Post Archive by Month

We must be active in all dimensions of human life, especially at the cultural level, because culture is the sphere where people and societies share common meaning. As part of the redemption of all aspects of life we should be actively interpreting movies, literature, pop-culture, experiences, new religious movements, and the like. They can be redeemed and directed to the glory of God. It is precisely these things that have the elements of human searching and yearning in them that must be correlated to the mind and heart of God if they are to be redeemed. This is exactly what Paul was doing in Acts 17 in his speech on Mars Hill. He was highlighting to the Greek philosophers that the search going on in their own writings was a legitimate one. He then directed them to the resurrection of Jesus.

Today’s text fascinates as much for what it says as for what it doesn’t say. Were we to look across the spectrum at today’s growing churches we might think the text says something more like the following:

The gifts he gave were that some would be senior ministers, some lead pastors, some associate pastors, some youth ministers, some recreational activities directors, some children’s pastors, some worship leaders and some choir directors, to run the church, keep people coming back, learning the newest worship songs, moving on toward tithing, going on occasional mission trips, learning as much about the Bible as possible, and participating in as many varied church activities, committees and building campaigns as their schedules will permit.

In the case that you have not heard, we are excited to announce the release of our new resource, Activating 5Q: User’s Guide. If you are looking for a way to immerse your lead team or small group in 5Q, this is a great place to start. As a companion to the book, Activating 5Q: User’s Guide will move your group forward, help you become more fluid in thinking and seeing in 5Q colors as well as experiencing growth in your APEST gifts.

This week, I want to share my personal experience with the User Guide resources and hopefully encourage you to choose this path as you consider a next step.

We (as in every single follower of Christ) are called to make disciples who make disciples. How we live out that calling is particular and important and how we empower/expect our leaders, colleagues, mentors, and mentees to fully utilize the essential passions and motivations that have drawn us into ministry in the first place is the difference between life giving vibrant ministry and pure grueling sacrifice that is to be endured out of pure duty to the church.

If we believe that God has to give each leader in the church a personal Christ- ordained calling (5Q) on his or her life, but at the same time we do not give them space to fully embody their particular calling in how they live out their leadership, we are immediately  snuffing out the same spark we lit in the first place.