In parts one and two of this series, I talked about what it looks like to be an Acts 29 Christian–living with conviction about our beliefs, being compelled to share the Gospel with others, and changing the way believers are viewed. A final characteristic of an Acts 29 Christian is participating in an Acts 29 church. What does an Acts 29 church look like?
An Acts 29 church goes to the people who don’t know Christ. In Romans 15:20-21 Paul writes, “…and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, but as it is written, ‘Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.’” It was Paul’s desire to go to Spain, essentially the ends of the earth at that time, to share the Gospel with people there who had never heard. Jesus was famous for hanging out with sinners and people on whom the religious leaders looked down. You would be more likely to find Jesus eating dinner with a tax collector than a Pharisee.
South Florida is a place where most people do not know Christ. It’s not the Bible belt. Palm Beach County has a population of about 1.4 million people, and only about 300,000 of us go to church regularly. For our church to reach those far from God, we need to be a place devoid of judgment. Romans 15:7 reads, “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” Christ welcomed us into His kingdom graciously, forgiving our sins and offering eternal salvation free of charge. We are called to mimic this attitude toward all who have yet to believe.
Since 1901, our church has done whatever it takes to impact our community. Here is a brief history of our Acts 29 church: