“The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!” Mark 1: 15
 
“So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May He give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with Him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.”  2 Thessalonians 1: 11 – 12
 

Introducing Grow the Kingdom

 

 

We are Called

 

First Presbyterian Church of Moorestown is called to grow the Kingdom of God.

God’s Kingdom encompasses all that God desires to bring and to do on earth through God’s people. The Kingdom of God is the restoration of God’s rule over all things. The Kingdom was central and primary in Jesus’ teaching. When we believe the Gospel, we’re stepping into something far bigger than ourselves. Therefore, as we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy Kingdom come,” we also offer the whole of our lives, individually and as a congregation, to the great task of growing the Kingdom.
 
As we commit to growing God’s Kingdom, every member and friend of FPC Moorestown is invited into a covenant with four commitments. Specifically, we look to members and friends to pray often for God’s leading and provision. We ask others to come to FPC Moorestown and, most importantly, know Jesus. Members and friends offer their time and their hands to support and aid our mission and ministry. Finally, our people give financially in consistent ways and sometimes sacrificially.
 

Will you commit to Grow the Kingdom?

YES! I will join in the covenant and commit to our four commitments. Please complete your Grow the Kingdom commitment form, either online or print a copy then return to the church office. Thank you for taking part in this very special commitment!
 
COMPLETE ONLINE                  DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY  
 

Our Commitment

 
Each commitment has a first and second step. Step one is an initial but necessary step, while step two is a more expansive, faith-requiring step. Training and equipping will be provided for every step.

I WILL PRAY

I will pray regularly for the ministry and mission of FPC Moorestown.
  • Step 1: I will pray for needs and work of our congregation so that we may fulfill God’s Kingdom purposes. Those who pray may use a daily prayer guide.
 
  • Step 2: I will regularly pray with other members and friends for the community and congregation. I’ll join a prayer group or find a prayer partner with whom I’ll regularly pray.
  • Another way to do Step 2 is by meeting regularly (2 – 4 times a month) to pray together. Contact Pam Engle at the church office to join a Prayer Group.
Training/Equipping:
CENTERING PRAYER GROUP
Wednesdays, 6:30-7:00 pm. Pastor Stuart Spencer leads a weekly time of Centering Prayer along with new members Kathy Eagles and Cindy St. Cyr. The group meets in Pastor’s Study.
 
 
MEN’S PRAYER BREAKFAST
May 4, 8:30 am. The men of FPC Moorestown gather for a full and hearty breakfast followed by a presentation on building a prayer life by Rev. John Doll.
 

I WILL INVITE

I will invite people into the life of FPC Moorestown, ultimately to know, follow, and serve Jesus.
  • Step 1: Inviting others each week to worship and/or church activities like small groups or retreats.
  • Step 2: Inviting others into a relationship with Jesus using Discovery Bible Study or other means of evangelism, with the goal of making disciples of children, youth, young adults and adults of every age. For additional help, contact Pastor Wes Allen or Pastor Stuart Spencer.

I WILL SERVE

I will serve with my time and using my talents, I will participate in the ministry and mission of FPC Moorestown.
  • Step 1: I offer my services for the work of the church by volunteering to help with a church program or ministry.
  • Step 2: I seek to serve our community with acts of kindness and mercy through the guidance and direction of the Deacons and Mission Committee.
Training/Equipping:
THE ENGAGEMENT PROJECT
God has entrusted the primary work of the Kingdom to the common, everyday Christian (us). Have you ever considered that God has providentially placed your neighbor, co-worker, son-in-law… near you so you can cultivate a relationship with her or him and invite them to your table to meet Jesus?
 
We are offering two meeting times:
  • Sunday, 10:15 am
 
  • Wednesday, 7:00 pm

I WILL GIVE

I will financially support the work of FPC Moorestown with intentional, sometimes sacrificial giving.
  • Step 1: I regularly give to FPC Moorestown.
  • Step 2: I plan to give to special needs or projects.
Training/Equipping:
Contact our Pastors and our Stewardship Committee for giving ideas or information about how to include FPC Moorestown in your estate planning.
 
 

The Current State of the Church in the United States

 

Some Thoughts on the State of the Church

from Thom Rainer
 
Thom Rainer spoke at the Nashville City Tour a few weeks ago on the State of the Evangelical Church in America. Depending on how one defines a dying church, he asserts that as many as three out of four churches are currently dying.
 
Rainer identified several factors. The first of these is an unhealthy attachment to the past. Many churches are trying to recreate the pre-pandemic conditions of 2019. He believes this view hampers progress and causes stagnation within the church community.
 
Rainer’s second concern lies in the churches’ failure to comprehend the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The accelerated societal changes brought by the pandemic exacerbated pre-existing issues and pushed the church even further towards deterioration. Rainer insists that these churches fail to acknowledge that societal and cultural realities now move forward at a faster pace than in years past.
 
A vital aspect Rainer highlights is a lack of powerful prayer, particularly corporate prayer. He cites longitudinal studies showing declining church participation in coordinated prayer and evangelistic activities. Without the presence of prayer, he argues, churches lose connection to the sustenance drawn from collective communion with God.
 
Another issue Rainer brings up is the decline of evangelism. There has been an observable drop in church members involved in evangelism, showing that it now takes over 100 active members to reach one person with the gospel annually. 
 
Finally, he touches on the issue of the church lacking a clear purpose. Evaluating the survival strategy of churches, Rainer sees a failure in many churches to articulate their purpose and a path of discipleship for members.

The Misunderstood Reason Millions of Americans Stopped Going to Church

by Jake Meador, Published in “The Atlantic” – July 29, 2023
 
The underlying challenge for many [church attenders] is that their lives are stretched like a rubber band about to snap—and church attendance ends up feeling like an item on a checklist that’s already too long. 
 
What can churches do in such a context? In theory, the Christian Church could be an antidote to all that. What is more needed in our time than a community marked by sincere love, sharing what they have from each according to their ability and to each according to their need, eating together regularly, generously serving neighbors, and living lives of quiet virtue and prayer? A healthy church can be a safety net in the harsh American economy by offering its members material assistance in times of need: meals after a baby is born, money for rent after a layoff. Perhaps more important, it reminds people that their identity is not in their job or how much money they make; they are children of God, loved and protected and infinitely valuable. 
 
But a vibrant, life-giving church requires more, not less, time and energy from its members. It asks people to prioritize one another over our career, to prioritize prayer and time reading scripture over accomplishment. This may seem like a tough sell in an era of dechurching. If people are already leaving—especially if they are leaving because they feel too busy and burned out to attend church regularly—why would they want to be part of a church that asks so much of them? 
 
Although understandable, that isn’t quite the right question. The problem in front of us is not that we have a healthy, sustainable society that doesn’t have room for church. The problem is that many Americans have adopted a way of life that has left us lonely, anxious, and uncertain of how to live in community with other people. 
 
The tragedy of American churches is that they have been so caught up in this same world that we now find they have nothing to offer these suffering people that can’t be more easily found somewhere else.
 
In the Gospels, Jesus tells his first disciples to leave their old way of life behind, going so far as abandoning their plow or fishing nets where they are and, if necessary, even leaving behind their parents. A church that doesn’t expect at least this much from one another isn’t really a church in the way Jesus spoke about it.
 

Resources

 

Bible Project Video

The Gospel of the Kingdom. What is the good news of the Gospel? Jesus’ arrival on Earth was a royal announcement. He was there to establish God’s Kingdom and change everything.
 
 

 

Books

The Kingdom of God and the Glory of the Cross by Patrick Schreiner. When Jesus began His ministry, He announced that the Kingdom of God was at hand. The author investigates key events, prophecies, and passages of Scripture that highlight the important theme of kingdom across the storyline of the Bible. (159 pages)
 
 
 
God’s Big Picture: Tracing the Storyline of the Bible by Vaughn Roberts. The author gives the big picture of the Bible—showing how the different parts of the Bible fit together under the theme of the kingdom of God. (170 pages)