When Civility Fails: A Pastor’s Response to Violence, Rage, and the Hard Work of Truth

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  by Bart L. Denny, Ph.D. Introduction — Why I must speak I have been reflecting on recent events in our nation and wrestling with how best to speak into them. As a follower of Jesus Christ and as a pastor, I believe my calling is to shed more light than heat in times of turmoil, and to offer the seasoning of grace in a culture that often tastes bitter. This will not be an exercise in soft-peddling. It will be frank, pastoral, and, where necessary, unflinching. Somewhere, this post will fail to address a consideration that it might have spoken to. I own it, saying in my defense only that space prevents my discussing everything that might be said on a subject and my views on it. Yet undoubtedly, this will cover more ground than most newspaper op-ed articles. Some readers may focus on one thing I say in the post without taking the entirety of what I said here in context. I pray you won't. But I resign myself to the likelihood some will. What I saw this past week I saw a young...
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How Can a Church Grow? (Part 2)

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Five Spiritual Practices That Fuel a Thriving Church

by Bart Denny

In a previous post, we asked a critical question: How can a church grow?

It’s a timely question—because while many churches are in decline, growth is still possible. Not through gimmicks or polished programs, but by cultivating the same spiritual conditions that fueled the church in Acts 2.

When the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, the early church exploded. In one day, 3,000 people came to faith. And Acts 2:47 tells us, “The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

So what were they doing that made their growth so vibrant, sustainable, and Spirit-filled?

It wasn’t a silver bullet—it was spiritual soil.

Here are three more growth-producing practices from Acts 2:37–47.

We Grow When We Love Each Other Deeply

The believers in Acts didn’t just gather—they bonded. Acts 2:44–45 says, “All the believers were together and had everything in common… they gave to anyone who had need.”

This was more than friendliness—it was sacrificial, open-handed love. And it was magnetic.

Like a well in the outback, that kind of love draws people in and keeps them close.

When love flows like that at church—through meals, presence, generosity, and hospitality—people find Jesus in the way they’re treated, not just the words they hear.

We Grow When We Depend on Prayer Continually

Acts 2:42 says the church “devoted themselves… to prayer.” That word “devoted” means to persist—to cling and not let go.

Prayer wasn’t an accessory. It was the engine.

And the results? Every major move of God in Acts was preceded by prayer (Acts 4:31, Acts 13:2).

Corporate prayer mattered. United prayer mattered.

And if we want God to move at Pathway—or in any church—we must raise our sails and catch the wind of the Spirit through prayer.

No prayer? No power.

We Grow When We Give Sacrificially to the Mission

In verse 45, we’re told the early Christians “sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.”

This wasn’t charity. It was worship.

They didn’t treat their stuff as sacred. They treated the mission of Jesus as sacred.

Sacrificial giving isn’t just financial. It’s giving up comfort, preferences, time, and energy—whatever it takes to help others know Christ.

Sometimes the most spiritual thing we can give up… is what we like best.

What’s Your Next Step?

Churches grow when people grow. So what’s one step you can take this week?

  • Love someone tangibly
  • Join in corporate prayer
  • Open your hands to give more freely
  • Invite someone far from God to walk with you
  • Sacrifice a preference to reach a soul

No church grows by accident. But if we each plant seeds in the soil God blesses—He brings the harvest.

About the Author

Dr. Bart L. Denny is the lead pastor of Pathway—A Wesleyan Church in Saranac, Michigan. A former U.S. Navy officer and Christian leadership instructor, he writes about faith, leadership, and the church’s mission. Read more at Bart’s Blog.

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All comments are moderated. I welcome respectful disagreement with my posts. Such discussions can cause me to consider perspectives I hadn't examined before. However, I also reserve the right to delete any comment for any reason. Why? Simple enough, this is MY blog, with MY thoughts, and I want to have a civil conversation that is, at all times, God-honoring in nature.

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