As we continue our Lent series based on Ephesians, we are focusing on the characteristics we want to embody as a church. Our vision for the next five years is not just about what we do but who we are becoming in Christ. It’s about growing together, both numerically and spiritually, as we live out God’s calling for our church family.

So far, we’ve explored two key aspects of our vision. One of the first areas we highlighted was the importance of welcoming others as part of our church’s mission. Being a welcoming church is not just about opening our doors, but about truly embracing people into the family of God. Then, we reflected on generosity—how, when we realise all that Christ has given us, we are called to give generously of our time, love, skills, and resources.

Now, we turn our focus to growth. Yes, we want to grow numerically; we want to see new faces join our community, be part of our family, and contribute to building God’s kingdom. But in Ephesians 4, Paul challenges us to think about growth in a deeper, more profound way. Growing isn’t just about numbers. It’s about spiritual maturity.

In Ephesians 4, Paul makes it clear that growing in maturity means growing in love for one another and growing in unity. Maturity in Christ is not about individual accomplishments but about how we, as a body of believers, work together to become more like Him. Each of us has a unique role to play within the church family, and we all contribute to the collective goal of growing in Christ-likeness.

I am reminded of a time when Tim and I served at a church with very few Christians when we arrived. People came mostly because of the school attached to the church, and many of them had no faith at all. But by God’s grace, through the Alpha course and the work of the Holy Spirit, some came to faith, and our church slowly became a community of believers. It was a joy, but it also meant that when we left, there were few mature Christians to minister alongside. Coming to St Michael’s has been a joy because we get to serve with many who are more mature in Christ, and I’m learning so much from their examples.

But regardless of where each of us stands on the spiritual maturity scale, Paul’s message in Ephesians is clear: we should not compare ourselves to each other. Instead, we should compare ourselves to Christ. And when we do, we realize how much further we have to go. In verse 14, Paul tells us that even the greatest servants of the Gospel—like himself—are still spiritual infants in comparison to Christ. We all have room to grow.

Let’s take a moment to think about babies. Babies are miraculous. They are fully alive, part of the family, and full of potential. But they are also helpless and need care to survive and grow. When our daughter Jemima was born, I read a book called Why Love Matters, which talked about how human babies are born less physically developed than many other mammals. Think of a newborn calf or foal that can stand and walk within hours of birth. Human babies, however, require significant psychological development before they can survive on their own.

Did you know that growth hormones needed to develop the brain are only released if babies receive enough eye contact and attention from their caregivers? This shows how deeply interconnected our physical and emotional development is, and it also teaches us something vital about spiritual growth. When we are spiritually born again, we are like babies—utterly dependent on God and others. We need care, connection, and nurturing if we are to grow in Christ.

As spiritual infants, we need to be fed with good spiritual food—the Bible, the truth of the Gospel—so that we can mature in our faith. Just as a baby will put anything in its mouth, we too must be careful about what we consume. We need the right nourishment to grow spiritually, or we will remain immature.

And just like physical babies are naturally self centred, spiritual babies can be the same. If we are always focused on ourselves—on our own wants, feelings, or hurts—we’re not growing as we should. Spiritual maturity requires us to move beyond our self-centredness, to stop asking “What’s in it for me?” and start asking “How can I serve others? How can I love and bless those around me?”

We need to take responsibility for our spiritual growth. This means prioritizing personal disciplines like prayer, Bible reading, worship, and fellowship. But we also need to remember that growing together is essential. Maturity cannot happen in isolation. We are called to grow together in unity.

Paul speaks of unity in Ephesians 4:13, saying that we “all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God.” Unity is vital for spiritual maturity. We cannot grow into Christ-likeness alone. We need each other. We need to be in relationship with one another, sharing our lives, serving one another, and helping each other grow in the faith. As we engage in small groups, ministry teams, Sunday worship, and prayer meetings, we help build the body of Christ and mature together.

Maturity also grows as we understand the truth of the Gospel and build our lives on it. In John 18:37, Jesus says to Pilate, “The reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth.” Our unity and maturity are grounded in our shared understanding of Christ’s truth. Without this common foundation, we risk becoming divided and immature, tossed around by different interpretations of the Gospel. We see this happening today within the Church of England, as divisions grow over different understandings of truth.

As the family of St Michael’s, let’s commit to growing together in unity by deepening our understanding of the Word of God. The Gospel is the truth that binds us together—it's the truth that reminds us that we are all sinners, lost without a Saviour, but also deeply loved by a Saviour who gave His life for us. This truth should be the foundation for all that we do as a church.

In conclusion, while this message might seem a little inward-focused, it’s essential. Jesus said that others will know we are His disciples by the way we love one another. But we can’t love each other as we should unless we grow in maturity. And we won’t grow in maturity unless we learn to love each other well.

As we move forward with our vision for the next five+ years, let’s commit to growing together as a church family—growing in maturity, in unity, and in our love for one another. One practical step to show our commitment is to sign the electoral roll.



Let’s pray together for the strength and wisdom to grow in Christ and in unity as we continue this journey.