Jesus’ Great Commission demonstrates His extravagant and sacrificial love. The Great Commission Fund (GCF) helps the Alliance family share this love with a lost and dying world.

When you give, you partner with Alliance workers who shine the light of Jesus into the lives of those living in spiritual darkness. Through GCF-funded medical outreaches, micro enterprise projects, community centers, and church planting, The Alliance is obeying Christ’s command to “make disciples of all nations.”

At Center Pointe, you can give on Sundays. Just designate on your check, or use a Giving Envelope available on the info table, how much you would like to give to the Great Commission Fund.

Nar-Anon is a twelve-step program designed to help relatives and friends of addicts recover from the effects of living with an addicted relative or friend. Nar-Anon’s program of recovery uses Nar-Anon’s Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. The only requirement to be a member and attend Nar-Anon meetings is that there is a problem of drugs or addiction in a relative or friend. Nar-Anon is not affiliated with any other organization or outside entity.

If you are interested in attending this meeting, contact Anne Hughes for details.

Here are a couple of the transitions that are going to be taking place.

ADULT LEADERS. Bruce, Angel and Justin Noland have been leading the charge as adult leaders of the Student Ministry, and I believe they have been doing a great job and have my full support. They love your kids more than I can express. In order to help support their ministry and bring some new creativity and excitement, I will also be helping out on Wednesday nights with the Student Ministry. In fact, I was there this past week and had a BLAST! I’m looking forward to getting to know the next generation of Center Pointe Students.

SCHEDULE. Over the past months the normal schedule for our Wednesday night meetings have been alternating between youth group format, small group format and service projects. In order to build momentum and make the most of the gifts of our leaders, beginning this month, the schedule will be Youth Group on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Wednesdays and a Service Project on the 4th Wednesday of the month.

OUR PROMISES TO YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS. For the rest of this year we want to focus on 3 specific things:

1. We want to 7-8pm on Wednesday nights to be the most fun night of the week of students. We promise to do everything in our power to create an exciting, inviting atmosphere during our meetings.
2. We want to create an environment that is safe for students to ask questions and to learn.
3. We want to challenge students to take the next step in their spiritual journey, not just learn more Bible stuff.

COMMUNICATION. Our plan is for this to be the beginning of on going communication with you so you can know ahead of time what our Student Ministry is up to.

WHAT YOU CAN DO. We promise to do everything we can build up the momentum of Student Ministries, but there’s some ways you can play a part too.

• Encourage your students to come. If you have students that are between 6th and 12th grade, help them make Center Pointe Student Ministry a priority during their week.
• Feed the animals. If you could help provide a snack during our Wednesday gathering, reply to this email and let me know. Snacks could include: chips and dip/salsa, brownies, soda, ice cream, cake, pizza, fried chicken, Taco Bell, etc…
• Buy a van. I’m not kidding! We will be planning events that happens “off campus” and we’ll need drivers for these events. If you’re in the market for a car, think about buying a van so you can help serve the Student Ministries. Trust me the drivers have just as much fun as the passengers (eg. The Great Turkey Chase).
• Talk to us. If you ever have any questions or concerns about Student Ministries, PLEASE talk to us! We want to be partners is seeing your kids grow spiritually and vibrantly in the life of Jesus!

Thanks for taking the time to read this. See you students on Wednesday!

Josh Franks and the Center Pointe Student Ministry adults leaders

Finding a Growth Pointe is Easy.

1. Click the button below.
2. Enter a search criteria.
3. Look through the search results.
4. Contact the group leader.
5. Show up and GROW!

PERSONALLY

We currently live in what many people refer to as the “Hallelujah Townhouses” in Centerburg. We’ve lived in an apartment in this renovated old church for 5 years, and because of our growing family and some other concerns, we feel like it’s time for us to move into a home that better suits our needs. So we began to ask the question, “Where should we move to?” We looked in Centerburg, even making an offer on a house locally, but with no success.

REGIONAL IMPACT

Last summer and fall, we talked about how God has given Center Pointe a vision to INVEST, INVITE AND INCLUDE both locally and regionally, but also globally. We were able to see the beginning work of that with Clint and Christina Bieri when we sent them to Pickerington to plant a church. The Elder Team sensed that the next place that God was moving our sights towards was Newark. This was confirmed by several conversations that we had with Center Pointers proceeding that announcement. The Elder Team gave me one work day a week to spend in Newark with the purpose of testing the soil – that is asking questions to gauge the spiritual climate and need of the community.

It didn’t take long to discover that the need is great. With a growing crime rate and expanding impoverished section of the city, there is a spiritual vacuum that is almost palpable when you’re there. And my time there revealed that for the Newark area (about 100,000 people in a 10 mile radius) there are only 4-5 churches that are making an impact in the community. The need is great.

PERSONAL MINISTRY

I have had the privilege of coaching and training church planters throughout the Midwest during the past 5 years. I’ve also learned a lot about myself and have grown in my understanding of biblical church leadership and disciple-making, and I’ve come to this conclusion: Pastors tend to expect a lot from people that they themselves are not doing. For instance, I live and work in the same town. I don’t even have to drive to work because I only live two blocks away. This isn’t the case for 95% of people that live in Centerburg, including most Center Pointers. You have to drive 30-45 minutes to and from work, work 40-50 hour work weeks, and on top of that we’re trying to teach you become missionaries in your neighborhoods, investing your lives in the lives around you. In all honesty, that kind of pace and schedule is foreign to me. How can I train others well when I am not modeling that type of rhythm in my life?

When this happens in churches, the default for ministry becomes “Let the pastor do it. He lives in town. He’s available. And I’m too busy.” This absolutely diffuses every member ministry that the Bible teaches so clearly.

What I’m celebrating is that I don’t need to live in Centerburg because I am not the person the majority of people are calling for counseling and pastoring and prayer. You are calling your Growth Pointe leaders or members and you’re caring for one another. You are being the body of Christ to one another!

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR CENTER POINTE

It’s pretty unorthodox for a church’s pastor to live outside of the city of the church they are pastoring. However, I believe that if we feel that God has called us a church to make an impact regionally, we really need to put our money where our mouth is and putting boots on the ground in Newark is the first step. Right now, Jenn and I don’t feel like we’re supposed to be the ones planting a church in Newark. We just feel like we’re supposed to move there and get to know the people – their dreams and rhythms of life. I will continue to drive to Centerburg and have normal office hours. We’ll continue our ministry in Centerburg. Since most of you only see me on Sundays or once or twice during the week, our interaction won’t change much, if at all.

If fact, God continues to give me an expanding vision for Center Pointe Church, and I don’t sense that this is the first step out of ministry at Center Pointe. In fact I feel like he’s leading us to one of the most aggressive years of outreach and investing in our community in the past 5 years. We’re committed to you and the growth the Kingdom in you and through you.

Our dream is that whatever develops in Newark will continue to be networked together with Center Pointe for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

With much love,

Pastor Josh

If you’re interested in more training to help on the road toward financial freedom, consider signing up for Financial Peace University, beginning February 21st. Click here to register.

If you’re interested in more training to help on the road toward financial freedom, consider signing up for Financial Peace University, beginning February 21st. Click here to register.

If you’re interested in more training to help on the road toward financial freedom, consider signing up for Financial Peace University, beginning February 21st. Click here to register.

PRAY ABOUT IT

Read Malachi 3:10. Commit to God in prayer that you will tithe. Pray that God will give you opportunities to freely give to your church or others you know that are in need.

THINK ABOUT IT

How has God blessed you through tithing? How have those blessings affected your relationship with God?

DO IT

If you call Center Pointe Church your home and would like to give, you can do so in two ways:

1. Bring your gift to a Worship Gathering and put in the Joy Baskets (giving envelopes are available on the info table)
2. Mail your gift to: Center Pointe Church, PO Box 346, Centerburg, OH, 43011

This Sunday, Dave Ramsey will lead us through the steps towards Breaking the Bondage of Debt. You won’t want to miss it. Bring a friend with you as well!

If you’re interested in more training to help on the road toward financial freedom, consider signing up for Financial Peace University, beginning February 21st. Click here to register.

PRAY ABOUT IT

Read Proverbs 21:20. Commit to God in prayer that you will save and invest your money. Ask Him for guidance on how to save and where to invest.

THINK ABOUT IT

Proverbs 21:20 calls those who save and invest to be wise. Describe a time when saving money paid off for you by allowing you to financially handle an emergency or to pay for a large expense without going into debt.

DO IT

If you don’t have $1000 emergency fund yet, put building that into your budget NOW!

If you already have an emergency fund and no debt besides your mortgage, starting saving 3-6 months of living expenses.

If you already have 3-6 months of living expenses saved, check out this page containing Dave Ramsey’s investing advice.

This Sunday, Dave Ramsey will lead us through the steps towards Breaking the Bondage of Debt. You won’t want to miss it. Bring a friend with you as well!

If you’re interested in more training to help on the road toward financial freedom, consider signing up for Financial Peace University, beginning February 21st. Click here to register.