(Notes of a conference for pastors in India, some time in the 1980s).

TEXT: Acts 11: 19-30, 13: 1-3

THE CHURCH AT ANTIOCH IS A MODEL CHURCH.FOR ALL CULTURES

a.. Persecuted Christians are stronger Christians (11: 19).

b.. Live churches emphasise evangelism - by all members (11:19).

c.. They are willing to innovate - try new methods (11:19).

d.. They are evangelical - committed to preaching 'good news' (11:10).

e.. They use effective communication methods (the Lordship of Jesus to these gentiles; Christ/Messiah to Jews) (11:20).

f.. The Lord's power is added to the preaching; a seminary education is good, but not sufficient on its own (11:21).

g.. A church that is alive is a church of true 'believers' (11:21): nominalism is a symptom of disease.

h.. Penitence - 'turning to the Lord' - is a constant habit in healthy churches; not once, but all the time renouncing our sins (11:21).

i.. Churches should be inter-dependent (11:22) Dependence = childhood; independence = adolescence; inter-dependence = maturity.

j.. The best committees are committees of one person (11:22), provided those individuals are accountable, and check their thinking regularly with others. Church committees often 'take minutes and waste hours'.

k.. A healthy church has leaders like Barnabas, with the gift of encouragement (11:22).

l.. Their leaders also are flexible, with the gift of 'sanctified permissiveness' - seeing God at work even though something may be outside their experience (11:23).

m.. People in these churches are highly committed - 'faithful and true to the Lord with all their hearts' (11:23). Leaders generally get the level of commitment they expect, and which they model in their own lives.

n.. Like Barnabas, these leaders love goodness (11:24).

o.. They are also 'filled with faith' (11:24).

p.. Being filled with goodness + faith = being filled with the Holy Spirit (11:24) ie, a 'spirit-filled' Christian is one whose character displays the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22).

q.. Live churches quickly establish a leadership team (11:25). While a church pastor has authority in a local church (Titus 1:5) he/she will quickly develop a team of paid or other associates to share the leadership.

r.. Leadership selection is important (11:25). Sometimes the best leaders emerge from doubtful material (cf. the disciples of Jesus, John Mark, murderers like Moses, David, Saul of Tarsus). The principle here is 'move with the movers', even if they are moving at present in the wrong direction.

s.. The key public role of church leaders is teaching (11:25). Churches whose leaders are hard-working teachers become strong churches. Their 'leaders are readers', spending many hours in preparation for public teaching.

t.. In healthy churches the Word of the Lord comes not only from pulpit - teaching, but also from people in the congregation (11:27). ie, the leaders ask 'Has anyone here got anything the Lord is saying to us all?' Such utterances ought to be under the authority of the church leadership, however.

u.. Healthy churches know who the prophets are (11:27, 13:1), and listen carefully to them. Pastors 'comfort the disturbed' while prophets 'disturb the comfortable'.

v.. Healthy churches are involved in 'social concern' - works of mercy - in addition to evangelism (11:29). An African proverb says 'Hungry people have no ears'. This is our 'Good Samaritan' ministry (Luke 10:25ff.).

w.. These churches are generous - people give as much money as they can to the Lord and to those in need (11:29).

x.. Churches should know who their elders are (11:30) - mature Christians who rule, teach and shepherd the Lord's people.

y.. A church is alive to the extent that people know their spiritual gifts (13:1). Who are the 'prophets and teachers' in your church?

z.. The authority in a church should be clear (13:1).

aa.. Mature churches have a heterogeneous fellowship - 'one in Jesus Christ'. The five leaders here come from various ethnic and social backgrounds (13:1).

ab.. More than that, this list is a Christian critique of racism, the social injustice where some races feel superior to others. Here we have an ex-pharisee, a Cypriot Jew, a man from Africa, a gentile, and a man from a high - castle background (13:1). It was unbelievable that such a group should work together in those times.

ac.. True worship is 'serving the Lord' not just having a church or pastor serve us (13:2).

ad.. Fasting - going without food or other practices for special prayer - is a regular habit of healthy churches (13:2).

ae.. In true worship we are also listening to the Lord (13:2). Does your church secretary ever record a minute like this? How did the Lord speak to them?

af.. Barnabas and Saul, after only one year (11:25), were ready to leave the church in the care of others (13:2). How? By equipping them for ministry (Ephesians 4:12), empowering them to lead, ie only 2-3% of Christian leaders are like this. Why?

ag.. Prayer is a mark of a church that is alive (13:3).

ah.. In healthy churches people are regularly commissioned by the congregation for ministry/missionary work. ie: the church is 'CO-' = with the missionaries (13:2)

ai.. Healthy churches have 'the world as their parish' (Wesley). Their concern is for unreached peoples who have not heard the good news (13:3). Diseased churches are introverted, concerned mainly with their own activities.

Some further universal principles (Find some biblical texts for each):

aj.. Acceptance/Love of others

ak.. Expectancy/hope

al.. A commitment to excellence

am.. Multi-generational - commitment to strengthening families

an.. Small groups for Bible study, fellowship, prayer

ao.. Excellence in music

ap.. Equipping people in life skills: how to counsel others, cope with anxiety, bereavement etc.

aq.. Win men for Christ and you get the family as well!

ar.. Set goals: Know where you are going and plan carefully

as.. Structure/organisation is simple

at.. Church buildings are attractive

au.. The church is well-known, well-advertised

av.. There is a strong commitment to holiness

aw.. The strong help the weak

ax.. Healthy churches are not 'museums' or clubs, but exist for others.

Rowland Croucher, John Mark Ministries

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