THRIVE Campaign teaser video

Here's a teaser video that is used as a "commercial" to promote the THRIVE Campaign.

Play this video leading up to the Campaign for 3-4 weeks followed by a brief introduction/ vision-casting:

"Get ready! We don't want anyone to miss out on this awesome opportunity to grow in your journey with God and have a significant impact in our community. We're inviting everyone to THRIVE this year, to stretch yourself beyond the comfortable and become everything God destined for you to be. It's coming in __ weeks, so start praying and make sure to mark your calendars to be here on ______ (date) for the launch of THRIVE!"

Schedule for Campaign

Introduction Week: launch Campaign. Time to prepare people to begin the Thrive Campaign, a call to 31-Days of Action, the following Sunday. This includes a "commissioning" or signing of commitment with explanation of devotional and weekly challenge.

Week 1: thrive spiritually. Emphasis on growing spiritually and developing or re-establishing disciplines. Big ask: begin reading the Bible and prayer daily.

Week 2: thrive in relationships. Emphasis on building healthy, authentic relationships and discovering healing from hurts. Big ask: connect to a small group.

Week 3: thrive in finances. Emphasis on biblical model of financial stewardship, and developing habits of saving, generosity, and tithing. Big ask: begin tithing and giving offerings.

Week 4: thrive in serving. Emphasis on selflessness and serving something bigger than ourselves. Big ask: volunteer to serve in a ministry.

Week 5: thrive in purpose. Emphasis on discovering purpose and God-given destiny and actively living for the Cause of Christ. Big ask: volunteer at a local outreach and commit to going on a misson trip within the next 2 years.

How and when to order devotionals

THRIVE Devotional is a 31-day action-filled guide, written both as a devotional and a tool to compliment the Campaign.

First press run was designed for Lifehouse Churches, and the sample pages on this blog are from that first run. However, we have edited and adapted the material for all Jesus-followers and churches in a 2nd edition. Your order will be from the 2nd print edition. 

Cost: COMING SOON. We will post prices as soon as we get a final cost from the printer. There will be individual and bulk pricing.

Why difference? Devotionals comes in boxes of 52, so we can print at lower cost. Our goal is to limit cost by printing in bulk.

Orders for Resource Kit can be made by calling (301) 824-4656 (Lifehouse Church East office) OR email info@lifehousechurcheast.org.

Devotionals orders will be made online through our publisher at:

What's in the Campaign Resources Kit?

We're trying to make this as affordable and user-friendly as possible.

Here's what the Resouce Kit includes:

• "How-to" Guide for entire campaign and for each week,
• One THRIVE devotional,
• DVD of all videos- 1 minute teaser, 2 minute teaser, 5 sermon openers
• DVD of resources includes:

-digital video files, 

-design & graphic files (posters, stage banners, bulletin inserts, graphics), 

-sermon notes (outlined and detailed), slides (for Media Shout and Power Point),

-samples: audio files, hand-outs, emails, internal and external marketing pieces.

• link to all resources in a digital format online- most resources are downloadable.

Cost of kit: $55 to cover cost of materials. 

How to cover cost of devotionals?

I (Patrick) wanted everyone at Lifehouse to have access to this discipleship tool, not so they could read a devotional I wrote, but so they could take bold next steps offered in this resource. This is an action-filled, hands-on, practical tool to help Jesus-followers take next steps in their personal relationship with Jesus.

Here's how we covered our cost?

-Lifehouse paid for and ordered enough devotionals for everyone in our church,

-announced that they would be available on Introduction Week,

-gave them out to everyone at service that morning and ask them to sign their devotional,

-ask them for $12 donation to cover cost per book, but if they couldn't afford it, to keep devotional,

-we also asked people who were able to give more to cover cost of those who couldn't afford it,

-we recovered 70% of our cost.

We believe that people are our greatest resource, and we want to invest in their growth and discipleship more than anything else (buildings, equipment, salaries, etc). 

So, we saw our cost as an investment into personal discipleship!

What to do?

-announce Campaing launch and challenge people to prepare for it,

-make devotionals available for purchase 1 week in advance of Introductory Week (but ask people to bring them with them the following week),

-pass out devotionals during Introductory Week One sermon to every person in attendance,

-ask people to make a donation to cover cost of devotional, but if they can't afford, ask people to give additional monies to cover that cost,

-make them available over the next several weeks of the Campaign.

-if your church doesn't recup all their cost, see it as an investment into the personal growth and discipleship of every person in the church.

What's in the Devotional?

Sample page of introduction to THRIVE with a personal challenge to take bold steps to live the life of Christ:

Sample title page (there are 5 weeks):

Sample page to explain what that weeks theme is about:

Each day of the week has a daily devotion:

Each daily devotion includes a personal application and challenge:

More Samples from Devotional

Elements of Devotional

Each person who takes a devotional is challenged during Introductory week to sign the commitment page:

Information about author (this will be edited and condensed for 2nd print):

Testimonies on Giving

From Don:

I was at lunch last week and I was looking for someone to give the $5 too.  No one stuck out that seamed to need it.  While I was eating I prayed to God to help guide me on who to give it to.  I left the restaurant and went to the grocery store.  As I went up and down the isles picking up the few things I needed I was looking for that one person who needed it.  Well again no one came to mind so I went to the check out and got $20 cash back.  I then walked up and down the check out lines looking for someone.  I noticed a young family with a huge order but most of it was prepared foods.  I thought if they truly needed the money they would have had more economical choices.  I then started to walk out and in the last lane was a middle aged woman that had a slight handicap.  She was having the cashier ring the items one at time and then telling her how much the total was.  I knew right then and there who I had to give the money to.  However I did not give her the $5 I gave her the $20 to pay for all of her groceries and they were just the basics, milk, eggs, bread and a few other items.  She said "thank you" and I went on my way.  I did not wait for the praises or for someone else to tell me how nice I was.  This was not about me it was how God worked through me.  He answered my prayer in less than 20 minuets.  I find that when I pray for others it is always better than if I pray for myself.  He has always given me the guidance I needed in those instances.

Since I have given my life to Christ I have been waiting for my “luck” to run out.  Some how some way he is always there when I need him.  I have no wants or needs because he has provided so much.  My wife and I thought we were tithing since October but I just sat down and calculated what it should be and found out we were a little short.  Starting this past Sunday we added another $21 per week to make sure we are tithing the full 10% plus we are giving to Convoy of Hope every month and we added giving for missions this past Sunday.  This is a far cry from the $20 a week we were giving just last January.  God willing we will continue to give the same amount when my wife stops working.

Thank you for bringing his word to me and allowing me the privilege of standing beside you in the Kingdom of God.  Jesus is the greatest gift anyone has ever given me.  I want to give others the opportunity to have what I have. Please just continue to teach me so I can teach others.

Testimony of Serving

From April:

Sunday was "PRICELESS!", to say the least! My husband and I were out from 3pm to 11pm Sunday evening. We covered Washington and Frederick Counties. We started in Hagerstown. We were on our way to the Cold Weather Shelter when we came across a gentleman, pushing a cart, on the side of the road. I handed him a gift of love... as we said Merry Christmas to him. The look in his eyes was priceless! He was so very happy and thankful as his eyes welt up with tears. He thanked us and said " GOD BLESS YOU ".  The second man that we came across was sitting on cinder blocks, to keep himself off of the cold ground, up against a building. I will never forget the look in his eyes. We hadn't reached the corner yet, when we turned around to look at him one last time, as he had already taken off his jacket and was putting on the thick hoodie that we had given him. I cried. He was just as greatful as the first gentleman was and he spoke the exact same words, GOD BLESS YOU, Merry Christmas, and thank you!  

I could go on an d on with what we experienced Patrick. We went to the shelters and the soup kitchen. We had a total of  53 presents, and we were able to give almost all of it away. We will never forget what we experienced and the lives that we touched, in just 8 hrs. The multitude of emotions that we experienced left us speechless at the end of the evening... We weathered the storm with them, in the bitter cold and wind on Sunday, now, with my heart breaking, knowing that they don't have a choice as to how long they are out there. While we did this, we not only didn't wear our coats but, we never once felt the cold, as our hearts were so big and warm due to being able to help them, as much as we possible could.