The Heart-Beat of the Apostolic

 

Tomorrow I head off for the weekend for my second ever visit to Namibia. Just two months ago I spent just under a fortnight in the nation's capital with All Nations Church and my heart was so captured by this incredible local church and Her story of influence in the city that I find myself counting down the hours till I am back with them again.
Here is an attempt at explaining why we still prioritize travelling +-1500km's,spending four nights away from the city I love and even missing out on a Sunday at home base

 

 

Friendship before function

 

I am still a firm believer in the above well-worn-phrase. In a fast "developing" brand of inter church relationships, the word "apostolic" has seemingly become tied up with the word "mission" to such an extent that real heart to heart friendships that weather storms as well as sail in the wind are being given less and less value. Questions of whether we gather together primarily around similar theological viewpoints, common tasks and events or firstly around the reality of relationships have held much sway in these types of conversations.

 

My heart's conviction holds all three elements as valuable, but it is my natural bent,reading of the scriptures that conveyed Paul's heart, as well as seeing the present prevailing wind of self-interest and emperial thinking that leads me to push the relational aspect to the front of the queue.

This weekend I will definitely preach and declare the message of the King and His Kingdom (which is great theology and strongly missional focused if I can be cheeky enough to say so myself), but what is of real worth to me will be the dining room conversations, laughing with one another, the late nights engaging with new and even newer friends around our common denominators of Jesus, church and the life-changing Gospel, laughing with one another, sharing communion together...and did I mention laughing with one another?

 

 

I'm not going seeking a platform to preach

I'm not going to further a "movement"

I'm not going to see what opportunities there are for us in Namibia

 

 

The apostolic heart is a sefless one. One that says I will come even if it costs me.

Yes, I do go because I want to change the world.

Yes, I do go because out of friendship we will want to do more together.

But for the world to be turned upside down, we first need to be turned inside out.

Our motives and agendas need to be ongoingly re-examined.

It's not friendship for friendship sake...it's friendship for your friend's sake.

No greater love is there than this, that a man would lay His life down for his friends.

 

 

This is what we've been called to. This is the apostolic heart.

 

 

Jesus, sent from the Father, laid His life down for His friends

Other related posts:
http://gabephillips23.blogspot.com/2012/07/namibia-part-one.html
http://gabephillips23.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-nations-are-our-inheritance.html

Incoming Calls

There is a certain sense of electricity in the atmosphere as God is on the move in Life Changers like never before. With strong prophetic preaching and ministry over the last month or so, there is a definite acknowledgement that God is taking our moments and stringing them together like only He can do, to put together an exciting revival type feel. But for a community to live in an ongoing and sustainable state of revival, expectation and breakthrough, individuals have to carry it first. 

Realising the season we are in, we as a church leadership have invited three apostolic and prophetic Ephesians 4 gifts to come and add perspective, impetus and guidance into the life of our church over the next few months. To whet your appetite, below is just a brief synopsis of each of these friends of ours and the dates they will be coming:

Mark and Candice Van Pletson

(13th-14th October)

-Been on the eldership team at Glenridge under both Rory Dyer and Ryan Matthews where Mark oversees the worship, the operations and does a large portion of the preaching at their two sites. He carries a strong apostolic gift and speaks into church leaderships around the country.

Ryan and Melissa Matthews

(15th-18th November)

-In 2008 this couple took over the leading of Kingsgate (then London Church International) in London, UK before returning in July 2011 to Durban to take over leadership of the Glenridge eldership team. Ryan is passionate about the presence of God and for the church to live in the full expression of the trinity

Julian Adams

(2 weekends in January 2013)

-Julian is currently based with The Kings Arms in the UK where he ministers from and into many other nations and contexts all around the world. He is recognized as a Prophet and with a strong apostolic edge as his heart is to build prophetic cultures and lifestyles and not just events. He oversees a ministry called Frequentsee. (http://frequentsee.wordpress.com/)