Nnchurch growth principles in the book of acts timelines

They had been following jesus and were witnesses of the many miracles he had performed. Clearly, a rapidly grow ing interest in the church growth movement is evident in the lcms. Inattention to its principles leads to fruit that does not stand the test of time. This paper will explore the writers personal strategy for creating a healthy church by discussing church growth principles, formulating strategies for discipleship and assimilation, and overcoming conflict using the apostle paul as the primary model for church growth. The scriptures tell us how a new testament church should grow. Im not sure where the following article is from, but i have it on a sheet of paper in my office. It can happen today principles of church growth from the. Abstract tiie biblical approach to church growth through personal evangelism hokyung kim liberty baptist theological seminary, 2000 mentor.

The book begins with the ascension of jesus into heaven acts 1. Study and discuss on of the following life issues with your explorer group and an adult. Persecution arose at jerusalem, and the disciples had to leave. The apostle paul as a model for church growth and evangelism. While i was teaching the session revelation that took place in ukraine, one of the pastors asked me which are the principles of organization of the local church from the new testament. 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. Frank stagg has described the book of acts as the story of an unhindered gospel. Up to this point the apostles had been through a lot already. Professor of new testament studies acadia divinity college, wolfville, nova scotia.

Five reasons the early church grew acts 4 forthright. Many of those who heard the word believed, and the number. Frank schmitt the greatest commandment of the lord is preaching the gospel all over the world. When you consider that the book of acts in the new testament covers approximately the first six decades of church history, you begin to realize that it, at the very least, is a good indicator of how the church should grow. In pauls letter to the ephesians he employs two symbols for the church, two major figures, that help us in understanding what the church is like. Pdf the depiction of church growth in acts ben wilson. Apostles of christ spread the church amazing bible. How did the new testament church grow and multiply. Whenever i read through the book of acts im struck with the number of times luke comments on the growth of the church. A return to the principles and prac tices unfolded in the book of acts is the only reliable answer.

Now that we have scriptural leadership in this congregation it is appropriate to begin talking about growth. Written by luke, the book of acts has a prominent missionary theme because it details the rapid growth of the early church and the first missionary efforts. The existence today of the church founded in acts is a testimony to the abiding fruit of. They are bewildered and frightened but all that changes on the day of pentecost. The emperor constantine called the council of nicaea or nicea, which is known as the first ecumenical council. It may be asked whether there were not many disciples of jesus left in galilee during the period covered by the first five chapters of acts. The book of acts the early disciples efforts to evangelize. Before engaging the text, we need to consider briefly the purpose and emphasis of acts. This question made me curious to study deeply the subject and i started with the book of acts. In our present study of the book of acts, we are privileged to become eyewitnesses of the birth and growth of this amazing phenomenon which is still present in the twentieth century. Acts of the apostles 4 imprisonment in rome are 6062 a. Of course we are to make people feel comfortable and at home, but do not forget that it is all about building the kingdom of god and glorifying him. In a certain sense, you could say this is the most momentous moment for all history.

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. Every true theophilus will benefit by this book, for it tells the way in which we may bring forth lasting fruit. That one loca1 church was the church of jerusalem, the first christian church. We would like spend some time on each of the five reasons for church growth that we have gleaned from this chapter. If we were to employ these same factors, we too, can have church growth. Compare the expansion of the early christian church in the book of acts to the mission expansion of the seventhday adventist church up to 1950. In fact, the book of acts does not give principles for gauging economic activity. For an example of one church growth writers use of acts, see c. The thrilling account of the firstcentury disciples spreading the good news of salvation through the resurrected savior begins with the day of pentecost acts 2 and concludes with paul preaching the gospel in rome acts 28. 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. But in the book of acts there is a verse that speaks of growth, and factors are named there that helped this growth occur. The natural growth process of this no law teaching was. What are the premises and principles of church growth. Principles of church growth from the book of acts scottsdale.

The rapid growth of the church to these areas was related to the growing belief in christianity that was evident in the jewish. Phil sanders, instructor 1 nsop church growth, fall 2003 syllabus for church growth the study of church growth encompasses both a study of scripture and the methods of our time that lead to spiritual and numerical growth of the kingdom of god. Mission of the church this paper examines how the early christian mission is portrayed in the book of acts. Its basically a list of how prayer was at work in the book of acts. The present article investigates the ways in which the book of acts depicts the. Some characters arent that important to the story, but are included anyway like timothy and philip. While leading figures such as peter and paul and their ministries dominate the narrative, there is a substantial amount of evidence that many more people than the apostles were involved in spreading the gospel.

The chronology of jesus ministry in the gospel of john. The language of growth in acts can be grouped into two broad categories. The early church growth bible scriptures located in acts 2. But not the kind of growth that would simply satisfy our craving for more members, but the kind of growth that is the result of saving souls.

This was the first of the twentyone major church councils. The mission of the church in the book of acts for historical and literary reasons, we shall follow the narrative sequence of acts. At a certain point, the timeline would get cluttered. Whereas the old testament depicts evangelism as people coming to god, the lucan perspective demonstrates that gods servants will go to his people. Church growth statements in the book of acts barnes bible charts 2. Many of our districts are participating in well orchestrated church growth programs, and a great and growing number of our pastors and leaders are trained in the fundamentals of the movement. Luke sets out to answer these questions, which lie. In my former book, theophilus, i wrote about all that jesus began to do and. If we are willing to see how the early church existed among the jewish, roman, and greek. God himself seems to avoid such programs on a regular basis. Church growth, church growth principles, church growth factors. 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.

Todays passage from the book of acts describes the expansion of the firstcentury church, but the steady growth it portrays applies also to what happened in the second century and beyond. This prime directive is absent from most church growth principles. Biblical perspectives of church growth which mennonite brethren should embrace. When you read through the book of acts, you see numerical growth. Posts about basic tenets of church growth written by bobwhitesel. Start a wildfire of spiritual growth in your church. The biblical approach to church growth through personal. Purpose of the book as indicated previously, the original purpose of both the gospel and acts may have been to assist. Church growth statements in the book of acts bible charts. The growth of the church in the book of acts ryan wentzel.

This is about principles not techniques for healthy church growth. Schwartzs book natural church development and its application to the new testament ministry system being studied from acts chapter 2 in this seminar. So, when you see god bless your church with growth, dont be surprised to experience resistance, sometimes even from within. In acts chapter 1, there are 12 disciples and 120 believers. Do you have a hard time with what i am saying, does it go against what you have been taught or have presumed. After peter announces the spirits creation of a new kind of community, acts traces the rapid growth of such communities in a variety of places. If the book was just before or after pauls release, then it was likely written around 63 a. 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. In the book of acts, we see nothing short of explosive, exponential growth. What the book of acts teaches us about church growth 04 feb.

Specifically, we are moving out of jerusalem into the rest of the world. The book of acts tells us on that day the god of heaven launched the church of christ. The book of acts is important because it shows what the first actions of the early church were as they were the ones closest to the teachings of jesus. I read a pile of books and attended most of the big churchgrowth. An indepth study of the factors that promote or hinder church growth, followed by a strong emphasis on developing specific growth strategies for the local church.

To my knowledge, however, no church growth book with a complete focus on acts has been written. Why does a debate about the pattern principle of the new. We will accent what builds scriptural churches, not what inflates by human ingenuity. Principles of church growth from the book of acts bontrager, edwin on. Communal experiments and religious movements fueled by enthusiasm are often shortlived. But in the book of acts there is a verse that speaks of growth, and factors a re named there that helped this growth occur 3. In the days immediately after the coming of the holy spirit upon 120 believers in jerusalem at pentecost, when they began to preach the gospel, we read this. Obviously there would be other candidates for that distinction like the cross of christ and all kinds of other important events. This article presents the concept of church growth alongside evangelism mainly in the book of acts. As people went forth to preach christ, converts were won throughout the roman empire. The premises that have been the heart of the church growth movement are four. And he will grow his church as we apply the biblical church growth principles we see in the book of acts. I threw them in as a way to give more context to the other characters. Church growth principles acts of the apostles christian church.