July 2008

Important Launch Team Meeting

Come As You Are — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:32:28 +0000

Hi Everyone!

This Sunday is already the first weekend in August. The summer is really speeding by. We've had three preview services, done a lot of fun activities, and it is now time to begin pulling it all together. As the launch of CenterPoint Church is around the corner, it is more important than ever that we all come together as a Launch Team to pray and to plan for the launch on September 14th. The rest of August is filled with another preview service, a CenterPoint camping trip, and another baptism/potluck. This Launch Team meeting is important!

This comes as a personal invitation to you to come to the meeting this Sunday morning. Each of you is very important for CenterPoint to launch strong and with adequate manpower to serve those we are trying to reach with the gospel here in our valley. Please make this Sunday's Launch Team meeting a priority. We'll meet at the Panda King on Hwy 8 in St. Croix Falls at 9AM.

I look forward to seeing you on Sunday!

In Christ, Pastor Dick

Real Joy

Come As You Are — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:37:42 +0000

I must admit, after the incredible day we experienced on Sunday, it has been difficult to settle down and think about anything else. For those of you who weren't able to join us, it's almost difficult to put into words the opportunity it was to be part of what God is doing in the midst of our CenterPoint family. Cheers of affirmation and clapping could be heard across Sand Lake as family and friends witnessed the dedication of little Dillon and Connor, and the baptism and public profession of faith of six of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Even neighbors across the lake joined in the celebration offering encouraging cheers. Jonathan led us in singing and the Spirit of the Lord was surely in this place.

As I have been revisiting all that took place on Sunday, along with many emotions, I would say I have experienced a real sense of JOY. In John 17:13 Jesus said, "But now I come to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my JOY fulfilled in themselves". If there is anything that should characterize the life of a believer, I should think it would be JOY. Jesus spoke often times to His disciples about His joy being complete and full in them.......and we, too, are His disciples. The disciples were filled with joy as they realized they were children of God and joint heirs with Christ. They had been dead in their sins and then were made alive in Christ. Death also no longer had a hold on them. How could they have been anything but JOYFUL with such a salvation experience? And, here we were on Sunday, witnessing parents dedicate their lives and those of their two precious little ones, along with each of those baptized, JOYFUL with their public profession of the same experience.........a symbol of the new life they have in Christ, the old passed away and the new has come by emerging and dying to the old and coming out of the water a new creature and heir with Christ!

Jesus didn't pray that we would be merely 'happy', or that we would escape grief and suffering. Happiness is fleeting and is produced by the world, but JOY is deep and abiding and really permeates everything you do. He prayed that we would have the same JOY the Father had given to Him. This kind of JOY comes only from a committed, deep relationship with the Lord. This joy comes out of that firmly established relationship that can't be affected by circumstances. As an heir with Christ, this is our birthright. I pray that not one of us will be satisfied or settle for a joyless life. It's that JOY that will attract others, so let's let it shine so we can be that beacon on a hill and reach the Valley for Jesus Christ!

THE JOY OF THE LORD IS OUR STRENGTH

In Him, Sandy

What a Beautiful Day!

Come As You Are — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:45:07 +0000

A huge thank-you to Roger & Sandy for making their lake home and fantastic beach available for CenterPoint baptisms! The weather could not have been more beautiful...with perfect temperature and barely a breeze.
Charlie and Dana recently came to a deep and sincere understanding of faith in Christ and have put their trust in Him. They dedicated themselves to raising little Dillon and Connor in the fear and love of the Lord. We all dedicated ourselves to helping them.Denny, Illean, Donna, Renee, and Adam & Bailey were publicly baptized as a symbol of their profession of faith in Jesus Christ. For Adam & Bailey, this was particularly meaningful as they were baptized six days before their upcoming wedding.

This was a true time of celebration for the CenterPoint family...so much so that several people have requested to be baptized in August. Another Baptism Service will take place on Sunday, August 31st.

We're getting into the great habit of following our events with a potluck. Come on along to our next event....our 4th Preview Service on August 10th @ 10AM in the Lions Park in St. Croix Falls. Take a "sneak peak" of what's to come in September!

Big Weekend Ahead

Come As You Are — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 03:03:14 +0000

There's a lot going on this weekend! On Saturday, the 26th, a motorcycling day-trip to Duluth and back is being organized. This is an outreach event. Everyone will rendezvous at The Ridge Restaurant (formerly Adventures) in Osceola around 9:30AM. The excursion will be on the back roads, stopping some where for lunch. If you have a motorcycle and can come, or if you know someone who would like to join the group, come on along! The plan is to return around 7PM.

Saturday evening, Dr. Dwight Perry, director of Great Lakes Converge Worldwide (formerly the BGC) will be at Dick & Julie's home for dinner at 6PM. If you have questions for Dr. Perry, and would like to join us for dinner, please let Julie know as soon as possible (715/294-1833). If you are unable to come for dinner, but would still like the opportunity to meet Dr. Perry and hear what he has to say about the GLBC, please arrive at the Enerson's house around 7PM.

Sunday morning, July 27th, we will be having a Lake Baptism followed by a potluck. We'll be meeting at Roger & Sandy's house (see details on July Weekend Schedule) at 11AM. Please bring a dish to pass, lawn chairs, swim suits & towels (if you want to swim). Baptisms are always a very special time in the lives of those being baptized, as well as in the life of a church family. We've got 11 people who are planning on being baptized. Come and be inspired by their public proclamation of faith in Christ!

Immediate Agenda: Obedience

Come As You Are — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:25:37 +0000

Summer certainly can become a busy time of the year, even though one would think of it as a relaxing season. Due to busy schedules we wondered about participation in the Wannigan Days parade last Saturday. Well, not to wonder.....God not only provided about 25 of us, four wagons and four coolers, and one Volkswagen beetle, but He allowed a terrific storm to pass through just prior to the parade, and then gave us beautiful blue skies just in time to begin the parade. We couldn't have asked for more. It seems we passed out approximately 1600 icy pops and about 1600 informational cards (with suckers and tootsie rolls attached). The amazing thing was that just as many people were requesting the informational cards as there were children asking for the icy pops. I know that each one who participated came away encouraged beyond our expectations. So, thank you to each and every one of you who braved the long trek of the parade and did it with bright and smiley faces. Next Sunday, at Sand Lake, CenterPoint will have a baptism service followed by a potluck, of course. Everyone is encouraged to attend. I vividly remember my own lake baptism service. It certainly was a huge spiritual marker in my life, and an experience I shared with close friends, children and grandchildren. So, by all means if you are thinking of sharing your baptism experience next Sunday, I highly encourage you to contact Pastor Dick and get your name on the list of those who will be professing their faith through baptism. Watch for more details this week.

Each week I wonder what God will bring to mind to share with you. This week I was reminded of an article by Henry Blackaby. Many of the women will recognize his name, as we shared the Experiencing God Bible Study authored by him. We have looked at God's Agenda and how it impacts our lives. Henry Blackaby refers to those time you hear directly from God, you have an immediate agenda for your life: obedience! He actually begins his article by talking about how the world operates on vision. However, God's people live by revelation. The world seeks grand and noble purposes and goals to achieve. People will dream up the greatest and most satisfying things in which they can invest their lives. Institutions establish goals and objectives and then they will organize in such a way as to achieve them. God's people are called to function in a way that is very different. Christians are to arrange their lives based on God's revelations.....regardless of whether it makes sense to them. We have to remember that God does not ask for our opinions regarding what is best for our future, for our family, our church or our country. That's because He already knows! What God really wants is to get the attention of His people and then reveal to us what is on HIS heart and what is HIS will. Amazing, isn't it......that God's ways are not our ways. I don't know about you, but for me, God has put me through some difficult "training", often painful, along the way to realize/remember that.

Whenever we do not base our lives on God's revelation, we are again, doing what we see is right in our own eyes. We tend to set our goals, arrange our agendas, and then pray for God's blessing. I would say that when we live in this manner, outside the will of God, we have a lot of nerve/audacity in asking God to bless our efforts.

The only way for us to know God's will is for Him to reveal it to us. We will never discover it on our own. When we hear from the Lord, that is when we have "an immediate agenda for our lives: obedience". My prayer for the family and ministry of CenterPoint is that we will each wait for God to reveal HIS agenda as we move forward in establishing HIS church. We have determined God has placed each one of us in this place at this time for HIS purpose....to win lost souls for eternity. It can't get more exciting and fulfilling than that!

WE ARE BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING

In Him, Sandy

Parade Success!

Come As You Are — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:00:00 +0000

What a fun time we all had at the Wannigan Days Parade on Saturday evening. After being concerned that the parade was going to be rained out, the skies cleared and the weather couldn't have been more perfect as we all walked close to three miles. We ended up passing out 1600 freeze pops, and 1600 postcards.

The interest in CenterPoint Church was phenomenal. We heard questions like: "Where are you meeting?" , "Where is this church?", "Can anyone come?" We also heard comments like: "I've been looking for a church!", "I attended a church with the same 'Come As You Are' motto", "I know of someone who is looking for a church like this".

God is at work! He is building His church in the St. Croix Valley. God says in Matthew 16:18 , "...I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it". As we follow Him, we can have great confidence that He WILL accomplish that to which He has called us. Thank you to everyone who participated in the parade, and for making it such a success. We had a blast!!

Lake Baptism - Sunday, July 27th @ 11AM

Come As You Are — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:10:59 +0000

As is becoming our habit, a potluck will follow. If possible, bring a dish to pass (casserole, salad, dessert). Bring a lawn chair & swim suit if you want to swim.

Please let me know if you or someone you know would like to be baptized. There will be a short time of instruction around 10AM before the baptisms.

Click on the following link to watch a great video on baptism. Once there, click on the "Baptism Video" button:

http://www.saddlebackfamily.com/membership/default.asp?sc=baptism&qid=8005

Why be baptized? Here is a brief explanation supported by God's Word:

Jesus instructed his disciples to baptize all who received the gospel message (Matt. 28:19; Mk. 16:15-16). The apostles and others in the early church obeyed this command faithfully (e.g., see Acts 2:41; Acts 8:12; Acts 10:47-48). In fact, they were so anxious to baptize believers that the time of day and the location seemed of little consequence (e.g., see Acts 16:25-33; Acts 8:36-38).

Though there are those in the body of Christ who believe and teach what is commonly referred to as "baptismal regeneration" (i.e., one is not saved until he has confessed Christ as Savior and been baptized), CenterPoint does not believe that this view is supported by Scripture. We do affirm that baptism is an important step of obedience to the command of Christ.

What is the significance of baptism? For every Christian, baptism is a public acknowledgment and affirmation of:

the spiritual burial and resurrection which takes place when one receives Jesus Christ (Romans 6:3-4; Colossians 2:11-12). The Greek word translated "baptize" means to dip or immerse. This definition, coupled with the burial analogy offered in the above passages, indicates that the style of baptism practiced by Christ and his disciples was full immersion in water (as opposed to the sprinkling practiced by some church groups today).
the washing away of our sins (Acts 22:15-16; 1 Peter 3:20-21). Baptism, then, is an outward manifestation of what has taken place inwardly - the cleansing of our hearts from sin.

I hope to see you there! Pastor Dick

Let's Bloom Where We Are Planted

Come As You Are — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:01:01 +0000

For those of you who weren't in attendance at the Preview Service Sunday at Lions Park, we missed you.................and, you missed a very special service. We were privileged to enjoy a great time of music and worship as the worship team led by Linda Berg set up under the canopy at Lion's Park. In one week God provided a worship team and all the equipment necessary, including the ability to allow one plug-in to service all the equipment and one person who had the knowledge to put it all together. God is soooo good. It was another example of how He continually provides as we commit CenterPoint ministry into His hands. Pastor Dick presented a powerful word from Nehemiah, again reiterating the commonality between Nehemiah and rebuilding Jerusalem and the start of CenterPoint. Prayer and planning are certainly very evident in accomplishing the visions God had entrusted. We followed the service with another terrific potluck and a time of fellowship.

We have two big upcoming events which you will want to mark on your calendars. The first being the parade in St Croix Falls on Saturday, July 19th. WE NEED YOUR PARTICIPATION! This is a fantastic opportunity to get the name of CenterPoint Church out to the community. More details will follow regarding the time and place. The other event you will surely want to be a part of is the lake baptism (Sunday, July 27th @11AM) on Sand Lake at Roger and Sandy Erickson's followed by, of course, a potluck.

The last two weeks we have looked at God's Agenda for our lives. Again, during my devotional time I was thinking about Daniel....possibly because it wasn't many weeks ago that a group of women studied the book of Daniel, that impacted each of us greatly. Within God's Agenda is His very purpose for your life. Do you believe that the God who called you to Himself and then equipped you with His Holy Spirit, can work mightily through you? Have you considered the connection between the time and place where you live and God's call upon you? He placed you precisely where you are for a specific purpose!

Daniel lived in a day and time when temptations to follow the ways of the evil Babylonian culture were overwhelming. Daniel, however, didn't let the temptations of his day interfere with his relationship to His Lord. He knew and purposed in his heart that to make his life useful to God he must be obedient in all things. Daniel 1:8 says, " But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the kings' delicacies". Regardless of what the most powerful king in the world commanded, Daniel refused to compromise what God required of him.

History is full of examples of Christian men and women who believed in their hearts that God would work through them to make a significant difference for His kingdom. If you will recall Esther, God strategically placed her in the king's court at a very crucial time in order to save God's people. Think of how God, again strategically, placed Joseph to become the most powerful adviser for the pharaoh in Egypt to save Jacob and his family from a serious drought.

The question then becomes: Are we allowing our surroundings to determine how we invest our lives for God? .....or, are we allowing God to use us to make a difference in our generation? I believe CenterPoint Church is establishing a ministry for the exact purpose of making a difference where we live, in the St. Croix Valley. He has placed each and everyone of us with our gifts and talents, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to be salt and light to the unsaved right here where we live. Do you remember the old saying, "Bloom Where You are Planted"? It's not an accident that each of us has been planted right here, right at this time to "bloom" and be salt and light for the Lord!

Let's Bloom Where We are Planted, right here in the St. Croix Valley!

In Him, Sandy

Remember These Things....

Come As You Are — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:11:28 +0000

What a beautiful day we had! The St. Croix River was a great scene to enjoy as we celebrated our third Preview Service on Sunday. Linda & Brooks Berg did a fantastic job of leading us in worship. A huge thanks to Shane, Mike, Twyla, and Leah for helping out with worship this time.

We heard a third message from the book of Nehemiah and were reminded to be ready for opposition from the Enemy as we move forward with CenterPoint Church. The goal of spiritual attack is to create fear, create discouragement, to make the obstacles look very big and our strength very small, and to stop the work. Nehemiah 6:9 says, "For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, 'Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done' But now, O God, strengthen my hands."

Pastor Dick shared seven keys to winning a spiritual battle:

Remember that life is war. Don't be surprised by the battle.
Remember that this is God's calling; It is part of His plan to build His church.
Remember the great things God has done.
Remember that God is Great and He will fight for us.
Remember to pray.
Remember to be in the Word.
Remember to put on the Armor of God. Ephesians 6:10-11 "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."

What an amazing God we serve, and what an exciting adventure we are on as we follow God in advancing His Kingdom here in the St. Croix Valley!

Third Preview Service this Sunday, July 13th

Come As You Are — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:07:39 +0000

Here we are looking at our third Preview Service this Sunday, July 13th. This time we'll be meeting at the Lions Park in St. Croix Falls. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket to sit on, and come prepared to experience God as we worship Him in a setting where we will marvel at His creation! The park is located on the left-hand side of the road, about 1/2 mile north of the downtown area of St. Croix Falls on highway 87.

The service will begin at 10AM, followed by a hot dog barbecue/potluck. The hot dogs will be provided. If you are able, bring a dish to pass (casserole, salad, dessert) and a beverage for your family and guests.

The weather forecast is for a beautiful summer day. It will be a great place to worship the Lord, and to have a picnic together all the while overlooking the beautiful St. Croix River!

Begin inviting as many people as you can to this third "Sneak Preview" of CenterPoint Church.

God is the Potter, We are the Clay

Come As You Are — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 03:09:44 +0000

I pray you all enjoyed a great 4th of July weekend and had some time for a little R&R. I guess I always think of the 4th of July as being the mid-point of summer.....and where has the first half gone? Well, I know one thing for certain and that is we have some great gatherings to look forward to in the next two weeks. This Sunday, July 13th, marks our outdoor service at the Lions Park in St. Croix Falls, with a potluck to follow. So, be certain you have friends and/or family in mind to invite. What an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, worship, and have great food and fellowship! Looking ahead, Saturday, July 19th, marks the big Wannigan Days parade in St. Croix Falls. Twyla was instrumental in arranging a space in the parade (it starts at 6PM) for CenterPoint and plans are being finalized for our participation. So, be looking for more information regarding the parade and put the date & time on your calendars. We need all of you!

Looking back to last week and thinking more about prayer and establishing God's Agenda for our lives individually and corporately, I couldn't help but go down that path a little further and think about how God shapes our lives to accomplish His agenda. Paraphrasing from Jeremiah, I was looking at Jeremiah 18:6 in relation to CenterPoint......."O CenterPoint Church, can I not do with you as a potter, says the Lord. Look, so as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O CenterPoint Church". We know that only God brings salvation to our family, friends, community, and the world. Accordingly, He looks for those who will allow Him to shape them into the instruments He will require to carry out His work. Obviously, clay has no plans of its own. It is moldable, pliable and really totally submissive to the will of the person performing the shaping. I think it is often tempting for us (me) to announce to God that I have discovered my strength and gifts and so I know how I can best serve the Lord. I know I am also capable of explaining to the Lord my weaknesses and announcing which tasks I am certainly not capable of performing. However, if you really think about it, this is not characteristic of clay. God is not limited to working with our strengths. He can mold us into whatever instruments He desires and can use effectively. When God has an assignment that requires humility, He will find a servant willing to be humbled. When there is a task requiring zeal, He will look for someone to fill with His Spirit. God uses holy vessels, and so He looks for and finds those who will submit and allow Him to remove their impurities. Being clay certainly isn't a noble task, is it? These changes certainly aren't glamorous, there is nothing to boast about........except just think about it.......it is exactly what Almighty God is looking for: compliant, moldable and yielding people.

I admit I have a tendency to tell the Lord what I can and cannot do for Him, based on what I see are and aren't my capabilities. My prayer is to become a lump of clay, submitting to the Father's Agenda and allowing Him to shape and mold me into the person/servant He wants me to be. Once again, seeking God's Agenda. Just imagine what the Lord could do through CenterPoint Church with a body of clay, submissive to molding and shaping for His Glory!

"We are the clay and you are the potter,

and all of us are the work of your hand"

Isaiah 64:8

In Him, Sandy

Discovering God's Agenda

Come As You Are — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 01:07:25 +0000

I must admit that I still feel a sense of excitement from our gathering last Saturday at the Pennel's. What an incredible turnout, the weather cooperated, the food was fantastic, and the fellowship and fun couldn't be matched. We met new friends and kept up with old friends, we played volleyball, ladder ball, croquet.......and the infamous jumping castle was a hit for certain. We really celebrated God's goodness and faithfulness as we venture on towards our launch date of September 14th. Thanks to everyone who participated in any way and especially to the Pennels...great host and hostess.

Here we are now many weeks into our prayer and fasting and we certainly can testify to God's leading as we move forward in establishing CenterPoint Church. Prayer is powerful and God longs to spend time with His children. Through prayer we are daily experiencing a growing intimate relationship with the God of the Universe. For me personally, it's a humbling and overwhelming thought to think that He chose me to have a relationship. What an incredible privilege. This week in my devotions I came across an article that looked at prayer as a means of discovering God's Agenda. When you look at the life of Jesus, prayer was highly significant. Mark 1:35 tells us that "In the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, Jesus went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed". It was common knowledge among the disciples that they would find Jesus praying during the early morning hours. When they needed Him they would go to the place of prayer. If you think about it, when Judas betrayed Jesus it was Jesus' place of prayer that he led his cohorts to.

Each time Jesus faced an important decision, He prayed. When he was tempted by the world's methods in place of the Father's, He prayed. When it was time to choose His disciples, He prayed an entire night. When I look at the time Jesus spent in prayer when making decisions and to determine the Father's mind, it's beyond challenging for me to consider the length of time I spend in prayer to determine God's will and direction.

Because Jesus was so often surrounded by crowds, He knew it was necessary to escape to a quiet place to clearly hear His Father's voice. Jesus had many people seeking to influence the direction of His life. His disciples often wanted Him to go where the crowds were. The crowds wanted to crown Him king. Satan was tempting Him to make compromises in order to draw a following. Jesus, however, knew His mission was to be obedient to the Father and not to attract crowds. It was clearly prayer that Set the Agenda for Jesus' ministry. Prayer brought Him encouragement at critical times, it enabled Him to go to the cross...and kept Him there in spite of horrendous pain. As I reflect on Jesus' life and the tremendous devotion to prayer, it only confirms our need for continued prayer and fasting in order for us to discover God's Agenda for us individually, and corporately as the body of Christ at CenterPoint Church.

In Him, Sandy

Summer Parties Are Fun!

Come As You Are — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 19:06:57 +0000

What an amazing time was had by all ages at the Summer Party this past Saturday! The day was full of high energy activity, great food, and a relaxing lawn chair to recline in while enjoying the company of others. A huge thank you to the Pennels for their gracious hospitality and the use of their home. Special thanks to everyone who came and those involved in making the day such a wonderful success. We have fantastic people! What a joy to serve along side this group of Christ Followers.

Remember, the Summer Party was a “Come Back Event.” Our Come Back Events are designed with a purpose. We are not just looking to have a great time with others (which we did), but also to accomplish our purpose. Our desire when we plan a Come Back Event is to provide you the opportunity and the atmosphere needed to get to know our staff and leaders, to connect with visitors and make them feel welcome, and to deepen relationships with those we already know.

We want everyone to feel loved and accepted, which means we may need to go outside of our comfort zone. Please make every effort to extend yourself to others. A simple “Hi” and a smile go a long way. If we want to impact our community, it is all of our jobs to be as welcoming as possible. One comment we overheard Saturday was, “I feel like this is one big happy family!” We want everyone to have this experience. We have two more Come Back Events planned before our launch in September. Don’t miss these opportunities to make some new connections. As we reboot the system, let’s start off with everyone “plugged in”!