First Love Fellowship is a full-gospel church community that meets in homes.
First Love Fellowship is a house-church and discipleship ministry started by Niral and Ose Burnett. We call our gatherings, Family Groups. Through these special gatherings, FLF is working to recapture not just the teaching, but the LIFE and COMMUNITY of the church. Each of us at FLF are answering the call to abandon spectator religion, and take the personal burden to bring the love of Christ to those around us. This is done by taking seriously, the idea of being Christ's disciple, and following His directive to nurture and develop individuals in their walk with God. This also includes training and assisting people on starting a First Love Family Group at their own home. We also do the work of the ministry by connecting to the larger body of Christ in several local and offshore missions which reach out to the world by offering charitable support to those in need.
Our mission: To win the church to Christ through spirit-led Ministries that foster enduring sanctification, intentional discipleship, and missional living.
According to Barna research group, only 14% of adults use the Bible daily, and roughly half of Americans read the Bible at all. Also, the demographic of total Bible users is getting older and older, meaning that we are losing this generation, as Bible knowledge is decreasing across the board. Still, according to Barna’s survey, more than two-thirds of Americans are curious about the scriptures (State of the Bible, Barna Research Group).
It is also well documented that church attendance is declining, with only 4 in 10 Americans considering themselves active churchgoers. With all of the megachurch raving about a coming revival, it is clear that even their numbers are not reversing the trend of people (especially younger people) leaving church, and not returning. It is our belief at First Love Fellowship that we are currently in post-Christian world, and are living in the apostasy. But, there is hope.
It is also well documented that church attendance is declining, with only 4 in 10 Americans considering themselves active churchgoers. With all of the megachurch raving about a coming revival, it is clear that even their numbers are not reversing the trend of people (especially younger people) leaving church, and not returning. It is our belief at First Love Fellowship that we are currently in post-Christian world, and are living in the apostasy. But, there is hope.
We are the resistance against the apostasy, but that resistance has to start in the church. That’s why we have endeavored to win the Church to Christ.
Because of our declining spiritual condition, much of the church has conformed to the world, and have become less active regarding the urgent issues of our day. Social agendas such as the sin of homosexuality, and the crisis of fetal genocide (abortion) are largely met with silence from the average churchgoer. Human trafficking and modern slavery gets a blind eye from most congregations, without even a vocal opposition concerning these atrocities. Issues such as domestic violence and inner-city poverty have largely been relegated to occasional church programs, rather than a constant burden in the life of believers. At FLF, we believe that believers must no longer be silent. The church cannot and must not sleep in the pews while the world around us falls apart.
Few people are growing under the status quo, and even church leaders are feeling it.
“Only 1 percent (of Church leaders) say “today’s churches are doing very well at discipling new and young believers.” A sizable majority—six in 10—feels that churches are discipling “not too well” (60%). Looking at their own church, only 8 percent say they are doing “very well” and 56 percent “somewhat well at discipling new and young believers.” Thus, pastors give their own church higher marks than churches overall, but few believe churches—their own or in general—are excelling in discipleship” (Barna, 2015).
Enduring Sanctification, Missional Living, and Intentional Discipleship.
Winning the Church to Christ is about calling the body of Christ back to God's agenda so that we can reach a lost world. We are focused on three things: Enduring sanctification, missional living, and intentional discipleship. Enduring sanctification is freedom that lasts. It is the entrance to a place in life where your God problem is over, and your God solution begins. This reality will usher you into a life where your needs are no longer the priority. You become missional. Missional living is where Christ’s agenda is your agenda. It is a life where as a follower of Christ, your main concern is to fulfill the great commission and go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Finally, intentional discipleship is the ongoing increase in the knowledge of God and His Word. None of us have arrived to perfection, but we all should strive daily to better know the One who saved us. This is the mark of a true disciple.