Network Evaluation Framework: Apostolic Priorities

Introduction

Our network has not arrived, and we will not reach perfection on this side of heaven. Yet the New Testament calls us to pursue a ministry that is faithful, balanced, Spirit-empowered, and aligned with the patterns Jesus entrusted to the apostles for starting, strengthening, and multiplying churches. The earliest Christians did not rely on charisma, novelty, or organizational skill—they relied on the Word of God, the Spirit of God, and the reproducible patterns modeled and taught by the apostles.

Movements become vulnerable—to drift, imbalance, exhaustion, doctrinal confusion, division, or spiritual attack—whenever they elevate certain strengths while neglecting others. Some emphasize teaching but neglect prayer; others excel in evangelism but fail to strengthen new believers; others steward strong community life but overlook multiplication or leadership development. The apostles held all of these together.

To guard against these dangers, we evaluate everything we do—our evangelism, discipleship, gatherings, coaching, leadership development, church formation, and long-term strategy—through seven apostolic priorities:

• Fellowship with God and Others

• Biblical Fidelity

• Ethical & Communal Life

• Educational Clarity & Accessibility

• Multiplication Orientation

• Apostolic Vision, Mission, and Strategy

• Gospel Guarding & Apostolic Leadership Courage

Together, these priorities summarize the core practices and relational patterns by which the apostles started, strengthened, and multiplied churches throughout the first century. If any one of these areas grows weak, long-term health suffers:

• Without fellowship with God, zeal dries up and leaders burn out.

• Without biblical fidelity, movements drift and disciples weaken.

• Without ethical life, communities fracture and witness collapses.

• Without educational clarity, believers cannot obey or pass on the faith.

• Without multiplication, ministry becomes maintenance instead of mission.

• Without apostolic vision, churches lose direction and shrink inward.

• Without gospel guarding, error spreads and the flock suffers harm.

We want to live at the intersection of all seven—for the glory of God, the good of the church, and the advance of Christ’s mission.

For Reflection & Action

1. Which of the seven priorities is our strongest area right now?

2. Which priority is weakest or most inconsistent—and how do we know?

3. What one concrete step is God calling us to take in the next 30 days?

How to Use This Tool (1–5 Survey Scale)

Each statement below is designed to be objective, concrete, and observable. Use the following scale:

1 – Strongly Disagree: This is not true of us.
2 – Disagree: Present only occasionally; inconsistent.
3 – Neutral / Mixed: True sometimes, but uneven.
4 – Agree: Generally true, but needs strengthening.
5 – Strongly Agree: Consistently true; a clear strength.

Patterns will reveal where your movement is healthy, where it is vulnerable, and where God may be inviting deeper alignment with apostolic patterns.

1. Fellowship with God and Others

Fellowship with God and others is the spiritual and relational center of all apostolic ministry. The apostles emphasized abiding in Christ, walking in the Spirit, practicing repentance, praying earnestly, fasting, building unity, offering hospitality, bearing burdens, and reconciling quickly. When fellowship is thin, ministry becomes hurried, self-reliant, emotionally fragile, and disconnected from the heart of Christ.

Top Ten Criteria (Rate 1–5)

1. We practice regular rhythms of Scripture, prayer, and repentance.

2. We pray together when making ministry decisions.

3. We fast together at planned times throughout the year.

4. We use a simple structure for prayer in groups and gatherings.

5. We practice hospitality toward both believers and unbelievers.

6. We encourage one another regularly.

7. We address relational conflicts promptly and biblically.

8. We share burdens with one another openly.

9. We practice confession and forgiveness as ongoing habits.

10. We watch for signs of burnout and care for long-term workers.

For Reflection & Action

• Where are we experiencing genuine strength, and where is it weak or inconsistent?

• What obstacles are limiting these strengthening activities in our context?

• What one strengthening practice should we reinforce or restart in the next 30 days?

2. Biblical Fidelity

Apostolic ministry depends on handling Scripture accurately and communicating the Christian message clearly. The apostles taught whole passages, traced arguments, defined doctrine, refuted distortions, and trained believers to read Scripture themselves. Biblical fidelity creates clarity, conviction, and obedience; without it, drift and confusion follow.

Top Ten Criteria (Rate 1–5)

1. We explain biblical passages according to their meaning and context.

2. We trace arguments and themes when teaching Scripture.

3. We have a simple, accurate way to explain the Christian message.

4. We teach key doctrines with clarity and consistency.

5. We train believers to interpret Scripture for themselves.

6. We evaluate new ideas by Scripture before adopting them.

7. We correct doctrinal confusion when it arises.

8. We use Scripture in coaching and counseling.

9. We evaluate all resources for biblical accuracy.

10. We emphasize what Scripture emphasizes.

For Reflection & Action

• Where are we experiencing genuine strength, and where is it weak or inconsistent?

• What obstacles are limiting these strengthening activities in our context?

• What one strengthening practice should we reinforce or restart in the next 30 days?

3. Ethical & Communal Life

Every New Testament letter connects doctrine with transformed daily life—speech, sexuality, finances, forgiveness, justice, unity, generosity, and household relationships. Apostolic work assumes ethical clarity and communal holiness. Without this, movements lose credibility and fracture.

Top Ten Criteria (Rate 1–5)

1. We teach believers how to obey Scripture in daily ethics.

2. We practice shared participation in our gatherings.

3. We confess sins and pursue reconciliation.

4. We care for the poor, weak, and vulnerable.

5. We practice church discipline when needed.

6. We confront conflict or harm promptly.

7. Leaders display integrity and self-control.

8. We use homes for discipleship, prayer, and hospitality.

9. We discourage gossip and divisiveness.

10. We show sacrificial love in practical ways.

For Reflection & Action

• Where are we experiencing genuine strength, and where is it weak or inconsistent?

• What obstacles are limiting these strengthening activities in our context?

• What one strengthening practice should we reinforce or restart in the next 30 days?

4. Educational Clarity & Accessibility

Movements grow when teaching is structured, reproducible, and simple enough for ordinary believers to obey and pass on. The New Testament models clarity through summaries, stories, arguments, commands, and repeated patterns. Without clarity, multiplication collapses.

Top Ten Criteria (Rate 1–5)

1. We have a clear, simple structure for our gatherings.

2. We use a consistent template for teaching or lessons.

3. We have a simple tool for sharing the Christian message.

4. We have a clear discipleship pathway anyone can follow.

5. We have a coaching structure that supports spiritual growth.

6. We train at multiple levels (new believers → disciples → leaders).

7. We define important terms the same way across our documents.

8. We practice explaining Scripture or the gospel in groups.

9. We check for understanding through discussion and coaching.

10. We can explain our entire ministry ecosystem in a simple overview.

For Reflection & Action

• Where are we experiencing genuine strength, and where is it weak or inconsistent?

• What obstacles are limiting these strengthening activities in our context?

• What one strengthening practice should we reinforce or restart in the next 30 days?

5. Multiplication Orientation

Apostolic work expects reproduction—disciples making disciples, leaders raising leaders, and churches forming churches. Multiplication flows when practices are relational, simple, and transferable.

Top Ten Criteria (Rate 1–5)

1. We regularly share the Christian message with non-Christians.

2. We invite people to respond (repent, believe, be baptized).

3. We help new believers form simple groups quickly.

4. We disciple believers so they can disciple others.

5. We train leaders through apprenticeship and practice.

6. We have a pathway for recognizing and developing new leaders.

7. We send trained leaders to strengthen or start groups or churches.

8. We keep gatherings simple enough to start anywhere.

9. We remove unnecessary barriers to new groups or leaders.

10. We can identify at least some generational growth.

For Reflection & Action

• Where are we experiencing genuine strength, and where is it weak or inconsistent?

• What obstacles are limiting these strengthening activities in our context?

• What one strengthening practice should we reinforce or restart in the next 30 days?

6. Apostolic Vision, Mission, and Strategy

The New Testament presents a clear apostolic pattern: proclaim the message → make disciples → gather believers → appoint leaders → strengthen churches → send workers. Vision must be biblical; mission must be clear; strategy must be simple and reproducible.

Top Ten Criteria (Rate 1–5)

1. We can articulate a clear, biblical vision for why we exist.

2. We define our mission as making disciples who form healthy churches.

3. We have a simple strategy for explaining the Christian message.

4. We have a simple strategy for gathering believers into communities.

5. We have a clear discipleship process.

6. We have a coaching structure for accountability and growth.

7. We have a pathway for training new pastors or elders.

8. We make decisions through prayer and Scripture.

9. We allocate resources toward mission rather than convenience.

10. We think beyond ourselves—to our city, region, and the nations.

For Reflection & Action

• Where are we experiencing genuine strength, and where is it weak or inconsistent?

• What obstacles are limiting these strengthening activities in our context?

• What one strengthening practice should we reinforce or restart in the next 30 days?

7. Gospel Guarding & Apostolic Leadership Courage

Every New Testament book contains warnings—against false teaching, manipulation, abuse, moral collapse, and drift. Apostolic leaders guard the gospel, protect the flock, and confront error with humility and courage.

Top Ten Criteria (Rate 1–5)

1. We teach a clear and consistent gospel message.

2. We correct teaching that distorts the gospel.

3. We have a process for addressing harmful leadership.

4. We practice church discipline when necessary.

5. We address moral compromise quickly.

6. We do not compromise holiness to achieve numerical growth.

7. We have difficult conversations rather than avoiding them.

8. We receive correction with humility.

9. We evaluate ourselves for doctrinal and ethical drift.

10. We prioritize protecting the flock over protecting reputations.

For Reflection & Action

• Where are we experiencing genuine strength, and where is it weak or inconsistent?

• What obstacles are limiting these strengthening activities in our context?

• What one strengthening practice should we reinforce or restart in the next 30 days?

Conclusion

Apostolic integrity is a lifelong pursuit, not a finished accomplishment. We grow as we continually return to God, to Scripture, and to the mission Christ entrusted to the apostles. Whatever our strengths and weaknesses, we want our ministries to reflect what Jesus established through the apostles—holy communities, sound doctrine, courageous leadership, multiplying churches, and Spirit-empowered mission.

Let this framework serve as a compass—a reminder that the path forward is always the same: Return to God. Return to his Word. Return to his mission. And walk in the fullness of apostolic integrity.