RALLY SUNDAY: 100 Day Challenge!

Rally Sunday is fast approaching for many churches and it's the perfect time to introduce a 100 Day Challenge.  (January is a good time to renew it!)  Challenge your congregation to change their lives in ONE way for 100 days.  You can either choose what you'd like them to focus on or you can let each one choose their own, according to their personal needs.  Either way there is no losing choice here!  As with everything, there needs to be some follow through and a bit of accountability so don't forget to do some bulletin, newsletter, or email reminders.

Try 100 Days of...

• Thanking God - Say a special prayer of thanks every day.  "Dear Heavenly Father, creator of all things and keeper of my soul, I am so thankful for everything you give me each day including..." and list 5-10 things.  Don't just thank God for everything, don't just list your kids and spouse.  List the gifts God has given, right down to the flowers on your porch and the beauty of fall!  And don't list the same things everyday!
• Trusting God - Is there something in particular in your life that gives you stress?  Choose something that only God can change in you and give it to Him and see what He does with it.  Every morning... "Dear Heavenly Father, I am struggling with... please give me the strength and courage to give it to you for only You know what is truly best for me."
• Learning about God - Read the Bible!  It takes less than 5 minutes to read one chapter in one book.  Do it in the morning, in the evening, or even on break at work.  You can easily find a Bible online.  My personal favorite is Bible Gateway.  Don't put any pressure on yourself about where or when or what your mind set should be.  Just read it!
• Listening to edifying music - There's nothing wrong with popular music, but if you're going through a tough time put the local Christian station on your car radio and listen to that as you drive.
• Letting God have your Day - When you wake up, say out loud, "What can I do for you today, Lord?  I am at your service!" 
• Changing how you Pray - We often have a tendency to pray for ourselves first.  If that is you, try thanking God first, then praying for others, and asking for yourself last.
• Reaching Out - Maybe you're one of those people who really loves God but just has a bit of fear about announcing it to the world.  This is the perfect challenge for you to say something about your faith to somebody.  If you have colleagues that don't know you attend church, mention it.  Challenge yourself to talk to somebody outside the believing community.  If you've been hesitant, you could get really crazy and post something Christian on Facebook!

Encourage your congregation to use your Rally Sunday to kickoff real change in their lives.  The Holy Spirit is just waiting around to be of service!!