It ought to be a sin to bore kids with God!

Growing up, just about everything in the Christmas Eve Service at the church I was raised in was… well, boring.  I understand now as an adult that not every element in the service needed be Disneyland for me.  But I know this: Having nothing for kids made it clear that no one was thinking “family” when it came to church.  So at the Christmas Eve Service at BridgePointe, I wanted us to be careful in the planning to not make that same mistake.  We will have costumed Christmas characters roaming about and greeting the kids.  Kids on video will creatively act out the Christmas Story.  Our own BridgePointe kids will be singing a couple numbers.  And some special puppet guests will help me welcome everyone to the service.

“Family” is a value of BridgePointe.  The investment and attention we are seeking to make in our kids and students is something for which we will not apologize.  It is one of the reasons we hired Kelley Houser to be our Pre-School Director. She is an experienced and professional teacher that is bringing a creative and knowledgeable edge to our programming.  As she gets settled, you will be seeing and hearing more about our new Pre-School curriculum, name, and atmosphere for this environment.  We have also welcomed Daniel Boerner to our support staff as our Student Ministries Assistant.  He is an incredibly gifted guy who has dedicated himself to caring and encouraging our students.  He is attending Kennesaw State and possesses great talents with music, worship, audio and visual technology, digital design, and media.

Valuing family also means we listen to parents.  This year we created “Fuel,” a gathering for our Junior High students, separate from High School.  We are also convinced another break away needs to occur with our 4^th and 5^th grade kids on Sunday morning.  We agree with the concern of our parents that the current age span is too wide, minimizing our effectiveness.  So at the beginning of the new year we will go back to the drawing board and decide what this new environment for 4^th and 5^th grade will be called, what it will look like, and when we can have the leaders and volunteers to make the change.  We certainly anticipate the 4^th and 5^th graders having a separate meeting space in the near future when we consider layout plans for the more permanent facility.

Along with that, we will be entertaining an added measure of security on Sunday mornings in the new year.  There is certainly no need for alarm, but we want to assure parents that their children ‘s safety is important us.  Although it will never be overt and obvious, our desire is to have an off duty cop, that attends BridgePointe, roaming the hallways of the facility, undercover, each Sunday.

Best of all, we look forward to a new facility in the future where our environment for kids and students will be eye-catching, fun, colorful, and engaging.  Then we will be better positioned to exhibit our value for kids and students, front and center, at BridgePointe. After all… it ought to be a sin to bore kids with God. 

My Christmas Wish List

Dreaming is a good thing.  That is where vision sparks life.   So, I thought I would invite you into some of my dreams for BridgePointe that I hope to turn into realties one day soon.  Here are 25 of them that I think about all the time:

1. Updated guest and informational brochures that communicate our vision and values with great quality.
2. Our compassion to our local community would become one of the most significant and valued ingredients of our church culture, hosting opportunities monthly.
3. A new website that would capture the attention of our guests as the front door to our church.
4. To be out of the school as a meeting place and in a permanent home by June (also allowing us to experience better lighting in our worship service capability… Yeah!).
5. Close and authentic friendships that would translate into everyone at BP experiencing a Life Group that would make a real difference in real life.
6. A fleet of non-staff counselors that would be trained to bring care and counseling to hurting people in their time of need.
7. An indoor playground at BP for kids to feel at home and for parents to gather during the week at church.
8. The ability to host baptisms all year long.
9. A small apartment complex that BP would purchase and renovate to host homeless people and families until they could get back on their feet.
10. An inviting, high energy meeting space that would equip our student ministry to draw students and encourage them to make “God decisions” in life.
11. An excitement and authenticity about our life-changing faith in Jesus that inspires us to invite friends to church.
12. A lobby area that an artistic ministry could change every month to feature creative media and therefore reflect where our compassion is making a difference locally and globally.
13. A strong care-network that would allow us to partner with professional Christian counselors to whom we can refer our people.
14. The ability to create a children’s environment in a new facility that would capture the attention and imagination of kids and excite them about church.
15. A variety of Bible, theological, and spiritual workshops, both live and online,  that would be of interest to our more seasoned believers.
16. A heart for global compassion that would inspire “every day” people to leave what is safe and “go” on a missions trip.
17. Office furniture and new laptops to equip the BP staff with a better working environment.
18. A media and video ministry that would allow us to be more creative as well as capture the way God is working in and though us at BP.
19. A new and separate 4^th and 5^th grade program that would allow us to be more age-specific in our effectiveness.
20. Believers who are rich towards God and His work with no regrets, so we can do things like add children’s staff and resources to increase preschool staff hours.
21. A Sunday night service that would be the same morning message, but with a kick and bend in the music, feel, and presentation to reach “20-somethings”.
22. A booklet and resource rack in the lobby with complimentary materials that address the most common questions and concerns of those seeking to discover faith.
23. The ability to become a Church member/partner online through the website.
24. Facility space to host counseling rooms, meetings rooms, and a project center with computers, copiers, and supplies for non-staff people to use for their own ministries.
25. A new soundboard for the worship center that would better facilitate the incredible music talent that God has given us. 

The relational factor that changes everything

It’s true. When polled, most Americans feel uncomfortable talking about religion. I have a feeling this is what most Christians sense. I recall being in a conversation with someone I was playing basketball with at the gym and we got to talking about Christmas. After several minutes of sharing what Christmas meant to me as a Christian, I reached into my bag to give him an invite to a Christmas Eve service. With the look of terror on his face, the guy put his hands up to his chest and walked back a couple steps, like I just pulled out a gun. Talk about an awkward moment.

It’s this fear that keeps most from taking that risky step in dialoging about spiritual matters with others. I have good news for you. There is one factor that changes everything. When unchurched people are surveyed, they confirm there is one condition that would change everything:  Relationship. As long as the person sharing their faith or invite was friend or family member, the unchurched person would welcome, if not invite, a dialogue about spiritual matters. In fact, eight out of ten unchurched people in this country would accept an invitation to attend church if it came from relationship they knew and trusted.

All this month we will be encouraging you to invite one guest to celebrate Christmas Eve with us here at BridgePointe. But the bigger picture is an understanding of epicenter thinking, that is our Christian reach starts with those closest to us. Here are some considerations this Christmas season:

1. Your first invitations should be to the people you know already. Among your friends and family, this would include people you see frequently, like neighbors, co-workers, your bank teller, students in your class, the dry cleaner attendant, the postal carrier, your kid’s teacher or coach, your dentist or doctor, and the manger at your favorite restaurant—  those who could put a name to your face. These relationships are not in your circle of influence by chance. They have divine purpose. This Sunday, invites cards will be available in the lobby to pass along something tangible.

2.  Be relationally intentional.  The holidays take everyone “out” somewhere. What a great chance to pay special attention to people God puts in your path. Slow them down enough to greet them by name and strike up a sincere dialogue about them The waitress, the guy bagging your groceries, the front office attendant at your appointment, your next client, and the person sitting next to you at church have been divinely scheduled for you.

3.  Be a part of our ongoing compassion ministry. This Christmas BridgePointe has reached out to families in a community close to us whom would appreciate our help. But a one-time generous act is not our intention. We will be returning to them, and others, time and time again to build relationships. Our greater goal is the hope that some individuals will discover faith with Jesus and become a part of our church family.

Never count out the relational factor. It changes everything …. and it will for you this Christmas.

Geography Matters

When you read this, my plane will be landing back in the United States having been in the country of Moldova for a week.  In partnering with John Maxwell’s EQUIP, I was honored to teach Christian leadership principles to pastors who will have journeyed long distances to hear an American pastor.  Two weeks ago, in working with New Hope Moldova, your response in supporting orphanages and financially adopting children in this part of the world was so appreciated.  You kept kids off the streets from being kidnapped into sex trafficking.  You became Difference Makers.

Presently, our Compassion Pastor, Keith Norman, is leading our church to adopt a neighborhood of families who may have financial challenges this coming Christmas. Our Local Compassion Team is providing an opportunity for the needs of each family to be adopted.  The management of the community has not only invited us into their neighborhood, but is joining us in our efforts with assistance that is overwhelming - another chance for us to be Difference Makers.

Our preschool and elementary kids are participating in Operation Christmas Child where families can package shoeboxes with essential items for underprivileged kids around the world.  A family in our church, who adopted their daughter from Latvia, shared her story two weeks ago at BridgePointe, sharing when she received a shoebox gift for this same organization… because someone was a Difference Maker. It is our turn now.

Geography matters to God.  It is a strange thought, I know.  But the maps in the back of our Bibles (that tend to stick together because we never use them) are intended to be a visual lesson of this very principle.  The maps show specific and strategic places where God’s people were being sent.  This was a simple reminder that God does not do “random” or “accidental”.  There is a sovereign and divine plan behind “sent Christians” that is the story behind the story.  There is a person on the receiving end of our compassion and message that is unknown to us, but known to God.

In Acts 16:6-10, Paul was prevented from speaking the message in Asia as a divine closed door they understood to be from God.  Instead, Paul was given a dream of a man in Macedonia pleading for help and proceeded there by faith.  What Paul did not know is that God was already at work ahead of time.  He was at work in the heart of a wealthy businesswoman, named Lydia, wondering if there was a greater purpose in life than just success.  God was preparing a demonized girl to experience freedom from bondage from the evil things in this world.  He was working in the life of a middle-class jailer who would later discover life in Jesus and be the spiritual anchor for his family that he always wanted to be.

Geography matters to God. The person God is preparing beforehand is the story behind the story that compels us to be Difference Makers at BridgePointe.

Beyond Belief

  

There is a story told of a famous French tightrope-walker named Charles Blondin.  Blondin's greatest fame came in June of 1859 when he attempted to become the first person to cross a tightrope stretched over a quarter of a mile across the mighty Niagara Falls.  He walked across 160 feet above the falls several times, each time with a different daring feat - once in a sack, on stilts, on a bicycle, in the dark, and once he even carried a stove and cooked an omelet!  On one occasion a large crowd gathered and a buzz of excitement ran along both sides of the river bank.  The crowd “oohed” and “aahed” as Blondin carefully walked across one dangerous step after another - blindfolded and pushing a wheelbarrow.  Upon reaching the other side, the crowd's applause was louder than the roar of the falls!  Blondin suddenly stopped and addressed his audience:

"Do you believe I can carry a person across in this wheelbarrow?"

The crowd enthusiastically shouted, "Yes, yes! You are the greatest tightrope walker in the world. You can do anything!” "Okay," said Blondin, "Then get in the wheelbarrow."  There were no takers.  You see, there is a difference between belief and faith.  Belief may be a conviction of something of which you are certain.  But until you act on it, faith has not been demonstrated.

For the last 2-3 weeks the Advisors and Lead Team has been in discussions about going to one service on Sundays.  Our attendance has decreased and we are well aware of how that hampers the dynamic in an auditorium that seats almost 1000.  We also know that going to one service would allow us to set up an hour later in the morning.  That’s helpful when volunteers are showing up at 6:30 AM to set up when it’s dark and cold.  But making such a change would come at a price.  Our children’s volunteers would not have a service to attend if they were serving on that day.  We also have just launched a BASICS class that meets during first service, allowing participants access to the childrens’ programs and then attendance of the second service.  BASICS, a workshop for new believers, is important to our Growth Path at BridgePointe.  And at the end of the day, lets face it - It would be an additional downer to our present challenges.

I got what I needed to make a decision this past week.  There was an affirmed and profound belief in what we are doing at BridgePointe through the Advisors, Lead Staff, and the leadership community of volunteers with which I am privileged to serve.  BridgePointe is fortunate with spiritual leaders who believe in what God is doing in and through BridgePointe.  I am one of them!  In tangible ways, I saw our team of leaders willing to put their belief into action.  By staying with two services, I am affirming my faith in who we are, what we are doing, the resiliency of our people, the faithfulness of our volunteers, the lives that continue to be changed, the unity of our leaders, and the greatness of our God.  My faith is greater than my fear of our present attendance.  Risky?  Yup!  Am I scared?  Well, it would not be courage if I wasn’t.

It is time to move beyond belief… to faith.  If you believe in what God is doing in and through BridgePointe, I invite you to act on it and get into the wheelbarrow with us.  I am all in!

Comfortable verses compromise

What hits you first is the sweet aroma of Italian food cooking in the kitchen -  the lasagna and all sorts of pastas and pizza. The wood floors, tables, and chairs, and simple place settings give off an immediate warm feel in the place. Friendly and inviting people greet you. Everything has the feel of an informal, relaxed Sunday evening. You’ve just entered an Inside BridgePointe Event at Tuscany Restaurant in Townelake. We do these events about every other month.

Inside BridgePointe is all about connecting and communicating with people in a more personal way. We connect with people through relaxed conversation over a fantastic dinner and then communicate where we are going as a church and how people can be a part of it. Last week we hosted 12 guests. What I love about these events is the opportunity to be relationally intentional. Creating a relational environment is key to making space for new people.

Relational intentionality is the personality we want to see permeated in all that we do. A value is an intentional “vibe” that we seek in the DNA of our identity. It stems from a high premium we place on people. Ultimately, the way we connect with people as a church becomes the very platform for our message of life in Jesus Christ.

For many church leaders creating a comfortable environment for people, and especially for people far from God, is a debate often accompanied with understandable tension. The Scripture makes it clear that it is normal for unbelievers to be uncomfortable with the cross of Jesus, his message, and spiritual things no matter what we do at church.  

We are reminded that the “person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 2:14-15) No matter how passionate we are in wanting to be a friendly church, we must never disguise the message of the cross nor gloss over the life-changing implications of what it means to be a Christ Follower. 

However, we must never use this truth to justify falling short of creating an inviting environment at BridgePointe. The cross should be the only “stumbling block” and “foolishness” that outsiders should face when entering our church. (I Corinthians 1:23) The Scripture gives clear space for the cross to offend, not for our church to offend. In other words, we want to create a safe place to hear a dangerous message.

Comfortable does not mean compromise at BridgePointe.

That's not my job!

This is a story about four people named EVERYBODY, SOMEBODY, ANYBODY, and NOBODY.  There was an important job to be done and EVERYBODY was sure that SOMEBODY would do it. ANYBODY could have done it, but NOBODY did it. SOMEBODY got angry about that because it was EVERYBODY’S job. 

EVERYBODY thought that ANYBODY could do it, but NOBODY realized that EVERYBODY would do it. It ended up that EVERYBODY blamed SOMEBODY when NOBODY did what ANYBODY could have done. 

At BridgePointe we count on everybody to pitch in so we can run on all pistons and function at an optimum level.  Being part of the greatest enterprise on earth demands a “whatever it takes” attitude. That’s why God designed his church to run like a team where we all have a part in it. This is nowhere more real than on each Sunday morning. Sunday morning is “game day” for BridgePointe because it is where we impact the most people and first time guests each week. Our Sunday service is the front door for most people at BridgePointe so this must be our “Alamo stand”.

One of the targets this year is to rally a Volunteer Revolution that will focus directly on filling the serving opportunities on Sunday morning. During the entire month of October we are asking each person who makes BridgePointe their home to volunteer at least once a month in one of the six primary Sunday morning areas. In fact, you have already risen to the occasion. Just last week 25 of you responded in one Sunday and it was so appreciated:
1.     Pre-school Kids:  Need 20 more/ 2 signed up.
2.     Elementary kids:  Need 20 more / 1 signed up.
3.     Student ministry:  Need 6 more / 2 signed up.
4.     Greeting/ushering:  Need 55 more / 12 signed up.
5.     Technical Arts:  Need 7 more / 7 signed up.
6.     Set up & tear down: Need 55 more / 6 signed up.
The needed numbers are beginning to lower. We are asking for an “all hands on deck” to be our best on Sunday. We only get one chance to make a first impression.  

So here are two turnkey ready opportunities where you can make a difference this month:

• Sign up for one of the six areas noted in the bulletin for at least once a month.
• Update your contact information on the tear of portion of the bulletin or on CCB. (See insert card in the bulletin) 

Everybody should not assume that somebody will respond to what everybody can do, but that nobody does.