40 Days of Purpose leads to new church ministries

[EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the final article in a two-part series highlighting the involvement of Florida churches in the 40 Days of Purpose campaign.]

JACKSONVILLE (FBW)—From South Florida to the Panhandle, people have gained new insights after being involved in 40 Days of Purpose, a campaign which involves a study of The Purpose Driven Life, a New York Times bestseller authored by pastor Rick Warren.

Weekly studies and sermons, for all ages, explore worship, fellowship , discipleship, ministry and evangelism. Meanwhile, participants read the book, study the Bible, and memorize Scripture. Events may include a ministry and missions fair.

Northwoods Baptist Church—Tallahassee

Of Northwoods Baptist Church’s 2200 resident members, 600 chose to join the small group Bible studies of 40 Days of Purpose in Fall 2002. The congregation is still enjoying the campaign’s results, with attendance growing in small group studies and worship, Don Cable, associate pastor for discipleship told Florida Baptist Witness.

The congregation’s participation began months ahead of the forty days, with registration through Saddleback Community Church and the purchase of study materials, books, and promotional items such as banners and key chains. The investment totaled about $10,000, a figure Don Cable calls "worth every penny."

"I think it may be the saturation of studying the same thing three times a week—in worship, small groups and individual study—that makes a difference," he said. "I highly recommend 40 Days of Purpose to any church."

Northwoods Baptist Church is designated a "mentor church" by Saddleback 40 Days leadership.

"One of the keys to its success is the follow-up," Cable said. "I really think it should be called ‘120 Days’- 40 days before, 40 days during, and 40 days after."

He advises interested churches to participate in the winter (February) or spring (April) campaigns to avoid ending the study immediately before the holidays.

The Northwoods congregation, under the leadership of pastor John Rickenbacker, will revisit the five emphases — worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry and evangelism — in a refresher series of sermons and studies. They may spend up to four weeks for each emphasis. "We want to sink the emphases a little deeper in our church," said Cole.

Dover Shores Baptist Church—Orlando

"Deep spiritual needs within our congregation" prompted Dover Shores Baptist Church’s involvement in the recent fall campaign of 40 Days of Purpose, according to Andy Scott, pastor of the 500-member central Florida congregation. "We felt that our needs would be addressed in a fresh way through 40 Days of Purpose," he said.

The needs of the congregation made the study of each purpose "very meaningful to us," he said. "Fellowship, especially within the home study groups, became the purpose with the greatest immediate impact."

More than 120 members, from children through senior adults, and several guests participated in the campaign.

Pastor Scott reported new ministry opportunities in the congregation. Members told of new visions for reaching people for Christ and new ministries to the poor. One small group host family "saw the tremendous impact of spiritual fellowship within the home," and plans to continue home studies.

"Forty Days gives churches tools with which they can encourage and experience a new focus on God and His purposes," Scott said. "It is a fresh expression of biblical teaching that captures people’s hearts and imaginations."

The Dover Shores congregation also heard follow-up sermons suggested by national campaign leaders. The two-week series is titled "How to Land Safely After a Spiritual High."

"We are following up by thoughtful evaluation of the campaign by church leaders," said Scott. "We are considering how we might use similar tools in the future to promote spiritual growth and evangelistic outreach.

First Baptist Church—Brooksville

The 740-member Brooksville congregation is registered to begin 40 Days of Purpose February 21, the date of the simulcast from California. Preparations for the campaign began several months ago when pastor Greg Champagne registered, then downloaded the lengthy manual from the official Web site. Copies of the manual have been distributed among the members of the planning team.

The normally eight-member campaign team has been expanded to include two persons for each team position. Each position is manned by both a person over 50 and one younger.

"We want to bridge generations," Champagne said. "We want to get the old-timers and the ‘newbies.’"

Fellowship is an important objective of the Brooksville church. "We want to melt the adults. If you want good fondue, you have to melt the chunks," quipped the pastor.

Champagne and campaign director Ray Mahaffey hope to organize 14 small groups of eight and intend to organize the groups as randomly as possible, possibly by phone numbers. The church will have invested about $6,000 by the end of the campaign.

"We want to think exponentially. We hope to set a goal, then add a zero," Champagne said. "We are going to fly that miracle flag."