Allow me to introduce you to Kingdom Culture Exchange (KCE), which is made up of leaders who have connected in spirit and have committed to walk together toward divine purpose. The concepts of apostolic networks and ministerial alliances have been around for decades, emphasizing the need to align vertically with apostolic covering and horizontally in spiritual fellowship. KCE incorporates both concepts, placing great emphasis on the need to function as the spiritual family that we are.
When Jesus laid the foundation for the church within the context of his closest disciples, a community began to develop consisting of disciples who related to Jesus AND to one another. A spiritual family began to emerge as Jesus shifted their paradigm concerning leadership and ministry away from the influence of the culture around them, to Kingdom culture that was being demonstrated and revealed in their midst. He presented the idea of leadership as servanthood in contrast to what they saw in those who ruled natural organizations.
Jesus emphatically said to them in Matthew 20:25-27, “…the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet IT SHALL NOT BE SO AMONG YOU; whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave.” The disciples of Jesus desired to rule in the context of Roman dominance. They weren’t thinking of serving in the context of family, the most prominent metaphor for church in the NT.
Whether in the context of a local church, a regional gathering or a national/international network, we’re expected to function like the family of God Jesus envisioned, not like CEO’s of corporations, politicians or entertainers. Gatherings of believers, especially leadership gatherings, cannot be facilitated like earthly institutions and be expected to obtain heavenly results. Organization is necessary to facilitate what God organically initiates, but I’m convinced we have all-too-often gotten the cart ahead of the horse in many spiritual organizations today including local churches, ministerial alliances, denominations and apostolic networks.
KCE exists to facilitate Kingdom activity through the power of relationships, allowing God to initiate, develop and transition relationships according to His desire. This is not a one-size-fits all organization. It allows for various types of relationships and ministry that flows forth because of them. It is a safe, refreshing place to connect and cooperate as the family of God. Whether you’re a full-time, bi-vocational or marketplace minister, KCE is designed to enhance who you are as an individual, develop you as a minister and increase the effectiveness of your ministry.
These things don’t happen automatically by simply attending a local church and putting your offering in the plate, or by connecting to a famous apostle and paying your dues to be in a network. They happen through a consistent commitment to relationships, much like a marriage. At first, the emotional aspect of marriage makes it easy to benefit from the relationship, but eventually the honeymoon wears off and hard work is necessary to maintain peace and increase the blessings of that marriage relationship. The same is true for spiritual relationships. They require effort when the buzz wears off.
Truly, there are healthy priorities we should place on certain relationships. For example, greater emphasis should be placed on feeding your own children before feeding the poor. Or, if you’re pastoring a church, greater priority should be given to those under your care than others in the community. Giving less attention to some is not a lack of love for them, it is a greater manifestation of love for those who are committed to you in relationship. KCE functions according to this principle of prioritized relationships.
Friendships and spiritual relationships are valuable all by themselves, but when a little bit of structure and commitment is applied, progress can be ensured, or at least greatly enhanced. Take for instance, your prayer life. Prayer in general is valuable, but making a consistent daily effort to spend time with God will greatly increase your relationship with God and ultimately your relationships with others and your ministry. KCE is no different. You will get out of it what you put into it. You reap what you sow.
The Lord put it in my heart to spearhead KCE, but not to develop things in such a way that everyone is dependent on me. It’s a family where everyone gives and receives, where responsibility is spread out to everyone, especially to the mature who desire to help others. This is not a relinquishing of responsibility on my part, but a desire for everyone to mature into the fullness of what God has called them to, which requires a family culture, not just the giftedness of one individual. It takes an Abraham to obey God, but ultimately all the families of the earth are blessed.
One person can only do so much. That’s why when apostolic networks hinge on a senior apostle with hundreds of sons, that spiritual father can’t possibly care for everyone adequately. The guy on top might be pulling in a lot of money, but there’s only so much time in a day. There will undoubtedly be a lack of proper relationships in this scenario. Jesus had the 3, the 12 and the 70 for a reason. He was establishing a family culture where the more mature ones would help the less mature ones. Even Jesus didn’t create a ministry culture where everyone was dependent upon himself.
Sometimes the growth of individuals is capped by leaders who refuse to recognize when people mature into a new phase of life or ministry. Paul and Barnabas are a classic example. Initially Barnabas was Paul’s mentor but over the course of time they became ministry partners with Paul taking the leading role later. Unfortunately, sometimes leaders are kept in a position where they most benefit their senior leader, as opposed to being released to do what benefits the Kingdom of God the most. KCE is formatted to be a fluid organization that allows for a shift in seasons and relationships as God develops and leads people.
KCE is not intended to take the place of existing spiritual fathers, relationships, denominations or other organizations in your life, but to supplement your current relational covering and to subsequently advance your own spiritual development and ministry impact. But for some it may be necessary to leave unhealthy relationships or due to a lack of relationships altogether, to establish proper covering in the context of family. The goal is to commit to consistent relationships in response to the Lord’s leading and to walk things out. The fruit will speak for itself.
In the New Testament, there is always a plurality of eldership in each local church and apostolic company. This means that the church is set up like a family, with both husband and wife working together to raise up children into maturity. With this in mind, covering is not supplied by only one person in your life, but by the entire family of God that helps with various parts of your spiritual life and journey. You can and should have a spiritual father/pastor, but you can also have uncles/aunts, big brothers/big sisters, brothers/sisters, etc., all of which play a part in your development and protection.
To some I am a spiritual father. To others I am a spiritual mentor or a big brother/uncle in family terms. And yet to others I am a friend or brother. And that’s ok. Relationships are damaged when we try to make everything fit into the father-son paradigm. The family of God is huge, and who are we to define and confine people in relationships that can and will change as people mature into their callings? Paul did refer to Timothy as his spiritual son well into his development, but how they related to each other and functioned in ministry together changed as he matured.
My heart is to help others with the spiritual resources at my disposal, regardless of how the relationship is defined. I want to see God’s Kingdom advance in and through the lives of those around me. Whether it’s wisdom I’ve gained through life and ministry experience, or a referral to someone who is more qualified than I am to help with a particular matter, or resources that I can point someone to, I want to help others on their journey to be everything God has called them to be. This is not a political organization where you can just buy opportunities and connections. There must be true relationship built on trust, love and honor.
Over the years, there have been extremes in the body of Christ in terms of discipleship, from cultish environments where the lives of people are micromanaged by controlling leaders, to loose-knit organizations where very little communication takes place despite money being transacted. Somewhere in the middle is the place where healthy relationships take place. Obligations, unrealistic expectations and heavy requirements inevitably get in the way of heart-felt relationships that function by grace. True Kingdom relationships should be mutually beneficial, not one-sided. And as a result of being coordinated with the grace that comes from God for relationships, there is abundant life for all to enjoy.
By looking into the NT scriptures, you quickly discover that the grace of God that was demonstrated through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ changed everything, including relationships. The same disciples who were bickering about who would be the greatest prior to the cross, began to function together like a family after the Spirit was poured out on the Day of Pentecost. They were empowered by grace to transcend legalistic thinking, enabling them to walk in a higher measure of love than the world was capable of. It is this grace-life that we are invited into that greatly enhances relationships, giving us access to the incredible diversity of God’s grace in all of us.
KCE is a safe place to detox from dysfunctional relationships and organizations that are heavy on law and light on grace. Learning to live by the grace of God on a daily basis is the portion of every believer. Biblically speaking, this is the equivalent of being led by the Spirit, which is something we all should be increasing our capacity to do. This is not a “Simon-Says” organization where blind obedience is expected. It is a spiritual family where everyone is learning to hear and obey the Spirit while helping each other walk out the plan of God for our lives.
KCE is also a safe place to overcome personal challenges, whether one needs spiritual restoration due to sin, or to recover from difficulties in life or persecution. Healthy relationships form a great environment to be restored in, and a great foundation upon which one can re-engage in ministry. Religious institutions have discarded and given up on many ministers over the years that could’ve been restored by the grace of God. If God doesn’t give up on us by taking His gifts back, neither should we give up on one another, but rather love each other back into full engagement with the call of God on our lives.
A specific mandate was given to me to form a search and rescue mission to save leaders from spiritual abortions and spiritual euthanasia. This means locating and rescuing younger ministry gifts before they get sucked into the religious system, as well as restoring experienced leaders who have been kicked to the curb by religious cultures because they didn’t measure up to legalistic standards. I believe KCE is part of this mandate, a spiritual family that forms the basis for relationships and ministry that flows from God’s grace and brings glory to God.
KCE is founded upon the principle that Jesus gave the church 5 distinct grace gifts (Ephesians 4:11) that we all need. With this in mind, this network is a grace exchange, a place where we give and receive 5-fold grace through relationships and ministry settings. In regards to the development of ministers and churches, the goal is to equip you and connect people to you who can further equip you with the fullness of Christ, as this will protect you from the schemes of the enemy and provide what you need to fulfill your assignment.
Ultimately, KCE aims to form a bridge for cross-pollination in the body of Christ so we can all be coordinated with what God is doing in the regions God has sent us to. At the heart of this organization is the desire to see family culture developed and established in the local church, regional Kingdom endeavors (city church) and across the body of Christ worldwide. It is designed to facilitate the expansion of God’s Kingdom, not to build another man-made institution that glorifies a man, a gift or a particular truth. And it definitely takes the grace of God to do this very thing!
With consistent effort to build relationships comes continual refreshment, encouragement and reformation, all of which position us as the church to be the salt and light we are meant to be in our world. With a greater level of unity in the family of God, a greater level of maturity will be the result. And with a greater level of maturity comes a greater level of authority to see our world turned upside down! Walking in love as the family of God and walking by faith in the midst of a perverted culture are the very things that qualify us to fulfill our dominion mandate in the earth. It all starts with family.
Two examples we have in Scripture that resemble a network such as this are modeled in the lives and ministries of Jesus and Paul. Of course, the local church is the central point from which all Kingdom activity flows in and out of. But there is also Scriptural evidence of Kingdom activity in the form of apostolic networks that helped coordinate…
- The Development of new churches and leaders
- The Refreshing, Strengthening and Reformation of existing churches and leaders
- The Reformation of society in the regions of apostolic Kingdom-minded churches
Both Jesus and Paul developed a family culture in their respective networks. Personal relationship was a requirement to be in the network. They weren’t taking applications. In fact, Jesus made it difficult for those with political agendas to get in. Jesus and Paul weren’t trying to build up their networks for financial reasons. They were endeavoring to build up the lives of ministers who would be a blessing to the entire church. Their networks of relationships weren’t cookie-cutter, they were distinctive based on the maturity and calling of each individual. And those in their networks had multiple relationships within the network, not just with their senior apostle. That’s because they were primarily families, not organizations.
There was a sense of hierarchy, but it wasn’t based on positions and titles, but on spiritual maturity and divine grace. Jesus had Peter, James and John. Then he had the 12 disciples. Then he had the 70 disciples. It wasn’t a pyramid scheme; it was a family where everyone received and gave based on their maturity and their unique relationships within the family. As Jesus told them, “freely you’ve received, so freely give.”
It was the same with Paul. What may have looked like strong hierarchy was really a family with multiple levels of maturity. It was with this understanding that Paul told Timothy in II Timothy 2:1-2 “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
Four generations are listed in this one verse of Scripture. This is indicative of a family culture where everyone is receiving and giving, not a business/political culture where a senior apostle oversees hundreds of sons directly. I believe that family culture in churches and networks should be the norm, enabling us to flow together as one to expand Kingdom influence all over the earth, to all generations. But unfortunately, this is the exception and not the rule.
When Paul instructed Timothy and Titus to qualify leaders in the churches before ordaining them, he listed a number of qualities that I believe serve as a foundation for successful relationships and ministry. Today, it seems that giftedness is prioritized far above character. This has caused a lot of damage in the body of Christ and to the ministers and families of those who have fallen, all because gifts were promoted before character was tested. I believe that true covering through a family culture will not only gauge when you’re ready to move into new ministry endeavors, but through consistent relational accountability, will also keep you from being tripped up by issues of the flesh. Being led by the Spirit to initiate relationships is important, but it’s also important to follow the Spirit’s leading to develop and restore relationships, if need be.
Another important aspect of covenant relationships is what I call preventative maintenance. Through consistent communication, areas of a ministers’ life that need attention can be discovered before they get out of hand. Truth is, nobody walks in perfect prophetic perception. We all know in part, even the best of spiritual fathers. For this reason, KCE is structured to encourage consistent communication. Whether there is an emergency or not, these periodic checkups are important to make sure little problems don’t become big problems and to ensure forward movement in life and ministry through divine wisdom and prayer.
My prayer is that KCE along with many other divinely-inspired networks can help pave the way for a purer Kingdom expression of relationships and ministry that is coordinated with Kingdom purpose, as opposed to causing further division by developing more religious empires. If we organize around organic relationships, we can facilitate, protect and propagate Kingdom activity. But if we mix unhealthy financial and political agendas with family culture, we greatly minimize Kingdom impact in relationships and ministry.
One thing that I don’t want to do is grow this network beyond our ability to properly care for the leaders involved. If it increases for the Kingdom’s sake then that’s great, but I don’t want it to get bigger for ego or financial sake. That’s where the “disconnect” begins and the relational priority shifts to carnal priorities. That would be the equivalent of parents having more children than they have finances and time to properly raise, causing the whole family to suffer. Healthy growth will be monitored so ministers and churches are properly cared for to ensure forward progress.
In addition to the relational aspects of this network, team ministry opportunities both in international and US missions are made available to KCE members. Through genuine relationships, ministry opportunities beyond your existing responsibilities will emerge. And as KCE develops, there will also be opportunities for ministry placement according to the needs at hand. This means coordinating the grace of ministers with churches that need that grace, both on a short-term itinerant ministry basis and on a long-term assignment basis.
If at all possible, I like to minister in churches of members of KCE once per year to ensure forward movement. But if that’s not feasible for me to come, perhaps one of the other mature leaders can minister on my behalf. I just think it’s important to have consistency in relationship and ministry to effectively progress in the things of God.
We have an annual Kingdom Culture conference and an annual leadership retreat for members of KCE to come together for a time of relationship building, spiritual refreshment and encouragement, leadership training, prophetic preaching, etc., along with a number of other means to develop relationships and receive ministry. Although not mandatory, KCE leaders are highly encouraged to attend these annual events as they’ve proven to be very fruitful.
There are many different requirements to be in networks today, ranging from tithing to the senior apostle to a certain % of ministry income to a set dollar amount each month. The only requirement in KCE is for EVERYONE to give SOMETHING on a MONTHLY BASIS based on their personal conviction and the leading of the Spirit. Rather than dictate how much leaders sow into KCE, I think it’s best to keep things as simple as possible in accordance with Scriptural guidelines, encouraging each person to give as they believe God would have them to give.
As II Corinthians 9: 6-8 puts it, “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. EACH OF YOU should give WHAT YOU HAVE DECIDED in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” In the context of spiritual relationships, Paul expected EVERYONE to give, not out of obligation but out of love for those who have been a blessing to them.
In chapter 8, Paul also told the Corinthians that “IT IS ACCEPTED ACCORDING TO WHAT ONE HAS and not according to what he does not have. For I do not mean that others should be EASED and you BURDENED.” In my humble opinion, a set percentage or a set dollar amount can easily become a benchmark by which some are eased and others burdened depending on their financial condition, not to mention the leading of the Holy Spirit is not needed in either case.
Simply put, if the requirement to give something monthly is a burden to you, chances are you’re either not in the right relationships or your flesh is dictating your money. Personally, I love to give to those who have been a blessing to me and who I love. I believe it’s the very nature of God to give. “For God so LOVED the world that he GAVE…” The simplest way to do this is for leaders of KCE to pray about what the Lord would have them to give on a monthly basis and then to follow through with that commitment. And if the amount needs to vary month to month, that’s fine. For some, setting up reoccurring donations on PayPal, CashApp or the website is the most convenient way to go about things. But that’s up to you.
Based on this type of giving, that leaves room for you to be a financial blessing to various KCE leaders who are a blessing to you, whether that is myself or other mature leaders in the network. Put it this way, if one person is doing all the work then that person should get paid all the money. But if this is truly a team effort, everyone should benefit. This is not a one-man-show, it is a family. Truthfully, since the beginning of this network, financial support has been given from time to time to KCE members and their ministries from the KCE fund. This has helped some through difficult times and others to move forward with ministry endeavors. There is a time for children to support their parents but also a time for parents to support their children. And there’s definitely a time for family members to help one another as dire needs arise and as Kingdom-expanding opportunities present themselves.
If members of KCE are also spiritual fathers/mothers, it is perfectly acceptable to have their own networks, or if they feel it is advantageous to include their spiritual sons/daughters in KCE to gain access to more resources and relationships that can be a blessing to them, that’s fine too. There is flexibility as long as relationships are prioritized and the Kingdom of God is the focus. The main thing to know is that there is freedom in God-ordained relationships that results in everyone being blessed abundantly.
If you’re reading this, perhaps KCE is for you. But don’t take this possibility lightly. Take the opportunity to get more acquainted with Bo’s ministry by exploring this website, attending meetings in person, accessing ministry resources and by making this a matter of prayer. Like Jesus and Paul, we don’t take applications. Relationship is the rite of passage into KCE. So if you’re feeling like God might be leading you in our direction, let us know by emailing us at bo@kingdomculture.life I just want us to be on the same page, sensing that we can work together for the advance of the Kingdom of God in this manner. I look forward to dialoguing with you about how God may be leading us. You certainly don’t need to be in KCE to be my friend or brother/sister, but I feel the need to put more effort into helping those who connect with KCE in this season. I trust you understand.