DeForest Evangelical Free Church

Our churches must be financially strong through ongoing stewardship education and the challenging of our congregations to make sacrificial investments in eternity through regular and special gifts. Our teaching must address the issue of money and possessions in a biblical, relevant, and practical way. Our congregations must adopt God's heart for the poor, disadvantaged and needy in the allocation of available resources.

a) Ongoing stewardship education using Crown Financial Ministries' small group training
b) Periodically re-examine benevolence budget to ensure needs are being met

Intentional disciple-making processes to the next level of spiritual maturity must be built into the fabric of every local church. These disciple-making pathways must be able to take a majority of local church members from new life in Christ to spiritual maturity. We have a commitment to see each member of our congregations using their special gift(s) within and beyond the local church.

a) Find curriculum to have more involvement in Sunday School by parents
b) Conduct ongoing prayer walks throughout DeForest
c) Promote AWANA to families in the community
d) Provide evangelism/witnessing training oportunities each year
e) Develop evangelistic home Bible study program (invite neighbors, AWANA parents, etc.

a) 20% of church budget to missions
b) Minimum 25% of missions budget to native missions
c) Minimum 25% of missions budget to local missions

Recognizing that all people are made in God's image and are loved by Him, we believe that our churches must reach across social, economic and racial lines with practical acts of love within the church and the community - with special care for the needy, forgotten and defenseless. We also believe our churches must be characterized by believers who are committed to the reconciliation of relationships among all people. Within the local church, loving relationships produce unity, accountability and a powerful demonstration of God's presence within our communities.

a) Encourage care groups to be involved in specific encouragement, care, and service ministries
b) Conduct at least one major church-wide fellowship event per quarter (Super Bowl party, camping weekend, picnic, etc.)
c) Develop visitor follow-up program

The prayer lives of our congregations reflect a total dependence upon God. Experiencing God and following Him are hallmarks of our ministries.

a) Give prayer paramount importance in all things
b) Encourage increased participation in prayer meeting
c) Continue Partners in Prayer ministry including quarterly prayer breakfasts and annual prayer retreat
d) Two to four prayer and fasting days per year

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