The early church’s origins, detailed in Acts 11:19-30, tell the story of a community that embodied traits here called the “4 Ms.” The 4 Ms, multiethnic, multiplying, maturing and mutuality, describe a church body that is fully engaged in God’s mission. These traits make the church the church.
This booklet explores this passage and investigates how the early church in Syrian Antioch embodied each of these 4 Ms in its foundational years. Readers may find it helpful to discuss the lessons in this booklet in small groups, Bible study circles and congregational Sunday school settings.
Joseph C. L. Sawatzky, Ph.D., has served as a mission educator in various roles for Mennonite Mission Network since 2006, including eight years as a Bible and theology teacher among African Initiated Churches in South Africa. Sawatzky is a core adjunct professor at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Indiana. He is married to Anna, and they are the parents of four teenage and young adult sons.