Announcements

  1. Women’s Bible Study This summer, our women will be gathering weekly to study Genesis 12-50! The study will gather weekly on Tuesday evenings from 7:00 – 9:00pm starting May 14th and ending July 16th. Signs ups are open and on the app!
  2. Volunteer for Kids Ministry Going to be in Abilene for any of this summer? Consider discipling our little ones by volunteering for the kids ministry on Sunday mornings! You can submit a volunteer application on the app!

Objectives

  1. Articulating God’s plan to expand the Kingdom through the multiplication and movement of Jesus’ followers.
  2. Surrendering to God’s sovereignty and goodness in using all circumstances to bring Him glory.
  3. Brainstorming how to use the variety of rhythms and circumstances in our lives to witness to the gospel of Jesus.

Key Passages

Acts 8:1-8

Summary

After the stoning of the deacon Stephen, much of the early church began to experience great persecution in Jerusalem and therefore were scattered among the surrounding regions. Somehow, many of the apostles were able to stay in Jerusalem, but this unfortunate scattering of the other disciples of Jesus ended up spreading the gospel further than it had ever gone before. As these scattered disciples preaching the word, it brought much joy and greatful reception from cities such as Samaria.

Sample Questions

Feel free to use or reword the questions below that you think will be most helpful to meet the objectives above. Remember, these questions should ultimately cultivate discussion of ways to respond to or apply what the Holy Spirit has revealed to us through Scripture.

  • Have you ever been in a situation where you had to leave your church community and find another?
    • What was the circumstance that caused you to move?
    • Were there painful costs to that move?
    • Were there joyful advancements of the gospel because of that move?
  • Austin used some interesting language to express how the early church evangelized. He said they were “scattered” to new places where they continued to  “gossip” about the gospel that had changed their lives.
    • What was the seemingly most natural or organic way that you have gotten to “gossip” the gospel to unbelievers?
  • Were there any others ways in which you felt convicted or inspired from Acts 8:1-8 or Austin’s sermon?

Sample Responses

Either in smaller groups or as a whole GC:

  • Take some time to remember some people who have moved away from Abilene and The Well. Pray over them and their ministry in their current community.
  • Take some time to pray over the future ministry of your current GC members. Whether they are leaving or staying in Abilene, pray over one another’s futures, that God would strategically place them in positions to witness about Jesus on a daily basis.