by Christa Meland, Minnesota UMC

“Jesus wants your church to be fruitful”—and it begins with being faithful, Rev. Jorge Acevedo told members of the Dakotas Annual Conference Session. God wants Pentecost to happen in your life and in your church.

But we have to understand that faithfulness precedes fruitfulness, he said, citing John 15:1-8. “Could it be that our lack of fruitfulness is really the result of our lack of faithfulness?” he asked. “Could it be that we’ve forgotten how to be faithful?”

Acevedo is lead pastor at Grace Church, a multi-site United Methodist congregation in Southwest Florida that has grown its weekend worship attendance from 400 to more than 2,600 over the past 19 years.

Faithfulness to God

He said faithfulness requires several things—one of which is community. Studies have found that pastors suffer from agonizing loneliness and despair, but ministry was meant to be lived in rich, deep community; this has been a hallmark of Methodism since the days of John Wesley.

“Don’t call yourself a Methodist if you’re not in a small group,” Acevedo said.

Acevedo said he’s been part of a covenant group for 24 years. The group meets twice a year, and they hold each other accountable when it comes to things like soul care, keeping passion in ministry, and taking time for family. They check in with each other when they travel and find themselves in other situations involving isolation.

“How are you doing at staying connected in rich, authentic relationships with other Christ-followers?” Acevedo asked attendees.

Faithfulness also requires abiding, he said. Too often, “we’re trying to be Christian instead of training to be Christian.” He cited a study that found that the No. 1 factor in helping people grow in relationship with God is daily Bible engagement.

Acevedo said people occasionally ask him why he does daily devotions. He gives four reasons: It helps him listen to God, it’s a way for him to “dethrone” himself, he often comes away with a word for someone else he encounters later in the day, and it creates space for innovation in both life and ministry.

“How are you doing at staying connected in a rich, authentic relationship with Jesus?” Acevedo asked.

Third, faithfulness requires pruning—which he called “God’s discipline.” It means cutting those things in life that keep us from abundant fruitfulness. For example, Acevedo said he loves watching late-night TV, but he’s discovered that he can’t get up early and be as productive the next day if he gives in to that preference. “I have to get rid of the immaturities in my life if I want to grow in my maturity for God,” he said.

Fruitfulness for God

“In creating a culture of discipleship in your church, the systems and strategy you create will determine the harvest you get,” Acevedo said. It matters where you plant seeds.

God is out there at work in the world and has an active presence that’s not dependent on human actions—a concept Methodism founder John Wesley called “prevenient grace.” In Wesley’s days, class meetings were a space for people to incubate their faith, Acevedo said. Just 20 percent of people have a “light switch” experience in coming to Christ; for the other 80 percent, it’s more of a “dimmer switch” experience—one that takes time to transform into who God intends them to be. Acevedo asked: “Where in the life of your church is it safe to not be a Christian?”

He said Grace Church has tried to model its ministries around the movements of grace that Methodism founder John Wesley identified:

Reach ministries: Engage and invite unchurched people in the community to experience the love of Jesus through the body of Christ. One of Grace’s “Reach” ministries is its Exceptional Entrepreneurs program, which empowers people with special needs by providing a nurturing environment, job and life skills, and opportunities for entrepreneurship. Grace started this ministry after learning that 77 percent of special needs people are at or below the poverty line and most have difficulty gaining employment.

Connect ministries: Help people connect to Jesus and the Grace Church family. For Grace, these include hospitality—like greeting people at the parking lot and delivering a mug to the homes of first-time visitors—and membership classes and other opportunities for people to learn about the church.

Form ministries: Help people have a growing and transforming relationship with Jesus Christ. For Grace, this means engaging people through small groups and training them through spiritual mentoring, a Walk to Emmaus experience, Bible engagement, and other avenues.

Send ministries: Release God’s people to make the realities of heaven the realities of earth. For example, Grace has an annual shoe ministry through which members demonstrate servant leadership by washing the feet of children in need, providing a message of hope, and supplying a new pair of shoes and school supplies. Each child also receives a Bible and hears the story of Jesus.