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!