APEST: Becoming All Jesus Intends for the Body of Christ

This question of how the church effectively embodies and expresses the fivefold (APEST) model strikes at the very core of our being and purpose as the people of God.

APEST involves the glorious unfolding of the body of Christ, becoming all that the Head intends! It's not merely a matter of organizational tweaks but a profound theological and practical recalibration rooted in the very nature of Christ and the design he has woven into his ecclesia.

At its heart, the APEST typology (apostolic, prophetic, evangelistic, shepherding, teaching), as articulated in Ephesians 4:1–16, is the synergy of a holistic recombination of the capacities referred to in that foundational text. It provides us with a lexicon to understand the Bible, the church, and the disciple's purpose, helping us to speak more meaningfully about the work of Christ. Crucially, APEST is the actual way in which Jesus’ presence is actively expressed in and through his body.

Effectively embodying and expressing this model begins with recognizing its constitutional, almost genetic, nature within the church. Jesus, in his ascension, constitutionally embeds 5Q (fivefold-thinking) into the church by giving APEST to his people. This isn’t something we need to invent or import; is already there, latent in the system, a dormant intelligence and capacity waiting to be recovered and reactivated. Paul's description in Ephesians 4:1–16 reveals the initiating design of the church, making the fivefold an intrinsic part of its very constitution, divinely originated and never to be made defunct.

The urgency for this embodiment stems from the fact that APEST is absolutely necessary for the health and vitality of the church and its mission. It is critical for the church to self-regenerate, develop, and “perfect: itself, acting like an in-built self-healing capacity within the body of Christ. Without the full activation and engagement of all five functions, we exclude our capacity to be made whole and function as Jesus intended. We see that many of the church's dysfunctions can be traced back to one or more of the fivefold functions being absent. Frankly, trying to extend Jesus' ministry with a truncated, often two-dimensional (shepherd and teacher) understanding is attempting to operate with dangerous gaps in our culture. The full APEST expression is needed for the church to attain the fullness of Christ.

So, how do we move toward this fuller, more authentic expression?

Recognize APEST as the Modes of Jesus’ Presence

Understand that APEST isn’t just a list of gifts or roles; it’s the way Jesus chooses to be present and to operate in and through his people. Jesus is the perfect, quintessential expression of APEST (J-APEST), embodying and expressing all five identities and purposes in their perfected form. Embodying APEST means conforming ourselves to him, individually and collectively, as the body of Christ.

Embrace APEST as a System and Symphony

APEST operates as an integrated system where each function enriches, counterbalances, and “corrects” the bias of the others. Each function needs the others to be truly itself. Symphony is necessary to give context and meaning to the individual parts and provides a new sense of wholeness. The aim is balance and synergy, resulting in a more mature and grounded expression of church.

Activate Functions and Callings

APEST manifests as both corporate functions/purposes of the church as a whole entity and individual callings/roles expressed through the lives of individual believers. Embodying APEST means actively activating and integrating these functions and callings throughout the church's life, identity, purpose, culture, and mission. The church is called to be missional (A), prophetic (P), evangelistic (E), pastoral (S), and wise (T) because it is the body of Christ, the embodiment of Jesus in the world.

Identify and Measure the Marks of the Church

APEST provides viable marks, distinguishing features, or a theological metric by which we can identify an authentic church and measure its maturity and effectiveness. An authentic church actively demonstrates its participation in all fivefold functions/purposes to some degree. Diagnostic tools, such as the 5Q System Tests, can help assess relative strengths and weaknesses, providing a profound diagnostic tool and basis for strategy.

Intentionally Develop and Embed APEST

Embedding 5Q requires work on multiple levels:

• Discipleship:
  Integrate APEST into the foundational level of discipleship, helping individuals discern their calling while growing in all five qualities to be more like Christ. This is about formation and living according to our intrinsic design.

• Leadership and organization:
  Apply APEST to shape leadership teams (seeking a healthy, blended profile), organizational culture, strategy, and practices. Restructuring ministry and priorities around APEST is recommended.

• Equipping and apprenticeship:
  Provide accessible tools, methods, and training to develop APEST capacities throughout the church. This is for all of God’s people, not limited to clergy roles.

• Cultivate the environment:
  Focus on creating an environment where APEST can flourish, encouraging intentional practices, rhythms, and an ethos that reflects all five functions.

Counter Reductionism

Actively work against the historical tendency to elevate shepherding and teaching while neglecting the apostolic, prophetic, and evangelistic functions. This requires legitimizing and activating these often-marginalized forms of ministry.

Effectively embodying and expressing the APEST model is about reactivating the original intelligence and capacity of the body of Christ. It offers renewal of the whole life of the church, bringing newfound wholeness to our identity, functionality, and ministry. It’s eminently doable because the potential is already latent within the system; we just need to focus on creating the right environment for it to flourish. When we align with this intrinsic design, the ministry of Jesus through his people becomes more meaningful, sustainable, and impactful. This path, while requiring intentionality and effort, holds immense promise for the systemic renewal of the Christian movement and its ministry, becoming a transformational Jesus movement.