The Importance of the Local
Church being Connected to an
Apostolic Team
THE BASIC PURPOSE OF THE
LOCAL CHURCH
Evangelism
• To reach every available person at every available time by
every available means with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Discipleship
• To establish them in the local church, teaching and training
them to become like Christ.
Mobilization
• To mobilize the army of God, to help each person to find his
or her place and function in the Body of Christ.
THE BASIC PURPOSE OF AN
APOSTOLIC TEAM
• To help the local church raise up and release 5fold ministry giftings into Holy Spirit directed
service.
• To plant (church planting) churches to work
together for the purpose of reproducing leaders
and churches.
• To give apostolic oversight that strengthens and
supports the local church.
THE BASIC VISION OF AN
APOSTOLIC TEAM
• To plant (church planting) organizations in as many
nations in the world as is possible.
• To raise up apostolic teams with a key leader in each
nation.
• To release developed 5-fold ministry giftings into Holy
Spirit directed service to the nations.
• To work together as united nations with common
purpose to reach the world with the Gospel of Jesus.
THE ULTIMATE PUPOSE OF THIS
CONNECTION
• To create an infrastructure
where all of the Ephesians
4:11 gifts can operate under
a governmental structure,
so that the church at whole
can be mobilized in power,
then “the gates of hell
cannot prevail against it”.
APOSTOLIC
TEAMS
LOCAL
CHURCHES
WHY SHOULD I WANT TO BE PART
OF THIS CONNECTION?
Because it is on the precipice of what God
is doing again in our day and time!
Because it is divine! It was not thought
up by man, nor based on men’s traditions,
but rather given by God for the first
apostolic church. It was HIS only endorsed
form of church government. You can see it
at work throughout the New Testament.
• The New Testament church planters
almost always worked in teams.
• These team members were not all gifted
church planters, many contributed other
gifts to the apostolic mission of the team.
• In an attempt to do apostolic work alone,
we can become vulnerable and suspect.
• An individualistic mentality was
discouraged, in that apostles were not selfappointed, but chosen by others, who
recognized God’s calling on them.
• Doctrinal errors and character weaknesses
are to easily left uncorrected in a lone
ranger ministry.
• Because it works… And GOD is at the
center of its government and
relationships!
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE
BLESSINGS OF BEING CONNECTED
TO AN APOSTOLIC TEAM?
The Blessing of Committed Relationships
• To be in life-long peer level relationships with
other leaders of like mind and spirit.
• To be in fellowship with a family of peers who are
“pressing in” for revival and harvest.
• Close committed relationships with other
ministers and congregations.
• Since apostolic teams develop out of
relationships, you gain a strong base of prayer
and fellowship support.
The Blessing of Covering (accountability)
• Admonitions or discipline to ministers and
congregations when necessary or called upon.
• Apostolic mentoring.
• Apostolic Teams offer wisdom from many years
of combined ministry, and has the ability to
strengthen, advise, as well as offer wise warnings
to churches and leaders.
• Having apostolic covering gives the pastor
someone to talk to, relate to and just sound off to.
The Blessing of Good Counsel
• In doctrine, to help deal with doctrinal issues
confronting a church or causing division in the
church.
• In church discipline, this is especially helpful in
difficult cases to avoid personal attacks against
leadership when a member needs discipline.
• Apostolic teams are made up of seasoned leaders
who can help restore focus or define the vision
for existing churches. They can also help teach
you how to articulate that vision to the church.
The Blessing of Protection
• Apostolic teams can help provide an atmosphere
of safety and security for both the pastor and the
congregation.

To protect the people – if a leader falls into error or
sin, the congregation knows they have someone to
appeal to, helping to avoid a church split.

To protect the pastor – the pastor can ask the
apostolic team to help resolve conflicts brought
about by false accusations.
The Blessing of Confirmation
• If needed or desired, an apostolic team can help
in the overseeing of licensing and ordination
services.
• Apostolic covering can be used to confirm and
ordained elders and other fivefold gifts in the
church. Having someone else to interview and
confirm candidates for ministry can provide and
an objective view that is often missing in
independent churches.
The Blessing of Strengthening and
Encouragement
• Equipping
• Intercession
• Impartation
• Consultation
• Evaluation
• Transition
The Blessing of Opportunity
• To be part of something greater than yourself.
• Leadership and ministry development training
opportunities.
• Mission opportunities for both ministers and
church members.
• Special meetings to augment the spiritual
formation of new leaders and to enhance present
leaders.
• Local, National and International Conferences.
These conferences provide an opportunity:

To increase vision

To build relationships

To encourage fellowship

To receive teaching and ministry

To connect with a global vision

To be personally strengthened and refreshed
• Continued education through college courses
(F.C.M.I.).

These courses are fully accredited

Future use of the Internet and DVD education
around the world

You can use these courses to help train your present
or future leaders.

The college takes full advantage of all the gifted
teachers within the apostolic team to impart their
wisdom and knowledge to the people within your
church.

It helps to free up the pastor while still knowing
that his people are getting good, Spirit filled, Bible
based teaching.
The Blessing of Synergy
• What is synergy? Simply defined it means the
whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

One can chase a 1,ooo and two can put 10,000
flight.

Apostolic teams offer networking with other
ministers and churches.

The availability of an apostolic team consisting of
all five ascension gifts (operating in the Ephesians
4:11 order) moving in spiritual authority, anointing
and gifting.
BOTTOM LINE –
What is The Importance of the
Local Church being Connected to
an Apostolic Team?
Because it is divine!
It was not thought up by man, nor based
on men’s traditions, but rather given by
God for the first apostolic church. It was
HIS only endorsed form of church
government. You can see it at work
throughout the New Testament and it still
works today!!!
Because it is the devil’s worse nightmare!
Without looking at the Church of the New
Testament with rose colored spectacles, it is very
apparent that in that first century great damage
was done to the kingdom of darkness. Nations
and cities ruled and dominated by evil spirits,
false philosophies, pagan deities and heathen
temples were penetrated by the Apostolic Church
in a way that changed history. In spite of
everything that Hell was throwing against it, the
church was advancing. This is exactly what we
need today!
Like the Apostles of the First Apostolic
Church, it is time for us to start being
accused of “turning the world
upside down”, and this GOD ordained
connection is the key!!!