The church will not function as it should unless the fivefold ministry – apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher are set in place. Prayer and fasting are activities to be emphasized within the body. We as the church are called to listen and cooperate in sending people out of our local fellowship to accomplish the work God is calling them to. Unfortunately, this goes against the attitude of many in the western church.

People are rarely encouraged to leave the church to accomplish the work God has called them to. Rather, the opposite is true, in that people are often discouraged from leaving the fellowship, partially because the sending of that individual would result in fewer resources (time to serve and money to give) for the church. The church needs to be a place where people are both welcomed in and sent out! We are not striving to build an organization, we are called to build up the body. Often times the Holy Spirit will lead people, even key leaders, into another assignment that removes them from the local body they were once a part of. Their departure should be celebrated just as much as their arrival.

Course: Ecclesia (Module 2) | Topic: Early Church Principles | See All Categories & Topics