The book of acts church growth

Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. To prove this point, let us take a quick look at church growth in the book of acts, with a special view to the church in jerusalem. Actus apostolorum, often referred to simply as acts, or formally the book of acts, is the fifth book of the new testament. But there is something deeply significant in the way it is laid out and described. As such, it provides us with a valuable account of how the church was able to grow and spread out from jerusalem into the rest of the roman empire. And he will grow his church as we apply the biblical churchgrowth principles we see in the book of acts. Up to this point the apostles had been through a lot already. It is the historical link that joins the life of christ with the growth of the christian church. The beheading of james and the imprisonment of peter. The book of acts is a story of mission, church planting and church growth and underlines that growth through the church is a significant part of the wider kingdom growth.

Its an exciting ride, from the coming of the holy spirit at pentecost, to shipwrecks and imprisonments, to life. Discover the best christian church growth in best sellers. Even though rainer is an advocate, his aim here is to present an objective view of the movementits history, the theology associated with it, and the principles which seem to separate churches that grow from those that dont. In it is story after story of the lords hand in the growth of the church through missions and church planting. Workbook on the book of acts church of christ in zion. The recipe for church planting from the book of acts.

The beginning of the church and its growth t he book of acts records the growth and progress of the church in the first century. The importance of the book of acts is seen in the words of acts 1. Its possible to double, triple or quadruple the size of a church. In addition to the history, various kinds of the epistles to the churches record the words regarding the church growth. Book of acts overview insight for living ministries. To my knowledge, however, no church growth book with a complete focus on acts has been written.

Frank stagg has described the book of acts as the story of an unhindered gospel. The book of acts and modern church life reading acts. All scripture is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. T he book of acts in the bible, written around 6263 a. The offering sent by barnabas and saul to the jerusalem elders. The real question is whether the church in the book of acts is a model for the modern church to follow. The following sermon transcript does not match the video version of the sermonit matches only the audio version. The record from the book of acts couldnt be clearer.

The book of acts small groups spoken gospel free church. Church growth in the book of acts a church of christ can and will grow spiritually and numerically when it is faithful to the word of god. The acts model prayer for church growth was simple and concise devotion in prayer. But in the book of acts there is a verse that speaks of growth, and factors are named there that helped this growth occur. Every major section of the book of acts depicts the growth of the gospel as it spread through the witness of the early church. Northern caribbean university school of religion and theology the relevance of the biblical book of acts to the contemporary church. Blauws thesis is that a centripetal missionary consciousness becomes in acts a centrifugal missionary activity.

All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and mary the mother of jesus, and his brothers. Pdf the depiction of church growth in acts ben wilson. The church growth movement began with the publication of donald mcgavrans book the bridges of god. Acts shows what the early church believed and practiced. Professor of new testament studies acadia divinity college, wolfville, nova scotia. They had not ventured out as jesus had commanded in acts 1. This growth, from the center out, is what was supposed to happen back in the garden of eden. If we were to employ these same factors, we too, can have church growth. If we echo the actions of the early church, we can expect gods blessing on our church as much as those ancient leaders saw a blessing on the church in jerusalem. Acts, then, shows us that gods purposes for humanity, that he. While there are some areas of great detail of the acts of the apostles, many times you must use cross references to the gospels of matthew, mark, luke and john as well as some other epistles in the new testament to get the full picture of what was.

We learn that opposition can work to strengthen and guide the. But let me also warn you that explosive growth is difficult. Acts tells us how the christian movement came into beginning. The book of acts is the closest thing we have to a manual for church planting and missions in the new testament. Divine empowerment of the early church movement and rapid growth in the apostolic age exegetical analysis of the book of acts xavier becerra using an aspect of exegetical sociorhetorical criticism, this paper identifies four principles of empowerment found within the book of acts in chapters 1, 2, 4, 6 and 15 that are very different. As we shall see later, the authors concern for church growth is. At this point in the early church, as described in acts and 14, we see three significant movements. If we are ever to understand new testament christianity we must have knowledge of the beginning and growth of the church. Verse 42 lists four of the activities to which the church devoted itself. In only three decades, a small group of frightened believers in jerusalem transformed. Church growth statements in the book of acts barnes bible charts 2. The book of acts is a key historical record of what the early church believed and practiced.

It might seem strange to even ask of the book of acts ought to apply to the modern form of the church. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but god who causes the growth. In the first few chapters of acts we are told how the early church centered her ministries in the city of jerusalem. As a product of the church growth movement, it rests on a host. Growth religious awakenings hand of god additions progress gods hand. Our remarks for this article will come from acts 4.

The book of acts and church growth paperback june 1, 1990 by f. Professor of new testament studies acadia divinity college, wolfville, nova. Acts is the only biblical book that chronicles the history of the church immediately after jesuss ascension. They all met together continually for prayer acts 1. Charles stone is the senior pastor of west park church in london, ontario, canada, the founder of stonewell ministries and the. All one needs to do is study the book of acts to see the answer. Its narrative supplies a bridge connecting the life and ministry of jesus to the life of the church and the witness of the earliest believers. Repentance, nature of many in the church conversion, nature of revival, corporate.

The testimony of acts is not so much that persecution causes church growth but that church growth and the spread of the gospel tends to cause persecution, as religious and political leaders rise up and try to stop this movement that has caused trouble all over the world and has now come here acts 17. The book of acts details the birth and spread of the church. Acts shows the gospel going to jerusalem, judea and samaria, and then to the ends of the earth. Pdf evangelism and church growth in the book of acts. They were serving one another and reaching out to those who needed to know the lord, for the lord added to their number daily. The church growth movement has divided devout christians.

In the beginning, 120 believers obediently met in an upper room to pray as jesus had instructed them to do. Five reasons the early church grew acts 4 forthright. Mcgavran was a thirdgeneration christian missionary to india, where his observations of how churches grow the title of another of his books went beyond typical theological discussion to discern sociological factors that affected receptivity to the christian gospel among nonchristian. As such it answers the question many firstcentury observers would have. Church growth, church growth principles, church growth factors. When you read through the book of acts, you see numerical growth. While there are some areas of great detail of the acts of the apostles, many times you must use cross references to the gospels of matthew, mark, luke and john as well as some other epistles in the new testament to get the full picture of. Within the acts of the apostoloi there are theoretical and practical exemplars which the contemporary church may pattern to navigate a pathway to fruitful evangelism and sustainable growth. The book of acts is gods divine book on the subject of church history.

What other biblical church growth principles should we add to this list. Biblical strategy and shift to spiritual driven church growth. Ludlow whereas the gospel of luke focuses on the life and ministry of jesus christ, the acts of the apostles builds upon what jesus did and taught see acts 1. Acts has been called a transitional book because it serves as a bridge between the gospels and the epistles. The book of acts the church of christ in zion, illinois. The book of acts provides a detailed, orderly, eyewitness account of the birth and growth of the early church and the spread of the gospel immediately after the resurrection of jesus christ. The book of acts is an eyewitness account of the birth and growth of the church. I planted, apollos watered, but god was causing the growth. Caleb click continues the series from the book of acts.

Acts is a rich source book for the growth of the christian movement in its early years. For an example of one church growth writers use of acts, see c. Persecution arose at jerusalem, and the disciples had to leave for safety. So the church throughout all judea and galilee and samaria enjoyed peace, being built up. We can get to the essentials with four sets of four. The church is born eight studies for groups or individuals. Bible verses related to church growth from the king james version kjv by relevance sort by book order acts 2. His message, the nations rage but christ is king, looks at how we need to remember our god, as well as embrace our god.

This article presents the concept of church growth alongside evangelism mainly in the book of acts. The exemplars discussed here, though not exhaustive, may. When you look at the book of acts, you find at least eight characteristics of the early church that positioned them for this kind of blessing from god. Whereas the old testament depicts evangelism as people coming to god, the lucan perspective demonstrates that gods servants will go to his people. Its focus on the early church in acts in particular is exhaustive. Albert mohler guides groups through the first half of the book of acts, showing how the ascension of christ, the coming of the spirit, and the birth and growth of the church shapes our lives and mission today. This book covers the period from the ascension of christ to the middle of the 3rd century. Dynamic, explosive growth is gods will and design for the church down to its very dna. Its initial chapters describe the churchs founding and early years. The book of acts tells us on that day the god of heaven launched the church of christ. Jan 17, 2019 it might seem strange to even ask of the book of acts ought to apply to the modern form of the church. Popular church growth books meet your next favorite book. Jan 02, 2020 finally, the description of a living and growing church is found in acts 2.