As you move from one stage to the next, your whole perspective of what you’re doing changes because of your new priority. This significantly informs what you do in each of the previous stages. So it can feel like your whole ministry is changing, but actually you’re just adapting all the stages to serve your next focus. Each time you move forward, re-examine all the earlier stages to ensure they will support your new goal and not hinder it.

Examples:

1. Mobilizing
2. Connecting
   • 1. Mobilizing is now more effective if the people on the ground do it
3. Witnessing
   • 1. Mobilizing is clearer once the ministry is really started
   • 2. Connecting is less about the crowd and more focused
4. Gathering
   • 1. Mobilizing is unto what the local leader needs, vs the missionary
   • 2. Connecting is through the local leader’s network
   • 3. Witnessing is done primarily by the local leader; we support
5. Equipping
   • 1. Mobilizing is unto what the local team needs
   • 2. Connecting is through the local team’s relationships
   • 3. Witnessing is about empowering the locals to do it
   • 4. Gathering includes everyone’s gifts
6. Growing
   • 1. Mobilizing unto what the church members are initiating
   • 2. Connecting is through the whole church’s spheres
   • 3. Witnessing includes through things members start
   • 4. Gathering is no longer the center of church life
   • 5. Equipping is about the team equipping the church
7. Multiplying
   • 1. Mobilizing includes to other locations
   • 2. Connecting includes “crazy ideas” of the network leader
   • 3. Witnessing includes via events they come up with
   • 4. Gathering in multiple locations
   • 5. Equipping is done by the locals
   • 6. Growing will be in seemingly chaotic ways, everywhere
8. Partnering
   • 1. Mobilizing to where the leadership team discerns
   • 2. Connecting includes working closely with other organizations
   • 3. Witnessing is about helping the churches send people out
   • 4. Gathering includes being a part of a wider family of churches
   • 5. Equipping is done by an APEST team of locals
   • 6. Growing includes some programs forming their own identities
   • 7. Multiplying via an apostolic leader who is now just part of the team
9. Extending
   • 1. Mobilizing includes sending to other nations
   • 2. Connecting is about getting into other nations
   • 3. Witnessing includes cross-cultural training
   • 4. Gathering in a reproducible format across cultures
   • 5. Equipping in the discipleship essentials that transcend culture
   • 6. Growing may result in initiatives that will work overseas
   • 7. Multiplying into other nations
   • 8. Partnering together to support missions