WHAT IS AN ACTS 1

WHAT IS AN ACTS 1:8 CHURCH?

”Commitment to missions has always been a defining characteristic of Southern Baptists. Praying for lost peoples, sending devoted missionaries, and sacrificially giving so that the gospel can spread to new frontiers – these are the humble hallmarks of congregations large and small. By cooperating with other believers, every Southern Baptist can make a worldwide impact, and every church can be a worldwide mission center.

In the last words of the risen Lord Jesus before He ascended to heaven, we find a powerful challenge from which we can launch an exploration not only of missions but also of mission action. Acts 1:8 provides a biblical paradigm for how the Spirit-filled, Spirit-led New Testament church is to fulfill God’s mission on earth until Jesus returns: “’You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses, in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth’” (Acts 1:8).

The local church, as a worldwide mission center, can formulate a comprehensive mission strategy that simultaneously reaches out to its community (Jerusalem), state or region (Judea), continent (Samaria), and world (ends of the earth). Over the years, Southern Baptist churches cooperated to establish and work through the International Mission Board and the North American Mission Board. Providentially, churches organized and networked to carry out Jesus’ fourfold Acts 1::8 challenge.

In essence, Jesus’ Acts 1:8 challenge calls for each local church to –

	Acknowledge and accept its Great Commission responsibility to reach its Jerusalem , Judea , Samaria , and ends of the earth;
	Embrace a comprehensive, integrated missions strategy that sends people, resources, and prayer to each mission field;
	Work cooperatively with its association, state convention, and national agencies to maximize its impact.

Jesus’ Acts 1:8 challenge also calls for each denominational partner to focus on local church as the primary channel through which God’s redemptive purposes flow. The International Mission Board, the North American Mission Board, state conventions, and local associations exist to serve churches as they fulfill the Great Commission. Each denominational partner seeks to help churches form strategies and access resources to reach the mission field in which it specializes. Each entity helps our church know and assist the missionaries who work in our Acts 1:8 mission fields.

After two thousand years, Jesus’ Acts 1:8 challenge still invites today’s church to join Him in His redemptive mission until He returns. May this study awaken and activate your church to truly be the body of Christ on mission.”

(Nate Adams, "The Acts 1:8 Challenge, Empowering the Church to Be on Mission ”)

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