What’s in a Name?
There actually are a few reasons we settled on the name Antioch Community Church for our plant. So, here’s a brief “theology” of our new name…
1) First, our new church is an expression of the Antioch Initiative, which is the strategy that Jamie and I oversee at the North Central District (EFCA). Like the Antioch Initiative, we want our new church to be involved in making disciples of Jesus, training and developing leaders, and starting new churches. It seemed natural to connect the name of our church plant with the strategy and vision which it expresses, hence, Antioch Community Church.
2) Second, the name term “Antioch” also reflects our desire to follow in the pattern of the early church at Antioch; which you can read about in the book of Acts (Acts 11:19-30; 13:1-3). This was a church that God used in a strategic way to advance the message of the gospel to all people. The church at Antioch was intentional about engaging all types of lost people (Jew and Gentile) with the gospel. They intentionally trained and equipped new believers toward maturity in Christ and toward leadership. They also were the first church to send out leaders (Paul and Barnabas) to plant new churches. In a similar way, we want Antioch Community Church in NE Minneapolis to engage lost people with the gospel, establish and equip believers for service, and empower people for mission and ministry.
3) Third, we feel so strongly about the importance of authentic and loving relationships within a Christ-centered community that we wanted the word “Community” to be part of our church name. We desire Antioch Community Church to be known for its highly-relational atmosphere and culture. We believe deep and meaningful relationships with others are desperately needed in our day and age.
—Andy O'Rourke