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Aliens at School

By First Priority Of America, Northeast TN

This blog was written by David North

A First Priority club volunteer recently told me that his daughter has been ostracized and bullied at school because of her Faith. She doesn’t want to attend school anymore because of the treatment she endures from classmates.

Her story is a sobering reminder that this world isn’t friendly to followers of Christ. In John 15:18-20 and 1 John 3:13, Jesus warned us about this kind of thing and said not to be surprised by it. But somehow, we still are. “Be kind to people and they will be kind to you.” Right? Wrong…way wrong. We have an Enemy in this world and he inspires this kind of inexplicable hatred we see toward those who follow Jesus.

So what comfort or helpful advice can we offer to a student who is dealing with a situation like this?

  1. Tell them that their identity and value comes from Jesus and NOT from others. (check out Jamie Winship’s talks on youtube to learn more about IDENTITY)
  2. Remind them that when they are mistreated because of their faith in Jesus there is a great reward for them in heaven. (Matthew 5:11-12)
  3. Encourage them to join/start a First Priority club in their school. The friendship and encouragement a student can get from meeting with like minded followers of Jesus at their school is an available grace that every student should take advantage of.
  4. Lastly, remind students that being mistreated and left out because of their Faith is evidence that they belong to Jesus! We are aliens and strangers in this world system. We aren’t home yet!

Will you partner with us to start more First Priority clubs in Northeast Tennessee? Haley, Austin, and I could sure use your help! We’d like to get the funding and volunteers in place now that will allow us to serve more students and get us to our goal of 50 Schools by the end of this school year. Please consider volunteering or financially partnering with us to help make it happen. May God richly bless you!

David North
NETN District Director

Church Partnerships: A Conversation with Ryan McMichael

By Podcast

This blog was written by Hannah Blackburn. 

In this week’s episode of the First Priority podcast, Brad Schelling sat down with special guest Ryan McMichael to continue the conversation surrounding church partnerships. Ryan is an area director with First Priority Greater Nashville, which includes Maury County and South Williamson County. First Priority Greater Nashville has been there slightly less than five years. Before joining First Priority staff in September, Ryan was the student pastor at First Baptist Columbia. He is very passionate about student ministry and felt God calling him into First Priority for this reason!

Ryan has always felt called to equip students and student leaders with the tools needed to share the gospel, and has always had a heart for evangelism. First Priority was able to bridge the gap between the students in the local church’s youth group and the students in the local school who may have never stepped foot in a church before. One of the ways Ryan has seen First Priority serve the local church during his time as a student pastor was through watching students step up as leaders to share the gospel with their school campus. Through these experiences, he has been able to share the First Priority mission and network with other student pastors from other local churches to get their students plugged in as well!

Brad and Ryan also discussed some of the things Ryan has learned since coming on board with First Priority. One thing he has seen consistently is the willingness of local churches to pray for First Priority’s mission, despite many of them never having heard of First Priority before! Another amazing thing Ryan has seen is the power of giving students ownership of First Priority’s mission and model. When students are given ownership of a club and the tools to share the Gospel and network with their peers, they’re empowered to step up to the plate, become leaders, and ultimately lead their peers to Christ!

Ryan’s final note is this: if God is calling you somewhere or to something it is always the right place or thing, even if it doesn’t fully make sense to you or people around you. If God is calling you there, it will always be the right step. On a related note, we might not know the impact we make now or in the long term, but we should remember that even small actions can have a huge impact on someone’s life. Ryan reminds us that God isn’t limited, and encourages us to follow His calling no matter where it takes you!

“Can I See Some I.D. Please?”

By Local FP Communities, Northeast TN

This blog post was written by David North.

There’s a lot of talk about IDENTITY these days among students. We repeat the phrase “Know who you are in Christ“ at church, but I’m not sure we’ve done a very good job of explaining what that means and why it matters.

And now we are seeing the consequences of abandoning that conversation and allowing culture to hand out new identities to students -and even new categories!

Our students need to know some things about identity. Everything, I mean everything, flows out of knowing Who God is and who he made you to be.

Identity is a big deal to God, and it should be a big deal to us. The world and our Enemy wants us to identify ourselves by our sin and struggles.

God identifies us by our purpose and our potential. Sometimes He even changes peoples name just to make the point! Abram to Abraham, Jacob to Israel, Simon to Peter, Saul to Paul and the list goes on.

At First Priority we are training students to let their friends know that God made them for a purpose-and He is prepared to give them a new life, a new identity, and a better future if they will just come to Him.

Partner with us in this identity war and let’s see what God does!

Blessings,

David North, District Director, NE Tennessee

Engaging the Church in School Ministry | The FP Podcast

By Uncategorized

This blog post was written by Hannah Blackburn. 

In this week’s episode of the First Priority podcast, Steve Cherrico and Brad Schelling sat down to continue their conversation from last week’s podcast with Larry Crawford. Themes from last week included church partnership, the local church, and being pro church, as well as a discussion of all the angles by which First Priority markets itself to the local church.

Engagement of the local church is not only important, it is absolutely crucial! Steve and Brad discussed the “Dead Sea Analogy” to explain why engagement of the church is so vital. The Dead Sea can’t house life because nothing ever flows out, things only flow into it. In the same way, many student ministries only have students come in, but never send them back out into the world. First Priority clubs create a way for local church’s student ministries to send their students back out into the world, which in turn breathes life back into their ministry.

Why do students lose their faith at college and what can prevent this from happening? Brad and Steve discussed how youth ministry helps students view their daily life as missional and causes them to engage their faith on a greater level. In partnership with First Priority clubs, this could look like a student inviting a classmate or athletic team member to a First Priority meeting. When these students get to college, their faith isn’t something they walk away from because they already view it as part of their daily life. This worldview creates greater opportunity for students to share their faith with their peers, whether that’s at school, college, or beyond!

Next Brad and Steve discussed yet another layer of benefit for local churches that partner with First Priority. Romans 12 talks about the importance of being the body of Christ. Many students don’t feel like they can discuss their faith openly at school, even though oftentimes there is a whole body of believers surrounding them. First Priority clubs provide a connection for students to find fellowship with other Christians at their school and a connection between students and local churches. Connect Week, in our EPIC Cycle, is solely dedicated to helping students find their local church family. Students want someone to say they belong, and the local church is the best place to find that community. First Priority can connect students with local churches AND other Christians at their school in a really amazing way!

Another benefit of partnership with First Priority is the encouragement of the local church. Oftentimes, the church can focus too much on the negatives of the modern childhood experience. First Priority gives churches a reason to CELEBRATE what’s going on at their local school when students come to know Jesus! Over and over, we have seen the awesome things God has done when students and the local church come together, and we at First Priority are incredibly honored to be even a small part of that!

Listen to the podcast today to learn more about engaging churches in school ministry!

Campus Coaching Chronicles ft. Special Guest Larry Crawford

By Podcast

This blog post was written by Hannah Blackburn.

In this week’s episode of the First Priority Podcast, Brad Schelling and Steve Cherrico sat down with special guest Larry Crawford. Larry has been a campus coach at a local middle school in the Murfreesboro, TN, area for just over one year. He and his wife have been attending Living Water Church for about ten years. Larry works in sales and goes to the middle school once a week to coach their First Priority club.

Larry’s story on how he became a club coach happened quickly. For Larry, it all goes back to being servant minded and sacrificial. One of the kids at the middle school noticed there wasn’t a Christian based club at her school. Her father is the pastor of Larry’s church, and she told Larry that the middle school needed an adult to lead a First Priority club. Larry jumped in with First Priority resources and training and thus began his journey as a club coach.

How many students does it take to start a First Priority club? The answer: only one! At Larry’s first club meeting, there were five students. The next week there were seven, then ten, then twelve, then twenty-five students in the club. Now, there are somewhere between forty to fifty students! This growth happened 100% from word-of-mouth between students inviting their peers to the club. As the club continues to grow, students have more and more ideas on how to grow and connect, they just need the confidence to do so.

Students are very instrumental in inviting their friends to church, a story that Larry has seen multiple times. It’s hard to break out of the assumption that students already know who Jesus is, because that’s simply not the case. Seeing middle schoolers step up for Bible reading and teaching has been very inspirational for Larry to see. As the club grows, Larry has watched it mature to be increasingly student led, which is the goal for First Priority clubs to become.

How do we understand the difference between a small church versus a big church? There is none! There is the local place we worship together, but the definition of the church is God moving through people as the body of Christ! First Priority focuses on being the church by connecting students with each other and giving them the resources needed to bring their peers to Christ. Ultimately, it’s not about First Priority or any one person or organization, it’s about leading people to Jesus and furthering God’s Kingdom.

Church-Based Training: Equipping Leaders for School Ministry | The FP Podcast

By Podcast

This blog post was written by Hannah Blackburn.

In this week’s episode of the First Priority Podcast, Brad Schelling and Steve Cherrico sat down to discuss the importance of church based leadership. This process involves training and equipping leaders for ministry and keeping a focus on the local church. Although First Priority clubs aren’t in existence everywhere around the country, churches are! One of the goals of First Priority is to empower the church to train students who will then lead their peers to Christ within their school.

What is the process for church based training and where does it fit? The process involves a guide called EPIC. Thousands of students have come to know Christ through this resource! But the process for equipping student leaders to lead their peers to Christ starts before EPIC. The process starts with finding key influencers in each city who can rally the troops, raise funds, and hire staff. Together, they network with the local church to train club leaders.

How does First Priority network with the church? Ultimately, it is about being Gospel focused as we become one with the local church, spanning denominations, and keeping an emphasis on partnership with one another.

Who do we engage when it comes to a local church? Where do we even start? We start by identifying a group of “key influencers” in a local community. These could be business leaders, parents, or church leaders, and they make up the key influencers who are passionate about making sure the gospel goes forward. It comes down to a group of about 5-7 people who guide or impact the community in some way, shape, or form.

Why do we need key influencers? It’s easy to identify Christians who want to work with students: youth pastors and youth ministers. But if those people are the only points of contact, they may not have enough influence to sustain a First Priority club. Most youth pastors are incredibly passionate about fellowship, worship, and discipleship, but not every youth pastor is passionate about evangelism. Key influencers are a vital network between First Priority resources, students, and the local church.

One of the things First Priority does well organizationally is keeping its focus on seeing the local church win! There are countless ways that our clubs assist the church. For example: plugging new believers into a church’s youth ministry, which leads to their families coming to church, which leads to whole families coming to follow Jesus! Churches already encourage members of their youth ministry to invite their friends and families to church, and First Priority clubs give students an opportunity to do so.

First Priority clubs also benefit businesses and business leaders. The clubs lead students to a transformative Gospel. Through this transformation, students become trustworthy employees; they desire for truth, build morality, and ultimately become future business leaders! It’s a great example of the butterfly effect! Although we have no idea how far this impact goes, we know God can use First Priority clubs to raise this generation to become the next generation’s key influencers.

A Podcast Conversation with Special Guest Debi Deboer

By First Priority Of America, Podcast

Last week, Brad Schelling and Steve Cherrico sat down on the First Priority Podcast with special guest Debi Deboer, Director of First Priority Alabama. Debi has been with First Priority for 26 years and had a wealth of knowledge, stories, and encouragement to share.

Debi likes to say that she “grew up” in First Priority, since she started volunteering at Oak Mountain Middle School 27 years ago and continues her ministry there to this day. Her excitement to witness multiple generations of First Priority is what can be only described as contagious.

The stories and statistics in Birmingham reflect her excitement, and are only growing day by day. With a 5-year plan to start 30 new campuses each year, First Priority Birmingham has 4 full-time staffers and are looking to hire more. One of the strongest aspects of the Birmingham network is the thousands of reports from each club, highlighting the individual stories of students and ultimately what God is doing within their community.

One of the biggest hurdles Debi’s campuses have experienced is mobilizing the church to invest in students. They have been able to overcome this obstacle by plugging in local churches through prayer lists. These lists contain meeting times of each club so that the congregation can pray before and during club meetings. Another way Debi has mobilized the church is through utilizing local college students and plugging them in with local First Priority Clubs. 

Debi’s heart for First Priority clubs lacks no passion or excitement, and she encourages us all to be excited for what is to come!

Listen to the podcast today to hear more about Debi’s passion to bring the hope of Christ to every student!

This blog was written by Hannah Blackburn. 

The Worst Job

By Local FP Communities

When I was growing up, kids helped out around the house. Imagine that. We mowed the yard, raked leaves, washed dishes, folded laundry, picked up our rooms, took out the trash, swept floors and fed the pets just to name a few. I didn’t exactly look forward to it, but I did it. And honestly, it felt good, like I had done something productive, even noble.

But there was one job I absolutely despised. Stirring. I would be walking through the kitchen on my way outside to play and my mom would stop me and ask me to stir something while she worked on other parts of the meal. It was miserable, first because it required me to stand still and second because there was no clear sign, to me anyway, of when this torture would end. Just stand there, in one spot, and swirl this stuff around until you collapse or Jesus comes back. I think they even named a mental illness after it, stir crazy.

And then I came across this verse a few days ago.

“And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God.”

God stirs! It might sound strange, but this came as a great relief to me because I have felt the entire weight of “stirring up” people and for keeping them stirred up. Honestly, sometimes it can be frustrating and even exhausting. But it can also be very rewarding when you see others get motivated and take ownership of their role. Hebrews 10:24 says we should consider how to stir up one another to love and good works. And I will continue to do so. But now, I add a prayer to my stirring efforts. “Holy Spirit, will YOU stir up people for this work?” You see, God can stir people in ways that I cannot. So I ask Him. It’s all through your Bible. God stirs people up for things.

Is He stirring you? I pray He is.

If so, contact me or the Area Coordinator for your county and ask how you can partner. Or to find out how to become a financial partner just click on the link below.

Blessings!

David North
District Director NE Tennessee

Qualities of a Shepherd

By First Priority Of America, Leadership Development, Podcast

Mark Robbins spoke at our 2023 Fall Conference in October. His talk followed the conference theme, shepherding. As you read the thoughtful things Mark spoke about, open your mind to ways that you can better shepherd your flock. John 10:14-15 “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

When you are a shepherd, you need skills to be able to lead your flock. You have to make tough decisions. Go with your instinct, only you and God know what is best for your flock. Rely on the Holy Spirit to help make these decisions. Be willing to do the hard work, humbling yourself and being able to open your mind to learn new things. As a shepherd, it is important to put your ego aside and humble yourself for your community.

Endurance is a key quality of a shepherd. Some days it feels as if you cannot keep going, but rely on your shepherd, God, to lead you to water and rest to continue shepherding your flock. If God has called you, you can’t quit! You are meant to be shepherding and leading your flock. Don’t deny the things the Lord has brought you to do.

Start observing your clubs and getting to know them fully. Engage with them, keeping your eyes and ears open. Notice the condition your sheep are in. But most importantly, keep them safe! Make sure your flock all feel as if they have value, from volunteers, campus coaches, to students!

The best way to learn how to be a good shepherd is learning from God himself. In Psalm 23, the passage describes ways that the Lord is our perfect shepherd. He has given us the ability to be an example of Him, and we get to shepherd those around us and involved in our lives. Bring your flock peace, protection, and lead them to the table that God has set for us.

If you would like to hear more on what Mark Robbins said about being a shepherd, click the link here.

This blog was written by Kenley Kizer

Crediting God with what we Learn

By Local FP Communities, Leadership Development, Podcast

This week’s podcast revisited Chris Lane speaking at our Fall Conference. He touched on the fact that God is at work in First Priority of South Florida, and God is bringing Him along for the journey. He is God’s faithful vessel, and Chris calls others to be God’s vessel too. God has called you to bring the Gospel to the unreached community, students. Chris goes on to list the 10 things that God has taught him in his 25 years with First Priority.

Get to versus got to attitude: There is nothing too small, the kingdom of God is at hand, and we should be glad we get to do it. Our attitude matters!

Satan hates me and you, and he wants to ruin our lives: Satan is working non-stop every day to prevent us from doing ministry. He is a thief (John 10:10), and he hates you! But stand strong in the Lord who gives you life.

People are greater than accomplishments: We cannot sacrifice our family for accomplishments in ministry. Not only family, but even your team! Relationships are important, and we need to make sure we are intentional in maintaining them.

Having an eternal mindset: We have to be careful about this! What are the things in your life that you can bring with you to Heaven? The Word of God and souls, the things that matter most.

Stay focused and fight missional creep: Over the course of time, you may feel a bit off-mission. Our strategy-based mission helps us set us apart from others! Stay focused on your clubs’ journeys.

Be bold and share the God-sized vision he has given you: Expand your vision for Him. Pray and ask God to show what he has in store for you to bring his vision into reality.

Be teachable: It is important to ask questions, be coachable, and always be willing to learn. We have to start out by learning. We cannot do things if we previously haven’t learned how to do them yet. God has given us His Word as our textbook, use it!

Do you spend time with people or invest in people? We aren’t going to live forever. Have you made the investments into people to take over for when you won’t be here anymore? The legacy we need to leave needs to be better than before, to help bring the next people to success.

We must celebrate regularly: Celebrate what God is doing in your area! When we celebrate, we don’t forget what we are doing and why we are doing it. But we also don’t get burned out. Remember God is faithful, and don’t lose trust in his plan.

Reflect over the ways Chris has learned from God these last 25 years. Find ways God has taught you in your time with First Priority, and how it can help you in ministry for the years to come. You can listen to the podcast here.

This blog was written by Kenley Kizer

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