Lessons from the first Church: The mission is the goal. (Acts 1: 8)
I was getting an oil change this past week when I struck up a conversation with an older gentleman who had just bought a car for his granddaughter. As it turns out, he lived in Kenansville, and his granddaughter attended James Kenan. I told him I was a pastor in Kenansville, and he shared that he was a leader in his church and occasionally filled in for his pastor.
We started talking about church—about our churches. He lamented the lack of young people in his congregation. Specifically, he was burdened that there was no one the age of his granddaughter.
Does this sound familiar? Do you see it in your own church? What, then, is the answer?
It’s probably not what we think.
So often, we assume that if we want young people—or anyone new—to come to our churches, we need big changes. Replace hymns and piano with guitars and trending worship songs. Update the logo. Modernize the sanctuary. Improve the website. Increase social media presence.
Those things may have their place. Some may be helpful. But the answer isn’t music style, wall color, or branding strategy.
The answer is found in the example of the first church.
In Acts 1:8, Jesus says,
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (ESV)
As Jesus ascends, He gives the church its mission: be witnesses. In Matthew’s Gospel, we hear it this way: “Go and make disciples.” (ESV)
The early church prioritized the mission of God. When the Spirit came, the church didn’t merely add members—it multiplied. What we read in Acts is not just growth; it is revival. A revival that turned the world upside down.
So why are we losing people? Why are rural churches struggling and closing their doors?
Maybe we have lost sight of the mission.
When I was in college, I went to Brazil on a mission trip. In the church office, I saw a large map of the city covered with thumbtacks. Each thumbtack represented a small group. Their goal was simple: a small group on every block.
They were intentionally reaching their city with the gospel.
Then I came home to the church where I was serving as a youth pastor. My first Sunday back was a business meeting about installing motion lights in the parking lot. The discussion turned heated. People stood and yelled.
Over lights.
We have to care more about the mission than the lights.
If we want to reach our town—our crossroads—with the gospel, we must be willing to set aside preferences. The reason young people aren’t coming, and the reason churches aren’t growing, has less to do with style and more to do with whether we have made the mission of God our priority.
You may say, “That sounds good—but what does it actually look like?”
It looks like loving your community.
Your church sits where it sits for a reason. That reason is the Great Commission. We are called to make disciples right where God has planted us.
The church grew in the first century because believers understood the mission and took ownership of it. If we want to see our churches grow—and grow younger—we must refocus on God’s mission, not our preferences.
Be Present
First, loving our community means being present. We have to show up. Invest. Attend ball games, dance recitals, and band concerts. This is the ministry of presence. Simply being there communicates that we care.
And while we are there, we ask, “What do you need?”
They will either say nothing—or something. If they say something, we follow through.
2.Follow Through
That is what loving your community looks like. We do what we say we will do.
If the community needs a food pantry, start one. If the school wants to encourage teachers, find a way to serve them. If the fire department needs a chaplain, step into that role.
But don’t try to do everything. Do one thing well. It is better to do one ministry faithfully than many halfheartedly.
And don’t forget the mission.
3.Make Disciples
What good is a full belly if someone never hears the gospel? Serving and loving our community matters deeply—but we do not love merely for love’s sake. We love so that we may introduce people to Jesus. The most loving thing we can do is share the good news.
If we want to see our churches grow again, we must make the mission of God our priority. Our churches sit where they sit for a reason. That reason is the Great Commission.
So be present.
Follow through.
Make disciples.
Keep tilling.
