Prayers please ~Chip Brogden

[size=12]Hi Elaine,[/size]

I'm writing because we need to share the vision the Lord has given us.
Over the last ten years, God has slowly revealed to us a tremendous vision for taking The School of Christ to "the next level". Some of you have been with us for a long time and know our walk, but a lot of you are new to The School Of Christ. So I would like to share the following with you briefly.
The three-fold "mission" of The School of Christ (what we are about) is:
1. to provide encouragement, support, understanding, confirmation, and healing to those who are leaving traditional religious systems;
2. to provide Christ-centered teaching and discipleship training that puts people on the path towards real spiritual growth and maturity;
3. to "teach these things to faithful people who are able to teach others" (2 Tim. 2:2) and thus equip the next generation of Christ-centered teachers and servant-leaders.
To make the "mission" practical, we are currently focused on three primary means:
1. Publishing Christ-centered teachings, training materials, and online resources;
2. Conducting workshops and retreats to give people practical encouragement as well as opportunities for connecting with others who are Christ-minded (not necessarily like-minded -there is a difference);
3. Establishing multiple Schools of Christ in different geographic locations as safe-havens for people to learn about Jesus and grow spiritually without having to be "plugged in" to the religious system.
Our heart is to reach all people in all parts of the world, because all people need to know the truth concerning Jesus - and the institutional church has failed them. Although we are based in the United States, our mission is not limited to North America. Christ-centered teaching and training is needed for all people in all nations, and we must be willing and ready to respond to God's need wherever it takes us.
We have made great progress in the last ten years. Our teachings are in over 128 countries. Our free online discipleship course is only a year old and has 1,100 registered students. Our free weekly webinars are laying a solid foundation by taking people one chapter at a time through the Bible.
I share these numbers not to impress you but to give you a sense of the current impact we have and the great potential that has yet to be tapped.
Most importantly is the fruit being produced in people's lives. Here is one example, from someone who just completed our online discipleship course:
"This discipleship course was all I had prayed for. It was presented in a way that I was and am discipled by the Holy Spirit. I have to say that the whole course helped me. It was exactly what I needed and need... Most of all this has deepened my love and relationship with Jesus, and my daily time with Him. It has answered a lot of my questions and misconceptions I had about being a disciple... I have grown and matured a lot in the last ten months. My life is bound up in Christ. I am a disciple of Christ for life."
We believe our purpose in life is to keep doing more of THAT, and to keep pushing forward towards the fulfillment of everything God has laid on our heart. There is much more we can do, and much more we should be doing.
But Chip and Karla cannot do it alone. And we want to say THANK YOU right now to those of you who have supported us through the years with your prayers and your giving. We do not take it for granted, and we do appreciate it. This is one reason why we are presenting this to you now, because we realize we didn't get here without help, and we can't get to where we're going without help.
One thing that makes us different is that we seldom share our needs. For better or for worse, we have just assumed that people will support what they believe in. We don't harp on money, take up offerings, or try to get people to sign up as monthly supporters (which we will continue "not" to do). We have over a hundred articles on the site for free, hundreds of hours of audio on the site for free, and the printed or recorded materials we do offer for a donation have been made available on a "whatever you can afford basis."
In addition, we have worked jobs and done whatever we had to do to meet our needs so as not to be a burden to the ministry. And when the ministry needed something it didn't have, we would just pay for it out of our own pocket without a word to anyone. It's just the natural thing for us to do.
Well, we just can't do it anymore. I've been unemployed for four months now. I think you know what that means. We are not a big ministry. We don't have a staff or a team. It is just Karla and myself. We give our time, our money, and our lives to this because this is what we believe in.
However, no matter how much we believe in it, we can no longer sustain this ministry or move forward without other people getting involved. It requires the Body of Christ working together to accomplish a Kingdom purpose.
If Christ-centered teaching is important to you, and you believe in The School Of Christ and what we are doing, your gift of any amount is needed. We cannot carry the torch by ourselves. If everyone pulls together it isn't a burden on a few.
Helping people to live Christ-centered lives in every area of their life is more important than saving the whales or supporting public television. Other causes have a place but the world is mostly in need of a spiritual foundation that touches them on every level.
The School of Christ is an oasis in a religious desert where spiritually starving people can learn that there is more to the Christian life than attending church. There needs to be that minority voice in the wilderness, that Remnant, that safe place that they can turn to.
We will not harp on this over and over again or have monthly reminders sent out. But if you agree, and feel willing to help, please click the link for instructions:
http://theschoolofchrist.org/about/financial

By the way... if this email strikes the wrong chord with you or comes at a time of your own need, we apologize for the timing. We are led to make this need known and trust that God will do with it as seems best to Him, providing for both your needs and ours, as we put His Kingdom first and seek the preeminence of Christ in all things.
Karla joins me in appreciation for your prayers and support, and we wish you every blessing in Christ Jesus.
I am your brother,
Chip Brogden
http://www.TheSchoolOfChrist.Org

Will you pray for us?


Hello elaine,

We're being really stirred up in the Spirit this week as we pray and seek God's direction for the future of The School of Christ - and we need your help.

Many of you already pray for us on a regular basis. Others of you pray as the Lord brings us to mind, or when we send out an urgent prayer request. We are very grateful for your prayers and encouragement.

We'd like to do a better job of keeping in touch with those of you who not only feel led to pray for us, but who share our passion for Christ-centered teaching and discipleship.

The time is short. The night is coming when no man can work.

And there is a Spirit of Antichrist who actively resists anything in this world that tries to bring people into alignment with God's Kingdom and Purpose in Christ.

We're in a spiritual battle. That's why we need people who will stand with us and pray for God's wisdom and direction as we meet the challenge head-on.

If this speaks to you and you want to help, please check out the Partners in Prayer page:

http://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/prayer

There you can sign up to receive occasional "behind the scenes" updates from us that will give you a better sense of how you can pray for us and share in the challenge as well as the blessing of intercessory prayer.

It's not about Chip and Karla - it's about all of us working together to help, serve, build up, and strengthen the Body of Christ in these last days.

Here's the link again if you'd like to become one of our Partners in Prayer:
http://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/prayer


In Christ,


Chip & Karla Brogden


THE SCHOOL OF CHRIST is dedicated to your spiritual growth and maturity through Christ-centered, Spirit- led, Scripture-based discipleship that focuses on relationship, not religion. To find out more about us, click here. You can also connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

©2011 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears.

July 8, 2010


Dear Friends,

Our regularly scheduled Thursday webinar will not take place this week. Instead, we're focusing our efforts on working with new students in our online discipleship course. We expect the Thursday night webinars to resume next week once the influx of new students has settled down some.

In the meantime, as the Lord leads, we would like you to remember us in prayer. Karla is having another MRI of her back today because of some lingering complications from her surgery. Please lift her up to the Lord. I am having some health issues of my own and would appreciate your prayers as well.

I may not say it often enough, but thank you very much for your encouragement and your financial support of The School of Christ. With your help and with God's grace, I know that we will continue to bring Christ-centered teaching and discipleship training to those who are hungry and thirsty for more of the Lord and less of everything else.

In Him,

Chip Brogden
http://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org