What makes the Fall different than the rest of the year? I didn’t think anything, but my friend Nelson encouraged me to notice what people are thinking about during the Fall. School is starting and people are hitting the books. I noticed that every Fall I want to buy new pens, pencils, and a Trapper Keeper (do they even make those anymore?)

So we experimented with doing a spiritual growth campaign in the Fall this year and it has been a tremendous success. This is where the entire church is studying the same thing. This year we did “The New Testament Challenge” and as we looked at some of the major challenges of the New Testament on Sunday (systematic theology), we had everyone in our church reading through the New Testament in 63 days and discussing the reading in their Small Groups (verse by verse). Our children’s ministry and youth ministry are also working through the New Testament challenge as well at each age level. The result has been fantastic spiritual growth in the lives of those taking the challenge.

It has also been a great way to get people into small groups and to raise up new small group leaders. I believe this is something that is going to become a permanent fixture for us each Fall.

You may want to plan to try one as well.

Tomorrow I want to talk about pacing yourself throughout the year in your teaching…