BRN Executive Director shares a suggested timeline for #LovePASJ initiative

By now, you are probably falling into your New Year rhythms and are making your plans for your spring and summer outreaches. I’d like to take a moment to point out that this is the perfect season to implement the #LovePASJ initiative. 

To that end, I’d like to offer a simple 5-step timeline to assist you: Stage 1: Interest; Stage 2: Introduction; Stage 3: Investment; Stage 4: Implementation; and Stage 5: Impact.

Let me explain. In the INTEREST stage, we invite you to SIGN UP for the initiative at www.lovepasj.com. There, you can order a #LovePASJ Kit and a customized banner to display in your church; subscribe to the #LovePASJ devotional; and otherwise obtain resources to use in your planning meetings with your key church leaders.

In the INTRODUCTION stage, you can CAST VISION to your church by showing the #LovePASJ Initiative Explainer Video; preaching a message series on “#LovePASJ”, “Love Your Neighbor” or “Claiming our Neighborhoods for Christ”; urging church members to sign up for the #LovePASJ devotional; and hosting trainings and Bible studies for interested families using available training resources we’ve designed for you. 

In the INVESTMENT stage, you can PREPARE church members through a six-week small group Bible study, challenging them to pray about signing up their neighborhood for prayerwalking and exegesis. You can also order a free demographic study from the BRN. Then, your church and the BRN can highlight your chosen locations on a master PA/SJ map.

In the IMPLEMENTATION stage, you send small groups, mission teams and/or families to PRAY over and EXEGETE their communities using resources, such as a Scavenger Hunt, a Scripture Prayer Guide and multiple surveys, provided through the initiative.

And finally, in the IMPACT stage, you can host a DEBRIEF meeting to gather lists of revealed needs and opportunities and begin processing ways to start meeting these needs. I also urge you to stay tuned for “SHOW,” Phase 2 of #LovePASJ, which will focus on engaging these communities through evangelism and compassion ministries.

Each of these stages have multiple resources available for you so you can do the work of prayer and exegesis and ultimately pave the way for outreach. It is my prayer that we see a movement of churches claiming their neighborhoods for Christ!

A pdf version of this suggested timeline is available at www.lovepasj.com. Please know I am praying expectantly about all God will do as you follow Him in loving our neighbors. God bless you!