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What is Trimtab?

Trimtab is a coaching and consulting agency that helps people apply APEST in their life, leadership, teams, and organizations. We want to see you, and the people around you, grow and mature into the fullness of Christ.

The Name

Think about an ocean liner moving through the water. There’s a lot of energy propelling that ship forward. How does the captain get a ship like that to change course? The captain turns the wheel, the wheel turns the rudder, and the rudder turns the ship, right?

Wrong…

Due to the forward motion of the ship, the rudder has so much pressure on it that turning the wheel, by itself, won’t work. Enter trimtab…

A trimtab (in yellow) is a mini-rudder attached to the tail end of a larger rudder. When the captain turns the wheel, the wheel turns the trimtab, the trimtab turns the larger rudder, and then the larger rudder starts turning the ship.

At Trimtab we know that organizations are a lot like ships. It doesn’t matter if they are big or small – once they start moving it’s hard to change course. But like a trimtab, small changes, in the right places, done consistenly over time, can change the course of any ship.

If organizations are like ships, then APEST is like that larger rudder that steers the ship in a new direction. Each APEST gifting carries a unique set of paradigms and practices. The bold, yet compelling, claim that Paul makes in Ephesians four is that when each of those unique paradigms and practices start equipping the body a transformation takes place – we start growing and matring into the fullness of Christ. Now tell me, what Christian leader would not like to see more growth and maturity in the people they lead?

If an organization is a ship, and the paradigms and practices of APEST are the rudder steering the ship, then leaders and their core teams are the trimtab. They make the first shift of applying APEST paradigms and practices in their own life and leadership, forming the initial micro-culture that can change the course of the entire organization.

At Trimtab, we not only help you start that initial APEST micro-culture, we also help you scale it across, and beyond, the organization. We help you become the change you want to see.

A Developmental Approach

We realize not everyone is at the same place in their journey of applying APEST in their context. You may be just getting started, and want to develop a basic understanding of APEST. You may already have a basic understanding, but want to become a better practitioner of APEST. You may be a trainer who is looking for tools and tactics to equip others in their journey of becoming APEST practitioners. Or, you may just be someone looking for 1 on 1 coaching as you go through the innovative process of applying APEST in your own context.

At Trimtab we take a developmental approach with all of our clients – we meet you where you are and journey with you, step by step, to the place you want to be. To help us do this, we created a developmental pathway that allows you to step in and move forward at whatever stage is right for you. Our coaching options are as follows:

Each stage, whether it’s a 6 Week Course, a 5 Month Cohort, a 10 Month Community, or a 10 Month Contextual 1 on 1 Coaching relationship, is designed to cultivate specific developmental outcomes that are unique to that particular stage of the journey.

Want to learn more about how you can start applying APEST paradigms and practices in your context? Click the button below and we’ll get the conversation going.

Let’s Talk

Trimtab

The definition of evangelist…

Summary of definion of apostle

In this post we’ll look at the definition of the word evangelist in the original language, and how it points us to some unique qualities of evangelists in general.

A little Greek Geek moment…

The word evangelist comes from the Greek word εὐαγγελιστής (evangelist). But it’s actually a combination of two words: εὖ (yoo) and ἄγγελος (angelos). The word εὖ (yoo) means good, and the word ἄγγελος (angelos) means messenger.

Now it’s true, the meaning of a Greek word is more than just the sum of its parts.

But…

The two words εὖ (yoo) and ἄγγελος (angelos) are like the blue and red lenses on a pair of 3D glasses you get at the movie theater. Each word has its own shade of meaning that affects how we “see” the meaning of the word as a whole.

So we’re going to take a quick look through each lens separately – first the blue lens of εὖ (yoo), then the red lens of ἄγγελος (angelos), and then we’ll look through both lenses at the same time.

Good

The word εὖ (yoo) means good, which means the evangelist is primarily focused on the good. In fact, one of the ways you know you’re an evangelist is if you have a natural tendency to focus on the positive side of every situation and relationship. Evangelists are eternal optimists and see opportunities and potential in almost everything.

Because evangelist’s primarily focus on the good, positive, and desirable aspects of reality they often have a difficult time with criticism or negative feedback. Evanagelist’s want good news – not bad news – and when forced to encounter bad news they will magically find a way to turn that bad news into good news by highlighting or reframing the good over the bad.

This ability to filter out the bad and focus on the good often allows evangelists to have a higher degree of faith than most, enabling them to see possibilities in what some would see as impossible situations. They enjoy taking “risks”, but from their standpoint, it’s not so much taking risks as the willingness to act on the potential that others are just unable to see.

This innate ability to see the positive doesn’t mean they don’t see the negative. It just means they either choose not to focus on the negative, or actively go about converting the negative into a positive. In fact, evangelists actually see the world primarily in binary terms: it’s either positive or negative – good or bad. And it’s this binary frameowrk that leads evnagelistis to categorize people and situations in one of those two categories.

For example, if we read through the New Testament we can see traces of the evaneglistic mindset in the binary framework used to describe people “before” and “after” their conversion to Christ, most notably in Ephesians 2:1-3:6. The following two column table outlines some of those before and after categories.

BEFORE	AFTER
Dead	Alive
children of wrath	children of the Father
Gentiles	fellow heirs with Israel and partakers of God’s promise in Christ by the gospel
without Christ	in Christ
strangers from the commonwealth of Israel, no hope, and without God	fellow citizens and members of God’s household, a dwelling place of God in the Spirit

An example of a binary framework from Ephesians 2:1-3:6

It is this binary mindset of the evangelist that aids them in helping people identify which “side” of the column they are on, so they can lead people to a point of decision to move from the “bad” column to the “good” column.

However, here’s an important qualification aout the evangelist’s “binary” mindset. Every binary is perceived more along the lines of a spectrum, with key stages of movement leading up to a crossing o the line form one binary to the other. A good example of this is the Engel Scale – undoubtedly developed by somone with evangelistic sensibilities – that outlines successive stages of moving towards a point of conversion. This same scale was later enhanced and filled out in the Grays Matrix which helps you plot where people are in their starting point so you can get your evangelistic message “across” in an appropriate way.

Messenger

The second word is ἄγγελος (angelos) which means messenger. A messenger was someone who crossed boundaries to deliver a message from one person to the next. In the first century context, an evangelist could have been the person who was sent by the Emperor to either announce the good news of a victory in battle, or to announce the good news that the Emperor was coming to a particular city. In either case, the evangelist was sharing good news that called for a response by those who heard it.

An often overlooked aspect of the term evangelist is that it was also used in the context of herding cattle (and yes, there’s implications here for “branding” :-). Becuase the cattle herder kept the cattle moving from pasture to pasture, they often came into close proximity with different villages within the region. If you wanted to deliver a message to another village, but didn’t want to personally leave your home to deliver it, you would pay the cattle herder to deliver the message for you.

Evangelists, as messengers of the good, are excellent story tellers because they are able to look at a person or situation, extract the good qualities or aspects of that person or situation, and frame all of that “goodness” into a causal chain of events that highlights and promotes the goodness they see.

This combining of disparate goodness into a connected, coherent relationship also makes evangelists excellent metaphor makers. They can see relationships between two very different things and draw out the similarities and overlapping spaces of meaning that help point people to new and exciting insights.

Their ability to make meaningful connections between apparently different things also makes them excellent social networkers. They not only love connecting with new people, they also love connecting other people together in meaningful ways that bring about new possibilities.

One who Promotes and Persuades

When the various meanings of good and messenger come together we start to see some of the unique skills and sensibilities of evangelists. For example, evangelists naturally promote goodness. They get things moving by pointing us forward to all the goodness we are cueently missing out on, but can undoubtedly reach if we will just… They are forward looking and people liking, and naturally carry meaning and messages are across social and geographical boundaries. In the business world, they are brililant marketers and sales people who know how to accentuate the good qualities of any person or product.

Evangelists are also amazingly persuasive. You know you’ve been influenced by an evangelist when you find yourself going places and doing things that you otherwise would have never done on your own. By helping us see the good side of something, they automatically help us realize how bad off we are without that goodness in our life. They persuade us to pursue the deepest desires of our hearts and cross the line from fear to faith.

One way to summarize these various meanings in the word εὐαγγελιστής (evangelist) is to say that an evangelist is One who Promotes and Persuades. They Promote good news and Persuade us to respond to that news in decisive ways.

Awareness

What do you think about someone being naturally gifted by Jesus to promote goodness and persuade us to respond to it in a decisive way?
How have you seen the evangelistic gifting expressed by someone in your Christian community?
How have you seen the evangelistic gifting expressed by someone in your work or school environment?

Trimtab

If you found this post helpful and would like to go deeper, then let’s talk. Click the button below and let us us know how we can reach you.

Let’s Talk

Trimtab

Helping you develop the potential of APEST in your life, leadership, teams, and organization so we can experience the fullness of Christ.

The definition of prophet…

Summary of definion of prophet

In this post we’ll look at the definition of the word prophet in the original language, and how it points us to some unique qualities of prophets in general.

A little Greek Geek moment…

The word prophet comes from the Greek word προφήτης (prophetes). But it’s actually a combination of the two Greek words πρό (pro) and φημί (phemi). The word πρό (pro) means before, and the word φημί (phemi) means bring to light.

Now it’s true, the meaning of a Greek word is more than just the sum of its parts.

But…

The word prophet is what linguists call a compound verb – a word that combines a preposition with a verb. For those who barely passed English, hang with me for sec – here’s my point:

The two words πρό (pro) and φημί (phemi) are like the blue and red lenses on a pair of 3D glasses you get at the movie theater. Each word has its own shade of meaning that affects how we “see” the meaning of the word as a whole. So we’re going to take a quick look through each lens separately – first the blue lens of πρό (pro), then the red lens of φημί (phemi), and then we’ll look through both lenses at the same time.

Before

The word πρό (pro) can have temporal, spatial, and relational significance. Temporally the word points to a sequence of events where one thing comes before another. It implies something comes first, and therefore takes priority, in relation to other things that come second, third etc.

The spatial significance points to someone standing before another person. There’s a representative dynamic here where one person stands before others to communicate something.

The relational significance flows out of the spatial. It implies a posture of being turned towards another person for communication and interaction. There can be a kind of face-to-face imagery here.

The implications of the meaning of πρό (pro) for our understading of the prophet are best seen in light of the word φημί (phemi)…

Bring To Light

The word φημί (phemi) means bring to light. In the context of a first century home, the source of light was often placed at the center of the room. That means the darker, more shadowy areas were at the edge of the room – away from the center. When something is brought into the light, it means it is being brought from the darker, more shadowy areas at the edge of the room to the center of the room.

The word φημί (phemi) can also mean to assert one thing over another. It points to the kind of communication that compares and contrasts between two things, with the goal of identifying one thing as being more important than another.

One who Reveals and Reforms

When the various meanings of before and bring to light come together we start to see some of the unique skills and sensibilities of prophets. For example, prophets often engage with people, places, and problems at the edge (spatial) before other people do, and are the first (temporal) to recognize when those people, places, or problems are being overlooked or undervalued (relational). They are like the canaries in the coal mine who are the first show the signs of things that are going wrong.

Prophets then bring those people, places, and problems back from the edge to the center of the group and ask, “Are we going to pay attention to this?” (relational). Prophets want to publicize and prioritize people, places, and problems that have been marginalized.

The prophet wants to stir us up to not only pay attention, but to also proactively address, the gap that exists between the center and the edge. In fact, a prophet will not be satisfied until they start to see a closing of that gap in tangible ways.

Prophetic ministry is also a values based ministry. It often asserts one thing as being more imporant than all other things, which can sometimes give prophetic ministry a somewhat polarizing, or even overly simplistic, vibe. However, without the prophet exercising their unique skills and sensibilities to prioritize and our relationship and response to the “unseen”, a group will continue to function with a limited perspective and impact in it’s context.

One way to summarize these various meanings in the word προφήτης (prophetes) is to say that a prophet is One who Reveals and Reforms. They Reveal the “unseen” and call for Reform at the deepest level of our being, and at the furthest extent of our organizations.

Awareness

What do you think about someone being naturally gifted by Jesus to bring something into the light before others?
How have you seen the prophetic gifting expressed by someone in your Christian community?
How have you seen the prophetic gifting expressed by someone in your work or school environment?

Trimtab

If you found this post helpful, and would like to go deeper then let’s talk. Click the button below and let us us know how we can reach you.

Let’s Talk

Trimtab

Helping you develop the potential of APEST in your life, leadership, teams, and organization so we can experience the fullness of Christ.

APEST: Rated “E” for Everyone Part 4

This is Part 4 (Parts 1, 2, 3) of a series of posts that seeks to answer the question, “Is APEST given to everyone in the church, or just a select group of leaders?” How we answer this question will radically affect the way we go about applying APEST in our contexts.

The best way to answer this question is to let the text speak for itself, which says,

but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Ephesians 4:15-16

In this passage, Paul envisions a network of interactive relationships between the head and its body parts. As the head Christ is both the Source and Goal of all things – both in heaven and on earth (1:10).

It is through our union with Christ in the Spirit that we become “one flesh” with him, and have therefore become members of his body (5:29-32). Practically speaking, this means we are not only members of Christ, we are also members of one another.

If we pay close attention, Paul is outlining this network of relationships as being developmental. In other words, each part of the body actively participates with Christ in the growth of the body.

Connected and Contributing

Paul sees each part of the body as being connected and contributing to every other part of the body. It’s a movemental network of reciprocity where each part of the body functions as both a giver and a receiver. Visually, it would look somethign like this:

In this diagram, Christ the head is empowering each part of the body. Then, like our own physical body, Paul sees each part of the body contributing something unique to every other part of the body so it can grow and build itself up in love.

The important thing note here is that Paul envisions the body as building itself up in love. In other words, this is something the body does to itself – but notably not by itself. The body is empowered by its connection with the head, but the goal of that empowerment is for each part of the body to uniquely contribute to the body’s internal capacities to repair (equip) itself so it can carry out its function as the body of Christ.

If you haven’t guessed by now, that unique contribution from each part of the body flows directly from the unique measure of grace that Christ has given to each person via their APEST gifting. As it turns out, each one of us is called to participate with Christ in gathering all things back up into his headship.

It’s hard to imagine how someone could work their way through the language and imagery of this text and come out on the other side with the idea that APEST is only given to a select group of leaders in the church. Paul sees each member of the body of Christ connected and contributing to the individual and collective growth of the body. To act as if the fivefold giftings of APEST have been restricted to a select few will only continue to frustrate our capacity to carry out our function as the body of Christ.

Awareness

Paul says each one of us has been made “one flesh” with Christ. How does this shape the way you see our participation in the new humanity of Christ?
Paul sees each part of the body connected and contributing to every other part of the body. How can we ensure those connections remain open so we can give and receive from one another?
How does each APEST gifting empower the body to carry out its unique function as the body of Christ? For example, what body part would you associate the apostle with? Why? What body part would you associate the prophet with? Why? And so on…

Trimtab

We help people apply APEST in their life, leadership, teams, and organizations so they can reach their full potential in Christ. If you want to learn more, you can check out our Practitioners Cohort. Just click the button below and let us know how we can reach out and connect with you.

Let’s Talk

Embracing the Prophetic

APEST is widely used to help people understand themselves; the way they are uniquely gifted for ministry. But what most people do not realize is that APEST can also help diagnose the health of an entire body of believers. For example, a healthy organization will function in various forms of all five APEST ministries. When one or more of these functions are minimized, ignored, or suppressed the organization will suffer.

If these gifts are the very essence of Jesus’ ministry (as we here at Trimtab believe), then it is important that all five are named, valued, and given permission to function in the church or organization you serve. (For a more detailed description of the APEST giftings of apostle, prophet, evangelist, shepherd, and teacher, click here)

What I Have Seen

I have worked within the context of a large mission’s organization for the better part of two decades. Over the course of that time, I have seen many join our organization, and I have seen others leave. Some leave on good terms, and others leave in pain, hurt, and disillusionment.

Before studying APEST in depth, I tended to view those who left in pain as unfortunate, but unrelated cases. But as I learned about APEST and its impact on organizational culture, I began to see a frightening pattern. It is a pattern all too familiar in many evangelical churches and mission organizations—leaders who silence the prophetic function of APEST (and the people who represent that function).

Those operating in a prophetic way are often made to feel they are disloyal to the organization, that their voices are untrustworthy, and that their contribution to the health of the organization is misguided, or even harmful. Ultimately, they sense they are no longer welcome. Some continue on, hoping their contribution will be accepted at lower levels of the organization. Others leave confused, trying to make sense of what went wrong in an organization they once loved.

The Prophetic Function

Those with a prophetic gift call people back to intimacy and right relationship with God. They are the first to see the gaps, and inconsistencies within the body of Christ. And, unlike the other gifts, these men and women hold the tension of that gap in their physical bodies. Many with this gift will, like Jeremiah, sense that the message they have “is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.”

As an agent of change, the prophet will most naturally be critical of the misalignment and inconsistencies they see within the organization, church, or body they serve. Part of the maturing process for the prophet is to hone their message, and to choose appropriate moments to spotlight the cause God is hosting within them. Sadly, though, because their message is usually one that calls people towards unfamiliar or uncomfortable places, the prophet’s message is almost always met with resistance.

Prophetic Deficits

Because there is a deficit in our awareness and appreciation of the prophetic function within the Body, leaders often struggle to recognize its value and receive its’ contributions. Are the prophetic voices in your context seen as a blessing, a nuisance, or most ostensibly, a danger to the organization?

In my case, I noticed that many of the people leaving on bad terms had one thing in common: they had a prophetic voice. These were people who were extremely dedicated to the organization. Many were noticing and pointing out the distance between what the organization said they valued and what the organization actually valued.

At first they were seen as a nuisance—a distraction from the organization’s mission. But, as time went on, some of those who continued to speak were viewed not just as an inconvenience, but as dangerous. And, because they continued to speak about the gap they saw, they lost credibility, influence, and sometimes—their jobs.

Here are three signs that your organization or church has a low capacity for the prophetic function of APEST:

There is little to no tolerance for something deemed “new” or “different.”
Lip service is given to certain adjustments, without real heart-level or (in the case of an organization) structural change.
Those not satisfied with the status quo are seen as trouble-makers, are side-lined, or pushed out of positions of influence.

Embracing the Prophetic Function

You may be wondering, as a leader, how can I avoid the mistake of ignoring or suppressing the prophetic gift in my context? Here’s a few suggestions:

First, come to terms with the fact that Jesus himself has given this gift to the Body. When we reject prophets, we’re rejecting a gift from Christ.

Second, recognize that especially in times of change or transition, the prophetic voices in your organization may be the hardest to hear, but are extremely valuable. These are the people who will be most sensitive to, and often the most troubled by, the gap between what is and what should be. They may not always come up with the best solutions (they often need the rest of the Body to hone and shape their ideas), but you can be sure of one thing, when something is awry, they will be the first to sense it. And before long, they will tell you.

Third, create space for prophets to mature in their gifting. They may not have the most tact or be able to express what they see with clarity on the first try. Give them space, ask questions, and be genuinely curious about what they have to say. Soon, you will find you are helping them dig up valuable, rough-cut gems that benefit the entire body.

Fourth, take the ideas surfaced by prophets to the rest of your team. Allow all of the APEST gifts to hone and shape solutions.

Of all the APEST functions, the prophetic voice can be the most difficult to receive. And yet, it is a vital part of a healthy, Christ-like culture. Without it, your church or organization is like a sailboat without a compass. You will have a hard time finding true North.

Conversely, as leaders embrace this gift in those around them, they create opportunities for greater alignment with God and his purposes. While I have seen prophetic people marginalized and leave the organization, I have also seen a few bright spots—leaders who are not afraid to embrace the changes prophets are so good at fomenting. When leaders embrace the prophetic gift, they will be surprised to find that, though the path is rarely easy, the result is a group of people whose hearts are more aligned to God and his mission.

Trimtab

We help people apply APEST in their life, leadership, teams, and organizations. For more on the prophetic gift, and the other APEST gifts, check out our courses and cohorts.

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Shaun Grindle

Shaun works to catalyze city transformation by training church leaders in the area of activated prayer, connecting intimacy with God to the mission of God. He enjoys seeing people awakened to their unique contribution in the kingdom of God through APEST. He has been married to his bride for 11 years and together they have four children. He enjoys reading, crossfit, and good food.

The Backstory: Giants, Demons, Spiritual Warfare, and APEST

Ever wonder why Paul introduces APEST by quoting a victory Psalm that describes Israel’s battle against a giant named King Og – known as an infamous gatekeeper to the realm of the dead? Ephesians 4:8-10 is one of the most cryptic verses in all of Paul’s writings. But if we read closely, we’ll discover that Paul sees APEST as a way for us to participate with Christ in his cosmic victory over death and demonic forces. In this webinar we will:

Unravel cryptic phrases and themes in Ephesians 4:8-10
Identify the hostile forces of evil referenced in Psalm 68
Discover how APEST is directly connected with the gospel
Show how APEST equips us for spiritual warfare

APEST is more than just a personality or gifting profile. It’s one of the strategic ways Christ empowers his church to partner with him in the ongoing struggle against evil – forces that want to hinder us from becoming everything God created us to be, in him.

If you want to deepen your understanding of the relationship between APEST and spiritual warfare, this webinar is for you!

Trimtab

We help people apply APEST in their life, leadership, teams, and organizations so they can grow and mature into the fullness of Christ. If you want to learn more, you can check out our Practitioners Cohort. Just click the button below and let us know how we can reach out and connect with you.

Let’s Talk

Tim Catchim

Tim is the Team Leader of Trimtab. He’s an author, coach, consultant, and trainer. He’s also planting a church called OneLife with his amazing wife Tiffany in Nashville TN. He is energized by helping people reach their full potential in Christ He also enjoys basketball, camping, and reading.

APEST: Rated “E” for Everyone Part 3

This is Part 3 of a series of posts (Part 1, 2, 4) that seeks to answer the question, “Is APEST given to everyone in the church, or just a select group of leaders?” How we answer this question will radically affect the way we go about applying APEST in our contexts.

The best way to answer this question is to let the text speak for itself. Our next text is Ephesians 4:8, which says:

Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.”
Ephesians 4:8

This is a quotation from Psalm 68:18. There’s a lot to say about why Paul brings this verse up in the context of APEST, but for this blog post we only want to focus on the word “men” at the end of the quotation.

The Human Factor

While the Greek language has specific words to differentiate between the genders of male and female (or husband and wife), the word translated as “man” in this passage does not use either of those terms. Instead, it uses the the word anthropos. This word, when used in the plural (as it is in this verse) is gender inclusive. In other words, it includes both male and female, and refers to humans in general.

It’s not by accident that Paul quotes a passage from the Old Testament that talks about “gifts” being “given” by Christ to “human beings.” As we noted in our previous post, the “grace” that Christ gives to each one of us in 4:7 cuts across all categories, whether they be Jew-Gentile, circumcised-uncircumcised, male-female, husband-wife, mature-immature, leader-follower etc.

In 4:8 Paul continues this train of thought by citing an Old Testament passage that speaks of gifts being given to human beings after a victory in battle. This giving of gifts to the human beings was a common thing to do in antiquity after a military defeated an enemy. The victors would enter the camp, village, or city, of those they had just conquered and take their resources as gifts to distribute to the people back in their home land.

This giving of gifts was typically done symbolically during a victory parade where money, food, and valuable objects were thrown to the people lining up to watch the army celebrate their victory. The rest of the resources were distributed to the people after the parade was over to ensure each person could participate in the outcome of that military victory.

Paul sees Christ’s ascension out of the realm of the dead, and up above the highest of the heavens, as a complete and total victory over death and demonic forces. But that victory is not just accessible to Christ. APEST makes it possible for each one of us to participate in the outcome of that victory. He does that by empowering each one of us to function in his gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, shepherd, and teacher. These gifts, in turn, lead us to participate in Christ’s upward movement from the lowest of lows to the highest of highs, growing and maturing us up into the head – who is Christ (4:15-16).

Everyone Gets to Play

Paul sees the entire body of Christ – men and women – as receiving these APEST gifts. And as challenging as this may be for some complementarians, that means Christ has gifted both men and women to be apostles. In fact, Paul actually mentions a female apostle named Junia in Romans 16:7 (see these excellent resources from Marg Mowczko on Junia the female apostle). We also see Luke presenting Priscilla, the wife of Aquila, as the primary teacher of Apollos in Acts 18:24-28 (see this excellent resource on Priscilla from Mowczko).

Regardless of how one interprets the passages outlining “women’s role” in the church (think 1 Corinthians 14 and 1 Timothy 2), the fact that APEST has been given by Christ to both women and men has real implications for how we approach ministry and leadership in the church. For example, can anyone imagine a woman gifted by Christ as an apostle exercising her apostolic gifting without simultaneously exercising leadership of other men? Exactly how would that work? Especially since Paul models for us a developmental phase in new churches where the apostle plays a, if not the, primary role of leadership in that new church? And exactly how would a mature woman apostle equip other immature male apostles without exercising leadership of those immature male apostles? The thing I love about APEST is that it forces us to wrestle with these kinds of difficult questions, as well as a host of other questions that need to be wrestled with.

Paul’s vision of a healthy church in Ephesians 4 is each and every member of the body – male and female – exercising the giftings that Christ himself has given to them. And if each and every member of the body is not being empowered to function in their APEST giftings, maybe we should ask ourselves, “Why not?” After all, if Christ has given each one of us as a gift to the church, who are we to refuse the gifts that Christ has given?

Awareness

How does seeing APEST as being given to both men and women change the way you see women and men in ministry and leadership?
What would change if everyone gifted by Christ as an apostle in your church – women and men – knew they were gifted by Christ as apostles? (Think about this with all the APEST giftings)
How does seeing APEST as a way of participating in the victory of Christ change the way you see the purpose of those gifts?

Trimtab

We help people learn how to assess their APEST giftings, and reach their full potential in the body of Christ. If you want to learn more, you can check out our Practitioners Cohort. Just click the button below and let us know how we can reach out and connect with you.

Let’s Talk

Tim Catchim

APEST: Rated “E” for Everyone Part 2

This is Part 2 (Part 1, 3, 4) of a series of posts that seeks to answer the question, “Is APEST given to everyone in the church, or just a select group of leaders?” How we answer this question will radically affect the way we go about applying APEST in our contexts.

The best way to answer this question is to let the text speak for itself. It says:

“But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.“
Ephesians 4:7

In our last post we explored the phrase “But to each one of us.” In this post we will dig into the phrase grace has been given.

Grace has been given… to us

Let’s first notice that beginning with vs 7, Paul suddenly includes himself in the discussion. He moves from “I urge you…” in 4:1 to “But to each one of us…” in 4:7. This subtle move from “you” to “us” let’s us know that Paul is now shifting to a topic that he sees encompassing more than just the people he is writing to.

This grace that has been measured out by Christ has been received by both Paul and his audience, giving it a somewhat universal dynamic that scales across whatever systems of classification Paul or his audience may have been using to differentiate ranks and roles among themselves, whether it be Jew-Gentile, circumcised-uncircumcised, male-female, husband-wife, mature-immature, leader-follower, master-servant etc. Paul says this grace has been given to each one of us, which means it cuts across all categories – real or imagined.

The meaning of grace

And what is this “grace” that has been measured out to “each one of us”? It may help to first identify what the word “grace” means. According to the Anchor Bible Dictionary, the word “grace” has multiple, nuanced meanings. But in general, it conveys the idea of empowerment, assistance, or support. To give someone “grace” means you invest, add, or supply a particular resource to a particular need. Grace enables someone to be, do, become, or have something they could not be, do, become, or have on their own.

The grace that doesn’t “save”

The “grace” Paul is referring to in vs 7 is not the “grace” of salvation in Christ (2:8-10). How do we know? Because the “grace” in vs 7 has been given in different measures, whereas the “grace” of salvation in Christ is given in equal measure to everyone in Christ. This means there is something about the “grace” measured out to each one of us in 4:7 that is different from the “grace” that “saves” us.

The grace that empowers

So what does this “grace” empower us to do? In short, this “grace” empowers us to participate in the mystery of Christ. Paul summarizes that mystery in 1:10 as God’s gathering together into one all things – both in heaven and on earth – in Christ.

A close reading of Ephesians 4:7-16 reveals two primary ways this “grace” empowers us to participate with God in gathering gathering all things up into the head – Christ. The first is by releasing us to become the person God created us to be. When Christ ascended up out of the realm of the dead, and far above the highest heavens, he led captivity captive. Paul says the giving of APEST is directly linked with Christ’s victory over death and demonic forces. In short, through our participation in Christ, we begin to share in his victory over those same forces, setting us free to reach the fullness of our humanity in him.

The second way this grace empowers us is through the equipping that each APEST gifting provides, resulting in each member of the body growing “up” into the head – Christ (4:12-16). The imagery Paul gives us is a movement of empowerment that begins first in Christ, and is then worked out in and through each member of the body as we receive the “grace” given to us by Christ in each others gifts.

The grace given to Paul…

It is interesting to note that the words grace, given, and gift, in 4:7 are the same words Paul uses to describe how God had given him a gift of grace to evangelize and proclaim the riches of Christ among the Gentiles in 3:7-8. Notice the similar language between these two passages in the table below.

Ephesians 3:7-8	Ephesians 4:7
…of which I became a minister according to the gift (dorea) of the grace (charis) of God, given (didomi) to me by the effective working of his power…To me who am least of all the saints this grace (charis) was given (didomi), that I should preach among the gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.	But to each one of us grace (charis) was given (didomi) according to the measure of Christ’s gift (dorea)

In nerdy theological speak, Ephesians 3:7-8 is Ephesians 4:7 writ large. In other words, in 3:7-8 Paul zooms in on his own life and offers a more detailed explanation of what it looks like when someone is given a gift of grace to empower their participation in the mystery of Christ. In Paul’s case, this gift of grace had given him the opportunity and empowerment to steward God’s boundary crossing mission of evangelizing the Gentiles so they can partake of God’s promise in Christ through the gospel, advancing God’s eternal purpose. Through his apostolic ministry to the nations, Paul was actively participating with God in gathering up all things together in Christ (1:10; 3:10-12).

…and us too

With Paul having already described how God graced him with the gift of participating in the mystery of Christ in 3:7-8, in 4:7ff he turns to his audience and essentially says, “Yes, it’s true. I have received a grace and gift to participate in the mystery of Christ…but I am not the only one who has received this kind of grace and gifting… Christ has given this same grace and gifting to each one of us, but in different measures. Each one of us have been uniquely empowered to participate in the mystery of Christ, and here’s how it works…”

Participating in the Mystery of Christ

The grace that Christ measures out to each one of us uniquely empowers us, through our respective APEST giftings, to actively participate in the mystery of Christ. This happens, not just through the more complex process of equipping between the various giftings – apostles equipping the body to function apostolically etc. – but also through the more simple process of us learning to exercise our own APEST giftings. For example, when Paul speaks about his own participation in the mystery of Christ (3:1-12), he doesn’t speak about how many people he has equipped to function with the skills and sensibilities of the apostolic function. No, his primary focus is on his own personal activity of evangelizing and proclaiming the riches of Christ among the Gentiles. For Paul, one of the ways we participate in the mystery of Christ is by simply exercising the APEST giftings Christ has given us.

If we were to sketch out what it looks like for each APEST giftingto participate in the mystery of Christ, it would look something like this:

Apostles participate in the mystery of Christ by Starting and Scaling new expressions of the church

Prophets participate in the mystery of Christ by Revealing God’s heart and Reforming our communities to align with it

Evangelists participate in the mystery of Christ by Promoting the gospel and Persuading people to respond to it in faith

Shepherds participate in the mystery of Christ by Protecting God’s people from harm and Providing for their needs

Teachers participate in the mystery of Christ by Explaining the truth of God and Training others how to apply it in practical ways

Each one of these APEST functions uniquely contributes to the advancement of God’s eternal purpose of gathering all things into one, in Christ – the head. When we create space for each one of us to exercise our APEST giftings, we are creating space for God to accomplish his eternal purpose in and through the body of Christ.

Summing It Up

If we follow Paul’s logic from Ephesians 1:10, to 3:1-12, to 4:7-16, we see that God’s eternal purpose of gathering “up” all things into one – in heaven and on earth – in Christ, is something he empowers each one of us to participate in (not just a few select leaders). The more we explore ways to activate and apply APEST in our context, the more we will see the mystery of Christ being worked out in the most surprising ways.

Awareness

How does seeing APEST as Christ empowering us to participate with God in advancing the mystery of Christ change the way you see APEST?
What does it mean that Ephesians 3:7-8 is Ephesians 4:7 writ large?
When given the opportunity, which APEST gifting do you tend to enjoy exercising the most? Why?

Trimtab

If you found this post helpful, you may want to check out our Practitioners Cohort where we help you discover the ways you are uniquely empowered by Christ for ministry in your context. To find out more, just click the button below and let us know how we can reach out and connect with you.

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Tim Catchim

Where is APEST in the book of Acts?

A question I often get asked in our coaching groups is: where do we see APEST functioning in the book of Acts? The “question behind the question” often goes something like this: what you’re saying about APEST sounds good, but if it’s that important, shouldn’t we see it being worked out in other parts of the New Testament? This is a great question, and deserves a good response. (For a more detailed description of the APEST giftings of apostle, prophet, evangelist, shepherd, and teacher, click here)

APEST in Antioch

The most condensed and explicit picture of APEST in the book of Acts is in the church at Antioch. So let’s take a look at two passages – Acts 11:19-30 & 13:1-4. I’ll list each APEST function in order as they appear in the text.

Apostolic and Evangelistic

¹⁹Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. ²⁰But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. ²¹And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
Acts 11:19-21

We see several apostolic functions at work here. First, there’s the extension of the mission to new geographical areas (Phonecia, Cyprus, and Antioch.) But this form of apostolic ministry seems to be more of the Petrine expression as it was initially focused exclusively on the those practicing a more purist form of Judaism. But eventually the mission crosses over from the more conservative form of Judaism to those Jews who were practicing a form of Judaism that accommodated certain aspects of Greek culture (deemed by the more conservative form of Judaism as being polluted). While still remaining largely a Jewish focused mission at this point, it still represents a broadening of the scope of their mission in that region.

The evangelistic function is clearly seen in the actual language of vs 20 where it says they were “preaching” the Lord Jesus. The word here in the original language is “evangelized“. The result of this apostolic and evangelistic ministry is that a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord, which gave birth to the church in Antioch.

Apostolic and Prophetic

²²Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. ²³When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord.
Acts 11:22-23

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard about a new church emerging in Antioch they sent Barnabas to, presumably, scope out the situation and offer support (similar to what Peter and John did in Samaria in Acts 8). The language of “as far as Antioch” implies he was sent to “inspect” the new churches that were emerging between Jerusalem and Antioch as a result of the dispersion in Acts 8. Antioch was the largest city that had the closest proximity to the northern most boundary of the Holy Land. In more ways than one, the church at Antioch would function as a church at the “edge” for the remainder of the 1st century.

We see the apostolic function at work when the church sends representatives to “oversee” the health and sustainability of the newly emerging churches. This role of “overseeing” the movement is an apostolic function mentioned in Acts 1:20.

And although Barnabas is functionally identified as an apostle while on a frontier mission with Paul in Acts 14:14, it’s more likely Barnabas was an Ephesians 4:11 prophet based on the listing of names in Acts 13:1. Also, his name in Aramaic and Hebrew means “son of a prophet.”

We see this prophetic function coming out in the way Luke describes Barnabas’ ministry at Antioch as encouraging the people with “purpose of heart to continue with the Lord.” The word “continue” in the original language means to actively pursue a relationship of abiding, staying, or remaining with. The implication here is that Barnabas is encouraging people to enter into a deep and abiding communion with the Lord – to connect with the Lord in their hearts, not just their heads. This is a characteristic feature of all genuine, mature prophetic ministry.

Evangelistic

²⁴For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.
Acts 11:24

The direct result of Barnabas’ prophetic ministry at the church in Antioch appears to be an organic participation in evangelistic ministry, one that was characterized by people being added “to the Lord.” Notice the prophetic emphasis on people’s conversion being characterized as being added to the “Lord” and not the “church”, as in Acts 2:47. This is a characteristic way for how prophets see the end goal of evangelism – not just adding people to the group, but bringing people into a direct, unhindered relationship with the Lord.

Teaching

²⁵Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. ²⁶And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
Acts 11:25-26

The newly founded church in Antioch gathered for an entire year to be taught by Paul and Barnabas. The word “taught” here in the original language shares the same root word for teacher in Ephesians 4:11.

Prophetic and Shepherding

²⁷And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. ²⁸Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar. ²⁹Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. ³⁰This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
Acts 11:27-30

Here we see the prophetic function operating in a trans-local way. In the same way Barnabas was sent from Jerusalem to Antioch, more prophets come from Jerusalem to participate in the life of the Antioch church. What’s interesting is that the prophet Agabus gives a prophetic word to the whole church about a coming famine, and the whole church responds to that word in a very practical way.

The shepherding function comes into the fore here as the Antioch church tends to needs of a “flock” within the network of churches they are a part of.

Prophetic and Apostolic

Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. ²As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” ³Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.

⁴So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.
Acts 13:1-4

Although Luke only identifies “certain” prophets and teachers in the Antioch church, we know there were other APEST giftings present in the church there. How do we know this? Because Paul himself was there!

The prophetic function is clearly seen in the church focusing on blessing the Lord, fasting, and being attentive to the voice of God. What flows out of this prophetic environment is the separating of Barnabas and Paul by the Holy Spirit for a specific assignment, followed by the church releasing them into that assignment with their blessing.

Connecting the Dots

There’s a few interesting things to notice about this portrait of the church in Antioch. First, we see all five APEST functions at work. And with the exception of the shepherding function (which is directly implied by their taking up a collection to provide for the needs of the saints in Jerusalem), each APEST function is explicitly named as either a verb or noun in the narrative.

Another important thing to take note of is the role that prophetic ministry plays in the churches evangelistic and apostolic ministry. Paul categorizes apostolic and prophetic ministry as foundational to the church in Ephesians 2:20. In this portrait of the Antioch church, both evangelistic, shepherding, and apostolic ministry flowed directly out of prophetic environments where people were, 1.) called to enter more deeply into close and consistent communion with the Lord, 2.) exposed to reputable prophets and their real time revelations, and 3.) immersed in worship, prayer, and fasting.

Is APEST present in the book of Acts? This short portrait of the Antioch church would answer with a confident, “Yes!” But it’s not just the church in Antioch. An intentional reading of the book of Acts would reveal that the APEST functions were – explicitly and implicitly – at work within the emerging Christian movement.

Awareness

Where do you see the APEST functions at work in the book of Acts?
Do you see each APEST function at work in the local or trans-local expression of the church you are a part of of? Why or why not?
Which APEST function seems to get the most space to function in the expression of church you are participating in? Why do you think that is the case?

Trimtab

If you found this post helpful, and would like to explore more ways you can be equipped to apply APEST in your context, let’s talk. Click the button below and let us know how we can reach out and connect with you.

Let’s Talk

Tim Catchim

The Four Teachers

The word teacher means to separate and point out, but did you know there’s different kinds of teachers? For example, not all teachers are into theology and philosophy. Some teachers are more into training people how to do certain tasks.

Teachers are gifted at breaking things down into their essential parts, defining those parts, and arranging them in ways that allow us to see their causal relationships to one another. They are concerned about accuracy, and naturally bring clarity into everything they develop. Teachers often have a penchant for history, and any practice that specializes in arranging information in a linear, sequential fashion. They crave efficiency, and will often avoid environments or relationships that seemingly waste time and energy.

Without teachers we lose a sense of our connection with the past, and an appreciation for the cause and effect relationship between our thoughts and actions. Teachers help us formulate our best practices into repeatable steps, and therefore aid in the scalability of any venture.

Join me for this one hour virtual meet up to explore four different kinds of teachers, and how they uniquely contribute to the health and maturity of the body. We’ll discuss things like:

the Biblical definition of teacher
what all teachers have in common
four different kinds of teachers and their corresponding approaches to ministry
opportunities to be equipped in teaching skills and sensibilities

If you want to deepen your understanding of teachers, and the unique ways they add value to the body, this webinar is for you!

Let’s Talk

Tim Catchim

The Four Shepherds

The word shepherd means one who protects, but did you know there’s different kinds of shepherds? For example, some shepherds are more nurturing and supportive, while other shepherds are more watchful and protective.

Shepherds are perhaps the most numerous out of all the APEST giftings. They are concerned about the whole person – from the womb to the tomb- and naturally notice when people are either hurting or “not themselves.”

Shepherds often work to create developmental pathways for emotional healing and peacemaking. They are guardians of the safety and stability of the group, and will often sacrificially put the needs of the group and it’s individuals above their own.

Without shepherds we overlook people, their needs, and the practical realities of what it means to live in healthy community. Shepherds help us stay together as we move from one stage of developmental to the next, ensuring each person is looked after and cared for.

In this webinar we explore four different kinds of shepherds, and how they uniquely contribute to the health and maturity of the body. We discuss things like:

the Biblical definition of shepherd
what all shepherds have in common
four different kinds of shepherds and their corresponding approaches to ministry
opportunities to be equipped in shepherding skills and sensibilities

If you want to deepen your understanding of shepherds, and the unique ways they add value to the body, this webinar is for you!

Let’s Talk

Tim Catchim