Exploring the Book of Acts: Missional CommunitySample

Growing Pains

The rapid growth of the Christian community in Jerusalem brought with it new challenges. The church was committed to caring for the needy among them, but as the church grew, it became difficult to manage the practical aspects of distribution. A pattern developed that left Hellenistic widows (from the Jewish diaspora) without the food they needed. Eventually, grumbling about unfair practices reached the apostles. The twelve addressed the problem directly, creating an organisational structure to ensure no one was overlooked. The new structure enabled the apostles to maintain their commitment to prayer and evangelism while also protecting the unity and integrity of the church.

Read Acts 6:1-7 and then consider:

1. Why might the Hellenistic widows be neglected in the daily distribution of food?
2. Though probably not intentional, a part of the community in Jerusalem was overlooked due to cultural or linguistic differences and a preference for ‘insiders.’ Where have you seen unchristian prejudices impacting the church?
3. What is the apostles’ proposal? How does their solution protect the unity and mission of the church?
4. Leaders must be committed to handling group conflicts that arise from linguistic, caste, class, ethnic, or tribal differences while maintaining commitment to mission. In your experience, how well do Christian leaders handle these conflicts? How well do they maintain a dual commitment to evangelism and care for the community?