The Ministry and Activity of the Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts: A Pattern of Church Healt

Pentecostalism remains one of the fastest growing movements within global Christianity. While its growth proves impressive, Pentecostalism in the United States stands at a crossroads. Concerns exist over the future of the Movement. Seeker-sensitive and unbalanced approaches for seeking church growth have dominated the twenty-first- century Pentecostal Church. An emphasis upon numerical growth has replaced true church health, and Pentecostal practices that churches once deemed acceptable appear to be fading. These worrisome trends affect the Pentecostal Church of God as well as other classical Pentecostal fellowship.;The research within this project consists of interviews with Pentecostal denominational leaders, statistical data on the state of Pentecostal churches, and personal observations from visits to numerous churches, which reveal a major disconnect between what Pentecostals say they believe and what they practice. As the biblical-theological and general literature reviews show, Pentecostal churches need to return to the biblical model of church health found within the Book of Acts, and the Church's next generation of Pentecostal leaders needs to understand the threats facing Pentecostalism and what churches need to have true health. Through a three-week course developed for Messenger College, this project taught a group of next-generation Pentecostal leaders about the ministry and activity of the Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts and its implications for cultivating a biblically-balanced and healthy Pentecostal Church.