Near the beginning of this course, we talked about the role of the apostle as it relates to the five essential functions of the church. Here as we talk about deployment into service, it is important to revisit this vital role. You may want to go back to Lesson 2 and review what has already been said.

Just as a compass helps travelers maintain a proper sense of direction, apostles help all who serve in the church to maintain a common orientation toward kingdom purposes.

Apostles are concerned with the big picture. Because they are positioned at a "big picture" vantage point, they have the responsibility to see that the interests of heaven are effectively and faithfully served in the overall ministry of the church. Apostles typically have a good general sense of where personnel and resources should be placed. They may not have all of the details figured out, but they can at least point in the right direction, and they are good at keeping everyone connected with the "big picture."

Furthermore, by the very nature of their anointing as "sent ones," apostles are committed to seeing that all believers are ultimately "sent" into the realm of their particular callings.

Remember that when the apostle is allowed to fulfill his or her role, the whole church will benefit from the deposit that they carry. The kingdom will advance; the culture of heaven will be propagated in the earth; the church will become better established; a place will be made for the prophets, teachers, evangelists and pastors in our midst; and the saints will become equipped for works of service.

The bottom line is that the work of the apostle is to lead the church into becoming apostolic—to authoritatively extend the kingdom of heaven into the earth. For the apostle, it is all about the kingdom and the big picture.

Consider the following assessment questions pertaining to the function of deployment in your local context. (Make sure that you have viewed this lesson's video before going any further.) If you are taking this course as part of a group study, discuss these points together.

1. Do you understand the IMPORTANCE of this function?

2. How are you stewarding TIME for this function?

3. How are you stewarding TALENT for this function?

4. How are you stewarding TREASURE for this function?

5. Are you making room for 5-FOLD MINISTRY in this function?

6. Are those who are serving in this function HONORING the essential role of the other functions?

7. How do you help and support people as they TRANSITION into their areas of service?

8. What creative STRATEGIES can you and your church implement for this function within the next thirty days?