Read a scripture and sing worship songs.

(Optional) Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. He wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator also between God and man, the man Jesus Christ, who gave himself as a ransom for all. (Philippians 2:11b; 1 Timothy 2:4-6a)

Choose a way to cast vision for who they can become in Christ or what God can do through them by:

• a scripture that reminds them of the Father’s Heart and of the end vision.
• reflecting on the changes in their life since they started following Christ
• reminding them of what God wants to do through them

Share BIG vision “A church for every village and community, and the gospel for every person.”

The Church in Antioch

¹⁹ Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews.²⁰ Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus.²¹ The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

²² News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.²³ When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.²⁴ He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

²⁵ Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,²⁶ and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

²⁷ During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.²⁸ One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.)²⁹ The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea.³⁰ This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

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Our past several stories have been focused on Peter, but he was not the only believer who was active during this time. The believers that fled Jerusalem during Saul’s persecution (Acts 8:1) 

were also sharing their faith, but only with other Jews. However, some of the Greek-speaking Jews from the island of Cyprus and the area of North Africa called Cyrene (modern day Libya) shared with non-Jewish people in the big multicultural city of Antioch in Syria. A large number turned to the Lord and a church began in Antioch. This was a 2nd generation church started by ordinary believers. Barnabas, who was originally from Cyprus, was sent by the Jerusalem church to validate what was taking place. He recognized the Lord was at work and realized that Saul was the perfect one to help establish this young Gentile church. It is in Antioch that the name Christian is first used to describe disciples of Jesus. The Gentile believers showed their connection to the Jewish believers by generously sending financial aid to the Jerusalem church.

 

Practice needed skills or previous topics to help prepare to minister to others:

• Prayer, Care, Share
• Gospel
• Foundational Bible Studies.