I envision a church that looks less like an audience and more like a family. A people marked by devotion, not distraction. A movement of disciples who gather around kitchen tables as readily as sanctuaries, who pray as fiercely in private as they sing in public, and who measure success not by attendance but by multiplication.

But we cannot ignore the missional gap. In America today, 160 million people remain unreached with the gospel. A number that ranks our nation as the 5th largest mission field in the world. Closer to home, in Broward County, Florida alone, 1.8 million people have yet to call on the name of Jesus. These are not just numbers. They are neighbors, classmates, coworkers, and families waiting to encounter the hope of Christ.

As Outreach Pastor, my calling is to keep our church family outward-focused. Left unchecked, every church drifts inward toward comfort. Francis Chan articulates this tension well: the constant pull to protect what is safe and familiar, instead of risking everything for the mission of God. My role is to push against that gravity. Reminding us that we are not called to be spectators but messengers of hope.

Our vision: to raise up a multiplying movement of everyday disciples who close the gap. Living out Acts 2 in our time and in our neighborhoods. To see homes transformed into lighthouses, prayers fueling movements, fellowship becoming family, and disciple-makers multiplying until every corner of Broward County, and beyond, echoes with the same words that marked the first church: “They devoted themselves.”

It’s a Tuesday night. Twenty chairs form a humble circle in a suburban living room. There’s no fog machine humming in the background, no LED walls flashing countdowns. The room smells like casserole and coffee. Not professionalism, but presence. At the center of the circle is a Life Group leader, Bible open to Acts 2. Seated beside her is Jordan, a CLC Life Mission Coordinator.

He didn’t come to inspect. He came to listen to the spiritual pulse, to the rhythm of obedience. His pen rests lightly on his notebook, waiting for something that matters.

The group begins to read, slowly and aloud, pausing on every word that lands with weight.

Acts 2:42–47

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe… All the believers were together… they gave to anyone in need… they met daily… broke bread in homes… praised God… and the Lord added to their number daily.”

Jordan leans forward. “Devoted,” he echoes. Not intrigued. Not casual. Devoted.

The Four Essential Elements

1. Apostles’ Teaching (διδαχή)

From the start, the church was unapologetically grounded in truth. Teaching wasn’t a side dish; it was the entrée. The apostles weren’t giving TED Talks. They weren’t chasing cultural trends. They taught Jesus! His life, His death, His resurrection, and His commands.

Today, too many churches have traded in the treasure of truth for the sparkle of spectacle. Sermons become viral clips, not Spirit-filled calls to obedience. When did conviction become optional?

At CLC, this drift is unacceptable. Life Mission Coordinators ensure every group follows a structured discipleship journey. People don’t just sit through a lesson; they digest it, live it, and pass it on.

2. Fellowship (κοινωνία)

They didn’t just greet each other; they belonged to one another. They sold property to fund someone else’s survival. That’s not hospitality, that’s radical family.

Today, we call a fifteen-minute break in the lobby with donuts “community.” We’ve sanitized vulnerability and turned relationships into attendance check-ins.

At CLC, we’re rebuilding Acts-level fellowship brick by brick. Groups know when someone’s fridge is empty or when a child is hospitalized. Coordinators curate rhythms of care so people can carry one another through the storms. Because that’s not strategy, it’s family.

3. Breaking of Bread

Communion wasn’t confined to pews or pulpits. It happened in kitchens, around tables filled with soup, laughter, and tears. They didn’t just remember Jesus with bread and wine; they remembered Him with the whole meal.

CLC Life Groups are reclaiming the table. Every week, people sit together, pass dishes, and share bread and a cup. Communion is not a performance; it’s a pattern.

4. Prayer (προσευχαί)

Prayer wasn’t Plan B. It was the plan. They prayed in the temple, in homes, in triumph, and in suffering. It wasn’t reactive. It was relentless.

Today, prayer is often reserved for crisis, squeezed into the corners of our calendars.

At CLC, prayer is being revived. Coordinators cultivate rhythms of dependence: daily prompts, monthly gatherings, fasting seasons, and intercession chains. Prayer isn’t a button we push. It’s the furnace that keeps the house warm.

The group finishes their meal. They form a circle. Needs are shared. Tears are welcome. Someone lays a hand on another’s shoulder. The Spirit is thick. Nobody checks the time. The fridge hums quietly in the background.

This is not a model. It’s a movement.

The Huge Missional Gap

Consumer Christianity vs. Biblical Devotion

We’ve mastered the art of attraction. Churches have become spiritual theme parks. Buffets of feel-good content and caffeine. But you don’t disciple consumers. You entertain them.

A friend once told me, “We left our church because the kids’ ministry wasn’t fun enough.” That’s not devotion. My friend, that’s Disney.

Acts 2 shows something different. They didn’t flirt with Jesus. No, they surrendered everything. They didn’t ask, “What do I get?” They asked, “What can I give?”

Francis Chan gives us a piercing lens:

Sacred vs. Secular

“We’ve strayed so far from what God calls Church that we’re producing consumers rather than disciples.”

Reverence has been replaced with relevance. What was sacred has been diluted by spectacle.

Order vs. Chaos

Acts 2 was structured but Spirit-led. Today, chaos often hides behind “innovation.” We copy trends before asking, “What did God prescribe?”

Community vs. Individualism

The early church had no concept of “mine.” Only “ours.” Today we train people to treat church like Netflix. Customized, convenient, and cancelable.

Back in that living room, a college freshman whispers, “I’m short on rent.” No one flinches. Before the night ends, envelopes are discreetly passed. No fanfare. Just family.

CLC’s Multi-Site Response

Implementing Acts 2 in a large structure isn’t easy. But it’s essential. Our strategy? Don’t replicate programs. Replicate people.

Through Life Mission Coordinators, CLC reclaims the four essentials:

Teaching: Scripture-centered, no fluff.

Fellowship: Meal trains, service chains, benevolence.

Breaking Bread: Communion around kitchen tables.

Prayer: Calendars, fasting, intercession rhythms.

A new believer hosts communion for the first time. Her hands shake as she pours the juice. Her voice trembles as she prays. But no one critiques. Her Coordinator smiles, tears in his eyes. Ownership just changed hands. The Ministry just multiplied.

The Multiplication Solution

Acts 2 ends with: “And the Lord added to their number daily.” Not quarterly. Daily.

At CLC, Coordinators equip disciple-makers who create more disciple-makers. Leaders build leaders. Groups multiply before they bloat. It’s not a pipeline, it’s a river.

Six months later, the Tuesday night group has become two. Then three. That same living room now hosts a monthly leaders’ huddle. The walls echo with the same words: “They devoted themselves…”

Conviction to Transformation

Acts 2:42–47 is not nostalgia. It’s now.

Through Chan’s lens, diagnostic, prescriptive, and practical, we see the way forward. And through Coordinators, CLC walks that way daily: truth before trends, prayer before programming, multiplication over maintenance.

“The early church didn’t have buildings, budgets, or branding. But they had devotion. And that was enough. The question is… will it be enough for us?”

Call to Action

Leaders: open your calendars and your homes.

Coordinators: tune your systems to Scripture.

Groups: set more chairs.

Church: choose devotion over consumption.

Then watch Acts 2 take root in your zip code.