"The Church That Missions Built" - Pastor Raymond Woodward

Pastor Woodward explains how the early church in Antioch became the unexpected engine for New Testament missions, surpassing Jerusalem in ministry, mentorship, and outreach.

The message details the theological tension between the Jerusalem and Antioch churches regarding Gentile inclusion, and how Antioch remained doctrinally sound and unified through those struggles.

The speaker identifies core attributes of the Antioch church: it was spirit-led, forgiving, teaching-focused, reaching, and committed to team-based ministry rather than relying on one leader.

Pastor Woodward applies these principles to his local congregation, celebrating its history of commitment to global missions and its role as a spiritual home for various missionaries.

The congregation collectively commissions missionaries David and Debbie Curtis, while also encouraging younger generations to identify their divine callings and missionary anointing in their current life stages.