On Sunday, March 30, 2008, we began a new teaching series in worship. Our series is entitled Acts: Chronicles of the Church. We will study the Book of Acts in the New Testament, moving sequentially verse by verse through each chapter.

We will study a few chapters together (two to three months) and then continue or suspend the series depending on how the series is received and how beneficial the church finds the study to be. Our goal for this series is that those who worship with us will experience spiritual growth through Bible study. We have chosen the Book of Acts as the locus of our Bible study because Acts contains the history of the early church.

By seeing how God used ordinary people in the early church to accomplish extraordinary work, we gain a sense of the possibilities available to us as a church today. We see the priorities God set for the church at the church’s inception. We see the power God provided -- and will continue to provide -- for the church’s mission.

On an individual level, we see the strengths and weaknesses of early Christians, we identify with their struggles, and we are inspired by their successes. We begin to understand that we have a lot in common with the first Christians. We discover that the relatively “primitive” world of New Testament times was in significant ways not unlike our own 21st century world. We realize that God still desires to use us and the church and, in fact, the church is the world’s best hope.

If you have not been part of our worship experiences for the early sessions of this study, we invite you to join us on the journey. Acts: Chronicles of the Church is an unfolding story, yet it is new every Sunday. You can join us mid-journey and not feel lost or left out.

HOW IS THIS TEACHING SERIES DIFFERENT FROM OUR OTHER SERIES?

• Our teachers are using a less formal "teaching" style of presentation as opposed to a more formal "preaching" style.
• Our approach is not topical, but textual. Whatever the next section of scripture contains, that's what we teach.
• Our starting point each week is not whatever we estimate to be your need. The service is not intended to be "all about you." We begin each week by turning to the Bible and asking God to speak to us whatever God desires. We trust that God knows your need.  
• We are not concerned with catchy sermon titles. We will simple use Acts: Chronicles of the Church, followed by a citation for the scripture verses we are studying each week (e.g., Acts: Chronicles of the Church, 1:3-11)
• We are encouraging worshippers to bring their own Bibles and use them in worship. (Bibles are available for those who do not have a Bible, and overhead projection of the scripture text will still be used for those who cannot see the printed page).
• Other pages of this website contain resources for additional study.
• We are encouraging you to interact with us throughout this study. One way you can do this is by asking questions of our teachers (see below). We will do our best to post on our website answers to your questions; occasionally we will read a question in worship and answer it during the service. 

HOW CAN I PARTICIPATE IN THIS STUDY?

• Join us each Sunday for worship. Classic worship is at 8:30 AM. Contemporary worship is at 11:00 AM.
• Bring your Bible to worship.
• Read portions of the Book of Acts each week in addition to whatever you use for personal devotion or study.
• Take advantage of our sermon podcasts. If you miss a Sunday, the podcast is there for you. If you live some distance away and cannot attend our services, the podcasts are there for you. If you want to double check something you heard, or you simply wish to reinforce a particular teaching in your life, our podcasts are there for you. Use the Listen to the Podcast button on our website page Acts: Chronicles of the Church
• Listen to our studio podcasts. Occasionally, special studio podcasts (different from Sunday messages) will be devoted to discussions related to this series.
• Use other resources to help you study the Book of Acts.
• Suggested commentaries and devotional studies are listed on our website page Acts: Chronicles of the Church. Use the button that says Check Out the list of Resources.
• Read the answers to questions others have asked. Use the button Ask a Question on our website page Acts: Chronicles of the Church.
• Read posts on our blogs. Use the button Read Posts on the Blog on our website page Acts: Chronicles of the Church. We will use the blogs to discuss material we could not cover on Sunday morning, or to tackle more complex theological or scriptural issues.
• Ask questions of our teachers.
• You can submit a question on our website. Use the button Ask a Question on our website page Acts: Chronicles of the Church.
• You can complete a question card while at church on Sunday. Cards may be found in the pew racks in front of you as you sit in church. Place the card in the offering plate, leave it on the pew as you depart, or hand it to a minister.

WHAT ABOUT MY FRIENDS WHO DO NOT HAVE AN INTERENT CONNECTION?

We currently distribute audio CDs and printed material to our homebound members and to others who request those mailings. We will also make additional resources available for this series so that people without Internet connection can benefit from our podcasts, lists of study materials, and your questions with our answers. If you have suggestions, we want to hear them. Contact us using the contact portion of this website.

We thank you for visiting our website, for worshipping with us, and for studying the Book of Acts. We pray that God will richly bless your life with spiritual growth and that you will find great joy in serving the risen Christ.