Start Your Journey

Encounter

Acts 2:4

The first-century Church began with the encounter of Pentecost.

“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4, NKJV).

Message

Acts 2:14-16

Peter went out to the inquisitive Jews and explained what was happening; he was preaching the Message (or explanation) of what was happening. His message was so anointed that three thousand people were saved and immediately baptized.

“But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: 'Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel'” (Acts 2:14-16, ESV).

Implementation

Acts 2:42-47

Luke wrote about a process, that when implemented, resulted in the first-century church that turned the then-known world “upside down.”

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:42-47, ESV).

What is the Acts 2 Journey Cohort?

Each in-person Acts 2 Journey cohort is made up of multiple churches that have committed to attend four weekend retreats over the course of 9-12 months.

Friday afternoon or evening (approximately 3 to 4 hours) is dedicated to providing teaching to lead pastors and spouses about the importance of their leadership development related to time mangagement, conflict resolution, leading change, and building teams. These sessions equip them to lead their teams through the process outside of the retreat settings because the facilitators are not present at those meetings, and the church team needs to begin looking to their lead pastor for leadership in these areas rather than depending on the Acts 2 Journey facilitators.

Acts 2 Journey Lead Pastor Sessions have been specially chosen to equip pastors and spouses for the unique requirements of their leadership role. Some of the themes addressed include:

Guiding Change in the Local Church
Priorities that Maximize Impact
Recruiting and Developing Leaders
Conflict Management
Overcoming Insecurities
Effective Communication

Saturday is for the lead pastors and their teams. In these interactive sessions, pastors and teams assess their current reality, calibrate their mission, discern God’s preferred future (vision), commit to biblical values, and create an operating plan tailored to their context involving the five functions described in Acts 2:42-47. Pastors are asked to bring 8–15 people from their church—people who will help them plan the future of their congregation.

Retreat 1

1. Why do we exist? (Mission)

2. Where are we going? (Vision)

Pastors and their teams work together to assess their current reality by establishing their position on a life cycle. Then, they answer the first two of the ten questions.

Retreat 2

3. How should we behave? (Values)

Pastors and their teams identify the church's individual DNA and the biblical core values that undergird the vision. Teams then work together to identify their church's current core values, both positive and negative, before creating or refining a set of core values that align with the vision and guide their priorities and actions.

Retreat 3

4. How will we get there? (Strategic Plan)

The team constructs an operating plan tailored to their context based on the Acts 2 template (Connect, Grow, Serve, Go, Worship). Teams compile their vision statement, core values list, and strategy steps to prepare a brief presentation to share with other teams participating in the cohort. The presentation serves as a working draft of how the team will launch the plan to the congregation at a strategically chosen time after the cohort concludes.

Retreat 4

Strategic Communication and Vision Launch

In Retreat 4, each team receives practical instruction on how to successfully launch what they have collectively discerned as God's vision. Then, in an inspiring and celebratory atmosphere, churches present drafts of their plans to others in the cohort.

Acts 2 Journey Video Cohort

Now, the Acts 2 Journey cohort is being offered in a video on demand format for pastors and teams.

Session Overview

assess the church’s current reality (Session 1)
discover a renewed sense of vision (Session 2)
clarify the values that will drive you toward God’s preferred future (Session 3)
emerge with properly aligned systems (Session 4)
develop a plan to communicate the vision to the congregation (Session 5)

Download a Sample Session Outline

Product includes

PDF workbooks for all five sessions
Videos aligned with the workbook
PowerPoints with instructions and embedded videos for easy access in team meetings
A one-hour Zoom call with an experienced facilitator and opportunities for further collaboration.

If you’re feeling stuck and searching for ways to help your church grow younger, pass on the faith to next generations, look more like your neighborhood, and reach its full kingdom potential, this resource is for you!

Access Session 1 for Free

Cohort Delivery Options

	IN-PERSON	ON DEMAND
TIMEFRAME	9-12 months 4 quarterly weekend retreats Fri — lead pastor session Sat — Pastor and Vision Team session	On demand (Recommended 6-12 months) 5 x 3-hour sessions with Pastor and Vision Team
PRICE	$400 *subject to additional costs determined by district	$400
RESOURCES
Free copy of ASEC for lead pastor
Print-on-demand workbooks
Full access to the video library
Presentation slides
Facilitator	Trained facilitator on site	1 hour Zoom w/facilitator
4 x 3-hour pastor/spouse leadership training sessions
4 x 6-hour pastor and team training sessions
Collaboration with other churches
ADD ONS
$10 per ASEC book
$10 per workbook
$60 per additional monthly Zoom call

What Are Others Saying About the Acts 2 Journey Cohort?

“I wish I would’ve gone through this process before we planted our church. It will help you cut through so many of the mistakes that are often made. It will get you to the foundational points that you need to launch a healthy and faithful ministry.”

- Al Toledo, Lead Pastor, Chicago Tabernacle, Chicago, IL

“It is important to keep retraining because leaders in the church have changed. We can’t become complacent because the community is always changing.”

- Loren Hicks, Lead Pastor, Pacific Christian Center, Santa Maria, CA

“Every Pastor should have the opportunity to benefit from this training. Just outstanding!”

- Wendell Vinson, Lead Pastor Canyon Hills Assembly of God, Bakersfield, CA

“You can’t overstate the benefit of a pastor taking a team through the Acts 2 Journey. It galvanizes the vision and provides clarity for the church.”

- Tim Parke, Lead Pastor, New Life Church, Monticello, AR

Acts2 Journey News and Information

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Church Assessment Tool

The Acts 2 Church Survey is a fully validated church health survey for Spirit-Empowered local churches. Focusing on twelve church health factors, the survey can help you to identify your church’s strengths and challenges in order to pursue the best paths to greater ministry effectiveness.