Important Notice: End Of Year Giving

As we near the end of the calendar year, we wanted to remind you of a couple important items pertaining to your contributions to Centerpoint Church. 

Charitable Deduction – Due to the non-profit status of Centerpoint Church, your contributions are considered tax-deductible by the U.S. Government for annual tax reporting. Please not donors must postmark checks by December 31, 2011 in order to claim a charitable contribution deduction for the calendar year 2011. Checks that are placed in the church offering during the first worship service in 2012 will NOT qualify for charitable contribution deduction in 2011, even if the check is pre-dated to 2011 or was actually written in 2011. However, checks that are written, mailed, and postmarked in 2011 will be deductible in 2011, even if they are not received until 2012. Online gifts given before midnight Dec. 31^st will also count toward 2011. Go to: https://secure.quickswipe.com/CenterpointChurch/pay/?f=1 Further, any checks given during this Saturday night's worship service (New Year's Eve at 5 p.m.) will be counted for the 2011 tax period, even if the transfer of funds from your account does not take place until 2012. 

Please keep in mind when mailing contributions that the Centerpoint Church offices will be closed until Wed., Jan. 4. Please contact info@centerpointfl.org for further questions. 

The possibilities in front of us are limitless. Our prayer in 2012 is that Centerpoint Church would continue to become a radical group of Jesus followers who have one goal in mind – God’s glory. And to that end we would make a difference in our workplace, neighborhood, PTA, schools, etc so that many would come to know the message of Jesus and receive the free gift of salvation because of our church (not the building, the people!). 

Thank You - We are grateful for your generosity and cherish the opportunity to be financially invested with you into God's Kingdom here in the greater Brandon area and around the globe.

Happy New Year

Bryant

Maybe The Most Important Thing You'll Do This Christmas

Our church was launched with the mission to “Lead people into a relationship with Jesus Christ” by tearing down any of the unnecessary barriers to the Gospel. From the very beginning of Centerpoint, invest and invite has characterized our desire to reach people. Invest in the lives of those you interact with in the marketplace, workplace, and even in your own home and then take the time to invite them to a service at Centerpoint. This is by no means the only way to lead people to Jesus, but we have experienced several key results as we have invested and invited as a church:

• As we invite, we are constantly reminded why we are here: To glorify God by leading people to Jesus. That reminder keeps us from the insidious drift of being a church made up of cliques to a church driven to reach out.
• As we invite, we step outside our comfort zone and interact with people, and people are the point.
• As we invite, many times doors open up to conversations outside the church about the message of Jesus.
• And as we invite, as we have seen in so many cases, God draws that person back to a community of faith, He heals a marriage, He tears down stereotypes of who God is, and He leads people to trust Christ as their personal Savior.

As we approach Christmas day, I pray that we are reminded that people are the point of Christmas. That Jesus being sent as a baby in a manger was light coming into darkness, forgiveness coming into a world of condemnation, rules being replaced by a relationship. The message of Christmas was extremely personal, but it was never meant to be private. It was to be heralded to all people of all times.

So this Christmas I want to motivate and remind you to invest and invite and maybe even go a step further to commit to bring someone with you. Do whatever it takes to give someone an opportunity to hear this incredible message. There is a great possibility that his/her life will be transformed by the good news of Jesus forever.

We are putting a lot of time and effort into our Christmas Eve service from the worship to the message. We are praying, inviting, and expecting God to do the unthinkable. Would you pick up a stack of invite cards this Sunday or go online to http://www.centerpointfl.org/invite.php and send an E-invite for our Christmas Eve service on Dec. 24^th at 5 PM? People are more open and ready to attend a service this time of year than any other time. Don't miss this chance to be a part of what God wants to do in lives. So many people are one invitation away from encountering life change that is only offered by Jesus.

For more info about our service times for Christmas weekend go here:  
http://www.centerpointfl.org/servicetimes

Merry Christmas!

Bryant Golden

New Christmas Series & Service Times

New Christmas Series Starts Sunday: The Thrill Of Hope

We all look for hope. Nothing personifies hope more than the story of Christmas. But the characters that make up that story are somewhat surprising. They are shady individuals you might not invite to your own Christmas party, yet they were used by God to bring the Messiah into the world.

The Christmas story is also our story. God came as a baby to give hope to those who could never earn it or keep it. A hope not based on our personal righteousness but His promise. The Christmas story is an incredible depiction of hope because it tears away our labels and reveals that none of us are too broken, too far gone, or to far away from God's love. It's the thrill of hope for ALL mankind.

In The Thrill of Hope, Bryant tells this powerful story in a way you may have never heard it before. There is not a better time of year to invite a friend, neighbor or coworker. You can send an e-invite online at www.centerpointfl.org/invite.php

Christmas and New Year's Service Times:

Christmas we will have a Christmas Eve service on Saturday, Dec. 24^th at 5 PM, with no Sunday service on Christmas Day. We will also have a New Year's Eve service on Saturday, Dec. 31^st at 5 PM, with no Sunday service on New Year's Day.

We believe it is supremely important that we gather together on a weekly basis as the church to worship and to encourage one another as well as to celebrate the hope we have in Jesus. We are looking forward to doing that in our two Saturday services on Dec. 24^th and Dec. 31^st.

The Christmas and New Year's holidays are special times for us to slow down and to enjoy our families, especially those coming from out of town. Saturday services allow us a body to worship together, while still being able to be with our families on Christmas and New Year's Day. These two Saturday services will also give us the opportunity to say “Thank you” to our volunteers and team leads who serve faithfully each Sunday to lead people into a relationship with Jesus Christ.

We hope you will take time to join us on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve to worship and to exalt Jesus. Childcare up to 5^th grade will be provided for both Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve services. However, on Christmas Eve, we encourage you to bring your children into the service at your discretion to worship together as a family. Each child will receive a gift bag on the way in with crayons, coloring pages, etc.

We pray this season stirs your affections for Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas!

Bryant Golden