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August 30, 2010
[Monday Morning Thoughts]
08/30/2010
By McDonald, Lowell
Monday Morning Thoughts
August 30, 2010
Announcement: CenterPoint Baptism Service - Sunday, September 12, 2010 and Baptism Class – Sunday, September 5, 2010.
Just prior to His ascension, Jesus made the following statement as recorded in Matthew 28:19-20… “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
The New Testament consistently makes a strong connection between the making of disciples and baptism.
Baptism has often been and continues to be a controversial subject. It may be surprising to some to realize that throughout history, baptism has often been a starting point for the persecution of believers. For instance, in some parts of India today, converts from Hinduism are accepted and tolerated until the individual is baptized. After baptism, these believers experience opposition, harassment, and persecution.
A logical question is, “Why is baptism such a big deal?” The answer is that baptism symbolizes our identification with Jesus Christ - and that is a big deal.
The physical process of baptism has no spiritual value in itself. Contact between water and skin accomplishes nothing except perhaps to remove dirt. The physical process is significant only in its symbolism, and the symbolism is rich. Baptism pictures a believer’s identification with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12).
When a person is baptized, they are providing all who are present with a clear picture of their own decision to completely depend upon the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. They have been united with Jesus in His death and in His resurrection --- and they want all to know it!
I have been asked, “Is it okay to be ‘re-baptized’?” The Bible does command us to be baptized, but it does not appear to be something that is repeated over and over again. However, since baptism is simply my identification with Jesus, I would be willing to baptized every week. Why not?
Baptism is my declaration of dependence. I am dependent upon His death, His burial, and His resurrection. He is my Lord. He was willing to die. He conquered death. He is alive today. And because He Lives, I am a new creation. That is what baptism symbolizes.
CenterPoint will be having a Baptism service on Sunday, September 12. If you or a family member would like to be baptized, contact the church office before our first baptism class on Sunday, September 5 at 6:00 PM.
August 16, 2010
[Monday Morning Thoughts]
08/16/2010
By McDonald, Lowell
Thinking back over my own experience, September has always been a time for new starts… the start of school, the start of football, the start of cooler weather (hopefully!). Let me add to our list. September will also bring the start of our Small Groups at CenterPoint.
We were really thrilled with the success of our small groups last spring. About ½ of our church was involved in a small group. Our people enjoyed the real interaction in a more informal setting – connections were formed, spiritual growth occurred, and God used it in lives.
Over the next few weeks, we will be highlighting this important part of our ministry and having the signup for our groups. We are praying that even more CenterPointers will become a part of a small group. The relationships that are being formed are essential in our walk with the Lord and each other.
What do we hope to accomplish through these our Small Groups?
· A point of entry into the larger church
· A person to call when life gets difficult or lonely
· A group of people to finally report as “friends” to our family
· A place where questions can be asked about the Lord and our faith
· A set of familiar faces on Sunday morning
· A means of getting connected to other people and ministries in the church
· A chance to provide for another small group member in their time of need
· A friend to call for help with a “two-man job” at their house
· A group believers who care enough to take our needs to the Lord in prayer
· A place to connect
· A place to grow
· A place to belong
Our leadership team is committed to providing as many people as possible with the opportunity to be a part of a small group. We are just asking you to prayerfully consider joining a group and allow these relationships to become an important part of your life. You won’t regret it.
July 12th, 2010
[Monday Morning Thoughts]
07/12/2010
By Hearn, Billy
Have you ever called someone to ask them a question, and then forgot why you were calling? How about when you walk around Wal-Mart desperately trying to remember 2 of the 3 things you needed? I must say that happens to me more than I like to admit.
Driving to church yesterday morning I was thinking about the announcements I wanted to share with the church family. The most important reminder was the exact one I forgot to reference! It was about the IBC/CBC Car Show happening this Saturday, July 17th, from 8-4pm!! After church I was chatting with a group of people and someone said the words "Car Show". It was like one of those slow motion moments where 100 things flash through your mind. I almost fell over because I forgot to remind everyone!
This year, CenterPoint is joining hands with IBC and working to make this a true outreach into our community. For months, people in our church have been preparing for this opportunity, and Saturday will provide a chance for us to “Show God’s Love in a practical way.” Saturday, huge amounts of people will walk through the aisles of vintage vehicles, and see many car owner’s labors of love. If you have not seen some of these automobiles up close, it is a real treat. The CenterPoint family has the honor of energetically helping with our own labors of love. It would be wonderful to have our church family help in a few different areas.
- Prayer for Saturday- Only the Lord knows who will walk into the Car Show looking at automobiles, and leave the Car Show looking to Christ. We need to pray fervently for the visitors, and for opportunities to Point others to Jesus Christ and His Word.
- Food distribution- With a day like Saturday, many people will be hungry, and needing a smiling face to hand them some food. Can you give an hour or two and show the Love of Christ?
- Drink distribution- If it is as hot as it has been over the past 2 weeks, you could be someone’s new best friend if you had them a nice cold water or soda!
- Transportational drink stations- We are going to take free drinks out into the crowds, and meet the car owners. Taking refreshment to them would sure be an act of kindness in the name of Christ.
Please email pastorbilly5@gmail.com, and put “Car Show Help” in the subject line. Even if you can’t help, talk to your neighbors and friends. Bring them out and walk with them throughout the day. I look forward to seeing many of you on Saturday. May we reach out to the lost and point them to Jesus Christ and His Word.
June 21, 2010
[Monday Morning Thoughts]
06/21/2010
By McDonald, Lowell
“Great opportunities to help others seldom come,
but small ones surround us daily.” 
--– Sally Koch.
This Saturday, CenterPoint is excited to be hosting an evening worship service at Spring Mills Middle School – Saturday Night Life. Many of us have had the experience where we invite someone to church and they reply in a manner that indicates that Sunday Morning is challenge. We are hoping to eliminate that as an obstacle.
We believe that God desires for the world to experience His love and forgiveness. Many don’t realize their simple need to hear God’s message. Pray with us that God will use our relationships, past conversations, and our church to “Point others to Jesus Christ and His Word.”
Our hope is that the entire CenterPoint Community will join with us in this experiment. We don’t want this to be a spectator event; rather, that the whole church will see their significant role in this process. There are several ways that you can be involved. Some may seem small, but the opportunities they create are great.
- Childcare – Of course, we hope that visitors will bring their children. This creates a need to provide quality care for their young children while their parents hear God’s Word. If you would be willing to help with this ministry, reply back with “KIDS”.
- Connections – We need many people ready to “show God’s love in a practical way” by simply being friendly, striking up conversations, and offering a warm smile. If you are willing to help with this ministry, reply back with “SMILE”.
- Invitations –Our most used and most effective means of spreading the news about our outreach opportunities is the personal invitations of our people. We all know people who need to trust Christ and / or grow in their relationship with Him. Let’s be sure to invite them out this Saturday. If you would be willing to help with this ministry, reply back with “INVITE”.
- Prayer – God responds to the prayer of his people. Pray with us that God will bring those who need Him to this event. Pray that we will live and share the Gospel with those He brings out. If you would be willing to help with this ministry, reply back with “PRAY”.
- Refreshments – An essential part of the evening will be an intentional connection time after our service. We will be providing some simple drinks and snacks. If you would be willing to help with this ministry, reply back with “FOOD”.
- Worship –We believe that God may draw unbelievers and immature Christians to authentic Christ-following through being a part of a real worship service. We need our body to come out and worship! If you would be willing to help with this ministry, reply back with “WORSHIP”.
There you are… six small ways that you can be involved in this effort to share Jesus with our community. Be sure to respond back with the ways you desire to be involved and we will depend upon the Lord together.
June 14, 2010
[Monday Morning Thoughts]
06/14/2010
By McDonald, Lowell
When CenterPoint Bible Church was started, we knew that it was going to be an adventure. We did not know exactly what God had in store for us, but we knew that we desired to follow Him by faith. From the beginning, we often commented to one another, “Every thing is an experiment.” We were prepared to try different methods to reach people with the message of God’s love and forgiveness. The method could change, but the message would remain the same.
On Saturday evening, June 26, CenterPoint will be conducting an experiment. We will be having a One-Time Worship Service at Spring Mills Middle School at 7:00 PM. As I recall, experiments have some things that are constant (they remain the same) and some things that are variable (they change). In our June 26 experiment, many things will be constants and remain the same, but a few will be different.
Constants --- Things that will Remain the Same
• Jesus Christ – The focus of our time together will be on Jesus Christ... He is our Centerpiece.
• Word – The primary tool that Jesus Christ uses is His Word. The Word will be communicated in a targeted way.
• Worship – When we come together, we can’t help from praising the Lord for all that He has done. We will worship Him in Spirit and Truth
• Relationships – Second only to loving God, is the call to love one another. We will have focused time on building relationships other people.
• Location – God has provided a fantastic place for us to use to meet together. Our place of worship will be the Spring Mills Middle School.
As you can see, most of the elements of our experiment will remain the same.
Variables --- Things that will be Different
• Meeting Day – There are many people in our target community who are not in the habit of worshipping on Sunday morning. Many are overwhelmed with work, family, and life and the idea of adding a Sunday morning “activity” is just too much to consider. We believe that God is calling us to reach and disciple these people. We are praying that this slight change may allow some to become acquainted with CenterPoint and possibly be introduced to Jesus Christ and His Word.
• Meeting Time – In our busy community, a great deal of our Saturday time is devoted to soccer fields, yard work, and shopping trips. But what if God wants to take this discretionary time and use it for a greater purpose? We have scheduled this Worship Service for 7:00 PM so that more people may have the opportunity to consider God’s Truth and It’s application to their lives.
Only 2 Changes --- the day and time! But what a difference they could make for some!
Paul said, “I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.” It could be that God has a divine appointment with an individual for June 26 at 7:00 PM.
Join with us in accomplishing His plan of “Pointing Others to Jesus Christ and His Word” by inviting people to come out with you. Then, join with us and allow our community to see that we love the Lord and He is changing our lives.
May 31st, 2010
[Monday Morning Thoughts]
06/01/2010
By Hearn, Billy
For those of you who did not know, CenterPoint had a spectacular outreach opportunity this past weekend! On Saturday, May 29th, we had our “Spring Mills Community Extravaganza!!”
The plan was simple. Design an opportunity for CenterPoint to have effective “touchpoints” in the Spring Mills Community. Specifically, this manifested itself in 1) an open yard sale concept, 2) kid’s activities, 3) free food, and most importantly, 4) provide opportunities to develop relationships with the unchurched and dechurched.
From the event, here are some EARTHLY things that CAN be measured by number.
· 3 excellent moon bounces
· 5 gallons of nacho cheese used
· 10 gallons of tea and lemonade given
· 12 family sized bags of nachos eaten
· 45+ yard sale table registrations.
· 200+ sodas drank
· 348 free hotdogs handed out
From the event, here are some SPIRITUAL things CANNOT be measured by number…
· The unknown boy who ate all day and truly looked as if he needed it.
· The unknown family that came through, not looking for wants, but needs.
· The unknown amount of conversations about why a church would do this for free.
· The unknown number of references to giving this away as a picture of Christ giving to us freely.
· The unknown number of relationships strengthened from within our church body.
· The unknown number of children who received a sticker, free ice cream and the GOSPEL.
· The unknown number of parents who heard the GOSPEL by standing beside their child.
· The unknown number of relationships cultivated outside our church body.
· The unknown number of spiritual seeds planted in the hearts of those who desperately need Christ!
In a society bent on numbers, I vote for the list of things that CAN NOT be measured. How about you?
So how does CenterPoint know if we are “successful” in reaching our community for Christ? Here are 6 ways we measure a WIN with outreach at CenterPoint.
· A high percentage of unbelievers present
o If unbelievers are not present, it is not an outreach. Praise the Lord we had a huge number of yard sellers and visitors.
· God and His Truth needs to be referenced in a targeted way.
o From explaining why we were there, to specific Gospel presentations, people knew we stood for Christ.
· Must be personal interaction
o Evangelism happens best within the context of personal relationship. We set ourselves up for one-on-one conversations thru the yard sale table design!
· Whole church understanding, belief, and ownership.
o Understanding = The church family knew the plan.
o Belief= We realized and trusted in the vision.
o Ownership= Many involved themselves in inviting others, hands on planning and execution, and prayer.
· Understanding the next step
o We Cultivated relationships on Saturday. Next, we Plant the Truth into their minds at our “Walk-In” Theater. Finally, the Lord draws men to Himself, and we are fortunate to Reap His harvest.
· Must be done with excellence.
o We always need to demonstrate the best view of our Lord. Before it was over, people were asking about next year, and even this Fall.
Now here is a NUMBER in which we can all hold on! When these 6 things are present, we are “pointing others to Jesus Christ and His Word.”
Let me close with this quote from Tim Kizziar who said, “Our greatest fear as individuals and as a church should not be failure but of succeeding at the things in life that don’t really matter.”
Pastor Billy
May 24, 2010
[Monday Morning Thoughts]
05/24/2010
By McDonald, Lowell
And Jesus said to them, Go into all the world and… host yard sales???
This Saturday morning, CenterPoint is hosting the “Extravaganza” in the Spring Mills community. There will be food, games, activities, and a community yard sale. You may be wondering, exactly how does this fit into the Great Commission, the CenterPoint mission, and your life mission as a follower of Jesus Christ?
To answer that question, let’s consider how Paul lived out his mission…
We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. 1 Thessalonians 2:8
In this passage we see that Paul ministered through personal friendship. He did more than just tell everyone they were sinners in need of a Savior (btw, he did tell them that, check out 1:5,8). Instead, Paul invested in relationships with the people around him. He interacted and intermingled with the people in his community. Then, as time passed and friendship occurred, he came to share God’s burden for them and was used to “Point them to Jesus Christ.”
Now, be careful, there’s a potential pitfall here. Paul didn’t spend time with them because he was trying to win their trust and earn an audience – that’s manipulation. He was “delighted” to share himself with these people who had become so dear to him. That’s not manipulation, that’s friendship.
And, that points us down the road to why we host the Extravaganza.
Flash forward 2000 years, Christianity has grown and developed. And a sub-culture of Christianity has evolved. Through this sub-culture, we are able to rid ourselves of many non-Christian influences we may encounter. We have Christian clubs, Christian concerts, Christian cruises, Christian cliques… and all of that is well and fine. However, we must be cautious. In our effort to rid ourselves of non-Christian influence, we can rid ourselves of non-Christians. Then, we are unable to live out the reason Jesus left us here – to share the message of the cross with dying people… whom we love.
How do we love people we never interact with? How can we “share not only the gospel but our lives as well” with people we don’t even know? How can people, we never talk to, become “so dear to us?” These are troubling questions for me.
And, that brings us to the Extravaganza Opportunity.
The task of the church is to “equip the body to do the work of the ministry.” Well, in order to do this work, the body has to interact with people who need Jesus. Some of you do this everyday in dynamic ways, but some of us, have very few fresh opportunities. The hope is that the Extravaganza will provide one more opportunity to serve our community, interact with those God brings our way, and develop friendships of love and concern. Then, we can share God’s burden enough to communicate Jesus’ message of forgiveness. How does that happen at an Extravaganza? ...one table at a time.
Register a table, bring out some food, help with the children’s activities, or whatever. Just make yourself available – available to the Lord and available to other people.
May 17, 2010
[Monday Morning Thoughts]
05/17/2010
By McDonald, Lowell
The Lord has given us an ability to remember some things with great detail. I can reminisce about events from my childhood and almost feel like I am right back in the place and time that it occurred. I have clear memories of things that may have seemed very insignificant at the moment… a car ride to town, a dessert on our deck, or a long, hot walk. At the time, none of those things seemed important, significant, or memorable; but now, as an adult they provide vivid memories.
One clear memory that stands out in my mind is one morning when we were going to church. After parking the car, we had to climb a large set of stairs to get to the building. On this particular morning, my father said, “I’ll race you to the top!” And he took off. I remember seeing my father run up those stairs, with young legs and a bright smile on his face. I’m sure my dad probably does not even remember that race. It was a short, everyday experience, but it stands out in my mind.
As a parent, I wonder sometimes what my children will remember about growing up – vacations, birthday presents, the make or model of our car? If my experience teaches me anything it is this, their memories will likely be made up of everyday things that they experience. And, just as important as the “event” will be the feelings they felt during the experience. I believe that significant memories are made in the insignificant events of life.
I saw a significant memory happening on Saturday morning. A small group of people met to setup the school for our Worship Service. People were arriving and getting tasks finished… chairs moved, tables setup, and signs hung. This particular week there was a father and his elementary aged son who were working to help setup the room. The boy was getting some work done, but more significantly, he was watching… watching his father. And me, I was watching them both.
I don’t think the dad knew he was being watched, by either of us, but we were learning valuable lessons. Lessons the boy will remember as he grows to be a man. He was learning that hard work can include laughter, it’s often unnoticed, it often makes you sweat, and most significantly, that Jesus Christ is worthy of our hard work.
He was learning a lesson about work and I was learning a lesson about life.
I encourage you to take advantage of opportunities for your family to serve the Lord together. Setup at CenterPoint is one of those opportunities. Setup occurs every Saturday at Spring Mills Middle School at 9 am on the 1st and 3rd weeks and at 7 pm on the 2nd and 4th weeks.
Bring the kids, work together, enjoy the fellowship, and stop for ice cream on the way home. It’s cliché, but true… more is taught than caught.
May 10, 2010
[Monday Morning Thoughts]
05/10/2010
By McDonald, Lowell
John 14 brings me to a regular concern in my life. In this passage, Jesus is speaking to his disciples just prior to his death and warns them that trouble was coming. He’s very honest with them – there were challenges ahead. However, He insures them that His comfort and His care were sufficient.
It can be very hard to accept that the world we are being sent to… contains trouble. Should I just hunker down and do everything I can to avoid the sinful world we live in? Should I take my loved ones and retreat to the safety of a castle… with a moat… a drawbridge… and hungry alligators?
In reality, is the situation any different than the disciples with Jesus in the Upper Room? I think not.
Consider Jesus’ words…
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.”
God cares for us (and our children) even more than we do. He loves us (and them) and He can provide us (and them) with much more care than we ever could. God is The shield and The protector.
“No one comes to the Father except through me.”
The world hates this message, but Jesus really meant this exclusive claim. It’s part of the reason we are left here on earth – to share Him with the dying. Our knowledge of the exclusive claim of Jesus Christ compels us to take that message to our friends, our family, our neighbors, and even our enemies.
“… and will give you another Counselor… I will not leave you as orphans”
We are never alone… We have the very presence of God in our lives. We have the greatest ally we could ever desire. The Holy Spirit is with us… allowing us to be in the world, but not of the world.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
The world is a scary place. What will we do with that fear? Allow the realization of the opposition of the world to fuel your dependency upon Christ. In that dependency, we will find the calm heart we desire.
"Come now; let us leave.”
It may seem easier to just remain in the upper room. But that depends upon your definition of easier. Easier to be safe? Maybe. Easier to be secure? Possibly. Easier to have the joy of following God in a life of adventure for His Glory? Never.
After this warning, our Hero, Jesus Christ, stepped out of the door to face the world’s rejection… in the shape of a cross. Aren’t you glad He did?
Come now, let us leave.
May 3, 2010
[Monday Morning Thoughts]
05/03/2010
By McDonald, Lowell
Flash back in time and place yourself into your 8-year old mind, body, and soul. Go back with me and discover the challenge of a childlike faith. To do so, we will consider Sunday’s KidsFocus lesson on the “Widows Mite” from Mark 12:41-44.
Allow me to explain how KidsFocus operates... After our lesson, the children rotate between 3 stations that are designed to reinforce the main point of the lesson. Sunday was my turn to facilitate the “Object Lesson” station.
And that’s the issue, isn’t it? Do we really trust the Lord enough to give Him permission to have what is most precious to us? Maybe it’s your time, your money, your home? Or, maybe you struggle giving God your bitterness, your tendency to gossip, or your secret means of escape? Whatever “it” is, surrendering “it” to the Lord requires a great deal of trust. Surrender is an act of faith in our trustworthy God. Jesus saw the widow’s faith, and He was pleased.
Back to KidsFocus, after we completed a few rounds, some children had several candy bars; and others, had none. We discussed the difficulty of giving, the joy of receiving, and the importance of trusting God. Then, we divided up the candy and devoured it. The chocolate grins told me that all was well in their 8-year old minds.
April 26, 2010
[Monday Morning Thoughts]
04/26/2010
By McDonald, Lowell
“What’s the score of the game?”
April 5, 2010
[Monday Morning Thoughts]
04/05/2010
By McDonald, Lowell
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
At our 2010 Easter Sunrise Service, you may have noticed the cross placed upon the hill behind the school. The cross just stood there, against the sunlit sky, as a group of believers worshipped the Lord and reflected on how the resurrection of Jesus Christ has impacted our lives. It wasn’t part of our service and very few people even know how or when it was placed there, but it served a purpose.
the emblem of suffering and shame;
In our society, a cross is a decoration, a piece of jewelry, or a religious symbol. But in Jesus’ days, a cross was very different. The first known practice of crucifixion was by the Persians. The Romans learned the practice and quickly became very efficient and skillful at it. However, Roman citizens were rarely crucified. Crucifixion was reserved for slaves, the lower classes, and the worst of criminals. It was a shameful thing to be crucified on a cross.
and I love that old cross where the dearest and best
So why would we use a cross as symbol for our faith? Lee Strobel points out that it’s a piece of circumstantial evidence in support of the Resurrection. Followers of Jesus don’t gather to only celebrate Jesus teachings and lifestyle, we come together to remember that Jesus was publicly slaughtered in a grotesque and humiliating way on a cross. How do you explain that?
for a world of lost sinners was slain.
We realize that His death was necessary step to a greater victory – a victory over sin and death. Jesus’ death on a cross was not the last word – the last word was that he had conquered death and sin by rising from the dead. We celebrate His death because we are convinced that He lives and His Resurrection has brought us Life!
It was real joy to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ at CenterPoint Bible Church and to hear a testimony of how believers can live in light of the resurrection. And, it was another first for us… our first Sunrise Service and our first breakfast together! Hopefully, it won’t be last time we will lift high the cross.
March 29, 2010
[Monday Morning Thoughts]
03/29/2010
By McDonald, Lowell
“This Jesus story is like the stuff they write Sci-Fi about…”
Pastor Lowell
March 22, 2010
[Monday Morning Thoughts]
03/22/2010
By McDonald, Lowell
Why do we meet together???
It is such a joy to come together as a church family every week. With the overwhelming amount of Christian media available, some might wonder if meeting together is really necessary. You might ask, “can’t I just watch my favorite preacher on TV?” Well, you will might hear a good sermon, but you will miss so much more.
God has clearly communicated that He desires His church to meet regularly (Acts 2:42-47; Ephesians 4:3-6; 1 Timothy 4:13; Hebrews 10:25). At CenterPoint, we do believe that the preaching and teaching of God’s Word is essential. However, that’s not the only reason we meet. God’s desire is that we would come together for worship, teaching, serving, and fellowship. At CenterPoint, we take that mandate seriously and we look forward to our times together with the Lord, His Word, and each other.
I hope you look forward to every Sunday morning.
However, one problem that we have is finding the time and opportunity to celebrate things that have happened and to communicate things that are coming. We want to protect our time together for the things that are most important.
That’s where Monday Morning Thoughts comes in! This is our opportunity to pass on Celebrations and Opportunities.
CELEBRATIONS
Deacon Team completes Food Pantry! --- From an email from Matthew Souders
In just nine days we took the cluttered closet shown in the before picture and (with all of the ability and credit to the LORD) turned it into the Food Pantry in the after picture. It is a joy to see how our body was able to come together with all of our talent, resources, and willingness to give and serve and create such a awesomely potential tool for GOD’s localkingdom!
FYI… Non-perishable food donations are accepted on Sunday mornings.
KidsFocus Gym Night --- The KidsFocus Staff sponsored an awesome night of fun at the Martinsburg Recreation Center. The turnout was incredible and we had so much fun together. For me, the best part was seeing families enjoying one another and their new friends at CenterPoint.
OPPORTUNITIES
Easter Services… Our service schedule is a little different for Easter morning, April 4. We will have a Sunrise Service at 7:00 AM, breakfast together at 8:15, and then Worship Service at 9:30. Note: we will not be having Focus Hour that morning.
Small Groups Kick-Off… CenterPoint Small Groups are starting next week (3/28-4/3). We have groups in Martinsburg, Greencastle, and Inwood and there are a few openings, contact us for more information.
Health Clinic Outreach… We will be partnering with the Good Samaritan Clinic to provide a free health clinic for our community at Spring Mills Middle School. The Clinic will be open on Saturday, April 3 from 10am – 2pm . We are still looking for volunteers to help, Contactpastorbilly5@gmail.com.
Silver Ring Thing... Special Purity event for teenagers and their parents. April 11th from 6-8:30pm @ Martinsburg High School. Free admission. Bring $20 to buy a ring. For more information check out www.silverringthing.com
March 15th, 2010
[Monday Morning Thoughts]
03/16/2010
By Hearn, Billy
The sun has finally battled through and revealed itself over the last day or so. Before that, we have had some significantly muggy gray rainfall in our region. When driving to the office, I often choose to take the route that guides me past the Potomac River. I enjoy the scenery of the river, and those few moments give me the opportunity to think about how great a Heavenly Father we have. Well, the river has become swollen, muddy, and riddled with debris. It has gotten so bad, that many family’s that live on the banks, have had to move precious belongings to higher ground! The road I travel looks more like a “hodge-podge” of old campers, vehicles, docks, and run down boats.
Although the scenery has momentarily changed for me as I drive along this back road, it really just allowed me to view my surroundings in a different light. There are many people who do not have the luxury of living on higher ground. While I am concerned about getting a spot of mud on my jeans, they are fretting over mud pouring into the entire first floor of their home! Are you thankful for what the Lord has given you?
We have been blessed with so many things here at CenterPoint. Why not look to reach out to those who are struggling in our community? Here are two ways in which you can play a part in Showing God’s Love in a Practical Way…
#1- Stock the newly constructed food pantry- Just bring out canned or boxed foods this Saturday @ the Ministry Center from 10am-noon. If that is a bad day, just bring it to church on Sunday! We can feed those that are physically hungry in our area, and then present the Way of satisfying their spiritual hunger!
#2- April 3rd Outreach with the Good Samaritan Clinic- On April 3rd, From 10-2pm, the Good Samaritan Free Clinic will have their bus parked right in front of Spring Mills Middle School! For those in our community without the money to see a doctor, CenterPoint has designed a way for the doctors to come to them! We will need volunteers to help register, care for, and love on the people that show up for this free service. We can physically treat the sick through an earthly physician, then introduce them to the Great Heavenly Physician, through Jesus Christ!
We often become blinded by our own concerns. But the best way to forget about your own troubles is to help someone else with theirs. Let us be a shelter in this rising storm of life, and point others to Jesus Christ and His Word.
Matthew 9:37-38
Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."