Apostolic Imagination: What Few Pastors have but We All Need

One of the greatest challenges facing the Church in the West can be summarized with this question:  "How does a Church with a mature presence co-labor with apostolic teams in the same geographical context?" Unfortunately, few imaginations are considering this question.Church life as we know it has come to be defined in pastoral terms. Over the centuries, established Church structures have developed and matured. Ministry--including that which is often defined as missions--is now filtered through a pastoral framework with its methods and strategies.But though the shadow of the steeple has grown less and less, the pastoral worldview remains strong. Of course, this is necessary and very important--when it comes to established ministry. As long as the Church exists in a geographical location, pastoral ministry must be developed, strengthened, and continued.A problem arises whenever a geographical location such as the United States finds itself with a population of unbelievers to be estimated at 75% and home to the third largest number of unreached people groups in the world (360) (Of course, other western countries have different numbers.). Traditional approaches for disciple-making and disciple-shaping begin to grow less and less helpful among those without a church background.The Spirit can do anything. But unless another awakening occurs, I believe 25% is close to the maximum amount of the United States population that will be reached by our longstanding pastoral approaches to engagement.The need of the hour is for apostolic-type laborers to cross the cultural boundaries that exist between the established Church and those who remain in darkness. Such is no easy task anywhere in the world. However, and again I shall use my country as an example, the Church in United States finds Herself with a unique set of challenges. We imitate what we know; we know what is modeled before us. And that model defines ministry for an established Church context with Kingdom citizens and how to evangelize and teach obedience through well-established Church culture and structures.There is no room for the apostolic. That type of ministry is for the geographical locations of the world where little-to-no Church structures exist.As one of the pastors of The Church at Brook Hills, I am laboring to see our members sent as apostolic teams to make disciples, gather and teach, and appoint elders over new churches (Acts 13-14), while also laboring to shepherd this faith family through traditional church culture and structures.Such ministry requires a constant changing of ministerial gears. One moment I am rightly working to strengthen our present church structures and organization for healthy Body life; the next moment I am rightly working to equip missionary laborers who will move across country (or across town) to reach an unreached people group. One model is more pastoral, the other is more apostolic; the pastor must understand and relate to both. Both.Easy?Absolutely not. But absolutely necessary.A paradigm shift is never easy.Our seminaries and Bible colleges are not prepared to meet this challenge.Our mission agencies and societies are not prepared to meet this challenge.When it comes to ministry in the West, we only know the way of the pastor.When it comes to missions, we attempt to force the apostolic into established Church structures. This is tantamount to making David wear Saul's armor.Western world pastors must develop apostolic imaginations if we expect to participate in the Great Commission. We pastors might never be called to serve as missionaries, but we must equip the church for the work of the ministry (Eph 4:11-12). And such equipping demands that we prepare church members for pastoral-type activities and apostolic-type activities--in the same geography.The four billion remain.