WHAT IS SALT & LIGHT?

This document was written as part of the 2017 review of the Core Commitments, by the International Apostolic Team (IAT). It describes an apostolic team, its focus, and how it relates to local churches, to help clarify the relationship between local leaders, apostolic teams and the IAT.

It sets out a biblical pattern for this leadership, and clarifies what we see as ‘normative’ practice for churches in the S&L international family of families, while being sensitive to national and cultural variations.

This relationship is vital, and so we understand that a church is only a part of the S&L family if it recognises and receives an apostle and his team.

That apostolic team in turn will connect healthily with other teams, and to the IAT, as described in this document.

This document was updated as part of the 2019 review of Core Commitments by the International Apostolic Team (IAT). It describes the biblical pattern for local church leadership, and clarifies what we see as ‘normative’ practice for churches in the S&L international family, while being sensitive to national and cultural variations. The companion document, ‘How the Wider Family Works’, describes more fully how apostolic teams work and relate more widely.

As leaders and churches are being attracted to us and what we represent, some of them may come to a place where they want to be part of our international Salt & Light family of families.

We use the word ‘adoption’ to describe the process by which an existing church joins S&L, accepting our values and embracing apostolic and prophetic ministry. Our desire is that the church fully represents Christ, has good government, relational life, gifts and ministries of the Holy Spirit and is trying to live out our S&L values.

The adoption metaphor is a powerful one, connecting ‘orphan’ churches and leaders into family. Adoption means not only being joined to a family, but also playing their own part in the family, as the family plants and adopts further churches.

To that end, this document gives practical guidelines for regional apostolic teams, as they work together with churches seeking to connect to discern the Lord’s will in each situation.

Disciples

Discipleship is about growing all of God’s people into maturity, so that each one can both enjoy relationship with God and play their full part in his mission.

Therefore, everyone is called to be both making disciples and discipled in an accountable relationship. This includes church senior leaders, who should relate to someone for input, accountability and care. “every Pastor needs a pastor”

A key practice for us is to live generously. This is vital for individuals and communities to enjoy the blessing of God, and to play their part in his mission as we are generous with possessions, finance and people!

Servant - Leaders

We aim to equip every Christian to be a servant-leader, in the home, church community and at work.

Anointed servant leadership is vital in the body of Christ, and help all to grow to full maturity and fulfil their God-given destiny.

Leaders must be servant-leaders!

A key practice for us is to understand and receive the spiritual authority of anointed servant-leaders, allowing us to live under its blessing.

Family

Family is in the nature of God. This relational life is therefore expressed in both natural and spiritual family, in local church and across a wider family of churches.

Fatherhood and motherhood is key to fostering family, with an atmosphere of belonging, love, fun, security, vision, encouragement, care and training.

A key practice for us is to recognise the spiritual headship of men in family, so while men and women must lead together, most of our church families appoint men to be elders.

Apostolic

We are all called to be part of God’s apostolic purposes for his world. So, receiving apostolic teams (i.e. apostles and other gifted leaders) into local churches brings vision, spiritual impact, and draws churches into these bigger purposes of God.

We value the diversity of our international family. It helps us understand and enjoy the richness of the body of Christ, as we respect, honour and relate to Christians in other nations.

A key practice for us is to see that every local leadership team needs an active and healthy relationship with an apostle and his team, in order to flourish and be part of the Salt & Light family.

(For more on this see our document ‘How the Wider Family Works’.)

Apostolic Bases

Larger churches or groups of churches committed to God’s mission beyond their local area.

Church Planting

Starting new churches,as well as adopting other churches. Nurturing all churches to become healthy and multiplying ‘families on mission’

Transforming Society

Fostering initiatives to contribute to the good of society by demonstrating God’s love, justice and mercy.

Leadership Development

Identifying, training and releasing leadership from within our churches.

Apostolic Teams

Teams of leaders, led by an apostle, gifted to equip churches for God’s work.

Read more about the work of our apostolic teams
Download a fuller statement of our evangelical and charismatic beliefs