How the early Christian Communities were structured to flourish in hostile environments, and

ESSAY: The early days of the Church could not be characterized as easy for those who proclaimed Christ as Savior. For the most part, Roman authorities were tolerant of other religions as long as those belief systems included homage to the Roman emperor; however, the Romans became increasingly hostile towards Christians as they refused to take a syncretic approach to worship. But despite persecution, the followers of Christ increased in number. What facilitated this growth? As believers, we know that the Church’s growth is of the Lord and that we can learn from His work in the lives of early Christians. For this assignment, you will consider the role of organizational structure and explore

(a) how the early Christian Communities were structured to flourish in hostile environments, and

(b) how contemporary organizations can utilize these principles. Focus your work on a selected text from the Book of Acts. The essay should be no longer than 2000 words in length.