I am eager for the March 28 and 29 to get here. Next week, The Village will host an Acts 29 Boot Camp on church planting and mission, with Eric Mason (Philadelphia), JR Vassar (Manhattan), Matt Carter (Austin), Steve Timmis (U.K.), and myself (Dallas) teaching.
The brotherhood that is present among my Acts 29 co-laborers and friends is one of the great graces God has poured out on me in ministry. The Bible has much to say about the joys of pastoring but minces no words about the difficulties, pains, and sorrows that can accompany being an under-shepherd of the flock of God.
Through the highest highs to my lowest lows in my journey as a pastor, my brothers in Acts 29 have celebrated with me, cried with me, and prayed with me. At some of my darkest hours, some of these brothers flew ...
Keep Reading
It’s my belief that we’re living in a new movement, with the potential to see revival in our generation.
Many people in the United States and around the world have a general feeling that something is happening. There’s an excitement in the air worldwide. The hearts of church leaders from around the globe are pounding from an increased sense of urgency for evangelism, discipleship, and church planting. This increased heart rate was felt by the thumb of Collin Hansen back in 2006 when he penned the article Young, Restless, Reformed. Just a few years later in 2009, this new movement was considered by Time magazine as one of the top ten ideas changing the world.
What Is a Movement?
A movement is an unusual work of God, sometimes called a revival or renewal. During a ...
Keep Reading
"All the churches that were planted by Paul were planted because Paul was ... explicit in preaching the gospel ... a number of contemporary churches think it's insightful to quote 'preach the gospel and use words if necessary' but this has no connection with what we find in the life of Paul."
In 2009, Western Europe Acts 29 Director, Steve Timmis, taught two sessions at the London Boot Camp on "How to Plant a Church." In How to Plant a Church - Part 1, Timmis taught that the book of Acts is a church planting narrative. In Part 2, he laid out five specific principles needed in order to plant a church - which we are sharing here.
1. Preach the Gospel.
The apostle Paul gathered believers by preaching the Gospel, “Almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the ...
Keep Reading
Posted in: Mission
Tags: how to plant a church, steve timmis, five factors, five principles, uk, church planting, planter, how to start a church, how to start a gospel-centered church, how to plant a biblical church, biblical church, model, context, preach, preaching, total church, help for church planters
by Todd Bumgarner, Lead Pastor at 2 Pillars Church in Lincoln, NE
As a church planter, you are called to raise up disciples and leaders. It's an investment of time and energy that is critical to the mission of your church. One of the hardest truths early on in church planting is discerning who is with you and who is not. As I have worked with people, I’ve learned there are six categories into which someone falls. Categorizing people is helpful to determine where to focus your time and energy and to wake you up to the reality that some people, despite their excitement and interest, simply are not on board.
1. Family
These are the folks who are all-in. They’ve caught the vision and want to help in any way possible. They are servant-leaders and their commitment is ...
Keep Reading
Lives Changed in Boston!
When Matt told this story, I wanted to share it with you because these stories represent something much greater than us — lives changed by the power of Holy Spirit and the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And at the end of the day, that's what we're all about: planting churches that plant missional, Spirit-led, gospel-centered churches, so that more people might see and hear the Good News of Jesus. Below is a story about a new church's baptism service, as told by the lead pastor and Acts 29 member, Matt Chewning. — Scott Thomas
by Matt Chewning
Recently at Netcast Church in Boston, MA, we celebrated being 9 months old and we did it by seeing 6 people come to faith in Jesus and baptizing 7 people in front of an attendance of ...
Keep Reading