Judy and I are attending Exponential in Orlando. It's the largest conference on church planting in America. Thousands of church planters are here from all over the world. Some of the best known authors and speakers and church planters are teaching sessions on every aspect of church planting imaginable. Dozens of companies have displays advertising countless resources for small groups, web sites, financial management, portable equipment for churches meeting in schools and theaters, advertising resources, leadership development, and so much more. The stuff available to church planters is really amazing!
One of the most inspiring speakers I've heard at the conference is Louie Giglio. He has just planted a new church and said he really wants his church to be like the church in Acts 2—"devoted to the apostles' teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer…everyone was filled with awe…they shared with any who had need…they had the favor of all the people…the Lord added to their number daily" We all want our churches to be "Acts 2 churches."
Then he made this striking (but really obvious) observation:
"The Acts 2 church didn't know they were an 'Acts 2 church'!"
What kind of church did they want to be? There weren't any other churches for them to want to emulate. There were no premier churches or model church plants. No church planting conferences or books on how to plant a church.
So what did the "Acts 2 church" have to help them become "THE Acts 2 church"? Giglio pointed out three things they had:
- They had the teachings of Jesus.
- They were witnesses of the resurrection.
- They had the Holy Spirit.
That was it. Those were the resources in their tool kit.—Jesus' teachings, the resurrection, and the Holy Spirit.
And Giglio went on to say that we have those same resources. We have Jesus' teachings (plus the letters of Paul, plus the treatise of the mystery author of Hebrews, and more). We have their eyewitness reports of the resurrection, and we have seen the resurrection power of God bring life to us and to others around us. And we have the Holy Spirit of God at work in us and in the world. It was an encouraging challenge to depend on God, not on our own abilities and resources. The same God who was at work in creating the Acts 2 church is still at work in the world.
Will Reunion Christian Community be an "Acts 2 church"? I don't know. But we have do have Jesus, the good news, and the Spirit…Maybe that's a good start.
5 comments:
Blessings on you two and your efforts to share Christ in downtown Nashville. My son and his wife have moved to East Nashville and haven't found a church home yet. Are you guys meeting anywhere yet? Would love for them to get involved with your ministry.
I PRAY FOR YOUR HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELL BEING DAILY. I TRULY BELIEVE THE SPIRIT HAS LED YOU THUS FAR AND PRAY THAT HE WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.
LOVE IN CHRIST,
FRANK LEGGETT, JR
Hi Lori,
We're not meeting anywhere yet, and probably won't be till August or September in a house church. A larger gathering will come later.
We'd love to meet your son and his wife sometime and talk with them about what we're planning.
Rob
Thanks, Frank!
Keep up the good work Rob. We miss you guys. I have given up on the ideas of Restoration, but not Unity. I don't think we need to restore anything, except deeper faith and commitment in Christ. My Grandfather would turn over in his grave and you might be surprised that we are now attending a Methodist church in Mt Juliet. Chase has really latched on there and Kristi and I have found a place where we can serve and be a part of our community. They even have communion every Sunday! Still not sure about everything, but it is always a journey. We'll be at your first service to help kick it off with familier faces. God willing you will still be there when Chase goes to college and we move into our condo downtown. I think you have what you need to start an "Acts2 church." I would say, "Keep the Faith", but I have no doubt you will. God Bless. -Kip Perkins
Post a Comment