BUilding on the Right Foundation
“Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.”
— Ephesians 2:20
“And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.”
— 1 Corinthians 12:28 (NIV)
How the church is built matters. Jesus made a promise to build His Church, and as co-laborers with Him, we must pay attention to how He intends to build it. Paul gave two churches — the Ephesians and the Corinthians — clear instruction. He told the Ephesians that the foundation is Jesus, the cornerstone, laid with apostles and prophets. To the Corinthians he reinforced the order in which the church is effectively built.
Too often, we recognize Jesus as the foundation, but then unintentionally build the rest of the structure in the wrong order. Many churches today are built on a foundation of pastors and teachers as if a supernatural mission is something that we’ll eventually mature into. That might seem harmless or even like a good start, but the result is often a consumeristic church — one where people attend to receive, rather than live sent. They become passive recipients, not active participants in God’s mission.
This wasn’t the model Jesus gave us. Paul wasn’t laying out a hierarchy of importance in 1 Corinthians 12 — he was giving us a blueprint for building. Order determines culture. When apostles and prophets are foundational, the culture that forms is very different from a consumer church.
What Happens When the Church is Built Apostolically and Prophetically?
Apostolic Foundations: Living Sent
The apostolic cultivates a “sent” culture — a people mobilized for mission. The apostolic paradigm sees every believer as a missionary and minister in the places they’ve been assigned — neighborhoods, businesses, schools, homes, and more.
While evangelistic culture emphasizes everyone knowing Jesus (which is important!), apostolic culture goes further. It longs to see the prayer of Jesus fulfilled: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
Apostolic culture doesn’t just want to bring people into the church — it wants to bring the kingdom into the world. It equips people to live the values of heaven in everyday life: in work, relationships, parenting, creativity, and leadership.
Prophetic Foundations: Living From Heaven to Earth
If the apostolic is the engine that drives the Church forward, the prophetic is the rudder that steers it. Prophets value the voice of God. They help the Church listen, discern, and obey — not just as individuals, but together.
Prophets help the Church interpret what God is saying and give timely, Spirit-led direction. They keep us aligned with heaven’s priorities and teach us to walk in intimacy with God as we walk out our mission.
When apostolic and prophetic foundations are in place, the Church doesn’t just have a mission — the mission has a Church.
The Church becomes the family of God living out the mission of God — and everyone gets to play.
Establishing an Apostolic-Prophetic Culture: Key Questions
Here are a few focal points church leaders can use to build with apostolic and prophetic intentionality:
Apostolic Culture:
Do our people see themselves as missionaries where God has placed them?
Are we equipping them to discover:
New Creation Nature - What’s true about me because I’m a child of God?
Identity – Who does God say I am?
Calling – How do I live out who I am in a way that impacts others?
Assignment – What does my calling look like in this season, with these people, in this place?
Prophetic Culture:
Do our people know how to hear God’s voice and obey?
Do we see people according to their history or their destiny?
Are we seeking and responding to what God is saying in this season?
Are we letting the prophetic bring clarity, timing, and course correction to the apostolic engine?
The Call to Leaders
As leaders, our job isn’t just to care for the people — it's to equip and mobilize them. We create a culture that both champions the mission and shepherds the people. We help them live from identity, walk in calling, and obey God’s voice — wherever they’re placed.
This is how we build a Church that looks like the one Jesus died for — and the one He’s coming back for.
What I’m Not Saying
I’m not saying that we don’t need pastors and teachers or evangelist! They are vital to the formation and health of a church. i’m only saying that the starting place, the foundation of the New Covenant church is apostolic and prophetic. Any church that lives on mission and loves people (which is the mission!) will, by necessity, have room and value for evangelists, pastors and teachers.
