Equipper Blogs - A Colorful Introduction
Just like this building has a variety of colors that make it beautiful, so too, God has given a variety of equippers to help the church to become more like Jesus, living out His mission in the 21st Century.
Between this week and next, I want to embark on a journey to introduce you to the equipper blogs. And while we are still in the alpha phase of development, I think you will find the different posts thoughtful, challenging and inspiring.
The following is a brief overview of the Equippers. And the Equipper blogs are simply group blogs in which different equippers write entries.
UNDERSTANDING THE FIVE EQUIPPERS
Because a lot of baggage and mis-understanding sometimes surrounds the different equippers and the fact that language is dynamic and changing, I have given the five different equippers fresh translations. It is fascinating to recognize that most of the terms in the first century were borrowed from that culture. The only Biblical term that carried over was "Prophet." So here is the key to understanding our terminology:
- Apostle = Dream Awakener
- Prophet = Heart Revealer
- Evangelist = Story Teller
- Pastor = Soul Healer
- Teacher = Light Giver
WHY FRESH TERMS?
Sometimes giving new words to the same essential reality helps to bring needed life to old concepts. Fresh terminology has the potential to connect better with the culture in which God has placed us, which is why we always have updated translations of the Bible. The truth is that words can change meanings through time. In England, only a few hundred years ago, if you used the word "awful" to describe a work of art, it was a complement. Try using that same word today when describing your friend's new painting... This is one of the many reasons why we have given fresh words to signify the equippers.
OVERVIEW OF THE FIVE EQUIPPERS
Here is a quick overview of the five equippers. Each of the five equippers partner with our Triune God in order to equip the body to be more like Christ, in different ways.
Dream Awakener (Apostle) - Help people to discover and live out their calling and value the multiplication of disciples, small groups and churches. Dream Awakeners help individuals and groups move toward their destiny.
Heart Revealer (Prophet) - Help people to walk closely with God and actively seek social justice. Heart Revealers are like the conscious of the church and are able to help people experience the divine presence.
Story Teller (Evangelist) - Help people to expand their hearts and become redemptive agents in the world. Story Tellers help the church to incarnate the message in the context in which we live.
Soul Healer (Pastor) - Help people to become committed to deeper community as well as work through past hurts and move toward wholeness. Soul healers bring a family atmosphere to the church.
Light Giver (Teacher) - Help people to immerse themselves in the sacred text and live faithfully in the story of God. Teachers shed light on the scriptures.
That is the introduction, and coming soon will be a deeper way to understand the variety of sub-groups that each group Equipper blog is about. Until then, enjoy the variety and color in our world.
Keep up the bloggin'.
God Bless
Posted by: Randy Furco | May 03, 2006 at 03:22 AM
good stuff ... REALLY made my mind bubble with fresh thoughts and images!
Posted by: Sivin | May 03, 2006 at 03:56 AM