**Acts is not just the story of the early church — it’s a picture of the kind of people Jesus calls us to be today.**

In this series, youth and adults will explore key stories from Acts together to discover what it means to truly be the church—praying boldly, sharing Jesus courageously, serving others, living in community, and carrying the gospel into the world today.

As we do, we'll be reminded that the church is more than a building we attend or an hour we experience. In a lonely culture longing for connection, God has created a people who live in deep community and join His mission in the world.

Week 1 – We Are Sent
Week 2 – We Pray and Are Spirit-Filled
Week 3 – We Share Jesus
Week 4 – We Grow
Week 5 – We Stand Strong
Week 6 - We Work Together
Week 7 – We Believe in Changed LIves
Week 8 – We Cross Boundaries
Week 9 – We Keep Going

Week 1 // August 16, 2026

Introduction: We Are Sent

Acts 1:1-11

Jesus sends us into the world to continue His mission.

What does it mean to be the church? Mistakenly, we think of the church as a building, or the pastors, or a certain segment of holy people. The reality is that we, the people of God, are the church — God’s ‘Plan A’ to reconciling and restoring the world. He uses ordinary people like you and me, filled with the Holy Spirit, to push back the darkness and usher in the light of the kingdom.

1. When you hear the phrase “the church,” what immediately comes to mind? How might your understanding change if you truly saw yourself and the people around you as the church, rather than thinking primarily of a building, worship service, or pastors?
2. The early church was marked by “passionate spirituality”—a life oriented UP toward God.
  What does passionate spirituality look like in everyday life? Where do you currently feel most connected to God, and where might God be inviting you to pursue Him more intentionally?
3. The early believers practiced radical community—living IN deep relationship with one another. What do you think makes Christian community “radical” rather than simply being friendly people who attend the same church? What would it look like for our group to share more honestly, sacrificially, and intentionally with one another?
4. The early believers had a “missional zeal”—being so captivated by what God is doing that we want to join His mission in the world. Where do you see God already at work in your neighborhood, workplace, family, or community? Who might God be inviting you to notice, love, serve, or reach?
5. Acts shows God using ordinary people, filled with the Holy Spirit, to reconcile and restore the world. If we are the church and the church is God’s Plan A, what is one specific step UP, IN, or OUT that God may be asking you to take this week