Briefing: Spring Meadows Church Service and Ministry Focus on November 29, 2025

Executive Summary

The church service at Spring Meadows Seventh-day Adventist Church on November 29, 2025, centered on the theme of “Lost and Found,” culminating in the introduction of a new prison ministry partnership. The keynote message was delivered by guest speaker Chaplain Doug Foley, Jr., the lead chaplain for Orange County Jails. His sermon analyzed parables from Luke 15 to define two primary forms of spiritual “lostness”: individuals lost outside the church (the “lost sheep”) and those lost within it (the “lost coin”).

Chaplain Foley asserted that Jesus’s core mission, as stated in Luke 19, is “to seek and to save the lost” in all categories. He positioned prison ministry as a uniquely effective field for this mission, describing it as the “most exciting” context for evangelism due to the profound life transformations witnessed. He supported this with a detailed account of a former Nation of Islam member’s conversion within the jail. The service formally launched a partnership between the church’s newly activated prison ministry department and Chaplain Foley’s work. This initiative aligns with other major church efforts, including the “Miracle Multiplied” capital campaign, which aims to raise $3.3 million to eliminate the church’s mortgage debt.

Keynote Address: “Lost and Found” by Chaplain Doug Foley, Jr.

The service’s central message was delivered by Chaplain Doug Foley, Jr., who has served as the lead chaplain for Orange County Jails for six years and as a staff pastor for Summit Church for seven years. His address provided the theological foundation for a new prison ministry partnership with Spring Meadows Church.

Partnership Genesis

Brad Hillmon, the church’s Finance Committee Chairman, provided the context for the new ministry. The church had an unused fund of approximately $11,000 designated for prison ministries but lacked a ministry leader. After prayerful consideration to reallocate the funds, a longtime church member, Abner, stepped forward to lead the department. Shortly thereafter, Chaplain Foley, a long-term friend of Hillmon, contacted him seeking an Adventist church to partner with for the Orange County Prison Ministries, a development described as a “complete and total answer to prayer.”

Sermon Thesis: The Natures of “Lostness”

Chaplain Foley’s message was based on an analysis of three interconnected parables in Luke chapter 15, arguing they illustrate different ways an individual can be lost.

• The Lost Sheep: Lost on the Outside
  • This parable describes a sheep that wanders away from the flock. The shepherd leaves the 99 in the open to actively and deliberately seek the one that is lost.
  • This represents individuals who are lost outside the “sheepfold” of the church, whether they have departed from it or were never part of it.
  • Foley highlighted the radical nature of the shepherd’s actions, noting that from a practical standpoint, leaving 99 sheep unattended is a costly and risky decision. This underscores the immense value God places on each lost individual.
• The Lost Coin: Lost on the Inside
  • This parable describes a coin lost within the confines of a house. The owner must light a lamp and sweep carefully to find it.
  • This represents individuals who are lost while remaining inside the church community. They may exhibit outward conformity—knowing the right songs, scriptures, and answers—but are spiritually disconnected.
  • Foley compared this to the Pharisees, who were physically present and drawn to Jesus but were spiritually lost, viewing Him as competition rather than a savior. He noted this form of lostness is often harder to identify because the individual may not even be aware of their state.
• The Prodigal Son: A Synthesis of Lostness
  • Foley presented the third parable as a combination of the first two.
  • The younger son represents the “lost sheep,” having physically left his father’s house and become lost “on the outside.”
  • The older son represents the “lost coin.” Despite never leaving home and fulfilling his duties, his anger, resentment, and inability to rejoice reveal he is lost “on the inside.”

Application to Prison Ministry

Chaplain Foley directly applied these concepts to his work, defining Jesus’s mission statement from Luke 19:10: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

He described jail ministry as a powerful context for this mission because inmates are stripped of external resources and relationships, forcing them to confront fundamental life questions. This creates an environment where “we see the most life transformation.”

Case Study: The Conversion of “Prince”

To illustrate the ministry’s impact, Foley shared a detailed story about an inmate nicknamed “Prince,” a devout member of the Nation of Islam.

• Initial Engagement: Prince attended Bible study with the objective of converting the Christian participants to Islam (a practice called da’wa). He consistently challenged the teachings with probing questions.
• The Turning Point: During a lesson on Jesus washing the disciples’ feet in John 13, the inmates spontaneously requested to perform a foot-washing ceremony. Prince initially sat quietly but ultimately chose not to participate and left the room.
• The Confession: He returned later and confided in Foley. He referenced a concept in the Quran of scales weighing good and bad deeds at the final judgment. Prince confessed, “My entire life I’ve been filling the wrong side of those scales,” and recognized he had neither the time nor the energy to outweigh his past. He embraced the message that he could “get back” through a path that had nothing to do with the scales of deeds.
• Lasting Transformation: Foley led him in a prayer of surrender. Prince was unexpectedly released two days later. Months later, Foley saw him on the street, homeless and pushing a shopping cart. When called out to, Prince held up the large-print Bible he had been given and shouted, “I’m still walking with him chap!” He was subsequently connected with a program in Chicago, reconciled with two of his daughters, and began leading them to “the real Jesus.”

Chaplain Foley concluded with an invitation for church members to attend an interest meeting to become part of this ministry.

Church Announcements and Strategic Initiatives

The service included several key announcements regarding church life, finances, and community events.

Capital Campaign: “The Miracle Multiplied”

This major fundraising initiative is a central focus for the church.

• Purpose: Mortgage Retirement Campaign to pay off the church’s debt.
• Goal: $3.3 Million
• Timeline: A three-year gifting period from 2025 to 2028.
• Impact: Eliminating the current mortgage payment, which is approximately $35,000 per month, would free up significant funds for ministry and missions. The church is actively seeking to close out all pledge commitments.

Upcoming Events and Ministries

Church Financials and Offerings

• Church Budget (July 2024 – June 2026): The bulletin reported a significant budget shortfall for the period of November 1-28, 2025.
  • Monthly Need: $93,185
  • Monthly Received: $46,935
  • Monthly Shortfall: -$46,250
  • Year-to-Date Shortfall: -$28,243
• Sabbath Offering: The designated offering for November 29 was for Florida Education. It was noted that all undesignated offerings go directly to the church budget.

Thematic Cohesion of the Service

The central theme of “Lost and Found” was consistently reinforced through various elements of the worship service, creating a cohesive and impactful message.

• Scripture Reading: The service’s focal scripture, read by Jack Leech, was Luke 15:1-7, the Parable of the Lost Sheep, which provided the direct biblical basis for Chaplain Foley’s sermon.
• Children’s Story: Pastor Alex Harter presented a children’s story about a girl named Mia who lost her beloved teddy bear, “Teddy,” while playing at the park. After a frantic search involving all her friends and family, Teddy was found, dirty and scraped, in a bush. Mia’s reaction was not scolding but joyous reunion. The story concluded with the moral: “Sometimes we might be like Teddy… but for sure God is like Mia searching and searching and searching for you until he finds you. And when he finds you he rejoices… because it’s not how bad Teddy was it’s how big the love of God is.” This narrative served as a simple and direct parallel to the sermon’s core theme.
• Music and Hymns: The songs performed by the praise team echoed themes of God’s steadfastness, saving power, and relentless goodness. Hymns like “He Will Hold Me Fast” and “Goodness of God” (“Your goodness is running after, it’s running after me”) reinforced the idea of a God who actively seeks, saves, and sustains his people.

Doug Foley Jr

Other Sermons In This Series

Rooted in the Word – Pastor Alex Harter

January 04, 2025

The Body and Blood of Christ Provide Eternal Life – Pastor Shane Davis

January 11, 2025

Beginnings Matter – Pastor Jonathan Osorio

January 18, 2025