THE MISSIONARY STRATEGIES OF THE EARLY CHURCH IN ACTS 2-4 AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR THE CONTEMPORARY URBAN MISSIONS: A CASE STUDY OF THE GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH AMAKOM KUMASI

Abstract

It is believed that the Early Church had its origins traced to the city of Jerusalem as its centre. Witnessing and discipleship began from the city of David and then to the uttermost parts of the earth. To speak of urban areas like Jerusalem means much more than a reference to masses of people. The word urban includes cultural, political and economic seats of power. The early Church began in Jerusalem with a small group of people but soon began to expand to other cities of the then known world, of the first century. It is paramount for today’s church to study and learn how they got successes and the strategies they employed to be fruitful in missions. The upsurge of church planting in Kumasi seems to have caught the attention of many people including unbelievers. This calls for a scrutiny of their missionary style in the city and how effective it has been. The study seeks to examine the missionary strategies of the early Church and to draw some implications for contemporary urban evangelistic initiatives. The main aim of the study is to examine the missionary strategies of the early Christian community in the Book of Acts 2-4 and to draw some implications for the contemporary church. The mixed method that was used for this study was both quantitative approach and qualitative. The study found out that the early church like the church under study originated from the city with membership of diverse backgrounds and races. Since urban ministries are situated at metropolis a lot of people are brought together in lines of trade and other reasons. This means that handling and an outreach in the urban centres, it can only be successful when it is well planned to suit different kinds of people. Secondly, the mode of evangelism in urban areas has its own character. The study found out that vii the most effective ways to win the heart of people in the cities are more complex or better still sophisticated. Whereas the early church shared material things in common to build a loving and a belonging family in addition to the proclamation of the gospel it is becoming more complex today. Recently, in this work, it was found that it covers good music, portable church buildings, equipments and instruments, massive humanitarian campaigns like offering of scholarships to needy students, and among others. Mass evangelization is recommended to be the main focus in the missionary policy of urban churches to minimize lack of interest in reaching out to the lost. The policy should insist on regular and consistent witnessing that would involve the entire congregation in the church. It is recommended that the church should teach and demonstrate more on how to evangelize in the cities. This will lift the confidence level of the church members and minimize shyness.