Reading the article, What Happens When Children Lead by Patrice Wheeler was exciting for me because it matches the desire I have for children in my own church (and of course my own kids).? Patrice writes about taking some children from the children’s ministry at her church (Scarborough Gospel Temple) on a Short Term Missions trip to Trinidad.? The team consisted of five children aged 11 to 13 and two other adults and as Patrice writes in her article, the children were very involved in the actual ministry on the trip.? Not only that but the preparation leading up to, and the followup afterwards involved not only the children on the team but other children from the church as well in various support activities for the trip.

What excited me in reading this article is to see these young children not only encouraged to be involved in ministry but also released to serve in ministry.? In other words, this church didn’t only talk about wanting to see their kids doing ministry but they actually equipped them and released them into opportunities to serve.

Apostles and The Emerging Apostolic Movement

Rating: 4 out of 5

Author: David Cannistraci

Year: 1998

Category: Apostles, Leadership

Publisher: Regal Books

ISBN: 0830723382

David has written a book that is an attempt to elucidate and give shape to an understanding of the biblical office of apostle and make an argument for the validity of restoring this office today. I think he has done a good job pointing out the important need for apostles and their ministry as well as clearly outlining the characteristics, work, and authority of the apostles as written about in the New Testament. There wasn’t too much in this book I disagreed with and I would recommend it as a read for any leader in the church.

As I was reading it however I began thinking of my own fellowship (PAOC) and how to some degree while it may not be directly recognized as such (with the term “apostles”) there are men functioning in that role already. We have sectional presbyters (who “oversee” groupings of churches in a district) and regional directors (who oversee groupings of sections in a district) and district superintendents (who oversee a district) and then the General Superintendent (who oversees the districts). I think it might benefit our fellowship more to understand (and perhaps recognize) the role these leaders have as “apostles”.