GOD IS THE SOURCE of genuine church growth. It is He who gives the increase.
District Superintendent Reverend Dr Orlando Seale shared these points before a packed sanctuary at the recent Church of the Nazarene Family Service And Awards Ceremony at the Western Light Church of the Nazarene in Oxnards, St James.
The special service brought the curtain down on the church’s 90th anniversary celebrations, as members were publicly recognised for their contributions to their respective offices.
Seale told the Nazarenes that as they embarked on the global mission for church multiplication through Vision 2020, he felt led to share three key characteristics of church growth based on the Apostle Paul’s agricultural analogy. He titled his message the Three Characteristics Of Church Multiplication.
The first, he said, was that God was the source of general church growth and He gave the increase.
“It is not intellect or oratory, but the power of God,” he said as he quoted from I Corinthians 3:1 to 8, 12 and 13 and 3:6.
He challenged his listeners to fast between January 30 and February 19 and believe God for the salvation of souls all over the island.
The superintendent stressed that the church contained those who would be planters of God’s seed (the Word), using both their lips and lives for the furtherance of God’s Kingdom.
Seale also looked at the lives of Paul and Peter, noting that while they had different abilities and techniques in sowing, it was the same Word they preached.
“We must use our different abilities and opportunities to preach Jesus, the only name given under Heaven whereby we are saved. Our witness is not only about our lips but about our lives,” he explained.
He stressed the need to walk in humility and through teamwork, and the need for prayer and for sharing.
“The most effective witness of the church is to live an authentic life amongst the people.”
Referring to I Corinthians 3:6, the leader noted that one person planted, Apollos watered and God gave the increase.
“Compared to Paul and Peter, not much is known about Apollos, but what a critical role he played in the process of Kingdom expansion [Acts 18:24to 28],” Seale said.
“What we do know is that he was a teachable person and an effective encourager/disciple of the saints. We must be much more intentional about preserving the fruit for the Kingdom through effective discipleship.”
Seale called on his fellow ministers to work with each other and with whom they had been paired. He also challenged those in the various zones to collaborate more to help bring in the harvest (of souls) for God’s glory.
“We need to see everyone as an important person in the multiplication process – Peter, Paul and Apollos. We need to understand that sustainable growth is dependent on effective teamwork where everybody has a place and finds his place.”
He said he looked forward to a decade of growth towards the church’s centennial.
• To have your church featured in Altar Call, please email [email protected].
