First Priority of Alabama

The Hope of Christ in Every Student

Will you pray for our students as they return to school?

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Students are starting back to school this month and they need our prayers. Please join us in praying for students, teachers, faculty and administration. Praying for the students in our area is not just a privilege…it’s a necessity. Students live in a tough world! Each day, students are subjected to literally thousands of offensive images and words. They also face an enormous amount of peer pressure to become part of what is considered normal by the world’s standards. Without prayer, these students will not be able to stand against the insurmountable odds they will face from childhood until they leave this world. Please pray for the safety of each school campus. Please be in constant prayer for students who don’t know Christ. Pray that Christian students will be bold in sharing their faith and that God will take away any fears they may have. When you pass by a school, pray for that school. Make a school zone your prayer zone. Plan a community-wide prayer walk around the schools in your area. The prayers for our students and schools are endless. We have put together prayer resources to help you. The resources below include 24 Biblical virtues that you can pray over students as well as prayer guides to assist with areas of prayer for students, their families, teachers and school administration. Will you join this prayer movement? Commit today to pray!

 

Prayer Resources:

Alabama Baptist Article

24 Biblical Virtues to Pray Over Students

First Priority Prayer Guide

Prayer Walk for Students

School Prayer Walk Guide

Prayer Walk Scripture References

Join our Race to 100 Challenge!

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What if I told you that for just $25 per month a student’s life could be changed forever? Yes, you read that right! That’s a large pizza and an order of bread sticks once a month. We would like to inform you about our Race to 100 campaign. We’re racing to find 100 people to give $25 per month for the next 12 months. That’s $300 a year. Your monthly gift will be used immediately to develop campus ministry for students on their local school campuses. Our goal is to reach every school in 22 school systems across central Alabama; that’s nearly 170,000 students. But, we can’t do this alone, we need your help. Will you prayerfully consider joining our race and giving $25 per month for the next 12 months?

The following are 12 important reasons to join the Race to 100:
  1. The largest mission field in the state of Alabama is the public school.
  2. More students will be equipped to share the Gospel with their peers.
  3. New resources will be developed to train students with evangelistic tools to share the Gospel.
  4. New First Priority clubs in middle and high schools will be started across our area.
  5. We will be able to reach a younger generation by starting new FPKids clubs in elementary schools.
  6. We will hear more student testimonies of “I came to know Christ through my First Priority club.” For some students, First Priority is the only youth group they are exposed to.
  7. First Priority’s HOPE Strategy works! Students come to know Christ every month.
  8. First Priority connects local churches as the body of Christ to build the Kingdom of God.
  9. A First Priority volunteer will make a difference in the lives of hopeless students.
  10. You will help students promote See You at the Pole on their local school campuses.
  11. You will help provide doughnuts, biscuits, pizza, drinks and other incentives for more students to attend club meetings and hear the Gospel.
  12. Students who respond to the Gospel will continue to be followed-up with by the local church.

For more than 25 years, First Priority has worked with local churches to raise up a generation of students who will choose to make Jesus Christ their First Priority. For years, church leaders have heard the claim that nearly nine out of 10 Christians accept Jesus as their Savior before the age of 18. If that statistic was accurate in the past, it no longer depicts U.S. society. Now Barna says that, “If Jesus is not already part of their lives by the time they leave junior high school, the chance of them accepting Him as their Lord and Savior is very slim (6% to be exact).” That is why we unite the body of Christ with a plan of action to influence the school with the Gospel.

 
Please prayerfully consider continuing your important partnership with the ministry of First Priority by joining our Race to 100. Thank you for your continuous support!
 

New Year, New Opportunities!

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New Year, New Opportunities! 
  

It’s a new year filled with new opportunities! We hope you’ll take a moment to learn a little bit more about First Priority and the different ways you can be involved with this great ministry. The impact First Priority is making on students’ lives would never be possible without your prayer and support. Together, we can continue to reach students with the Hope of Christ. Let’s make 2017 the best year yet!
 
First Priority is a strategy for students to share the Love and Hope of Jesus Christ with every student in their school. We connect the CHURCH to the CAMPUS to share CHRIST with students. We are currently in our 26th year of ministry serving elementary, middle, junior high and high schools across the nation and world.
 
New studies from Barna say, “If Jesus is not already part of students’ lives by the time they leave junior high school, the chance of them professing Him as their Lord and Savior is very slim (6% to be exact).” That is why we unite the body of Christ with a plan of action to influence the school with the Gospel.
 

First Priority helps the local church extend its ministry to school campuses. We partner together to work with schools to help set-up and organize clubs that meet before school that are student-initiated and student-led. The public school is the largest mission field in America. We provide Christian students with a platform, strategy and support for ongoing effective campus ministry outreach. These students are on a 9-month mission trip when school is in session. None of this would be possible without your help! There are several ways you can get involved:

 
Pray – The ministry of First Priority could never be what God truly wants it to be without consistent prayer. Ask your church congregation to pray over students and commission them to go and be disciples in their school. Please be in constant prayer for students who don’t know Christ, and for Christian students to be bold in sharing their faith. Pray for our staff, volunteers, faculty sponsors, campus coaches, students and schools. When you pass by a school, pray for that school. Make a school zone your prayer zone.
 
Promote – Share the vision and mission of First Priority within your circle of influence. Pray about who would be blessed and interested to know about and support the mighty work that God is doing on our school campuses. We have a lot of resources available that you can share with others at firstpriorityal.com. Ask your church to give First Priority opportunities to speak and raise awareness about the ministry. Encourage your church’s youth pastor to promote First Priority with your youth group and to encourage students to attend club meetings, be on leadership and to invite their lost friends.
 
Participate – First Priority is always in need of volunteers. Most of the students in our schools will never step foot in a church, but they will attend school. We need to go to them. Encourage members of your church to get involved with First Priority and to participate and connect with students on our campuses. E-mail us at info@firstpriorityal.com to get involved.
 
Provide – Support First Priority financially and help ensure that every student in our area is reached with the Hope of Christ. It takes $3,000 to fund each school that we serve. I would like to encourage you to help support one or several of the more than 200 schools across the Greater-Birmingham Area. CLICK HERE to support First Priority. Call205.871.8886 or visit firstpriorityal.com to learn how you can join this Gospel movement to advance the Kingdom of God.
 
Will you commit to praying about how you can be involved with First Priority?

Hurry, only 3 days left to DOUBLE your investment to reach students with the Gospel!

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Hurry! There’s only 3 days left to DOUBLE your investment to reach students with the Hope of Christ! 
Once again this year, some donors have agreed to match every special gift we receive in November and December dollar-for-dollar up to $100,000! DONATE HERE online or place your gift in the mail today and it will be counted toward our 2016 campaign and be instantly doubled: First Priority – PO Box 59365, Birmingham, AL, 35259.
If you have already given a gift, thank you for your generosity. If you haven’t given a gift yet, please let me take a moment to remind you that in these challenging economic times there’s no better way to continue your partnership with First Priority! Your year-end gift of $25, $50, $75, $100 or even more will have twice the impact in young lives during the 2016 Victory Matching Challenge. Can I count on your support?
 
We continue to be excited about the success we’ve had in this 26th year of First Priority’s ministry, and the opportunities that lie ahead for 2017. That’s why I’m asking for your support right now during this important challenge. Your help is vital support to the work of thousands of students who bring the Gospel to the public school campuses through First Priority. During our 2016 Victory Matching Challenge, your extra special gift of $25, $50, $75, $100 or even more will be twice as effective! Please consider sending your generous gift by 11:59 p.m. on December 31! A gift in any amount will be instantly doubled for twice the joy, twice the hope and twice the love to a student who so desperately needs to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ! Please let me hear from you soon!

Keeping Christ the First Priority,

Greg Davis

President

Only 3 days left!

Eat at Newk’s and support First Priority!

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Eat at Newk’s and support First Priority! 
We would like to invite you to join us for First Priority Spirit Night at Newk’s on Thursday, September 22, 2016, from 4-9 p.m. Ten percent of every purchase made that evening will directly benefit First Priority. We are very excited about this great opportunity! We hope you will come and enjoy a wonderful dinner and support First Priority at the same time.

First Priority is a strategy for students to share the Love and Hope of Jesus Christ with every student in their school. We connect the CHURCH to the CAMPUS to share CHRIST with students. We are currently in our 26th year of ministry serving elementary, middle, Jr. high and high schools across the nation and world.
First Priority helps the local church extend its ministry to school campuses. We partner together to work with schools to help set-up and organize clubs that meet before school that are student-initiated and student-led. The public school is the largest mission field in America. We provide Christian students with a platform, strategy and support for ongoing effective campus ministry outreach. These students are on a 9-month mission trip when school is in session. None of this would be possible without your help! Please plan to join us on Thursday, September 22, from 4-9 p.m. and help support this great ministry!

There is hope for this generation!

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Hope
There is hope for this generation! 
During the 2015-2016 school year, middle and high school clubs began implementing First Priority’s HOPE Strategy, a 4-week cycle that is repeated every month:
Help Week – Equips and empowers student leaders to share the love and message of Jesus to their friends who have questions about their faith.
Overcome Week – Allows student leaders to be encouraged by a peer or an adult leader that they are “Called to Prayer” throughout their lives.
Prepare Week – Allows student leaders to share their story of what their life was like without Christ as opposed to the fullness of their new life with Christ.
Engage Week – Trains student leaders choosing to impact their classmates with the gospel of Jesus.
To assist with carrying out this strategy, First Priority developed the HOPE curriculum, a comprehensive, informational packet of resources that leads, guides and directs teacher sponsors, campus coaches and students as they prepare for their meetings. Teachers informed us that the HOPE curriculum was very exciting. It raised the bar for students and provided valuable resources for them to be successful.

We have received more and more reports of the impact First Priority is making on unchurched students. These students thirst for God but can’t make it to church on Sunday because they live in a family that doesn’t go to church. We have seen students grow in taking leadership who would not get that experience if it wasn’t for First Priority. We have seen lives changed due to the power of prayer. The great things happening in our clubs for God’s Kingdom is endless! The public school is the largest mission field in America. Students on our campuses work each week to ensure the Gospel is spread throughout their school. They are unashamed and eager to share their faith and help their friends mature in their relationship with Christ. The desire to see their friends accept the love and message of Jesus Christ is evident in the number of salvations reported each school year. While students are reaching students, God is at work shaping lives.

None of this would be possible without your help! There are several ways you can get involved during the 2016-2017 school year: Pray, Participate, Promote, Provide. Please click on those links for more info. We hope you’ll begin praying now about how you can get involved during the upcoming school year!

Check out the amazing things God has done in our schools!

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God is doing amazing things in our schools through First Priority 

For the past 25 years, First Priority has worked to see the Hope of Christ in every student across the Greater-Birmingham Area. During this time, we have seen hundreds of thousands of lives transformed for the Kingdom. We thank God for His great power and we give Him all the praise and glory for these changed lives. First Priority works! We want to share with you the great things God is doing in our schools through First Priority. The following are two of many testimonials we have received for the 2015-2016 school year:
I have had the opportunity to be a part of First Priority for many years. Over the years, I have had the joy of sharing, as well as receiving, the Gospel with students in both elementary and middle school. First Priority has made such a positive impact on the lives of our students. It is a place where all students can come to belong. Students reach out to all students, those who are cheerleaders, football players, honor students, etc., and those who are in need of a place to belong. Many students have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. Those students who don’t attend church, have expressed such enthusiasm about attending the meetings. Ministers and guest speakers have encouraged all students to find a church of their choice and get involved. I’ll never forget the little girl raised of the Muslim faith. After a few years of questioning and impolite remarks, she finally decided to come to the meetings. What a blessing to hear her questions and to see the change in her behavior and attitude toward others and herself. We have had students raised of different faiths come together to pray for one another, work together to share the love of Jesus with others, and most of all, to lift up THE TRINITY! No club has ever had a greater purpose! It has truly been an honor and privilege to be involved with such a great group.
Kelly Green
First Priority Faculty Sponsor
Corner School

This is our first year to have FPKids at Oak Grove Elementary School (OGES). Approximately 116 kids attended our first meeting. Our kids love it so much and it’s a blessing to me every time I walk in the room with them. These kids are showing a passion for Christ that one doesn’t usually see these days. The Bible verses are exciting and cool for them to learn with the hand motions. One hundred Bibles were generously donated to us at the beginning of the year for every student to use. We have truly been blessed by these kids at OGES but could not have done it without First Priority. The organization has the curriculum all laid out for us and unique tools for us to use as we are teaching the kids about what Jesus said and how we can learn so much from the Bible.

Here is an example of the blessings we’ve received. Just today, I had a mom tell me that her child is getting baptized Sunday. She told me that she wanted it to be her child’s decision and that she knew what she was doing by being baptized and living for Christ. So I asked if the child really understood what she was doing and the mom told me, “Because of you and Mrs. Jenny she knows exactly what she is doing.” I was so proud at that moment. Those are the small rewards we have received from this great ministry.
Michelle Ray
Jenny Yearby
FPKids Faculty Sponsors
Oak Grove Elementary School
What is your First Priority testimony? Share it with us today at: info@gofirstpriority.com. Let us know the amazing things God has done in your school this year through First Priority.

Will you pray at the flagpole on September 23?

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We would like to invite you to join the tens of thousands of students in our area and millions world-wide on Wednesday, September 23, as they participate in the 25th annual See You at the Pole™ (SYATP). Before school, students will join together at their school’s flagpole to pray for their friends, families, teachers, school, city, state and nation to God. SYATP is a student-initiated, student-organized and student-led event. CLICK HERE for SYATP resources. CLICK HERE for the listing of SYATP Rallies.
          This year’s SYATP theme is “UNITED“ and the scripture verse is Acts 1:14 – “They all met together and were constantly UNITED in prayer.” This year’s theme message encourages us to commit to global unity in Christ and prayer for this generation. With the current state of our country, we believe this year’s theme is perfect. We are encouraging students, school faculty, families, businessmen and women, everyone, to unite together as a community in prayer for our nation.
          For 25 years now, SYATP and First Priority have been about encouraging students to lead-out in prayer, live-out their faith and ask God to reveal who He is not only on their own campus but all over the United States and the world. SYATP brings students to their school flagpoles to intercede for their leaders, schools and families, asking God to bring moral and spiritual awakening to their campus, country and world. First Priority will once again coordinate our state’s efforts through: Awareness; students gathering at their school’s flagpole; and community rallies planned for the evening of September 23. To encourage one another, plan to listen to 93.7 WDJC radio, 92.5 FM or 850 AM WXJC throughout the day and share the victories and struggles associated with this momentous day.
          On Wednesday, September 23, 2015, make sure your family and community UNITE together and take part in one of the LARGEST prayer movements in our nation. GATHER at your school flagpole, PRAY for friends, families, teachers, schools and our world. ASK God to reveal who He is to your campus. PRAY, SEEK AND TURN TO GOD.
          CLICK HERE for the following SYATP resources: downloadable poster to hang in your school, news release and graphics. CLICK HERE for the listing of SYATP Rallies.
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