BPC's New Years Eve Blessing; Dec 31 6:30-7:30pm

Please be a part of BPC’s 2nd annual New Years Eve Blessing that's happening at the church this Friday December 31 from 6:30-7:30pm. My pastor Jeff Leake best describes the importance & impact a blessing has on all of our lives;

“Speaking blessing is a practice recorded as early as the book of Genesis. Jacob blesses (speaks in faith) over his son Joseph and his two grandsons (Genesis 48:15-16)
“May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the Angel who has delivered me from all harm
—may he bless these boys. May they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they increase greatly on the earth.

Blessing involves several powerful ingredients:
1. Vision = the person speaking pictures a positive & powerful future for the person being blessed.
2. Affirmation = laying hands on someone and speaking in faith is security-building for a young person.
3. Prayer = as we speak in faith based upon God's promises, we align our words with God's Word and release the power of prayer.
4. Prophesy = often as I am speaking blessing, I am giving the Holy Spirit an opportunity to speak through me something that is prophetic into the heart of someone. The gift of prophesy (1 Cor 14) is to strengthen, encourage, or comfort - often that is happening.
5. Protection = when I bless my kids or speak in faith over my congregation, I am extending the 'spiritual covering' of my life. I am asking God to keep that which is under my care.


If you want to be 'blessed' or to have your entire family experience a 'prayer of blessing' as we prepare to enter a new year” please come out to BPC on New Years Eve from 6:30-7:30pm.

BPC's final podcast of the Decade

Well folks, here it is; BPC's final podcast of the decade! The message; "...Is a Fresh Start"...the series; "All I Want for Christmas...".

You know the routine...just click the title of this blogpost & you'll be directed to our podcast page. Thanks so much to Justin for making this happen every week!

Hoping you're blessed by BPC's final message of 2010!

An Answewr to My Prayers Podcast

Every Christmas the Pastors of the Pittsburgh MCM Network colaberate on the December message series & I gotta tell ya, it's such a blessing to be a part of a great network of Churches & pastors. Throughout the year we get together twice a month for conversation, idea sharing, encouragement & a whole lot of fun.

This year 4 or 5 of the MCM churches located throughout the North Hills of PGH are preaching encouraging messages designed around a common theme..."All I Want for Christmas..." some of the message titles include; "A Satisfied Soul", "A Normal Family" & "An Answer to My Prayers" just to name a few. Checkout http://www.mcmnetwork.org/ to find out more about how you can be a part of this incredible network of churches making a difference for the Kingdom here in Southwestern PA!

Ok so, here's BPC's latest podcast "An Answer to My Prayers" in our "All I Want for Christmas" message series. Just click the title of this blog post & you'll be directed to our podcast page.

Most of the churches on our MCM Network will be having services this evening for Christmas Eve; the MCM webpage will direct you to the MCM church closest to your community so be sure to check one of us out!

If you live near Tarentum you're invited to celebrate the birth of Christ with us this eveing for our 3rd annual Candlelight Christmas Eve service beginning at 7pm; 400 East 9th Ave in Tarentum. Just look for the beautiful red brick church with the awesome white columns in the front! God bless & Merry Christmas!

BPC's newest Staff Member

Yesterday during our service we welcomed a new Children’s Director to our Staff; Steve Michalowski.

Steve grew up in Mars, Pa attending Allison Park Church, with his family who are good friends with Francie & me. While in 4th grade Steve got his start in Children’s ministry helping me in Jr Church while I was the Children’s Pastor at APC. Over the years Steve continued serving kids learning alot & wanting to be a part of every aspect of Children’s ministry. After high school Steve felt called to ministry & attended the MCM Ministry School.

Steve is currently pursuing License minister credentials with the Assemblies of God & he lives at home with his family; His Dad Mike has worked at Allegheny Ludlum here in Tarentum for a number of years & his Mom Maria is the site director of Network of Hope. Steve has a younger sister Abby & a pit bull named Brutus.

Now at 22 Steve, continues to have a heart for kids to come to know Jesus & is looking forward to reaching out to the children of Tarentum & showing them the love of Christ not only through words but through his actions as well.

Welcome to the team Steve!

Also; the BPC podcast from Sunday December 12th is up so just click the title of this blog & you’ll be directed to our podcast page.

You just gotta listen to this podcast!

You just gotta listen to this podcast cuz we had a powerful service last Sunday! Click on the title of this blog & you’ll be directed to our podcast page.

BPC hosted Pastor Cullen Allen, Director of Student Ministries at Allison Park Church/Director of the MCM Ministry School, along with a number of his ministry school students who lead us in an awesome time of Praise & Worship!

This podcast begins while ministry school worship leader Shay is ending a song he wrote & preformed during our offering time. I then invited the church to pray for one of our BPCer’s whose a Major in the Air Force & is being deployed to Iraq for the next 4 months. Cullen then began the message portion of the service by speaking a word of Prophecy over Francie, me & BPC quoting Haggai 2:9 “The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,” says the Lord Almighty. “And in this place I will grant peace,” declares the Lord Almighty.” Needless to say we were so encouraged & blessed by that word! Cullen then delivered a powerful message from Luke 7:37-47 about the woman who kissed Jesus’ feet, washed His feet with her tears & then dried His feet with her hair. Cullen encouraged us to “not let failure paralyze us, he reminded us “the greater the failure the greater the forgiveness” and that “God can turn our failures into fresh starts.” Cullen then invited people to receive Christ & rededicate their live to Him and quite a number of people responded to his invitation!

I’m tellin ya, if you missed last Sunday at BPC you missed a great service but…not to worry….we’re gonna have another great service this Sunday at 10am so you just gotta be there!

Reaching the Claimed Land

Well, here it is...the final installment in our November message series; "Pilgrims; Moving to a New Frontier".

I hope you've been inspired & challaged as much as I have during this series! Please click on the title of this blog & enjoy; "Reaching the Claimed Land"

Back in the Saddle

I so want to thank my friend Fiore Londino Sr. for speaking at BPC 2 Sunday's ago but, I have to tell you that I was glad to be back in the saddle last Sunday.

Eastward Ho! was the message; Pilgrims; Moving to a New frontier is the series. Just click the title of this blog & you'll be directed to our podcast page.

Enjoy!

BPC's lastest podcast featuring guest speaker; Fiore Londino Sr.

Here’s the latest podcast from our November message series, “Pilgrims; Moving to a New Frontier” featuring our guest speaker, Fiore Londino Sr.

Fiore had an incredibly “H I P” message entitled; “Pilgrim, Not Orphans” Ephesians 1:17-21; Encouraging us that God desires we possess intimate knowledge of the Hope, Inheritance & Power we have in Christ!!

So, here he is; born n raised in the AG Valley, a great friend of BPC & Me… Fiore Londino Sr.!

Just click the title of this blog & you’ll be directed to our podcast page.

Prayer & Planning for BPC in 2011

For a few hours yesterday & today I set aside some time to fast, pray & plan for BPC services & events in 2011 so, here’s a tiny sneak preview of what’ll be happen @ BridgePoint…

Our January message series will be “Spiritual Pickers” Check out the history channel’s American Pickers with Mike & Frank to get an idea of where I’ll be going with this one!

March will go out like a Lion with “Bridge Builders”, Water Baptism & BPC’s very 1st membership class.

We’re ramping up April with excitement leading up to Easter Sunday, which by the way is late in 2011; Sunday the 24th. April includes our annual Easter Bash & Egg Hunt & then on Palm Sunday it’s BPC’s 3 year Anniversary & Membership Sunday!

The 5th month of the year not only brings May Flowers but “Dream Chasers”, Mother’s Day & Baby Dedications!

Outdoor service & picnic in June at Tarentum’s beautiful Riverview Park!

B 4 U head out of town on vacation in July be sure to hook up with BPC any of those 5 Sunday’s of the month for “Getting to Know God” with topics like; “What God Knows About You”, “Where is God When I Need Him?”&“Releasing God’s Power in Your Life!”

Shall I give you August – December?? I don’t think so cuz that’s gotta be enough for now.

2011 is going to be a very exciting year at BPC & it’s going to be a very exciting year for Y O U!

BPC's latest podcast; The Call to Pilgrimage

Here's the lastest podcast from BPC, the 1st installment in our November 2010 message series; Pilgrims; Moving to a New Frontier.

"The Call to Pilgrimage" is centered around Psalm 84 believed to be written by a Levite who remembers back to the time when he was close to the presence of God serving 24/7 at the Temple. Here's the great news; the presence of God is not just for the Levites & Priests, it's for you as well!

Following the message we spent extended time inviting the presence of God into our lives as we celebrated communion together. (This is not recorded in the podcast)

So, just click the title of this blog post & enjoy!

"Take 'er easy there pilgrim"

Every year around this time I'm reminded of this famous John Wayne movie quote; "Take 'er easy there pilgrim" so, I figured November would be a good time to talk about pilgrims. This Sunday I’m beginning a new message series entitled; “Pilgrims; Moving to a New Frontier”


The word pilgrim reminds me of not only the Duke but THE Pilgrims; English settlers of New England who celebrated the first Thanksgiving. But a Pilgrim is…a person who journeys, especially a long distance to some sacred place as an act of devotion; a traveler or wonderer, especially in a foreign land, an original settler in a region, a newcomer to a region or place.

In a way you could say we’re all Pilgrims looking for that new frontier, a place of opportunity, peace & ease as we flee from the stress of life. Is there really such a place for us to discover? Well, I think there is & it can be found as we explore the pages of the Bible.

So, this November we’re inviting you, fellow Pilgrim, to join us in the journey every Sunday morning at 10am as we discover God’s new frontier for our lives!

Here’s the trailer for the series, just click the title of this blog or the link below.


http://www.vimeo.com/16465186

Final Podcast in our Monsters Inc series

Here's the final podcast for our October message series "Monsters Inc; Things That Go Bump in Your Life."

The topic was "The Green Eyed Monster of Jealousy" As always, to get to the podcast click the title of this blog post or the link below.

Be blessed!

http://bridgepointchurch.podmatic.com/

BPC's Lastest Podcast

Here's the latest podcast from our October 2010 message series; Monsters Inc; Things That Go Bump in Your Life." The talk was on "Laziness; the Living Dead Monster."

Click the link below or the title of this blog & you'll be directed to our podcast website.

Be blessed & enjoy!

http://bridgepointchurch.podmatic.com/

The latest BPC podcast

So, here it is; the latest message in our October series. The title of the talk I gave on Sunday was "Lust; the Monster Under the Bed"

Just click the title of this blog post or link below;

http://bridgepointchurch.podomatic.com/

3 Steps to Living in Victory

Today during my reading & meditating on God’s word I hit on this thought provoking process found in Romans so I wanted to share it as a follow up to yesterdays “Monsters Inc” message on Lust.

Roman 6:11-14 gives us 3 Steps to Living in Victory over sin:

Step 1: Count yourself dead to sin & alive in Christ.
Realize Jesus’ sacrifice at the cross put sin to death, He killed it & then He rose to new life SO, by grace through faith count yourself, consider yourself, remind yourself you are dead to sin & alive to the new life Jesus provided for you!

Step 2: Don’t let sin reign in you.
Refuse sins control & mastery (our definition of lust) over every part of your body & life. Be careful what your eyes look on & what you think about; those images & thoughts can be permanently burned onto your brain as a mental snapshots easily recalled. Saturate your mind with God’s word meditating on passages of scripture that draw you closer to God & let you eyes look on the beauty of His creations.

Step 3: Offer yourself to God.
Present yourself to God as one of His trophies of grace & give all yourself into His service leaving little or no room for anything else.

And, I love Paul’s Vs 14, “For sin shall not be your master” Tell sin; “You’ve been served”! You can speak boldly & in confidence that sin WILL NOT control you. You’ve received God’s grace so live in victory through the power of the Holy Spirit & in the name of Jesus!

Let that be an ecouragement to all of us.

Check out our latest podcast

Here the latest message from our Monsters Inc. "Things That Go Bump In Your Life" series. Pastor Justin Cluck preaches on "Guilt The Monster Right Behind You." Just click on the link below:

http://bridgepointchurch.podomatic.com/

Miraculous Moments Video

This past Sunday we began a new segment entitled "Miraculous Moments." Miraculous Moments are incredible testimonies from members of our church in which God stepped into their lives and performed a miracle. Our first installment was played this past weekend and displayed Melissa Welsh's testimony of God's miraculous healing. If you have a testimony you would like for us to share with our church please send me a comment and let me know.

Let's celebrate the great things God is doing in our midst.

Check out the video here:

http://www.vimeo.com/15615541

October Buzz Video

Here's all the happenings for the month of Oct:

http://www.vimeo.com/15582055

New Podcast Posted

Check out our latest sermon from this past weekend. The title is "Anger...the monster within you." Just click on the Title of this post or the link below.

http://bridgepointchurch.podomatic.com

Hard Work, Practice & a Desire to Improve

If you have some time here's a interesting article on "What It Takes To Be Great."

Research now shows that the lack of natural talent is irrelevant to great success. The secret? Painful and demanding practice and hard work

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/10/30/8391794/index.htm?postversion=2006101715?

Living in Freedom Podcast

Here is the first podcast of BridgePoint Church. This particular message is the last message from our "Dying to Live" series. The message talks about how God intends for us as believers to live in freedom. It also includes the testimony of Chuck Seibert. God intends for us to live in peace no matter the circumstances of our lives.



Just click on the title "Living in Freedom Podcast" and it will redirect you to the webpage with the audio podcast. Click on play next to Living in Freedom and the podcast will being playing shortly.

Sit back and enjoy the Word.

the Floors are In!

Thanks so much to our good friend Pastor Pat Summers, his brother Mark, Tom & Justin for doing such a great job today with the floors in the kitchen & classroom at the church. Really appreciate you guys donating your time & talents...you guys are THE BEST!

October Message series

With the change in seasons each October brings a "chiller" in the air so, it's with that thought in mind I invite you to join us every Sunday at 10am for my message series "Monsters Inc; Things that Go Bump in Your Life"

Each week I'll be talking about those monsters that try to take over our lives. I'm sure you've run into them before they are...

Anger, the Monster Within Us; Guilt: the Monster Right Behind Us, Jealousy; the Green Eyed Monster, Laziness; the Living Dead Monster and Lust; the Monster Under the Bed

Come on, we've all struggled with these so isn't it time for you & your friends to get rid of those pesky monsters! Learn how every Sunday in October, you'll be frightfully glad you did!!

Welcome to the BPC Staff Justin & Erica Cluck and Janay Teamer!

At BPC this past Sunday we hit yet another milestone in the life of our church as we welcomed Justin & Erica Cluck & Janay Teamer to our Staff! Justin & Erica have relocated from Mobile, Alabama, Roll Tide! (just thought I’d throw that in there) & Janay has relocated from Michigan, Go Blue! (thought I’d throw that one in as well) All are CBC grads & went to school with our son Gregory.

About 3 months ago I sensed that in order for BPC to continue to grow & reach more people for Christ we needed to add staff, passionate, called of God leaders who have a “Whatever It Takes” mentality to see the kingdom of God advanced in Tarentum & the AG valley. So our search began with prayer, fasting & much needed & appreciated guidance from our great MCM leaders P’s Jeff & Nick.

Through a posting on CBC’s website God connected us with Janay. I just knew after our 1st phone conversation that she had an undying heart for seeing unchurched people come to Christ! Just yesterday she hit me with another zinger, “Pastor” she said, “people who haven’t eatin in 3 days just aren’t gonna listen to what we have to say. We got to meet their felt needs 1st then give em Jesus.” Needless to say Janay is more than ready to go!

I have to credit APC’s SR High Yth pastor Brad Harvey for this one. A few weeks back Francie walked into Brad’s office on a Wednesday saying; “Hey Brad, we’re looking for staff; worship & kids. Do you have any friends?” Brad’s reply, “I have these 2 friends & they would be great!”
We met Justin & Erica & I have to tell you that after hearing Justin play & sing I knew this guy had the stuff-a heart for God & a gifting for worship. And Erica just has a tremendous love for kids wanting them to know that God really, really loves them! Justin & Erica are so ready to go as well! As a matter of fact all 3 ministered during our service on Sunday & I have to also tell you they did great, like they had been doing it all their lives. I was so happy I cried…just a little. God is soo good & He knows exactly what (& who) we need!

So, please join Francie & I as we welcome Justin, Erica & Janay to the BPC staff and...Steeler Country! (OK, so they lost to the Broncos last night, remember its just preseason!)

CityReach 2010 & a Big Thanks to our awesome BPC Interns Caleb & Josiah!

BPC CityReach 2010 was FANTASTIC!! What a great week it was….VBS Jungle Mania for Kids happened Tuesday - Thursday thanks to Lauren & her team, Daniel Elevlyck from Mission SOS delivered a power message on Thursday night, the Friday Night Block party was “off the Hook” with games, candy, food & a bunch of other cool stuff! And…our Sunday morning comeback service was just as AMAZING; rocking music, multi media & giveaways. Congrats to Keith for winning the BIG giveaway; a Nintendo Wii. The best part of the service was when 12 people made decisions for Christ! Almost 500 people came through our doors during CR 2010! Yes sir, it was an INCREDIBLE week of ministry.

Thanks so much to all you BPCers who jumped in to help & make it all happen, you guys are THE BEST!! Also, a BIG thanks to Josiah who did such a great job coordinating all of CityReach and a BIG thanks to our CR Teenagers from our home church APC & to our BPC area coordinators!

Speaking of Josiah…and Caleb; thanks for being such great interns during the time you guys were with us. You worked very hard in everything you put your hands to! All of BPC so appreciates each of you for everything you did as you served the Lord with excellence & great attitudes! Francie & I thank you guys for a job well done! You will be in our prayers as each of you continues to follow God’s plan & purpose for your lives! Be blessed as you both have blessed so many others!

Former Pittsburgh Steeler STEVE AVERY at BPC this Sunday August 8 2010 at 10am!

You DO NOT want to miss BridgePoint Church this Sunday August 8 at 10am; we’ll be hosting former Pittsburgh Steeler STEVE AVERY!

Steve will be joining us for our August message series; Road Trip Lesson from the Journey. This Black & Gold alum will be sharing a few lessons he’s learned while navigating the Road Trip of Life via the NFL!

We’ll also be welcoming BPC’s very good friend Pastor Nick Poole who’ll be delivering a powerful message.

So, put on those pads & buckle up your chin strap cuz training camp has begun & Sunday at BPC is gonna be a winner!

I Can't Believe It's the middle of the Summer Already!

O.K. so, July 4th marks the middle of the summer & I can’t believe it’s here already! While you’re spending extended time with family & friends be sure to make room in your schedule for BridgePoint’s summer events! Here’s what’s up in July…

Sunday July 4th I’ll began a new 4 part message series entitled “The 180 Project: Jonah Discovers God Allows Spiritual 180’s.” Based on the book of Jonah, we’ll track Jonah’s life through “U Turns”, “Do Overs”, “2nd Chances” & “Life Recycled.” Each week there will be something special & maybe a little surprise!

The Mark 2x8 summer reading challenge continues through the month of July. BPCers are reading the Gospel of Mark twice in 8 weeks concluding on Saturday August 14. The book of Mark tells the story of Jesus in its clearest form. It’s the most uncomplicated of the Gospels & the easiest to understand. Mark records more miracles than any of the other Gospels. Challenge yourself to read through the Gospel of Mark twice by Aug 14, it’s not too late to jump in!!

CityReach is fast approaching & we want to be spiritually ready for our Biggest Outreach of the year!! On Tuesday July 13 & Wednesday July 14 we’ll be fasting & praying for CityReach & everyone is encouraged to participate in some way. And…it’s not too early to sign up to help with CityReach, just hook up with our Super Intern & CityReach Coordinator Josiah Smith!

On Sunday July 18 following the service we’ll have a FREE luncheon & everyone is invited! Ladies you’re encouraged to bring your “Blue Ribbon” dish to share with 6-8 people & Guys, you can bring a dessert or a bottle of pop. If you can’t bring something…please come anyway cuz there is ALWAYS ENOUGH to go around!

On Tuesday July 27 @ 7pm our Super Intern Josiah Smith will be leading an outreach event at Tarentum’s Skate Park down on 1st Ave. There will be food, skateboard tricks & competition as well as giveaways & prizes! Get with Josiah if you want to help out!

July is just getting rev’ed up & so are we @ BPC!!

a BPC summer has already started

O.K. so, summer officially begins on Monday June 21st but at BPC we’ve kicked things off a little early! Here’s what’s up for June…

Yesterday June 6 we held our very 1st annual “Bring a Friend Breakfast” in the lower level of the church. At 10 am it was all you could eat eggs, bacon, sausage; you know “THE works”! Afterwards Caleb led an “off the hook” time of praise & worship then Jim B. stepped to “lay down” the word of God. I’ll tell Ya, everyone was truly blessed! I’m so looking forward to our next “BaFB”!!



We also introduced another one of BPC’s summer Interns…he’s a local guy hailing out of Johnstown, PA by way of CBC-Central Bible College in Springfield, MO…Josiah Smith!! Josiah will be the “point man” for our summer outreaches to the community that will also include…CityReach! He joins Caleb Aston (worship) as our BPC “Dynamic Duo” 2010 summer interns!

Sunday June 13 is our 3rd annual “Outdoor Service & Picnic” at Tarentum’s beautiful Riverview Park down on First Street & everyone is invited. The service kicks off at 11am with awesome worship & then I’ll be delivering a message that’ll be sure to “get you going”! At Noon let the feasting begin!! BPC will provide the chicken & drinks all you gotta do is bring a side dish, salad & dessert. We’ll also have a few games for the whole family to get involved in. No sweat if it’s raining “Cats n Dogs”, we’ll meet at the church at 10am & have our svc in the sanctuary & the picnic in the lower level of the church.

On Sunday June 20 we’ll not only be honoring Dad on his special day with a “very use able” gift, special speaker Cullen Allen, Father of 3 boys and Yth Director of APC & Director of the MCM ministry school, will be with us. Cullen will preach a powerful message & also be giving us the “411” on the MCM student’s recent 2 week Mission trip to Tanzania.

To close out June 2010, Josiah will be preaching on Sunday the 27th so, you don’t want to miss that!!

Don’t wait for June 21st to begin your summer…join us at BridgePoint Church cuz the fun has already started!!

APC's Apex @ BPC

This past Sunday BPC was honored to host Apex, the young adult ministry of APC, as part of their “Missions Trip to Nowhere” meaning rather than doing mission work overseas they decided to “stay at home’ ministering in the “Burgh” through the MCM Network of Churches.

Teams of young adults gave up their weekend to share the love of Christ in places like the Southside & Millvale as well as a few other locations in the network. Children’s programs, community service projects & ministry to the homeless were on their radar for the weekend. In addition to that some of their time was spent at PNC Park handing out FREE bottles of water in the Name of Jesus as people were going into the stadium. On Sunday morning a team lead by P. Nick Poole came to BPC to pass out flyers promoting the church before the svc, ministered an “Off the Hook” children’s ministry presentation for the kids in Jr. Church & presented a thought provoking drama for the adults. It was a really great morning to be in church!

Francie & I want to say thanks so much to pastor’s Dave (of APC’s Apex ministry) & Nick as well as the team of young adults for coming to minister at BPC. We were blessed to have you guys & really believe the Spirit of God used you all so powerfully not just at BridgePoint but throughout the entire MCM Network!

What motivates us @ home & in the work place?

Yesterday while checking FB I found this video on Geoff Pound's profile page as one of his status updates for May 20th.

Dan Pink very creatively illustrates his talk regarding "what motives us in the work place & at home?" Very interesting, enjoy!

The Church-medieval bubonic plague-Renaissance & the Age of Reason-science-cancer-Pentecostalism-Holy Spirit

This is a long post but worth the read!

I’m currently reading a book by Tony Campolo entitled, “Following Jesus Without Embarrassing God.” In chapter 12, “How to Think About God without Being Brainwashed by Modern Philosophies” Campolo writes, “The scholars responsible for social commentary tell us in the postmodern era science will no longer be king. More & more, our modern society will come to believe that there are different kinds of truth, and that perhaps the most important of them don’t really lend themselves to the judgments of reason & empirical investigation.”

Campolo then explains what he calls “the demise of modernity.”
“The social philosopher Jeremy Rifkin offers us a scenario for the demise of modernity that I find very interesting. Rifkin argues that we are giving up on science because it has failed to provide us with a cure for cancer, just as the medieval people lost confidence in the church when it failed to deliver them from the bubonic plagues.

In medieval time, the Church held sway over society; all ideas & discoveries had to pass religious tests before they were accepted by the general public. What the Church declared unacceptable was squeezed out of the halls of academia. But the Church lost its absolute hold over the people of Europe, largely in response to the bubonic plagues. When the plagues hit Europe, people turned to the Church for help. The Church readily made promises that, if people would just rely on their faith, do homage to their religious institutions, and make offerings to God, they would be spared. The people heeded the advice of their clerics. They made novenas. They went on pilgrimages. They sacrificed their worldly goods in accord with the directives of their spiritual leaders. But the plagues hit them anyway.

When the horrors of the plagues eventually passed away, the Church’s authority was left greatly diminished. The church seemed to have survived the onslaught but, in reality, came out of the ordeal deeply wounded. It still elicited reverence, but people began to look elsewhere for answers to questions & solutions to their problems. That opened the door for reason & science, and the Renaissance and the Age of Reason were at hand.

Science today has become too haughty. Humble science has become Scientism. It has taken on religious character and, in its own way, has become a religion. The devotees of science too often have made it the basis for determining, in absolute terms, what is true & what is false. That which does not yield to its methods of investigation is discarded as meaningless superstition or having only aesthetic value.

This reign of reason & science as the ultimate arbiter of truth has been seriously challenged of late by another plague: cancer. One out of three of us will be touched by it, and there seems to be a high likelihood that things will only get worse in the short run, if indeed they ever do get better. In the face of the threat of cancer, we called on science to help us. We were told by our research scientists that, if we just threw enough money their way, they would find a cure for the scourge. They lead us to believe that, if we believed in them & did our obeisance (expressing deep respect or deferential courtesy), than they would find the cause of cancer & deliver us from this dreaded disease.

Not only did we hear them out, but for more than half a century we gave them the best we had. Yet, while there have been many advances & a lot of new treatments found, the gurus of the scientific world have yet to utter the words we long to hear: “We’ve found a cure for cancer!”

And when faced with the limitations of science, people increasingly turn elsewhere for help. There are many who are convinced that one of the main reasons for the incredible growth of Pentecostalism in America is that, now that the “experts” have declared that they have no cure for cancer, people are searching for some good news from faith healers.

As science has failed, panic-stricken people have turned, not only to the kinds of cures that they believe will come from faith in the work of the Holy Spirit, but also to the New Age cures. Everything from tapping into the magical powers of crystals to the techniques of transcendental meditation are being tried. In desperation, they are looking outside the realms of reason & science.

Whatever the cause may be, science has lost its hammerlock on the public consciousness. There is a growing awareness that there may be another kind of truth that lies outside the canons of logical empiricism that has long dominated our thinking. Talk about miracles is no longer laughed out of the courts of sophisticated discussion. The evidences of public acceptance of the miraculous are all around us. A television series on angels is a blockbuster on the Nielsen rating scale. Pollsters make it clear that religious skepticism is increasingly beating a hasty retreat. Those who run for public office know that it helps their public images if they declare themselves to be people of faith. Teen challenge-a Pentecostal-based ministry to drug addicts-has a cure rate that is more than triple that of any other treatment system presently in place, and it’s workers readily talk about casting out demons as part of the therapy they offer. It is easy to find people with PhD. degrees who unashamedly talk about living in the context of spiritual warfare, wherein they claim to be struggling against “the principalities and powers” of Satan. More of us than not believe in miracles that defy any kind of scientific explanation. To those scientific rationalists who claim that such things don’t fit into their world-view, or Weltanschauung (as they call it), there is an increasingly common response that God is greater than their Weltanschauung. Many of us hold fast to the biblical claim that God is able to do abundantly more than any of us, with all of our scientific categories, could ever hope or think.”

We need the Power of the Holy Spirit working through us!

Celebrating a New Life at BPC!

“ Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you. The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.” Psalm 139:16 The Message

Last Sunday at BPC we celebrated a brand new life! It was an honor for me to dedicate Nicholas James Eckman to the Lord! Congratulations to Dad Mike & Mom Kara as well as Grandpa Pete & Grandma Sue & the rest of their family & friends, we are so excited for you guys! Little Nicky was sharply dressed in blue & white and handled himself very well during the dedication up in front of the entire BPC congregation. Everyone stretched forth their hands as a sign of blessing as I prayed for Nicky & his parents. Francie then presented Kara with 3 single white roses (1 for Mom & 1 for each Grandma) and Mike with Nicky’s certificate of dedication. Following the service we all headed down to the Lower Level for a luncheon.

At BPC we recognize that children are a gift & blessing from God so we celebrate that! We take special time out of our service to pray for each infant & child; that God would give them good health & kept safe in our world. We pray for Gods protection over their lives as they grow up to know & serve the Lord as He reveals to them His purpose for their lives. We also pray for the parents & extended family; that God would bless them with wisdom & peace as they do their best to honor Him & create a healthy environment for their children to grow up in.

Yes Sir, when we dedicate babies & children at BPC it’s a very special time. In fact, it’s a celebration of a new life!

God gives us what we really need!

I’m currently reading a book by Tony Campolo entitled, “Following Jesus Without Embarrssing God.” Tony is a sought after Christain speaker, Professor of Sociology at Eastern College in St. Davids, PA & the author of many books. Below is some of Tony’s thoughts on prayer;

“Our prayers are immature. When we pray, our incredibly limited understanding & our shallow spirit keep us from praying as we should. But we need not fret, because the Bible tells us the Holy Spirit is always there lifting up the prayers that we ought to have prayed to the heavenly Father but were not able to pray. The Holy Spirit actually prays for us!”

Tony then tells a story from when he was 7 & wanted to be a Cowboy. After asking his father to help him be a cowboy Tony said his father’s response was, “Let’s just wait & see.”

“I’m so glad my father didn’t give me what I thought I wanted at the age of 7. Suppose that I, at the age of 17, had asked my father about going to college & he said. “College! You can’t go to college! When you were 7, you said you wanted to be a Cowboy. I went ahead & bought you a ranch in Texas with 50 head of cattle!”

“I would have said.”How could you?” Being a cowboy was the request of a kid who really didn’t even know what life was about.” “Fortunately, because my father didn’t give me what I, in my immaturity, had throught I wanted, he was later able to give me what I really needed. So it is when we pray to our Father.”

Roman 8:26-28 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Get Your Tweet on in Church?!

Below is an interesting article I found regarding the use of Twitter in Church. What do you think?

Thou Shall Twitter in Church
by Scott Williams

“Thou Shall Not Twitter in Church.” Says who?!

I haven’t seen that anywhere in the Bible. But I have seen Twitter in the Bible: “Like a swallow, like a crane, so I twitter…” (Isaiah 38:14 NAS). In all seriousness, there are many people who believe you shouldn’t tweet in church. As a pastor, I would say, “Get Your Tweet On!” As a matter of fact, I say “Tweet and tweet often!”

Many times “church people” can look at a particular methodology or technology as a negative thing. Technology is basically neutral; it’s what you do with it that allows it to have positive or negative implications. I know there are some varying opinions about texting and utilizing social media during church. Personally, I use the YouVersion Bible app on my iPhone during church and it has this great option of sharing scripture instantly with the Twitter world. Not only can you share scripture with YouVersion, but also any person sitting in any church service around the globe can share thoughts, points and notes from sermons as they are happening.

Today, we live in more shared world than ever as information access and connectedness just happens. The beauty of this world is that people can engage with God, engage with their pastor and share pieces of those engagement with the world, all at the same time. There are entire real, living, breathing online church services where online congregants share information throughout their service. These services are just as real and God encountering as a physical building. Again, I say “Tweet and tweet often!”

Here are 5 Reasons To Twitter During Church:
1. You have the opportunity to be a real-time extension of your pastor’s voice while he or she communicates God’s Word. You and your pastor can do some tag team teaching while you are being fed all at the same time.

2. If the pastor shares something that moves you, inspires you or changes your life, there is a good chance it will have the same impact on the lives of some of your Twitter followers as well.

3. When Jesus said “Go into all the world and preach the gospel,” ‘all the world’ applies to the Internet world, as well as the Twitter world. Do your part by going into all the Twitter world, tweeting the good news.

4. You will have a stored database of your compelling thoughts and notes from your favorite sermons. Use a hashtag to keep up with the information that you share. We could even implement a universal Twitter In Church hashtag. Any suggestions?

5. Many times people suffer from (SADD) Sermon Attention Deficit Disorder. So instead of just wandering off into space, simply wander off into the space of the World Wide Web. It’s better use of your time tweeting great thoughts instead of drawing on the back of offering envelops.

Some people, including pastors, get upset and complain about these techie people being a distraction when they are using their mobile phone Bible and tweeting in church. I think doodling on the offering envelopes is more distracting. Hmm... I haven’t seen a big push to remove those offering envelopes from the pew.

Thou shall Twitter in church! Remember God’s omnipresence applies to Twitter as well… get your tweet on!

Congradulations on your Masters Degree Alexandra!

Today my daughter Alexandra graduated with her Masters Degree in Counseling from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary in Springfield, MO.

Francie & I are so proud of her! Alexandra has worked long & hard to achieve this great milestone in her life. As a matter of fact she is the 1st Krowitz in my family to have a Masters Degree, quite the accomplishment!

Thank you so much to Jesus for all He is doing in Alexandra's life! God has great plans in store for her! As a father I also want to say thanks so much to all of Alexandra's teachers, pastors & more recently her professors, thanks for all the time & effort you spent pouring knowledge, Godly wisdom & insight into our little girl. Your investment into her life will bring great reward!

And I want to say thanks to my wonderful wife Francie & my awesome son Gregory for being the THE BEST Mother & Brother a girl could ever have! I am so proud of you two as well!

Alexandra, I love you so much! Enjoy this once in a life time experience & have fun doing it!!

Your Dad

BPC new message series begins this Sunday May 2nd

What's Your Favorite Jesus Parable & Why?

Well, yesterday we finished the series based on the life of Joseph; “How to Keep From Going the Wrong Way.” Through these talks we’ve tried to answer the question; What was it about Joseph that caused him to succeed in everything he did? “Because the Lord was with him” really has a lot to do with it but why was the Lord always with him?

From the pit to the palace Joseph always responded in a way that pleased God …with humility. When his brothers, what we may call “good for nothings” came to Egypt to buy grain, Joseph, with a snap of his fingers, could have had them all executed but…he didn’t. He said; “Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

So, what is it that God is looking for in us? It’s the same thing that He saw in Joseph; Humility, it’s what keeps us from going the wrong way in life.

This Sunday I’ll begin a new message series based on the parables of Jesus. What’s your favorite story that Jesus told & why? I would love to hear!

Tarentum Clean Up Day tomorrow 9am-Noon

Reminder to all BPCers; “Tarentum Clean Up Day” is tomorrow morning, Saturday April 24 from 9am - Noon. We’ll meet in Riverview Park at the stage at 8:30am.

This is a great opportunity to show the love of Christ to our community in a practical way. Even if you can only come for an hour, I’m sure it will be much appreciated & so worth it!!