23 Jan Church Growth In the New Year

Our church family is growing! Going into the new year, we would love to see our church continue to grow. The elders and I have a plan. It is foolproof. It is guaranteed to work. It doesn’t dip into the church budget; it doesn’t require extra staff, and it doesn’t require an extra night at the church. Sounds too good to be true? Are you asking yourself, “what’s the catch, pastor?” Well, here it is…

First off, I need to give a little disclaimer. It is not “my” program; I borrowed it. While it may seem too promising, its results are certain, but there is a slight catch; it involves you. This program I am referring to is the same plan God has used throughout the ages to build His church. He uses the voice of another to speak His Word of gospel into the ears of those who hear.

Think about it, this is how God brought you into His family and His church. Someone spoke the Word of Christ to you, someone prayed for you, and God put someone into your life to teach you the very truth of His Word. You were gathered into His church by His Word and Spirit by means of another person; this is how God works and how he has always worked. This is the very means which God has used to build His church, and His method hasn’t changed.

Paul planted, Apollos watered and God caused the growth. Who were Paul and Apollos? They were men who had been richly forgiven in Jesus Christ, and they couldn’t help but share that good news to others. It’s not complicated, it’s not complex, it’s not limited in its usefulness by time period, culture, education, nationality, age or whatever other limits we try to put on God’s method of growth. The harvest is plentiful and the workers are few; that’s reality, but God uses people such as you and I to speak His good news to those who would otherwise never hear. How can anyone call on Christ if they don’t believe in Him? And how are they to believe in Him if they have never heard of Him? And how are they to hear without someone preaching the good news of Christ into their ears? (Romans 10:14)

My friends, it is the good pleasure of God to use people like you and me, who have been washed in the blood of Christ and set free from bondage of sin and death to live in the hope of heaven, to share with others what we have ourselves have received. This is evangelism by overflow. The gospel which is poured out upon you week in and week out simply now overflows to those around you. This is how God has built and always will build His church, through His Word and Spirit flowing into and out of us and into the lives of our neighbors. This is Gospel planting and watering, and God will cause the growth – He promises. Let’s take Him at

His Word, and let’s boldly and unselfishly share that Word with those whom God puts in our paths. This is God’s plan for the growth of His church; this is His plan for the growth here at Prince of Peace. Are you in? I am.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

-Pastor Darrin Sheek