Spring City Fellowship
26060507Sunday
Sunday June 28, 2026 10:15AM Service

      • Psalm 150:3NIV2011

  • Star Spangled Banner
  • Great Is Thy Faithfulness
  • Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory (Battle Hymn)
  • Holy Forever
  • Heal Our Land

      • Proverbs 3:5–6NIV2011

  • It’s 2026 and our Theme is “Embrace Transformation.”
    During the months of June and July, I am preaching the sermons that you requested. I call it, “Hot Topics.”
    This morning’s sermon is an awesome question - just a little piece of paper that said, “Dear Pastor Joel. Please help with how to grow our church. Thank you!”
    I love it! - that is a great topic!
    I love it that someone cares so much about our church to request this topic.
    I love it that the note specifically says “our church” - because I think the ownership that each of us take in the church is key.
    Because even though I’m the pastor - I can’t do what I do without all of you.
    This is not someone saying “Pastor, how are you going to grow the church?”
    No, this is a person using inclusive language, but humbly asking for help.
    I have some thoughts on the subject.
    In fact, I think about it a lot - more than you know!
    But I welcome the opportunity to think about it together and to talk about it.
    We are going to celebrate what we do well.
    Continually implement new ideas.
    And get everyone involved.
    Today happens to be our annual business meeting and we have a fellowship meal.
    So I hope to start a conversation that continues around the tables and culminates in a very productive annual meeting.
    First, lets go to the scripture - what does the Bible say about how the church grew?
    Acts 2:41–47 ESV
    41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. 42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
    That was the beginning of the very first church.
    Over three thousand people give their lives to Christ in a single day!
    Can you imagine to logistics - how does a group of approximately 120 followers of Jesus incorporate thousands of new converts?
    How do you even get all of their names?
    These are people from different places and backgrounds who speak different languages where do you even begin?
    And can you imagine how many needy people there were among them?
    Well, their were some hiccups - we read in the next chapter about a group that felt left out and the Apostles needed to begin delegating assignments.
    That is where we get deacons from....
    But even more than the practical lessons of how to organize and conduct services is the sense that what was happening was a work of God.
    Acts 2:41–47 ESV
    And the Lord added to their number
    They kept their focus on what God was doing among them and each of them found that they also had a part to play.
    Let’s start by reflecting on the positive.

    Celebrate what we do well.

    Acts 9:31 ESV
    31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.
    God’s goal is that the church would be built up, not to tear us down.
    It’s easy to spot the problems, but we all need encouragement.
    Before we talk about what we do wrong, let’s talk about what we do right.
    Like I said last week - we need to hear what we are good at!
    When I am meeting with my mentors, they give both affirmations and challenges.
    It’s the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
    “God comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable.”
    So let’s begin with some comfort...

    What do you love about our church?

    Acts 16:5 ESV
    5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.
    Take a moment to fill out the first question for reflection on your insert - you will also have the opportunity to share around the tables as well.
    What was the thing that first attracted you to this church?
    Who or what made an impression on you?
    What keeps you coming back?
    What do you look forward to each week?
    When you tell other people about our church, what do you mention?
    Lets hear 2 or three testimonies.
    I remember being part of a church that regularly shared testimonies.
    Every time I would hear someone share what the church mean to them, I would feel a sense of “I’m part of something really important!”
    Our church is changing lives!

    Where do we sense God’s affirmation?

    Colossians 1:4–6 ESV
    4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth,
    The question of what we are doing well is an important one, not to boast, but to recognize what God is doing among us.
    One question I often ask myself is, “what is God doing through us that is above and beyond what we could do ourselves?”
    I was learning how to do ministry during the church growth movement.
    There are lots of techniques for growing churches.
    I fact, you can learn to do it so well that, for a while, you can do it without God!
    Just give people what they want and forget about what they really need.
    I don’t want to do that...
    I want to know that what we are doing is in obedience to God, led by the Holy Spirit.
    Like when Pat leads a song at the end of the service that is the perfect response for a message that she didn't know I was preaching.
    Or when Alan gets up and gives a scripture or a word that is basically a summary of the message that I am about to preach.
    Or last week when the men were praying a father’s blessing and the tears were running down people's faces.
    I had so many people tell me that last week/s service blessed them in a special way.
    Reggie Mc Neal wrote a book called Missional Renaissance: Changing the Scorecard for the Church in which he suggests that churches are using the wrong measurements for success.
    We tend to look at attendance, offering and programs for our affirmation.
    When actually, we should be measuring our success in testimonies.
    What is God doing among us?
    Where is the evidence that lives are being transformed?
    How far back do you have to think to find and example of God working in your life or in our church?
    The truth of the gospel is alive and wherever it is cultivated it grows and bears fruit.
    Just like Paul, once you recognize this fact, you will see God working every where you go.
    We want to be especially aware of where God is moving so that we are intentionally partnering with what God is doing.

    Continually implement new Ideas.

    Acts 2:1–4 ESV
    1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
    When the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, everyone was changes and the church was born.
    The very nature of the church is that we are agents of growth and change.
    All living things grow and change and the church is supposed to be a living thing.
    If a church is not growing and changing, it is slowly dying.
    Our theme for this year has been “Embrace Transformation”
    I could have just as well said, “embrace growth and change” because that is what transformation is.
    We are not “once and done” transformed - we are continually being transformed into His image.
    2 Corinthians 3:18 CSB
    18 We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.
    Growth and change is not optional - but as I already said, we may need to measure it differently.

    What needs to change?

    Philippians 3:12 ESV
    12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.
    This is the question we should continually be asking ourselves.
    If the Apostle Paul said that he is not perfect, why should any of us think that we have arrived?
    There is always room for growth and change.
    A popular question that is asked at job interviews is, “how are you working to improve yourself?”
    This question can be an indirect way of finding out what a person perceives as their weakness or assessing their level of confidence. But more importantly, it tells you whether or not a person is self-aware and continually growing.
    Are you aware of at least one area in your life where you and God are working together to attain something?
    That is a sign of maturity-it means you are embracing growth and change in your life.
    The best thing that I learned from all my years of study is to love learning.
    I don’t want to ever stop challenging myself to learn and to grow.
    We are always improving,
    Adapting to new circumstances.
    Expanding our foundations of knowledge and understanding.
    And training ourselves for reigning with Christ.
    As we think about ways to grow as a church, it begins we each of us growing personally.
    Some people come to church and expect the church service to make them grow spiritually.
    If the sermon doesn't challenge them or the worship doesn't inspire them, its the church’s fault!
    That’s the consumer mentality that is so prevalent in modern churches.
    Try reversing the consumer mentality - come to church for what you can give, not what you get out of it.
    Your praying, serving and growing spiritually on your own throughout the week.
    When we come together on a Sunday morning we are each bringing a flame that is already lit.
    But together we burn hotter and brighter in a way that make each of us better than we would be on our own.
    That is the church as a community of believers.
    Not consumers - where there are givers and there are takers.
    But a community - where most everyone is giving and most are receiving,
    And God is at the center of all of it and it all comes from Him.
    Under question two of your reflection questions, please share your ideas.
    I may be the pastor, but I don’t have all of the ideas - I need each one to contribute their thoughts and ideas.
    Ultimately we want to hear from God, but God speaks in many different ways and through different people.

    Where is God taking us?

    Philippians 3:13–14 ESV
    13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
    The church is not a democracy - this is not about everyone having a say or even majority rule.
    This is ultimately about following Christ and going where the Spirit is leading.
    But we also believe that Christ has a body with many members.
    And that each member’s contribution is vital to the wellbeing of the whole.
    The only way a body functions as it should is when each part does what it can.
    Ephesians 4:16 NLT
    16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
    It’s not your job to decide if what you have to contribute is important.
    It is you job to contribute what you can.
    It is your job to do the part that God has given you to do.
    You may be amazed to see how doing your little part makes everyone else’s part go more smoothly.
    There are different ways to lead a church.
    Most churches operate in a way where the leadership decides what the church is going to do and then they try to find the right people to do it.
    They decide on the programs and the roles and then assign people into those roles.
    They are always working to find people for their jobs.
    I don’t know if you have noticed, but we tend to do things differently.
    We generally start will people and their vision of what God has called them to do.
    And we create roles for the people that God has given us - not the other way around.
    We are always looking to find jobs for our people - even if its outside the church.
    This also means that if you come and say, “Pastor, I thing the church should be doing thus and such...”
    I will say, “...and I know the perfect person to do it!”
    Since people are a reflection of our Creator, the things that God calls us to are a reflection of what God is doing.
    The assignments that God gives us individually create a composite vision of where God is taking us as a church.
    So the church is not a reflection of on person’s vision or even that of a committee.
    It’s a journey that we take together as each of us are following Christ, and doing so in the context of relationship with each other,
    I hope you each get a sense of just how important you are an how vital is your contribution, nonmatter how small it may seem to you.

    Get everyone involved.

    Ephesians 4:11–13 ESV
    11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
    I hope you are getting the picture that the question of how to grow the church is a topic for all of us, not just the pastor or the leadership team - because we are all involved in it.
    Honestly, I don't know if any of us can make the church grow, at least not in the way that God intended.
    Ultimately it is God who makes the church grow.
    Our job is to be responsive and obedient to what God is saying and doing.
    My job, according to what Paul writes to the Ephesians is to help all of us to to our jobs and to continually grow in our ability to do them.
    If I do all of the work - it will be neglecting my duty to equip others to do the work of the ministry.
    So its good that I can’t always do everything - that leaves room for others to step up.
    But I’m here if you have questions or need encouragement.
    I’m not going to do your ministry for you - but I hope you think I’m your biggest cheerleader!
    Does everyone know what your supposed to do?

    What is your contribution?

    Ephesians 4:14 ESV
    14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
    Successful families engage their children early, teaching them responsibility and making sure that each person has a role in the family.
    Everybody has a part to play in the family and that is how we grow up.
    By the way, it was not given to me as a hot topic, but someone did ask me recently if there is a way to acknowledge all of the people who contribute to our church, even in small ways.
    I asked my secretary to put together a list.
    We brought it to our leadership and they added to it.
    And here is what we came up with.
    (name some people with their specific contributions.)
    Everyone contributes something - what is your contribution?
    When everyone does their part - is that how we grow the church?

    How does our personal growth lead to corporate growth?

    1 Corinthians 3:6–7 ESV
    6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.
    I think this verse says something that is important to note in conclusion.
    We don’t do what we do to make the church grow,
    Just as we can’t really take the credit for the growth when it happens.
    We do what we do for God - because its the right thing to do- and God turns our personal spiritual growth into corporate growth.
    Much of what we might do to make the church grow are really things we should be doing anyway -
    not for the sake of the church, but for God's sake and for our own spiritual growth.
    Of all the various ways that we each contribute to this church, I can sum it up in four main categories.
    Praying
    I can’t emphasize enough the importance of prayer.
    SO many battles are won or lost because of prayer or the lack of it.
    We have been praying before the service and we are seeing specific answers to prayer.
    Serving
    Christianity is not a spectator sport - everyone should be engaged somehow - for your own spiritual growth and development.
    I noticed that many of you are engaged in serving others outside of the church and I want to say - that counts!
    Serving our families, our community and the world is part of what God calls us to do!
    And as a church, we are not about building our own kingdom, but we are building the Kingdom of God- which is a lot bigger than our church!
    So kudos for all the ways that you serve outside the church as well as those in the church.
    Giving
    Yes, everyone who gives in any amount is helping everyone to be able to do their part.
    There are some for whom giving is one of the primary ways that they serve the Body of Christ and we wouldn’t be able to do what we do without them.
    But even those who can only give a little - it all adds up!
    And God is multiplying your little to do great things for His glory!
    Inviting
    Just one more thing I want to note that everyone can do.
    Everyone can invite people to church.
    I’m not talking about people who already have a church, but people who either don't go to church or who haven't been to church in a long time.
    If people aren't going to church and aren't engaging its better that they find a church where they will get involved.
    I would rather hear that one of our members is going to another church than to hear that they aren’t going to church at all.
    A study conducted by Lifeway Research Poll found that 82% of those surveyed said that they would attend church if invited.
    A more recent study found that a third of church attenders say they have never invited someone to church.
    It seems to me that there is a missed opportunity here.
    Here are some steps we can all take:
    Begin praying about who you might invite to church.
    Pray for the right time and opportunity.
    Take some business cards and keep them handy.
    Service times are on the front - my contact info is on the back.
    The majority of church visitors check out a church by the their website before visiting.
    SO make sure they have the website (pen, card or text).
    If they do show up, offer to sit with them.
    Explain things to them.
    Help us get their contact information so we can follow up.
    Ask questions to find out what they understood or didn’t understand.
    And be sure to give feedback to me or to the leadership team.
    After all, we are all on a journey and we have a lot to learn...

    Questions for reflection:

    What is your favorite thing about being part of this church?
    What ideas do you have for how we might grow and change?
    How are you involved in the process? Through giving, serving, praying or inviting?

      • Acts 2:41–47ESV

      • Acts 2:41–47ESV

      • Acts 9:31ESV

      • Acts 16:5ESV

      • Colossians 1:4–6ESV

      • Acts 2:1–4ESV

      • 2 Corinthians 3:18ESV

      • Philippians 3:12ESV

      • Philippians 3:13–14ESV

      • Ephesians 4:16ESV

      • Ephesians 4:11–13ESV

      • Ephesians 4:14ESV

      • 1 Corinthians 3:6–7ESV

  • America The Beautiful (Materna)
  • The Blessing
    Spring City Fellowship
    office@springcityfellowship.com
    (610) 948-5250
    https://springcityfellowship.com
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