For those who weren't at the weekly gathering this past Sunday, Greg talked beforehand on what we mean when we say "Equippers." Instead of talking about Pastors at kairos, which word holds significant meaning in itself, we refer to our Pastors as Equippers, and each of our four Equippers takes on a particular role in leadership. We've derived the word from the sacred text where the Apostle Paul talks about those who equip, or "Equippers."
The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love. - Eph 4:11-16
We have four equippers currently serving at kairos hollywood, and we refer to them not with the five words above that seem to have either lost their original meaning, or maybe just sound freaky. Below are the five equippers, their re-translated names, as well as the definition under which each of us equippers function.
Dream Awakener/Apostle [Don Chesworth]: The primary concern of the dream awakener is to help people and communities live out their calling in the church and world. They do this by cultivating a practicing environment, calling people to join God in the renewal of all things. They cultivate the growth of the kingdom by multiplying disciples, ministries and congregations by bringing an overall cohesion and strategic focus to the community. While they can wear any of the equipper’s hats, they seek to build a team of equippers who activate the entire body to fulfill God’s mission in the world through the church.
Heart Revealer/Prophet: The primary concern of the heart revealer is that the congregation is walking with God meaning that they are living in the Spirit as well as standing with the poor and the oppressed. They do this by cultivating a challenging environment that dares people to embody a holistic gospel by forming spirit-imbibed contrast communities who follow in the way of Jesus.
Story Teller/Evangelist [Greg Larson]: The primary concern of story tellers is helping the community to embody the good news in their neighborhood. They help to cultivate a welcoming environment that helps the community practice hospitality as a way of life. They invite the congregation to find concrete ways to bless their neighbors and live as journalists who publish the good news broadly. They help the community to live and share the good news.
Soul Healer/Pastor [Audrey Blumber]: The primary concern of soul healers is helping people to pursue wholeness in the context of community. They do this by cultivating a healing environment where people feel safe to be real and move from their false selves toward authentic community. They create a sense of family and belonging, helping the congregation to love one another, encourage one another, exhort one another, get along with each other, comfort one another as well as play with one another. They help the community live emotional healthy lives, where they learn to give voice to their strengths and attention to their weaknesses.
Light Giver/Teacher [David Kludt]: The primary concern of light givers is that the community is being shaped by the sacred text. They create a learning environment where people immerse themselves in the scriptures in order to be formed by them. They shed light on the text in such a way that people hear the voice of God through the scripture. They encourage people to participate in sacred assemblies so that God’s story re-shapes them. They seek to help people understand God’s narrative so that they may live faithful to the God of the story and become signposts of the New Creation.
If you ever want to know more about the Equippers and our roles, feel free to chat us up about them.
-don chesworth
dream awakener
kairos hollywood