Matthew ends with Jesus sharing the Great Commission: go and make disciples of all the nations…. Acts begins with God empowering his followers to fulfill that commission: the Holy Spirit will come upon you and give you power. Then you will tell everyone about Jesus everywhere in the world. If you were to encapsulate our PURPOSE as a church in one sentence: Create lifetime followers of Jesus! We want to see lost and broken people have an encounter with Jesus that changes their lives forever!
As the early church engaged in Christ’s mission, it grew quickly. As Luke wrote Acts for his friend Theophilus, he included a summary statement of what that new church was like as it developed. In Acts 2:42-47 we see a snapshot of a biblically healthy community. These are simple truths that become foundational elements as we move forward. They are helpful guardrails to keep in the back of our minds as we interact with one another and invite others to grow with us. God created the church so our goal should be to become the church God wants us to be!
[Many of these ideas are taken from Rod Loy who leads a thriving church in North Little Rock, AR.]
A healthy church is a LEARNING church.
A healthy church is a LOVING church.
A healthy church is a PRAYING church.
A healthy church is HUMBLE.
A healthy church is SUPERNATURAL.
A healthy church is UNIFIED.
A healthy church is GENEROUS.
A healthy church is COMMITED.
A healthy church is FUN.
A healthy church is a WORSHIPPING church.
A healthy church is INFLUENTIAL.
A healthy church is OUTWARD FOCUSED.
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