Impulses, Gifting & Calling
Fivefold Ministry (APEST) and the Path of Leadership Development in the Church
I have been sketching out a few ideas in this area for quite a few years. When undertaking my dissertation for my MATh I wanted to take a look at the development of competencies for use within a church planting endeavour. For many years now I have considered the APEST functions/roles model to be one which is helpful to think through, but rather than simple identification, I wanted to know of its development, particularly in pioneering settings. I mean, if a person already thinks they ‘are’ something due to their exposure to Christian and church culture, it’s quite hard to navigate them away from it. So how can we both identify, train and affirm these? I want to begin by explaining a little bit about APEST, although this is a very basic introduction to those already aware of it, but I need to do so to set up the process of developing this which will hopefully be more practically applicable to those in ministry leadership.
The New Testament describes a fivefold ministry of church leadership; apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds (pastors), and teachers, often abbreviated as APEST. This concept comes from Ephesians 4:11–12, which says Christ “gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” In other words, Jesus gifted His church with different types of leaders to equip others and build up the community. Authors Alan Hirsch and Michael Frost in The Shaping of Things to Come (2001) note that APEST simply describes five core functions of ministry found in that text. I have (along with others) observed that Western churches have often focused on the shepherd (pastor) and teacher roles, while neglecting the apostolic, prophetic, and evangelistic functions for a variety of reasons. According to Hirsch and Frost, recovering all five is crucial to the church’s capacity to mature and fulfill its mission, and is “inextricably interwoven” with activating a full APEST model of leadership. In fact they argue, without a healthy fivefold ministry we cannot mature, and that suppressing this biblical pattern has caused terrible damage to the church over time. Yet, all this talk of activation and maturity, functions and roles, got me stepping back to try to figure out what this actually means, and if it is tangibly noticeable in our churches in order to be developed and discipled.
This article explores how these five callings can be developed in individuals for the good of the church’s mission. I will look at a three-stage process of development under the titles Impulse, Gifting, and Calling/Affirmation, and consider how rushing or short-circuiting this process can harm both the person and the local church. Throughout, we’ll ground our discussion in Scripture, draw on insights from thought leaders like Alan Hirsch (who has written extensively on APEST), and emphasize the interplay of theology, ecclesiology, and missiology. The goal is (hopefully) a practical yet thoughtful roadmap for churches to identify and nurture fivefold ministry gifts in a healthy way.
A Biblical Vision of APEST and Church Maturity
Biblically, the fivefold ministry is presented as Christ’s design for a healthy, mature church. In the broader context of Ephesians 4, Paul ties the diversity of these gifts (or some argue, roles) to the unity and maturity of the church. He appears to indicate that when all five types of leaders are equipping the saints, the church attains “unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God,” growing into “mature manhood” and the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13). This means theology (our knowledge of the Son of God) and ecclesial maturity are outcomes of a church embracing diverse gifts working together. I imagine that this is why Hirsch refers to Ephesians “the constitutional document of the church” as it lays out core principles for how the church should function.[1] Notably, unlike other gift lists in the New Testament, only Ephesians 4 explicitly links these leadership gifts to equipping others and achieving full Christlike maturity.
Each of the APEST roles contributes a unique aspect of Christ’s ministry. Jesus Himself perfectly embodies all five of course. He is the ultimate Apostle (sent from the Father), Prophet, Evangelist, Shepherd, and Teacher. So, the intention follows that the church, as His body, needs all five functions active to represent Him well. If even one is missing or suppressed, we lose a dimension of Christ’s character in our community. For example, a church heavy on Shepherd-Teacher instincts may excel at caring for and instructing believers, but lack the missional drive of apostles and evangelists or the corrective voice of prophets. The church is well taught, but not effective in seeing new believers come to faith, or break into pioneering church planting. (I would argue this is what we are starting to see in this stage of the missional/church planting movements.) In other words, neglecting any of these callings can stunt the church’s growth and mission in a holistic fashion.
At the same time, a balance is vital. Each APEST function has inherent strengths and potential pitfalls. Hirsch cautions that if one type of leader monopolizes church culture to the exclusion of the others, dysfunction follows. For instance, an apostolic-dominated ministry can become autocratic and productive at the expense of the followers. This leader is constantly pushing for new ground but leaving wounded people behind. A prophetic-heavy environment might fixate on a few issues, risk being sectarian or overly “super-spiritual,” and either burn people out with activism or become disengaged from practical life. Perhaps also doing a lot of fighting in online forums like social media. An evangelistic-only focus can turn the church into a numbers-obsessed enterprise built around a charismatic personality who focusing on conversion, albeit with shallow discipleship. A pastoral (shepherding) monopoly tends to make the church risk-averse and insular, overly focused on comfort and harmony, lacking innovation and healthy challenge. And a teacher-centric church can become ideological, controlling, even moralistic, equating knowledge with spiritual maturity, ensuring that ‘doctrine’ is correct, and perhaps missing the Spirit’s life in the church. Of course, in those explanations we might think of experiences or particular leaders, but for the most part they are stereotypical. These imbalances underscore why the fivefold gifts must work in tandem, each tempering the negative impulses of the individual and complementing the others. A mature church needs the pioneering mission of apostles, the holiness and responsiveness of prophets, the outreach fervour of evangelists, the nurturing community of pastors, and the foundational truth of teachers. Theology, ecclesiology, and missiology all converge here and a true biblical theology of leadership recognizes this fivefold diversity, a robust ecclesiology finds roles for all of them in church structure, and a vibrant missiology drives all five to work together for the spread of the Gospel.
While Hirsch’s work, and others like him, have focused on the identification of these functions, my interest over the years has been in recognising these ‘impulses’ in people that would indicate something that, if nurtured and affirmed, be for the building up of the church. We can look at unique or impressive leaders and try to reverse engineer their abilities, or seek to find these in emerging leaders. A lot of my previous work in developing sustainable leadership is focused on how we first identify emerging leaders in a biblical framework, but also create a culture for them to flourish in to maturity. The process of Impulse, Gifting, Calling/Affirmation, has been my best effort to explain this.
Impulse: Recognizing God-Given Ability and Passion
Every calling often begins as an impulse. I describe this to be an unprompted manifestation of God-given ability or passion in a person’s life. Before any titles or training, individuals often exhibit inklings of these gifts in action. For example, you might notice a young believer who naturally gathers and inspires others to start new initiatives (an apostolic impulse), or someone who speaks truth and exposes injustice with unusual weight (a prophetic impulse). Perhaps another just can’t help sharing the Gospel with strangers (an evangelistic impulse), or someone consistently cares for and guides people in need (a pastoral/shepherding impulse), or a person who loves to explain and clarify biblical truth (a teaching impulse). These early signs often bubble up organically, and I do believe they are wired into how God made each of us. In fact, we all share the general calling to discipleship and mission (Matthew 28), but we also have a unique personal calling, a role and purpose in God’s plan that fits His design for us. Jesus and the Holy Spirit have already instilled certain gifts in us as part of our spiritual DNA, our task is then to discover, embrace and use those gifts for His glory. We could perhaps experience this as a sort-of “sweet spot” by seeing how our God-given design (who we are) and passions line up with needs in the church and world (what we’re called to do and where to do it).
Crucially, the local church must play a big part especially at this impulse stage. Church leaders can create environments to identify these impulses. One practical approach is to gather people who sense they have a certain gift and see what emerges. For instance, a pastor put on a seminar for those who have a heart for evangelism, or who feels burdened about planting new churches, etc. The goal is not to bestow titles but to listen and observe. When a group of “potentials” meets to discuss in these areas, the leadership can watch for who speaks with wisdom and maturity in that area. Those who naturally inspire others and offer insightful ideas likely have a genuine gift worth developing. This intentional identification process allows latent gifts to surface. The key here is ‘intentional,’ and it was one of the biggest surprises from my research that many church leaders expect fully-formed leaders to just fall from the sky, developed and matured. The key at the impulse stage is noticing, naming and praying to helping people recognise the grace God has given them, and encouraging those initial signs rather than quenching them.
However, an important caveat in necessary. An impulse is not the same as a fully formed ministry. It’s a seed, not fruit yet. Just because someone has a raw prophetic instinct doesn’t mean they’ve matured in wisdom or character to handle that gift responsibly. I know this too well as my wife has regularly given me the Jurassic Park advice when I would speak in a meeting, “Just because you can talk Jonny, doesn’t mean you always should!” Recognizing an impulse is like spotting a potential in embryonic form, it calls for nurture and guidance, not immediate elevation. This is where the next phase comes in.
Gifting: Discipling and Developing the Gift for Service
After an impulse is identified, the person’s gift must be honed through discipleship, training, and practice. In this phase, the individual moves from simply having a gift to skilfully using that gift for the Kingdom. The transition can be compared to an apprentice learning a trade. The raw talent is there, but it needs shaping in community and under guidance from more mature leaders. Church leadership and mentors should come alongside to equip and train the person in their area of gifting, exactly in keeping with Ephesians 4:12’s vision of “equipping the saints for the work of ministry.”
Discipleship and training are crucial for the gifting stage. The biggest point I would make for all the sections, is that of intentionality. I think it was the Ice Hockey player, Wayne Gretsky who said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Whereas this isn’t a license to ‘shoot’ in a scattergun approach, if we are reluctant to disciple, train, and release emerging leaders because of ‘risk’ we shouldn’t be surprised if none emerge. Thinking practically, an emerging teacher needs not only biblical knowledge but also mentoring in how to communicate effectively and live out the truth they teach. Character is always foundational. Before the emerging leader teaches, watch how they learn. Often, the best mentors are those who themselves exemplify that gifting. If your church lacks a certain fivefold ministry strength, consider bringing in outside voices occasionally. Perhaps invite a seasoned evangelist to spend time with your aspiring evangelists, or have an experienced teacher offer a workshop for budding teachers. These give a tangible picture of a healthy model to emulate.
In addition to instruction, hands-on practice is vital as gifts only grow in use. Church leaders should create opportunities for people to exercise their gifts in a progressively responsible way. For instance, if someone shows a teaching gift, let them teach a small Bible study or youth group and then gradually larger settings, with feedback given at each step. I’ve often said that this is why larger churches (+200 people) make incredibly difficult training grounds for preachers. If there is a level of ‘professionalism’ or ‘performance’ needed in a large crowd setting, it might attract the gifting of a good communicator, not an able teacher. Think of smaller settings, or local churches that can help hone these folks. If someone might be an apostle (pioneering leader), involve them in starting a new ministry or outreach under oversight. If a pastoral/shepherding gift is evident, perhaps assign them a group of people to regularly check in on or counsel, again, under an experienced pastor’s guidance. These real-life ministry reps are where skills are refined and spiritual character is tested. Mistakes will happen, and that’s okay! Say it again with me, that’s okay! In fact, leaders should expect a bit of mess as emerging leaders learn by doing. Secure and mature leaders won’t feel threatened by the questions or fresh ideas they bring. A mature leadership will create a safe space for growth, not only opportunities for failure, but an environment where failure is nurtured towards learning and experience.
Throughout the development phase, character formation must go hand-in-hand with skill formation. This is where theology and spiritual grounding become especially important. An immature gift without spiritual maturity can do harm. For example, a charismatic evangelist who lacks theological depth might draw a crowd but teach error, or a prophetic type without love and patience could become harsh. It’s a danger of traditions that shun theological education, believing that the Spirit gives gifting which supersedes maturity. It’ll never be stated like that, but is setting up people for failure. Thus, discipling the person in Scripture, doctrinal soundness, and Christlike character is non-negotiable. The person should also learn how their gift fits within the whole mission of the church, not just their individual ministry. It always freaks me out when a major leader has a “------ministries.com” website. These gifts as per Ephesians, are not disengaged from the body of the church. This is so very important to express in the developmental stage as this keeps development tethered to both orthodoxy (right belief) and orthopraxy (right practice in the church). In short, the gifting stage is about turning a raw impulse into a refined instrument for God’s use, through mentoring, training, and plenty of practice in community.
Calling and Affirmation: Commissioning in Community
The final stage is when a person’s gifting matures to the point of a recognized calling, affirmed by the church community. Here the individual is not just gifted but is formally commissioned or released to operate in that calling with the backing of the church. Again, with the backing of the church. This step is critical as it provides accountability, authority, and support for the person’s ministry, and it ensures the church benefits from the gift in an orderly way. Calling in this sense is both an inner conviction from God and an outer confirmation by mature leaders and the congregation. I had an older leader call this a ‘surprise calling,’ when a believer announces that they are called to something that they have never appeared to show an interest or impulse before. “If it comes as a surprise, then it’s perhaps not their gifting or calling.”
A beautiful biblical illustration comes from the church of Antioch. In Acts 13, we read that among the prophets and teachers in Antioch were Barnabas and Saul (Paul). During worship and fasting, the Holy Spirit spoke, saying, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” In response, the community “fasted and prayed, laid their hands on them, and sent them off” for the mission. In just a few verses we see the dual dynamics of calling; God inwardly called Barnabas and Paul to a work, and the church outwardly affirmed that calling through prayerful commissioning. Paul and Barnabas didn’t just take off on their own, they were sent with the blessings and authority of their local church. This gave them spiritual covering and a home base that would later rejoice in their reports and hold them accountable (Acts 14:26-28).
Likewise, today when someone’s gift and maturity become evident, the church can formally affirm their role. This might be through ordination to an office (for example, recognizing someone as a pastor/teacher or commissioning a missionary), or it might be a less formal but still clear public affirmation, such as laying hands on a new ministry leader or giving someone an official capacity to lead a team, preach, plant a church, etc. The exact form can vary by tradition, but the essence is the same; the community says “Yes, we see God’s hand on you for this work, and we stand with you.” As one Dr. Jason K. Allen author puts it, “Ultimately, all the preceding questions are to be adjudicated by the local church. The Bible indicates the local church is responsible to call out the called. More specifically, the local church is responsible for who it calls to minister to the congregation. The church knows best how fit an individual in their midst is for ministry.”[2]In healthy practice, a person’s sense of calling is tested and confirmed by wise counsel of the church, which often sees character and fruit that the individual alone might miss.
On a side note, this is a danger within the missions/church planting frameworks that we have seen in the past 30 years. Very famously, one major leader unhelpfully (and proudly) declared that he became the pastor of a church having never been a member of one. And sending someone halfway across the world will never kick start a ministry impulse that they may have never demonstrated at home in their local church context. Ok, I promise that’s the end of my little rant!
This affirmation stage also ensures the leader remains under accountability and community, rather than a “lone ranger.” And it’s not only about receiving a title, it’s about entering a relationship with the church in a new way. The leader submits to the church’s doctrine and oversight even as they are released to exercise their gift. This provides protection for both the person and the flock. For the individual, it means they have covering, a spiritual family that prays for them, as the Antioch church did with fasting and laying on of hands, and a place to seek counsel or restoration if needed. For the church, it means the ministry of that person will remain rooted in the body’s life and aligned to its teachings and values. Once again, the balance of theology, ecclesiology, and missiology is crucial here. The act of affirmation ties the person’s ministry into the church’s theological framework (they are being trusted to minister in Christ’s name rightly), into the ecclesial structure (they don’t operate in isolation but as part of the church’s ordered ministry), and into the missional purpose (they are being sent to further the Gospel, not just to perform ‘their ministry.’). When a church commissions or affirms someone, it is effectively saying: “We see that God has gifted and prepared you, we agree with that calling and charge you to go serve, representing Christ and this church.” This is a sacred trust.
The Dangers of Short-Circuiting the Process
Each stage in this process, through impulse, gifting development, and community affirmation, is vital. As with everything problems arise when we rush through or skip stages, creating unhealthy shortcuts. It is the refrain with almost every public church leadership failure, the person was effective and so problems were covered up as development was fast-tracked. In developing leaders, and especially in something as nuanced as APEST functions/roles, shortcuts can be damaging both to the individual and the congregation. I’ve sketched out a few common pitfalls:
Impatience and Premature Promotion: Perhaps the most obvious shortcut is elevating someone to a leadership position too soon. This could mean recognising an impulse and fast-tracking the person to public ministry without sufficient experience or maturity. This is such a danger in pioneering settings, or rural contexts. In Ireland we have so few believers that if someone demonstrates an impulse, we almost have their whole life as a leader mapped out before they have a chance to realise it! The Bible explicitly warns against this. Paul told Timothy that an overseer “must not be a recent convert” lest he become conceited and fall into pride and condemnation. He further advised, “Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands” (1 Timothy 5:22), i.e. don’t rush to officially appoint someone. Skipping the slow work of discipleship and character formation can set up a talented individual for failure, but also to create chaos. They may become arrogant, or face temptations and pressures they aren’t mature enough to handle. As Evertt Huffard puts it, shortcuts are “a spiritual issue when they circumvent the development of character and hope.”[3] No matter how gifted a person is, character developed through time, trials, and mentoring is irreplaceable. An immature apostle type given too much authority might run roughshod over people. An untested prophet might wound others with harsh words believed to be what God’s wants them to say. An enthusiastic evangelist thrown into solo ministry might burn out.. The church must resist the urge to “use” someone’s gifting before they have the depth to sustain it. In practical terms, this means recognising stages of responsibility. Let people prove faithful in smaller tasks (as Jesus said, “faithful in little, faithful in much”) before handing them larger platforms.
Skipping Community Affirmation (Or Creating Lone Rangers): Another unhealthy shortcut is when individuals self-authorize their ministry without accountability. I have a real bug-bear for calling someone ‘pastor’ if they currently aren’t affirmed as one in a local church. I don’t see it as a perpetual term like “President.” In church culture, we sometimes (ok, perhaps often) see people claim, “God called me as an apostle/prophet/teacher etc., so I don’t need anyone’s validation.” They launch out on their own, rejecting any local church oversight. This is dangerous. Even Paul, who had a dramatic direct calling from Jesus, humbly received commissioning from the Antioch church and later reported back to the church (Acts 13–14). When we skip community affirmation, we lose the safety net of wise counsel and correction. This isn’t a hindrance, but a helpful support. The result can be rogue leaders who teach or do questionable things with no oversight, harming the church’s witness and sometimes ending up personally shipwrecked. I think we could all list a handful of cases when this has been quite publicly destructive. Conversely, those who do sense a calling should actively seek the blessing of a church. Far from stifling the call, healthy affirmation will strengthen it. Recall that Barnabas and Paul were fasting and praying in community when the Spirit spoke. A calling lived out in submission actually invites more of God’s guidance, not less. A leader sent by the church goes with credibility and prayer cover that a self-sent leader simply won’t have. As Dr. Jason K. Allen argued above, the local church is there to “call out the called,” and an internal sense of call really ought to be confirmed by others who see your life .
Bypassing the Hard Work of Equipping: Some churches themselves try to shortcut the process by placing people in roles without investing in training. This often happens out of urgency (“we need a youth leader now, who’s available?”) or poor planning. The result is that people are put into positions of leadership or ministry without having been discipled in that area. It’s not fair to them or those they serve. A person with a teaching gift, for example, might be thrown into preaching sermons regularly without having been taught how to study Scripture in depth or how to shepherd people through the Word. They may quickly feel overwhelmed or start relying on shallow techniques, or worse still, plagiarism. An evangelist at heart might be hired as a church planter but never mentored in leadership, doctrinal or ecclesiological foundations which can lead to discouragement or collapse. In Ephesians 4, the purpose of APEST leaders is to equip others, which implies a process and intentional effort. If we bypass that, expecting leaders to somehow “figure it out on the fly,” we set them and the church up for struggle. Quite simply, a failure to equip people for ministry results in an unhealthy church. There is no other outcome. Of course, it might look healthy for a while, even growing in numbers, but over time the cracks will show. Churches must budget time and resources for leader development whether sending people to trainings, pairing people with mentors, or encouraging continued theological education. There are no true shortcuts to cultivating a well-rounded leader. A slow, steady development path is actually the fastest way to long-term fruit.
Elevating Gift over Theology and Mission: An often subtle shortcut is to become so gift-focused that we detach it from sound theology and the broader mission. This happens when a church chases the novelty of APEST as a technique, rather than rooting it in biblical truth and missional purpose. Of course, some traditions labelling people as “Prophet” or “Apostle” as a status symbol, instead of emphasizing the function of that gift to build up the church in love which can prove self-determining. If a fivefold framework is adopted without robust teaching on what these roles mean and how they serve the Gospel, it can devolve into mere titles or power plays. Remember that theology, ecclesiology, and missiology must stay integrated for the development of health in a church. Our understanding of Christ and the Gospel (theology) must shape how we live out being sent on mission (missiology), which in turn determines how we structure and lead the church (ecclesiology). Hirsch and Frost warn that getting this order wrong by letting our church structures or personal agendas drive the show, leads to stagnation. In practice, this means any implementation of APEST must be deeply grounded in prayer, Scripture, and a passion for the mission of God, not just excitement over a leadership trend. The fivefold gifts exist “to equip the saints for work of ministry,” the ministry of Christ’s mission. If we ever find ourselves pursuing APEST in a way that’s detached from Gospel proclamation and making disciples, or in a way that contradicts sound doctrine and love, we’ve taken a wrong turn.
Avoiding shortcuts means embracing a bit of slowness and suffering in the development journey. Even a cursory scan through the Scriptures shows that no biblical leader was developed overnight, God took time with Joseph in prison, Moses in the desert, even Jesus spent years with His disciples., Indeed, when Paul advised Timothy on appointing elders, he stressed not to do it hastily and gave qualifications largely based on proven character (1 Timothy 3:1-7). Paul even cautioned that appointing a recent convert is a shortcut that could lead to pride and downfall. The wisdom is clear; development takes time. There are no true shortcuts to Spirit-shaped leadership even with fancy programs and 3 year degrees. The good news is that when we do take the time, when impulse is given space to grow, when gifts are diligently discipled, and when callings are affirmed in community, the result is both powerful and healthy. The person blossoms in their God-given calling without being crushed by it, and the church gains a mature minister who helps the whole body thrive.
Conclusion
As I have (again, hopefully shown) developing fivefold ministry gifts in the church is a holistic, deliberate process. It begins with recognizing the impulses God has sovereignly placed in individuals, those early signs of apostolic, prophetic, evangelistic, pastoral, or teaching in the life of an emerging leader. It continues with gifting development, a season of discipleship and skill-building where those gifts are refined and tested through real ministry and solid biblical grounding. And it culminates in a confirmed calling, where the church publicly acknowledges and partners with the gifted individual, commissioning them to serve under accountability for the sake of the Gospel. Each phase is vital. Omit the first, and you may never spot the emerging leader in your midst. Omit the second, and you may launch leaders who implode or falter due to lack of preparation. Omit the third, and you get lone wolves or fragmented efforts rather than the synergistic ministry of the Body of Christ.
When done well, this process is essentially a dance between theology, community, and mission. Our theology gives us the vision (we develop leaders because we believe God gives gifts to His church and calls people to serve). Our church community gives us the context (we develop leaders in the church, for the church, believing that ministry is a collaborative effort of the whole body. And the mission of God gives us the direction (we develop leaders in order to send them out to make disciples, plant churches, serve the poor, whatever the specific calling, it fits into God’s redemptive mission). These cannot be separated or played off against each other. A truly healthy APEST development approach will hold all these together. As Hirsch and Frost emphasized, a church connected to Jesus will be propelled into mission, and a church on mission will shape its structure to serve that mission. In nurturing fivefold functions/leaders, we are not pursuing a fad or just increasing leadership capacity for its own sake, we are participating in Christ’s plan to “equip the saints” and bring His body to maturity and fullness.
This is a high calling for both leaders and churches, but the fruit is worth it, and many of us are committed to this process. My prayer is that we encourage those initial sparks of gifting you see around you. Invest in training and discipleship, even though it takes time and effort. Don’t shy away from releasing people when the season is right, taking the risk to publicly affirm and send them into ministry. And above all, keep Christ at the centre throughout. If we do this patiently and prayerfully, we will see leaders raised up who are both passionate and prepared, called and confirmed. APEST is not a silver bullet, of course, but a framework to remind us that Jesus wants a fully alive and fully rounded church. In turn, those leaders will equip the rest of the saints in the whole congregation, and will be better positioned to carry out the Great Commission together. That is the vision, a church where “each part is working properly,” making the body grow in love (Eph. 4:16), and where the Gospel advances through a robust, balanced, and Spirit-led leadership.
[1] https://vergenetwork.org/activating-the-body-of-christ/
[2] https://voices.lifeway.com/church-ministry-leadership/am-i-called-to-ministry-a-checklist-to-consider/
[3] https://hopenetworkministries.org/2016/05/beware-of-short-cuts/
I also referenced the book by Hirsch & Frost, The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission for the 21st-Century Church (Revised & Updated Edition). Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2013.
Wow. I love how you used the word "impulses." Totally shows the work of the Spirit of God working in the life of the believer to manifest His life and essence in various ways.