What is this world famous house's connection to BPC?

What do you know about this world famous house (not the couple standing in front of it-Brad & Angie) and what is the house's connection to BridgePoint church? To get the answer you have to come to BPC this Sunday morning at 10am to find out!

BPC's New Years Eve Blessing!

Looking for something special to do early in the evening this New Years Eve? Well, have I got something for you & your family as well as your friends! It’s BPC’s very 1st New Years Eve Blessing! From 6:30 – 7:30pm at the church Francie & I would be honored to pray a prayer of blessing over your lives as we begin 2010.

BPC is the 7th church plant of Allison Park church & P. Jeff has hosted this event @ APC for the last few years. I love the way he explains what this is all about!
“Blessing is simply envisioning a positive future and speaking those words of faith over another person's life. It is not so much predictive as it is declarative. We declare God's promises and speak our prayers in faith. This practice of blessing is both a powerful and Biblical thing to do."
• Jesus blessed the little children brought to him.
• Israel blessed his sons and grandsons.
• The priests would bless the people as they would gather for worship.
• Psalm 20 is a declaration of blessing in song.

So, are you ready to receive your blessing? Sure you are! BPC meets at 400 east 9th Ave in Tarentum. While you are there feel free to check out our new “digs.”

Francie & I are so excited for this New Year & brand new decade to begin. God has so many amazing things He wants to do in & through BPC and guess what…He’s got some amazing things for you as well!

God bless you and Happy New Year!

BPC Candlelight Christmas Eve Service at 7pm

Please join us this Thursday at 7pm for our Christmas Eve service in our new location - the 1st Christian Church Building, 400 East 9th Ave in Tarentum.

The sanctuary is beautifully decorated for the Holidays and on Christmas Eve candelabras will give off a warm & inviting atmosphere during the service for you to enjoy. We will be singing Christmas carols together, blessed by a special song & continue in our Advent Reloaded series with a message entitled "Why God Chooses Surprise Beginnings."

The service will last 1 hour so you & your family can spend the rest of Christmas Eve celebrating the birth of Christ.

Merry Christmas!

Jewish, Roman & Greek contributions to the coming of the Messiah

Thursday is my message prep day. I’m also doing a little pre prep for BPC ‘s Christmas Eve talk. Here’s an excerpt from the book “How People of the Bible Really Lived” by Howard F. Vos who writes 3 examples of how the Jewish people, Romans & Greeks prepared for the coming of the Messiah & may not have even realized it.

Thought provoking reading & interesting stuff.....

The Jewish contribution:
Prepared the world for the coming of the Messiah by establishing synagogues through the Mediterranean area. Synagogues proliferated wherever Jewish people lived in substantial numbers. Possibly 150 of them were scattered across the Roman Empire standing for high ethical standards in a world without moral absolutes. The scriptures were written in Greek in a translation known as the Septuagint & as a result many Gentiles seekers became God fearers or proselytes to the Hebrew faith & later Christianity. The Old Testament is filled with the anticipation of the Messiah who would deliver God’s people Israel. The scripture present Him as Moses’ "Prophet", Isaiah's "suffering Servant", Jeremiah’s "Branch", Daniel’s "Son of Man", and as the coming of God Himself.

The Roman contribution:
Prepared the world for the coming of the Messiah by their conquests. Defeating various nations they contributed to the loss of faith in their gods, who were now seen as unable to protect the people. The Romans unknowingly created a spiritual vacuum.

The Greek contribution:
Prepared the world for the coming of the Messiah through the speculations of their philosophers. They undermined older polytheistic religions by their skepticism but failed to provide a satisfactory alternative. Some discovered a monotheistic being behind the welter of gods that people worshipped. Others taught immorality of the soul. Yet others were developing elevated ethical systems. And some, such as Epicurus & Zeno (the Stoics), sought a more personal relationship to God, or Being, in the universe. Each in their way both reflected & helped to create a hunger for a personal relationship with God who could provide eternal life & an inner strength to live out an ethic that would embrace all human relationships

All this preparation came together in a meaningful way at the birth of Christ. History, it seems, was ripe for the coming of Christ & His birth in Bethlehem. Paul declared, “When the fullness of time had come,” or “when the right time finally came,” “God sent forth His Son, born of a woman,” (Galatians 4:4) Living in that time Paul understood from experience how everything fits together. Jesus Christ made the impact that He did because to some degree the world was ready for Him and what He had to offer.

Pastor Greg's run in with the frozen roads & BPC info in case of bad weather

I typically begin my Sunday morning each week at 5:30am. It gives me an opportunity to go over my message one final time & pray for our service at 10am. I’m here to tell you that the roads were bone dry until about 7am when it started to rain. (Didn’t the Tin Man in the Wizard of OZ say that??). The roads quickly turned into a sheet of ice shutting down PGH. The last time the State Police shut down the parkways was for the Blizzard of ‘93! At 7:30am I decided to “Go for it” & Francie & I backed the car down the driveway (Really now, where did I think I was going?). The car started to slide down the driveway on the ice in a matter of seconds. Needless to say I parked the car on the street in front of the house & went back inside to watch the news. All roads were shut down, car accidents were being reported left & right & no one; I mean NO ONE was going anywhere until the temperature was going to rise.

How does the rain freeze? Well, let’s simplify the science… think of the atmosphere as a cake. Meteorologists, analyze several layers of the atmosphere. Typically, the surface layer (or the bottom of the cake) is warm and temperatures get colder as air rises. However, on Sunday, it was the opposite. Sunday, the higher levels of the atmosphere (the middle of the cake) were warm and the surface (the bottom of the cake) was cold. The precipitation starts in the clouds as snow, then it falls through a WARM layer that’s usually 3,000 feet above the surface. As it goes through the warmer air, it changes to rain… but right before the rain hits the surface; it hits a very shallow freezing layer. The droplets hit the ground and they instantly freeze coating your driveway, sidewalk and the roads. (The weather info above was supplied by Erin Kinzle of WTAE Channel 4 & not me)

About 8am the temperature was slowly rising & they predicted the roads would be passable by 10am. At about 8:15am the salt truck drove by our house spreading a layer of salt & in 15 minutes the ice on the road melted. We waited until about 9am to head out to the church taking Freeport Rd from Blawnox to Tarentum. By then the roads were “slushy” but all the cars on the roads were driving very cautiously (so was I). It took us 30 minutes to get to the church & once we arrived I decided to changed the service time to 10:30am to give more time to anyone who was “going to go for it” as well. Thanks so much to all those who attended the service & thank goodness to all those who stayed put because you never know what could happened.

So, during the next 3-4 months we could potentially see more dangerous winter weather conditions on a Sunday morning. Please use your best judgment & common sense when attempting to come to church. Obviously stay put if you’re likely to get into an accident & cause injury or damage to yourself or someone else. Not to mention the financial headache that goes along with stuff like that.

If you decide you can get to church safely please log onto the internet & check our website, my blog, facebook & Twitter for any BPC changes or cancelations. You can also call us to find out what’s up. Below is all the contact info you’ll need. Remember to always be safe out there this winter!!

website; www.bridgepointchurch.cc, phone number 412.596.5599
Pastor Greg on the internet; blog-gregkrowitz.blogspot.com, facebook-Greg Krowitz Sr and Twitter-@gregkrowitz

BPC Service this morining December 13 2009

We will be having our 10AM service this morning. Wait until the temperature risies & the ice on the roads melts away. Weather forcast is...roads should be O.K. by 10am.

Jr Church "Goldfish" will be next Sunday!

Be safe & see you at 10 if you can make it.

BPC Christmas Outreach 09

On Saturday December 5th BPC held our Christmas Outreach event to the community of Tarentum & the AG Valley. We hosted a FREE Christmas Flea market in the lower level of the church. Thanks so much to everyone who donated items!

On Friday evening a team of BPCers stacked, arranged, folded & put out all the goods. Every category of clothing, toys, home décor, hardware, furniture - anything you could imagine was set out. (Well, maybe not anything like…goldfish?? Bring the kids to Jr. Church this Sunday at 10am to find out about the goldfish!) Everything was in such great condition & a large portion of the items donated were brand new with the tags still on! We even gave away 10 live Christmas trees thanks to Teddy B!

15 minutes before we opened the doors on Saturday at Noon the sanctuary was packed with 50 people registered & waiting to be escorted to the lower level to pick out their FREE presents for Christmas. Francie & I were so glad to meet everyone who came to the event.

Almost 200 people were not only blessed with presents but a FREE lunch (thanks to Jim A), cookies, coffee, drinks & hot chocolate. Also, the first 64 families who registered were given a FREE Thanksgiving dinner (all the fixins minus the turkey) donated by St. Edmunds Academy – thanks to the administration, faculty & students!! I’m so pumped to tell you that a number of those who were blessed by our event attended our Sunday morning service!!

Francie & I want to say thanks so much to everyone who helped make this year’s BPC Christmas Outreach a huge success! AND…a very BIG thanks to Jim & Lisa for making it all happen!!

Part II God Questions panel & December 09 message seies

Sunday we concluded Part II of our God Questions message series with a God Questions panel discussion that was truly fantastic!!

10 people submitted a question they’d always had about God, salvation, the Bible, Jesus, sickness and other God or Bible type stuff. Thanks so much to our GQ Panel - Diane, Tony, Donna & Fiore for providing Biblically based answers as well as insightful comments from your own lives. During the GQ panel I looked out over the congregation & could see that everyone was totally engaged in the discussion. The Holy Spirit was definitely moving on people’s hearts & touching their lives. It was just a great morning to be at BPC!

As we all transition from Thanksgiving into the Christmas season I am so pumped to be partnering with other MCM Pittsburgh churches with our December message series entitled “Advent Reloaded.” For those of us who grew up hearing the term advent your minds may get to thinking about those cardboard “advent calendars.” Remember? You “opened 1 window per day” preparing Christmas.

Advent is truly a time of preparation & this year as we count down again we’ve kinda added a twist to this series of talks with titles that will get you thinking & giveaways that will bring a smile to your face.

Sun, 6th- “What is the 2nd Coming?” $75 gift card giveaway to the Pittsburgh Mills Mall
Sun, 13th- “What are the Signs of the End Times?” Elementary kids will have a chance to
win a special Christmas prize in Jr. Church that’s “Golden”!
Sun, 20th- “What is God Waiting For?” Special Speaker Jim Leake. He and his wife
Becky pastored Monroeville Assembly of God for 40 years. Also, a FREE
Luncheon following the service.
Thurs, 24th 7pm Christmas Eve Candlelight service “Why God Chooses Surprise Beginnings”
Sun, 27th- “Am I Ready for What’s Coming Next?” $25 gift card giveaway to Starbucks

We’re also providing invitation greeting cards to this series that you can give to your family, friends, coworkers & anyone you may want to invite to BPC. The invites are located on the information table in the back of the sanctuary.

Well, I think I’ve said just about enough. Check the Advent Reloaded video below & get ready to lock & reload as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ!

Part II God Questions ends this Sunday with our God Questions panel!

Last Sunday we cruised through week 2 of our God Questions series with a message entitled “Why Church?” Just like the GQ “Who is Jesus? the week before, almost everyone has a view regarding why church. Most people boil it all down to this...those who dig it & those who really don’t see a need for it.

But Jesus wasn’t messing around when this subject came up. In fact He was so into it that He changed Peter’s name. Jesus said, On you Stone/Rock…ahhhh…Peter, yes that’s it, Peter. I will -in the future-build my-His/belongs to Him-church-citizenship/group-and the gates of hades- whatever comes up against it- will not stop it. The church-people/you & I- will continue to grow & grow & grow and move & move & move and go on & on & on - until everyone has heard!!!

The Bible gives us clues as to why church & there is no greater clue than the one found in Acts 2:42-42. You see why church for early Christ followers meant that it was not defined by what they were but rather by what they did! Thanks to Rick Warren we all got a clearer handle on this concept of why church?

Worship-they devoted themselves to the breaking of bread & to prayer;
Fellowship-they were devoted to a common purpose;
Discipleship- they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching;
Service/Ministry-they gave to anyone as he has need;
Evangelism-the Lord added to their number daily those being saved;

The good news is that why church is no different today then it was back then & that should get us excited. We can choose to be a part of something that is bigger than ourselves, has stood the test of time & will keep going on and on.

Another reason for Why Church-particularly at BPC this Sunday at 10 am is-we are having a God Questions panel! What’s that all about you say? Well, a number of people have submitted a question- something they have always wondered about God, Jesus, the Bible etc- looking for answers. We have assembled 4 people who have a good handle on these things & on Sunday morning they will provide Biblically based answers to the God Questions submitted.

It will be a very interesting morning at BridgePoint church, one you do not want to miss!

Part II God Questions continues this week at BPC with "Why Church?"

Last Sunday we kicked off part II of our “God Questions” series with a message entitled “Who is Jesus?” For years people have wrestled with this THE question & many just aren’t sure Jesus is who He said He was. Some say, “He’s my Lord”, others say, “Jesus, I think he may have been a little nuts.” and still others may say, “The Son of God, I really don’t think He was telling the whole truth.”

Simon Son of Jonah knew exactly who Jesus was, “You (Jesus) are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” This was a monumental moment in history, so big that Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter. In the Greek-Peter means stone/rock you can hold in your hand. (This Sunday we’ll give you the rest of this story, what Jesus was going to do with this rock!)

So, based on that many in our service “hooked up” with Peter’s words & showed the world they did agree by making a decision for Christ saying, Jesus, I believe You are who You said You were & I’m willing to back that up with my life! The altars were flooded with people worshiping their Lord just like Peter did!

This Sunday at BPC is going to be just as exciting when we ask the God Question, “Why Church?” Why go, what are we supposed to do when we get there & what has God promised to do for us & in us when we go to that building?

Check out the short video below to once aging get those brain waves flowing for Sunday. After the service join us in the lower level for a special teaching on Spiritual Gifts. You know you got them they just have to be located.

See you all at 10am this Sunday at BridgePoint Church, 400 East 9th Ave in Tarentum!!

BPC "God Questions" begins a 3 week run this Sunday at 10am!

This Sunday morning at 10am BPC begins a 3 week run-part II of the "God Questions" message series we did back in August of 09.

So hurry & get your God Questions in! You know what a God Question is...the questions you have bouncing around in your head concerning just about anything that has to do with Jesus, God, the Holy Spirit or the Bible because on Sunday November 29th we'll assemble our GQ panel to give you Biblical answers to your God Questions.

On Sunday November 22nd together we'll answer the question..."Why Church?"

And...this Sunday November 15th we'll tackle the God Question..."Who is Jesus?" Well who do you think Jesus is? Check out the video below to get the brain waves flowing for this Sunday morning at 10am!

BTW; FREE luncheon following the service, just what you need after a morning of figurin stuff out!

BPC now on Sunday's at 10am!

I am so happy to announce to you that on November 15 2009 our Sunday morning service start time will begin at 10am!! Yes, isn’t that soo cool!!

We have been in our new location for a month now and already we’ve sensed the need to return to an hour & a half service time. Everyone just loves the new “digs”, the ministry of BPC & the relationships that are being formed…people just can’t get enough!!

At BridgePoint Church our desire is to Connect Real People to the Real God at any age from nursery to preschool right up to Jr. Church for elementary kids. The adults will be able to “get into it” as much as the kids with services that won’t leave you “drumming your fingers” in boredom. Our exciting, God honoring atmosphere includes music & worship that will inspire you as well as relevant messages based on timeless Biblical principles that you can apply to your life now seeing results in real time!!! BPC is also a place where you can make some new friends along the way.

So, please join us November 15 at what time??? 10 am!! Also. we are having a FREE lunch after the service so come hungry!

BTW: this Sunday we are starting a new message series entitled “God Questions”. Our topic for this week is... “Who is Jesus?” Next week we’ll tackle… “Why Church?” And on Sunday November 29th at what time??? 10am!! we’ll gather a panel of people “who know a lot about God” to answer your God Question…something you always wanted to know about Jesus, the Bible or God!

As you can tell, I’m really “pumped” for this Sunday’s service beginning at 10am & I hope to see you there!!

BPC Treats n Eats 09

October 09 at BPC ended with a "bang' as we hosted our 2nd annual "Treats n Eats" Halloween night outreach in our new location! And I'm here to tell ya, trick r treating is a big deal in Tarentum. Lots of young families as well as teens flooded the streets. We had 250+ people register with us and everyone was so friendly & excited!




We talked with many people who had positive comments about what we were doing for the community. They so loved the carnival games & candy for the kids as well as the other free food & drinks. The adults were greatful to have a hot cup of coffee on a chilly night! I think the BPC "Buzz" has begun in East Tarentum!


Thanks so much to everyone who made donations & worked so hard to make this night happen. You are all THE best!

They're "tight" with Jesus!

October 09 at BridgePoint Church continues to be AMAZING & yesterday during our svc we had a 2nd round of water baptisms. I had the honor of baptizing 10 people in the name of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit!

The Bible is clear, after giving your life over to Christ the very next step is to be water baptized following the example of Jesus who was baptized by His cousin John in the Jordan River. Now you may say, “Hey, (you don’t have to say “Hey”) I was baptized as a baby.” Well so was I & I appreciate so much that my parents wanted to do that for me. The problem was…I didn’t understand what was going on (I was an infant) and it wasn’t my decision…I guess it was just “what you did” back then. (Hey I’m not THAT old!)

When I gave my life to Christ as an adult I saw that in order to truly follow Him I should get water baptized showing the world that I belong to Jesus! When I went under the water it symbolized that I died to my old way of living & when I was raised up out of the water it symbolized my being raised up to into a new life with Christ. I guess you could say that water baptism is the “Wedding Ring” of the Christian life telling the world that “Jesus & me are tight!”

At BPC we provide all the necessary clothes & products one needs to get water baptized making it sooo easy to take this step. Thanks to Lisa for coordinating the whole thing & to Jim for being my “wing man” in the tank. (I really don’t want to drop anyone-that would be my bad.) Also thanks to Debbie & James for snapping some great pictures! Before the service 3 people were scheduled to be water baptized & when I challenged everyone else…7 people responded & came forward to take this next step with Christ!!

The church we meet in has a built in baptismal tank…with a heater!! It’s big enough to fit 6 people standing at once. So, with the water warm & excitement in the air the baptisms began & one by one those 10 people showed everyone they were tight with Jesus!

Congratulations to Art, Ellie, Pete, Sue, Abbie, Louise, Terri, Cassie, April & Michelle! Francie & I are soo excited for you & we are praying that God will continue to bless your lives because of you obedience to the King of Kings!

BPC's Spiritual Breakthrough Event

Yesterday at BPC during our Sunday AM service we concluded our Spiritual Breakthrough event at the church and…I’m here to tell ya, it was sooo nice having the SBT in a church building!! 14 people went through this eye opening, life changing weekend & when they left after the service on Sunday they were “armed & dangerous” as P. Jeff says in the teaching. They are now ready to carry out their authority in Christ & claim the victory in their lives!

At BPC we teach sessions 1-5 & 7 via DVD on the big screen & I’ll just say it; nobody & I mean nobody teaches the SBT like P. Jeff! “It’s like he’s in the room with us” is one of the many comments we get regarding his presentation of the material. And Debbie Lynch has done an amazing job putting the whole package together for the church plants!

On Friday night after worship people begin to settle into a grove warming up to our presenter & engage into the material of sessions 1 & 2. At the end of the night people are “jazzed” & ready to come back bright & early on Saturday AM. Saturday begins with a continental breakfast & then we get into the remaining 5 sessions with breaks & lunch in between.

But by far, the most impactful moments of the SBT event are the prayer partner sessions which are always incredible times of forgiving, healing & restoration. It’s so great to see the look on people’s faces when they come out of their prayer sessions; peace, joy & a big sigh of relief due to a unloading of burdens that may have weighed them down for quite some time. Breakthrough has truly happened!! Thanks so much to our prayer partners this term, Francie, Debbie, Marie & Dan, for leading people in life changing, breakthrough prayers!

On Sunday AM I preach session 6, False Identity to a New Family Line, to the entire congregation. This teaching is so important that I do not want anyone to miss out! Because of Christ in our lives we no longer have to be chained to our past or even to what has been passed down through our ancestors. We have received an inheritance from Christ that is unmatched & we are challenged to live like it!

Our SBT event concluded with our monthly lunch & thanks so much to everyone who brought something to share! The food as well as the conversation is always delicious & enjoyable!

And now…to everyone who went through BPC’s SBT, know that Francie & I love you & along with your prayer partners will continue to pray for you as you apply this material walking in Forgiveness & Freedom as you live Fruitful lives here on planet earth for Christ!

October 09 - an Incredible Month of Ministry at BPC!

Sunday October 4th began an incredible month of ministry at BridgePoint Church!

We celebrated our 1st service in our new location, the First Christian Church building located on the corner of East 9th Ave & Corbet Sts in Tarentum. Over 105 people joined in! Last Sunday we held a family service in our new sanctuary where Pastor Cal preached a message entitled "The Greatest Commandment" to not only his Jr. Church kids but their parents as well.

This Friday, Saturday & Sunday, October 16 - 18, we'll host our 2nd Spiritual Breakthrough Event. 20 people will be going through this life changing teaching & it will be such a blessing having this event in a church building!! After the service on Sunday we'll have a FREE luncheon down in our HUGE lower level so, invited your family & friends to join us!

Next Sunday, October 25, we'll have our 2nd Water Baptism service & again it's going to be such a blessing having this in a church. An added bonus...the church building has a built-in baptism tank that's about 4' deep x 7' long x 5 ' wide...it can fit about 6 people!!

On Halloween night from 6pm - 8pm we'll be hosting our 2nd annual "Treats n Eats" outreach with food, candy, games, candy, music and fun...did I mention CANDY? It's all FREE so, if you live in Tarentum or the surrounding communities come to BPC on Saturday October 31st.

Pray with us as we believe many will make decisions for Christ during the month of October!!

AMAZING was the Word for Yesterday!!

Yesterday was just an AMAZING day at BridgePoint! We held our 1st service in our new location, the First Christian Church building at the corner of E. 9th Ave. & Corbet Sts in Tarentum. The building is incredibly beautiful & well maintained both inside & out. It certainly will be a “breath of fresh air” sharing the love of Jesus from a place that has been preaching the gospel since 1923. Thanks to all of you BPCers who helped move to the new building & get things ready for the service, you guys are the best!

At 9:30am the BPC worship band along with Kate Griffin & the APC Choir began playing & singing, the atmosphere was both exciting & electric as we all lifted our voices in praise to God. After worship I gave a few words of instruction regarding how to get around our new “digs” & I then thanked the Lord for everything He’s done at BPC & in the lives of all those who’ve come through our doors since we launched the church. Also, I wanted to say thanks to P. Jeff,
P. Nick, the board & congregation of APC for believing in the vision & mission of BPC. It’s such a blessing & honor to be a part of the MCM Pittsburgh Network of Churches.

I then expressed a special thanks to the leadership & congregation of First Christian for so graciously allowing us to share their building. We honored those 6 who were in attendance with our applause! And then I expressed my love & thanks to my incredible wife Francie for her AMAZING support & love for God, me & BridgePoint. I’m so tellin you, it was an AMAZING morning!

The message was on 1 Corinthians Chapter 13. God has given each of us a gift to be used by Him to not only encourage us but also to help advance the kingdom of God here on planet earth. We must align ourselves with His purposes loving Him & loving people! I then invited everyone to join me at the altar (Yes, we now have an altar area-YAY!!) so we could cry out to God for the people & community of Tarentum!! It was AMAZING (there is that word again-I’m tellin you yesterday was AMAZING) to see the altar area filled as people closed their eyes & lifted their faces & hands towards heaven! To close the service I prayed over the people the Priestly Blessing found in Numbers 6:22-27.

We then made our way downstairs to the lower level where we enjoyed a continental breakfast together. Thanks to Pete, Sue & Maggie for making that happen! It was so exciting to see the place packed with people talking, laughing & having a really good time. Many wanted to stay into the afternoon. (It was a good thing the Steelers were playing at 8:30pm yesterday!) Needless to say a lot of lingering was going on.

Yesterday truly was AMAZING but here’s the best part… we have only just begun & we are so excited to see all that God has for BridgePoint in the future as we continue to Connect Real People to the Real God in Tarentum & the entire Allegheny Valley Area!!

This Sunday, October 4 2009, BridgePoint will celebrate another milestone in our history of our church! We’ll be having our very 1st service in our new location, The First Christian Church building, 400 E. 9th Ave in East Tarentum. You can’t miss it, it’s the incredible looking church with the 4 huge white columns on the front located at the corner of E. 9th & Corbett Sts!

Thanks so much to everyone who helped us move from the gym to the church! From cleaning & preparing the Nursery/Preschool to getting ready for Jr. Church to setting up the sound system, installing the projector & everything else in between...you guys have been spectacular. Francie & I are so grateful to God & to all of you for your hard work & dedication to the Lord & BPC! We love you & I so love being your pastor!

So, we are really excited for Sunday! Please join us for coffee at 9:15am in the lower level; the service begins at 9:30am. Kate Griffin & the APC Choir will be with us for worship & will bless us with a song. I’ll be delivering a message that not only thanks God for all He’s done but will encourage & inspire Y-O-U as well! As always we’ll have Nursery, Preschool & Jr. Church for the kids. After the service we’ll all gather in the lower level for a delicious continental breakfast!

Please invite all of your family, friends & everyone you know to join us for our 1st service in our new location!! For directions to the church please visit our website; bridgepointchurch.cc If you can't find a place to park on the street please park in the lots at Duster's funeral home on E. 10th/Freeport or at Gatto's motorcycle repair building on E. 7th Ave

The Bridge That Connects Man to God

This Sunday will be BPC’s final service at the James 5:16 Center. Beginning Sunday October 4 2009 BridgePoint Church will be relocating to the First Christian Church, 400 E. 9th Ave in East Tarentum for Sunday services beginning at 9:30am each week.


As I write this post I’m reminded of when we 1st started out meeting in the house on E. 10th Ave in W. Tarentum. Soon we moved down to the gym for our launch team meetings every Sunday night, our monthly preview services which began in Oct. of 2007 & then to our Grand Opening service on Palm Sunday in March of 2008! (left pic)

Not only is Francie & I thankful to God for all those who’ve come through the doors & given their lives to Christ but we are also thankful to all of you BPCers who come every week to set it all up & then pack it all away. It’s because of your love for God & dedication to the ministry of BridgePoint Church that you transform the gym every week into a sanctuary where God can meet people where they are & rescue them! Countless prayers, songs & messages have gone out from the gym through BPC touching people’s hearts with the power of the Holy Spirit transforming lives for eternity! We also had “loads” of fun sharing life together during our monthly luncheons, special services, Life Groups & community outreaches. I think I will never look at a boxing gym the same way again!

Yes sir, it has been a pleasure & honor serving alongside all of you at the James 5:16 center but… it’s not over yet! I’m praying & believing that God Almighty has even greater things in store for BPC as we move to our new location & I’m so looking forward to seeing many more people in Tarentum & the entire Allegheny Valley come to Christ!!

So, as we take this next step in the life of BridgePoint Church lean in with me into all that God has for us with love for the Lord, His Son Jesus Christ & love for people as BridgePoint continues to Connect Real People to the Real God! Remember...The Cross is THE Bridge that Connects Man to God!!

Additional Overflow Parking at BPC's New Location!

I’m so pump to let you know that we now have additional overflow parking for when we move to our new location, The First Christian Church, 400 E. 9th Ave., Sunday October 4 at 9:30am!

Gary Duster, owner of Duster’s Funeral home on Freeport Rd/ E.10th Ave (just up from Duncan Donuts) is allowing us to use his parking lot on Sunday mornings! Thanks Gary!

So now there is no reason not to come to BPC. If you can’t find a parking spot on the street near the church please feel free to park in the lots at Duster’s Funeral home or Gatto’s Motorcycle repair on E. 7th Ave! Both are just a short 3 minute walk from the church. I know because I timed them on my stop watch!!

Thanks so much for all of your great comments with regard to my current message series; “True Champions-the Rocky series”! Even though you may not be that into Rocky, we’ve had a great time so far, haven’t we? The real star of this series is Jesus Christ & the Word of God!

Briefly here’s what we’ve discovered the last 3 weeks: Rocky - In our walk with God He encourages us to “Go the Distance” & still be standing when the bell rings; Rocky II - without Christ at the center of our lives everything else is pretty much meaningless; Rocky III - In order to face our fears & overcome them God has given us a spirit of Power, Love & a Sound Mind so tap into that Holy Ghost Adrenaline Rush!! This Sunday it’s Rocky IV “Ultimate Training.” When challenged by the devil in the desert Jesus was trained in & prepared with the Word of God. You’ll just have to come to the service to find out the rest of the story!

Also, following the service we’ll be having lunch together so please invite your family & friends to join us because there is always more than enough food to go around!

Don’t forget, on Sunday October 4 2009 at 9:30am BPC will begin meeting at The First Christian Church, 400 E. 9th Ave in Tarentum. There’s plenty of street parking around the church but if you can’t find a spot we have parking at Gatto’s motorcycle repair shop on E. 7th Ave. It’s just two short blocks from the church!

YO, SEE YUZ ON SUNDAY!!

A "Big Thank You" to the James 5:16 Center

On September 27th 2009 BPC will meet for the last time for service at the James 5:16 Center before we move to our new location on Sunday Oct. 4 at 9:30am at the 1st Christian Church, 400 E. 9th Ave in East Tarentum. It's with this thought in mind that I want to say a "Big Thank You" to Jim Kobert the owner of the Boxing Gym.

BPC connected with Jim through a mutual friend & when he heard the vision & mission of BridgePoint Jim welcomed us with open arms saying,"You can use the building for as long as you need to!" It was from the James 5:16 Center that BridgePoint Church was launched into the community of Tarentum & the Allegheny Valley holding Sunday night launch team meeting, monthly preview services & "Come Back" events all leading up to our Grand Opening on Palm Sunday of 2008. Jim & Stacey Kobert were the perfect hosts during our time in the gym doing whatever they could to make us feel at home! Stacey even lead a "Zumba" exercise class for the ladies last Spring.

The James 5:16 Center is not just a boxing gym, it's a Christ center ministry that helps people spiritually while becoming physically healthy. Jim believes that as we work on our bodies we should more importantly be working on our relationship with God! It's a Boxing Gym that views Christ as the "Ultimate Champ!" The James 5:16 center offers instruction in boxing, wrestling & weight training. Visit their website at http://www.james516center.org/ to find out more.

So, now that we're in full swing into September let me again say a "Big Thank You" to Jim & Stacey Kobert & all the trainers at the James 5:16 Center! We love you guys & will continue to be praying for your ministry!!

Directions & parking for BPC's new location!

Sunday October 4 2009 at 9:30am BridgePoint Church will begin meeting in a new location - 1st Christian Church, 400 East 9th Ave, in E. Tarentum!! Now...you may be saying, "That's so great P. Greg! But, how do I get there & where do I park?"

Here are the directions to the church...

From Route 28:
Exit #14 Tarentum/New Kensington
Left turn at 1st traffic light onto Freeport Rd. (Duncan Donuts)
Right turn at next traffic light onto Corbett St. (Duster Funeral home)
Go two blocks, First Christian Church is on the Left at the corner of
East 9th Ave. and Corbett St.

From the Tarentum Bridge:
Cross over the Tarentum Bridge
Right turn at the 2nd traffic light onto Freeport Rd. (Duncan Donuts)
Right turn at next traffic light onto Corbett St. (Duster Funeral home)
Go two blocks, First Christian Church is on the Left at the corner of
East 9th Ave. and Corbett St.

"Where do I park?"...
In the above aerial shot of upper E. Tarentum the church is marked with a "green arrow" and as you can see on Sunday morning there is plenty of street parking surrounding the building. Now you may be asking..."But P. Greg, what if I'm running late & I can't find a spot on E. 9th, 7th, 8th or even Corbett St?" No sweat, we have overflow parking as well located just 2 short blocks at Gatto's motorcycle repair shop on E. 7th Ave. Gatto's has graciously allowed us to use their lot & the spaces in front of their building!

I am so excited to be bringing you this updated information & inviting everyone to join us on Sunday Oct 4th at 10am. BTW; we will be having a continental breakfast following the service!

Join us this Sunday as we continue our "True Champions-the Rocky series" The topic- King Soloman & Rocky II!

Exciting news for BridgePoint Church

Beginning on Sunday October 4 2009 at 9:30am BridgePoint Church will be meeting in a new location, the 1st Christian Church on the corner on 9th & Corbett Sts. in East Tarentum!!

Since Nov. 08 we've been on a building search believing the Lord had another place for BPC to meet while continuing to help people connect to God in Tarentum & throughout the Allegheny Valley! In June of 2009 God connected us to the congregation of 1st Christian!

After meeting with their leadership & explaining the vision & mission of BPC they agreed to share their building with us. So, on 10/4/09 BPC's first service in our new location will begin at 9:30 am with a continental breakfast following the service in the lower level. At 11am 1st Christian will begin their service.

I am so excited to be bringing this news so check our website & this blog regularly for updates!

I want to give praise & glory to God for all He's doing in & through BPC! In the last year & a half we've seen many lives changed for the Kingdom of God! I'd like to say thanks to all the BPCers, you guys are THE BEST. Francie & I so love doing ministry with all of you & we love you guys lots! And I like to thank Jim Kobert & the James 5:16 Center for allowing us to use the gym for our preview & weekly services since launching the BPC in March of 08. Praying for the ministy & all of you guys at the gym will have a special place in our hearts!

Now I want to say thanks to the leadership & congregation of 1st Christian Church for being so welcoming & inviting towards us. We are definately looking forward to the future! And I'd like to say thanks to P. Jeff, P. Nick & the congregation of APC for believing in BridgePoint Church & for always being there for us! We're swinging for the fence!

BPC CityReach 09

Thanks so much to everyone who served the Lord through BPC's CityReach 09! Over 600 people came through our doors, we blessed 135 elementry kids with backpacks filled with school supplies & many made decisions for Christ! Needless to say CityReach 09 was an incredible week...Glory to God & PTL for all He's doing through BPC!!

"True Champions" the Rocky Series

On Sunday August 30th we begin a new message series entitled "True Champions" the Rocky series. Each week we'll have video cips from Rocky I-VI & some lucky person will get to play "Rocky Trivia"

BPC "Connecting Real People to the Real God"

BPC City Reach 09

BPC CityReach 09 MCM Insider

Don't worry all safety precautions were taken & no permanent damage was suffered!!

P. Cullen & MCM

Yesterday BPC‘s special speaker was Cullen Allen, youth pastor of 220 ministries out of APC. Cullen is also the Director of the MCM School of ministry. Below is a little about the school;

The MCM Ministry School is designed to provide a prospective student not only with classroom training but with real life experiences in ministry. The passion of the MCM Ministry School is to raise up faith-filled adventurers who are committed to living out the supernatural lifestyle of the book of Acts. The practical experiences come in the context of a growing church that is actively planting churches and sending teams to reach unreached people groups.

After talking about MCM Cullen showed a few amazing pictures from their missions trip to Thailand. It was incredible to see the faces of those who’ve been healed by the power of God!

During the message Cullen spoke about Peter & his miraculous catch of fish in Luke chapter 5. Cullen then challenged everyone to be obedient to God fulfilling their purpose & destiny just like Peter who was now going “to catch men.”

Following the service Louise brought lunch for everyone to enjoy!!

BPC God Questions

This Wednesday we begin a 4 week study based on the book "God Questions" by Dr. Hal Seed & Dr. Dan Grider. Our 1st topic of conversation will be, “Can God really answer my questions?” Join the discussions at Panera in the Pgh Mills, Wednesdays July 8, 15, 22 & 29 @ 7pm.

Coming soon; God Questions panel. Sunday August 16 2009 @ the James 5:16 Center 10 am. During the week of City Reach, August 11 - 14 2009 everyone is invited to submit a "God Question". On Sunday August 16th we will randomly pick "God Questions" from the week & during the service then submit them to our panel for discussion.

Celebrating Independance Day @ BPC

Yesterday we celebrated Independence Day at BPC with special speaker Jim Martin. Jim talked about The Laws of Nature and the Laws of Nature's God. “That phrase was not something Thomas Jefferson thought up, but it was a common phrase that had been used for years. Could we govern through these two sets of laws?”

The starting line of the Declaration of Independence…
“When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”

And the rest they say is history! The United States Declaration of Independence is a statement adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, announcing that the Thirteen Colonies then at war with Great Britain were no longer a part of the British Empire. Every year we celebrate that independence & our Freedom.

Every week @ BPC we celebrate freedom through Christ & on the 1st Sunday of every month we serve communion. Like our July 4th celebrations cause us to remember & rejoice Jesus instituted communion so we could remember Him (Jesus) & Rejoice by proclaiming freedom through His sacrifice. No longer are we chained to the past, with Christ now governing our lives we live in the ultimate freedom. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed!

Living as a Christ follower & a U.S. Citizen…what a great combination!

12 kids Dedicated at BridgePoint Church!!

Yesterday we experienced yet another 1st in the life of our church. We had a “mass” baby & children dedication…12 kids!

About 80 people gathered for this amazing service at BPC as the DeKleva’s (2 kids), Shutak’s (4 kids), McDade’s (2 kids) & Williams/Frinsco’s (4 kids) dedicated their children & grandchildren to God. Not only did family & friends share in this experience but we also had a few 1st time guests. I was honored to dedicate & pray a blessing over each child whose ages ranged from 3 months to 15 years.

All the kids are precious gifts from God to their parents and the Lord has created each one having an incredible purpose & great plan for all of their lives. I also prayed a special blessing over each of the parents asking the Lord to provide for them wisdom, insight & discernment as they raise their kids. We presented each child with a certificate of dedication and all the Mom’s & Grand mom’s were given a single red rose to commerate this special time.

What is it about children & Jesus that touches us deeply? I have to believe He loved their innocence, openness & unpretentiousness. Children come to God with no posturing of worthiness, like the Pharisee. They come because Jesus calls them to Him in simple faith, like the tax collector. In Luke 18:15-17 Jesus used His encounter with the little children to teach this principle to not only His disciples but to us as well. Jesus says that those who inherit or possess the kingdom will be "like" these children.

Following the service we celebrated with delicious cake & fabulous conversation. Congratulations to all of the kids & each one of the parents!

The Top 10 Greatest Inventions, The Blues Brothers & Father's Day 09

It may seem that most people nowadays, Dad’s included, are on a mission. Think about those “cutting edge” men & women who were on a mission to create things that most of us may now take for granted, from indoor plumbing to plastics to computers. And those who are followers of Christ are not too unlike “The Blues Brothers”, two men on “a mission from God!”

So, yesterday we celebrated Father’s Day at BPC with close to 70 in attendance and not only did we talk about The Blues Brothers & the Top 10 Greatest Inventions but, we also talked about Jarius, the synagogue ruler of Mark chapter 5. He was on a mission to have his daughter healed & she was. She was healed by the One who was truly on a mission from God…Jesus!

Men (and women) who are on a mission from God…
Walk in obedience with the Holy Spirit as an example to their families & friends…
Walk in Godly confidence & not in pride…
and…
Walk in high expectations for themselves & speak faith & belief in others.

At the end of the service it was my honor & privilege to pray a blessing over all of the Dad’s & their families. As a way of saying “thanks for being Dad” each father received a tire gage or a pair of work gloves. The gloves are a reminder to keep our lives fitted with the hand of God & the tire gage is a reminder to keep our spiritual lives filled up properly.

I ask you…where else can you go on Father’s Day to hear about The Blues Brothers, the Top 10 Greatest Inventions, and an awesome Bible passage about a leader who was on a serious mission? I’ll tell you where… BridgePoint church…that’s where!!

Hoping all the Dad’s out there had a great time @ BPC & a seriously great Father’s Day yesterday!

The Joy of the Lord IS our Strength!

What an incredible action packed weekend for me & BridgePoint Church!

Starting with Thursday evening; our son Gregory has two friends from college living in Pgh so, he suggested that his Mom “Francie” would cook one of “her famous Pasta & Meatball dinners” for them. The 2 guys came over early evening & were not disappointed. As a matter of fact they put a call into Gregory telling him how good dinner was. Way to go Francie, another satisfied customer!

Friday I took some time out to put a fresh coat of paint on the kitchen & bathroom. Trust me it needed it & both rooms look great. Later that day Francie tried getting on line but couldn’t. I called tech support who informed me our wireless router died so, Francie was off to Best Buy to pick up another router before the store closed. BTW; did I mention the Pens won the Stanley Cup!!

Saturday, all morning, was spent on the phone with tech support connecting our laptops to our router & then to our wireless printer. When “they” work correctly everything is great but… when nothing works we’re at “their” mercy. After that I headed to the gym to prepare for BPC’s Outdoor Service & Picnic the next day. Then it was back to the house where I patched my front steps for about an hour & then the rest of the evening was spent printing like a madman!

Sunday Francie & I woke up early to beautiful sunshine, headed over to APC borrowing the box truck & then to the gym. When Dan, Chester, John Bob , Nathan & Levi got there we loaded up the truck & drove to Riverview Park. God has really blessed BPC with incredible, God honoring, hard working & Holy Spirit lead people! Everything was set up for the service & picnic within 1 hour! Way to go team, you all are THE BEST!!

Over 70 people attended BPC’s 2nd Annual Outdoor Service & Picnic & the Lord once again blessed us with great weather! We’re 2 for 2!! The BPC worship band sounded AMAZING! It was so great to worship in such a beautiful park along the Allegheny as the morning boaters sailed up & down the river.

I spoke a short message out of Luke 4:14-21, the passage where Jesus stands up in the synagogue to read Isaiah 61 proclaiming “The Year of the Lords Favor.” God gives us His Spirit & authority so that we can reach our families & friends with the Good News, proclaiming freedom & bringing sight to the eyes of people whose spiritual vision is Out of Focus & Blurry.
Pastor Cal & I tag teamed the message so he followed up with his famous “Bridge Operator” story. The sun brought warmth to our faces & THE Son brought warmth to our hearts! Francie & I had quite a few opportunities to pray with a number of people including a few of our five 1st time guests!

Then the feasting began! Thanks so much to Debbie, Louise & the team who coordinated the food & put it all together. And thanks to everyone who brought something to share. Great food & conversation was had by all! Once again everyone pitched it to help pack it all up & put it all away.

2 hours of my Sunday afternoon was spent carrying logs from my back yard to my front yard. An evergreen tree had fallen in the yard so my friend Wes brought his chain saw cutting the tree up into logs. I loaded the logs into his trailer so he could haul them away for firewood. I am so thankful to God for good friends!

The Joy of the Lord IS our strength who enables us to do all He’s called us to do!

BPC 2nd Annual Outdoor Service & FREE Picnic!

This Sunday June 14th BridgePoint Church will host its 2nd annual Outdoor Service and FREE Picnic at Riverview Park. The beautifully tree lined park sits along the Allegheny River in East Tarentum. Among the grassy areas there is a “Snoopy” wading pool for smaller children & a playground for all the kids.

The 1 hour service will not only touch your heart it will be loads of fun too! The festivities kick off on the main stage at 11am with live music by the BPC band that is sure to rock! Then we’ll talk about the Cross of Christ being the Bridge that connects the Real People of Tarentum & the Allegheny Valley to God! Pastor Cal will be sharing one of his famous stories & I’ll open up the word of God connecting it all together.

At Noon let the feasting begin! BPC will provide the “mouth watering” chicken & drinks. Many are bringing a side dish or salad & a dessert so, there will be more than enough food for everyone to enjoy!

What if it’s raining “Cats n Dogs???” We’ll take the service & picnic indoors at the James 5:16 Center beginning at 10am so everyone can stay dry! (We won’t even go there. Will we?)

All you have to do now is bring yourself and all your family members & friends out to Riverview Park on Sunday at 11am!