Finishing Well

We were all there once. Remember being in high school when the beginning of May rolled around? It had been a long year and now we were struggling to finish our final exams, let alone show up. Lets face it- by the last month of the school year, we already had checked out. We were there, but we weren’t really “there”. It was hard to finish well as we had waited so long for something to end.

We are there once again this summer and face a similar temptation as a church family. As we look forward at moving into a more permanent home, all of us can taste it! The set up and tear down has taken a heavy toll on all of us. We can’t wait to “get out of there” and not look back. But we must end well because we are more than just “renters”. We are Christ followers:

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. ( Colossians 3:17, 23).

We had some miscommunication several weeks ago and thought we could leave everything set up until school started again in August. Well, we were wrong. There may be times when we will get lucky, but our new instructions are that we must take “everything” down each week. This will require volunteers coming for set up at 8 AM, staying about 45 minutes afterwards for take down, and setting up and taking down exterior directional signs. We are asking you to sign up for a Sunday, or Sundays, when you can help with these three things so we can finish well as a team. The church has a small pick-up truck that you can switch with at the Foundry on Saturday night, or early Sunday morning, if you can help set up the signs. You can let us know which Sunday on the bulletin tear-off, by signing up in the lobby, or by e-mailing the office at: wendy.snyder@bridgepointechurch.org.

The Pointe Team is working hard to get us into a new facility as quickly as possible. We cannot promise move-in dates, but things are moving forward. We are outlining a short “to do list” that will get us “in” and we are entertaining bids to project realistic costs. We are waiting for the owner to respond to some initial proposals in working towards a lease arrangement. The Pointe Team has taken the planning process as far as they can take it. We are turning the project over to a General Contractor who will expedite the project in a more systematic way. The next Pointe Team meeting with the Contractor is this coming Monday night.

When God opens the door for us to move ahead, let’s end well at the school. Lets fight the temptation to “check out” at a time when we need to stay focused on the details of set up and tear down. I get it. We are all tired and feel deserving. But let’s not relax and pour the champagne just yet. Let’s end well and make sure each week has a sufficient amount of volunteers to set up and tear down. This is the way we should honor the meaningful memories that our time at the school has given our spiritual lives.

Filling in the Gap

I recently told you the gap between now and when we make a facility move will be critical. We will need everyone pulling in one direction and working together. We had a second meeting with the owner of the facility we have great interest in near the Foundry. This seems to be the facility opportunity with the least amount of expense and the least amount of time to get in. We understand the owner’s needs better and he will soon get back to us to explore a counter offer. Please pray for favor with him and quick timing. We should know more by next week and hopefully be closer to some mutually agreed upon terms. The dream is still to be out of our mobile condition by the end of summer. Our present lease ends mid-June. The school is not increasing our rent and will allow us to break our 12 month new lease with 30 days notice. That allows us to stay at the school into July and cancel the lease when we need to.

I appreciate all those who signed up to help give our Children’s teachers a break this summer. June is looking pretty good with volunteer workers. We have some gaps to fill in for July. So I hope everyone will volunteer to work with our kids at least once this July, for just one Sunday. You can sign up in the lobby for a date that works or you.

We also received permission this week to leave the stage set up in the auditorium over the summer, starting this Sunday. This is back-saver for us and life-saver for the church!  This Sunday we will need volunteers to show up at 7:30 AM to help set up the stage one last time for the summer. I am asking as many men as possible to help set up this Sunday, for both children’s area and worship center. We are waiting to hear back about leaving the lobby and children’s area set up to avoid further set up and take down in those areas as well, this summer. Just think, this Sunday may be our last to set up! Come help us out this Sunday at 7:30 AM and possibly be a part of this historic Sunday.

This summer consider attending a Deep End Workshop, hosted on Sunday nights, from 5-8 PM, at the Foundry. The courses are spelled in a flyer you can pick up on Sunday. I taught the first one this last Sunday and had a great time teaching how to be a “Contagious Christian”. This coming Sunday you can get an overview of the Old Testament from a guest professor from a Christian University. We regret not being able to provide childcare for these courses, but hope that with a facility move, childcare can be offered more regularly. Also consider being baptized on August 5^th if you are Christ Follower. There are brochures available on Sunday morning that explain what baptism is all about.

And finally, this Sunday I am excited about commissioning our Moldova Missions Team. They depart this week to host a summer camp for orphans in the poorest country in Eastern Europe. This is an extraordinary team of BridgePointers who have worked hard to be able to touch the other side of the world with the love of Jesus. What a joy it will be to partner with them in prayer as their church family.

So stay plugged in! Be a part of what God is doing in and through us as a church family!

The decision, moving in, and the gap between then and now.

What a great way to end the school year!

·      -150 people at Servolution, descending on 20 homes to do yard work.

·      -The Compassion Team introducing us to our 3 new partners on “Unsung Sunday”.

·      -The return of the BP choir.

·     - Another full house at the last Inside BP event.

The summer is kicking off with the students gearing up for the annual “Motion” conference, the Deep End Workshops taking sign ups, and the new website almost completed. The Lead Team just returned from a mini-retreat where we planned next year’s calendar and focal points of improvement. Next week I will give you a preview of what the lead team is excited about, but I don’t want to get ahead of what’s before us right now.

We will soon need “all hands on deck”,  pulling in one direction, to focus and maximize our energy and efforts on one target: Getting out our mobile condition at the school. The desire would be to get out of our mobile status before the end of the summer. All of us would agree that the numerous hardships in being mobile for 9+ years has caught up to us and such a course is not sustainable.

The facility option that seems to be the most cost effective and the most expedient is the 20,000 square foot warehouse across the parking lot from the current Foundry location. Its present layout is about 15,500 square feet of open space with about 4,500 square feet of built out office area. This option has piqued our interest due to the limited build out it would require, unlike the other options which would require about $200,000 to get started. This particular facility would provide more than enough space for a worship center, a large lobby that could be used as medium size meeting area for gatherings, and open office space. Should we go forward with this, the built out office space in this new facility would potentially become the new TreeTop area (Infants - pre-K), the Foundry could potentially become the new WalkWay area (k-5^th), and the left over open space would be sectioned off for office space. The middle and high-school student’s would have potential options at this location as well. This, of course, would be the “get in” plan and then we go from there.

This potential venture has 3 components. First, the Advisors and Pointe Team will explore the costs for the short list of improvements needed and arrive at an ultimate decision on the move. Should that decision be positive, the second component would be to communicate work and costs related to the move in and utilize your expertise in particular trades, simple elbow grease, and raised dollars. Lastly, and most critical, will be to fill the gap between now and then.

 Here is what that means from now until the end of July:

·      -Volunteer as a children’s worker for 1 Sunday, 1 time.

·      -Make sure your worship giving is strong and consistent this summer.

·      -Volunteer to set up at 7:30 AM or to tear down at 11:45 AM in either the kids area or worship center.

Having one service time at 10:30 AM not only helps the dynamic in the worship service with summer attendance being sporadic, but it also helps pace our set up and worship team volunteers by giving them an extra hour of sleep and helps pace our Children’s workers by giving them some time off.

So hang in there with us! We will need to be pulling together this summer as we seek steps out of our mobile environment. So help us fill the gap between now and then!

Let's be like God .... and give.

This weekend will be memorable. I just know it. Saturday kicks off our Servolution! We have 100 volunteers ready to serve - doing yard work at homes of the elderly, needy, and disabled in our community. If you are not part of a team, show up at 9 AM at the Foundry and we gladly will put you on one. This is not a P.R. stunt for BridgePointe. This is about Christians trying to by more like God by giving. What a privilege to represent Jesus in this way. We will return back to the Foundry for a celebration lunch at 12 noon. I can’t wait to hear the stories!

But it won’t stop there. This Sunday is “Unsung Sunday”.  It’s a time where “compassion” will take center stage. “Unsung Sunday” is an opportunity for us as a church to publically recognize Unsung (unknown) individuals in our local community who are demonstrating compassion in an outstanding way. It’s our way of saying, “What you are doing is important to God, so it’s important to us.” We will also make them the focus of our prayer during this year’s National Week of Prayer. An insert in this weeks’ bulletin will serve as a helpful prayer reminder. This Sunday you will be inspired to make a difference and live on purpose-  I promise! We will also include a recap of the Servolution with a video of workers/teams in action.

We will also introduce you to 4 local organizations that we partner with as a church in helping to make their efforts successful. This Sunday is a chance for you to get to know them, their passion, what they do to help others, and how you can volunteer to be a part of it. They will have displays in the lobby and information readily available. You will hear about these organizations throughout the year and our circle of partners will expand as we grow as a church. This year, the leaders of these organizations will receive the Unsung Hero honors, giving us an opportunity to introduce them to BridgePointe. Make sure you personally connect with our partners at their booth and thank them for making a difference in our community.

The giving continues. A special “shout out” to all those who participated in the Food Drive this last month for Papa’s Pantry, one of our partners. Because of your thoughtfulness, a truckload of food was delivered to them this week. Think about it:  Hungry people in our community will have food because of your giving. Way to go , BridgePointe! And way to go “Moldova Compassion Team”! They raised over $3,000 last weekend at the car show. Every dollar helps fund a summer camp for orphans in the poorest country in Eastern Europe.  Please do all you can to donate items to their giant garage sale this month. Your bulletin this week will give you all the details. Wouldn't it be great if each BridgePointe family donated just one or two things to the sale? We are all have something in our garage, closets, and basements that would be of value to someone. It’s a simple way to make a difference. We can all be partners with the Moldola Team in supporting their work and uniting with their passion.

Let’s be like God ….. and give.

Heard it Loud and Clear!

I’ve been on a sort of mission over the last month. I set out to visit as many Life Groups as possible within a month. My visit to a group tonight will, I think, mark number 15. What a great experience this has been for me. Having been at BridgePointe a little over a year, I’m still the “new kid” on the block”. This was a touch point that allowed me to put some names to some faces, thank folks for joining a small group, answer questions, have fun, and get to know the core of BridgePointe more personally.

It’s clear to me that we have a strong, vibrant core that knows what we are about as a church and believes it to be more than just being spectators, but partners. We are seeing people take tangible steps in drawing closer to God. We also are having fresh encounters with guests coming to BridgePointe. I met so many people who are new to BridgePointe within the last 3-4 months. I thank God for the 900 people who we were privileged reach out to this last Easter. The last 3 Inside BridgePointe events have hosted at least 20 people each and the one planned this May will prove to be the same. We have had to move to Tuscany’s largest room to fit the growing numbers.

But just as importantly, I also heard the concerns of the core of our church. My “take away” consensus from my Life Group tour was 2 fold:

·      The mobile state of our church is hurting us and will result in weakening our ability to grow. Get us out this situation … yesterday!

·      Whatever the solutions are, don’t go into debt. Be wise with money.

I hear you loud and clear. The Advisors and the Pointe Team commissioned to lead us forward hear you as well. The leadership at BridgePointe sees the mobile factor as our greatest targeted need. Assuming that a facility meets our minimal space needs, we are desiring a more permanent facility solution that:

·      -  Requires minimal expense to move in so as to not go into debt.     Or, the minimal build out fees would be paid for by the lessor or included in the least payment in a reasonable way.

·      -  Preferably saves us lease costs, but will not exceed what we already pay.

·      -  Allows us to move in relatively quick.

The good news is that the school is not raising the costs this next year. But this should not and will not provoke any hesitation in keeping to the goal at hand in getting out of our current situation as soon as a possible. We have floated several exploratory proposals to companies already and this week we did a walk through of a 20,000 sq. foot warehouse building in the same complex next to the Foundry.

To move forward in unity and to accept sacrifices we will all have to make, we must join together and value the need to get out of our mobile state as our first priority. I hear you loud and clear. But we will need to weigh all the efforts and sacrifices in light of positioning ourselves to get out of our mobile situation. If I read our church right, we are ready to courageously make such a move!

Who do you give a _______about??

The Lead Team recently attended a one-day conference. One of the speakers related his story of running into an old friend of his who walked away from his faith. It’s a heart breaking experience for any Christian when they run into a former Christ-follower who is now far from God. After the speaker attempted to inspire his friend to change his mind about “faith”, he thanked him for at least listening to him. This wayward believer responded by saying, “I listen to you because you give a !%#! (insert bad word)  about people.”

The Bible makes clear that “doing good” to others is not an old fashion thing. “Doing good” is a response to divine opportunities.

Galatians 6:9-10
9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Yep- you read it right! We are to take advantage of every opportunity to do good to all people. Our biggest mistake would be to complicate this. Treating others with goodness, respect and love will capture the world’s attention. Best yet, average, ordinary people can make the biggest splash through the simplest ways of help. That’s the power of compassion. Before you ask for “an ear”, touch a heart. Be believable.

Here are some opportunities our Local and Global Compassion Teams have facilitated for us at BridgePointe:

•    Food Drive-  April -22nd -April 29th:
We are partnering with Papa’s Pantry, a local Christian assistance program that ministers to families in need. There is a list of the top 10 food items needed in the bulletin.

•    Moldova Car Show-  April 28th
     Painting Party-  May 6th:
When you support these events you help us raise funds to provide a summer camp experience to orphans in the poorest country in Eastern Europe-  Moldova. We are sending as BP team this summer. So when you support these events, you equip our BP team to provide a free camp for the kids.

•    Servolution- May 5th, Saturday-  9-12 noon:
We breaking into groups to do basic yard work at homes for people in need of a hand.  If you can hold a rake or broom, you qualify. Lunch served!

So …. who will you give a _____________ about?

All Hands on Deck!

March 13, 2012

“All hands on deck!” You’ve heard this term before. It comes for the shipping world.  It’s one of the terms sailors use that we can speak and write about without getting in trouble.  This is an important one, though. I’m no marine expert and I certainly don’t know much about the mechanics of ships. But we all know that it takes many hands and efficient teamwork to operate one. Operating most ships is often too big of a job for one person. 

Part of the team strategy on a ship is to recognize when each role and task must become secondary to the most important need at hand. It’s not that the other roles are less important. It just that effective teams know that a concentrated and saturated effort in one location, towards one task, is often needed.  On a ship, the difference can mean life or death. In a church, the difference can mean succeeding or failing on a Sunday morning. 

Last Sunday was a sight for sore eyes. You see, after the second service I saw some 25 people or more respond to our worship leader’s request for help to tear down the stage. Lets face it, set up and tear down in portable environment is a hard and tiresome effort each week. When there’s a shortage of help guys can’t leave until late into the afternoon. Driving the trailers back to the offices takes another 2-3 hours on top of that each Sunday.

But when the “all hands on deck” call was asked for by Alan last Sunday, you guys responded. You responded not as individuals doing their own thing, but as fellow shipmates, on the same boat, who needed to bring focused attention and effort to the here and now need. Tear down was done within 45 minutes or less that morning. 

According to the Bible, the church is to operate like a team sport. Listen to this insight from the team playbook: 

Under the control of Christ, each part of the body does its work. It supports the other parts. In that way, the body is joined and held together. (Ephesians 4:16) 

You lived that out last Sunday -way to go BridgePointe! Like operating most ships, BridgePointe is too big for one person. This is not my church; it is our church. Thank you for being astute to the needs of the ship we are all on as mates. Contact the church office if you can be in the rotation for the driving of our trailers, either to or from the school campus on Sunday. No special license needed. (wendy.synder@bridgepointe.org)

We are most likely to succeed as a church when “all hands are on deck” when needed.