The Church is Alive

In the first 300 years the early church spread across the known world in an amazing way. The Holy Spirit fills the lives of people and as they start meet together in little communities around the world and live lives like Jesus and tell out his story

Christianity did not grow because of miracle working in the market place(although there may have been much of that going on), or because Consantine said it should, or even because martyrs gave it such credibility. It grew because Christians constituted an intense community....and the primary means of its growth was through the united and motivate efforts of the growing number of Christian believers, who invited their friends, relatives and neighbours to share the “good news”  (Rise of Christianity, Stark.)

On Sunday we will look at what this means for us today.

Church Alive Live Church

We are back on line. Our live the word Blog is up and running again.
Last week we launched our new church theme  CHURCH ALIVE  - LIVE CHURCH

We saw that as Jesus ascended to heaven and left his disciples, He was very much still alive in the life of His church as the Holy Spirit came to dwell in His followers.
The Church through the book of Acts is seen as an almost unstoppable force, infiltrating all areas of the known world. Its a bit like a humungus fungus. The biggest living thing in the world!! (you had to be there)
Jesus - his life, death, ressurection and ascenssion, remain the central focus of the church community as it begins to expand out into the world. The church has expanded in to all areas of the known world within the next 300 years.
How does this happen?   It happens as the individual parts of the body Live out their Church lives. Living the 'Jesus life' his people spread through out the world bringing good news and forming transformational communities.

How are each of us keeping Jesus at the centre of our lives?  Are we speaking about him, living like him and continuing the growth of his body?

"for a period of 40 days he gave many convincing proofs that he was Alive"  Not long into the book of Acts we hear people gathering to hear Jesus words, people are being healed, miracles are happening, people are gathering together, the disciples are having conflict withthe Pharisees -  IT'S LIKE JESUS IS STILL ALIVE.  And as Acts unfolds - Jesus is Alive - through his holy spirit - in the life of His church.

Is the chuch alive in you?  Are you living out church?