We had our annual Newpointe staff retreat Thursday and Friday.
It was a great time. It was filled with lots of laughter, sharing, learning, games,horse back riding and just relaxing . It is so unbelievable to work with people who you not only love, but you really do like. I feel very blessed and privilege to serve with these guys.
They are incredibility gifted.
They get it.
They are fun.
They are just great people.
Newpointe is a great place to work.
Here is a snap shot of the retreat.
Proverbs10: 19 says When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.”
The NFL players are learning this lesson the hard way.
It has been the talk of the radio sports shows this week.
Robert Henson of the Washington Redskins sent a Twitter message saying All you fake half hearted Skins fan can . . . I won't go there but I dislike you very strongly, don't come to Fed Ex to boo dim wits!!"
"The question is who are you to say you know what's best for the team and you work 9 to 5 at McDonalds [sic]. You don't wanna follow me anymore then fine but we play for you and win lose or draw we represent you!!"
Here is another one…..
Marcus Fitzgerald, the younger brother of Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, wasn’t happy to see big brother catch just four passes for 34 yards and a touchdown in the team’s 31-17 victory at Jacksonville.
Marcus referred to Kurt Warner as an “old ass man” in one tweet, according to Dan Bickley, and in another he wrote, “Just got off the phone with my brother. he's happy about the win. But PISSED he didn't get the ball thrown 2 him much!”
Guess what ?
Both guys apologized. That is a good thing. The Bad thing, they can’t take it back, everybody knows.
Today Proverbs .
When there are too many tweets and face book posts sin is not absent.
Sept 13, Newpointe Community Church gave birth to two brand new campuses. There names Newpointe Millersburg & Newpointe Louisville.
Newpointe Millersburg came in a little over 400 .
Newpointe Louisville right at 275.
Both campuses had a great day. The energy was high and the excitement was even higher.
Just as any proud family we got pictures.
It has been amazing the response we have gotten from people who came.
We have gotten emails, phone calls etc… from people thanking us for coming to their community.
Here is just one quick story:
A man came and shared that he hadn’t been in church for over 10 years. When asked why he came, he said you sent me an invitation (flier) I thought that was a sign from God to go to church .
Tomorrow we are going live in Louisville and Millersburg. For the last 3 weeks we have been doing practice runs. Tomorrow it is the real deal.
The team was working hard at Millersburg all day making sure that every thing is set.
The teams at Millersburg and Louisville have done an incredible job of preparing and creating environments that will be conducive for God to speak and change lives.
The Dover team has generously released and given up key leaders to these brand new launch sites. I can’t say enough about the team at Dover.
We are expecting great things at all three campuses tomorrow. So before you go to bed or as you go to church tomorrow, be sure to say a prayer for all who are leading and serving.
This is officially the first weekend of college football for the year and it kicks off with College Game Day.
It is great to be able to watch those Buckeyes with my three sons, Caleb, Jonathan and Benjamin. We are grilling and watching the scare at the horse shoe, with the buckeyes getting a W by the skin of there teeth.
The 3rd rank Oklahoma Sooners were not able to get a W . They got upset by BYU 14 to 13.
Alabama is in a dog fight with Virginia Tech.
Great day of College Football.
The only thing that rivals this is the starting of another season.
At NewPointe, we view September as the beginning of a new ministry season. This gets me even more jacked than Game Day.
With kids back in school and people settling into more regular routines, we’re gearing up for a great fall of exciting opportunities!
KidStuf kicks off September 6, 10:10 a.m. and 12:10 p.m.
We start a new series called “The Naked Truth” on September 13th. We’ll explore how to find real happiness, healthy relationships, a purpose for your life, etc. Invite your family members and friends!
We also launch our 2 new campuses on September 13th at Millersburg and Louisville. Service times are 10:30 a.m. at both locations.
Here is really the big difference between these two seasons that I love. One deals with the temporal--whether my favorite team wins or loses. The other deals with the eternal--whether a person gains the whole world, yet forfeits their souls.
The stakes don’t get any higher than that.
To all NewPointe attenders…
Here is a great tool for inviting your family, friends, co-workers, the waitress or waiter at your favorite restaurant, anyone you might have a conversation with.
It is an invitation to one of our campuses--Dover, Louisville or Millersburg. This handy little card is easy to pass out, and it gives a brief description of what a person can look forward to if they’ll visit.
I just gave one out yesterday. I was eating breakfast and the guy at the next table asked me if I was from NewPointe. When I told him I was, he went on to thank NewPointe for the community service (GO ‘09) that we had done at the beginning of August. He said he thought it was really cool.
As our conversation was coming to a close, I reached in my shirt pocket and pulled out a card and handed it to him. It was interesting. He was sitting alone waiting on his friend, so for the next 4 to 5 minutes he looked at the card and then put it in his pocket.
I am praying for him today that God will use this card to raise his curiosity to a level that he has to check out NewPointe.
We are kicking off a brand new series on Sept 13 called “The Naked Truth”. We are advertising this in each of our campus areas, so people will be aware of it.
We are going to be talking about…
How can I find real happiness?
Is there a formula for building healthy relationships?
What is the purpose of my life?
Who is God?
--questions that all of your family, friends and acquaintances are seeking answers to.
Be sure to pick up a handful of invitation cards this weekend at the campus where you are worshiping.
Three out 4 people say they would attend church if someone invited them. Don’t miss this opportunity.
Be intentional!
rePurpose
Last summer, Brooke D’Angelo’s mother told her of a co-worker who had been living in a homeless shelter with her two young children. Housing had been found for the family, but they had no furniture. When D’Angelo, a Dover resident, learned that the children, ages 2 and 4, had no beds to sleep in, she shared the story with the small group she was in.
“We heard about this, as a group of moms, and we were heartbroken,” said D’Angelo. The women sprang into action. “We got together what we could get: Two single beds and bedding and a few random items that we happened to have between the six of us and gave them to the family.”
That event was the impetus for the group to form rePurpose. The nonprofit ministry – which has grown from six to 16 local mothers – collects, stores and redistributes gently-used household items and home furnishings to individuals and families in need. Donated items are stored in rented warehouse units the group pays for with funds raised through bake sales and private donations. To help defray costs, the moms even take turns cleaning the offices of Tyler Moving and Storage in New Philadelphia in exchange for discounted rental fees. (Times Reporter )
Sounds like the church being the church--being the hope of the world--not being told, but being moved by compassion and led by His Spirit.
Thanks ladies for your generosity and your willingness to be Jesus.
Here is a story of what God has done through these ladies:
RePurpose came into my life right when I needed it,” said Deb Kellog of Canton. Kellog, a cancer patient, lost all of her possessions in a house fire last year. Due to her medical condition, she had been unemployed and had no homeowners insurance. Kellog eventually moved into a trailer but had no furnishings or household items. In addition to a bed, stove, a window air-conditioner and other household items she received through rePurpose, Kellog, who loves to sew, was perhaps most grateful for the sewing machine, fabric and materials they supplied.
Kellog now makes purses, quilts and other items to supplement her income.
“RePurpose helped me when I had no resources to get the things I needed,” she said. ( Times Reporter )
Sounds a whole lot like the Acts 2 church:
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-47
