Coming Soon!

CCers,

I began last year asking you to pray some Sun Stand Still prayers with me...and it is obvious you have stepped up to the plate! God is moving in some unbelievable ways at Centerpoint Church! We have had more people walk through our doors in the past two weeks than ever before. We are moving quickly to be at capacity in our ministry environments. That means more people are hearing about the saving grace of Jesus, more marriages are being restored, more teenagers are finding a place to belong, more children are understanding the Bible...more lives are being changed! Thank you for the part you have played by praying, volunteering, and giving in self-sacrificial ways.

With that being said, I am excited to tell you that we are planning to announce the date for our second service launch in the next couple weeks. I believe this is a step of faith...but one that we are ready for! This past Sunday, we couldn't have fit any more chairs and/or people (or children) in our one service. In fact, this past Sunday several areas of our kid’s environments were completely maxed out. We want to keep reaching people with the life changing message of Jesus and the only logical next step is a second service, which our elders and team leads are praying and planning for.

With that being said, we need you! We need you to be willing to volunteer in Kids Point, Kid Zone, Host Team, and Parking. We cannot successfully launch a second service without an influx of volunteers. There are two distinct advantages to a second service (one at 9 am and one at 11 am): First, with so many new people every week, there are now many more opportunities for people to serve who aren’t plugged in somewhere. And second, all of our ministry environments are on a rotation basis; so the months you are on rotation, you still have the option to attend a service and not miss corporate worship and teaching.

To partner with us in what God is doing, fill out the insert in the bulletin or go to www.centerpointfl.org/volunteer and list the area you are available to serve (specifically Kids Point, Kid Zone, Host Team, and Parking) along with your contact information. Don't sit back and think someone else will do it. Get involved and find out what you have been missing sitting on the sidelines! It is an amazing thing to be a part of the unstoppable movement, the Church.

I ask that you would join us in praying over this huge milestone in Centerpoint Church's history! We are confident of big things ahead.

Love you guys,

Bryant

Host Team: Fabrice Joanis

Kids Point (K4-5^th grade): Tad O'Donnell or Deon Brand

Kid Zone (Birth-3 years): Dawn Licona

Parking: Eric Lopez

Easter: A Couple Things To Know...

CC’ers, here are a couple reminders and updates as we prepare for Easter weekend.  Our Easter schedule is Good Friday at 7 pm and Easter Sunday at 9 am and 11 am.

1. This past weekend was unbelievable! The testimony of Dale and Linda Golden (my parents) was powerful. The response from those who are currently struggling with their own “no” from God was overwhelming and moving. The video will soon be posted on our facebook page and website. Go online for the podcast of When God? Part 2.
2. This past Sunday we matched our largest attendance ever for the second straight week and Easter is still to come.
3. With that said, we are praying that every one of us will take advantage of the incredible opportunity we’ve been given. The freedom to speak the name of Jesus and invite someone to a service where the hope of Christ’s resurrection will be proclaimed. Be bold!
4. People are more likely to accept an invitation to attend a service at Easter than any other time of year.
5. If everyone shared an invite on facebook, sent an e-invite on our website, or simply gave out one of the invite cards we’ve made available it would reach thousands. Go to http://www.centerpointfl.org/viewseries.php?id=62 to view the trailer video which will also be posted on facebook.
6. I love Paul’s words shortly after the launch of the church in Acts 28 when he gives this promise: “God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen”. That promise should ignite passion. This isn’t about more people attending; it’s about people being transformed by the love of Jesus forever.
7. Also, this Sunday is the Grand Opening of our new Kids Point environment. We will have some special things taking place for the kids through 5^th grade. THANK YOU to everyone who has given so much time and effort to make this environment happen for our kids!
8. Lastly, you’ll want to get there early Sunday for two reasons:  1) You don’t want to miss our pre-service opener…it will be worth it. 2) And the earlier you get there the easier it will be on our parking teams and ushers. Despite two services we expect the 11 am to be full.

Each night at 7 pm we are praying for God to give us boldness and for the Holy Spirit to transform lives. Pray with us wherever you are. See you Friday!

Bryant

Important Info About Easter

One of the big questions about Christianity is how did it get out of the first century? How did a struggling movement centered around a dead guy ever make it out of Jerusalem? Furthermore, how did a band of insurrectionists and misfits who were cowering to school girls in courtyards (Peter) hours before Jesus’ crucifixion suddenly become ferocious with the message of Jesus? And not only did the message make it out of Jerusalem; it divided history, toppled the greatest power of the known world (Rome), spread across every socio-economic line, and eventually dominated the entire globe.  

And here we are… The name of Jesus is recognized and known worldwide like no other name. How does that happen?  Two words: The resurrection! The resurrection of Jesus turned cowards into fearless communicators of the good news of Jesus.  It’s what led them, at the expense of their life, to pray this astonishing prayer shortly after Jesus’ ascension in Acts 4:29: “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.” They didn’t pray for protection; they prayed for boldness. It’s the reason the world will celebrate and gather around the name of Jesus this Easter.

Today, because of their boldness, most of us will never face that kind of persecution in our part of the world. In contrast, we have an incredible opportunity to speak out about Jesus, but it still requires courage. We have been invited into this unstoppable movement known as THE CHURCH and our mandate is clear. It’s time to BE BOLD…

1. EASTER EXTRAVANGANZA this Saturday from 12-3 pm. This is not about Easter egg hunts, food, and bounce houses. This is a bridge for people to be introduced to what THE CHURCH is about.  And by the church, we mean the people!
2. GOOD FRIDAY, April 6^th at 7 pm. We will have a chance to remember the events of Good Friday through an extended time of worship in music and Communion.
3. EASTER SUNDAY, April 8^th at 9 am and 11 am. With two services, we have created more space for everyone to invite freely and to witness “the power of God for salvation” in many lives.
4. PRAY FOR BOLDNESS each night at 7 pm. We are asking CC’ers throughout the community to join us each night at 7 pm, wherever you are, and pray specifically for boldness as we invite and for God to powerfully transform lives this Easter.
5. For more details, invites, and volunteer sign ups, go to www.centerpointfl.org .

This past weekend, a man named Joe approached me and said he was on an international flight in December when someone told him about CC. He decided to attend one of our Christmas services and has been coming regularly ever since. What he said next was a reminder to me about what’s at stake every week and why I’m praying for boldness this Easter: “You just have to know that my life has changed over these past two and a half months, and I just want to say thank you.”

We all have friends, neighbors, co-workers, family members, work-out partners, school friends, and others who don’t know Jesus. Because Jesus first loved us, we can love them. It’s time to be BOLD and

INVITE!

The Unstoppable Movement: Two Big Opportunities

This past Sunday we looked at Paul’s exhortation to fulfill our role as ambassadors of Jesus Christ. That role is not just to be another part of our lives, it is to be our lives. We are ambassadors at our jobs, in our families, during our recreation, in our fantasy football leagues, in our neighbor hoods, you get the picture. We are to be ambassadors because our message is not intuitive; it's not about a philosophy of life people can arrive to on their own; it’s not general concepts about God; and it's not about some elevated sense of morality or ethics. Christianity is about an event that happened in history.. Jesus Christ died, was buried and rose again and offers no-strings-attached forgiveness & grace by faith. The only way to discover history is for someone to tell you. People will come up with do better and try harder on their own, but they won’t come up with the scandalous message of the Gospel. The Gospel is a message that is for everybody but is always shared by somebody. If you were not there Sunday you can listen to Get Back Part 6 by going www.centerpointfl.org/seriesarchive.php.

The individual Christian and The Church collectively were always meant to be partners in modeling and proclaiming the message of Jesus. The Church was not a weird Christian sub-culture; the Church was to be counter-cultural with our message and life as we partner together as the body of Christ in order to not make it difficult for those who are turning to God (Acts 15:19). That’s why our strategy at CC is to tear down the unnecessary barriers so the message of Jesus is clearly heard by long-time Christians, those new to faith, those who see the church as the obstacle to faith, or those who are simply investigating Christianity.

So many of you have modeled that mission and strategy in your individual lives and as a part of The Church. Because of that, we have heard about stories of transformation in your communities outside the church, God has blessed us with many attenders coming to know Jesus as their Savior within the church, healed marriages, freedom from addictions, students & children finding adults who care, and many more stories. This also means that we have grown numerically by more than 100 people since August.

With that in mind, I would like you to pray with me about two exciting new opportunities:

1. Online Streaming Service – This was one of our long term strategic initiatives that recently became feasible. This platform is thousands of dollars worth of web content for a state of the art online service provided absolutely free through the generosity of Life Church and Craig Groeschel. This will include more than just a video of the service:

• An embedded video area of our message and music each week.
• A slide area of our graphics and announcements.
• A way for people to request live prayer.
• Social media connections.
• Tab options including chat, visitor map, sermon notes, and other text.

This is not a substitute for our service, but a supplement to our weekend services. It has been the experience of many of our friends and fellow churches that this tool will reach many long before they will ever step foot into a service. It also provides a way for people to share what God is doing through CC regardless of where they live. Our podcast hits have grown significantly beyond just our local area and this provides another format to experiencing and hearing the Gospel. We often hear that people have no idea what to expect of Centerpoint just by driving by or hearing something. For that reason it provides a powerful tool for you to share with people the experience and for them to see what God is doing at CC before they ever attend.

2. A second service – Statistically, we are at 80% capacity with our adult and children’s service attendance. We are close to maxing out our growth and because you have invested & invited, we continue to grow! This past Sunday, we added more chairs and nearly filled up the auditorium again, even with the added seating. We have now used all of the additional seating we purchased at the end of December. For that reason, we have included a Second Service Survey in your bulletins this Sunday and it will also be available on our website. This survey will give us an idea about the best options for times for our second service and give us an opportunity to see how many people would be willing to volunteer in a Sunday environment like Kid Zone & Promiseland if there is a second service.

We are humbled by all that God has done through the ministry of Centerpoint for the name and renown of Jesus. We are praying for wisdom and direction to be faithful stewards of all that God has given us. Now is the most strategic time ever to volunteer and consider serving, especially to children, in one of Sunday environments with the start of a second service. God has given us an unbelievable opportunity to reach a part of the 60,000 un-churched, unreached in our community who have been turned off to the church, have questions about Jesus, are looking for a place to “fit” regardless of their background or what they look like, or those who are simply looking for a place to grow in their faith while reaching others who need the life changing message of grace. We have an opportunity to be that place.

Bryant

What I Still Can't Stand...

I love our church. I love what God is doing through our church.

 

I can’t wait for each Sunday…worshiping God as our band leads, meeting new people, hearing dramatic stories of Gospel transformation every week, witnessing entire families accept Christ as their Savior, or watching our volunteers in action as a bridge to the love of Jesus. To me, nothing is more rewarding.

I consistently walk away so inspired and overwhelmed by God’s grace. One Sunday in particular in 2011, new people flooded into our services (We grew by 80 people that one Sunday), several people accepted Christ as their Savior, the worship was amazing, and God clearly transformed hearts.  We started the year praying for a move of God in ways that we couldn't imagine. We were experiencing that move of God!

Then what I have described for you before inevitably happened again. I walked back into my office and saw this picture. A picture I see every day hanging above my office door. I was reminded of the 60,000 people in our community who have no clue about what is going on at Centerpoint…the 60,000 who have never believed or have left the “church” at some point in their lives. And as great as the service was that morning, they were no closer to a relationship with Jesus. I can hardly stand the thought of that. It keeps me restless and passionate for what needs done in our community.

I can’t stand the fact that this area has so many churches, many of which are reaching “church people”, while so many others have never heard the Gospel and are right outside our door. These are the people we come in contact with at the grocery store, in our neighborhoods, and at the gym. They are the people we do life with every day. So what do we do? Many of you are investing & inviting every week and people are coming and lives are being changed…but what else can we do? I believe a great place to start is the same way we started off 2011 - praying & fasting.

We easily lose sight of what God wants to do in our world. This is especially true in the arena of reaching unbelievers in our sphere of influence. If we’re not careful, we will drift into comfortable huddles with other believers without reaching or praying big for those around us.  Maybe we are intimidated or just caught up with life that we don’t think about it. But as we begin to pray, “God , I surrender my will” and “I declare my dependence” I believe God will ignite a passion for the things he is passionate about – like reaching people who need Jesus.

The good news is that our church is growing. The bad news is the number of un-churched in our area is growing much faster. I still can’t stand that. But what if that trend turned around? As our trust grows and our view of God expands, I believe we will see that happen. Our trust in God will be activated and our concern for the un-churched in our sphere of influence will be ignited. What could happen in our church and community if we prayed in such a way that our will conformed to his will?

Frankly, I have no idea what will happen, but I know we had a small taste of what's possible in 2011. What might God do through us in 2012. It starts with “God, we know you can, we are asking if You’re willing”.  I believe this will be an incredible, life altering, church transforming journey.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and join us. Let us know what God does through your 21 day journey via our twitter handle (@CenterpointFL) or on our facebook page.

Bryant

21 Days of Prayer & Fasting: It's not what you think

It’s the beginning of a new year, which brings the promise of a fresh start. This is the best time to stage your comeback and to recover your spiritual momentum through Christ. Last week we talked about “Getting Back” into God’s Word, and this week we will be talking about “Getting Back” into prayer.

There is only one path to a relationship with God but multiple expressions of that relationship. We all have unique approaches to our relationship with God (log onto our website to take the “Discover Your Style” test), including our prayer lives. To jump start our prayer life as a church family - but still honor the fact that we all have individual styles - we are launching a 21 Day Fast on Monday, January 30^th.

Most of you equate fasting with not eating. Relax. You can fast from any number of things, such as TV, music, coke, desserts, etc. It may be just turning off the radio on your morning commute and using the time to pray. The possibilities are endless. During the 21 Day Fast, you are fasting from one thing in order to gain some extra time in prayer. By making sacrifices, we are reminded of our dependence on God and His ultimate sacrifice for us. This is an awesome time to grow in your relationship with God by trying something new and out of the box.

I want to encourage you to log onto our website (www.centerpointFL.org) and download the YouVersion Bible App under our “media & resources” link. In addition to its various Bible reading plans, YouVersion has a 21 Day Prayer and Fasting Guide to walk you through the next few weeks. It’s free to download so take advantage of this great resource.

To kick off our 21 Day Fast, join us for a Night of Worship, Prayer, and Communion this Sunday, January 29^th, at 5 pm in the Worship Center.

In Christ,

Bryant

Who's There To Help You Up?

“Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.”

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

The above verse is one of the many reasons that our church is built on this principle: Small groups lead to life change (circles are better than rows). As you look back on your life or look at your current circumstances you’ll see stumbling blocks along the way (ideas, people, wealth, hard times)? Stumbling blocks are those things that cause us to stumble away from God. It’s during those times that community or lack of community with others will determine how far we stumble or how hard we fall.

Still, creating authentic community takes time, trust, and commitment. It takes a sacrifice of your time to make a small group a priority because it always seems like there is something more important. The urgent (the soccer game, paying bills, the project, Tivo) usually wins out over the long term. We always have the idea we are going to make time later.

What I know about you is that your greatest regret or pain could have been avoided or less traumatic because of caring, authentic relationships around you.  Think back on how your childhood would have been different if your parents had been in a small group with other believers on a consistent basis. How could your child’s experience be different because of the choices you make today?

Autonomy is part of the American dream but it’s not a Biblical principle. Growth, accountability, belonging, and care happen in Community Groups (Small groups) . . . in circles, not rows. It's easy to stumble away from faith when you are a nameless person sitting in a row on Sunday morning. But it's almost impossible to stumble away, or to stay away, when you're in community, doing life with a group of people. (1)

Don’t let the urgent win out over the necessary. The outcomes could make all the difference in your life and the life of those around you.

 

To choose a community group and get connected attend our GroupLink this Thursday at 7 PM. RSVP here: http://www.centerpointfl.org/grouplink

Bryant

Lead Pastor

 

(1) Stumbling Along from @northpointministries