“First Things First” (Revival at First Church)

First Things First

On Pastor Mike’s first Sunday here, (one year ago,) his sermon was entitled, “First Things First.”  It was a call to look carefully at our priorities as a church and find the courage to value Christ’s teaching above all else.  He finished his first year (June 2017) with a series of sermons on making “our” church “God’s Church.”  That sermon series lifted up four specific experiments that church members might try:  fasting with prayer, Bible study, covenant dyads, and workshops about witnessing.

Prayer and Fasting:  Participants will participate in a food fast each week from Wednesday (6 p.m.) until Thursday (6 p.m.)  The exact nature of the fast will vary from person to person.  This time will also be a fast from one other indulgence (to be determined by each person.)  A simple meal on Thursdays at 6 p.m. at the church will break the fast and give participants a chance to pray together.

Bible Study:  Participants will read a portion of the Gospel of Matthew and wrestle together with its meaning for our lives.  The study will be offered Tuesday mornings at the church (10 a.m.,) on-line, and in a weekend workshop (in August.)

Covenant Dyads:  Participants will be assigned in groups of two (a dyad) to intentionally practice the New Testament teaching of mutual submission.  This will involve regular conversations with each other, acts of kindness and generosity, a commitment to deeper understanding of the other person, and private prayers for each other.  Each partnership will be unique, of course, and the partners will need to make their own decisions about how to relate.  But suggestions and guidelines will be provided by the pastoral team at First Church.

Workshop on Witnessing:   The pastors of the church will offer a workshop to help participants build their skills in witnessing to others.  On the day of Pentecost, the followers of Jesus all discovered that they had “tongues” (skills) for sharing their “Christ-experiences” with others.  We will spend time identifying our own personal experiences of the living Christ and then experiment with ways that we can meaningfully share those stories with others.

You can join our “First Things First” experiments at any time.  Talk to one of the pastors, email us, or check in with the church office and we’ll get you set up for the projects that most fit your needs right now.