Advance partner churches are committed to the New Testament model of ministry gifts given for the strengthening of the church. These gifts, both from within and from outside the local church, build up, and bring maturity, accountability, and edification to the church.
This document helps to explore the gifts we see in scripture and our use of the broader term ‘strengtheners’, a term we use for all those who help and serve our churches. While we affirm that local elders are called and responsible for leading the local church, we encourage every church to consider carefully and define who they invite to serve as strengtheners within their context.