“Basic Training”
by Reverend Tom Coronite
January 12th, 2024 10AM
Summary – Foundations of Church Growth
In his sermon titled “Basic Training”, Rev. Tom Coronite (“TC”) sites Acts 2:41-47, which describe the early church’s rituals adopted following Pentecost, as a modern blueprint for healthy church life. From these scriptures TC identifies four boot-camp principles of a successful church: teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer. He goes on to describe the importance of each of these elemental principles and explains that “When things get complex, when things get a little hairy, when things start to get off track, stick to the basics, go back to the basics, and focus on them until we get back on track.” He relates this to his experience as an air traffic controller confronted with all the exceptions for aircraft separation but when things change and get complex quickly you go back to basic principles for aircraft separation – the “3 miles and 1,000 feet” rule. TC’s uses his concept of a “good pizza” to highlight the idea of foundational principles. He notes that even with fancy toppings, a pizza with a bad crust, sauce, or cheese is not good. In a like matter TC states that church growth comes from God, not from any human efforts to attract people with programs or events. “It is not our job to stand in God’s place and do his job of trying to grow the church our job is to cultivate a spirit where that growth can take place.” “People come to church when they are full of the spirit, and they desire to have that connection with God and have that connection with God’s Church.” Teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer are not a return to an old way of being but are the fundamental practices that gives spiritual life to church.
-JTH