Gifted to
Minister:
As a prophetic
storyteller and teacher
The
King’s University, Southlake, Texas
The
Spirit Formed Ministry (BIBM1302ONL2)
Professor:
Dr. Leah Coulter
May
2, 2021
By
Darrell Wolfe
*I read 80% of each text, possibly 90%
Gifted through the Holy Spirit
Jesus’ mission as the Anointed One
(Messiah/Christ) was to invade earth with the Kingdom of God (Luke 4:18-19).[1]
When the Kingdom is present, it results in freedom, healing, deliverance, and
good news about God’s favor towards all people. Jesus accomplished his part of
the mission and received all authority in heaven and on earth. He gave the pseudo-kingdom
of darkness a fatal blow and introduced another development in the on-going
competing-kingdoms saga. Upon his ascension, he handed the mission to his
followers (Matthew 28:18-20). The mission never changed. Using the anointing (empowering)
of the Holy Spirit (with which Jesus was anointed), Christians are to invade
earth as ambassadors of the Kingdom of God until it fills the whole earth. That
mission results in the same freedom, healing, and deliverance as they tell unreached
people how passionate God is about them.
As part of this empowerment, the
Holy Spirit came giving gifts to men (Ephesians 4:8). The key “gifts passages”
describe the various ways God works among his people (1 Cor 12:8-10, 28; Rom
12:6-8; Eph 4:11; and 1 Peter 4:10-11).[2] It
is commonly accepted to refer to these as the Office Gifts, Serving Gifts, and Charismatic
Gifts.[3]
However one classifies them, the theme of these passages list ways in which God
empowers his people to be a blessing to others. The New Hope Oahu website lists
25 spiritual-gifts for which one can be tested.[4] These
lists are not comprehensive (the only ways he works) but are examples of ways
he has worked in and through his believers to accomplish the work of God on
Earth. The following are take-aways from this course, in the form of key ideas
found in the texts.
Doing is key. “As Christians, we are often
in danger of becoming theoreticians rather than practitioners of the Kingdom”.[5] It
is far too easy to sit behind a keyboard, study the Bible, and tell people what
it says; without ever really doing any of it. If Christians fallback into
defenders of theology, they may find themselves on Facebook arguing theology
rather than connecting with hurting hearts and leading them to God’s heart for
them. This type of activity “wins” the argument while destroying relationship.
In essence, they become enemies of the kingdom they claim to defend. The first
step in walking out the kingdom, is being mindful that it is a real kingdom to
be walked-out, not just an ideology to defend or argue. This requires taking
the time to develop real relationships with real human beings in real life,
inviting them into your sacred space and loving them with His heart. It
requires getting dirty, being with messy humans in their pain, and loving them
well.
God-Connected-Relationship
is key. The Triune nature of God is at its core, relational. We are invited
into the eternal pre-existing relationship with Father, Son, and Spirit. This
relational core invites us to shift our thinking. Rather than doing things for
people on God’s behalf; we do things for The Father which people benefit from.
Too often, detached from relationship, Christians can go about working “for
God”, while not being in relationship “with God”. Rather than doing things for
God according to some natural agenda or plan, Christians must do what The
Father is leading them to do.[6]
When Kingdom Ambassadors are in relationship with The Father, their work will
flow from that relationship. To do life that way, requires hearing God.
Hearing God is key. As Christians tap into
relationship, he empowers them to see what he is doing and participate. Without
hearing the Father’s heart, seeing what he is up to in the life of a fellow
human being, one is left to quote scriptures and principles at them. To hear
God, one must be tuned-in to the voice of the Father, spoken through his Word
(Jesus), by the Spirit. Unless they are Spirit-Led in an encounter, they are
left to work on God’s behalf with mere natural efforts. This natural-only form
of Christianity results in the famous “Romans Road” tracts; which have some benefit
but ultimately lack much transforming power. Part of hearing God is speaking
what God is saying into the lives of His precious people. Examples of this can come
through Prophecy, Words of Knowledge, and Words of Wisdom. Essentially, one
hears God and speaks His heart to His people. He also may lead his ambassador
to do other things, which may be outside their comfort zone.
Getting
uncomfortable is key. Dawkins spends most of his text providing examples of
moments when God used His people to walk into unusual or uncomfortable
situations and bring healing, restoration, and break-through into the lives of
hurting humanity. In one instance, a woman was prompted to do a handstand in a
gas-station convenience store and the cashier gave their heart to Jesus.[7]
Christians must be willing to step outside of their comfort zone if they want
to see God move. This is, in part, because God will show up as the only one who
could have arranged it (rather than His agent relying on talents, evangelism training,
or tract-handouts).
Loving
His people is key. The members of the Body of Christ are “Ambassadors of
His Presence”, for His purpose, to His people.[8] In
order to walk that out, Believers must have more than a dogged determination or
right theology; they must have LOVE. This present darkness is icky, messy, and
sometimes working with broken people is not fun. The Kingdom of God is “now and
not yet”. Christians today live in the Radical Middle between the empowering of
the Holy Spirit (today) and the future Kingdom where sin will no longer exist.[9] Dawkins
calls this tension The Upside-Down Kingdom.[10]
Prostitutes, Witches, and Atheists have all found themselves weeping with Robby
Dawkins not because he provided an impenetrable argument for the “rightness” of
Christian Theology but because he allowed himself to be a conduit through which
they could meet The Father for themselves. A Kingdom Ambassador must love
someone first, in order to be willing to put down their own defenses and love
their enemy; or better, realize the enemy is not the human standing before them
but the spirit influencing that human.
Gifted to Minister as a Team
The APEST Model: For most of church history, church
leaders were considered the “Minister”. When one went to seminary it was to “enter
the ministry”. This is antithetical to the biblical design of God for his body.
The Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Shepherd, and Teacher (APEST) were given by
God to equip the body to minister, not to do all the work themselves. While
each person (even APEST Leaders) is a minister outside the church building, Church
Leadership Gifts (APEST) are intended to be equippers, not ministers (Ephesians
4:11-16).[11]
To make this a reality requires rethinking the church model; transitioning from
a one-man-show to a team-based model where every member of the body is a
“full-time minister”.[12]
To make this transition, those in leadership must develop the gifts of their
people, develop future-leaders, and develop teams of leaders.
Developing Gifts: Each individual in the
leaders’ circle of influence is gifted. It is the leaders’ responsibility to
discover the person’s gifting and bring it out of them, while also building
their character. As they grow into a heart for God, developing God’s character
inside of them, their gifting will become self-evident. One may look at a tree
and see a tree, another may see a group of trees and call it a forest; but one
who is focused on bringing out the best in others is like one who sees the
chair, coffee table, or decorative artwork inside of the tree that has yet to
be released.[13]
Developing Leaders: As a leader develops the
gifting of others, some will begin to show a gifting for leadership and
shepherding their own people. As these individuals are developed, they will
develop others. Godly leaders are Dream Releasers. They look for opportunities
to develop the gifting in others. Leaders who are insecure will horde power and
influence (K.M. Weiland refers to this as the King’s Shadow, when leadership is
turned self-protective of its own power).[14] Groups
led by insecure leaders will be anemic and weak; while groups lead by Dream
Releasers will become an ever-growing self-reproducing body. As a fractal
continues to duplicate into ever more complicated shapes, a body of Dream
Releasers will be a body of leaders developing leaders into continuous growth.[15]
Developing Teams: As the body grows from a
natural result of people’s gifting being developed, teams of people will be the
natural byproduct of this fractal growth. Teams; however, require organization
and direction. Building teams starts with picking the right people for the
right positions. Being aware of someone’s DESIGN helps the leader put them into
positions in which they are gifted to excel. Once you begin to organize teams
and get everyone on the same mission, the teams themselves can become
self-replicating. Cordeiro provides tools which can assist the leaders in
creating as many layers of structure as needed for the size and complexity of
the body while maintaining the vision and compass of that body.[16] Once
the vision and structure is in place, the body can become self-replicating.
The Body of the
Anointed One will be at its healthiest when each member supplies its part. To
see that kind of culture, requires APEST leadership doing their part to find
and develop the giftings in their people and raise up fellow APEST leaders who
will in turn develop the giftings in their people. As a fractal grows indefinitely
into ever more complicated designs based on the same structures, this model
provides the environment in which the body can grow unhindered and fully
equipped.
My Partnership with the Spirit
Spiritual
Gifting/DESIGN: In Doing
Church as a Team (Chapters 4 through 6), there are tools provided for
understanding one’s gifting and DESIGN.[17]
The following are the results of my self-assessments.
1. 1. SPIRITUAL
GIFTS: The following are my top (four) results, each scoring 12 on the
assessment.
·
Pastor/Shepherd: At the age of ten, standing on
the platform of my Dad’s empty church, by myself, I felt a strong calling to “Pastor”,
and I ran hard from that calling until 2018 when I finally decided to follow
God’s call. Despite myself, I have been a “Shepherd” in every role I served in
corporate America. Even while avoiding “Supervisor” roles, my team-mates,
friends, and even strangers on the street came to me for prayer, advice, and counsel.
I would mentor/disciple and shepherd them into a closer relationship with God
and help them find inner healing. Even my superiors would end up becoming my
sheep, asking me for advice for situations I was technically not supposed to know
about. I always provided them with a Priests’ Confidence. I have seen
first-hand that God will not relent on his calling and holds each of us
accountable for that calling despite our compliance. I look forward to seeing
how this Shepherd role will play out in the future.
·
Teaching: I am best known among my
friends as a storytelling teacher. Whether I was helping people build credit
scores, fix identity theft, providing relationship advice (using Dr Henry Cloud’s
material), or expounding on God’s Word, teaching was a theme for me. My own
boss asked me to stop giving customer’s lectures and to go start a Podcast. I
have a knack for making “complicated things simple”. I usually make them
complicated for myself, them simplify them, before I reach the simple stage. In
this same vein, my writing has always been superior to my peers and I feel my
teaching gift is at its highest expression in the written word. Pride in my
superior knowledge has been my Achilles Heel, and an area of constant
development.
·
Words
of Knowledge & Prophecy:
I scored evenly on these, but I see them as the same thing anyway. There has
always been a prophetic bent to my personality; seeing visions and dreams even
as a child. However, I largely avoided this part of my spiritual life, afraid
of it (to be frank). In recent years, I began dipping my toes into these
waters. I was surprised to see how readily God used me in these areas. In 2019,
God said: “Your Teaching gift will become subordinate to your Prophetic gifting”.
I have seen glimpses of that starting to work its way into my day-to-day life,
but it is still in its infancy. I am focusing on the phrase: “Be Still, Be Led”
to develop this area in my walk. I have also struggled with being sensitive to
when and where to use the things I see.
2. 2. DESIGN:
Using the DESIGN acrostic, from the text, I can say the following:[18]
Desire: My passions revolve around research,
writing, storytelling, and teaching. I have started over 40 blogs with various
purposes (most never came to fruition). I have a novel that is half complete.
Often after teaching the same material repeatedly, I write it down so I can
refer people to the article instead, then invite them to ask questions after
reading.
Experience: My experience in “church” has
led me to largely reject the models we use in the west today. My experiences in
Alcoholics Anonymous and recovery programs have given me a passion for broken
people. Working with fellow Widows via Facebook has given me a unique insight
into the unmet needs of that community. The themes of my experiences revolve
around meeting the “de-churched” in their pain, answering their honest questions,
and leading them into healing and freedom with God.
Spiritual Gifts: Pastor, Teacher, and Prophet
are all symbiotic callings. I take what God says and deliver it to people in
ways they can hear, with fresh ears.
Individual Style: I am an INFJ with Clifton
Strengths in Intellection, Ideation, Learner, Achiever, and Input. I am a
walking brain, and require massive alone time to read, research, study, and
write. While I genuinely enjoy teaching and mentoring, the finer points of “relationship
building” are often lost on me (unless I’ve studied it in a book). I partner
with Relational people to help me in those areas. I am starting a small-group
with just such a person.
Growth Phase: While my scholarly biblical acumen
surpasses even some of the pastors I have served, my character development may
be that of a young adult or teenager. The final stages of my freedom from
bondages long-held date back only to January 2017 through November 2019. I feel
the acute need for a mentor to help me take the next steps before I ever attempted
to take the reins of leadership myself.
Natural Abilities: Until now, I used my talent as
a Sound Engineer to hide in the audio booth and stay away from the platform.
While I am not ready to start teaching, I could begin looking for ways to
assist pastors and teachers in their work. Also, God has been dropping hints
that I should start to take my blogging from hobby to semi-professional; including
the addition of a Podcast.
Ministry Dreams: Ultimately, I see myself as a teacher/writer. When asked “What
would you do if anything was an option?”, I would be something akin to a C.S.
Lewis or a Dallas Willard. I would prefer the classroom to the pulpit; though
guest teaching in churches is not out of the question. I see myself using the
Shepherd gift with students and small groups; rather than as a Senior Pastor.
Finishing this degree is part of that preparation.
Risk of Ministry: For me, facing the risk of ministry means (1) overcoming
doubts by doing it anyway, (2) getting used to being uncomfortable for the sake
of loving God’s people, (3) purposefully investing in loving people the modern
church often treats as “other” (as spiritual pariahs).
Personal Transformation: I am scared to start the Podcast, but it is on my to-do
list for this summer between semesters. I am partnering with someone gifted in
Relational strengths to help me step outside my comfort zone and develop
real-world relationships with broken people (as opposed being online only).
Bibliography
Averill, David Taylor.
“PREACHING APEST: OBSERVING A SERMON SERIES, BASED ON EPHESIANS 4, AS A MEANS
OF BEGINNING TO PLANT A VISION IN A LOCAL CONGREGATION.” Pittsburgh Theological
Seminary Barbour Library, 2019. https://www.academia.edu/39181904/PREACHING_APEST_OBSERVING_A_SERMON_SERIES_BASED_ON_EPHESIANS_4_AS_A_MEANS_OF_BEGINNING_TO_PLANT_A_VISION_IN_A_LOCAL_CONGREGATION.
Cordeiro,
Wayne. Doing Church as a Team. Revised and Updated edition. Minneapolis,
Minnesota: Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group, 2014.
Coulter,
Leah. “The Spirit Formed Ministry (BIBM1302).” Lectures, The King’s University,
Southlake Texas, Spring 2021.
Dawkins,
Robby. Do What Jesus Did: A Real-Life Field Guide to Healing the Sick,
Routing Demons, and Changing Lives Forever. Minneapolis, Minn: Chosen,
2013.
Jethani,
Skye. With: Reimagining the Way You Relate to God. Nashville: Thomas
Nelson, 2011.
Seamands,
Stephen. Ministry in the Image of God: The Trinitarian Shape of Christian
Service. Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 2005.
Spiritual
Gifts Evaluation/Test.
Honolulu, HI: New Hope Oahu, 2021.
https://enewhope.org/resources/spiritual-gifts-test/.
The
Lexham Bible Dictionary - Barry, J. D., Bomar, D., Brown, D. R., Klippenstein,
R., Mangum, D., Sinclair Wolcott, C., … Widder, W. (Eds.). (2016). In The
Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press. Billingham, WA: Leham Press,
2016. LexhamPress.com.
The
Lexham English Bible (LEB), Fourth Edition. Logo Bible Software. Harris, W. H., III, Ritzema, E.,
Brannan, R., Mangum, D., Dunham, J., Reimer, J. A., & Wierenga, M. (Eds.).
Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2010. http://www.lexhampress.com.
Weiland,
K.M. “Helping Writers Become Authors - Write Your Best Story. Change Your Life.
Astound the World.” Helping Writers Become Authors. Accessed April 27, 2021.
https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/.
Notes
[1]
The
Lexham English Bible (LEB), Fourth Edition, Logo Bible Software, Harris,
W. H., III, Ritzema, E., Brannan, R., Mangum, D., Dunham, J., Reimer, J. A.,
& Wierenga, M. (Eds.) (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2010), Scripture
References from LEB, http://www.lexhampress.com.
[2]
The
Lexham Bible Dictionary - Barry, J. D., Bomar, D., Brown, D. R., Klippenstein,
R., Mangum, D., Sinclair Wolcott, C., … Widder, W. (Eds.). (2016). In The
Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
(Billingham, WA: Leham Press, 2016), “Gifts of the Spirit,” LexhamPress.com.
[3]
Wayne
Cordeiro, Doing Church as a Team, Revised and updated edition
(Minneapolis, Minnesota: Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group,
2014), 45–51.
[4]
Spiritual
Gifts Evaluation/Test (Honolulu, HI: New Hope Oahu, 2021),
https://enewhope.org/resources/spiritual-gifts-test/.
[5]
Robby
Dawkins, Do What Jesus Did: A Real-Life Field Guide to Healing the Sick,
Routing Demons, and Changing Lives Forever (Minneapolis, Minn: Chosen,
2013), 83.
[6]
Stephen
Seamands, Ministry in the Image of God: The Trinitarian Shape of Christian
Service (Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 2005), 26; Skye Jethani, With:
Reimagining the Way You Relate to God (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2011).
[7]
Dawkins,
Do What Jesus Did, 75–77.
[8]
Leah
Coulter, “The Spirit Formed Ministry (BIBM1302)” (Lectures, The King’s
University, Southlake Texas, Spring 2021), Lecture: SF Ministry Ambassadors
F20.
[9]
Coulter, Lecture: Bigger Context
of Ministry F20.
[10]
Dawkins,
Do What Jesus Did, 55–73.
[11]
David
Taylor Averill, “PREACHING APEST: OBSERVING A SERMON SERIES, BASED ON EPHESIANS
4, AS A MEANS OF BEGINNING TO PLANT A VISION IN A LOCAL CONGREGATION”
(Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Barbour Library,
2019),
https://www.academia.edu/39181904/PREACHING_APEST_OBSERVING_A_SERMON_SERIES_BASED_ON_EPHESIANS_4_AS_A_MEANS_OF_BEGINNING_TO_PLANT_A_VISION_IN_A_LOCAL_CONGREGATION.
[12]
Cordeiro,
Doing Church as a Team, 37–41.
[13]
Cordeiro, Chapters 1-6.
[14]
K.M.
Weiland, “Helping Writers Become Authors - Write Your Best Story. Change Your
Life. Astound the World.,” Helping Writers Become Authors, Podcast/Blog Post:
Archetypal Character Arcs, Pt. 12: The King’s Shadow Archetypes, 04/26/2021,
accessed April 27, 2021, https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/.
[15]
Cordeiro,
Doing Church as a Team, Chapters 7-8.
[16]
Cordeiro, Chapters 9-13.
[17]
Cordeiro,
Doing Church as a Team.
[18]
Cordeiro,
61–73.
Shalom: Live Long and Prosper!
Clifton StrengthsFinder: Intellection, Learner, Ideation, Achiever, Input
16Personalities (Myers-Briggs Type): INFJ
