Release the APE Website Is Running

Check out the new website of Beau Crosseto that includes other authors like JR Woodward (he posted on it today), James Choung, and others. What is Release the APE? I'm glad you asked...

Release the APE is all about activating the Apostolic, Prophetic, and Evangelistic vocations into the world. We are committed to telling real time APE stories, sharing thoughts that shape the APE, and encouraging believers to live into APE vocations so that all the potential for God movements can be unleashed everywhere.

You may know A.P.E.S.T. from Alan Hirsch's books & teaching. That's where the APE comes from. Who should read the blog? Here's their list

• If you have a deep passion for ministry but you never saw yourself as a traditional pastor and don’t desire to be one.
• If you are a pastor and love it, but want to engage further material about releasing catalytic leaders in and out of your church.
• If you love challenging the status quo in Jesus name.
• If you love starting things for God
• If you have a deep sense for justice (hello prophetic leaders)
• if you love seeing people come to faith (we will have lots of conversion stories)
• if you feel alone in your mission and need inspiration and community
• if you love the missional church movement
• if you believe that the mission of God should and can be carried out by every day ordinary people.
• if you are crazy about seeing that happen too 
• If you want mentors and friends who will push you to risk, try, and do things in Jesus name you thought you never could do!

I align with several camps: I'm baptist. I'm reformed. I'm missional. Etc. This looks like a good site for the missional camp to engage, so I'll be reading. Would love to know what you think about their site as the first couple of posts have gone up: "Release the Apostolic, Prophetic, Evangelistic" Part 1 & Part 2. Also check them out on Twitter, Facebook.

Michael Frost | Romancing Your City

It sounded like a cheesy title, but Michael Frost (Exiles, The Shaping of Things to Come, ReJesus, The Road to Missional) delivered a simple, thought-provoking breakout at Exponential 2012 that I listened to by podcast last night. He compares a good marriage to how we say "I do" and "To death do us part" and the ongoing romance with our spouse with how a church loves her neighborhood (or city). I'd have some minor quibbles, but it was quite helpful for me.

Here are some of his thoughts and points from my sketchy notes, which you can see are comparable to marriage. Should we commit to our neighborhoods (cities) to a lifelong romance, till death do we part? Good thoughts here...

• Move in to the neighborhood God has sent you to
• Listen to your neighborhood

• Talk to your mayor, police chief, fire chief, school principals
• Eat in local restaurants, get in local cafes, walk the neighborhood
• Ask people what they want, long for, desire
• NOTE: Interesting section on midnight-5am "street pastors" 16:45 mark
• "Listen to your neighborhood, it is telling you--if you listen hard enough--how to evangelize them, how to serve them, how to unleash an awareness of the reign of God in that place."

• Partner with your neighborhood
• Stay for a long time in your neighborhood (sickness or health, rich or poor, till death do we part)

• You will move culture to a tipping point by transforming hundreds of thousands of villages across the nation.
• If this place goes down, we will go down with you.

Tim Keller Evangelism Tips

The salternlite blog transcribes 10 "evangelism tips" from Tim Keller. I believe these come from this talk. By the way, for some reason blog trolls love commenting on how "preach the gospel" isn't on the list. If you assume Tim Keller isn't talking about preaching the gospel in and through these things, you are dense and your comments will not be appreciated. For those of us who are thinking about how we can bring the gospel to our neighbors, these suggestions should be simple and helpful. A bit more context is given at the end.

1. Let people around you know you are a Christian (in a natural, unforced way)
2. Ask friends about their faith – and just listen!
3. Listen to your friends problems – maybe offer to pray for them
4. Share your problems with others – testify to how your faith helps you
5. Give them a book to read
6. Share your story
7. Answer objections and questions
8. Invite them to a church event
9. Offer to read the Bible with them
10. Take them to an explore course

Keller suggests, according to salternlite, to start with 1-4, move to 5-7, and then 8-10. Too often we start at the bottom.

Tim Keller: Dispersed Ministry

From Dr. Keller's latest blog post "Lloyd-Jones on the Practice of Real Preaching"...

I would argue that in a post-Christian culture, preaching will not be effective in the gathered assembly if Christians are not also highly effective in their scattered state. In our times, people will be indifferent or hostile to the idea of attending church services without positive contact with Christians living out their lives in love and service. Therefore the incarnational "dispersed" ministry of the church is extremely vital and necessary.