I hope this writing finds you doing well and enjoying the spiritual fruit that ministry in the summertime brings with it. While schedules are often sporadic and lack a ‘normal’ weekly routine, they also bring opportunities for extended periods of time with students at camps, retreats, mission trips, boating at the lake, and the like. Many of those opportunities have special times to share the gospel of Christ built in.
In the First Priority world, we hold high value to Paul’s word given to Timothy: “Entrust (the gospel) to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” This summer, you have seen students accept Christ, share Christ, help others in the name of Christ, etc. Students took ownership of their faith under your leadership. Can that happen this fall at school too? We believe that it can. This starts with you entrusting your students to influence their school, helping them take leadership among the single largest (yet unorganized) group at their school: the Christians. While it is lots of work to lead a mission trip for a week in the summer, the results are always amazing. God moves. The same is true when you send your students on a nine-month mission trip to their school this year.
The first step is to set a goal. Make it specific. Put it on the calendar. Tell someone. Here is the idea: My goal is to get three churches to start the First Priority club at _____________ middle school by October 1. Then call us and share! We will celebrate with you, support you along the way, and help you navigate the issues others have had to deal with as well. If you do not make it specific, on the calendar, with other people, your chance of seeing the students at the ____________ middle school finding hope in Christ this fall is slim to none.
Praying for revival,
Brad Schelling
