Walk by Faith: Products, Process, and Benchmark (Part I)
Sermon Title: Walk By Faith – Let’s do some Re-upholstering
Good News Statement: Jesus invites his church to change lives
Summary: The Church has been called by Christ to love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously.
Preached: Sunday, April 19th, 2026 at Dogwood Prairie UMC & Seed Chapel UMC
Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.
Scripture (NRSVUE): Ephesians 4:11-16 Today’s scripture passage comes from Paul’s epistle to the people of Ephesus who are seeking to become a unified people in the Body of Christ. In doing so, they are charged with finding their products, developing a process, and setting benchmarks for the church. Our scripture reading comes from Ephesians, Chapter Four, and Verses Eleven thru Sixteen. May the hearing and understanding of this scripture add a blessing to your life.
Unity in the Body of Christ
11 He himself granted that some are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. 14 We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.
Additional Scriptures include: Psalm 119:1-8 and Luke 5:1-11
This is the Word of God for the People of God; And all God’s people said, “Thanks be to God.”
Introduction:
On May 1, 2025, The Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church announced the unveiling of a new vision statement for the United Methodist Church. According to the article published on the United Methodist Bishops website, “This vision reflects the Church’s deep commitment to embodying God’s dream for the world.”[1] This vision statement complements the Church’s longstanding mission statement, inspired by Matthew 28:1-20: “The mission of The United Methodist Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” “This new vision is not simply a statement or a plan, it is a catalyst for transformation,” said Bishop Tracy Smith Malone, President of the Council of Bishops. “It is a vision that will help the Church embrace the opportunities before us, to follow where God is leading us, and to more fully engage in our mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”[2]
The new vision statement is as follows: The United Methodist Church forms disciples of Jesus Christ who, empowered by the Holy Spirit, love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously in local communities and worldwide connections. The vision encourages United Methodists to embody the following principles: We are called to love boldly[3] which invites us to passionately love God and, like Jesus, embrace and include people of every age, nation, race, gender and walk of life; to serve joyfully[4] by serving with a Christ-like heart, journeying alongside the most vulnerable, and offering care and compassion with joy; and to lead courageously[5] by resisting and dismantling all systems of evil, injustice, and oppression, striving for peace, justice and reconciliation. Simply put, the vision of the United Methodist Church is to love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously.
Did you know that the United Methodist denomination has a vision statement? Many of us are probably aware of the denomination’s mission statement—“to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world”—but did you know that we now have a vision statement that outlines goals, desired impacts, and lays forth the inspiration to better and more fully live out, by faith, the message—the Good News—of Jesus Christ? If you weren’t aware, you are not alone. Thousands of people weren’t aware; but as of today, millions are beginning to live these words out in their churches, in their communities, and in their lives. So, today, we are challenged to do the same! We are called to love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously as we make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. What does this look like in your life?
Body:
How many of you know what a “vision statement” is? According to Aubrey Malphurs in her book Advanced Strategic Planning: A 21st-Century Model for Church and Ministry Leaders, she defines vision as “a clear, challenging picture of the future of the ministry, as you believe that it can and must be.”[6] Essentially, a vision statement is clear, compelling, picturesque, and a future-driven plan of the organization. It lets the people know what the organization is striving to do.
Additionally, a vision statement provides direction, motivation, and inspiration for a company and organization. Here are a few vision statements of a few major companies that you may know. First, “To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world. Nike” (Just Do It). Second, “Be the destination for customers to save money, no matter how they want to shop. Wal-Mart” (Save money. Live better.) Third, “To provide access to the world’s information in one click. Google.” Fourth, “To be the world’s leading producer and provider of entertainment and information. Disney” (Where dreams come true). Fifth, “Running for the people who trust us and the planet that sustains us, we create intelligent connected machines that enable lives to leap forward. John Deere” (Nothing Runs like a Deere).
As a church, we may not have a vision statement that encourages people to save money or informs them that nothing runs like a deere, but we do have a vision that is driven by and inspired by the message of Jesus Christ, who encourages all people to love, serve, and lead in transformative ways. But before we can do that, we must understand that disciples are formed by Jesus Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and have been called to transform the world. Today, we examine what it means to be a disciple who has been formed by Jesus Christ for the church. As a disciple we are called to help the church produce, help the church create a process, and help the church establish benchmarks.
Movement One: What is a Disciple?
Before we get into the main lesson for today, I believe it is important to clarify or define what a disciple is. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, describes what a disciple is in “The Character of a Methodist” from 1742. He wrote, “Disciples are people who have ‘God’s love…poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us’ (Romans 5:5). Disciples ‘love the Lord our God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our mind, and with all our strength’ (Mark 12:30)…. Disciples are happy in God, indeed, always happy, as having ‘a well of water springing up into everlasting life’ (John 4:14), and overflowing their soul with peace and joy…. Disciples cheerfully receive all from God saying, ‘Good is the will of the Lord.’ Whether the Lord gives or takes away, they equally bless the Lord’s name. … Knowing that as ‘every good gift comes from above’ (James 1:17)…. Disciples ‘pray without ceasing’ (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Prayer is their way of life…. Disciples continually walk with God, having the loving eye of their minds firmly fixed upon God, and everywhere ‘seeing Him that is invisible’ (Hebrews 11:27)…. Disciples love their neighbor as themselves. They love every person as their own soul. Their hearts are full of love to all humankind, to every child of ‘the God of the spirits of all flesh’ (Numbers 16:22)…. Disciples are ‘pure in heart’ (Matthew 5:8)… and they have ‘put on compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience’ (Colossians 3:12). Disciples seek to please God before pleasing themselves…. Disciples keep God’s commandments because they love God…. Lastly, disciples ‘do good to all people’ (Galatians 6:10). They serve neighbors and strangers, friends and enemies in every possible kind. They do good…by ‘feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and visiting those who are sick or in prison’ (Matthew 25:37-40). But they don’t stop there. Disciples also work to do good to their souls, according to the ability that God gives.”[7]
John Wesley provides us with an extensive and theological definition of disciple that focuses on loving God, loving neighbor, doing good, praying, rejoicing in all things, committing to the commandments of God, seeking a pure heart, demonstrating compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, and are happy or blessed in God. All of these definitions are biblically bond. To summarize all of what John Wesley shared, a disciple is a committed follower of Jesus Christ who seeks to grow in faith, become more like Jesus, and join in his mission to transform the world by living out faith through compassion, justice, worship, and devotion. A disciple is active in the word and is daily engaged in spiritual disciplines—personal devotion and public service. Do any of these characteristics or definitions define you as a disciple?
In addition to what John Wesley mentioned, I would add that a disciple helps the church—the body, the hands and feet of Christ: you and I and so many—with helping the church to identify its product, its process, and its benchmarks as it seeks to grow and meet people where they are. Disciples are formed by Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world; but disciples are also formed by Jesus Christ to help nurture and sustain the church where it is and where it wants to extend out to. To love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously, we must understand that who we are as a disciple is what the church needs today to be a presence tomorrow.
Movement Two: What the Church Produces…
During high school, college, and seminary I worked at my Aunt and Uncle’s upholstery shop just a few streets from where I grew up. For the first couple of months, I was tasked with cleaning the middle shop, taking out the trash, helping pick-up and deliver furniture, pick-up vehicles from car dealerships, vacuuming customer’s vehicles, answering the phone, running to the post office and bank, and doing what no one else wanted to do. A few times, I had to crawl into a semi-trailer in search of material that was purchased decades ago. For those first couple of months, I saw practically every product that was stored in the middle shop before it was fixed and after it was given a new life. Those products kept the business alive and thriving. That experience has helped me understand the products of the church. What are the products of the church that keep the church alive and thriving, you may be asking?
Product One: The Bible. I have attended churches where the primary focus was on acquiring Bible knowledge. I can see how this could happen, because the Bible puts incredible emphasis on the importance of knowing the Bible. Some of the most ungodly people I’ve ever known have also been the most knowledgeable about the Bible. Bible knowledge is important but it’s not the church’s product. Our goal goes beyond mere knowledge of the Bible. Bible knowledge alone can be harmful. Well-known Bible teacher Gene Getz has said, “Bible study by itself will not produce spirituality. In fact, it will produce carnality if it isn’t applied and practiced.” First Corinthians 8:1 says, “While knowledge may make us feel important, it is love that really builds up the church.” What this means is that we don’t measure success by how much of the Bible we know. That’s important, but it’s not our benchmark for success. If you have ever attended Bible Study, I do my best to make you aware of how the text relates to your life and how what God is saying is an invitation to go forth living out what God revealed to you. Bible knowledge is good, but the product of Bible knowledge should be how it motivates you to become a better disciple today than you were yesterday. So if Bible knowledge alone isn’t our product, what else is there?
Product Two: The Programs. In seminary, I discovered that many believed that the church’s product was programs. Eugene Peterson, the author of The Message Bible, warned that a major risk for church leaders today is becoming just program directors. But the church does not exist to run programs, or even to put on church services. They can be useful and rewarding, but it’s not our desired product. There are churches out there that don’t have any additional programs or ministries. When programs become the goal of the church, then the church simply exists to keep people busy and to keep them happy. But God created the church for more than programs and services. God created the church to have programs and services to bring the people together. Programs, services, and ministries are wonderful—seeing a church with cars in the parking lot sends a message of life to those driving by and having the church known in the community is a blessing—but the true product of those things is what they do for the people. Don’t get me wrong, I am thrilled when I look at my calendar and see that, as a church, we have this going on or that going on, that we are hosting this program, trying this ministry, and having extra services. But the product of the church should not be simply creating programs just because but because these programs are fulfilling a need in the church and the community and are bringing people together.
Third Product: Attendance. The easiest two numbers to count in a church are offerings and attendance. Many churches evaluate their success based on attendance and financial contributions, but these are not biblical standards for success. The largest church does not automatically equate to be the most successful one. Attendance isn’t the church’s product. No matter how many meetings I attend with other pastors, attendance is a discussion point. Don’t get me wrong, if the attendance is not there, then the church can fizzle out: attendance and participation are important. Along the same lines, if the church struggles with receiving adequate offerings, then eventually the church won’t be able to pay its bills and be forced to close its doors. Attendance and offering are important to the church, but what is the product?
On major holidays like Easter and Christmas, seeing the pews filled is a blessing: it gives energy and hope to the church. I wish the pews could be filled every Sunday! But we live in a time when attending church either in-person or online is not a priority. If the church continues to use attendance as a product, then it could be missing the chance to focus on who is currently present. I would love to see our church grow in attendance; but I would also love to see our church grow in love and ministry. Do you want to be known as the church with 150 people or a church that has helped serve 150 people? We aren’t a mega church but we are a church that seeks to extend a mega amount of care and support.
Based up these inclinations, I want to examine a passage in Ephesians that directly addresses what the church is meant to produce. Ephesians is one of the richest books in the Bible on the subject of the church. Unlike many New Testament letters, this one wasn’t written to correct mistakes or address specific issues. It was written as a letter of encouragement, and to explain to the church in that city—one of the most prominent churches of its time—what the church should be. First, you need to understand that the church in Ephesus was filled with some very real people. Ephesians 2 explains that they used to live like the rest of the world, following their evil desires (Ephesians 2:2-3). If you and I had lived at the time, we wouldn’t have felt out of place in the church at Ephesus. The oldest Christian in that church had probably only been a believer for about seven years. They were ordinary people who had relatively recently started to follow Jesus Christ and become part of the church and who had a past.
Then in Ephesians 4, Paul is explaining what the leaders of the church are there to accomplish. And in verses 11, 12, and 13, he says something that will completely change the way we look at church. He says, “He himself granted that some are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.” If you read these verses carefully, you discover some facts that will completely change the way that we look at church. First of all, Paul reminds us that we all have been given a gift to share the good news: some are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. These gifts are what help us realize that God has a plan for us, that Jesus needs us to continue his work, and that the Holy Spirit is guiding us. Each of you has been given a gift that keeps the love and grace of Christ alive in this world and within this church. How are you using that gift? Are you using that gift? Do you know your gift?
Second, the church is the body of Christ. Paul doesn’t say it’s like the body of Christ. It’s not a metaphor. We—collectively—are the body of Christ. We are the physical presence of Jesus Christ on this earth, and he’s called us to serve the same way that he did when he was here: “to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). St. Teresa of Avila once said, “Christ has no body but yours/ No hands, no feet on earth but yours/ Yours are the eyes with which he looks/ Compassion on this world,/ Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,/ Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world./ Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,/ Yours are the eyes, you are his body.” We are the church. To quote Richard K. Avery and Donald S. Marsh from their hymn, “I am the church! You are the church! We are the church together.”[8] The people who make up a church are together the presence of Jesus Christ in that community. We are the physical presence of Jesus in this community.
Then in Ephesians 4:13 we read, “…until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.” Our church’s product can be summed up in two words: spiritual maturity. We are in the life changing business. We aren’t in the Bible knowledge business; we aren’t in the church program business; we aren’t in the attendance business. We are in the process of leading people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ, leading people to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. Every program or ministry or service we create should be focused on leading people to become followers of Jesus Christ. Our product as a church is on growing the church in terms of those wanting following Christ.
One pastor writes about a man in a church that he once pastored. He called him Denny—not his real name. Denny had been in church all his life, but he had never been happy about church or about life in general. The pastor writes, “Denny is not changing. He is a cranky guy. He has been cranky his whole life. Not just about the church—he does not effectively know how to love his wife, his children cannot relate to him, and he has no joy. He’s been going to church his whole life – sixty years. And nobody is surprised! Nobody is surprised that he stays cranky year after year. No one is particularly surprised by it. It is as if we expect—that’s just Denny. Nobody is expecting him to be more like Jesus year after year.”
I love to be part of a church where I see people changing, and actually beginning to live in Christ. That’s our product. That’s why we’re here. In Galatians 4:19, Paul says, “I feel as if I am going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully formed in your lives.” We exist as a church to take people and to lead them into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ, through our gifts, our witness and our service until Jesus is fully formed in their lives. Church, we have the opportunity to do that in the present. Between Dogwood Prairie and Seed Chapel, there is a combined 34 children plus three babies. Let me say that again: we have the chance to help 34 children plus 3 babies to have a relationship with Jesus Christ! That is a wonderful blessing (and sometimes scary for the parents when they tell stories in front of the whole church)! Church, we have a chance to do something that not to many churches in this area get to do: be a presence for the next generation and walk with them. Our product is sitting in the same pews with us. We are here to help lead others to Christ. But what is the process to make this happen?
Movement Three: The Process of the Church…
After a few months of doing random things at the Upholstery Shop, I was finally allowed to take things apart. At times, I was a little too eager to take things apart maybe causing more work for the sewist than needed. I grabbed my staple puller and started removing staples: removing dust covers, burlap, webbing, and material, untying springs, removing horse hair, occasionally dodging items falling out from between couch and chair cushions, removing seats and door panels from vehicles, and taking out boat seats. I was finally moving up in the business! This was the process. Once the item was dropped off, material ordered, and an invoice created, it was time to take it apart. Once the item was taken apart, the material was laid next to it, a name was written on both the item and material, and then it sat there until it was time to be completed. After the new cover was made for the item, I got the chance to put it back together. This was the process.
In order to have the church produce followers of Jesus Christ, there must be a process. Drawing back to Ephesians 4:12, Paul informs Ephesus that every believer in the church is here to do God’s work and to help “equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” This is your job. You have a part in this process. This is where creating ministries and programs and partaking in additional services comes into play.
There are a lot of misconceptions about how someone grows spiritually. One of them is that it’s a matter of Bible knowledge. But maturity is demonstrated more by behavior than beliefs.[9] James 2:18 says, “I can’t see your faith if you don’t have good deeds.” Maturity is more than a matter of Bible knowledge. Some people think that maturity comes from attending church. If you attend church, then it’s just a matter of time before you become mature. But as Denny showed us, spiritual growth isn’t automatic, and it doesn’t come from going to church, although going to church does help. Hebrews 5:12 says, “You have been Christians a long time now, and you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things a beginner must learn about the Scriptures.” Spiritual growth isn’t automatic. It takes work to spiritually grow. It takes work to deepen your faith. It takes work and commitment to follow Christ. Even as well seasoned followers of Jesus Christ, we are still in need of being taught, of being reminded of what Jesus would do, of being shown the way to act justly, and encouraged to walk by faith.
Furthermore, some people think that spiritual growth is a private matter—that it’s just a matter of trying harder through your individual effort. But the Bible is clear that we need relationships to grow. The Bible teaches that spiritual growth is a team effort. The Bible teaches that spiritual growth is a process that includes three ingredients: salvation plus community plus disciplines. Once you enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit begins to work in your life in the process of making you like Jesus. The Bible says that he won’t give up on this work. But then he puts you in a community of believers who will encourage you and sharpen you and hold you accountable. And through a process of putting some spiritual disciplines in your life—such as prayer, reading or listening to scripture, performing acts of service, attending worship—over time you will become more like Jesus Christ.
It’s a gradual process. It’s not a matter of technique; it’s a matter of training. First Timothy 4:7 says, “Spend your time and energy training yourself for spiritual fitness.” Just like you train to lift heavier weights or play a sport or how to work on tractors or do random house work, you can put spiritual disciplines to work to train yourself to be spiritually mature. This means as a church that we will do everything we can to introduce people to Jesus Christ, and then lead them into community with others so that they can learn spiritual disciplines—like how to read the Bible and pray. The result is that we will see lives change as people become more and more like Jesus Christ.
Church, it takes work to be the church. Just like how Jesus saves us, puts us into a community, and gives us things to work on personally, we are called to do the same thing as a church. We are called to develop a process that helps people discover their faith, deepen their faith, and deploy their faith. Sometimes that process involves tearing things down and taking things apart to see what we are working with before we can start the process of rebuilding. There is a process to having our life changed for Jesus. There is a process to helping others find Jesus in their life. There is a process to keeping the church alive. There is a process to continue to be a church with open doors, open hearts, and open minds. There is a process to growing what Jesus started. But this process is only feasible if we, as a church, are willing to not just talk about our faith but to give action to our faith. Once we establish a process, then we can begin to set benchmarks.
Movement Four: The Church has Benchmarks…
After about a year of tearing things apart, I was finally able to put something together! I finally got to use a staple gun hooked up to an air-compressor! I was finally able to put together what I tore apart. It was a whole new world on June 2012! Since that day, I have recovered several kitchen chairs and atamans, replaced foam in chairs, re-stuffed couch cushions, recovered antique future, re-tied springs, re-webbed a lot of different kinds of future, re-upholstered church pews and movie theater seats, put together seats in vehicles, and the list goes on. I loved learning this trade! And I have my Aunt and Uncle to thank for giving me a chance. But to be honest with you, it really didn’t hit me what I was doing until I walked into a café one day and sat in a booth that I recovered. It was then that I realized that the benchmark for the business, yes was to make money and keep customers happy, but it was to witness how what came in broken and in need of repair returned to its place being able to serve a purpose. I just didn’t recover a booth for people to sit on: I recovered a booth in which people can create memories on as they visit with a friend while sharing a meal.
Much like the Upholstery Shop, which reached its 50th year in business last year, the church has benchmarks as well: goals for success. Ephesians 4:14-15 says, “We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ…” The benchmark for a business is profit. The benchmark for a student is the completion of course requirements. The benchmark of a church is this: truth, love, and becoming like Jesus.
First is truth. Ephesians 4:15 says, “We will hold on to the truth.” The word truth here is actually a verb. A better translation would be, “We will truth.” In the Bible, truth is never just something that you believe. It’s something that you live. When you’re spiritually mature, you won’t just believe the Bible. You’ll live the Bible and you will bring the Bible to life through your own experiences. Our bench mark of truth is to be a living and breathing testimony of what the Bible teaches. Church, how are we living out the good news of the Bible?
Second is love. Ephesians 4:15 says, “We will hold on to the truth in love.” When you’re spiritually mature, it will reflect your relationships. It will affect the way that you relate to other people. It will change everything about your relationships. Remember what Jesus taught us about love? He taught that love is the supreme commandment. He commanded his followers to love God wholeheartedly, love their neighbor as themselves, and love their enemies. Jesus instructed his followers to love one another as he has loved us. Church, how are we extending the love of Christ to others?
Third is becoming like Jesus. Lastly, Ephesians 4:15 says, “Becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church” (Ephesians 4:15). The ultimate mark of spiritual maturity is that we become just like Jesus Christ. We truly take to heart that famous 1990s question, originally from Charles Sheldon’s 1896 novel In His Steps, of “What Would Jesus Do?” To become like Christ, we must be willing to embody his character through unconditional love, humility, service to others, and obedience to God’s will. It involves adopting his actions, such as serving the poor, extending grace, and practicing forgiveness. Our benchmark as a church should be to help all those who enter this space to find ways to become more like Jesus in their daily life.
I understand that some of you may be thinking, “I believe the church’s benchmark should be growing attendance, increasing the church offering, and creating more ministries.” To this, I don’t disagree; but I wonder what the church could become if we spent time focused on developing benchmarks that lead to growing spiritually and faithfully? In considering the re-upholstered future, I think our benchmark as a church is not be to marvel at what we have done but to witness how what we have done has impacted and changed someone’s life. What we do should not just be because we want to do something, it should be because we need to do something because someone needs to know that they are seen and heard. So I ask you, what sort of benchmarks do we have as a church?
Conclusion:
Every organization and every person I know has a tendency: and that’s to drift away from purpose. If there’s one wish that I have for us, it’s that we would never forget our purpose. Our purpose is life change. It’s to lead people, no matter where they are spiritually, to a growing relationship with Jesus Christ, to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ, until they act just like him. My greatest desire is that we would never mistake our purpose as a church for anything. I hope that we’ll never lose the purpose of seeing people come to a growing relationship with Jesus Christ until they act just like him.
As I shared earlier, I’m glad that I have learned the trade of upholstery—although I would not call myself an upholsterer. It allowed me to do something different, to see things from a new perspective: to look at a product, develop a process to make it new, and to know that it will now serve a greater purpose than what it had when it came to the shop. There is a lot of “re-upholstering” that can be done in this world. And it begins with us as a church.
So church, I ask you: “What products are we working with to lead someone to Christ? What process do we need to engage in to lead someone to Christ? And what are the benchmarks for helping someone become more like Jesus Christ?” We have a task before us church, a vision! Are you willing to commit to being a church you need, that this community needs, that we all need? When we truly seek to lead others to Christ, we will fulfill Paul’s words in Ephesians 4:16, “from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.” Let’s continue to walk by faith, and be the church Christ needs us to be!
Let It Be So…
Closing Prayer:
Let us Pray… Dear Jesus, guide us as a church to focus on the products we have, give us a process to grow the church, and lead us toward benchmarks that will lead people toward you. O Lord, give us the tools to do some re-upholstering for you so that your message stays alive within us all. In your presence we pray. Amen.
Benediction:
Church, there is a world out there that needs us as a church. There are people out there who need to be lead to Christ. May we be inspired as a church today to go forth doing the work necessary to keep the church alive. May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; and May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26). In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit go forth knowing that God needs you to do some work. And all God’s people said, Amen. Amen. Amen.
[1] Ministries, The United Methodist Church Unveils New Guiding Vision Statement, Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church, May 1, 2025: https://www.unitedmethodistbishops.org/newsdetail/umc-unveils-new-vision-statement-19057587 Accessed April 12, 2026.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Inspired by Matthew 22:37-39 and John 13:34-35.
[4] Inspired by Psalm 100:1, Nehemiah 8:10, John 13:14-15 and 1 Peter 4:10
[5] Inspired by Joshua 1:9 and Ephesians 6:10
[6] Aubrey Malphurs, Advanced Strategic Planning: A 21st-Century Model for Church and Ministry Leaders, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Publishing Group, 2013, pg. 134-137.
[7] Steve Manskar, Discipleship Ministries: The United Methodist Church, “Who Is a Disciple of Jesus Christ?, Discipleship Ministries of the General Board of Discipleship, May 2014: https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/blog/who-is-a-disciple-of-jesus-christ Accessed April 13, 2026.
[8] Richard K. Avery and Donald S. Marsh, “We Are The Church,” The United Methodist Hymnal, Nashville, Tennessee: United Methodist Publishing House, 1989, #558.
[9] If your faith hasn’t changed your lifestyle, then your faith isn’t worth much.