How should today’s Church use the principals and patterns found in Acts?

Acts 1.1
April 2008

There is one main principal that is present in the book of Acts that I think the modern Church should embrace not in function only but also in form. That main principal is that of spreading the Gospel and the expansion of the Church. I believe that most modern Church leaders would agree with that function but the proof of our belief bears out in the forms that we adopt in accomplishing this task.

The problem lies with the desire to create “mega-churches” with the idea that if we build it (a mega-church) they will come to us. Meaning, that if our structure and programs are attractive enough to the non-believer than they will come to us to find salvation or at least involvement in something that is bigger than them and perhaps more meaningful. The idea of “you all come to us to hear the Gospel” is contrary to the patterns set forth in the book of Acts. I also believe that the idea of large, impersonal, “corporations” are also contrary to these patterns. I am well aware that some of these “mega-churches” are quite effective at spreading the Gospel and have no problem expanding but I believe that the further we get from a small, mobile, and personal Church reaching into our local communities the more difficulty we will face in actually spreading the Gospel and expanding the Church. Most “mega-churches” have had to embrace the small group movement in order to survive, I believe that this is where the Church really lives and moves and has its being.

I believe we have lost sight of the intentions of the early disciples to actually go into local communities with the Gospel and establish Churches there. We have traded this vision in for a much safer model of sharing the Gospel on our home turf. The pattern set forth in Acts was to go into communities that didn’t have the Gospel and give it to them at all costs. This was not easy or comfortable for them but they shared as the Holy Spirit empowered them as should we. I believe that this pattern supports the idea of many starting more mini-churches and not just a few mega-churches.

The bottom line is that the patterns found in the book of Acts suggest a more locally based, more personal, more outwardly focused Church than the modern American church is leaning towards.