ATLANTA – Hoping to chart a pathway that will be beneficial to their own congregation as well as one that might help other churches, First Baptist Church of Winston-Salem, N.C., has begun a 40-day study of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Coordinator Daniel Vestal’s book, "It’s Time: An Urgent Call to Christian Mission."

"Our staff conceived the idea of reading Daniel Vestal’s, ‘It’s Time’, after a very meaningful experience one year ago studying Rick Warren’s ‘The Purpose Driven Life’ in a ‘40 Days of Purpose’ emphasis," Pastor David Hughes said. "As we debriefed the experience, we realized there was great value in our church ‘being on the same page’ for a season. So, we determined that this year we would devote approximately 40 days to the examination of what it means to be a missional church."

CBF Coordinator for Congregational Life Bo Prosser helped form the study. Prosser, who has written a study guide and a promotional guide for "It’s Time," also was at First Baptist, Winston-Salem, for its launch.

"Bo did a wonderful job of whetting our appetites for taking the missional journey together," Hughes said. "In a joint Sunday school gathering, our members listened as Bo explained how our world had changed, and why the local church must also change, painful though that may be! He also began to paint with broad strokes the portrait of a missional church, both in his Sunday school presentation and his sermon."

Hughes said during the 40 day study, he is focusing each week’s sermon on a different chapter of the book. Also, every Sunday school class and small group has been encouraged to work its way through "It’s Time" concurrently or to use the book as a devotional resource.

"Of course, we hope and pray that ‘It’s Time’ will be far more than another ‘program’ that comes and goes," Hughes explained. "Instead, we hope our study will lead to a transformation of our congregation so we might function like a missional church at every level of church life from this time forth and even forevermore."

Prosser, who termed the launch at First Baptist, Winston-Salem, a "powerful experience," said he is presently communicating with several other churches that are interested in doing the study. The free promotional and study guides are available online at www.thefellowship.info under Church Life/Congregational Life/It’s Time Study Guide.

CBF is a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches who share a passion for the Great Commission and a commitment to Baptist principles of faith and practice. The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission