As you drive around Fayette

you may notice church signs promoting "40 Days of Purpose."

Founder and Pastor Rick Warren of the Saddleback Church in Southern California

says that when churches use this track called 40 Days of Purpose, worship

attendance climbs 20 percent and small group attendance increases more

than 100 percent. What pastor in his or her right mind would not welcome

those stats?

You might want to know that

Saddleback Church is located in Lake Forest, California and has an unusual

history, beginning its phenomenal success story on Easter Sunday 1980.

Before building a permanent facility In Lake Forest, they were a mobile

church, setting up church every Sunday morning in school buildings, larger

and larger, to accommodate their growth. Today the church has an average

attendance of 18,000 people every Sunday.

Pastor Warren is one of the

top authors on the New York Times Best Seller List. His book, The Purpose

Driven Life, has been purchased by the millions by people who want to

get a handle on some purpose bigger than yesterday and their prospects

for today.

Even though "40 Days of

Purpose" is being utilized by churches from various denominations,

I think it is interesting that Warren's church is a Southern Baptist

Convention church. They don't use the word "Baptist" in

their name, nor do they act and sound like a traditional Southern Baptist

Church.

Personally, I thank God that

a Baptist church is having world-wide impact by helping people get Godly

purpose in their lives.

But let me share some of the

wonderful success stories coming out of the Purpose Driven Movement:

- Looking for ways to

spur the spiritual growth of their church, Roxbury Presbyterian Church

in Boston partnered with other members of the Black Ministerial Association

of Greater Boston to go through the 40 Days of Purpose in the fall of

2003. The church responded to the campaign with amazing results by growing

both spiritually and numerically. RPC averaged 125 people a week for their

weekly worship services. During the last five weeks of the six-week campaign

the church topped the 200-mark in attendance.

The church also grew from six

small groups to more than 45 and added 28 new members!

- According to one of

its elders, New Life Christian Church of Paragon, Ind. was dying before

starting the 40 Days of Purpose campaign last fall. The worship service

attendance was slowly dropping, eventually falling to between 80 to 90

people. Twenty people did most of the work of the church. The church leadership

still doesn't know why they received an e-mail inviting them to be

a part of the 40 Days of Purpose campaign, but they are glad they did.

As the campaign started, Pastor Rick encouraged all of the participating

churches to expect exponential results for the campaign.

Against all odds, New Life

Christian Church did just that. By the time Celebration Sunday (the official

finale to 40 Days of Purpose) rolled around, the church had nearly doubled

its attendance. The church had less than five small groups at the start

of the campaign. When the church was challenged to start new groups, 17

people stepped up to the task of hosting them in their home. And 50 people

in the congregation signed up to help around the church during their ministry

fair. "We are no longer a dying church but a growing church, hungry

for God's will to be done," said one of the church elders in

an e-mail to Saddleback.

- After five years of

staff terminations, declining attendance and a lack of trust within the

congregation, Ridglea West Baptist Church of Fort Worth, Tex. looked to

be nearing the end of its ministry. God used 40 Days of Purpose to change

that. Before the campaign the church had 25 people attending their Sunday

evening worship service. Trying to think big, Pastor

Kris Barnett made a goal of

50 people joining in-home small groups - doubling the amount that

attended the Sunday evening service. To everyone's surprise, they

more than doubled that number! More than 110 people attended in-home small

groups during the campaign. Maybe the most important transformation during

the campaign for this small church was the improved fellowship and the

wounds that God healed. "[40 Days of Purpose] has provided fresh

air to our church!" said Pastor Kris.

- The stories coming from

40 Days of Purpose haven't simply been on a church-wide basis. Regularly,

Purpose Driven is hearing stories of individuals whose lives have changed

through 40 Days of Purpose. Dawie, a member of Sannieshoff Christian Church

in South Africa, had become very critical of his church before the campaign

started. But as Dawie read the "The Purpose Driven Life," God

began to soften his heart. When the campaign was over, Dawie ordered three

more books. When asked why he was so excited about the book, Dawie said

it had made a bigger impact on his life than any book other than the Bible.

He realized through 40 Days of Purpose that although he isn't designed

to knock on doors and share his faith with people, God has gifted him

with the ability to easily share his own spiritual story with seekers.

Now he does that on a regular basis, often using "The Purpose Driven

Life" in the process.

To learn more about "40

Days of Purpose" just log on to an internet search engine. Information

is more than abundant.

John Hatcher is pastor of Outreach

International Center, 1091 South Jeff Davis Drive, Fayetteville, Georgia

30215. 770-719-0303

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