Christ Church currently averages about 50 in weekly attendance. The church is in a semi-rural community (pop. 30K in county) between Austin and Houston. Check out Christ Church! Read More
Category: Meet a Church Planter
Pastor Kevin was called to help lead a large existing church into and through the deep change needed to help transform it into a missional church. Check out what the Countryside Church is doing in Michigan City. Read More
Category: Meet a Church Planter
Jared's desire to be a part of a great movement of the Gospel, has now become a reality in the city of Philadelphia. They seek to renew the city by the power of the Gospel. Read More
Category: Meet a Church Planter
John Piper and Bethlehem Baptist are planting churches through Treasuring Christ Together. John provides 4 reasons why a local church should be planting new churches. Read More
Category: Church Planting
"Matt Chandler doesn't feel anything when the radiation penetrates his brain. It could start to burn later in treatment. But it hasn't been bad this time. Not yet, anyway," writes Eric Gorski, ASSOCIATED PRESS on January 30, 2010. How do we suffer well when our health is threatening our life? Matt is learning how and we are taking notes. Read More
Category: Leadership
As we look over the endless videos and pictures streaming in from Haiti, we can easily see the gospel story. Like the ravaged, demolished city of Port au Prince, our lives are in a heap of rubble thorough our sin. We were homeless, destitute, broken and hopeless until Jesus came to save us, heal us, adopt us into His family and fill us with His peace. Without help from other countries and churches, Haiti may never recover. Without Jesus in our life, we were destined for a life of devastation and eventual ruin. Read More
When we see people suffering in death, we typically pity them. A cancer patient physically dismantled by radiation, a person on their death bed heaving out their last breaths. Our first impulse is to pity those who suffer in their death, which is appropriate, but there is another more appropriate response for some who suffer in death. Consider Jesus: Read More
Category: General
One thing we have never done at Mars Hill Church is take a special offering. However, that will change this Sunday when we take a second offering for the mission of Churches Helping Churches in Haiti. Many pastors have been contacting us, saying that they too want to take a special offering this Sunday. We rejoice in your willingness to help those who are suffering so greatly. I would like to specifically invite my brothers in Acts 29 and our pastor friends at The Resurgence to do the same Read More
Mark Driscoll writes on his way home from Haiti: "The devastation there is more horrendous than you can possibly imagine. Within the first few hours on the ground to research the state of the church, we saw multiple collapsed churches with members’ decomposed bodies trapped inside...we saw a teenage boy shot in the head just feet away from a Christian seminary..." Read More
Category: General
Mark Driscoll and James MacDonald are headed to Haiti to assess the needs of the local churches there and to invite Churches to help the churches as a mission for the recovery of the Haitian people. Read More
Category: General
Leaders who last pursue gospel-loving people in their lives to regularly ask the hard questions, bring rebuke, correction, admonition and truth-based encouragement for the glory of God. Read More
Category: Leadership
Jerry Funston planted The Journey Fellowship in Sunbury, Ohio, last spring, out of the ashes of a failed church. The Journey Fellowship desires to follow Jesus, walk alongside one another, and impact their community with the gospel. Read More
Category: Meet a Church Planter
Read an update from Mike Gunn about the work Acts 29 is doing in Africa. Read More
Category: General
Steve Timmis, Western Europe Acts 29 Director, recently posted a series of Tweets on laying down your life for Jesus and the gospel and we wanted to share them with you Read More
Most people want to practice a meaningful devotional life but have difficulty getting started and getting a plan. J.R. Vassar shares his thoughts about cultivating a devotional life that facilitates the intimate nearness of God. Read More
Category: General
During the holidays, you may find yourself with some more time to be able to listen to sermons that you wouldn't otherwise have. So while you are traveling, taking some time off, or what not - here are some listening tracks covering the three key elements of Acts 29's values: The Man, The Mission, and The Message. Read More
Category: General
Steve Treichler is interviewed and gives some advice to church planters in the areas of preparing to preach and being a one woman man. Read More
Category: Church Planting
Ryan Stanley recently became a member of Acts 29 and has planted Mercy Hill Church in Dayton, OH. Read about Ryan's call to plant and watch a video where he gives advice to planters. Read More
Category: Meet a Church Planter
We want to take this time to recommend to you the upcoming Exponential conference happening April 19-22, 2010 in Orlando, FL Read More
Category: General
Jamie Munson, lead pastor at Mars Hill Church, shares what he sees as some key points to think through when looking for an Executive Pastor. Read More
Category: Church Planting
Tri-Perspectival Leadership, Gospel-Centered Discipleship, Interview with Bob Thune, To Contextualize or Not to Contextualize, Responsible Father...welcome to Monday's news and links. Read More
Category: General
Tiger Woods admitted to marital infidelity and has decided to sit out of golf indefinitely to work on his marriage, family and character. Read More
Category: General
In 2007, Darrin Patrick (Lead Pastor - The Journey) spoke at the Seattle Boot Camp on "Preaching the Mission." Here is an excerpt from his talk where he explains the issue of delivery in preaching, specifically that of preaching the Gospel. Read More
Category: Preaching the Mission
Eric Roseberry recently became a member of Acts 29 and has planted City of God Church in Lafayette, IN. Read about Eric's call to plant. Read More
Category: Meet a Church Planter
So you need an executive pastor. What do you look for? Who is the right guy? How does he fit with you as the lead planter/pastor? Nate Williams, executive pastor at Vintage 21, shares what he sees as crucial characteristics that a lead pastor should look for in an executive pastor. Read More
Category: Church Planting
In 2007, Darrin Patrick (Lead Pastor - The Journey) spoke at the Seattle Boot Camp on "Preaching the Mission." Here is an excerpt from his talk where he explains the last step in sermon preparation - editing. Read More
Category: Preaching the Mission
b21 Interviews Scott Thomas, Review of Australia's first Acts 29 Boot Camp, Why Plant Churches?, Counsel to a Young Church Planter on Marriage, How Whitefield walked through Controversy, D.A. Carson on Spiritual Gifts... welcome to Monday's news and links. Read More
Category: General
In 2007, Darrin Patrick spoke at the Seattle Boot Camp on "Preaching the Mission." Here is an excerpt from his talk where he explains the steps of sermon preparation that are to follow meditation - exegesis and application. Read More
Category: Preaching the Mission
Marc Pilon recently became a member of Acts 29 and has planted Axe21 in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Read about Marc's surprising call to plant... Read More
Category: Meet a Church Planter
It is with very heavy and sorrowful hearts that we share with you the passing of Acts 29 church planter, Thomas Young. Young planted The Sanctuary Fellowship near Houston, Texas. He was a friend, encourager, and partner in the gospel with many of our men. Read More
In 2007, Darrin Patrick spoke at the Seattle Boot Camp on "Preaching the Mission." Here is an excerpt from his talk where he explains the first step a preacher should take in preparing his sermon is meditation. Read More
Category: Preaching the Mission
Ed Stetzer interview (Part Two), Understanding English Bible Translation, Why Membership Matters, Preacher-Onlys, Where the Wild Things Aren't, Biblical Parenting... welcome to Monday's news and links. Read More
Category: General
Nathan Ivey is pastor and director of Seed - the mercy ministry of Sojourn Community Church in Louisville, Kentucky. The church is notorious for excelling in the words of the gospel or excelling in good deeds - and rarely both simultaneously. Seed seeks to not only see social renewal now in Louisville, but to reach their neighbors with the eternal mercy of the gospel. Read More
As we approach Thanksgiving—a time to give thanks—and the end of 2009—a time to reflect—we have much for which to give God praise. We have been incredibly blessed to see many new churches planted, a growth of influence and new friendships with leaders and church planters across the globe. We had 131 new church planting churches join the network this year to date, increasing the number of churches in Acts 29 Network to 288. We have 336 new applicants just in 2009 alone (about one per day). With this trajectory, we are anticipating over 120 churches being planted in 2010. Read More
Ed Stetzer interview, Ambition Boot Camp audio, Driscoll at the Crystal Cathedral, Meditative Prayer, Public Reading of Scripture... welcome to Monday's news and links. Read More
Category: General
Rick White (CityView Church, Fort Worth, TX) talks about what it means to love his wife well - and addresses the misunderstood 31st chapter of Proverbs. Read More
We’d like you to meet Acts 29 church planter, Dustin Neeley. Dustin was a teaching pastor at Sojourn Community Church in Louisville, and was burdened to plant a new church in Louisville. We'd also like you to check out his new blog for church planters: "Church Planting for the Rest of Us." Read More
Category: Meet a Church Planter
So you need a worship pastor. What do you look for? Who is the right guy? What does his role encompass besides playing songs on Sunday? Michael Bleeker, worship pastor at The Village Church, shares what he sees as crucial characteristics of any worship pastor as well as what a worship pastor's role is. Also, see Tim Smith (Mars Hill Church), Josh Dix (The Journey St. Louis) and Mike Cosper (Sojourn Community) also answer the same questions. Read More
Category: Church Planting
Last week at boot camp, Dustin Neeley video-interviewed Matt Chandler, teaching pastor at The Village Church in Dallas. Watch Matt answer: What is it that makes church planters successful in the long run? How did you put your preaching together in the early days and how has that changed for your preaching now? What are some reproducible tips on developing church leadership that you can share? What is the one thing you'd want a young church planter to know? Read More
The President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary invited some key leaders of Acts 29 into his home to have a candid, informal discussion. Everyone was encouraged as a result. Read More
Category: Leadership
Welcome back for Day 2 of Boot camp! Please join us for live blogging of the main sessions today featuring: Kevin Cawley, Bob Thune, Russell Moore, and Matt Chandler. Tonight we'll try to throw up some more videos for you. Read More
We got some time with a few of the worship pastors from Acts 29 churches today - they are having a worship pastor's workshop track during the afternoons at Ambition. What should a church planter look for when he's looking to hire a worship pastor? We're so glad you asked... Read More
Today Boot Camp begins in Louisville, Kentucky at Sojourn's Germantown Campus. We are excited for a full day of excellent teaching from Dave Harvey, Ed Stetzer, Steve Timmis, and Darrin Patrick. Join us for live blogging of the sessions right here. Read More
Category: Acts 29 Church Highlights
Boot Camp is Tuesday & Wednesday with assessments on Thursday. We'll be live blogging (sign up for notifications if you wish) and also we would appreciate your prayers for Boot Camp. Read More
C.J. Mahaney writes, "The difference between forgettable vacations and unforgettable vacations is not the location or attractions. Nope. The difference between forgettable and unforgettable vacations is the father’s attitude and leadership. This makes all the difference." Read More
Rick Carbonneau became a part of Acts 29 this year and has replanted Redeeming Grace Church in Redwood City, California – a church committed to being on mission and planting more churches. But it wasn’t always that way… Read More
C.H. Spurgeon said, “You do not love the Lord at all if you do not love the souls of men.” The people in the churches where I was pastor quickly strayed away from the harvest like a runaway criminal on the chain gang. They wanted to work on the building, have fellowship dinners, potlucks, and men’s breakfasts. They wanted to read books, sing songs—as long as it was in the style they preferred—and start programs for their own kids. MOPS, AWANA, VBS, BSF and home school CO-OP. Whatever kept them away from S-I-N-N-E-R-S. Read More
New music, a new Twitter news account, upcoming conferences, Mark Driscoll in the Washington Post... Read More
Justin Holcomb, academic dean of Re:Train, posted "Luther Puts a Nail in the Heart of Bad Religion— And 3 Other Holidays" on The Resurgence, highlighting another October 31 holiday: Reformation Day. Yes, October 31 was also the day Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the Wittenberg church door. Read More
Category: General
Rick is not new the the Network, but you may not know who he is yet. Rick White planted CityView church in Fort Worth, Texas over 3 years ago. At the Houston boot camp, Rick popped by the green room to answer some questions for the camera - here he shares his struggles in planting. Read More
Category: Meet a Church Planter
Yesterday, Scott Thomas answered some questions on Acts 29's origin and leadership. Today he answers the following questions: How is Acts 29 reaching out internationally? What distinguishes Acts 29 from a denomination? Do all Acts 29 churches follow a prescribed method or style? How do you expect Acts 29 will be different in ten years? What are some of the ways Acts 29 has seen evidence of God's hand of blessing? Read More
Category: Leadership, Church Planting
How and when did Acts 29 begin? Why does Acts 29 exist, and what are its chief goals and key emphases? Who are the key leaders in the ministry? The Acts 29 Director takes time to address these questions himself. Read More
Category: General
All the audio from Houston Boot Camp in September is now available online. Matt Chandler, Eric Mason, Matt Carter, Bruce Wesley, Rick White, Barry Keldie, Jonathan Dodson, Ryan Frazier, Thomas Young, Hunter Beaumont, Kevin Cawley, Bill Streger, Bryant Lee, Robie Dodson & Megan Frazier. Read More
Category: Church Planting
Bill Clem, Re:Train Director of Spiritual Formation, takes a break during Re:Train's session today, and shares with Acts 29 how Re:Train is equipping pastors in a unique way. Check out his short video. Read More
Category: Leadership
Rob was a New Orleans native who left as a teen. God called him back in 2005, and now he has planted Vintage Church this September. Meet the Wiltons and Vintage Church! Read More
Category: Meet a Church Planter
Churches go through critical seasons of their life that largely determine both their longevity and health. Seeing, accepting, and navigating these seasons is incredibly important for the ongoing forward progress of the gospel. Read More
Category: Church Planting
Why not just grab the free audio online after the event? Scott Thomas gives seven reasons why you should attend an Acts 29 Boot Camp. Read More
Acts 29 on the Tim Challies blog, Ambition boot camp speaker Q&A, Matt Chandler on how they do "The Welcome" at The Village, and more. Happy reading! Read More
On Fridays, we want to focus on equipping pastors and church planters personally - to step away from the practical, logistical aspects of church-planting and take a deep look at the pastor's soul. Today, Matthew Kruse provides fresh insight from 1 Thessalonians for church planters to diagnose their own health in pastoring their congregations. Read More
Chuck Land planted Crossbridge Church of Sugar Land, Texas, in fall 2002. Their church has helped plant 5 churches since that time, and hopes to plant many more in partnership with Acts 29. Read More
Category: Meet a Church Planter
Meet Brent Thomas -- a new member of Acts 29, planter of Church of the Cross in Peoria, Arizona. We are excited to see and be a part of God's mission in the Southwest - please pray for Brent, his family and Church of the Cross. Read More
Category: Meet a Church Planter
What motivates church planters today? Why plant a church? A myriad of reasons are commonly shared, but Bob Thune sees a root issue beneath many of those driving forces: a church planter who is all about himself rather than seeing the gospel formed in others. Thune planted Coram Deo Church in Omaha, Nebraska, and will be speaking at Ambition, the upcoming Boot Camp in Louisville, Kentucky, November 10-11. Read More
Last week, after Scott Thomas had interviewed the UK Coaches, Dai Hankey turned the microphone around to interview Scott. Listen in as Scott confirms his Welsh background, shares his dreams for Acts 29 in the UK, warns new planters to guard themselves from discouragement, and more. Read More
Mark Driscoll wrote a helpful article to help church planters in their search and selection of a facility for meeting together. Here is the final installment for the 4-part series. Read More
Scott Thomas is just returned from training UK church planters as coaches under the leadership of Steve Timmis, Acts 29 Director for Western Europe. Meet them here, and listen to some wicked accents. Read More
Mark Driscoll wrote a helpful article to help church planters in their search and selection of a facility for meeting together. Here, read about #11-17 of 23 factors - and what you need to consider before making a decision on a facility. Part 3 of a 4-part series. We hope those of you in the building-hunting phase find some practical help here. Read More
Pastor, author and speaker Thabiti Anyabwile recently taught at the God Exposed conference, and wrote about what he learned from fellow-speaker CJ Mahaney about patience mandated by God via 1 Timothy 4 for pastors. Impatience in preachers is not a character flaw, but a gospel issue - stemming from the pastor's self-righteousness and a forgetfulness of God's patience with himself. The result is despair or anger; the antidote is humble self-assessment and acceptance of God's grace. Read More
Category: Leadership, Church Planting
Andrew Pack got saved at Mars Hill Church in Seattle, and since felt called to plant a church. What was a process of learning, membership, service, teaching and dreaming became a solid reality as Anchor Church Seattle officially launched September 13, 2009. Read More
Category: Meet a Church Planter
Mark Driscoll wrote a helpful article to help church planters in their search and selection of a facility for meeting together. Here, read #6-10 of 23 factors - and what you need to consider before making a decision on a facility. This is Part 2 of a series of posts. We hope those of you in the building-hunting phase find some practical help here. Read More
Mark Driscoll wrote a helpful article to help church planters in their search and selection of a facility for meeting together. Here, read about #1-5 of 23 factors you need to consider before making a decision on a facility. Part 1 in a series. We hope those of you in the building-hunting phase find some practical help here. Read More
Scott Thomas spent some time with Dave Harvey, who will be speaking at Ambition, the Louisville Acts 29 Boot Camp on November 10-11. Dave discusses the church's loss of ambition and a need for its recovery. Read More
On Fridays, we are focusing on the Pastor as he prepares his heart and words for the weekend gatherings. This is the second installment for the edification of the pastor and the glory of God. Sam Storms wrote several blogs on prayer, and we want to call to your attention his piece on reasons for enduring in prayer. Read More
W.J. Subash is in Dallas and planted The Crossroad Church to introduce Asian immigrants to Jesus. We are excited to have him as a new member of Acts 29! Read More
Category: Meet a Church Planter
Acts 29 International Field Director, Mike Gunn, gives us an update on the happenings of Acts 29 International - from Ecuador to Australia to Pakistan. Read More
Category: Church Planting
Jesus did not say go make churches. He said go make disciples. Where disciples are gathered, churches are formed. But if we fail to focus on making disciples we will use them to build our church. Read More
Category: Church Planting
Our fearless Director Scott Thomas is on a whirlwind tour of teaching and preaching and consulting... from Arkansas to Philly to Ireland and London. Today the Exponential conference team caught him for a few minutes at the FIND conference in Charleston, SC. Here Scott shares his personal story of church planting, becoming the Acts 29 Network director, and the future of Acts 29. Read More
Read all about it! Al Mohler's new book; the ONLY institution receiving the keys of the Kingdom; Self-Control for Young Men; Puritan Writings & Research; Don't End All Your Sermons with Application; Lead09 & Ambition Conferences Read More
Eric Mason planted Epiphany Fellowship in Philadelphia, PA, about 3 years ago. He was in Houston for boot camp, and Scott Thomas had the opportunity to sit down with him before his talk to ask him how he and his church are doing. Read More
Last week I had the great blessing of informally sitting down to talk with my brother Matt Chandler in Clear Creek Community Church's green room after he finished his Houston 2009 boot camp talk. He let me flip on a camera and ask him about his personal walk and about the men who influenced him through his conversion and first years of faith. Read More
Category: General
Happy Monday! Included here are links to good articles, resources & news for church planters. Read up! Read More
In Houston this week, Scott Thomas had the opportunity to pull Bruce Wesley aside after his talk on "The Enduring Leader" and pick his brain on developing leaders in the church. Bruce is the Lead Pastor of Clear Creek Community Church and excels in Leadership Development. Read More
Our last boot camp, Ambition, is coming up fast! See the schedule and speakers now and register. Read More
We are half-way through assessments and finishing up and our very own Tyler Powell gives us the half-time hello. Pray for our assessors & those being assessed for wisdom, discernment & grace. Read More
We plant a lot of churches in the U.S., but the Acts 29 Network has churches far from North American soil. Our Acts 29 International team hosts boot camps in multiple countries in Africa, Pakistan, and soon will be headed for their first boot camp in South America. Meet one of our A29i planters today! Read More
Category: Meet a Church Planter
We have a video of Matt Carter (Austin Stone Community) before he preached on "The Enduring Family" yesterday, and links to yesterday's workshop audio! Read More
Here's a round-up of links we found interesting, some news, some olds, and all of it stimulating Monday reading! Read More
For Fridays, we are focusing on the Pastor as he prepares his heart and life for the weekend gatherings. This is the first installment for the edification of the pastor and the glory of God. Read More
Stephen Wagoner replanted a replant in Winston Salem this January, and has a vision to see 20 or more new churches in North Carolina's "Triad" region by 2037. Please welcome Stephen to the network and pray for him. Read More
Category: Meet a Church Planter
We are winding up 2009's boot camps. Houston is next week, and Louisville in November is our final boot camp for the year. Here's a brief synopsis of what's been taught by whom, and click the links! We've dropped in all kinds of good stuff - audio, newly uploaded notes, and not one RickRoll! (well, not today). Read More
Category: Church Planting
We want you to meet Ray Ortlund, Jr. A new member of Acts 29 this year, Ray is a source of seasoned wisdom and encouragement to our young-man network. We are overwhelmed and thrilled at the way God keeps building the Acts 29 Network. Read More
Category: Meet a Church Planter
I am not just trying to stay out of libelous lawsuits with my blogging; I want to represent the gospel with my words. How does the Ninth Commandment apply to the blogging world? Read More
Category: General
See what's caught our eye in Acts 29 - from global news, to our own network pastors' blogs, to church planting resources, and perhaps a fun surprise or two. Read More
Ryan and Tami Huguley in Palatine, Illinois, are gearing up to launch Redemption Bible Church on September 13th. Three years ago, Ryan's clear-as-a-bell call came as a shock to him, yet was confirmed by those trusted people close to him. Read More
Category: Meet a Church Planter
Rick White is an Acts 29 member and lead pastor of CityView Church in Fort Worth, Texas. He recently wrote a very practical article on communicating the complementarian view of male headship to those who are skeptical or confused. Read More
What does a ministry of reconciliation look like between a few Southern Baptists and Acts 29? Read More
Check out the repost from Upstream Collective after they attended an Acts 29 Regional in St Louis. It wasn't exactly what they anticipated... Read More
I recently had the joy and honor to speak to men at Fight Club 09 in Atlanta, hosted by The Journey Church. All of the men did a great job of displaying the gospel’s implications in our family, our job, our time and our body. The audio/video is now available. Read More
Please welcome Bruce Wesley to the Network! Bruce is in Houston and his church, Clear Creek Community, will be hosting our Houston boot camp in September. Read More
Eric Mason spoke to church planters at Advance09 about gospel-centered dreams and prayers. The following is an excerpt from that talk. Eric will be speaking on Enduring Hope at the Houston Boot Camp next month. Read More
In April, I posted the 10 Characteristics of a Church Planter – a compilation of the characteristics and micro-skills we look for in planters. I wanted to know just how important each characteristic and micro-skill was to our Acts 29 assessors, and to create a standard minimum score for any church planter applying to the network. We polled our members, and from a little over 80 responses gathered some very helpful data I’d like to share with you. Read More
"Don't just preach the gospel...believe it and live it," Maurice Stargell advises those who would be planters. Next month, practicing his belief in the gospel and being a "church-planting church," Maurice will launch Hope Church of Henry County, Georgia, a daughter of his previous church. Read More
Aaron Dailey planted Life Connection Church in Phoenix in 2002. Seven years later, he's joined Acts 29 and shares some of the biggest challenges he faced in planting his church. Read More
Category: Meet a Church Planter
On Saturday, a Christian colony in Northern Pakistan was brutally attacked by enraged Muslims. With several dead and hundreds homeless now in his country, one of our Acts 29 International pastors writes to us about the state of affairs and pleads for prayer. Read More
David Whitehead planted Grace Church in New York City, and shares how church planting has been the adventure of a lifetime for himself and his wife. He encourages fellow Christians to courageously pursue what God has put in front of them to do and live by faith, not by sight. Read More
Category: Church Planting
The gospel is the power of God for salvation and sadly many churches are ashamed of proclaiming it. As a result we may not be experiencing the fruit of transformation in our churches that is normally associated with the gospel. Gospel transformation cannot take place outside of gospel proclamation. Read More
Category: Church Planting
Meet Acts 29 church planter Heath Taylor of Scottsdale, Arizona, and Old Town Bible Church. Read More
Category: Meet a Church Planter
Meet Harvey Turner, planter of Living Stones, an Acts 29 church in Reno, Nevada. Read More
Category: Meet a Church Planter
Acts 29 planter Winfield Bevins profiles the life of John Calvin in celebration of his 500th birthday. Read More
Congratulations to our top three contestants who Tweeted the essence of the gospel in 140 characters or less! Read More
Scott Thomas writes a brief article about his own struggles with worshipping success in his ministry rather than Jesus, concluding with a prayer of repentance. Read More
Category: Leadership
Audio has been posted from the June "Church Planting Foundations" hosted in London. Read More
Category: Church Planting
Acts 29 church planters were surveyed about the top characteristics of a church planter. You will find the results here. Read More
Category: Church Planting
Jonathan Dodson, lead planter of Austin City Life in Texas, shares some tips for "early stage" planters on five key issues. Read More
Ray Ortlund and Scott Thomas talked yesterday about Jesus Jr in the overly religious areas of the country. Ray wrote a summary of their conversation. Read More
Help me vote for the best gospel explanation in 140 character or less. We had 93 entries for a contest and need to vote for the best one. Read More
Scott Thomas, Director of Acts 29 was interviewed by CCK in Brighton England during his recent trip. He provides insight into Acts 29, Mars Hill Church and Mark Driscoll. Read More
Where are the evidences of God's grace in your life? Find out how powerful it can be to look through the lens of God's grace. Read More
Church planting in Western Europe begins with our first approved church planters. Read More
We are launching the official branch of Acts 29 at the Church Planting Foundations Conference in London. Read More
Category: Church Planting
The Resurgence Training Center, Mars Hill Church's newly-launched leadership training program, begins August 16. Church planters have the opportunity for both academic and practical learning in Missional Leadership from the most influential and gifted teachers of our day. Read More
Never Quit was a common saying of Jerry Falwell. How does it apply to our lives today? Read More
We can learn from other evangelical leaders if we are humble. What does another church planting leader have to teach to us? Read More
I compiled some thoughts on preaching from four different sources: 1) Twitter unscientific survey; 2) Kevin Bruursema; 3) Mars Hill Church via Tim Keller; 4) John Piper. Enjoy. Read More
GCA is hosting their 2009 North America Church Planting Seminar July 21-24 in Orlando this summer. They also are offering great early-bird deals for those who register before May 31. This is a great deal. Hurry before my friend Steve Childres changes his mind! Read More
London Church Planting Foundations is less than a month away. Sensing the Spirit's move and with so much new opportunity and development in the UK, this conference is sure to be a ground-breaking and exciting time. But why is the "American" Acts 29 Network headed to Europe? Read More
Category: General
Steve Timmis, co-author of Total Church, will direct a new Acts 29 Network in Western Europe beginning today. Steve is handing off The Crowded House duties, an alliance of gospel communities in Sheffield, England to focus on establishing a wider network of churches planting new churches all across Western Europe. Read More
Category: Church Planting
Mark Driscoll, founder and President of Acts 29 and founder of Mars Hill Church and The Resurgence is a world-class leader. Find the six reasons why. Read More
What happens as we serve others on the streets? Do they really deserve to be shown mercy? Not any more than we did as Jesus came down and served us and saved us from our depravity. Read More
Missional Influencers are personally broken before they can fix anything. At our upcoming boot camp in San Diego is focusing on the influence of missional leaders.What does it mean to be a broken leader? Read More
Category: Leadership
The San Diego Boot Camp is less than a month away. It is important to register as soon as possible. May 5-6 in beautiful Sunny San Diego Read More
A little old lady in an industrial neighborhood in Seattle showed the kind of courage necessary for a church planter. She may have been tougher than most planters. Read More
As a way to show mercy to others during this Passion Week, I would like to participate in 29 Acts of mercy for the homeless on Good Friday by purchasing 29 sleeping bags and handing them out to those in need. And I am asking you to participate by showing an act of mercy by participating in the purchase of these. Read More
87 resource links for worship leaders including Harold Best, Tim Smith, Bob Kauflin, Mike Cosper, Matt Stevens, Stuart Townsend and John Piper. Read More
If you are a church planter, you have to be understood by the locals in order to communicate with them effectively. A good missionary will communicate in a manner that is understood by the culture in which he ministers. Read More
Category: Church Planting
Most churches are stagnant or in decline. 3,500 churches close every year. Can a church turn around and still make it? Or can it identify the opportunity for a Redemptive Church Plant by investing property, buildings and resources to a new body for much fruit? Read More
While some regard following the call of God as a foolish act, God chooses the foolish to shame the wise (i Cor. 1:27). Has he called you? Read More
The problem when we deride the non-essential practices of others is that we usually elevate ourselves over them. We display a lewd attitude and a coarse spirit. It is like saying that we are proud of our humility. It is contradictory communication between our attitudes and our words. How do we deal with those who criticize us? Read More
The audio from the boot camp recently held in Raleigh, NC is available. Read More
Acts 29 Boot Camps are church planting conferences open to the public that focus on the vision of church planting, calling of the planter, mandate to multiply churches and the theological foundation for gospel-centered church planting. The San Diego Boot Camp will be hosted by Kaleo Church in in San Diego, CA. Read More
Darrin Patrick and Jonathan McIntosh of The Journey hosted the Lead Conference in St Louis October 20-22, 2008. Speakers included Darrin Patrick, Matt Carter, Bryon Chappel, Randy Nabors, Eric Mason and Jonathan. Read More
The Call of a Church Planter is discussed by Mark Driscoll at the opening session of the Acts 29 Boot Camp in Seattle. Mark asks 13 questions to help a man determine his call for ministry. Read More
My family name was originally O’Driscoll until it was changed a few generations ago by relatives hoping to more fully assimilate into American culture after immigrating from Ireland. Though I was raised Irish Catholic, I knew virtually nothing about Saint Patrick other than the green beer, parades, shamrocks, leprechauns, and drunken Red Sox fans that celebrated in his honor every March 17th. Read More
According to Time Magazine 'New Calvinism' is the third biggest idea that is changing the world right now. Here are some thoughts on new versus old Calvinism. Read More
Acts 29 is going back to London to serve the church planters in the UK and to follow the leading of the Spirit to promote the gospel more strategically. We have limited seating and are looking for men who want to plant city center churches in the UK and mainland Europe. Read More
The Seattle Boot Camp teaching is all new materials and is based on the thesis of the Great Commission: "We are called as a community of believers to proclaim the gospel to all nations in the power of the Holy Spirit." We will look at the person that is called to a gospel-centered church, what he is called to and how that calling is incarnated through the local church. Read More
PJ Smyth, Pastor of GodFirst Church in Johannesburg, South Africa will speak about the Call to the Gospel at the Seattle Boot Camp March 9-10. Read More
As we explore The Call in our upcoming boot camp in Seattle March 9-10, Pastor Dave Bruskas will address taking the gospel to all nations. Read More
Matt Chandler, Lead pastor at The Village Church in Dallas will be teaching "Preaching" at the upcoming Acts 29 boot camp in Seattle March 9-10. Watch a video to get a taste of what is to come. Read More
The Raleigh Boot Camp was two great days filled of God’s grace being poured out to its speakers and those attending. We are thankful for people like Laura Olson, who volunteered her time and amazing gift photography for the event. Read More
Category: General
In the past decade I have preached through fifteen books of the Bible and have covered scores of topical issues at Mars Hill Church. In addition, I have preached at well over one hundred conferences around the U.S. and world. For many just starting to listen online, trying to keep up with that amount of content is like drinking from a fire hose... Read More
Category: General
What happens when a publication boringly reports old news in a sloppy way without consideration of the results? I am urging us to move on because we don't have time to dodge friendly fire bullets while Satan continues to gain ground. Read More
On March 9–10, 2009, we will be gathering in Seattle for a boot camp with the Acts 29 Church Planting Network and the World Church Planting Summit. Anyone interested in being an Acts 29 church planter and/or Mars Hill campus pastor needs to join us. Read More
I am encouraging you to come to Seattle for a great experience at our boot camp March 9-10. In addition, we have some free bonus tracks on Sunday afternoon and Monday evening. Jesus is doing great things through Acts 29. Sign up today. Read More
We tried something new at the Raleigh Boot Camp last week. We integrated tweeting comments while many people tracked the event instantly through the use of #a29 hashtag. We pulled off several tweets to bless your passion for the mission of Jesus. Hope to see you at the Acts 29 Boot Camp in Seattle March 9-10, 2009. Read More
Final installment of interview with Steve Timmis...He will be presenting Total Church in Seattle March 9 during our Acts 29 Boot Camp Read More
In an interview with my friend Steve Timmis the author of Total Church, co-authored by Tim Chester, Steve answers questions about the nature of a gospel community. The interview was conducted through a video conference with our Pastor's Training Program (PTP) at Mars Hill Church. Read More
We continue the interview with Steve Timmis who talks about gospel communities Read More
Steve Timmis is the founder of The Crowded House, author of Total Church and director of Radstock. A group of church planters interviewed Steve about the model of The Crowded House and learned some valuable insights about gospel-centered church planting. Read More
What is the unique role of an Executive Pastor (XP)? What is his relationship with the lead pastor? Pastor Jamie Munson answers these questions having served as XP at Mars Hill Church with Mark Driscoll. Read More
Three more things I would do if I was planting a church today. 1) I would train leaders relentlessly, 2) I would get a coach and 3) I would enjoy the journey of church planting more. Read More
Part Two asks the question of whether we are developing men who are mules, stallions or donkeys. Find out your focus. Read More
After serving as a church planting director at Acts 29, I reflected at the things I would do differently if I was planting a church today. Read More
Raleigh NC Boot Camp is just a little over a week away! Registration is still open, but hurry... there are at least seven good reasons why you want to be there in person next week! Read More
Several emails come per month asking about the meaning of "Acts 29." I pray that you will find this helpful to articulate it. Read More
I received an email from an unmarried young man under the age of 22 wishing to plant a church. In an attempt to address a whole crowd of young men with "church planting fever," I wrote a letter back to him with 10 suggestions. In this post are suggestions #6-10. Read More
Yesterday, Scott posted an email he received from a young man wishing to plant a church, as well as the beginning of his letter in response. Here, find suggestions #2-5 from Scott Thomas. Read More
I received an email yesterday and felt as though I needed to address this issue globally as we receive a fair number of inquiries from young men with "church planting fever." Unfortunately, the prognosis is a catastrophic ministry experience. The only cure is the gospel. It is administered with humility. Read More
I have been anticipating this book more than any other book written by my pastor and friend, Mark Driscoll. It is not because the other books have been sub-par. I think Death by Love is brilliant. So does Christianity Today. It is because I love the church (Big C and little C). I love discussions about the church and how we can best express the gospel through a community of believers striving together on the mission of Jesus. And I love planting new churches. Read More
I have spent the last six years seeking to understand all I can about planting a missional church. I have seen some great expressions of missional church planting and I have seen what I regarded as abuses of missionality or sinful syncretism in the name of cultural contextualization. Read More
Acts 29 Boot Camps are considered by many to be the best available in equipping and assessing church planters. We are having a boot camp in Raleigh, North Carolina, February 4-5 and are excited to bring you some stellar teachers for this round including Wayne Grudem, Mark Driscoll, Danny Akin and many more. Read More
I am researching essential characteristics of a church planter (elder qualified is assumed). What do you think are the top qualities of a church planter (not just a pastor)? Read More
The Boot Camp in Dallas at The Village Church in Highlands, pastored by Matt Chandler hosted our most recent event. You can now access the audio. Read More
With the current phenomenon of Facebook where people update their status daily and Twitter members who update their status event by event with their phone, I wondered what some of the Bible character's status updates would have looked like. Here's my attempt: Read More
Category: General
The gospel has been described as a pool in which a toddler can wade and yet an elephant can swim. It is both simple enough to tell to a child and profound enough for the greatest minds to explore. Indeed, even angels never tire of looking into it (1 Peter 1:12). Humans are by no means angels, however, so rather than contemplating it, we argue about it. Read More
Church planters are some of God’s most amazing servants. They are, generally speaking, young men who love Jesus, love their wives and children, love the church, and love lost people. With their wives and children they step out in faith to plant a church that shares the love and truth of Jesus with lost people. Their family does so at great cost to their finances and health. Read More
Category: Church Planting
The local church is a community of regenerated believers who confess Jesus Christ as Lord. In obedience to scripture, they organize under qualified leadership, gather regularly for preaching and worship, observe the biblical sacraments of baptism and communion, are unified by the Spirit, are disciplined for holiness, scattered to fulfill the Great Commandment and the Great Commission as missionaries to the world for God's glory and their joy. Read More
Category: Church Planting
Romans 8:5-8 tells us about an ultimate choice: Life or death; hostility or peace. "For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God..." These two opposing forces are seen as the only two states of mankind. John Owen said, "When a man...is not spiritually minded, he is carnally minded." Each one results in contrastingly different modes. Carnally minded people have death and hostility while spiritually minded people experience life and peace. Read More
Category: General
Whether you are interested to explore the exciting journey of planting a church, to discern a call to plant or to hear the great lineup of speakers, we present a Boot Camp in Dallas this week for a couple of days to challenge you to go deep into the heart and mission of the gospel. Read More
It is the rare leader who runs faithfully to the end, developed by God toward maximum potential in life and ministry. Only a handful earns the right to echo Paul's words, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (2 Tim. 4:7) Read More
Category: Leadership
Tuesday, Nov. 11, my wife Jeannie and I completed a 10K Run. This run is not really what you would expect, but it has been a race nonetheless. We have been married 10,000 days! (not that I am counting.) I am not writing this to be a proverbial slideshow of my vacation, but rather to talk about the qualities of a good pastor's wife. I have lived with a good one for over 14 million minutes (not that I am counting). What does a pastor's wife do? I offer a few qualities below with apologies that I am offering these through the example of my wife, who has been my bride for over 240,000 hours (not that I am counting). Read More
Category: Leadership
Tim Keller's new book, The Prodigal God, illuminates the differences between the preaching of Jesus and the preaching common in today's churches. "Jesus' teaching consistently attracted the irreligious while offending the Bible-believing religious people of his day... We tend to draw conservative, buttoned-down moralistic people." Read More
How does a church planter keep people on mission as they seek to understand the nuances of the doctrine of salvation? Dr. JI Packer does a brilliant job at condensing Calvinism down to one point; three key words sum up the emphasis needed to shepherd those seeking to understand Reformed Theology. Read More
John Piper said, "I am my biggest danger. When I go up, God goes down." At an Acts 29 Boot Camp in Seattle, in conjunction with the Annual Resurgence Conference, Mark Driscoll asked Matt Chandler and John Piper about the number one danger facing pastors today. The answers are insightful. Read More
Every young man that considers church planting asks the question, Am I a Church Planter? It is the question I asked myself before planting a church. It is the question we ask every man who submits himself to our Acts 29 assessment process to be a lead planter in our network. Many times he is depending on our assessment process to confirm his calling. Read More
The one qualification of a pastor found in the Bible that has an explanation is his responsibility with his family. If a man does not know how to shepherd his own house well, how can he take care of the house of God? (1 Timothy 3:5). A regular source of conflict in a pastor's home can be his children. A house of unruly children can take the joy out of serving Jesus and can create a wedge between the man and his once beautiful bride before she walked around the house with a stressful scowl on her face. Read More
Category: General
Doing ministry in the new global cities is not an easy task. Sure, rural and suburban areas present their own unique challenges, but often it's the city leader who feels alone in the most influential centers of our world. You are called to stay: to reach non-traditional people and to connect with the new artistic and economic elite, most of whom care nothing for the church. You are faced with corruption in the local political system; you see decay around you every day. In the middle of this, you are called to actually make a dent for good in the larger social fabric... Read More
Category: Church Planting