Bloomington/Normal Great Banquet Community
Sponsoring A Guest to a Great Banquet of God
- Do you know anyone who wishes to strengthen their spiritual life?
- Do you know anyone who wants to have a better understanding of prayer, the sacraments, study, and Christian action?
- Do you know anyone who strives to live a life in the grace of Christ Jesus that bears fruit for God?
- Do you know anyone who seeks to know Jesus as Lord and Savior and to make Him known?
What is Sponsorship?
The Merriam-Webster online dictionary gives the following definitions for sponsorship: “one...who...undertakes responsibility for [another] person's...spiritual welfare; one who assumes responsibility for some other person”. We would define it as one who has had a Fourth Day experience and is willing to sacrafice for another to have an opportunity to enjoy a Fourth Day experience through a Great Banquet weekend.
What isn't Sponsorship?
What isn't Sponsorship?
A sponsor is not unwise in who they recommend the Great Banquet experience to but, instead, seeks the leading of the Holy Spririt in seeking guests. A sponsor knows the weekend is not a “fix-it” program for deep-seated problems in a guest or a chance to recreate their 72-hour experience through their guest. Sponsorship is not a self-centered experience enjoyed through another but a Christ-centered experience offered to another through sacrafice.
How do I Sponsor a Guest?
How do I Sponsor a Guest?
First, prayerfully consider the person or person(s) whose sponsorship you are considering. Pray for them, too. If you discern that God is still leading you towards their sponsorship, share your desire to sponsor them on a Great Banquet weekend. Answer their questions fully as to what a Great Banquet weekend entails. Some folks need more details than others, so be sure to tell your guest what they need to know in order to be comfortable and confident in attending a Great Banquet weekend. Yes, there are surprises, but knowledge will not hinder God in the experience He has planned for them...even if they know about a surprise or two!!
We encourage husbands and wives to be invited as a couple even though they each attend separate men's and women's Banquets. However, there are circumstances where one spouse is ready for a Great Banquet exeperience before the other. If both spouses are agreeable to one attending this is possible. Still, attendance to the Banquet should strive to bring unity in Christ to a marriage.
As a sponsor, be sure to support the guest's family during their absence at the Banquet. This might include assisting their spouse with transportation, groceries/shopping, church attendance, or other needs; helping with child care, pet care, lawn care, etc.; in other words, being the hands and feet of Christ so that your guest has no concerns during their Great Banquet weekend.
Be sure to provide your guest with a general timeline of the weekend including the Fourth Day meeting; transportation to and from the Great Banquet and subsequent Fourth Day meeting; a packing list of what to bring (and what not to bring!); the weekend's emergency contact phone number; agape in its various forms; any other help they need to have 72-hours to focus on Christ; and prayer before, during, and after their Banquet.
Ready to Sponsor a Guest?
We encourage husbands and wives to be invited as a couple even though they each attend separate men's and women's Banquets. However, there are circumstances where one spouse is ready for a Great Banquet exeperience before the other. If both spouses are agreeable to one attending this is possible. Still, attendance to the Banquet should strive to bring unity in Christ to a marriage.
As a sponsor, be sure to support the guest's family during their absence at the Banquet. This might include assisting their spouse with transportation, groceries/shopping, church attendance, or other needs; helping with child care, pet care, lawn care, etc.; in other words, being the hands and feet of Christ so that your guest has no concerns during their Great Banquet weekend.
Be sure to provide your guest with a general timeline of the weekend including the Fourth Day meeting; transportation to and from the Great Banquet and subsequent Fourth Day meeting; a packing list of what to bring (and what not to bring!); the weekend's emergency contact phone number; agape in its various forms; any other help they need to have 72-hours to focus on Christ; and prayer before, during, and after their Banquet.
Ready to Sponsor a Guest?
The first step to sponsorship begins by clicking here for the Guest Application form (a new browser window will open). Be sure you and your guest(s) fill it out completely and return it to the Community's Registrar. Here's trusting that you have a blessed experience in your sponsorship of another to the Great Banquet!