WHAT IS APEST?
As you discover your purpose in loving God and others, there is a unique way in which you bear the image of God, in love, towards your wingspan. APEST is an acronym created to remember a truth found in Ephesians 4 regarding the gifts that Jesus gives the Church:
APEST reveals to us that Jesus has imprinted each of our lives to uniquely express our purpose, which is to love God and others. As a son or daughter of God, you have been touched by Jesus with a unique ‘grace gift’. He has freely given this gift to you so you can uniquely bear his image to your wingspan. Together we are the body of Jesus. He has imprinted each of us with a gift that reflects different facets of his personhood.
NEXT STEPS
As you take steps towards becoming Christ-centered, we want to empower you towards maturity and purpose by equipping you to discover your God-given gifts, talents, and strengths. It’s time for you to take your next step in discovering which of the 5 APEST functions you most effectively act as the hands and feet of Jesus.
Click the button below to take the APEST assessment. Each assessment costs $10.
Click the button below to take the APEST assessment. Each assessment costs $10.
HAVE YOU ALREADY TAKEN THE ASSESSMENT?
If you have taken the APEST assessment, we congratulate you! You have taken a step in discovering purpose. We would love to share in this journey with you. Click the button below to let us know what your APEST is.
APEST Mentoring Opportunity
Are you ready to explore the gifts that God has given you but are unsure about what your next step should be? We have trusted volunteer mentors who can help you discover your purpose through your APEST gifts in order to help advance His church through the work of ministry to your wingspan.
Complete this interest form.
APOSTLE
Focus: Visionary thinking and motivation to see the Kingdom of God advance.
In Greek, the term apostle means “sent one." It is a pioneering function of the church, the capacity to extend Christianity as a healthy, integrated, innovative, reproducing movement, ever-expanding into new cultures. Those with an apostolic gift from Jesus today thrive in the lane of extending the Kingdom of God into new places, spaces, and contexts while motivating and mobilizing other leaders to propel the mission of God forward.
“After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.' ”
Luke 10:1-3
PROPHET
Focus: The covenantal relationship between God and people
and living out of that relationship
Those graced with the prophetic calling will do all they can to listen to God, see what he sees, feel something of what he feels, speak and act on his behalf, and call people to faithfulness and obedience. They are God-oriented people who call all people to attend to the voice of God and respond with appropriate action.
"There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light."
John 1:6-8
EVANGELIST
Focus: People come to know Jesus and join the movement of the Kingdom of God
The evangelist proclaims the good news that is at the core of the church’s message. Evangelism is therefore all about the core message and its reception in the hearts of people and cultures. The evangelist is the storyteller, the all-important recruiter of the cause, and the naturally infectious person who can enlist people into what God is doing in and through the church.
“Jesus said to him, 'Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.'"
Luke 19:9-10
SHEPHERD
Focus: The community of God living healthily in the love of God
At its core, the shepherd is passionate about creating and maintaining a healthy community of Christ followers, promoting the common good, encouraging people in the faith, and ensuring the well-being of the people. Shepherds pay close attention to their immediate environment, noticing details about people and the state of the community helping others mature individually and collectively.
" 'A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.' "
John 13:34-35
TEACHER
Focus: Understanding, clarification, and application of God's truth
Teachers bring clarity and solid foundation to the vision of the church. They love the wisdom of God and help people put ideas into action. People with a teaching gift have a way with words that clarify and bring understanding that drive people to want to know God more and live according to His ways.
“When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.”
Matthew 7:28-29
apest sermons
Have you heard the church referred to as ‘the body of Christ’ and wondered what that means? A body is something that is living, active and has a distinct function. As Jesus’ body, the church has a function and purpose that has been given to us by Jesus. As the church we are called to live from this purpose both individually and collectively. Click the button below to check out our past sermon series on APEST.