A Growing Church (Part 5)

Very few people want to be a part of a church where the people are depressed and defeated. People have enough problems in their lives today. They don't want to go to a church and interact with people who drag them down further. They want to be lifted up. That is why I say that a growing church will be a joyful church that has people who are filled with the Holy Spirit.(Acts 13:52) This may be a simple point, but joyful church is harder to find than you would think.

When I came to North Henry Baptist Church one of the first things that impressed me was that having "celebrative worship" was even written into the church constitution and by-laws.

       CELEBRATIVE WORSHIP

The church will meet regularly Sunday morning, Sunday evening and other times for the worship of  Almighty God.  Prayer, praise, preaching, instruction and evangelism will be among the ingredients of these services.  

 To be a worshipping fellowship, experiencing an awareness of God,                                        recognizing His person, and responding in praise, worship, thanksgiving,

 and obedience to His leadership.

I do not believe I can overstate the importance of having joyful worship. People will be turned off immediately, if they do not sense joy and the Holy Spirit's presence in the people who greet them and in the worship times. Therefore, I believe this is a vital element in having a growing church.

However, joy is a fruit of the Spirit, and the fruit of the Spirit comes when we are filled with the Spirit and allow Him to produce His fruit in us.(Galatians 5:22,23) Joyful worship comes from Spirit filled people who come together for worship. We must always remember that it can't be manufactured by the worship leaders, but they can facilitate it by their efforts. There are very few experiences in life that rise to the level of meeting for the worship of Almighty God with a group of Spirit filled joyful believers who are intent on praising the Lord for who He is and thanking Him for what He has done. People are drawn to be a part of such a fellowship and God's kingdom grows.

Tomorrow, I intend to read Acts 16-18.