Everyone in your church is hoping to change.

Each January, in particular, we’re all thinking about it.

The promise of God is that He can and will change us. He’s faithful to complete the work He begins in us (Phil 1:6).

The question is, how much of that transformation will we let take place on this side of eternity? And how do we position ourselves for change to happen?

Rather than making a list of all our faults, bad habits and regrets, then trying overhaul every aspect of our lives in January (AKA New Years Resolutions), what if we focused on God and just one thing at a time – trusting Him to do the work He’s initiated and promised to complete?

Change is possible, but focus is required.

My One Word is the best tool I’ve found for providing focus.

 

Focus is what gets us over the elusive barrier of overwhelm so we can concentrate, see, and participate in the process of spiritual formation.

With the My One Word Church Campaign I want to equip you to lead your church to engage in the process of spiritual formation via the simple method of choosing a one word focus for the year.

Each January for the last seven years I’ve lead my congregation through the process of picking one word for the entire year. Just one word that represents what they most hope God will do in or through them that year. I do this with an annual sermon series called My One Word.

True change is happening in those who participate. And my experience has been that nearly everyone decides to participate. It’s doable, effective and highly personalized.

In fact, My One Word has taken off. It’s spread like wildfire through our church, outward into other churches, across the nation on K-LOVE radio, and across the world in a book published by Zondervan.

And you can bring the approach to your church or small group.

Click here to sign up for the details.

I have free resources you can use with this in your church including videos and graphics. You can watch some of my previous My One Word sermons on the subject. Plus, I’ve posted a summary of a conference call we did in November with pastors around the country sharing ideas for how you can apply this in your church.

If you have a specific question about bringing My One Word to your church, small group, or women’s ministry, just email me.  I want to serve you and your congregation any way I can.

As I mentioned, we’ve also put the content in a book called My One Word: Change Your Life With Just One Word, and a companion 4 week DVD study. There are questions in the back of the book for small groups to use. We’ve gotten so much positive feedback from small groups that have used it!

It helps people get focused, specific and personal about spiritual formation – and personal with one another about what’s going on in their hearts and lives.

Here is what one recent Amazon reviewer had to say about using it in his small group:

 

THIS BOOK WAS GREAT FOR MY SMALL GROUP. IT GENERATED LOTS OF DISCUSSION AND CHOOSING OF OUR ‘ONE WORD’ FOR THE YEAR. IT HAS CONTINUED TO ENGENDER MANY DISCUSSIONS AS THE YEAR HAS PROGRESSED. EACH MEETING, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE ON OTHER BOOKS, SOMEONE HAS BROUGHT UP THEIR ‘ONE WORD’ AND HOW IT HAS AFFECTED THEIR LIVES. THIS IS A PERFECT BOOK FOR SMALL GROUPS. MY GROUP HAS RATED IT THE BEST OF ALL BOOKS WE HAVE READ FOR THE YEAR! I RATE IT AN A PLUS!!!

– LUEY

 

We would love for you to take your congregation or small group through the My One Word approach to life change in 2014. I know from experience My One Word fosters spiritual formation – in ways you can’t even foresee at the start of the year.

Let me know how I can help and may God bless us both as we answer the call to reach people and help them walk with God.

Sincerely,

Mike Ashcraft, Senior Pastor at Port City Community Church