Acts 16:5

Acts 16:5

Strengthened In Faith – Growing In Numbers

February 22, 2009

For the past 5 weeks we have been looking at having a great commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission for our lives and the Church. Using ideas from Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Church we have looked at how a great commitment to loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind – that’s the Great Commandment that we have in Matthew 22:37-39 – and going and making disciples for Christ – that ‘s the Great Commission that we find in Matthew 28:18-20 – make for great Christians and a great Church – and affects how we as a Church and as individual Christians go about our tasks of worship, ministry, evangelism, fellowship, and discipleship.

I had planned to preach on the final task that Warren ties to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission – discipleship – today — but felt that it was more important – before we begin our focus for the Season of Lent nest week – to take a closer look at an opportunity we will have in a few weeks to begin an exciting adventure with other churches in our Presbytery – The Acts 16:5 Initiative.

I have said for the past 5 weeks that we were preparing ourselves for The Acts 16:5 Initiative by looking at our purpose as a Church – my preaching on ideas from Rick Warren’s book and our studying these ideas on Wednesday nights.

Now it’s time for us do something about the Acts 16:5 Initiative.

I want to tell you some things the about the Acts 16:5 Initiative – the process Presbytery has gone through to choose this program – and 3 questions about the Acts 16:5 Initiative – namely:

1. What is it?

2. What’s in it for us?

3. What do we need to do now?

Several member of the Session are going to share their thoughts on it also.

First – what process has Presbytery gone through to choose the Acts 16:5 Initiative to offer to churches in this area – and what role have I played in the process?

Let’s go back about 3 years to when I was interviewing with the PNC. I was asked what ideas I would bring to help Hopewell grow and do all it can for God in the community. I replied that I did not have a “bag of tricks” to bring with me because I knew that every church is different and needs different things – but I would commit myself to getting to know the members of Hopewell and their needs – and helping you look for ways to deepen your faith and reach your potential for God’s glory.

I believe that I have used the gifts God has given me to be a Pastor to the members of Hopewell – and that I will continue to do so. I also believe that I have spent a lot of time learning about how to help churches grow and reach their potential – and the Session and I have looked at ways we can do this here at Hopewell.

The Session invited Judd Shaw and Ray Howe to come and lead us in a discussion of ways we can reach out to the community – including ways to get folks who live on Claussen road to turn towards Hopewell on Sundays instead of turning towards Florence.

The Session also met with Danny Murphy — an Associate Executive Presbyter with Trinity Presbytery in Columbia and a staff person with the denominations Church Growth team – who spent a morning with us last February sharing his ideas on how churches can grow and reach their potential.

Personally, as soon as I was approved as the minister of Hopewell I began talking to Preston Shealey – minister at Trinity Presbyterian at Surfside Beach and a good friend of mine for many years — who at the time was chair of Presbytery’s Church Development Division. I found out that there was an opening on that Division, and I volunteered and was elected to serve. I thought that being a part of CDD would put me in touch with ideas and ways to help churches – and would be a benefit to Hopewell. I have also taken advantage of many opportunities to learn about different programs and ways to help churches grow as I have – with the help of Hopewell and Presbytery – attended several training events and conferences that focused on church change and church growth.

So – during the 2 years I have been here at Hopewell, I have also been working with Presbytery through CDD to look for ways to help all the churches in New Harmony Presbytery. As I have shared ideas dreams and visions and listened to the ideas, dreams, and visions of others, I have been a part of the conversation on Presbytery level of how we can help churches reach their potential.

In November CDD finally decided that we needed to offer a program to the churches that would help them grow and reach their potential for God. After looking at and praying about various options, the Acts 16:5 Initiative from the Vital Churches Institute was decided upon. Kevin Cauley , pastor of First Presbyterian in Darlington, and I were asked to be co – chairs of Presbytery’s “Acts 16:5 Leadership Team” – and plans were made for the program to be introduced to the churches.

So – now for the 3 questions about the acts 16:5 Initiative:

1. What is it?

2. What’s in it for us?

3. What do we need to do now?

1. What is it?

The Acts 16:5 Initiative is a program designed by Stan Ott, a Presbyterian pastor with a passion for helping churches grow and reach people with the Good News of Jesus Christ. He named the program after the scripture – Acts 16:5 – which says that:

“the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew in numbers”

The key to church growth is being strengthened in the faith.

If a church is strengthened in the faith, it will grow in numbers.

If church members are strengthened in their faith, the church will reach it’s potential for God’s glory.

“the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew in numbers”

Ott designed a program that is scripturally based and that helps churches grow in their faith – and in numbers.

Since the Acts 16:5 Initiative has been introduced, Presbyterian churches throughout the country have used it and have grown – in faith and in numbers.

The Acts 16:5 Initiative is a 3 year process in which consultants from Ott’s Vital Churches Institute come and work with churches who participate in the program to pray with and for them, give them resources to help them grow in faith and numbers, and help them develop the all – important “action plans” so they can actually grow – in faith and in numbers. The consultants – who are all pastors of churches that have benefited from this process – come and meet with all of the churches taking part several times a year – then the churches meet together several times a year to discuss what they have learned and what they have done – and what they are planning to do – so that they can grow in faith and numbers. So – for 3 years churches are meeting with consultants familiar with their situations – and then are meeting with each other to plan how to implement what they are learning.

So – now for question 2

What’s in it for us?

Well – let me ask you a question:

How many of you think that it’s important for Hopewell to grow in faith and in numbers?

How many of you think that would be a good thing?
Go head – raise your hands. Let’s have a show of hands here.

How many of you think that it’s important for Hopewell to grow in faith and in numbers?

Ok – now – let me ask you another question –

How many of you know how we are going to do this?

Any ideas?

I didn’t think so!

That’s the problem – we might think it’s vital for the Church to grow in faith and in numbers – but we might not know how to do it. Even if we know how it was done in the past we may not know how to do it now.

That’s why I am excited about the Acts 16:5 Initiative.

Ott is very creative in coming up with ideas for things churches can do so the members can grow in their faith and the church can grow in numbers. He believes – as I do – that a definition of insanity is: “Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results each time.” He knows that we have to try new things and do new things to grow in our own faith and reach the world with God’s love.

The Acts 16:5 Initiative would offer us a lot of different resources and new ideas us to grow – in faith and in numbers – and the consultants would be available for calls and contact every day as we would implement the particular plans we feel would be the best for us. Other churches in this Presbytery taking part will also be meeting with us as we share together.

That’s what’s in it for us – and our community.

Follks offering resources – ideas – proven strategies – and prayers for new ways for us to grow in faith and numbers.

I find that to be very exciting!

OK – so you know a little bit more about how I came to know about the Acts 16:5 Initiative – how Presbytery came to choose this particular program to offer churches in this area – what the Acts 16:5 Initiative is – and what might be in it for us.

There’s one more question I would like for us to consider before others talk about it.

What do we have to do – now?

Friends – we can talk about this and plan for it and be “fixin’ to get ready to commence to plan …” but there comes a time when have to do.

When Jesus called the first disciples they didn’t say: “let me think about it…” no – Mark says that immediately they dropped everything and followed. In fact, Jesus pointed out that those who gave Him excuses were not fit to follow Him. It was only those ready to do something when He called to them who made disciples.

There comes a time when we can’t sit and do nothing.

When God gives us opportunities to grow in faith and numbers, we have to take advantage of those opportunities.

God is giving us the opportunity.

We need to take advantage of it.

The first step in taking advantage of the opportunity is for some of us to go to what they are calling the “Launch” that will take place March 30-31 from 9:00 – 4:00 each day at First Presbyterian, Sumter. We need several from the Session to go – but we also need several from the congregation. We need members of the congregation to commit to going and hearing about this program – then prayerfully decide if it is for us – and help us promote it to the rest of the congregation.

Remember a few minutes ago when I asked who thought it would be a good idea for Hopewell to grow in faith and numbers?

Do you think this will be a good idea?

If so, prayerfully consider going with us to the “Acts 16:5 Launch” on March 30-31! It’s free – no expense – but the information shared and the learning will be invaluable.

Let me or a member of the Session know as soon as you can if you would like to go with us – we are going to have to let Presbytery know by March 15 so I am going to say to let us know by March 8 – 3 weeks from today – so plans can be made.

Let’s commit to learning more about what the Acts 16:5 Initiative offers us!

Let’s commit to looking at ways God wants us to grow – in faith and in numbers. Amen.

Some members of the Session are now going to share their ideas about this program and the potential it holds for us.