Mere Missions

156 • M ere M issions : M oving F orward to M ultiply

new churches in a hostile, pagan world, while on their first missions journey. They entrusted the disciples that were made, and had gathered in small churches, to the Holy Spirit and the appointed Elders. Gift Development Gift development is different than making disciples of Jesus. Though the word isn’t used in the New Testament specifically, it is apprenticeship. Apprenticing is the process of identifying, equipping, commissioning, and releasing disciples in the calling and gifting the Spirit of the Lord has divinely given them for the building up of the body of Christ. It is the principle of reproducing “in kind.” Apply this “in kind” principle to the five-fold gifts and you have the following: 1. Called and gifted apostolic individuals apprentice called and gifted apostolic individuals. 2. Called and gifted prophetic individuals apprentice called and gifted prophetic individuals. 3. Called and gifted evangelists apprentice called and gifted evangelists. 4. Called and gifted shepherds/pastors apprentice called and gifted shepherds/pastors. 5. Called and gifted teachers apprentice called and gifted teachers. The same is true for all the other gifts the Spirit gives to the saints. In its most rudimentary form, an apprentice within the Kingdom, is a disciple who is developing their spiritual gift from a mature skilled disciple who has the same spiritual gift. Combining the rigors of hard intellectual study, practical experience, and supervised feedback, apprenticeships are a powerful and effective way to multiply leaders capable of