The first Priority Training

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The FISH format

• Focus
  We focus on the work God is doing in our lives and think about a friend we want to reach. We spend personal time alone with God praying for that person.
• Inspire
  Get inspired! We're on a mission for the Lord.
• Share
  How did you first meet Jesus Christ? We all share our personal stories. We remind each other that prayer is totally powerful, and we specifically pray for those we're trying to reach.
• Hook
  This is the environment where your non-Christian friends are invited to hear the awesome message of Jesus and discover what He can do in their lives.

Follow Up Results

Now that your friends are "hooked", pull them into the boat. You know that genuine life-change is a major uphill battle without surrounding yourself with the support of His people, His church. Get your new Christian friends plugged into your church to help them continue to grow in Christ. More info check out  www.catchthis.net and First Priority Student Helps

This four-week club plan (fishing cycle) works because of a simple principle, relationship evangelism. Most salvation commitments can be traced to a relationship with someone that already knew the Lord. If you think about your own salvation experience, you will probably think of a parent, grandparent, friend, etc. God uses His people, the body of Christ, to share His message with the world. To be following Jesus is to be fishing.

God wants us to be "fishers of men". God's priority is to glorify Himself. The chief way that is accomplished is by redeeming His creation, us. His heartbeat is for those who do not know Him. This simple four-week strategy is designed to help students reach their friends for Christ.

Every team that is successful has a plan. All inspiration and no application is motivating but seldom mobilizing or equipping. This works! If a club sticks to this plan, students will commit their lives to Christ every month. Use the plan and each time you complete the cycle, the Student Leaders will become more proficient and the strategy will become more effective.

The F.I.S.H. strategy is owned and copyrighted by Campus Revolution. For more information and promotional items go to www.catchthis.net.

How First Priority Works

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First Priority Builds A Network of Churches in the community committed to equipping students to reach their generation by training and providing them the resources they need.

Unity

First Priority Builds A Network of Students on each campus committed to reaching their school for Christ by living like Christ and carrying out a plan to share their faith.

Strategy

First Priority Builds A Network of Parents/Adults around each school committed to model for students how to live and share their faith by praying together and volunteering their time.

Mentoring

First Priority builds A Network of Business and Community Leaders in the city committed to helping students change their world, financially supporting them and becoming personally involved.

Mission & Vision

Our Mission:

Reaching a Generation with the Message of Jesus Christ.

Our Vision Statement:

First Priority is a Area-Wide Vision With a Comprehensive Strategy Providing Relevant Resources That will Encourage, Equip and Empower Students, Leaders and Churches to Unite In Our Community and On Campus To Care For and to Reach a Generation for Jesus Christ.

Our Statement of Faith:

• We believe the Bible to be the infallible Word of God, that it is His holy and inspired Word, and that it is our only source of supreme and final authority.
• We believe in one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• We believe Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary. He led a sinless human life, took on Himself all our sins, died on a cross and rose again, and is seated at the right hand of the Father as our mediator and advocate.
• We believe that all mankind everywhere is sinful and hopelessly lost and faces the judgment of God and needs to enter into a redemptive relationship with Jesus Christ through His blood shed on the cross.
• We believe that Christ rose from the dead, that He will return and establish His eternal kingdom.
• We believe in holy Christian living, and that we must have concern for the hurts and social needs of our fellow men.
• We believe we must dedicate ourselves daily to the service of our Lord and submit to His authority over our lives.
• We believe in using every modern means of communication available to us to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world.

First Priority History

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Founder and President - Benny Proffitt
First Priority of America, Inc.
115 Penn Warren Drive Suite 300-205
Brentwood, TN 37027
email: 1fp@firstpriority.org
www.fpoa.org

How We Got Here

In 1979, while serving as a youth pastor and school teacher in Dallas, Texas, the school informed Benny, he could not have a Bible Club in the school.

In 1984, The Equal Access Act was passed allowing Christian clubs to be treated equally with other school clubs. Benny started immediately organizing campus clubs.

He moved to Birmingham where he developed a campus ministry idea that became the First Priority strategy. Though a Southern Baptist, he crossed denominational lines and started clubs with various groups.

First Priority in Grand Rapids was initiated in 1997 by Teen Leaders Coalition.

First Priority of Grand Rapids, Inc. continued in June 2001.

Where are we?

First Priority operates in 21 states, divided into 7 regions operating through 54 city organizations and in 250 communities serving over 3000 clubs.

Michigan has four city organizations - First Priority of Grand Rapids, First Priority of The Lakeshore (Grand Haven, First Priority of Muskegon and First Priority (YouthNet) in Mt Clemens (Detroit), Michigan