Dwight’s Monthly Letter - May 2011

What a great Easter! We had our largest attendance ever at all three NewPointe campuses. ONLY GOD! We received reports that hundreds of people were touched and changed by God through the services. ONLY GOD! Sometimes success is harder to handle than the no success. It is easy for us to get overwhelmed by what God is doing unless, we depending on His strength and provision.

In the midst of all that is happening at our campuses, I really feel the urgency to call all of NewPointe to recommit to the gift and discipline of prayer. Jesus said in Luke 18:1 that we should always pray and not turn coward (faint, lose heart, and give up). God does nothing but in answer to prayer! “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16b).

I have recommitted myself to the discipline of personal prayer. I made a commitment to spend 100 hours in prayer over the next several months for NewPointe and for God to specifically speak to me. I believe that we are on the brink of a God wave that will only be explained by “ONLY GOD”. I truly believe that we are going to see thousands of people come to know Christ. Many will be family and friends for whom you have invested and invited and prayed. So I am asking for you to give an hour a week to specifically pray for NewPointe.

Here are two things I am asking.

1. Pray that God will Reign His Favor over NewPointe.
2. Pray that God would speak clearly to Dwight about the Vision for NewPointe.

I am believing for 300 of you to join me in this adventure. I will give you updates on what God is personally speaking to me about. “Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is” (Ephesians 5:15-17).

The National Day of Prayer is May 5. Nothing you can do will benefit you more than prayer - Paul Y. Cho. Prayer, real prayer, is lethal to Satan's cause. Satan laughs at our toiling, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray (The Kneeling Christian).

We are kicking off a new series May 22 called Only You Can Be You: 21 Days to Making Your Life Count. Every living thing is created by God and is made for a unique purpose – that includes you. Everything about you was thought of by God, designed by God, and programmed to make you exactly who you are. You are 100 percent original. That means you have something special to do, that only you can do. In fact if you don’t do it, the world will miss out on what your contribution was meant to be. Wondering what you were meant to do? Don’t miss this series, or the book that goes along with it. You can pick one up in our bookstore for $10.

It is Amazing!

God is on the move. It is incredible to think what God is doing in and through NewPointe. It is truly humbling. I sense with my heart and spirit that God is up to something to which we will only be able to utter “Only God“. I believe that God is going to use NewPointe Millersburg to speak hope and healing in reaching hundreds and hundreds of people. If you are a friend of NewPointe, let me encourage you to really pray. There is still much to do.

A Hall of Fame Role

Dennis Rodman was just elected into the Basketball Hall of Fame. If you were to look at his stats, you’d scratch your head - here are some career averages:

• 7.3 points per game
• 58% free throw percentage
• 13 rebounds per game

Some might ask, “How could someone with stats like that get inducted into the Hall of Fame?” It’s because he filled a roll, and he did it at a very high level. There are guys in the NBA who average double the points, but they’ll never even get a look at the Hall of Fame. Rodman did the things that no one else wanted to do. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was extremely important. Many guys choose to shoot more and score more, yet never reach the level of success that Dennis reached, personally or team-wise.

What role are you being asked to play? Don’t be so quick to refuse it. Humble yourself (I Peter 5:6). It might just take you to the Hall of Fame, not to mention winning a few Championships in the process.Rodman won three NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls and two with the Detroit Pistons. Twice he was named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year and seven times made the NBA’s All-Defensive first team.

Keep the Vision Clear

This past Wednesday, the Canton Campus celebrated its First Wednesday service together. It was an incredible experience. We worship and celebrated. We were reminded why we are doing this, and then we celebrated the reason why with communion. It was a time of reflection. The journey has not always been easy or smooth.

A little over two years ago we started in a storage room at Canton Christian Berean Bookstore, probably about 15 of us. Then we hit the pause button, and I am sure some thought that this would never happen. But, a school building in Louisville was found, and we started meeting on Sunday nights, studying the book of Nehemiah and reminding ourselves that there is always a price to be paid when you are doing something for God. Then within 8 to 10 weeks, we launched on Sunday morning. The attendance fluctuated, and sometimes workers were hard to find – yet here we are 2 years later.

We had 132 people our First Wednesday service. The excitement and energy has never been stronger. Why? Because people did not grow weary in doing what was right and good (Gal 6:9). Not everybody stayed the course, but that is sometimes the case when you have a God-sized vision; it gets too pricy for some. But for those who stayed, the victory is very sweet. Thanks for all who have, and are, and will continue to pay the price – so that others might experience the love of God. Just think what we would be missing if we had quit and became discouraged.

What have you quit on, that you know God has spoken to you about? Maybe it is time to make that vision come alive and clear.

New Kids on the Block

That's us - on the 'block' of 5305 Broadmoor Circle NW in Canton,Ohio! This photo was taken today as our new signage was put into place beside I-77. Thousands of people who need to know God's love and grace live along the I-77 corridor . . . and we believe a church like NewPointe will help many find Him!

Dwight’s Monthly Letter - Apr 2011

“An unexamined life is not worth living.” – Socrates

I have been thinking a lot about my life lately. Just for the record, I am turning the BIG 50. I can truly say that it is just a number. Moses tells us in Psalm 90:12, after a whole generation was lost in the wilderness, “Teach us to number our days so that we might gain a heart of wisdom.” That is why all of us need to realize that we only have a certain amount of days here on earth.

We can do three things with our time on earth. Waste it, spend it, or invest it. I believe that when you invest it, your age is not a factor because you are getting a return on it right now, not to mention the return in eternity.

So let me encourage you today to hit the pause button and examine your life. Just what are you giving your life to? Remember, we are all giving it to something or someone. Crises in life come when we realize we have given our most precious resource, our life, to the wrong thing. Here is a motto that I try to live by: Only one life twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last. As I turn 50, this has never been clearer to me.

Join me on April 10 and 17 for a short series entitled, So You’re Dead, Now What? It promises to be very intriguing and helpful.

After that, we have a great invest and invite series coming. You don’t want to miss this opportunity to influence the people you love most; your family and friends. It starts Easter Sunday, April 24, and it’s called Remedy. Dover is offering two Saturday services in addition to their normal Sunday morning services.

Easter Weekend Service Times:

Dover

Saturday…... 4 pm (no childcare)
Saturday…... 6 pm (birth to 5th grade available, no MSM or HSM)
Sunday…….. 9 &11 am (birth to 5th grade available, no MSM or HSM)

Millersburg

Sunday….…. 9 &11 am (birth to 5th grade available, no MSM or HSM)

Louisville

Sunday.…... 10:30 am (birth to 5th grade available, no MSM or HSM)

Sermon Series: Easter Sunday - May 15