Alan Kreider. How and why did the early church grow in the first four hundred years despite disincentives, harassment, and occasional persecution? In this unique historical study, veteran scholar Alan Kreider delivers the fruit of a lifetime of study as he tells the amazing story of the spread of Christianity in the Roman Empire. Challenging traditional understandings, Kreider contends the church grew because the virtue of patience was of central importance in the life and witness of the early Christians. They wrote about patience, not evangelism, and reflected on prayer, catechesis, and worship, yet the church grew–not by specific strategies but by patient ferment.

https://strengthtostrength.org/the-patient-ferment-of-the-early-church/

Strength to Strength welcomed four brothers to discuss what their lives look like being a disciple of Jesus. They will share with us ways to pray and partner with them in their work.

The unsung heros of Jesus’ kingdom are the faithful disciples who serve their Lord without fanfare or applause.

Whether you are a warrior in secret prayer, a widow who casts in the last two mites, or a worker advancing the bleeding edge of the kingdom, you can rest assured that deeds of service do not escape the eye of our benevolent King.

Shawn Miller joins to represent LifeQuest Community: a disciple-making ministry in State College, Pennsylvania. There is a huge gulf between what people know before they come to State College, PA and who we hope they will know when they leave State College. These people need a bridge. LifeQuest is a nonprofit organization that allows volunteers to be that bridge to point people to Jesus. With over 50,000 students attending Penn State University and 50 different countries represented, we have a golden opportunity to preach the Good News of our King to those who have never heard or seen genuine Christianity. Our goal is to be a local ministry with a worldwide reach. For more info, contact Ernest Eby by email at [email protected] or by phone at (814) 325-7644.

Verlynn Eby joins to represent Christian Aid Ministries a channel enabling the church to minister to physical and spiritual needs around the world. He will be sharing about the devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Helene, and offering some ways we as Christians can seize this moment and use it to build the Kingdom. Join their Telegram/Cloudveil channel to follow updates: https://t.me/christianaidministries.

Jolan Sommers joins to represent Soldiers of the Cross, and providing a brief overview of the 10-day evangelism training they offer, developed with the purpose of equipping people to share the Gospel as a lifestyle. To contact, please call (330) 473-5145 or email [email protected]

Merle Weaver joins to represent Upward Way Response, a disaster response organization organized to facilitate the response of God’s people to major disasters internationally and domestically, including Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. UWR is currently actively involved in recovery efforts in Black Mountain, NC, under the umbrella of Plain Compassion Crisis Response (PCCR). You may follow Upward Way Response on Telegram/Cloudveil at https://t.me/+LxfiPR1CcM9lMGFh. To volunteer, go to https://form.jotform.com/242824523080047 or call (803) 953-0991. To contribute financially, go to https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/LDG2B29R8KTS4 or mail a check to: Upward Way Response, 230 Pleasant Valley Rd, East Earl, PA 17519.

An interactive question-and-answer period follows.

https://strengthtostrength.org/walk-the-talk-spotlight-on-kingdom-work-part-4/

Strength to Strength welcomed Tania Taylor to discuss how our communities can be a piece of heaven on earth.

Getting the bigger picture of our calling as sisters, to further Christ’s kingdom through the local church body.

One of the biggest threats to the church in any given age or place is that of nationalism. How easily we can become sidelined and distracted by the transient problems and interests of our earthly parent country, entangling ourselves with all manner of political causes and ideals that have absolutely nothing to do with our calling to be pilgrims and strangers in this life. When this happens, we ultimately experience confusion and impotence. Where does our allegiance lie? We as Christians have a distinct calling to represent the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Our calling to represent Christ’s Kingdom is best promoted through the everyday expression of local church life. When we get this bigger picture, we can invest ourselves in our local churches with abandon, and in the process, fulfill our divine calling as sisters to help represent little embassies of Heaven—Christ’s Kingdom displayed on earth, just as it is in Heaven.

An interactive question-and-answer period follows.

https://strengthtostrength.org/little-embassies-of-heaven/

Strength to Strength welcomed Brandon Byler to discuss God’s kingdom and earthly kingdoms, specifically American politics, and how followers of Jesus should relate, especially in a hotly-contested election season.

In this meeting we’d like to consider several questions: Why have Anabaptists typically shunned national, political involvement? What sort of attitude should we have toward American leaders at all levels of government? Does the Bible give us any guidance for interacting with those in authority? Is there anything Anabaptists can legitimately do to influence the direction of nations?

An interactive question-and-answer period follows.

Recommended: YouTube video: “The Kingdom of God” by David Bercot

Recommended: “The Kingdom of God that Turned the World Upside Down” by David Bercot

Recommended: “Pilgrims and Politics” by Michael S. Martin

https://strengthtostrength.org/kingdom-pilgrims-and-american-politics/

Strength to Strength welcomes Wendell Martin to share lessons from his personal story of difficult experiences.

When bad things happen in life, we might console others or ourselves with reassurance that “it was God’s will” or that everything happens for a reason. But is everything that happens the will of God? Can I trust the goodness of God in spite of all the evil in the world?

An interactive question-and-answer period follows.

https://strengthtostrength.org/when-bad-things-happen/

Strength to Strength welcomed Dylan Heidrich to share his spiritual life journey.

In this episode, Dylan shares his journey from growing up in an atheist household to being baptized in a Baptist church at 18. He reflects on his transition to house church life, his desire for missional living, and how discovering the early church led him to kingdom Christianity.

An interactive question-and-answer period follows.

Resource: Follow Dylan and Abigail’s Youtube channel, “The Forgotten Faith.”

Strength to Strength welcomed Linda Amendt to take a closer look at what winning on this battleground may look like.

Linda will share a bit of her journey in relation to her learning how powerful our thoughts are and where they can lead us. We will explore some ways that as daughters of God and yet soldiers, we can fight this battle and win. It is God’s will that we overcome the enemy of our souls, Satan, the father of lies, who can come as an angel of light. Is positive thinking enough to make our minds new as spoken in Romans 12:2? What does it actually look like to put on the armor of God? Let’s explore this together.

An interactive question-and-answer period follows.

https://strengthtostrength.org/battleground-of-the-mind/

We, as the admin team at S2S, met virtually to have another Roundtable discussion. We discussed some of the latest happenings, reflect on things such as the recent Kingdom Fellowship Weekend, and have a guest on to hear his story. Evan Smith joined us to tell his story about journeying into the kingdom of God and with fellowship with other kingdom minded folks.

Strength to Strength welcomed Marji Wagler to discuss marriage as God inteneded.

God designed an other-centered union for a me-centered world.

"With the unfading charm of a gentle and peaceful spirit which isn’t wrought up or anxious… adapting themselves to their husbands."

-adapted from 1 Peter 3:3–5, Amplified Bible

That inner person is reflected in your words and even your body language. There is only one way to have a peaceful and gentle heart – that is to yield to and trust our Father God.

"The biggest investment that a wife or a husband can make in their spouse is the investment they make in their own souls."

-John Piper

An interactive question-and-answer period follows.

Strength to Strength welcomed Justin Zehr to discuss Jesus’ interaction with Nicodemus.

In this talk we’ll be taking a look at the miracle of New Birth and the metamorphosis of one who is transformed into the likeness of Christ. The miracle of one who is dead in sin and trapped in the state of fallen humanity then becoming a new creature in Christ through the new birth.

We are going to let a little creature (the monarch) teach us big things of our awesome Creator and his renewal or redemption plan for all of us.

An interactive question-and-answer period follows.