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40 DAYS IN THE WORD

 

40 Days in the Word is a church wide weekly study of six principles of the Word of God. Together with Rick Warren, the Saddleback Team and great pastors from across the country you and FBC Brandon will explore the authenticity, reliability, power, comfort, interpretation and doing of God's Word. This journey will encourage spiritual growth in every member of our church. 

Begins in Worship on Sunday, January 29 and lifeGROUPS on Sunday, February 5, 2012!!

Adult leaders can check here for up to date details and schedule.  

Interesting Survey from 2007 – Still Hold True This Christmas!

Look around at your neighbors, co-workers, family, friends, acquaintances, or others you encounter who don't go to church – these next two weeks provide a great opportunity to reach out to them. The Center for Missional Research commissioned Zogby International to ask people about their receptivity to an invitation to church over the holidays.

• More than four out of 10 Americans (41 percent) are likely to be receptive to an invitation during the Christmas season.
• The study also showed that 42 percent of the people surveyed would be very or somewhat likely to attend church more frequently in 2007 as a result of their New Year's resolutions.
• People in the South are most likely (48 percent) to accept an invitation to a Christian worship service around Christmas. This region also has more (54 percent) who are likely to make a resolution to attend church more frequently in 2007.

The good news is that regardless of where you live, each region of the country showed more than 30 percent who are willing to come if invited. Now we just have to invite them. 

Looking further at data provided in the study, the question naturally arises, "Are those who are most receptive the ones who have some religious connections or background?" What does this say about those who are truly non-Christian?

• Nearly 34 percent of respondents who registered "Other/None" for their religion indicated that they'd attend when invited to a Christian worship service during the Christmas season.
• And a whopping 42 percent of those who said they were not born again would come to a Christian worship service during the Christmas season if asked.
• Of the respondents who were not churchgoers, 12 percent of those who never go to church and 34 percent of those who rarely attend indicated they were more likely to attend a Christmas service if invited.
• The study showed that 39 percent of those who expressed "Other/None" as their religion and 42 percent of those who are not born again were very or somewhat likely to make a New Year's resolution to attend religious services more frequently during 2007.

What does this mean for you? Simply, that opportunity is knocking ... loudly. Seize the opportunity while people are open and while attention is on the birth of Christ. Don't let this season pass while people in your area are considering their New Year's resolutions. No matter where you serve, what the age group is around you, or whether people consider themselves to be religious or not, there are some – quite a few, really – who will come to church if you'll invite them.

 

Discipleship Crisis in the Church Today

In the US, this year 3,500 churches will close, this month 1500 pastors will leave the ministry, and today approximately 7,575 people will move on from church. Of those who move on, some never affiliate with a religion again saying they just “gradually drifted away from the religion.” America is experiencing, not only economic decline, but also church decay. Why?

Although there is no single reason for the collapse of the church, one has to wonder what would have happened if the pastors were not responsible for most of the ministry in these churches? What if the people who left, moved on equipped and committed to discipling others in the faith? What if these churches acted more like a community of disciples and less like consumers of spiritual goods and services? Wouldn’t the outcome be different? Churches would be more resilient and people would be less prone to drift. The church collapse is, in part, the result of a discipleship crisis.  READ MORE>>

 

Five Warning Signs of Declining Church Health

Must read post from Thom Rainer  

What were some of the warning signs my team saw? Though the list is not exhaustive, these five issues were common. Some of the churches had one or two on the list; some had all five. 

1. The church has few outwardly focused ministries.  Read more 

 

Courageous Living lifegroups

Calling ALL MEN!  Join a Courageous Living lifegroup today based on the movie "Courageous".  This 4 week study is being offered at a variety of times and groups are beginning now.  Check the church website for times and locations under "GROW", click on "Join a lifegroup"    

The NINES Preview! from Todd Rhoades on Vimeo.

Adult lifeGROUPS ...

are our primary structure for discipleship and care. We believe lifegroups provide the ideal environment for real life change to occur as we stimulate one another to KNOW, GROW and GO.  Currently we are looking for lifegroup leaders for new and existing lifegroups beginning in the Fall (August 2011). Characteristics of a leader are as follows:

• Listen more than you speak.
• Engage in ongoing care and development.
• Actively reach out to those beyond your group.
• Develop a healthy and balanced group.
• Encourage every member to share a group role.
• Remember God’s calling in your life.
• Surrender all that you are to God.
• Humbly lead your group with authenticity. 
• Invest your time in potential Leaders.
• Pray consistently for your group.

If interested in more information and/or applying contact Mike May at 601-825-9003 or mdmay@fbcbrandon.com

Know the mission of lifegroups

We remain committed to seeing the five Biblical purposes (worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry and evangelism) deepened in the church, lifeGROUPS and each individual life.

Mission - What We Do

To help spiritual seekers become transformed believers who model Disciple Life Purposes and motivate others to do the same.

 

Know the vision of lifegroups

We remain committed to seeing the five Biblical purposes (worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry and evangelism) deepened in the church, lifeGROUPS and each individual life.

VISION -- Why We Are Here To see every person, from the core of our church to the ever-growing community, connected in a healthy lifeGROUP.

“You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.” James 3:18 (MSG)

 

The Church in 2020 – Sam Rainer III

A new year inevitably brings forecasts of what’s to come in the next 365 days. A new decade invites even more prognostications. Next year the 2010 census will emphasize demographic shifts. When compared to other items often measured by statistics—like equity markets or energy prices—demographic changes occur slowly. But the census will spotlight changes that have been occurring gradually for years. These shifts will affect how the church does ministry. A new year inevitably brings forecasts of what’s to come in the next 365 days. A new decade invites even more prognostications. Next year the 2010 census will emphasize demographic shifts. When compared to other items often measured by statistics—like equity markets or energy prices—demographic changes occur slowly. But the census will spotlight changes that have been occurring gradually for years. These shifts will affect how the church does ministry.

Allow me to risk being doubly wrong — sharing with you not only 10 church trends for the next 10 years, but ones that may be unexpected to some. I believe these trends are critical for leaders to know as they lead their churches to advance God’s kingdom in the coming decade.

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