Big Serve Info and FAQ's

We are looking forward to another great year of loving God, loving others and living the mission at First Baptist Church Norfolk. Big Serve continues to grow and develop as people gain a vision toward serving in Hampton Roads. Many of our missions teams who have served internationally are returning with a vision toward reaching others where we live.

As a result, we continue to seek ways to grow the mission of our church toward reaching those who have never been reached. We are excited to share the following Big Serve plans with our church:

Prayer

We are renewing our prayer emphasis by making this a significant strategy in the planning and implementation of our projects. We are asking each team to:

• Prayerwalk before serving- This can be done at any time, but we should dedicate as much time as possible to praying for the people that we will be reaching out to. We must pray specifically for open doors for the gospel.
• Prayer times at church- The chapel will be open on Friday, September 3 from 6-7pm and on Saturday, September 4 from 11am-12:30 for individuals/groups to pray.
• Prayer as the goal- Teams are challenged to adopt areas of Hampton Roads and to pray directly for the needs that exist in those areas by prayerwalking among them.

Evangelism

Every year we have sought new ways to impact Hampton Roads with the gospel. Each team is challenged to evaluate their work and to ask themselves how their labor will advance the gospel. Efforts should be made before, during, and after each project to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Those interested in learning a new evangelism approach can come on Saturday, September 4 at 10:00am for a brief introduction to the Soularium method. This training will occur in the Live the Mission Center prior to our prayer time.

Organization

In an attempt to expedite the reporting process, we are asking that 3 photos be sent by text message to Craig Clayton at 971-0031 and by email to sharper@firstnorfolk.org and cclayton@firstnorfolk.org for use in our Sunday evening celebration service. We also ask for reports stating how many people were served, how many volunteers participated, and any decisions for Christ that were made as a result.

Resources

Our resource table is available in the main lobby of the church for your Big Serve needs. On the table you will find:

· A listing of classes who have registered their projects

· Big Serve cards- take as many as are needed and return the unused portion

· Why are we here? Tracts- another tool to explain why we do Big Serve

· Registration forms- fill out and submit one of these so that we might have the necessary information about your project

· T-shirts- available in the Live the Mission Center for $5

· Salvation bracelets- available the Sunday before BigServe (one per church member, please)

FAQ’s

How do we find a project? Ask yourself “where would Jesus go?” and “what would He do?” Then…do it!

How do we register? Fill out a form from the Big Serve table or email sfreeman@firstnorfolk.org

When should we do our project? The goal is to have our whole church serving across Hampton Roads on Sunday, September 5. Some groups may serve at other times due to the nature of their projects, but this is the general goal. It is also a great time to reach out to the unreached in our area!

Which t-shirt do I wear? The blue or the tan Big Serve shirts may be worn, or anything else for that matter. We are just excited that you are living the mission!

How do I report? See the information sheet or visit www.bigserve.org

Can you help me with ideas? Visit www.bigserve247.org to begin and then if you still need help, contact the Local Missions office for a visit from one of our leaders.

Why serve? Because Jesus did and we are supposed to be like Him.

Where do I go to serve? Pray and seek the area that God has placed on your heart. Consider a need for which you have compassion in our community.

Is this just for mature believers? No! Young and old, spiritually mature and immature are welcome to show God’s love through their words and actions.

Why is this just one day? It’s not! We challenge our members to seek opportunities to serve through Group Serve and regular opportunities that they encounter. We are a church that lives the mission!

What about sharing our faith? That is the ultimate goal of all that we do as we share the Good News of Jesus with people. Please make this a large portion of your planning and prayer as you consider your project.

What if I have read everything and am still greatly confused? Let us help you. Contact the missions office (466.5181) and schedule a time to discuss any questions that you may have.