s and families lives, we don’t want to be annoying and pushy, but we don’t want to sit back and wait forever either. Some of us are more temperamentally on the side of things that says, “I need to make something happen” while others of us are more the “If its going to happen then God is going to do it”.

But effective evangelism is more nuanced and partnered than this. Both statements above assume a black or white reality when God is inviting us into the blended.

Read the whole post here