As 2013 approaches, we wanted to make you aware of 

FIRSTPRIORITY Training:

A one day overview of FP and how to launch in your community!

March 14 in Decatur, AL from 7AM – 3PM

     Come check out a premier F.P. community and see it happens first hand.

Come early and check out an experienced club in action!

Spend the day with FP staff to learn and grow in bringing a community together.

April 30 in Gulf Shore Retreat Center, AL from 9AM – 4PM

Join us at our Director’s Retreat to rub shoulders with those who have done this for years.  Gain wisdom and experience from those in the trenches.

October 2 in Atlanta, GA from 9AM – 4PM

Join us a day before Catalyst Atlanta then spend a couple of days sharpening your leadership skills from the best in the country at Catalyst East.

CONFERENCES we will be at:

Leadership Rocks events: www.leadershiprocks.com

Dallas, TX – 2/21

Memphis – 3/8-9

Student Life Conferences: www.studentlife.com

Birmingham, AL – 1/25-26

Houston, TX – 2/1-2

Arlington, TX – 2/8-9

Orlando, FL – 2/15-16

Memphis,TN – 2/22-23

Asheville, NC – 3/1-2

Atlanta, GA – 3/8-9

Hey “Nehemiah”

As we see another week coming to an end, we are reminded of the ending last week and those in desperation and need in Newtown, Connecticut. They will experience 26 funerals in the days leading up to Christmas. Though evil will always exist in our fallen world, it is these stories that rally us all the more. We are reminded of the power of life change, when the Holy Spirit walks a lost student into a relationship with Jesus Christ in a school setting and the impact of that moment in this and future generations. This is the only thing we at First Priority are here for; helping to organize the local church to share the gospel in their local school. We share a message of crisis with the church before and during the stories that make the news because these types of things happen every day in America.

Every day in America, of students from ages 5 – 17:

• 5 are killed by abuse or neglect
• 5 commit suicide
• 32 die from accidents
• 186 are arrested for violent offenses.
• 368 are arrested for drug offenses.
• 1,204 babies are born to teen mothers.
• 3,312 high school students drop out.

This happens in cities, towns, villages, rural, urban and suburban each and every day. Scripture tells us why: All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23. The solution is spiritual. Will you organize the family of God in our community like Nehemiah did in his to rebuild the “spiritual walls” and bring The Hope of Christ to Every Student?

In Christ,
Brad Schelling
Director of Expansion – FPOA

Hi “Nehemiah”,

This time of year we hear it all the time:
“Breaking News: Cashiers at Target to say Happy Holidays and not choose their own greeting.” Many times the leadership of a few churches will stand up and condemn the store and call for a boycott. We also hear the battle of how secular and anti-Christian Santa Clause is. Yet, we often forget that the first St. Nicholas was a church leader who went out to give gifts to the poor children during the cold season. Why? How did St. Nicholas get such a bad name in the church? Well, studies have shown that repeating the negative is not a great way to battle an opponent. Katya, in her blog (www.nonprofitmarketingblog.com) says this:

“When countering rumors (or myths), it’s a bad idea to repeat them. People may register a denial in the short term, but they only tend to remember the rumor or myth in the long term. Don’t deny or counter something – simply assert your competing notion.
A couple of years back, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tried to combat myths about the flu vaccine by listing commonly held views and labeling them either “true” or “false.” Examples of myths were, “The side effects are worse than the flu” and “Only older people need flu vaccine.” University of Michigan social psychologist Norbert Schwarz found that after reading the flier, the target audience incorrectly recalled 28 percent of the false statements as true. And three days later, they remembered 40 percent of the myths as factual.”

How do we best stop everyone from saying ‘Happy Holidays’? We tell the story of Merry Christmas. How do we remind people that St. Nicholas was a church leader who gave gifts to the poor? We tell that story rather than bashing Santa Clause! We start sharing the birth of Jesus.
Why do some not want to say Merry Christmas? Because they don’t have a relationship with Jesus. Do they know about him? Probably. Have they ever heard that that baby in the manger died and rose again for their sins? Probably not. Have they ever heard that He came that they may have life and have it abundantly (as opposed to religiously)?
Again, probably not. How can they hear unless someone shares? How can one share unless they are sent? I say, ‘How beautiful are you when you commission the believers in your church to go to school every day to share the good news of Jesus Christ.’
My sister spent five years in China as an English teacher. While they were not allowed to talk about religious things, they were encouraged to talk about American culture and traditions. What’s more American than Christmas and Easter? The same is true in your school this month. Help the believing students throw a Christmas party; watch Elf, play games, eat spaghetti and maple syrup, and talk about a baby who changed the world. Don’t have a plan to do that? Remember that there are more students at school that call themselves Christian than football players or band members. Pray for an opportunity to organize the church to rebuild the spiritual walls in your community!
Most leadership blogs will tell you to fight. Politics shows us that in order to win, we need some level of proving the other side wrong and incompetent. Yet, Jesus gives us a distinctly different perspective: RUN! Run the race with perseverance (Hebrews 12:1). Focus this year on the gift our Heavenly Father gave to us in the baby Jesus, pray for an opportunity to share him in your community, and expect God to be faithful and change lives from the inside out.

Merry Christmas,

Brad Schelling
Mark Roberts
Brandon Starnes

Hi “Nehemiah”,

Recently, a devo provided by youversion.com was part of my daily quiet time. As you know, bathing ourselves in the Word is one of the most critical things we can do as Nehemiahs. I heard it once said that when you are not reading and having time alone with God on a consistent basis, it is like the red tachometer on a car. When the tachometer reaches the red, it serves as a warning. The same is true in our daily time with the Lord. When our quiet times become less frequent, it is a warning sign to us as Christians. I wanted to share right from the devo on the idea of, “Teach us to Pray.” As you know, prayer was the first thing that Nehemiah did before he acted on the burden that God gave him. When we pray about certain things, it deepens those burdens.

“Teach us to pray,” one of Jesus’ disciples asked him one day (Luke 11:1). Now–it wasn’t that they were unfamiliar with the concept of sending speech or thoughts up to God in heaven. Their parents had surely taught them prayers in their homes when they were children. Each Sabbath, they would light their candles and pray. Each Passover, they would eat the lamb, hear again the story of God’s miraculous redemption of his people, and thank him for his mighty acts on their behalf.

They were regulars at synagogue worship and knew the temple rituals. But when they saw how much Jesus got out of his prayer time, when they saw how often and how intensely he spoke with his Father, they knew they were missing something important. They wanted their prayer lives to do for them what it obviously did for Jesus.

Why did he draw so much strength from that time? Why was he always so refreshed? How could they tap into that heavenly comfort and energy?

Do you share their longing? Is your prayer life sometimes unfulfilling? forced? scant? confused? nonexistent? The Bible is full of stories and passages that can guide and inspire us to a better prayer life. These little devotions will bring you an encouraging word from the Word for each day of your month. “Pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)!

We would like to thank Time of Grace for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: www.timeofgrace.org.

Keep Fishing,

Brandon Starnes

Brad Schelling

Mark Roberts

FPOA Staff