Westwood Church congregation standing in worship during a Sunday service

The First Church Had a Problem

Oct 25, 2026Vasyl DerunetsActs 6:1-7

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The first church was growing fast, and then it had a problem.

Continuing our series in the Book of Acts, Vasyl walks through Acts 6:1-7. The early church is growing fast, and then a problem comes up: the Greek-speaking widows are being overlooked in the daily food distribution. Growing, divided, overlooked. The apostles answer by choosing seven men full of the Spirit and wisdom to serve tables. That shows us no work is beneath the gospel. The word keeps spreading, and even many priests come to faith.

Vasyl shares his own story of arriving in Canada and finding a family at Westwood. He asks who is missing from the table, and how the Holy Spirit can use each of us, whatever our gift, to care for them. Care is the root, and growth is the fruit.

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Acts 6:1-7 NIV

The Choosing of the Seven

1In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

5This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

7So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

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