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3) Structures That Accommodate Growth
Once you have established your foundational values and set your systems in place, you will need to have structures that can accommodate the growth. Proverbs 9:1 says, “Wisdom has built her house, She has hewn out her seven pillars;”. Each body needs to have an internal bone structure, which carries its own weight. The structure of a human body cannot remain the same as it was at birth or it wouldn’t be able to support the growth of that same body. A proper structure distributes the weight evenly and keeps everything balanced. Apostolic management is about identifying those structural pillars and ensuring that they are capable of accommodating the fullness of the vision.
4) Strategies That Perpetuate Growth
Strategies keep us moving forward. Apostolic management looks to the future as well as the immediate in all strategic planning. In order to perpetuate growth, you need to be planning with the vision in mind and not just the daily needs. Working from your vision backwards, you need to set goals and develop day-to-day tactics that will get you there. The day-to-day planning must always align with the apostolic purposes of the organization or it will become stagnant.
You don’t have to be a Five Fold Apostle to think apostolically.
Each of the five ministry offices has a particular strength but that shouldn’t eliminate one from learning to think like the other.
Apostolic management incorporates the thinking and strengths of the other five ministry offices in order to lead toward the fulfillment of the overall purposes of church development. Enlarging our sphere of influence is behind what we do as ministers and laity in order to press forward with God’s kingdom purposes.
Apostolic Management
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Malcolm Gladwell refers to the “Law of the Few.” He discusses the leverage a leader can have by investing in a few who can have great impact on others. There are certain people who can help you create change and forward progress because they will talk with and influence others. Intentionally invest time and resources into these few and you will greatly increase your results. This is what Jesus did when He chose to invest the majority of his time and energy into the Twelve.
• Connect with them.
Author and speaker Jim Rohn teaches, “Don’t just help people with their jobs, but help people with their lives, as your greater purpose would have you do. Touch people and teach people not just job skills, but life skills.
Don’t just teach people how to work, but how to live, how to assimilate and accumulate far greater treasures than just a pay cheque.”
Connecting with people requires energy, but I promise you it is well worth every effort! It is extremely frustrating to invest into the skill development of someone only to have something in their character or an external circumstance remove them from leadership. Although you cannot avoid this from happening altogether, you can greatly decrease the chances of a leaders derailment if you connect with them and work to develop all aspects of their lives.
LIFE SKILLS PROGRAM
Life Skills Programs are being established in our Children’s Homes across the globe, offering valuable and practical skills to equip the Children for life.
Garth Storms (Airdrie VC)
teaching life skills
