I. THE VISION                                                                                                            Section 1

We see Jesus’ vision statement at Mark 10:45:
“The Son of Man (Messiah) did not come to be served, but to serve,

and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The lifestyle of the true Christian is in a passionate discipleship ministry 

which is greatly omitted from the traditional church services.

The Acts Vision is to lead a worldwide discipleship ministry

in the accomplishment of The Great Commission.

 

Acts Biblical Discipleship Methodology - Brief Overview

Act I. Apply to Acts and begin a 30-90 days Ministry Certification (depending on background, experience, time invested, and inspiration from the Holy Spirit) with help from your Mentor, Co-Mentor and other Acts Leadership.

Act II. When certified, you are qualified for Acts Ministry employment. When hired begin Mentoring your own Discipleship Legacy Group of new Disciples appointed from Acts, and as you begin mentoring new Disciples you are qualified for a part-time expense account to be used for ministry purposes.

Act III. Acts will continue to appoint additional Certified Christian Discipleship Ministers to be Mentored up to a maximum of 12 Personal Disciples. These additional Disciples must be previously certified by Acts and are appointed according to gender, seniority, and real-life experiences that are similar to the Mentor. As the Discipleship Minister receives more Appointments of Mentorees to be discipled, there will be leadership reviews for increases in your salary and employee benefits.  (See salary and benefits defined here)

Good Samaritan News (GSN)

From your neighborhood to the nation and to all nations...

The Acts Vision is implemented as a grassroots national revival that converts lukewarm congregations, reaches secular neighborhoods, unites communities, and fills church pews with passionate active disciplers. The Vision does not limit God and is ultimately a worldwide revolutionary church unification process that is faithful and compliant with the Biblical teachings for discipleship multiplication.

“...how I kept back nothing that was profitable [unto you] but has shown you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house.” Acts 20:20

GSN is a neighborhood news publication that is hand-delivered by our journalists and counselors offering a very powerful connection to our neighborhoods as we obey the calling of Christ to love thy neighbor as ourselves.

Moses answers God’s call by saying “Here I am” (Exodus 3:4). Moses made a great leader because he was simply available. Today we are all called to ministry yet, less than 5% of all Christians are actively discipling others. This places 95% of Christianity in violation of God’s commandment to make Disciples. It’s no wonder the Christian Church is losing its influence on societies and even nations are becoming more secular, more corrupt, and all to the detriment of God’s children and our children. Acts unify God’s Church and give us immediate hope for our future as the light of the world. Acts promote family values, moral values, financial wellness, temple maintenance, Christian health care plans, and provides a true Discipleship Lifestyle.

Remember, every Christian is called to ministry and should receive training and financial support (if needed) to continue in one’s calling.

PLEASE NOTE: If you feel unworthy or not in need of receiving substantial financial blessings for serving Christ as you serve others, then you can still become a Certified Discipleship Minister and should possibly consider a volunteer position with other charities or your local church. Either way, we must all include discipleship in our service for Christ, unless of course if we are to be in disagreement with God and risk a luke-warm relationship with Christ. As such we risk something that all Christians should be fearful of; being spewed out of God’s mouth (Revelation 3:16)!

II. THE MISSION                                                                                                     Section 2

Jesus’ mission statement can be seen at Luke 7:22;

and Mathew 28:16-20;
“Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor; Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Christians are ALL Commissioned and Commanded

for Discipleship Ministry in a Missional field of every neighborhood to every nation.

 

“God has not called us [all] to be professional clergymen;

He has called us to be disciple-makers.” John MacArthur

 

“Both the Old and New Testament mark out discipleship as a requisite part of ministry,

not an option”   S. Lance Quinn

 

The Acts Mission Is a Ministry of Inclusion.

The best Legacy Group leaders will have a sincere love for Christ and people. They are also of strong spiritual character and yet are real enough to build genuine friendships.

The Acts Minister will learn to enjoy their new ministry as a new lifestyle. The Ministry of Inclusion activates our most passionate endeavors as they become the place to practice discipleship, mentoring, and counseling that is attractive to our friends, neighbors, and every sector of society. Our everyday activities of devotionals, witnessing, healthy diets, sports and recreation, fellowship, and small group ministries will be financially supported while increasing our focus on the Inclusion of Christ. Whether we are studying the Word together at the local café, witnessing to a friend in need at the local park, enjoying a day at the beach with a Mentoree, fishing at our favorite lake with a new convert, playing a round of golf with a mentor, enjoying a couples or singles potluck, and finally paying off our debts; we will be Activating a Christ-like discipleship that brings our Lord closer every day. Then, as people see the joy in us, then we have become the light upon the lost world that more and more lost souls will want to know the true Christ.

“The Christian Church today builds from the inside out. The contemporary church needs the support of a congregation that practices an active discipleship lifestyle that is also outside the church walls; the need is a ministry that develops the church from outside in…

"This critical need is accomplished with The Acts Para-Church Discipleship Ministry.”

                                                                         Christian Snyder, Lead Pastor 

The Faithful Christian Mission Statement…

Romans 12:2;

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that by testing you can discern what is the word of God, what is good, acceptable and perfect.”

The Acts Founder is Pastor Christian but the Head of Acts is and must continue to be Christ Jesus. His vision for the Acts Ministry was given many years ago to the Lead Pastor and is the first contemporary model of God's original house church and discipleship through every walk of life; designed to change you and reward you as you practice “doing life” in Christ and in a passionate Christian lifestyle…

(2 Corinthians 5:17).

The Act’s mission to accomplish this is to Act’-ivate lukewarm congregations through biblical discipleship ministry (Acts 2:42). This mission was inspired by God through the persecution and incarceration of the Pastor of Acts. The inspiration has been verified by scholars, professors, and by many Brothers and Sisters that have sought counseling from the Pastor. Most importantly the Acts Ministry is biblically sound and will revive any lukewarm congregation.

Seldom will a person become a Christ-follower because a group of people mowed their lawn once. Seldom will someone choose to surrender to Christ because someone dropped by once a year. Most people will follow Jesus because they see Christ’s love being lived out over time by Christians who really care and are present in their neighborhood offering professional counseling and just being a friend.

The Acts Ministry is also about leading small group(s) of 2 or more on a mission, not to just identify projects but to identify Christians who also see and hear the biblical calling. We serve them, love them, help them, and simply enjoy life with them.

The sterile nature of “projects” is just not passionate enough for our Lord;

He wants to personally enjoy life with you and through you, every day!

Christ wants to say to the world, Behold, my new Disciple!

When you think about Jesus, does your heart warm, and do you feel sincere love for him? If this is your heart or want it to be so, then join us to help others learn how they too can leave behind the old creature and experience God’s description of you when He said,  “behold this is my new creature” in my Son, Jesus Christ!  (2Cor 5:17) BEHOLD! You are His new daughter and new son that live to serve Him in your legacy of disciple-making with your Acts Church Ministry!

 

III. THE CALLING “Be holy as I am Holy”                                                              Section 3

(Leviticus 20:7, 26; 1Peter 1:16)

Ministers in the Acts Church are strong Christians that realize their calling, do not limit their God in their own calling, and leave behind their past to run a new Pauline race-more holy and joyful each day. We embrace our victory over sin by Act-ivating our faith, by serving (ministering) to those that God has brought into our path. Acts Ministers commit to a Christlike lifestyle that increasingly practices Godly ways to live; helping others with their new life so that we can move away from our old self. We find victory over our own trials by serving our mentorees in their spiritual quest. Our work is truly a joy as we include our daily ministry in a new lifestyle of prayer, service, mentoring, discipleship, fellowship, sports, recreation, and especially our family life;

 all become our daily ministry. We rest and attend our local church on Sunday to recharge for our ministry of discipleship… Monday-Saturday!

Am I Qualified?

If you are saved, born again, and truly wish to help others and develop your own spiritual growth, God accepts you today, right where you are! Acts Church will also accept you as you are! Do not hesitate or fear the ministry application or the calling to be trained and to be a Disciple/Mentor for 12 others. If you have a heart to truly follow Christ, He will lead you to a rewarding legacy and wonderful ministry in the Acts Church.

FISHERS OF MEN

Your readiness is just as much a part of receiving a blessing as believing in a limitless God. In other words, I am so convinced that God is going to bless me that I am making plans today by building the biggest net I can to receive it all. The disciples’ net began to break when it only had 144 to 153 fish.

"The Way" movement structure was exactly where the Acts Ministry promotes us today.

How big do you vision your net? The leadership at Acts will show you how to propel your ministry into a bright new future with a BIG NET.

A Question for every Christian…

Will you obey your Lord Jesus and become more like Him, more passionate, more of a servant-leader, unified, more abundant,

ready and able to offer more blessings to others?

What if you could afford to spend your days with family, friends, and enjoying a favorite activity with your Brothers and Sisters. Sharing the day that God has given you together in fellowship, witnessing our lifestyle, co-mentoring each other in a passionate sport, counseling while enjoying coffee together, keeping the Lord’s temple healthy in a favorite recreation, and develop a more natural meditation on Christ?

Will I Succeed in Discipleship ministry career with Acts employment, Jesus says yes!

How?

a) You will be spiritually growing in Christ assisted by your Personal Mentor, Co-Mentor, and leadership team;

b) You will also be supported financially so that…

c) You will never have to quit, and you cannot be removed or fired because of church polity. 

Simply continue to enjoy a Christian Lifestyle, loging on to your Legacy Group each day, and following through with your discipleship activities. This is ministry success. This is Biblical discipleship.

 

First, one must get rid of any pre-conceived notions about your own past sin, your past failure, your self-inflicted limitations; and begin to see God’s view of who you are, why he created you with strengths and weaknesses;

 And within your humble weakness …how you can become more like Christ.

The Acts Ministry will be very natural, exciting, and quite easy for any Christian who is passionate for Christ. If you’re not actively discipling others or just don’t have that passion any more, or maybe you are comfortable just attending church and maybe a weekly bible study;

This ministry is created to transform the luke-warm into the on fire leader. Anyone who is in Christ can do this! You can do this!

 Christ is calling you. (2 Cor.5:20)

 

IV. DISCIPLESHIP                                                                                                  Section 4

Discipleship is built on long term relationships. The most successful Small Groups are built on 12 great relationships that also develop their own 12. Jesus taught this to his original 12 and the world exploded with billions of believers.

First and foremost, God wants us to use His money His way.

Acts is merely the vessel to train and support God’s chosen; not by church politics and only with God’s resources; and not with bank loans or church building mortgages-Acts Church is debt free and fully supported by the Membership offerings that are inspired by Christ (The Holy Spirit)…

If you truly believe that Jesus is the son of God and voluntarily died to give you a salvation spent with him for eternity, then the Holy Spirit dwells within you and wants to help you use uniquely-given abilities called “spiritual gifts.”

Spir”it”u”al gifts: abilities given to each believer of Jesus Christ that are directly connected to the Holy Spirit. They allow the life and ministry of the church (us) to occur, mature, and powerfully multiply.

Acts Ministry is not just a job or a career. It trains you and financially supports…

Your own Discipleship Ministry as a Lifestyle!

Spiritual gifts are our way of serving the Lord in the same lifestyle as Jesus showed us while ministering to the first Disciples. Chances are however, that you just can’t afford the time to develop and ACT-ivate your spiritual gifts.

 

                                             Jesus commissioned all Christians to disciple others and prepare for his return. By leading our own                                                                 Personal Legacy Groups we come into agreement with Christ and we are blessed by                                                                                     our unity of faith; and as we serve and love each other, we also love Jesus                                                                                                                                                         (Acts 2:42-47)

 

When thinking about our own Discipleship Ministry we should consider a passage in 1 Thessalonians 2 where the Apostle Paul and his colleagues demonstrate an informed understanding of the cultural context in which they planted and shepherded the church in Thessalonica. Without ever diluting the Gospel we can become a Missional Church that relates to and is connected to the culture that we are hoping to influence. We must not be as the philosophers of Thessalonica advancing our own agenda, but rather servants of Christ who advance His salvation plan through closely attended relationships (discipleship). The world must see the love and unity in our walk (lifestyle).

So just exactly what roles and positions in our cultural setting might you as Acts Ministers be projecting onto your Legacy Group Members and the community?

It will be an awesome experience as people learn you’re an Acts Minister, which is actually just a true practicing Christian expressed formally and professionally. What a greater respect folks in your local church, community, and especially your own family will have for you as a spiritual leader; because they will associate you with the true Disciples who walked with Christ every day. Are you currently in a ministry that makes disciples and then multiplies them? If so, then God bless you and stay committed to whatever ministry you have been inspired to serve in. However, if you are not discipling/mentoring anyone, and receiving financial support as called for by Christ, then we are here to help you become all that Jesus has planned for you.

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The PTSD Ministry Process

Act I. Complete your PTS ideation evaluation & application for training and employment. (please note that suicide cases are given priority and other clients may experience delays in training)

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Act II. Receive appointment to a Certified Mentor and begin your spiritual training. (30 to 90 days average)

 

Act III. Complete an approved PTSD training program and receive certification as a Christian Counselor/Mentor.

(May be completed in conjunction with Act II)

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Act IV. Begin receiving Mentoree appointments within your personal Legacy Group.

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Acts V. Apply for employment as a Christian Mentor, Ordained Minister, Associate Pastor, or other ministry position including expense accounts, salaries, health care, and other benefits.

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The Acts PTSDheroes program is fully sponsored by our fundraising and in-house tuition grants. All Military and First Responders who have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress will be trained and certified at no cost. Those who have suicidal disposition are engaged in our priority mentoring placement. 

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Disclaimer: Acts Ministry does not guarantee any results and our success is based on the client's consistent and life-long commitment to mentoring others within the New Testament teaching of discipleship/mentoring. Salaries are based on the client/employee's reviews and the number of appointments/mentorees more specifically designated in the Employee Handbook and/or the Employment Agreement. Salaries are only provided for Christian believers (ministers of Christ) however all are welcome and non-Christians will receive the same training and mentoring without Christian Counseling Certification. Non-Christian clients may not experience the same sense of purpose and may not be fully healed.

Always maintain your own personal medical care and do not change any prescribed medications unless instructed by your physician(s). 

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Our Purpose

The ACTS Ministry is a vessel for God to provide the training certification, ordination, and financial support that every ministry needs to fulfill a lifelong personal and intimate calling directly from our Lord Jesus; transforming your life into a lifestyle of ministry; mentoring and leading your Brothers and Sisters (Servant-hood Leadership);

A Christlike Discipling of those who are inactive, unchurched, lukewarm, or even fallen away completely from their faith.

Because of your decision to obey God’s commandment;

The 12 that join your Cell group can soon become your legacy of thousands and will be recorded in the church genealogy of those who were discipled by your ministry.

The critical question aswered is what is true “Christian ministry?”

Biblical Answer: “Ministry” is from the Greek word diakoneo, meaning “to serve” or douleuo, meaning “to serve as a slave.” In the New Testament, ministry is seen as service to God and to other people in His name. Jesus provided the pattern for Christian ministry in the form of discipleship multiplication—He came, not to receive service, but to give it (see Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45; John 13:1-17).
Acts Church is this ministry.
The Christian should minister by meeting people’s needs with love and humility on Christ’s behalf (see Matthew 20:26; Mark 10:43; John 2:5,9; Acts 6:3; Romans 1:1; Galatians 1:10; Colossians 4:12). Christians are to minister to others out of their devotion to Christ and their love for others, whether the other people are believers or unbelievers. Ministry to others should be impartial and unconditional, always seeking to help others as Jesus would.
Acts accepts all Christians at any spiritual level.
The ministry in our day has taken on more of a vocational meaning as we call pastors “ministers” to full-time service. Pastors do spend their lives in the ministry, they do minister to others, and they can rightly be designated as ministers, but pastors are not the only ones who are to be involved in ministry. From the early New Testament churches to the churches of our day, each Christian should be in the ministry of helping others (see Romans 12:3-8, 10-13; 2 Timothy 2:24-26).

Acts Church promotes all into Ministry who realize their calling and wish to respond.

The content of ministry seems to prioritize the ministering in spiritual things, not just practical things. Ministry should place emphasis on sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others so they can come to know Him and receive Him as personal Savior (evangelism), go on to experience Him as Lord of their life (discipleship), and go even further to know Christ as the essence of their Life (sanctification); (see John 1:12; Colossians 2:6-7; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 3:8-10). Ministry can, and should, include ministering to the physical, emotional, mental, vocational, and financial needs of others. Jesus did, and so should we!

Acts Church fulfills this biblical requirement.

Revelation 1:5-6, “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen.”

We succeed or fail in accordance to our own character.

If we act more like Christ each day (lifestyle),

Then we succeed.

If we see others with the eyes of Christ,

Then we succeed.

If we go about our Fathers business-every day,

Then we succeed.

If we face our trials with faith instead of fear,

Then we succeed.

If we focus on helping others instead of ourselves,

Then we succeed.

Charles Spurgeon

“If I were asked, what is in a Christian minister as the most essential quality for securing success in winning souls for Christ?

I should reply, earnestness..!”

 

If you are earnestly seeking you’re calling to serve Christ,

You will surely succeed in the Acts ministry.

 

The question of obedience is for you to answer. Your answer is in the first and greatest commandment: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength” (Mark 12:30; see also Matt. 22:37; Deut. 6:5; Luke 10:27); So we must serve (minister) with all of our own ability, and love our neighbor as ourselves (1 John 5:3; 4:21). All of which is simply to live a lifestyle that loves God and serves (disciples) his people and everything else will follow that passion.

We can become more spiritual than secular, And more content in Christ than needy of the world;

And most importantly like Jesus, we become more of the truth and of the light for others to seek.

Therefore, we need to be reminded about spiritual things on a regular basis. Through discipleship, we can practice those things that will keep us moving forward (leaving behind the old pain and failures) and as we serve others our own concerns and even weaknesses become our new strengths through Servant-hood leadership.

Acts Discipleship training and multiplication takes hold in our everyday life and we at Acts discover more purpose as we realize:

1. It takes a disciple to make a disciple. While anyone can host a small group (even a non-Christian), only a true active disciple can make a disciple.

2. If only real disciples can make disciples then it is an important deduction that means if you’re not actively making disciples, you probably aren’t a disciple.

3. Disciples are rarely made in rows, or alone, on the internet, or in a college seminary classroom. From the Christlike model, a disciple is to be made in a circle of intimate trusting relationships. After all, becoming a disciple has far less to do with digesting information (like in a class) and far more to do with spending time with those who are becoming more and more like Jesus.

4. You don’t have to arrive before you begin making disciples (see Phil. 3:12-14). If you are saved with a true passion to serve, Acts leadership training will begin your spiritual development and your Acts leadership and personal mentor will never leave your side as you advance in your calling.

5. You don’t have to use printed “marketing and advertising” to make disciples. The early disciples made it happen even before they had the New Testament. The NT is simply a blessing for us to seek more of Christ and “hear” him speak to us in a personal and intellectual manner.

6. You don’t become a disciple by completing a course or curriculum but more importantly by developing relationships and learning to mentor and be mentored. While some studies might be better at generating the kinds of conversations that open eyes and soften hearts, completing a study or a certification isn’t like completing a degree program that qualifies you to use a title or certain letters after your name (like Rev., Dr., Fr., or Ph.D.). You will be guided as the original disciples were led; by the Holy Spirit and discipled through a Christlike model of Spiritual training. Knowledge will grow but is not your purpose.

7. Completing a degree or curriculum also doesn’t make you a disciple-maker. You might earn a credential, but what makes you a disciple-maker is that you’re actually making disciples.

8. Disciple-making takes time. You can’t microwave a disciple. The process won’t be hurried. A real disciple is always becoming more like Jesus. It’s what gives the disciple-maker the opportunity to say, “Here’s what the Lord is showing me right now.”

9. Like the servants in Matt. 25, every one of us is given the opportunity to invest in others “according to our ability.” Acts provides support to its Ministers as they enjoy their long term commitment to disciple-making (Mentoring).

10. “Go and Make disciples” was Jesus’ final command. It was His marching orders to His disciples. It isn’t optional or reserved for those with the credential. It is a command for all of us.

11. We assure our sanctification when we choose to obey Christ this day forward and begin to connect with those Brothers and Sisters that are struggling or in need of a partner and a financially supported ministry.

12. Pray about twelve other Christians you know that would catch fire with their personal fulfilling ministry and new hope for a better life in agreement with Christ.

Pastor C’s Calling 10 years ago and still today; is to convert lukewarm congregations into passionate and Act-ive disciplers with a solid biblical Christ-like teaching. The new Acts Church Member receives greater levels of Certification while being trained and developing their Cell Church groups of 12; they are awarded a monthly expense account and increasing salaries as Small Group Leaders. Acts Members begin by supporting their church with volunteer help and monthly offerings while they become certified as Ministers (Discipleship Multiplication has always been the foundation of every obedient church).

Acts Church will provide all who wish to obey Christ the training and support to get you started and more importantly to keep you going!

 

V. TRADITIONAL CHURCH IS FAILING                                                               Section 5       

God’s church is divided, divisive, and dying with over 400 different denominations that refuse to unite as directed in the New Testament. There are more unchurched “Christians” and lukewarm congregations than ever before in our nation’s history. The smaller and more intimate churches are closing their doors at an alarming rate and for one main reason, a failure to disciple their congregations in an attempt to promote megachurch attendance through programs rather than a Christlike multiplication of lay ministry.

Along with growing secularism and political correctness, pluralism is popular in a worldly acceptance of any god will do. The Barna Research Group found that “Half of all adults (50%) argue that a growing number of people they know are tired of having the same church experience.”

Biblical Solution: The Acts Church is a biblical founded ministry that develops spiritual relationships in a small group house church setting or one-on-one co-mentoring discipleship. Members receive certification training and daily mentoring which build lasting fellowship and a loving commitment between Brothers and Sisters. We all need help in bearing our own cross from time to time and the unity and assembly of weekly small group ministry with a daily counseling and mentoring relationship is the most effective way to exercise our spiritual gifts and become one body of Christ.

Our Local Church needs help – lots of help!

The Lack of Staff and "Expertise"...

Pastor Christian has consulted and counseled pastors and leaders of a variety of church denominations and rarely is the statement of faith, the church doctrines, or even the size of a congregation the problem. The problem is a lack of leadership transparency and unity of congregations. The staff has become insensitive to the congregation and each other, and usually feel over-worked and under-paid. If the topic of discussion among both the pastorate and their congregants was, for example, leadership, depression, finances, or even psychological disorders were to be discussed openly, there would be such an outpouring of need that the staff would be overwhelmed with requests for help and counseling. There is simply not enough time or qualified people available to even suggest our church could be a healing agent for all the congregants with enormous counseling needs.

Therefore, it would be unfair to encourage our church people to seek help and then not come alongside them and assist them in their healing journey. The task can be overwhelming both in terms of emotional and financial resources.

The Acts Discipleship Ministry is the answer! We can all help each other as peers rather than depend on the “professionals” who are either unavailable or unaffordable to offer long term care. If the person in need has been carefully evaluated for any medication needs, a Brother or Sister with some basic Christian Counseling training can help their recovery immensely with a long term commitment…a solid Christlike loving commitment!

Common Ministry failures and why Acts Ministry will succeed for every believer.

There are basically seven reasons why ministers fail.

1)    Lack of time for genuine intimacy with Christ, Spouse, Family, Disciples, and other leadership/mentoring  relationships; (Acts will provide duplicatable counseling/mentoring with financial support for Ministers to afford the time needed for spiritual growth and physiological health (1 Cor 6:1)

2)    Inadequate understanding for their calling; (Acts will provide spiritual and temperamental evaluation)

3)    Inadequate stress management skills as joy become a job; (Acts will provide one-on-one counseling with a certified leader that might just take him “fishing!”)

4)    Lack of necessary boundaries; (Acts will provide leadership mentoring and written guidelines that change work into passionate activities)

5)    Failure to prioritize re-creation (Acts will promote a lifestyle of serving Christ in our own choice for recreation, sports, and fitness ministry)

6)    Insufficient people skills (Acts will provide the evaluation of temperamental strengths and weaknesses for correct ministry appointments and a new focus on interpersonal skills, fellowship, and the fun times of an Inclusion Ministry Lifestyle)

7)    Lack of leadership skills (Acts will train those who are not naturally given these relationship skills in a lead by example methodology)

There are also seven reasons you have assured success in Ministry.

1. Persistence in Christ – Proverbs 24:16

2. Persistence in Christ – Galatians 6:9

3. Persistence in Christ – Hebrews 12:1,2

4. Persistence in Christ – Titus 2:2

5. Persistence in Christ – John 14:26

6. Persistence in Christ – James 1:1-27

7. Persistence in Christ – Luke 18:1

 

A Question and Answer to consider before applying…

Why join the Acts Leadership Team?

We are not in alignment with Christ without “Act-ing” out our faith. (See Phil 2:12) We must ask ourselves if just being a good person and a good witness is enough to have Christ see us as his disciple. The last earthly words (a Commission and Commandment) spoken from our Lord Jesus were to “Go” and preach (evangelize) and make disciples and in this journey, He will be with us always.

Whether a believer decides to join Acts or any other discipleship activity, it is critical that we all are able to follow through on our commitments to other believers. The Acts program gives the proper training and financial support that has been lacking in the corporate church; failing to provide financial support for the lay ministry and consequently restricts the congregations from affording the proper time and long term commitment to those that are invited into church membership. Therefore, it is requested that the Acts Members make an Offering commitment to support the Acts Leadership Ministry services for a minimum term.

Listen to God speak in Matt. 6:21;

“…for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

If we want to be financially blessed and still avoid becoming enmeshed in materialism, we need to cultivate a lifestyle of spiritual growth and ministry; plus cultivate a godly manner of dealing with our money and material possessions. The Bible describes this as a habit of consistent, sacrificial financial giving to God’s work.

HERBERT KANE: “The last part of the person to convert is the wallet.” How true we’ve seen this to be! Therefore, we need to form deep biblical convictions about this area as soon as possible in our Christian lives.

Remember there is a critical connection between our perspective on material things and spiritual things.  

The ultimate investment you can make with your life is only by investing in something that will outlast it. Jesus invested His life in twelve men for three years. Now, two thousand years later, look at His return. Jesus had a supernatural yield on His rather small, but a passionate investment.

Just think about the potential of investing your life (with the Holy Spirit) in a handful of disciplers for the rest of your life. The impact of your few short years on this earth can continue to draw dividends for many years after you are gone. That is also called an eternal investment! Generation after generation of disciples will be reproduced because you were a reliable person that trusted the Lord to lead you just as he led his original disciples. The generations of your fruitful ministry will know who you were as they can see your Legacy through the …

…Acts Record of Ordained Ministry!

The Acts Church will provide every member and their posterity with a genealogy of every new disciple that originates from their own original 12. Can you imagine the crowns in heaven from your own legacy of a truly active and passionate ministry!

 

Your personal and direct calling from Jesus

So how about your calling from Christ? Are you making the ultimate investment; with your cross to bear; with a new lifestyle; a new joyful work; a rewarding service to your Brothers and Sisters; a new character; a new respect; an abundance of giving and receiving; a new passion for life; or, are you wasting it on things that just don’t really matter?

Ask yourself right now how many people will you invest your life in with the days you have left? Ask yourself if your ministry is optional? Rather you begin here with Acts or in another calling, YOU ARE CALLED. If you start investing in God’s calling to develop your Legacy Group now, you will be making an unselfish and eternal investment. Because discipleship ministry is not optional for the true Christian, you must choose to make this day the day that the Lord has made for you, to choose Him first. Someone said it like this — “You can count the seeds in an apple, but you can’t count the apples in a seed.”

THERE IS NO OTHER OPTION.

You are called to serve others as our Lord Jesus has set forth in HIS plan to reach the world. He has no other plan but the Great Commission…

He simply said, “Go and make disciples.”

First, we must know our spiritual gifts.

Upon making an application to the Acts Church every applicant will undergo a Spiritual Gifts evaluation that provides the member with his/her strongest spiritual gifts that were given to us from God. These gifts will become the foundation of your Certifications and qualifications for leadership. The Acts Legacy Groups are the most effective place to discover and to exercise Spiritual Gifts.

How long does it take to receive a salary?

Financial support begins the following month of the Minister Certification of the MDL; however, we should only begin serving in any ministry because we look forward to the spiritual blessings from God immediately. At the moment we decide to obey our commitment to discipleship is the very moment we enjoy the excitement of our new journey. Depending on the individual experience, time commitment, and spiritual gifts, Members could become Certified Ministers and eligible for the expense account within a few months or possibly by the second month of employment. The financial blessings outlined herein are to provide God’s money for the Acts Members who are committed to the biblical model of small group discipleship (2 or more). Spiritual leaders can best serve when they are fully dedicated to the work of the Lord—to the study and teaching of God’s Word and ministering to the needs of the body of Christ.

If a minister must continue (beyond a reasonable time) working at a job to provide for his/her family, then he/she will be distracted from the ministry and forced to divide priorities, leaving less time to adequately shepherd his/her flock. We therefore have developed non-political qualifications to allow a very short time commitment to volunteer work. The Acts Church is purposefully driven to create leaders and support them financially, who will be ready (with close mentoring) to serve their own flock (Legacy Groups) in a variety of ministries within months rather than years.

What does the Bible say about salaries for your Ministry?

1 Timothy 5:17-18:
Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well, especially those who work hard at both evangelical practice and discipleship/teaching/mentoring. The Scripture is clear and direct, “You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.” And in other translations, “Ministers who work deserve double honor!” ["double honor" is double pay] 

In obedience to First Timothy; Acts has taken the average income in America and doubled that amount for our salary and hourly compensation.

What if I do not own/rent or have a house to meet in?

Any facility that can accommodate the Cell Church Guidelines will be approved as your own Home Cell Church. Another Brother or Sister may join you and offer their home or your own Local Church may be willing to offer a meeting room (of course, if the pastor sees your ministry as a true character of Christ with the motive to grow his congregation and provide training that is in theological compliance with their church doctrinal beliefs).

It is not recommended that the Minister rents a facility unless they have approval from the Acts Board of Directors; are prepared to commit to at least one year, and do not acquire any financial burden or debt whatsoever.

How do I know God’s Will for my own ministry?

If you are a Christian then you are called to go and make Disciples and you are called by God to make Jesus Christ your Lord. He must become prevalent in every area of your life and work. (Matthew 28:19-20; Ephesians 2:10) Your own style or type of ministry will depend on your spiritual gifts and passionate area of service.

Will we obey Christ or will we remain lukewarm?

The contemporary Church of Christ has generally become luke-warm and has failed to provide a Christ-like mentoring disposition leaving congregations with Sunday services and programs that are wonderful, evangelical, and entertaining yet, not providing the support for the true life of a disciple as we are called to outside lay ministry. The inactivity of congregations is against the commandment of Christ to Act out their faith and to work out their salvation; to go and make disciples.

Acts Ministry is about activating your faith… Ministry is about putting your money where your mouth (preaching) is; using God’s money to support the leaders as we all train to also become leaders. It’s about Discipleship multiplication. According to the Apostle Paul, he had much to say regarding a change in thinking. The Bible states in Romans 12:2;

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that by testing you can discern what is the word of God, what is good, acceptable and perfect.”

Within the first part of this scripture, it clearly refers to a process of change – rejecting what is unacceptable to God in today’s world which includes many negative and corruptible processes in both our personal and public lives. The second part of scripture identifies with the need to expect God to work in your life! This activation of faith can only exist if we are looking for or testing to discern God’s work. Testing is a process of evaluation. Are you evaluating God’s work in your life? Through this analysis, we can discern what is pleasing God and what is not. God knows that if we look and expect His action, believing and activating our faith and if He agrees that it is fitting to intervene; we will witness His work, and our faith will grow by leaps and bounds! On the other hand, if our expectations are not met, because God did not intervene then He is expecting us to continue trusting Him! Is it your time to really change and find His purpose for you?

The Acts Church is your vehicle to become that new creature in Christ! You can leave behind the old and embrace the new…Behold you are new and you are ready!

 

The greatest problem with our secular society is that the church is serving secularism by default rather than leading with an active discipleship example. This is already revealed as church apostasy by the great Apostle John in Revelation 2:10, “…be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life.” Note that this crown displays twelve stars: Daniel 12:3, “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.” (See also Revelation 1:20). The woman of chapter 12 is a picture of the church that follows the true gospel of Christ. At the time of the end, there will come a “falling away” (apostasia, 2 Thessalonians 2:3). The church, which was once pictured by the faithful woman of Revelation 12, is now pictured as the “whore” of Revelation 17. (We must keep in mind that this is not the eternal, spiritual church, against whom the gates of hell shall not prevail; but of the external, corporate church.) In this time of great apostasy, the true believers will have left the corporate church, and they will be outside of it weeping over its fall. They must, therefore, be prepared to go “underground” and support each other without relying on the Anti-Christ and his computer chip number for the people’s provisions.

The Acts program is therefore in alignment with such need. There needs to be a foundation built upon the teachings of Jesus to be ready with a duplicatable church for those left behind after the rapture; that have possibly been luke-warm; or even biblically trained but not yet evangelized or discipled. The church will become apostate and we must be prepared to prepare those left behind. They must be ready to lead in small Cell Church ministry.

So just what is apostasy and how can I recognize it?                                 
Answer: Apostasy, from the Greek word apostasia, means “a defiance of an established system or authority; a rebellion; an abandonment or breach of faith.” In the first-century world, apostasy was a technical term for political revolt or defection. And just like in the first century, apostasy threatens the Body of Christ today which brings us to the next observation of John’s prophetic vision of the inevitable apostate church in Revelation that should give us the warning to prepare for this apostasy. It is that time for us to unite the church and once again to support each other as did the original church in Acts 2:42-47.

 

Acts Ministry Executive Pastor

Nothing can stop the biblically founded prayers of a righteous church whose time has come. The Acts Para-Church focus for activating congregations around the world was revealed to the Pastor of Acts two decades ago, yet the Lord had demanded a time of preparation and severe trials to bring forth the new creature (minister) from this once lukewarm believer. The character of the Acts Lead Pastor is revealed through his history of success and most importantly his failures yet; the Lord has inspired him through an extremely difficult and painful loss. He can relate to anyone's trials and leads this ministry with trust in the Lord's timing, the Lord's patience, and the Lord's Will.

 

Pastor Christian has been saved since his college association with Campus Crusaders for Christ in 1978,

which was also influenced by his upbringing in the Lutheran Church. He holds a BSBA with 18 years

experience as CEO for a once international legal and financial services organization; a Charter President for Rotary International; and subsequent to his calling into ministry, completed 3 masters degrees, 2 of which are seminary degrees, and a Ph.D. as follows;  Liberty University Theological Seminary, summa cum laude, with a Masters in Christian Leadership; a Masters in Pastoral Counseling; Masters in Divinity; and his Ph.D. is in Pastoral Counseling/Psychology (IP) Northwestern University and Theological Seminary.

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Christian’s wife Casey is dedicated to her Jesus and enjoys her work as a research biologist that for her continues to biblically and scientifically solidify God as the origin of life. Their 3 children enjoy church, surfing, music, and too much video gaming! They are a very spiritual family and committed to their Lord Jesus as Head of their home. Their oldest son is an Army - National Guard active field medic currently studying medicine at Liberty University; their middle daughter has recently received a full academic scholarship to several top colleges and has been a licensed private pilot since she was 17, and their youngest daughter is in high school and a gifted "socialite," performs in the school orchestra, with a current desire to study psychology- but Pastor C asks us not to blame him. LoL!

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Pastor C has been a counselor, a leader, and employer of hundreds. An innovator in two industries he believes in the Pauline strategy to, like the Apostle Paul, "make our tents" while we begin to serve Christ in formal ministry. “God has called us all into a discipleship ministry; and has provided us a direct path with The Acts Ministry; but only when we are willing  to carry that cross.”

As a Member of the American Prepaid Legal Institute Christian assisted with the model bill 120; and in the late 1980’s he presented a Legal Defense Plan Bill to a foreign territory of the US legislature which was successfully passed into law. His philanthropy started as a Charter President of Rotary Club International supporting needy children, foreign missionary work, and continues today with a children’s ministry in Baja Mexico providing free dental and cleft surgical care. Every part of his life became a source for philanthropy including Racing for Charity, a desert racing team, Spirit Golf Tour, a Christian only Pro-Am golf tour, and even his horse ranch was used for 10 years to help poor immigrants learn equestrian skills and become legal American citizens. As CEO of a Legal and Financial Services Organization, he was, however, not serving Christ. After many years of corporate success, the Lord had called him again to serve. When he refused again to completely submit to the Lord, God stripped him of all his worldly wealth, independence, and even his physical health would be compromised; resulting in his own PTSD. Christian was of the belief that if you are a good person and never hurt anyone, then he was good with God and could make lots of money, give to charities, and follow the world's philosophy that it is our life to live. This ignorance of God's jealous calling would bring Christian to his knees. The Lord would send in a team of Atheists to infiltrate his very successful company of 16 years. Keep in mind a perfect record for 16 years. The Lord knew that Christian would not voluntarily serve him. Christ would need to use an atheist lawyer, and an atheist comptroller to collude in a genius scheme to embezzle money while the absentee leader was racing dirt bikes and playing golf. The Lord would set the stage for Christian to be sent to prison as there was a Muslim, a Jehovah's Witness, several gang members, and even a prison guard that he would lead to Christ. But there was even a greater battle that he would have to confront that, without God's protection would have kept this innocent man confined for the rest of his life. You can hear the rest of this incredible theophany and intervention by Christ on the video "Tortured in America." 

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"But we do not have to suffer such trials – God wants to bless you and give you life abundantly. God is jealous of His relationship with you. The greatest method for walking with Christ is through discipleship ministry.

Act-ivate your faith today, and please do not rely on your faith alone but ACT on your faith." Pastor Christian

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Revelation 3:16 clearly deserves repeating as it represents today’s contemporary church with God’s seeming anger of Christians who are inactive and without a passionate ministry. These again are the words from God as a warning to those “Christians” who think that active ministry is optional….

God said it clearly, “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,

I will vomit you out of my mouth.”

We at Acts like to think of this ministry as a “life assurance plan” that assures us of our obedience to Christ in this life and subsequently assures us of our eternal life; not by our works but rather by our passion to serve as Christ came to serve us. We want to leave behind a legacy that resembles our Lord and prepares a future for our Posterity (both our natural and church family). We can be bold and brave for Jesus because our Acts Church is behind us as we can be confident in our faith, as we become more and more confident in our commitment as Acts Ministers.

 

Who has Pastor Christian Discipled?

What do they say?…

 

“Hi Pastor Christian, I am sending a sincere heart prayers and thanks for you, from a mothers heart I wanted you to know how thankful I am for you being so consciences and for seeing my son in such a crisis time and I am saying extra special prayers for you this evening. What a hero you are to drop everything and see my son, a wounded soldier, and also my favorite hero.”                                                                              A.    Myers, CA

 

“I want to thank you for saving my marriage. You gave me exactly what I needed to hear and my wife and I are back to church together and our family is back together too!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       C. S.J, CA

 

Dear Christian, Your words have touched my husband’s heart and is helping him immensely. He sees God through you which is life-changing for him!                     T.M., Oceanside, CA 

 

“Hey Christian, I just wanted to call and say thank you again for meeting with me and just really means a lot…I appreciate what you have done for me. Thank you again and have a blessed day.”

                                                                                                                               Trevor, Murrieta CA

“Pastor, Thank you for the key biblical points…

I am very excited about turning my life back over to Christ. Because of our short time with you I feel the strength of the Spirit working in me and my wife almost instantly.”

                                                                                                                               Walt, Menefee CA

THE DILEMMA

Formal church ministry can present a dilemma for traditional believers. People go into professional ministry because they like doing the work of the ministry. Pastors generally enjoy and are gifted in leading, teaching, preaching, and counseling. They can many times be taken astray by the emotional feeling of being “the one” congregants look to for comfort and answers. This is not only impractical, – it’s not biblical.

THE SOLUTION IS GODLY RELATIONSHIPS

In Ephesians 4:11-13, we see that Paul had a different idea about ministry. He says that the role of the “paid staff” – the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers – is not to do the work of the ministry, but to “prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” The clergy, the paid staff’s main job, according to Paul, is to prepare the church members to do the works of the ministry. Our job as leaders is to RECOGNIZE a Brother or Sister with passion or need for more passion, commit to their discipleship and prepare him or her to do the same within the lifestyle of ministry. And that will necessarily mean EVENTUALLY letting go of the job you may have presently or support your spouse in her/his ministry calling. We therefore must conclude that we are all to become ministers. What would our churches look like if the total congregation would obey this calling with the correct attitude? If we all 1) considered ourselves as ministers and 2) were treated that way by our paid staff? What would those congregations look like? Answer…REVIVAL!

The Scriptures tell us to be separate from the world and to not do as they do…do not be like them, Romans 12 says do not be conformed to the world but rather seek to be like and serve like Jesus.  What does it really mean to Go make disciples? Do we see the transformation in the lifestyle of Christians today? Why not? It is primarily because most Christians do not truly and passionately seek Christ first in our daily walk because we are serving the worldly responsibilities of family, work, money, materialism; and spending more time planning a vacation from all this stress than we do in God’s calling for us to make disciples.

Acts is your new lifestyle of a Relationship Ministry

That includes Christ in every aspect of our daily life.