66. The Improbable Growth of the Early Church

In this episode, we consider the growth of the early church in the pre-Christendom era, a time when Christianity had very little cultural influence.  Much like the church in today's world!  And yet, the early church grew.  What was their secret?  And is there anything we can learn and perhaps implement in our world today?THIS EPISODE'S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:Christendom is defined as the “centuries in which Western civilization considered itself formally and officially Christian.”During the first 300 years after Jesus, the church had very little power at all in the culture, which at that time was dominated by the Roman Empire.And yet, somehow, in the fourth century, due to the growth of the early church, Christianity ended up at the very center of power in Western society.Four Characteristics of the Pre-Christendom Church:The church had no political or social or cultural power.The church grew by leaps and bounds anyway.The church had a missionary identity.The church focused on developing a habitus in the followers of Jesus.The growth of the early church changed the trajectory of Western civilization.RELEVANT RESOURCES AND LINKS:Books mentioned:Missional Church, edited by Darrell GuderCanoeing the Mountains, by Tod BolsingerThe Change of Conversion and the Origin of Christendom, by Alan KreiderThe Patient Ferment of the Early Church, by Alan KreiderThe Parables of the Kingdom, by Robert Ferrar CaponeFree Resource:Six Practices of a Flourishing Church, by Markus WatsonPick up my new book:Beyond Thingification, by Markus WatsonTo leave a review of Spiritual Life and Leadership: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spiritual-life-and-leadership/id1435252632— Links to Amazon are affiliate links.  If you make a purchase through any of these links, I’ll receive a small commission–which will help pay for the Spiritual Life and Leadership podcast!Send me a text! I’d love to know what you're thinking!Click HERE to get my FREE online course, BECOMING LEADERS OF SHALOM.