2010 is off to a great start!  Our average attendance to date is 1022. That is tremendous!  God is doing so many great things in our midst and we are seeing people come to faith and grow in faith.

With all of the excitement that comes with a growing church, there are also challenges.  The biggest challenge in front of us is trying to balance out our three services so that we have space in the parking lot and space in the worship center.

Here are our averages for the three adult worship services:

1st service – 124
2nd service – 340
3rd service – 266

As you can see, our 10:00 hour is significantly more crowded than the other two, which also puts a strain on our parking lot.  This is one of the key reasons we felt it necessary to change our worship times.  An extra 10-15 minutes between services gives people adequate time to pick-up their kids and exit th ... Read More »

Every year during the last week of December/first week of January, I get on an organizational kick.  I don’t plan it, but I just always feel the need to go through files, purge, and reorganize.  I’m going through our basement right now trying to get rid of junk we don’t need or use.  I just don’t like chaos and so every year at this time, I start cleaning stuff up…which makes my wife and kids very nervous!

The new year just seems like a good time to clean stuff up.  So whether you are one for making resolutions or not, I would challenge you this year to set some spiritual goals for cleaning some stuff up in your walk with Christ.  Just like my basement, it doesn’t take long for stuff to start piling up in our lives to the point where it feels like chaos.  What do you need to purge?  What do you need to get rid of that is pulling you backwards on your journey?  That’s a good question to ask your spouse by the w ... Read More »

When I accepted the role of Senior Minister this past summer, I thought we were going to be in for a long search for a new Worship Minister.  I’ll be honest…I wasn’t looking forward to the process of making phone calls, sifting through resumes, and interviewing candidates.  I had enough to do already and that just seemed too overwhelming to think about.  But thanks to Facebook and networking, I was quickly introduced to several quality candidates.  One rose to the top of the list.  I met with Justin Mosteller in July to see if he would be interested.  Justin has brought his band to Center Pointe on several occasions to lead for our students and also led once on Sunday morning in January, 2007.  Justin is a talented worship leader, and bigger than his talent is his heart for people and his heart for Jesus.  I was disappointed that he said no, but certainly understood.  Louisville was home.  He was close to family ... Read More »

It’s been a great kick-off to the fall so far!  I hope that you were as challenged as I was during our Reset series.  It was great to study the first five chapters of Acts together as a church to be refreshed and reminded of what the earliest believers looked like…their authenticity, their generosity, their purpose, their mission, and their commitment to BE the Church of Jesus Christ.  Let’s not settle for just looking like that…let’s BE that!

Starting on October 11, we’re going to switch gears.  These last several weeks have been about who we are corporately as a body of believers.  Over the next several weeks, we’re going to look at who we are individually as committed disciples of Christ.  We’re beginning a new series called Disciple-Ships where we’ll study seven words that end in the word “ship” that help define what a disciple is…Ownership, Worship, Citizenship, Workmanship, Ambassadorship, Studentship, and Relationship. I ... Read More »

Janelle and I would like to thank you for all of the prayers, support, and encouragement we have received from you over the last several months as we have earnestly sought God’s will for our ministry.  To that end, I am humbled by the opportunity to serve as your Senior Minister.  I’m excited about what God is doing in the life of our church…and more excited about what He’s going to do!  I am absolutely committed to listening well to the soft still voice of the Holy Spirit.  We will be obedient to whatever God calls us to do…even when it’s uncomfortable.  God cares less about our comfort and more about our commitment.  We will be a church fully devoted and wholly committed to the advancement of God’s Kingdom…whatever that looks like.  I look forward to BEING the church with you!

Now, take some time to browse the rest of this e-letter and our website.  All of our ministries are back in full swing and there are ... Read More »

Our Life Group team is beginning a campaign this month called “Get In.”  The idea is for you to get involved in a Life Group.  Being involved with a group of people who can encourage you, lift you up, hold you accountable, and invest in your spiritual journey is a priceless experience.  So, let me just say to those of you who aren’t in a group…Get In!

Now, I like the campaign so much that I feel the need to expand it.  The Christian experience is so much more than 60 minutes of corporate worship on Sunday.  If you are not involved in a ministry, if you aren’t taking advantage of growing your knowledge and stretching your faith through a CORE class, if you are just coming for an hour and leaving, you are leaving so much on the table.  I want to challenge you to get involved in a ministry that allows ... Read More »

I hope you’re enjoying your summer and are taking opportunities to make memories with your family, spend time outside, and eat a little ice cream!  It’s going by fast!!!  I wanted to take a few minutes and update you on the goings on of Center Pointe.

First, Janelle and I continue to discuss with the elders and pray about the future of our ministry here.  We appreciate your prayers and patience as we seek the Lord’s will on this matter.  We feel blessed to be a part of such an awesome community of believers!

Secondly, in addition to the Senior Minister transition, we have a few others to mention.  After much thought and prayer, Sheri Sams has decided to join the efforts of Axis Church with Stephen.  She will be overseeing the music and worship services.  Center Pointe has been home to Sheri for 13 years and she has served as our Music Director on a part-time basis for the past 2 years.& ... Read More »

Waiting...I’m not a big fan.  I only get gas at “Pay at the Pump” gas stations because I don’t want to walk in and wait in line to pay.  I’ve even driven away from a gas station after discovering it was payless at the pump!  I will drive 20 miles (or more) out of my way to avoid sitting in traffic.  I just don’t like to wait.  But, let’s be honest…neither do you!  We microwave our food.  We DVR our favorite TV shows.  We make phone calls while driving.  We use “instant” messaging.  We send an email and expect a response in two minutes or less.  Remember the days when you had to actually call people in order to set up a meeting…and you actually had to wait until they got home to call you back?  Crazy!  We don’t like to wait.  But here we are as a church…waiting.

I would submit to you that there is absolutely nothing better we could be doing right now than wa ... Read More »

The last few months have been a whirlwind to say the least.  I would have never predicted that on May 1, I would be sitting in the position of Interim Senior Minister filling Stephen’s shoes as he was off planting a new church.  I have processed a lot of emotions in the last 6 weeks, but the reality of it all still hasn’t completely sunk in.  Maybe you relate.  But, such is the journey of faith and my faith is being stretched in brand new ways.  It’s both exciting and unnerving at the same time.  I would be less than honest if I didn’t tell you that I feel completely inadequate for the task.  But in the midst of my fear, I have an overwhelming sense of peace.  I think God gives us that fear to remind us of our need for Him.  We cannot do it on our own.  Peace comes as a reminder that we can do all things through Christ.  So, it is with that feeling that I step into this new role…completely confident tha ... Read More »

Kids say the darnedest things.  I think that was a TV show, but it’s true.  I’ve spent a lot of time in the pool with my kids this summer.  They love the water and they want me in it at ALL times.  Campbell, my 6 year old, is a fish.  He can swim really well and doesn’t need any help.  But my 3 year old, Carter, is still uncertain about the water.  He prefers the steps.  He can sit in the shallow end, splash around, and stay relatively safe.  But every now and then, I’ll take him a little further out in the pool.  And he’s not sure what to do with that.  He has this mixture of laughing and crying…it’s like a “this is really fun, but I’m still not sure about it” kind of noise.  He hangs on as tight as he can, and I’ll draw him in close and say what every parent says, “It’s OK, I’ve got you.”  And somehow, that takes the edge off.  He believes that what I’m saying is true.&# ... Read More »