MIN 171 A Spirit-Empowered Acts 2 Ministry Model
Acts 2 Model:
a blueprint for a healthy church
A Spirit-
Empowered Church
by Alton Garrison
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ISBN: 978-1-68154-001-6
Holy Spirit
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Strategic Plan for
BDA
Know our mission
Know our vision
Know our core values
Develop a strategic plan to
reach the vision
Getting to where we are (our
values) to where we want to
go (our vision)
A healthy church is
the one that…
Engages and maintains loving
relationships (connect)
Develops and mobilizes the
people (grow)
Acts with clear direction and
outward focus (serve)
Reproduces and multiplies His
mission in other peoples and
places (go)
Pursues and obeys God
passionately (worship)
Without the anointing of the
Holy Spirit, the above 5 are just
programs
Acts 2:4
Jesus kick-
started the
church with His
Holy Spirit
And they were all filled
with the Holy Spirit and
began to speak in other
tongues as the Spirit
gave them utterance.
Acts 2:14-41
Peter preaches
the message of
the church
37 Now when they heard this
they were cut to the heart, and
said to Peter and the rest of
the apostles, “Brothers, what
shall we do?” 38 And Peter said
to them, “Repent and be
baptized every one of you in
the name of Jesus Christ for
the forgiveness of your sins,
and you will receive the gift of
the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:42-47
5 functions of
the church
42 And they devoted themselves to the
apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the
breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And
awe came upon every soul, and many
wonders and signs were being done through
the apostles. 44 And all who believed were
together and had all things in
common. 45 And they were selling their
possessions and belongings and distributing
the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And
day by day, attending the temple together
and breaking bread in their homes, they
received their food with glad and generous
hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with
all the people. And the Lord added to their
number day by day those who were being
saved.
Acts 2:42-47
5 functions of
the church
42 And they devoted themselves to the
apostles' teaching and the fellowship,
to the breaking of bread and the
prayers.43 And awe came upon every soul,
and many wonders and signs were being
done through the apostles. 44 And all who
believed were together and had all things
in common.45 And they were selling their
possessions and belongings and
distributing the proceeds to all, as any
had need.46 And day by day, attending the
temple together and breaking bread in
their homes, they received their food with
glad and generous hearts,47 praising God
and having favor with all the people. And
the Lord added to their number day by
day those who were being saved.
Acts 2:42-47
functions of the
church
Fellowship (connect)
Discipleship (grow)
Ministry (serve)
Evangelism (go)
Worship
Acts 2 Model
Missing Process
(chapter 1)
Change is possible
(chapter 2)
Royal Priesthood
(chapter 3)
But you are a chosen
race, a royal priesthood, a
holy nation, a people for his
own possession, that you
may proclaim the
excellencies of him who
called you out of darkness
into his marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:9
Hope
(chapter 4)
Engages and maintains loving
relationships (connect)
Develops and mobilizes the
people (grow)
Acts with clear direction and
outward focus (serve)
Reproduces and multiplies His
mission in other peoples and
places (go)
Pursues and obeys God
passionately (worship)
Without the anointing of the
Holy Spirit, the above 5 are just
programs
Empowered
(chapter 5)
Creating Spirit-
empowered
disciples
(chapter 6)
Unbelievers –have yet to receive
Jesus as their Lord and Savior,
don’t follow the Great Commission
or Great Commandment
Believers –who have received
Jesus as their Lord but have not
yet become learners who obey
God’s Word (behavior) – focus on
Great Commission, but not Great
Commandment
Disciples –people who adhere to
the teachings and practices of
growing in Christ and demonstrate
a lifestyle corresponding to God’s
word, follows both the Great
Commission and Great
Commandment
What are you
in the Kingdom
of God?
Servant Leaders –people who
have grown in the direction,
ways, and timing of the Lord
and share their knowledge of
Christ with others so they, too,
can learn His direction, ways,
and timing… involved in
different aspects of church life
(bus drivers, altar workers,
greeters, deacons, Sunday
school teachers, etc.)
Reproducers –people who
mentor others through
relationship to the point where
they become servant-leaders
What are you
in the Kingdom
of God?
Assessment
(chapter 7)
1. Why do we exist?
(Mission—chapter 8)
2. Where are we going?
(Vision—chapter 9)
3. How should we behave?
(Values—chapter 10)
4. How will we get there?
(Strategic Plan—chapter 11,
17)
5. How will we engage new
people? (Connect—chapter12,
Go—chapter 15)
Questions to
ponder
6. How will we treat them when
they arrive? (Connect—chapter
12)
7. How will we disciple them?
(Grow—chapter 13)
8. How will we train them to
serve? (Serve—chapter 14)
9. How will we involve them in
missions, both locally and
globally? (Go—chapter 15)
10. How will we help them
encounter God? (Connect—
chapter 12, Worship—chapter
16)
Questions to
ponder
Mission is the same from the
time of Jesus:
Great Commission
Great Commandment
Love is how we carry out the
mission, but relationship is
what makes the mission
human
Mission
(chapter 8)
Mason jar story –
power of one
Where are we going?
Why are we doing it?
1) Unites us
2) Helps us focus on a
destination
3) Dares us to push up against
the status quo
Risk and criticism involved
Without it, we are lost
Vision
(chapter 9)
Amanda game
Help determine when a
person will buy into the vision
and get involved
We can cast a vision, but if
the core values can’t support
the vision or aren’t being
lived, the vision will fail
Core values
(chapter 10)
Holy Spirit
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Core values are fundamental to
all that the organization does.
They are what distinguishes one
ministry from another, and they
explain why some people are
attracted to your church while
others are repelled. They
dictate personal involvement. If
an individual’s core values
align with the ministry’s core
values, that individual is more
likely to invest his or her life
in that ministry. Values
communicate what is essential—
the organization’s bottom line.
Thus, core values define what
you believe is God’s heart for
your ministry or church.
Core values
Core values are the DNA of
the church.
Core values influence
behavior. They direct how the
congregation acts based on
what it believes about itself,
the world, and its role as part
of God’s mission in and to the
world.
Core values determine
attitudes and actions on a
daily basis and in times of
celebration and conflict.
Core values
Core values determine
attitudes and actions on a
daily basis and in times of
celebration and conflict
Core values are the priorities
in the ministry programming
for the future vision
Core values are to be shared
and modeled to new members
Core values are protected by
the staff and key leaders
Core values
Core values are used to measure
all ministry programs for
spiritual effectiveness, financial
commitment, and achievement
of purpose
Core values are to be lived out
in the daily lives of the
congregation
Core values represent the core
identity of the church and
reflect how the congregation
will live into its preferred
future. They create boundaries
for church life and must be
identified and communicated
for the church to reach its full
Kingdom potential.
Core values
Passionately proclaim, at home
and abroad, by word and deed
Jesus as Savior, Baptizer in the
Holy Spirit, Healer, and Soon
Coming King.
Strategically invest in the next
generation.
Vigorously plant new churches
and revitalize existing ones.
Skillfully resource our
Fellowship.
Fervently pray for God’s favor
and help as we serve Him with
pure hearts and noble purpose.
AG Core values
We must stick to core biblical
principles where some values
are nonnegotiable
Be doers of the Word
Relationships are CRUCIAL!
Spirit of agreement present
among us?
Core values
(chapter 10)
List 4-5 beliefs/principles we
strongly embrace
List our strengths of our church
Let’s list what related behaviors
are produced by our
strengths/beliefs/principles
Let’s list what behaviors are
hindering us from goals
List what behaviors we would
like to embrace in the future
Core values
(chapter 10)
What makes a ministry model
valuable? (e.g. Men’s ministry,
Women’s ministry, etc.)
Periodically re-assess our
ministry models or traditions to
have a understanding of our
core values
We should make adjustments to
ministry to FIT our core values
Core values focus on WHY we
do what we do
Core values
(chapter 10)
Personal preferences (and some
convictions) are NOT core
values
Without core values, personal
preferences can easily creep in
What we are passionate about is
not usually what other people
SEE
Can usually be in conflict with
the church’s vision because the
person’s personal preference
was established/ingrained all
their life without being
questioned and become an
“unwritten” rule for them
Core values
(chapter 10)
Personal
preferences
Balancing the
spiritual with the
strategic
(chapter 11)
Connect
(chapter 12)
Grow
(chapter 13)
Serve
(chapter 14)
Go
(chapter 15)
Worship
(chapter 16)
Putting it all
together
(chapter 17)
1. Practicing thanksgiving in all things
“Enter His gates with thanksgiving” (Psalm 100:4).
“In everything give thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
“As sorrowful yet always rejoicing” (2 Corinthians
6:10).
2. Listening to God for direction and discernment
“Speak Lord, for Your servant is listening” (1
Samuel 3:9). “She had a sister called Mary, who was
seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word”
(Luke 10:39). “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am
about to do?” (Genesis 18:17). “His anointing
teaches you about all things” (1 John 2:27).
3. Experiencing God as He really is through
deepened intimacy with Him
“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is
one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your
heart and with all your soul and with all your
might” (Deuteronomy 6:4–5). “The Lord longs to be
gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to
have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of
justice” (Isaiah 30:18). See also John 14:9.
A Spirit-
empowered
disciple loves the
Lord through...
3. Experiencing God as He really is through
deepened intimacy with Him
“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is
one. You shall love the Lord your God with all
your heart and with all your soul and with all
your might” (Deuteronomy 6:4–5). “The Lord
longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He
waits on high to have compassion on you. For
the Lord is a God of justice” (Isaiah 30:18). See
also John 14:9.
4. Rejoicing regularly in His identity as “His
Beloved”
“His banner over me is love” (Song of Solomon
2:4). “To the praise of the glory of His grace,
which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved”
(Ephesians 1:6). “He gives to His beloved even
in his sleep” (Psalm 127:2).
A Spirit-
empowered
disciple loves the
Lord through...
5. Living with a passionate longing for purity
and to please God in all things
“Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? . . . He
who has clean hands and a pure heart” (Psalm
24:3–4). “Let us cleanse ourselves from all
defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting
holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1).
“I always do the things that are pleasing to
Him” (John 8:29). “Though He slay me, I will
hope in Him” (Job 13:15).
6. Consistent practice of self-denial, fasting,
and solitude rest
“He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me,
Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you
are not setting your mind on God’s interests,
but man’s’” (Matthew 16:23). “But you, when
you fast, anoint your head and wash your face.”
(Matthew 6:17). “Cease striving and know that I
am God” (Psalm 46:10).
A Spirit-
empowered
disciple loves the
Lord through...
7. Entering often into Spirit-led praise and
worship
“Bless the Lord O my soul, and all that is
within me, bless His holy name.” (Psalm
103:1). “Worship the Lord with reverence
and rejoice with trembling” (Psalm 2:11).
“I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and
earth” (Matthew 11:25).
8. Disciplined, bold, and believing prayer
“Pray at all times in the Spirit” (Ephesians
6:18). “Call to Me and I will answer you”
(Jeremiah 33:3). “If we ask anything
according to His will, He hears us. . . . We
know that we have the requests which we
have asked from Him” (1 John 5:14–15).
A Spirit-
empowered
disciple loves the
Lord through...
9. Yielding to the Spirit’s fullness as life in the
Spirit brings supernatural intimacy with the
Lord, manifestation of divine gifts, and
witness of the fruit of the Spirit
“For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one
body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves
or free, and we were all made to drink of one
Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:13). “You will receive
power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you”
(Acts 1:8). “But to each one is given the
manifestation of the Spirit for the common
good” (1 Corinthians 12:7). See also 1 Peter
4:10; Romans 12:6.
10. Practicing the presence of the Lord;
yielding to the Spirit’s work of Christ-likeness
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in
a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being
transformed into the same image from glory to
glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit” (2
Corinthians 3:18). “As the deer pants for the
water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God”
(Psalm 42:1).
A Spirit-
empowered
disciple loves the
Lord through...
1. Frequently being led by the Spirit into
deeper love for the One who wrote the Word
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your
heart, and with all your soul, and with all your
mind. . . . You shall love your neighbor as
yourself. On these two commandments depend
the whole Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37,
39–40). “I shall delight in Your commands, which I
love.” (Psalm 119:47). “The judgments of the
Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. They
are more desirable than gold . . . sweeter also
than honey” (Psalm 19:9–10).
2. Being a “living epistle” in reverence and
awe as His Word becomes real in my life,
vocation, and calling
“You are our letter, written in our hearts,
known and read by all men” (2 Corinthians 3:2).
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among
us” (John 1:14). “Christ loved the church and
gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify
her, having cleansed her by the washing of
water with the Word” (Ephesians 5:25–26).
“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for
the Lord” (Colossians 3:23). See also Titus 2:5.
A Spirit-
empowered
disciple loves the
Word through…