|
|
|
 |
Five Transforming Principles
The 40 Day Foundation
UNIFIED PRAYER
The Bible says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labour in vain.” (Psalm 127:1a, NIV) Months of prayer and preparation precede this journey. This is an indispensable ingredient. Many churches schedule days of fasting to prepare their hearts for awakening. Jesus said there is mountain-moving power in unified prayer.
CONCENTRATED FOCUS
During 40 Days of Community the entire church—every age group, every ministry, every small group or Sunday school class, and every worship service—focuses on the same thing together: how to live out God’s purposes in community. It is amazing what happens when your church concentrates on the same truth at the same time.
MULTIPLE REINFORCEMENTS
This journey is designed around four vital habits that everyone needs for spiritual growth: weekly worship attendance, daily quiet time, weekly group Bible study, and a weekly scripture memory verse. These habits will keep your people growing long after 40 Days of Community is finished.
BEHAVIOURAL TEACHING
All of the sermons in 40 Days of Community are designed to encourage people to become “doers of the Word, not hearers only” (James 1:22, KJV). Each weekly message includes practical suggestions to put learning into action. Discover the power of asking people to make gradual, consistent spiritual commitments.
EXPONENTIAL THINKING
This kind of thinking stretches your faith. It is thinking so big that you are forced to completely depend on God because you know you cannot reach your goal on your own power. This “faith factor” is what takes 40 Days of Community out of the realm of “What we’ve always done,” or “What we think we could do,” and instead expects God to do something that’s never been done before in your church.
BETTER TOGETHER: What On Earth are WE Here For?
40 Days of Community is a powerful, church-wide spiritual growth campaign that unpacks the ways that God has designed us to be “better together.”
We can only fully live out God’s purposes in community because:
WE REACH OUT BETTER TOGETHER:
We’re commissioned to reach out together. Doing so communicates God’s love to others and develops a heart for the world, because we were made for a mission.
Be wise in the ways you act with people who are not believers, making the most of every opportunity. Colossians 4:5 (NIV)
WE FELLOWSHIP BETTER TOGETHER:
Belonging to a community connects us with other believers to experience real fellowship, because we were formed for God’s family.
Since we’re all one body in Christ, we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others. Romans 12:5b (NLT)
WE GROW BETTER TOGETHER:
Together we cultivate our spiritual maturity and godly character, because we were created to become like Christ.
Encourage one another and build each other up. 1 Thessalonians 5:11a (NLT)
WE SERVE BETTER TOGETHER:
We contribute back to community by using our talents in ministry because we were shaped for serving God.
You obey the law of Christ when you offer each other a helping hand. Galatians 6:2 (CEV)
WE WORSHIP BETTER TOGETHER:
Worshipping together centres our lives on God, not ourselves, helping us to live a lifestyle of worship for the glory of God, because we were planned for God’s pleasure.
You have six days to do your work, but the seventh day of each week is holy because it belongs to me. Leviticus 23:3 (CEV)
|
|
|
|
|
