Ephesians 1:17-19 “asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope He has given to those He called—His holy people who are His rich and glorious inheritance. 19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe Him.”
I. INTRODUCTION & OVERVIEW
1. What is First Priority?
First Priority is a “strategy” to fulfill the Great Commission among young people! (Matthew 28:18-20)
First Priority is a Mission, Vision, and Strategy that unites Followers of Jesus Christ in a Community (i.e. Christian Churches & Ministries) to support Young People in reaching their Generation with the Message of Hope we have in Jesus Christ.
First Priority’s Local MISSION = Encouraging, Equipping, and Empowering young people to reach their peers with the Good News of Jesus Christ!
First Priority’s Local VISION = Every young person hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and having the opportunity to respond in faith!
First Priority’s Local STRATEGY = Empowering young people to make disciples of their generation through weekly youth-led meetings and focused ministry!
Young people are the best Missionaries, Messengers, and Ministers of the Gospel to their generation!
This united effort of the Christians in a community (adults & young people) is focused specifically on fulfilling the Great Commission (i.e. Making Disciples = Evangelism & Discipleship), with a plan to connect the young people who are reached for Christ through this strategy with a local Church and a small group for accountability & discipleship (ideally at the Church & the First Priority Club).
Historically, the First Priority strategy has been most effective when implemented on a School Campus. The strategy has typically united Christian young people from churches all over a community to initiate a Great Commission First Priority Club at their school that serves as a platform to do ministry and evangelism in order to fulfill the Great Commission among their generation! (Matthew 28:18-20 – For more, go to Q&A #178)
But, where the door is closed to ‘religious clubs’ on the school campus, the Community then becomes the place where meetings are held, as near as possible to the targeted school(s), in off-campus locations like Community Centers, Recreation Centers, Cafes, Restaurants, Homes, Backyards, etc. – any place where there is a meeting space that is big enough, private, free of distractions, etc.
It’s best for this meeting to NOT be held at a Church building if at all possible because it needs to be a neutral non-threatening environment for non-Christian unchurched young people, plus if there are multiple churches working together to implement this Great Commission strategy, then it will help with the unity among them (John 17:20-23).
When the Club meeting is at a Community location, the ministry still must have both a school-focus for those who are students (because that is where they spend the majority of their time) and a community-focus for young people who do not attend school — i.e. that’s where their Mission field is and where they are to be Missionaries!
The goal is accomplished in both locations — Christian young people from across a community uniting as the Body of Christ to live and share the Hope of Christ with their generation!
Therefore, the strategy works as a First Priority CAMPUS Club
and/or as a First Priority COMMUNITY Club.
(For more, go to Q&A #15, 67, 69)
2. Why do First Priority?
The desire of First Priority Global is to see that every young person in every school in every community in every nation would have the opportunity to hear the Gospel in a meaningful way and say “YES” to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ!!!
We believe sharing the Gospel (the Good News, the saving message of Jesus Christ: His perfect life, sacrificial death, & miraculous resurrection – 1 Corinthians 15:1-4) in your local community and schools is the key to seeing a Great Commission movement of God!
The First Priority strategy is not the only way to do that, but it is a very effective strategy and proven plan to help young people communicate the Gospel to their generation! We believe everyone will find the First Priority Strategy to be a great tool to help start a revolution of Christ-like transformation in the lives of the next generation!
Therefore, throughout this process, you will see terminology that focuses on both the School Campus and the Community. No matter where the Club meeting takes place, the strategy is effective because the focus is on Christian young people reaching out to non-Christian young people…wherever they are!
These ’youth-led’ & ‘adult-coached’ Club meetings, whether at a School or Community location, meet weekly using this First Priority Strategy.
This strategy has been implemented in the USA since 1984 and internationally since 2007!!
3. What is First Priority Global?
First Priority Global (FPG) is an organized effort of Christian Leaders whose goal is to implement this First Priority strategy all around the world!
First Priority Global’s MISSION = Equipping the Next Generation to Live and Share the Hope of Christ: United in Belief, Strategic in Purpose and Effective in Leadership.
First Priority Global’s VISION = The Hope of Christ in the Next Generation.
First Priority Global’s STRATEGY = Launching and Supporting youth-led Movements in Communities and Cities on every Continent around the Globe to reach the Next Generation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ…Making Disciples of the Next Generation through focused Ministry and weekly youth-led Meetings.
First Priority Global’s MOTTO = Uniting the Body of Christ to Raise Leaders & Reach the Next Generation for Christ by Empowering Youth-led Great Commission Ministry!
This is accomplished through a training process with practical materials to resource the First Priority strategy. Please do not try to implement this strategy without going through this process. The process is designed to help you succeed. This strategy is most effectively implemented by those who have entered into a covenant relationship with First Priority Global and have completed this training process.
If you are ready to go through the process, then finish reading through this article, then read through the Q&A’s listed below. After that, sign-in online (firstpriority.global/connect) & contact us by email ([email protected]), then training & resources will be scheduled! We are here to help you!
4. How does First Priority work?
Welcome to the amazing journey of leading the next generation to become followers of Jesus Christ! Romans 12:4-5 tells us “Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another.” Through the First Priority Strategy, Christian young people from across your community will unite as the Body of Christ to live and share the hope of Christ with their generation!
This strategy works on the School Campus as well as in the Community. When it is implemented in the Community, in order to build unity among churches and to be non-threatening to non-Christian young people, the First Priority meetings need to be held in neutral locations other than in a church. When it is implemented at a School, the meetings are held in classrooms, gyms, libraries, etc.
When we begin to focus on the First Priority Strategy, we have to start by thinking about
what we do when we ARE meeting together,
and what we do when we are NOT meeting together.
Even though the weekly meetings are the launching pad for large group evangelism & training, inspiration, testimony sharing, prayer, outreach, & small group discipleship, on the School Campus &/or in the Community, the Ministry that takes place between the meetings is just as vital. So, let’s start there…
“Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men…” – Jesus Christ (Mt. 4:19)
1) MINISTRY TEAMS – When we are NOT meeting together, we minister & fish!
– Pray, Bless, Serve, Tell
Ministry happens 24 hours a day 7 days a week. There are four key areas of ministry that make up the foundation for young people to spiritually impact their Schools & Community. In short, every young person who is a part of First Priority will be encouraged and equipped to take part in the ministries of
(1) praying for others,
(2) blessing others,
(3) serving others, and
(4) telling others.
2) WEEKLY MEETINGS – When we ARE meeting together, we F.I.S.H.! (Mt. 4:19)
– F.ocus, I.nspire, S.hare, H.ook
First Priority Club meetings happen at a designated time and place each week with a plan of action. The weekly meeting plan is called the F.I.S.H. Cycle (Focus week, Inspire week, Share week, Hook week), which is a four-week cycle of meetings, designed to be repeated each month. These meetings are led by young people using the F.I.S.H. Cycle to guide them through
Focusing on large group equipping in evangelism and small group discipleship (Week One Meeting)…
Inspiring messages that challenge and encourage (Week Two Meeting)…
Sharing testimonies and praying (Week Three Meeting)…and
Hooking the ‘fish’ (lost young people) through outreach & evangelism (Week Four Meeting).
Then Follow-up / Connection which is connecting the new Christians to small group discipleship in local churches & in the First Priority Club.
The young people on the First Priority Club Youth Leadership Team, called the YOUTH COUNCIL, receive instruction and guidance from a local Christian adult, ideally the Youth Pastor, or Youth Bible Study Leader, or Parent, etc. of a local Church, who serves as the First Priority COACH or GUIDE.
II. LEADERSHIP TEAM = YOUTH COUNCIL
As an adult leader/guide who is COACHING a First Priority club, the most basic thing you must have in place first is the YOUTH COUNCIL (see Tackle Box Resource F & page 4 of the Coaches Guide).
The YOUTH COUNCIL is composed of the teen Co-Captains of each of the 4 MINISTRY / MEETING TEAMS
[4 Ministry Teams=Pray, Bless, Serve, Tell…
4 Week Meeting Cycle=F.I.S.H.=F.ocus, I.nspire, S.hare, H.ook
and eventually the Connect Team (Follow-up) once the Club grows big enough
– see Q&A #7]
totaling ideally 8-10 young people. More explanation coming.
This YOUTH COUNCIL needs to meet WEEKLY ideally (or at the very least monthly) with the First Priority Guide/Coach to plan the F.I.S.H. Cycle for each month and their Ministry Team Activities (include the TEACHER SPONSOR as often as possible!!).
The further ahead the YOUTH COUNCIL plans, the more creative and effective the weekly meetings & ministry activities will be!
If you want the club to achieve great success, then meet with the Youth Council WEEKLY!
Here’s an example of how the weekly Youth Council meeting functions.
For a 30 minute Youth Council planning meeting:
· The 1st part of the meeting, have each of the 4 MINISTRY / MEETING TEAMS work on planning their particular week’s
1) Club Meeting for the upcoming month (F. I. S. H.)
(see Tackle Box Resource H – F.I.S.H. Cycle Planner) and
2) Ministry Activity for their team (Pray, Bless, Serve, Tell)
(see Tackle Box Resource G – Ministry Team Planner).
Focus week = Pray team
Inspire week = Bless team
Share week = Serve team
Hook week = Tell team
The Connect team (see Q&A #7) updates the “Connect Chart Master List”
(see Tackle Box Resource R)
· The 2nd part, have each of the 4 MINISTRY / MEETING TEAMS report on what they have planned for their week’s 1) Club Meeting and their team’s 2) Ministry Activity and discuss any suggestions from others on the Youth Council.
When each of the 4 MINISTRY / MEETING TEAMS gives their report, everyone else writes on their F.I.S.H. Cycle Planner (TB Resource H) & Ministry Team Planner (TB Resource G) the plans for each week of that month.
· The 3rd part, the Connect Team (or Coach/Guide) leads the Youth Council in a time of coordinating follow-up (see Tackle Box Resource Q & R) on those that have made decisions for Christ by making assignments to communicate with those that are doing follow-up (see Q&A #7).
· The last part, go over the plans made for the upcoming week’s meeting, and PRAY!
*KEY REMINDER – The Youth Council has to be re-organized at the end of each school year to ensure that the Club continues to survive, thrive, & is sustainable!
For more on the YOUTH COUNCIL & how it’s organized, go to: Q&A #36
and here for YOUTH COUNCIL OPTION 2, go to: Q&A #30
For more on the F.I.S.H. CYCLE MEETINGS, go to Q&A #6.
For more on the MINISTRY TEAMS, go to Q&A #5.
For the BIG PICTURE of the First Priority Strategy, go to Q&A #15.