Five Fingers of God

By Mark Tubbs

Have you ever asked the question, "What is my calling & destiny?"

Most people think of the Fivefold ministry outlined in Ephesians 4:11 as an exclusive call for the five offices of apostle, prophet, pastor, teacher and evangelist. Yet, Ephesians 4:7 says, "To each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it." Thus, you have received a certain measure of one or more of these gifts that reveals the ministry calling destined for you. In these pages you will discover the nature of these giftings and how they are released in your life.

If you have longed to be a part of a team ministry, the Fivefold provides keys to respect and value the differences in the Spirit's anointing upon others as you work together. The design of the Fivefold ministry is amazing. Through it, God has shown His very nature and personality. Each person contains an expression of these fivefold graces, and when we work together as a team, we are like a strong hand doing the will of God. We are all like one of the five fingers of God, as He reveals His heart in our lives. As a result, you can discover your destiny through the fivefold gifts.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mark Tubbs
• Release date: Nov 8, 2013
• ISBN: 9781310934506

Mark Tubbs

Mark Tubbs says, “I am in love with the body of Christ.” This statement gives you a window into his heart and ministry. Mark has served as a local church pastor for over 24 years. The past fourteen years Mark has been leading trips to East Africa and other hotspots around the world. It is through these trips that Mark developed a passion to foster the maturing and strengthening of the church.Mark has his Masters of Divinity from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Lombard, Illinois. After serving 11 years in a traditional Baptist church, the Holy Spirit came with renewal and winds of change in 1995. This move of God put Mark on a search to discover God’s heart for the church in the world today. While teaching in many churches with mud walls and straw thatched roofs, Mark experienced the power and presence of God that changed his life. Over these years Mark began the Rock Creek Leadership Institute, a Bible school that is expanding quickly in Kenya and Tanzania.In addition, through networking and church planting there is a network of over 1000 churches in East Africa working together with Mark as the apostolic overseer.In 2005 Mark earned his PHD from Christian Leadership University in New York. This school is part of the ACEA (Apostolic Council of Educational Accountability) founded by Dr. C. Peter Wagner. To receive this degree, Mark wrote his thesis on developing the fivefold ministry in the local church. During his travels and pastoring a local church, Mark received revelation on how people can discover their destiny through the blueprint of the fivefold ministry. In addition, he learned practical ways to apply and release this in the local church.In 2006 Mark became the Executive Director of Harvest International Ministry headquartered in Pasadena, California. In this role Mark visited HIM churches around the world, encourages and ministers to pastors and ministry leaders, organizes short term mission trips, and works alongside the vision of the network’s founder, Pastor Che Ahn. In addition, Mark has a passion to teach in the Wagner Leadership Institutes in the USA and abroad. In 2011 Mark became the HIM Missions apostle that works with churches and takes teams to spark transformation and revival.Mark is married to Ann Tubbs, and has three children. Ann is a gifted worship leader and prophetic voice in her own right. She travels with Mark and leads 24 hour prayer meetings in various cities. In addition, she too has traveled and spoken internationally. Ann has a heart for intercession and yearns to release the glory of God.When ministering, Mark moves in the prophetic and apostolic ministry. He loves to release the kingdom into the natural realm through words of knowledge and healing prayers. As you listen and engage, you will sense his hunger for the Spirit to move freely and powerfully.

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Endorsements

"One of the most exciting things about the development of the Second Apostolic Age is the emergence of a younger generation of apostles who are lighting new torches for the future. Mark Tubbs is one of them and his excellent book, The Five Fingers of God, gives us valuable insights for structuring the future apostolic movement. Apostolic leaders both in Mark's generation and in mine must definitely read this book in order to sustain their position on the cutting edge of what the Spirit is saying to the churches!"

C. Peter Wagner

Presiding Apostle

International Coalition of Apostles

It was on a trip together in Africa that I affirmed Mark's apostolic call. This book expresses his heart to see the church come into maturity and fullness. It is not about seeking an office or title, but about servant leaders discovering who they are in Christ. Coming from a traditional background, these pages capture how to transition into a ministry that is fresh with revelation and purpose. Many people have heard of the Ephesians 4:11 ministry, but this is a practical application of what it can look like in your life and in the body of Christ. I highly recommend this revolutionary book.

Che Ahn

Senior Pastor

Harvest Rock Church

How can I express how powerfully the Lord used Mark Tubbs' teaching on the Five-fold Ministry? The words life-changing are usually an overstatement, but not this time. Mark's heart and insights uncovered a number of blind spots and smashed outdated paradigms in the hearts of all who attended his class. I received such personal breakthroughs myself that I gladly and wholeheartedly recommend Mark and his awesome teachings.

Charles Simpson

Dean

Wagner Leadership Institute

West Haven, Connecticut

This book offers a practical, first person account of one man's struggle to move himself and his congregation into a down-to-earth, working fivefold team ministry structure. It deals with the key issues, questions and struggles which we all deal with as we grapple to understand and embrace the biblical concept of a fivefold leadership team. You will find it a great help as you press forward into this area.

Mark Virkler

President

Christian Leadership University

The Five Fingers of God

Discovering Your Destiny through Your Fivefold Gifting

Mark Tubbs, PhD

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2013 Mark Tubbs

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Preface

Forward

Chapter 1: Freedom from Tradition

Chapter 2: Why the Fivefold Ministry?

Chapter 3: The Three Fingered Hand

Chapter 4: Jesus and the Fivefold

Chapter 5: Is the Fivefold Ministry for the Local Church?

Chapter 6: Titles or Functions?

Chapter 7: The Thwarting of the Fivefold

Chapter 8: Understanding the Role of an Apostle

Chapter 9: What does the Fivefold Look Like?

Appendix: The Fivefold Leadership Team and Ministry Networks of Rock Creek Community Church

Section 1: Purpose

Section 2: Apostolic Leadership

Section 3: The Network Leaders and Fivefold Leadership Team

Section 4: Leadership Terms for the Fivefold Leadership Team

Section 5: Description of Networks

Section 6: Responsibilities of Ministry Network Leaders

Section 7: Governing Authority and Guidelines

Quick Reference Guide by Gifting

The Apostle

The Prophet

The Pastor

The Evangelist

The Teacher

Resource Page

About the Author

Acknowledgments

Our lives and ministries do not happen in a vacuum and isolation. I am deeply grateful for the Rock Creek Church community and all of their support. It is the people of this body who have actually released me. They have responded in faith to the training, teachings and flow of the Spirit in my life.

There are so many people I would like to thank in the process. First is my wife Ann, who is my beloved partner in all of life. She is a gifted leader, a prophetic intercessor, and a powerful worship leader with an insatiable hunger for the Lord and the manifestation of his glory in our midst. She is faithful in every way, and truly a gifted Fivefold leader in her own right. I am also so blessed and enriched by my three children: Loraina, Kevin, and Marcus.

In addition, there are many other partners that make up the process shared in this book. I am thankful for those who attended the Anointing Classes. By sharing their journeys, we discovered the roadblocks and methods to release the anointings. I am grateful for those who have served on the Elder Board and who were open to the renewal of the Holy Spirit. When this meant a change in how we operated, the Elders embraced and worked together to discern the leading of the Lord. I am genuinely thankful for the Fivefold Team members who have been willing to learn in unity what the Fivefold looks like in the local church setting. My heart bursts with appreciation to a church body that has sent me many times to Africa to learn and grow in ministry as a whole. I also am eternally grateful to my African brothers and sisters who received me in an apostolic role. Because of their faith and openness, I have grown immensely and learned a great deal from them.

Many people often feel isolated in ministry. This is not the case for Ann and me. We are so blessed to have Pastors James and Lisa Bradburn as our partners. They have believed in us and supported us throughout the process. James and Lisa have united their hearts in the vision that the Lord put on our hearts. They are the ultimate in teammates and our ministry would not have been as strong without them.

In terms of this book, I am indebted to Rick Garner who spent endless hours proofreading this document. Thank you also to Jan Burnett, Gerry Morelli, and my wife Ann for their assistance. Also, this book would never of been completed without the assistance of Beth Vickers and Charles Simpson, my co-editors. Thank you to my daughter Loraina who did the book cover.

I want to thank each of my parents for their love and support. Ann has been both a great inspiration for me as we pursue our destiny in Christ. Last, but not least, I am so grateful to my Lord and Savior. It is his favor, his passion for the church, and his call upon my life that makes this all possible.

It is a great honor to be a leader in the body of Christ. However, the greatest honor is the legacy that we leave behind us. I love the body of Christ and the desire to see her mature pulsates deeply in my heart. In fact, this endeavor is a part of me fulfilling my calling and destiny. Thank you for letting me share my heart with you.

Preface

I have dedicated my life to answering the question, How can I help others mature and discover their destiny in Christ? In essence, this book stems out of the desire to answer this question in the most practical way as possible. I have been a local church pastor for over 24 years, and it often puzzled me how many people vocalized a lack of purpose in their lives.

In 1999 I began to lead teams to East Africa, and I have literally taken hundreds of people with me on these trips. On a regular basis I witness an amazing phenomenon. The people could do ministry had a much higher level than they ever imagined they could. Jokingly I would tell the trip participants, We are going to drop you off in a village for six hours or more with two others, and all you have to do is heal the sick, cast out teams, and share what God has done in your life. Time and time again people rose to the occasion. However, upon the return home, most people would enter a vortex and find themselves sitting in a seat watching others do the ministry.

There are two key verses that are the cornerstone of this book. The first is found in Jeremiah 1:5, where God told the young man, Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. This verse has lived in me for some time and become a powerful source of motivation. Our incredible God knew us before we were born and set us apart for a purpose. Now, we must learn what that destiny is and chase it with all of our might.

The second is found in Ephesians 4:7 which says, But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. Generally when people teach about the Fivefold ministry, they begin with verse 11 that lists the offices of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher. However, vs. 7 is only separated by a quote from Psalm 68, the two verses are linked. I assert that each of us have received a measure of one of the Fivefold graces. This book will help each reader discover how this grace is already at work in their life. In addition, there is a practical blueprint on how to mature and attain the whole measure that Christ has given to us (Ephesians 4:13).

This book is also for leaders who want to be a part of assisting others in fulfilling their calling and destiny. Even though the Fivefold is not the whole picture, it does provide a blueprint to understand the specific nature of our calling. As we understand these roles, you will also have a deeper awareness of those who serve with you and around you.

This writing would not be complete without an examination of the bigger picture. Why is it that we call virtually everyone in professional ministry the title pastor? I believe that this reality is in fact weakening and depleting the church. It encourages a focus on one leader to be all things to the people. It sets us up with unrealistic expectations and ignored the strong biblical model of team ministry and leadership. Worse yet, it has promoted the separation of clergy and the laity. I am not against the title of pastor, but isolated it creates more problems than it solves.

In this book, the goal is to illustrate the amazing design of the Fivefold ministry and how the nature of God's personality for ministry is expressed in it. This book was originally titled, Fivefold Ministry: Fad or Foundation. This captured the premise that the Fivefold is not a passing fad, but actually the design given to us by Christ. After submitting this manuscript to the Wagner Leadership Institute of Korea, Dr. Jung Shik Hong had it translated into Korean. He gave it the title, The Five Fingers of God. I wish I had the insight and creativity, because I appreciated the essence of this title. It captured that to each one of us grace has been given. Each person contains an expression of this grace, and when we work together as a team, we are like a strong hand doing the will of God. We are each fingers on the hand of revealing His purpose in us.

Forward

Our lives and ministries do not happen in a vacuum and isolation. I am deeply grateful for the Rock Creek Church community and all of their support. It is the people of this body who have actually released me. They have responded in faith to the trainings, teachings, and flow of the Spirit in my life.

There are so many people I would like to thank in the process. First is my wife Ann, who is my beloved partner in all of life. She is a gifted leader, a prophetic intercessor, and a powerful worship leader with an insatiable hunger for the Lord and the manifestation of His glory in our midst. She is faithful in every way, and truly a gifted Fivefold leader in her own right. I am also so blessed and enriched by my three children, Loraina, Kevin, and Marcus.

In addition, there are many other partners that make up the