Church growth book of acts

Its possible to double, triple or quadruple the size of a church. Acts tells us how the christian movement came into beginning. As a result, the lord added to the church daily such as should be saved acts 2. A church of christ can and will grow spiritually and numerically when it is faithful to the word of god. 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. So, when you see god bless your church with growth, dont be surprised to experience resistance, sometimes even from within. I planted, apollos watered, but god was causing the growth. 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.

Blauws thesis is that a centripetal missionary consciousness becomes in acts a centrifugal missionary activity. 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. Acts has been called a transitional book because it serves as a bridge between the gospels and the epistles. Dynamic, explosive growth is gods will and design for the church down to its very dna. There have been multiple strategies put forward to remedy the struggles and deficiencies associated with drawing people to jesus and his church and then growing them into fully committed disciples of jesus.

As such it answers the question many firstcentury observers would have. 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. This article presents the concept of church growth alongside evangelism mainly in the book of acts. The book of acts is a record of the growth of the early church, started by jesuss disciples and then expanded by the apostle paul. Acts is the only biblical book that chronicles the history of the church immediately after jesuss ascension. They had not ventured out as jesus had commanded in. The exemplars discussed here, though not exhaustive, may. In the first few chapters of acts we are told how the early church centered her ministries in the city of jerusalem. Its focus on the early church in acts in particular is exhaustive. Evangelism and church growth are inexorably linked by a directly proportional relationship in the book of acts, so that, as evangelism was practiced, the church grew.

The book of church growth and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. But there is something deeply significant in the way it is laid out and described. Its an exciting ride, from the coming of the holy spirit at pentecost, to shipwrecks and imprisonments, to life changing sermons delivered by exfishermen. The beheading of james and the imprisonment of peter. This book covers the period from the ascension of christ to the middle of the 3rd century. The book of acts details the birth and spread of the church. Everything great for the kingdom of god or for jesus christ. The book of acts tells us on that day the god of heaven launched the church of christ. By juxtaposing evangelism and church growth in that era of the church to evangelism and church growth in the contemporary church. So the church throughout all judea and galilee and samaria enjoyed peace, being built up. Thats how god will bring change and growth to his church, and thats how the church will change the world. 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 unique aspects of these books of the bible are vividly presented through contemporary illustrations and poignant prayers. The church growth movement began with the publication of donald mcgavrans book the bridges of god.

Acts, then, shows us that gods purposes for humanity, that he. Acts is a rich source book for the growth of the christian movement in its early years. When you read through the book of acts, you see numerical growth. At this point in the early church, as described in acts and 14, we see. Stay tuned for second half of this post where we will address 5 more key principles of church planting from the book of acts. We can get to the essentials with four sets of four. The offering sent by barnabas and saul to the jerusalem elders.

Acts is not just the acts of the apostles but the empowering continuing work of jesus. Acts shows the gospel going to jerusalem, judea and samaria, and then to the ends of the earth. Pdf the depiction of church growth in acts ben wilson. This growth, from the center out, is what was supposed to happen back in the garden of eden. Actus apostolorum, often referred to simply as acts, or formally the book of acts, is the fifth book of the new testament. Rainer green valley baptist church birmingham, al 35226 wth the exception of m. The book of acts is the closest thing we have to a manual for church planting and missions in the new testament. In the beginning, 120 believers obediently met in an upper room to pray as jesus had instructed them to do.

A quick overview of church growth in the book of acts. 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. Professor of new testament studies acadia divinity college, wolfville, nova. And he will grow his church as we apply the biblical churchgrowth principles we see in the book of acts. 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.

Professor copelands study maintains that growth was lukes dominant theme. The book of acts records the growth and progress of the church in the first century. Verse 42 lists four of the activities to which the church devoted itself. For an example of one church growth writers use of acts, see c. We arent all about the numbers like some other churches. Elmer towns reveals the relevance of the new testament books of acts, hebrews, james, the two books of peter, the three books of john and jude for todays living and learning.

We simply need to do the lords work the way god has taught us in scripture, as demonstrated for us in the book of acts. And the lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. 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. The explosive growth of the early church is testimony to the nature of the church to grow. 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. The book of acts and modern church life reading acts. We can position ourselves close enough to jesus to follow his spirit and do what he tells us. Pdf evangelism and church growth in the book of acts. Church growth, church growth principles, church growth factors. If we are ever to understand new testament christianity we must have knowledge of the beginning and growth of the church.

They had been following jesus and were witnesses of the many miracles he had performed. They all met together continually for prayer acts 1. Acts shows what the early church believed and practiced. Understanding any case of growth or non growth involves three important sets of factors. Paul and the early church were not at odds with the laws of the old testament. Church growth and evangelism in the book of acts monergism. The book of acts and church growth paperback june 1, 1990 by f. The real question is whether the church in the book of acts is a model for the modern church to follow. The book of acts is an eyewitness account of the birth and growth of the church.

The book of acts is a key historical record of what the early church believed and practiced. They had not ventured out as jesus had commanded in acts 1. The life and teachings of jesus christ are established in the four gospel narratives, and the book of acts provides a coordinated account of the beginning and spread of the church as the result of the work of the risen lord and the holy spirit through the apostles. Its initial chapters describe the churchs founding and early years. The acts model prayer for church growth was simple and concise devotion in prayer. The birth and growth of the church in acts reveals gods plan to take the gospel to the world as an extension of the jewish messianic hope from its beginning in jewish jerusalem to the heart of the gentile world in rome. The book of acts is gods divine book on the subject of church history. Persecution arose at jerusalem, and the disciples had to leave. Church growth statements in the book of acts barnes bible charts 2. It is the historical link that joins the life of christ with the growth of the christian church. Jan 06, 20 one of the lessons of the book of acts is that the church is a living, dynamic organism and all organisms are wired for growth. Up to this point the apostles had been through a lot already. Greens evangelism in the early church,l the subjects of evangelism and church growth in the book of acts have been unaccountably neglected in recent years.

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. Ludlowthe book of acts was written by luke after his gospel as the second part of a great twovolume work on jesus christ and the early christians. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but god who causes the growth. Frank stagg has described the book of acts as the story of an unhindered gospel. Unfortunately, this seems to be a pervasive attitude among. All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and mary the mother of jesus, and his brothers. Book of acts overview insight for living ministries. In light of a desire for church growth many abandon the anchoring points that bring gods blessing. The importance of the book of acts is seen in the words of acts 1. As we shall see later, the authors concern for church growth is. Every major section of the book of acts depicts the growth of the gospel as it spread through the witness of the early church. If we were to employ these same factors, we too, can have church growth. Clearly and systematically, we need to present the words of eternal life john 6. In it is story after story of the lords hand in the growth of.

Nov 23, 2014 this article presents the concept of church growth alongside evangelism mainly in the book of acts. Spiritual and numerical growth for churches has been under the magnifying glass for many years. 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. Northern caribbean university school of religion and theology the relevance of the biblical book of acts to the contemporary church. The jerusalem church took care of its own needy acts 46, the antioch church sent relief to their brethren in judea, paul and barnabas delivered this help to the elders acts 11. All scripture is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. The stores about why luke, james, peter, john, and jude wrote their letters set dramatic. I read a pile of books and attended most of the big churchgrowth. Philips only requirement was that the man believe the message philip proclaimed to him. Dec 11, 2009 in his book understanding church growth, he began by saying that church growth is faithfulness to god, no mere sociological process, and basically a theological stance. The book of acts teaches the church concerning the matter of needy saints, both in precept and example. To my knowledge, however, no church growth book with a complete focus on acts has been written. In it is story after story of the lords hand in the growth of the church through missions and church planting. 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.

The record from the book of acts couldnt be clearer. Five reasons the early church grew acts 4 forthright. But in the book of acts there is a verse that speaks of growth, and factors are named there that helped this growth occur. But let me also warn you that explosive growth is difficult. May 23, 2018 the book of acts is a record of the growth of the early church, started by jesuss disciples and then expanded by the apostle paul. The recipe for church planting from the book of acts. If we desire church growth, it would be good for us to look at the pattern set by the early church in jerusalem following the day of pentecost. We learn that opposition can work to strengthen and guide the. Bible verses related to church growth from the king james version kjv by relevance sort by book order acts 2.