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.

Geography Matters

The stickiest pages in our Bibles are usually the maps in the back-  mostly because they represent the most unused part of our Bibles. The maps are often seen as being as relevant to us as the genealogies, the laws in the book of the Deuteronomy, or the family record pages at the front.

But the maps in our Bible point to our God as being missionary minded about his love and message. When God sent his Son into this world it was Jesus who was embodying this foundational truth. It is this conviction that compels BP to go into all the world … for God so loves people-  of all colors, cultures, kinds, and nationalities.  But there’s more to it than just being mobile. It’s about being intentional.

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. Geography matters.

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 he 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. He 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 discover life in Jesus and be the spiritual anchor he always wanted to be for his family.

We feel this truth guiding us as we form our BP team to go to Moldova this summer, June 15-23. Moldova is a small country between Romania and Ukraine and the poorest country in Eastern Europe. The state run orphanages are overwhelmed with kids and they literally throw girls and boys out on the streets at 12 years old when there is no more room. Most of the girls are certain to be kidnapped into sex trafficking.

Consider being a part of our mission to serve and love orphans through a summer camp that we host at the Orphanages. The Team meetings are every Thursday at 7:30 pm. Call Leigh Fragnoli at 770-294-6153 for directions. The fundraisers you will hear about at BP help to raise the funds to sponsor the camp so 200 kids can attend for free. Please consider partnering with us. The first Fundraiser is Friday, March 2, from 6 - 10 pm; a BINGO BASH at Latimer Hall in downtown Woodstock.

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.

Phase 1 - Here We Come!

Two weeks ago, on a Sunday night, over 150 B.P. volunteers attended an appreciation dinner in their honor. What a night! I’m still feeling the buzz. The room was filled with a great vibe of community and excitement about what God is doing in our midst. Remarkably, there are presently over 250 people who make up our Leadership Community of volunteers. Wow! What a team! Their commitment and support, as well as yours, motivated me to share a sneak preview of Phase 1 in our movement towards a more permanent home for BridgePointe.

Being unable to sustain the property, the Pointe Team has worked hard to secure meeting space for our student ministries and other gatherings that have been hosted at the Outback. To keep costs low, we were in search for a facility that could combine our office space with our needed student meeting space, under one roof. Bringing the office space and student meeting space into one facility is what we are calling Phase 1 towards our transition to a more permanent home for BP.

I’m excited to report that this week our Pointe Team has negotiated an offer to occupy about 6,000 square feet of space through a sub-lease. Our offer was accepted and our goal is to sign contracts this week. The facility is located at the Arnold Mill Park Facility Park, just three minutes up from the present offices, past downtown Woodstock on Arnold Mill Road. With exception of the warehouse, the interior is already fixed with move-in ready, professional style carpet and paint.

The new facility will host:

•             A large warehouse that can be used for large group meetings. The warehouse is at least twice the size of the garage at the Outback. Although this is primarily set up for the student gatherings, it will host men and women’s events, and other gatherings.
•           Roll-up doors in the warehouse, with a patio just outside for BBQ and gatherings.
•          A large community room adjacent to the warehouse to host classes, training, and meetings. This area is more than twice the size of the living room area in the Outback.
•          A large kitchen directly connected to a community room with an oversized island and counter space for serving, and plenty of cupboard space for storage.
•         Ample parking and lighting.
•         A formal front waiting area for those coming to the office.
•         Ample office space to host all the Lead Team.
•          Conference table meeting space.
•          Workroom space.
•          Rooms for storage.
•          Men’s, women’s, and handicapped bathrooms, all separate from each other.
•          An attractive and well-kept exterior and common areas.

Our present plan calls for some needed walls to be erected at the facility next week, February 13-18. Then, during school break, February 20-25, we hope to move the contents of the Outback’s student equipment and furnishings. Both High school and Middle School will be cancelled that week to allow for moving.

When you add what we are already paying for the current office space and costs incurred at the Outback, we are gaining more than twice the size and twice the quality of the Outback for about an additional $1000 a month-   a deal you won’t find anywhere!  We are working towards sacrificial and intentional cutbacks to make up this amount in seeking to break even.

This is an exciting next step! There will be much more communication and creative connecting points that would serve to draw us together. The Pointe Team will also soon expand in much more detail regarding Phase 2 and Phase 3, which will ultimately complete our journey to a more permanent home for BP. We can’t wait to share the rest of this story with you!

Observation-Conviction-Action

Its true - nobody celebrates 5th place. Nobody throws a party for average. Nobody returns for mediocre. Nobody talks up a storm for, “it was just OK.” Nobody is thrilled to pay money for second-rate. There’s a life principle here:  What is important is done right. The quality of a product always says something about the heart of its producer.


As a man after God’s ways, Nehemiah understood this. He occupied a time in Old Testament history when Israel was a nomadic people, dispersed all over the world after their homeland was sacked by foreign enemies. He now finds himself divinely placed as a servant in the court of the reigning Persian King. He receives words from messengers that some of his fellow Hebrews have returned back to their land only to find their holy city, Jerusalem, and their temple, in shambles.


3 They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”  (Nehemiah 1:3)
When they found what was important to them “broken down” and “burned” they allowed themselves to be “troubled and disgraced.” In other words, they took it personally as a reflection of themselves, and more importantly, as a reflection of their God. Nehemiah allowed himself to be convicted and it drew him back to seek God for answers.
 4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. (Nehemiah 1:4)


This was the catalyst that motivated Nehemiah to step up and lead his people back to their land to restore their temple. What is important, is done right. The quality of a product always says something about the heart of its producer. Observation led to conviction; conviction led to action.


Recent staff and leadership transitions have left some things “broken down” and “burned” at BridgePointe which affect weekly ministry. These are in addition to the impact of many years of being a mobile church. Many of our volunteers have been gracious in pointing out things that have fallen short of quality. That’s never easy to hear, but necessary to hear. It says to me as a leader that volunteers at BP want to be proud of their church and the God it represents. They, like, Nehemiah, “get it.” Their observation led to conviction; their conviction led to action.


Here’s how our restoration efforts can translate into action:


•    Be patient as new leaders seek to establish their teams and structure.
•    Volunteer at least once a month in 1 of the 7 areas listed weekly in the bulletin.
•    As a volunteer, be vocal to your team leader about needed changes.
•    Raise the bar as a volunteer with your own efforts.
•    Continue to financially invest in what God is doing at BP.
•    As a volunteer, step up to take a leadership role when asked by your team leader.


We also have some unique opportunities:


•    Volunteers to drive and drop off our trailers on late Friday afternoons or early Sunday mornings.
•    Volunteers to set up exterior directional signs on Sunday morning.
•    We have an opening for a 2-3 day paid role as a Financial Manger. Experience and a working knowledge of accounting required. Please send resumes to: wendy.snyder@bridgepointechurch.org

Travel Agency verses Tour Guides

Several weeks ago some of the Lead Team and myself had the privilege of sharing a dinner with guests who attended the largest Inside BridgePointe event since I’ve been at BridgePointe. At Inside BridgePointe I have the unique opportunity to share how we are fulfilling our singular vision of drawing people close to God. I express our heart-felt desire to seek movement in people’s spiritual life to discover faith, develop faith, and demonstrate faith. But I also share an important principle that partners with it: Personal invites are the most effective catalyst that encourage movement-  connection, growth, and involvement-  at BridgePointe.

As you may have heard me teach before, there is a big difference between a travel agency and a guide. A travel agency is the cooperate side of the trip. It is the formal attendant on the other side of the phone who books your ticket and provides you with necessary information for your trip.  But a guide shares the experience with you. This is the personal side of the trip. In a raft trip, a guide personally instructs you, gets in the raft with you, gets wet with you, paddles with you, eats lunch with you, and then carries the raft out with you. If you have ever gone rafting before, you know all too well that the guide will make or break your experience no matter how great the rafting organization is.

In a similar way, a church is the spiritual travel agency providing the needed information and event registration in a formal way. That’s the cooperate side of one’s spiritual growth. But that will only go so far. It’s the individual relationships at a church where that personal side of the experience “makes or breaks” the movement in one’s spiritual growth.  If you are wondering what that looks like, allow me to give one word: Invitation.

I’m not just speaking about inviting someone to join you at church on Sunday, although that is the most effective way of growing a church. I’m speaking about inviting friends and people at BridgePointe to join you when you attend events and offering to go with them. Invite someone you meet or know who is exploring faith or new to the faith at BridgePointe to attend Starting Point Group, or Equip  (formerly known as Basics) by offering to attend with them. Or ask someone at BridgePointe to join a Life Group with you. “Yes”-  Go with someone. This may mean sacrificing your plans and convenience for the sake of connecting with others at BridgePointe.

You have an opportunity invite a friend at church to go with you to the next Mpact, our men’s monthly gathering every second Saturday morning. Or, consider inviting someone from church to go with you to the Women’s Retreat coming in March, or the Ladies Night Out coming in February. Invite someone to volunteer with you where you help out. You get the point! If we rely on the church to be the spiritual travel agency that grows our church we will have limited and slow results. Or, we could see exponential growth at BridgePointe when we each assume the role and responsibility of being a spiritual tour guide in someone’s life. We can inform others of spiritual growth or share the experience with them. The difference will make or break one’s forward movement at BridgePointe.