The Eight Characteristics Of Apostolic Churches
NOTE: The following characteristics will flow in any size of church, including the house church.
1. Empowering Leadership
There is a distinction between "empowered" and "empowering" leadership. The first of these, the "empowered" are sometimes several, but quite often one "superhuman" leader who has all the gifts flowing in him and is compelled by a great vision. He is the one who leads but needs everyone else to catch his vision and turn it into reality, for we all know that one leader on his own can do nothing. These leaders hold a great deal of power over the lives of people and how ministries function in the local church. There have
historically been many churches and ministries that have been birthed by such visionary men and women, but in the long haul, as soon as the leader died, that particular ministry suffered.
Empowering leadership on the other hand are apostolic leaders who realize that their calling and task is to enable Christians develop greater degrees of empowerment which already belongs to them as members of the Body of Christ. These apostolic leaders equip, support, motivate, encourage, mentor and supervise individuals to become the ministers that God has purposed them to be. Some of these Christians will in fact be led to go into areas of ministry life that their own leaders cannot go. This causes an empowering leader to rejoice, as he sees God at work carrying out his plans and purposes in the lives of those who are called according to his will. An empowering leader blesses and releases people into their calling.
2. Gift-oriented Ministry
The basic assumption here is that God has already decided by his sovereign will which Christians should be involved in particular ministries in the church. The role of the apostolic leaders is to help Christians identify their gifts and integrate them into ministries that match their gifts. The implications here affect the whole ministry of the local church. The reality of gift-oriented ministry is that there is a realization that apostolic ministry is not done in one's own strength but rather through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit in every believer. This means that all Christians in the local church, empowered by the Holy Spirit, can enter into apostolic ministry and accomplish extraordinary exploits for Jesus Christ.
The greatest stress in local churches is that most of the ministry is carried out by a few zealous and passionate people. The vast majority of Christians are consumers and beneficiaries of the ministry taking place. Many of these Christians cannot identify their gifts or their place of ministry in the local church.
Another contributing dynamic in dysfunctional church ministry is that many people who do function in ministry are functioning in ministries that do not match their gifts. This creates an environment that is stressful, unfulfilling and frustrating. People need to identify their gifts, be equipped, mentored, and then released in their ministry gifts. If this were to take place, then people would become
more effective and fulfilled and the church would become the apostolic ministry of Jesus to the world. There would be increased joy as each person functioned as God had intended him or her to be. The implications are far reaching for all people, including current leaders in churches. The immediate results would be increased joy, greater effectiveness in ministry, and more misunderstanding by other Christians who struggle with this type of Holy Spirit led ministry. Misunderstanding is a natural result of desiring to follow God's calling. Some people just won't get it, and that is OK.
3. Passionate Spirituality
The most important aspect of spirituality is not it's expression, but rather it's passion. When we see the Body of Christ and it's diversity, we realize that there is not only a diversity of color, culture, belief and expression, but there is one common universal characteristic in the midst of all the diversity, and that is passion. Passion is best defined as faith that is lived out with commitment to Christ, with Holy Spirit fire and enthusiasm. Apostolic churches must demonstrably live out this passion for Jesus. Churches that approach spirituality with passion for Jesus will grow in character and grow in number. Jesus will be very real, and as people desire
something real and tangible and passionate spirituality ignites passion in the hearts of others. It becomes contagious. Apostolic churches must seek to support Christians in living out their spiritual passion more and more consistently and remove the obstacles that choke spiritual passion and life from the very start.
4. Functional Structures
The most important criterion for forms and structures in the church is if they fulfill their purpose or not. Church structures are never an end in them but are rather a means to an end. Whatever does not measure up (i.e. demeaning leadership structures, inconvenient worship service times, or ministries that do not impact people) is changed or laid to rest. This allows for continued freshness in the midst of ministry. Apostolic ministry recognizes the times, the audience, and that God has many ways in which to impact the culture. The structures are not sanctified, but the message and the ministry of the Holy Spirit are. As the Holy Spirit leads, the apostolic ministries will recognize where change must take place in the structures in order to accomplish the mission of Christ to the world.
5. Inspiring Worship Service
The key criterion in worship that is biblical and apostolic is whether people who come encounter God and find the experience spiritually uplifting and enjoyable. The whole area of dynamic inspiring worship is to have an encounter with Christ and enter into his presence. It is in this experience that Jesus ignites the heart himself to go out and reach others in his Name. His passion in us releases compassion for others.
6. Holistic Small Groups
NOTE: For house churces what is considered here as holistic small groups is usually part of normative expression of body life.
The book of Acts is replete with examples of meetings in homes where people gathered to break bread together, be taught the teaching of the apostles, pray and have fellowship together (Acts. 20:20), Apostolic churches are churches that create small communities of faith where Christians can find intimate community, practical help and intensive spiritual interaction. This is
holistic. They not only gather to discuss Bible texts, but apply biblical insights to the every day issues of the participants. This is modeled after the first group of twelve whom walked and traveled and ministered with Jesus. Holistic small groups will be the safest place in which to discover, mentor and use spiritual gifts. It is a safe place in which to mature in gifts and be prepared to minister to the wider Body of Christ. All the gifts should manifest their presence in holistic small groups. Where Jesus is present, the entire gift should be present and effective in ministry.
7. Need Oriented Evangelism
Apostolic churches will only grow when they take up the call to evangelize. Churches will not grow without Christians sharing the gospel with others. Evangelism takes many forms. All are called to be witnesses for Christ, and all can bear witness to the gospel when the opportunity is given. Need oriented evangelism is the manner in which the gospel is shared that meets the questions and needs of pre-Christians. Apostolic evangelism is needs oriented. In the neo-pagan age that we live, there is a growing need for the
demonstrable power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of people. The neo-spiritual paganism in the West has made the door of opportunity wide open to apostolic evangelism.
Apostolic evangelism is need oriented and meets the person where they are and addresses that need. Apostolic evangelism is also presence and power evangelism. In presence evangelism, the very presence of Christ will manifest in the life of the person and prepare that person to receive the gospel, or as you pray with they will have a supernatural encounter with Christ. In power evangelism, there will be miracles and healing occurring and other manifestations of the Holy Spirit, as you move and pray under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In each of these, apostolic evangelism is need oriented.
8. Loving Relationships
Apostolic churches are churches that manifest loving relationships. Love is manifested by the Holy Spirit in our hearts and is demonstrated in our relationships with one another. Loving relationships are characterized by how we treat one another, by how we prefer and honor one another. It is also demonstrated in how we care and minister to one another privately and corporately. Do we treat each other as Christ would treat us? Are we gracious, kind, loving, long-suffering, patient, and faithful? Apostolic churches encourage community with one another and greater intimacy. They encourage life to the fullest, and encourage participation in the lives of others, in sorrow, trial, triumph and joy. Loving relationships grow as Christ grows in each person and as the Holy Spirit brings healing and restoration. These churches where practical love is lived out endows a church with much greater magnetic power than all marketing efforts this world could muster. It is attractive. Real love is contagious. Jesus himself said the world would know us by the love we have for one another. Apostolic churches walk in that love knowing it has the power to turn the world right side up!
NOTE: These 8 Characteristics are adapted and taken from a presentation on Natural Church Development (by Christian Schwarz)as it relates to the Apostolic Church of Pentecost. The moderator of the ACOP, Rev. Gil Killam is a teacher and coach of Natural Church Development, and sees it as the most biblical form of church growth and development. His presentation emphasized how this form of ministry development is in harmony with the Scriptures and with the historical roots of the ACOP. These characteristics are the signs of a healthy church, and these signs can be found in churches that have fully embraced apostolic ministry as revealed in the Gospels, the Book of Acts and the letters of St. Paul.