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!
