Key: Gather
GATHER the new believers together
The birth of the Jerusalem church set the pattern for all the churches. Newly baptized believers were drawn into homes where “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”[1]
The team rejoiced when the first new church was born! In the beginning it had only a few people. But they knew it possessed the God-given potential to grow and reproduce!
As outsiders, Stephanas’ team avoided the temptation of bringing the new believers into their team. The cross-cultural team served as “spiritual midwifes” helping in the birth of the indigenous church. As the new spiritual family formed, they tried to get out of the way.
The new church met in the homes of the local people. It was the natural place for encouraging love, prayer, accountability, giving, evangelism and ministry to one another.[2]
[1] Acts 2:42
[2] Acts 2:42-47