5 Things during January 2010 That are Growing People at BPC

January has been an incredible month here at BridgePoint church. We launched into 2010 challenging people to “take responsibility for their own spiritual lives.” We “hit the ground running” with a message series entitled “5 Things That Grow My Faith.”

The last 4 Sunday’s we took four of those 5 things & asked people to just try them out. To sort of “take them for a test drive & see how it feels” and BPCers decided to pray, read & study their Bible regularly as well as participate during our week of fasting. BPCers also decided to Praise & Worship God regularly not only for who He is & what He has done for them but, also because “It’s not about me & what I like. It’s all about God! BPCers then decided to Make Giving a Life Practice. God wants us to honor Him because giving is not really about $$, it’s about Faith. Last Sunday Pat Summers asked BPCers to be Great Commission Christians through giving, going & making disciples not only in Tarentum & the Allegheny Valley but in the World as well.

Thank you so much for all of the great comments regarding this message series. BPCers have accepted the challenge & are “putting everything they have into it.” You guys are doing a great Job so, keep it up!

This Sunday we’ll conclude this series talking about the 5th thing that will grow your faith. When the critical moments in life make you feel like you are standing on “The Razors Edge”, what do you do?

Well, you’ll just have to come to BPC this Sunday at 10am to find out!

BPCers raised over $800.00 for Haiti !!

Yesterday at BridgePoint Church we took up a special offering for Haiti & the relief efforts that are now underway after last Tuesday’s devastating earth quake.

I am so happy to announce the BPCers raised $832.00!!!! Praise the Lord and thank you so much for praying and giving!!

Moving images continue to come out of that country, from pictures of people searching for their loved ones to those who are still trapped under the rubble to those who lost their lives. Continue to pray for the families that God will bring comfort & peace to the broken hearted! Pray for the relief workers that God’s Spirit will bring strength & hope as they continue their work! And pray for the government officials & leaders that God will give them wisdom & direction on how to meet the incredible needs of the people of that nation!

Again, thank you so much for being willing to be an extension of God’s love for people through your prayers & giving!

God Bless You!

Special Offering for Haiti this Sunday at BPC

By now I’m sure you’ve heard about the devastating earthquake the occurred in the nation of Haiti on Tuesday. The images coming out of that country from those on the ground are just heart breaking!

The General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God (of which BridgePoint is a part of), George Wood sent an email to every AG church & pastor asking for prayers & support.

“My heart is so heavy today with the disaster that struck the island nation of Haiti. The Assemblies of God has 2 missionary families on the ground there. Reports are that they are safe. However, we have 273 churches with over 66,000 adherents and we do not know the fate of any of these. Most assuredly there is an unbelievable loss of life among the 3 million population here. The capital city, Port-Au-Prince for all purposes has been leveled. I am appealing to our churches and leaders to give sacrificially for relief efforts for Haiti. I am especially appealing to our 12,400 churches to take an offering this Sunday for Haiti relief and send these funds to us so we can immediately respond with help. We partner with Convoy of Hope in these efforts and will be doing everything we can to assist. I have asked the AG Fellowship around the world to give and to pray for this nation which is among the poorest on earth.”

So, this Sunday along with other MCM Pittsburgh churches, we will be taking up a special offering for the Haiti earthquake relief.

Over the next few days as you continue to watch the news reports coming out of Haiti pray for that nation. Pray that in all of this the Spirit of Jesus will comfort, protect & guide the victims, relief workers & leaders who have been affected by this earthquake. And pray asking God what you can give towards the relief efforts.

Thanks you so much & God bless you!

Lessons From Tiger's Tumble from John Maxwell

This month at BPC we're talking about things that'll help grow your faith & personal character is one of the building blocks of our spiritual foundation.

Dr. John Maxwell, leadership expert, speaker & author, wrote the following thoughts regarding Character & Momentum based on Tiger Woods recent personal & professional struggles.

Lessons Learned from Tiger's Tumble

1) Momentum can be a leader's best friend or a leader's worst enemy.

In his early days as a professional, Tiger Woods' hard work and talent earned him a flood of victories. As the wins mounted, Tiger's momentum took off. His confidence intimidated opponents, his personality attracted business deals, and every move he made seemed to draw the praise of an enraptured media.

Revelations of Tiger's sordid behavior have generated a mountain of negative momentum, which will be difficult for him to overcome. The tide of public opinion is now squarely against him. Whereas people used to cheer Tiger on to success, many will now root for him to fail. The influence he once had has been dealt a serious blow, and it will be an uphill struggle for him to regain it.

2) Momentum can reverse direction in an instant.

Momentum can be a fickle friend, changing sides at any moment. One day Tiger was being coronated as the athlete of the decade by the Associated Press. Then, seemingly overnight, his name was being dragged through the mud on every conceivable news outlet.

3) Winning generates momentum, but character sustains it.

Tiger's story is a cautionary tale about character. All of the momentum you build through decades of hard work and dedication can be erased if you do not craft the character to support it. Character is forged daily through the decisions we make. It comes from within and cannot be purchased. Be diligent about working on your character so that you become a person worth following and someone worthy of harnessing the momentum of success.

I don't think I have to expound on that last paragraph because Dr. Maxwell said it all!

January 2010 week of fasting & prayer

BPC is launching into 2010 with a week of Fasting & Prayer from Sunday January 10 – Friday January 15. What a great way to start out this new year & decade...by putting God first in our lives as we dedicate one week to Him. Other MCM Pittsburgh churches will be fasting & praying for their communities & Western Pennsylvania as well. Hundreds of people will be participationg...isn't that an incredible thought?

BPC will be having special services at the church during this week;
Sunday Jan 10 @ 6:30pm, Monday January 11 @ 7pm and Wednesday Jan 13 @ 7pm.

Please join us any or all of those nights. It's going to be a very exciting week!