Hundreds of members of a Lawrence church have embarked on a 40-day search for the answer to a question that has stumped philosophers and thinkers for thousands of years.

What on earth am I here for?

More than 200 members of First Southern Baptist Church, 4300 W. Sixth St., kicked off a campaign last Sunday called “40 Days of Purpose,” which will have them all reading the same best-selling book, committed to attending Sunday worship services for the next seven weeks and taking part in weekly small group discussions to talk about what they’re learning.

The goal of the churchwide campaign is to help participants find their true purpose in life.

Which explains the big banner out on the church’s front lawn facing Sixth Street. “Got Purpose?” it boldly asks passers-by, a clever take-off of the ubiquitous “Got Milk?” advertising campaign.

“It’s been an overwhelming response. We had 350 people at our weekend kickoff services Sunday,” said the Rev. James Bush, the church’s senior pastor.

The day before that, a tailgate event to mark the start of the campaign drew about 250 people to First Southern Baptist to grill outdoors, then come in to watch a special program about the campaign.

The tool church members are using is the No. 1 New York Times best-selling book, “The Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren, a Southern Baptist preacher from Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif.

The 326-page book has 40 chapters, with titles such as, “It All Starts with God,” “You Are Not an Accident” and “What Drives Your Life?”

Participants are asked to read just one chapter a day, for 40 days, meanwhile attending church regularly and discussing the chapters in small groups.

This is the third time that thousands of churches across the United States and the world have joined to undertake a “40 Days of Purpose” campaign, according to Bush, but it’s a first for his church.

“People are hungry for meaning and purpose in life, and apart from God, you’re not gonna find it. It’s no wonder this book is a best seller,” he said.

Salvation experience

The ball got rolling when church member Chris Seratte suggested, last spring, that her women’s Bible study group read Warren’s book and discuss it.

“Once we started it, I found out that the pastor (Bush) had been thinking about doing it as a churchwide campaign. I think it was a God thing — he knew we were ready to do this as a church,” Seratte said.

She was impressed by “The Purpose Driven Life” and has signed up to participate in the campaign, too.

“It’s just a real straightforward, simple-to-read book that doesn’t make knowing God complicated; it makes it easy,” Seratte said.

“I think it really does help you find your purpose, that we’re not just walking around this world haphazard. We really do have a purpose, and this helps you focus in on what that is.”

Bush has ordered up 1,000 copies of the book in preparation for the campaign.

“We’re inviting people to make a donation. We were handing them out and giving them an envelope at the kickoff (tailgating event) Saturday night. It’s been pretty incredible,” he said.

The goal is to have 100-percent participation from the church, and they’re getting there. So far, 20 to 25 small groups have been formed, and everyone from kindergartners to college students to seniors will be talking about the book.

Warren’s premise is God has made each person for a reason, to serve a divine purpose. And that purpose is to serve something real, true and bigger than yourself — God — by making your entire life an act of worship.

Can reading the book really change your life?

“If you’re focused on it, if you are sincerely open to what God is showing you to change in your life, yes, it can transform you,” said Vicki Keling, campaign coordinator.

“Somebody who’s never heard of God before could have a salvation experience in 40 days. It has happened.”

Living a significant life

Church member Stephanie Hamby has started reading “The Purpose Driven Life,” and her first small group meeting to talk about it was Tuesday morning.

“It’s a great mix of women from their late 20s to late 70s, so you get a wide background of experiences. You also realize how much we’re all struggling through the same issues,” she said.

“We all are looking to find out what God has planned for us, and we all want to serve him, but we’re trying to find out specifically what it is. Not all of us can be preachers or teachers; there’s a purpose for each one of us.”

Her husband, David Hamby, is serving as prayer coordinator for the campaign.

The book itself couldn’t be more relevant to people’s lives, according to Bush.

“It asks the question many are asking: What on earth am I here for? Self-help books are a good pep talk, but there’s another level of living beyond the success level — and that’s living a life of significance.”