Sermons on Church Growth Movement:

Restoring The Church In The Likeness Of Christ

Contributed by Fred Sigle on Jan 23, 2007

Having grown up in "The Restoration Movement", our emphasis has been restoring today’s chuch in the likeness of the early church. We should be imitating Christ, not the church.

RESTORING THE CHURCH INTO THE LIKENESS OF CHRIST! A. Modern Day Parable: ILLUSTRATION: Around the turn of the last century, there was a man who lived alone with his 5 year-old son. The boy’s mother died shortly after giving birth. The boy was greatly ADMIRED by his father. He was especially ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 1:18-23

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Five Things A Church With Pentecostal Power Ought To Do” Series

Contributed by Otis Mcmillan on Aug 3, 2007

This sermon uses the healing of the lame man in Acts 3 to remind us of five things churches with Pentecostal power ought to be doing.

Subject: “Five Things A Church With Pentecostal Power Ought To Do” Acts 3:1-10 Introduction: During this season of Pentecost, I want us rediscover the purpose of the power made available to the Church. In describing the ministry of Jesus, Apostle Paul said, Ac 10:38 “How ...read more

Scripture: Acts 3:1-10

Denomination: Methodist

The Fellowship Of The Believers Series

Contributed by Dennis Davidson on Jul 13, 2020

In this brief picture of life in the Early Church three distinguishing dimensions emerge that enabled them to become a flourishing assembly.

ACTS 2: 42-47 THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE BELIEVERS After the birth of the church at Pentecost Luke describes the church by telling us what distinguished those who were saved by believing in who Jesus is and what He has done for their salvation from sin. The Spirit now brings believers together to ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:41-47

Denomination: Baptist

Should We Change The Way We Do Church?

Contributed by Richard Tow on Jan 23, 2023

The decline in North American Christianity is prompting various efforts to revise the way we do church. Some of these efforts are clearly counterproductive. Acts 2:42-47 reveals eight practices that must be incorporated in any church model.

Should we change the way we do church? That question is being asked by a lot of people in America. Something is not working as it should. Almost everyone agrees on that. For the first time in U.S. history, church membership fell below the majority according to a Gallup poll conducted in 2020. This ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:20, Matthew 16:18, Matthew 28:18-20, Zechariah 4:6, 2 Chronicles 12:9-10, 2 Peter 2:17-21, Hebrews 10:24-25, Acts 2:42-47  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Charismatic

Five Ways To Stand In The Way Of Kingdom Growth Series

Contributed by Jim Butcher on May 22, 2019

Paul tells us where the false teachers were off-track. These aren't theological matters - so what are they doing that Paul rebukes?

- As we begin, let me give a little context to the situation Paul is addressing. Paul has been to Corinth but during his absence there were some false teachers who came in and began to move the Corinthian church in another direction. - This is an extension of the earlier part of this chapter, ...read more

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 10:12-16

Denomination: Baptist

A Healthy Church Series

Contributed by David Owens on Jan 7, 2015

By looking at four myths about growing churches, we begin to address what it means to be a healthy church.

Introduction: A. Happy New Year! Let’s begin this morning with a few quotes for the New Year. 1. “Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man,” Benjamin Franklin. 2. “One resolution I have made, and try always ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:42-47

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Greater Grace Builds A Greater Church

Contributed by Cary Paulk on Feb 22, 2002

Sermon to motivate congregation in doing their part in church growth.

Introduction: • For many years the Ocean View community has not had a good reputation. • Many in our city would not consider Ocean View a Great place to live. • When I was a young sailor, it had a reputation of being the place where people picked up prostitutes and they remain to this day. • There ...read more

Scripture: James 4:6-10

Denomination: Baptist

Steadfast In Prayers: The First Church In Jerusalem Series

Contributed by Ron Tuit on Jul 14, 2014

The birth of the Church commences the Growth of the Church by the Spirit and the Word.

Steadfast in Prayers: The First Church of Jerusalem (2) Acts 2:42: “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” As the God’s Heavenly Holy Spirit is sent down upon those gathered at Pentecost in ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:42

Denomination: Baptist

Emerging Or Returning Church?

Contributed by Sean Harder on Jun 19, 2009

Isn’t Christ’s church good enough? Do we need to dress him up to get people through the door? Perhaps we should get back to what the church should be rather than trying to figure out new ways to make it work.

Emerging or Returning Church? Ascension Sunday Revelation 1:12 – 3:22 May 24, 2009 We talk a lot about Jesus birth, his death, his resurrection, but we tend to pay little attention to his ascension to the throne in heaven. So I began to wonder, what if Jesus had just been resurrected and not ...read more

Twelve Prayer Guide Points For Growth

Contributed by Paul Fritz on Oct 2, 2004

Jesus understood that prayer provides the power to enable us to help plant and grow churches as well as individuals and families in grace and knowledge of the Lord. In Luke 10 the Lord gives us guidelines for expanding His kingdom and righteousness in pra

Twelve Prayer Guide Points for Growth (Luke 10:1-12) Jesus understood that prayer provides the power to enable us to help plant and grow churches as well as individuals and families in grace and knowledge of the Lord. In Luke 10 the Lord gives us guidelines for expanding His kingdom and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:1-12

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Healthy Church Part 2 (Fellowship) Series

Contributed by James Parker on Apr 29, 2011

We have been looking at what a healthy church should look like. We decided a couple weeks ago that we would us e the model of the early church that is recorded for us in Acts chapter two. We noted that the early church was a healthy one and we could tell

The Healthy Church Part 2 Fellowship Ways to know your church is unfriendly. When the sign out front says – For members only When the parking lot has a sign that says – unauthorized vehicles will be towed at owners expense. When the church lobby has a sign that says – no ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:42

Denomination: Baptist

Benefits Of A Small Church

Contributed by Ronald Thompson on Apr 17, 2005

[My purpose is not to encourage stagnation in church growth, but to remind us of the benefits (and obligations) of a small church lest we become discouraged...]

"THE BENEFITS OF A SMALL CHURCH" INTRODUCTION 1. Churches come in all sizes... a. Some are large, numbering in the thousands, even tens of thousands b. Some are small, with as few as two or more people meeting in a home 2. The definition of church sizes is rather ...read more

Scripture: 1 Timothy 5:1-2

Denomination: *other

A Tale Of Two Churches

Contributed by Fr Mund Cargill Thompson on Jul 5, 2025

A Sermon for a Church who have just recieved a new priest (not me) - that the secret of growth won't be him - it will be them.

Who here would like St Jo’s to grow? [presume lots of hands go up] So [go round asking people] what would it be like if St Jo’s grew significantly? [take a reasonable number of answers to unpack the question – before returning to the sanctuary] Jesus stands in the middle of the crowd and says ...read more

Scripture: Luke 10:1-11, Luke 10:16-20, Galatians 6:1-16, 2 Kings 5:1-14

Denomination: Anglican

Change Comes Hard

Contributed by Richard White on Oct 10, 2008

Gleaned from several sermons on sermoncentral, we see change as necessary but we are slow to do so.

Outline to Learning to Change Acts 10:1-48 It has been said that only wet babies like to be changed, even then they are not that excited about it. Illustration: Henry Ford and William Knudsen Conclusion: Even though he was considered a genius, he did not like change. Sometimes change is ...read more

Scripture: Acts 10:9-43

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

And The Gospel Goes On Series

Contributed by Richard White on Aug 28, 2008

The theme of Acts is not just the works of the apostles but that nothing stops God from spreading His word.

And the Gospel goes on. Acts 8:1-24 Very anticlimactically written, from this point on there is a shift from Peter and John to a man named Saul. Saul is introduced as being present when Stephen was stoned and that he gave his approval. Dr. Luke gives us insight into Saul and then will compare it ...read more

Scripture: Acts 8:1-24

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ