Welcome to the blog of The Point’s pastors. Each week, our pastors will post on a wide variety of topics – from our current sermon series, theological topics, and other subjects that relate to our church body. Check back often for updates. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed in the sidebar.
Pastor’s Blog
Quarterly Member Mtng
March 11th, 2010 by Rick Long
Our next member’s meeting is Sunday, March 21 at 5:30pm. This will be a time of celebrating God’s work, dreaming about our future, fellowship, worship and sharing a meal together. The meeting is open to anyone, and TPCC members are expected to attend.
Parent Summit
March 2nd, 2010 by Rick Long
SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 2010 :: 9am-Noon
You have plans for your retirement, your education, your home and your landscaping…do you have one for parenting your children?
The truth is many moms & dads parent “off the cuff,” rarely considering an intentional plan for parenting. Effective parenting requires intentional parents with a plan…we want to help resource, equip & encourage you to have one.
You are invited to join us for our 2nd annual Parenting workshop!
Who? Parents of children birth to 12 years
There is no cost for this event but resources will be on hand for purchase. Breakfast & childcare will be provided.
BRUCE A. WARE (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary), president of the Evangelical Theological Society in 2009, is professor of Christian Theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has written numerous journal articles, book chapters and book reviews, and has authored God’s Lesser Glory; God’s Greater Glory; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; and Big Truths for Young Hearts.
:: Schedule
8:30 – Complimentary Breakfast
9:00 – Welcome
9:15 – Session 1: Dr. Ware: Biblical Role of Parents: 10 Principles
10:00 – Break
10:10 – Session 2: Dr. Ware: Teaching Children to Know and Love God
10:55 – Networking breakouts
11:25 – Break
11:35 – Q & A w/ Panel
Noon- Dismiss Book signing /Resource table open
Church Plant: Savannah
February 26th, 2010 by Rick Long
We know that God is , through Christ, “reconciling to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” (Col 1: 20).
One of the ways that we as a church are participating in God’s redempive plan is through our church planting efforts. Planting churches is our primary means of advancing God’s kingdom into the surrounding culture by not only words of truth but also ministries of mercy and justice. This mission of planting churches begins with training qualified men to lead new churches.
We welcome Ernie & Lisa Banks and Jack & Brittany Cheadle to the Church Planting Residency Program. Ernie and Jack will be in training here for the next several months as they prepare to plant Eden Village Church in Savannah Georgia. You will be hearing more and more from Ernie and Jack as they, with their families, spend time doing life with us. Pray for Ernie, Jack and their families during this very important season of their lives.
Ernie is a native of Savannah, GA and plans to return there in 2011 to plant Eden Village Church. He and Lisa have been married for almost 10 years and have three amazing daughters. Savannah is 10, Reagan is 5 and Piper is 2. Ernie enjoys GA Bulldog football, camping with his girls and drinking coffee with his wife, Lisa.
Jack Cheadle, 29 , is married to his wife of 5 years, Brittany Cheadle. They have two sons Alexander, 4 yrs and Jackson, 8 months. Two years ago he moved from his home town of Tipp City, Ohio to pursue ministry. He is currently a full time mechanic in Louisville and plans to move to Savannah and plant Eden Village Church with Ernie in 2011.
Elder Candidate, Jason Hampton
February 3rd, 2010 by Rick Long
As a church planting church, we are committed to training, equipping and sending Biblically qualified men out to start Gospel-centered missional churches. In 2008 we started the Church Planter Residency Program. Our first resident in this program is Jason Hampton. Jason and Marri have been at The Point for about 18 months. During this time, they have made Frankfort their home, had their first child, Calvin, and are now expecting their second child. Jason has nearly completed the training program and he and Marri are preparing to move back to Indianapolis to launch Redemption Hill Church. Jason has been assessed as a church planter with the Acts 29 Network and is now working with the Indiana Baptist Convention as well.
The elders believe it is important that we, as their sending church, appoint Jason as a Biblically qualified elder before they leave for Indiana. It is our belief that, after much time of assessment and training, Jason is called and qualified to be appointed as an elder. This is somewhat different than previous elders we have appointed. We are planning to appoint Jason as the lead elder at Redemption Hill Church in Indianapolis. Since he is leaving here soon, he will not serve as an elder at The Point.
This coming Sunday Feb. 7, the elders will present Jason Hampton to our membership for prayerful consideration as an elder candidate. Please visit our website for more info on this process…. http://www.thepointcommunity.net/truth/biblical-eldership/ . If you have questions about this process, please contact an elder.
As part of planting Redemtion Hill, we will assign one of our TPCC elders to serve as an advisory elder to Redemption Hill and Jason. Shane Mcgrath will serve as this advisory elder. Our entire elder team will be available to Jason for encouragement, support and advising. But Shane will travel to meet with Jason regularly until Redemption Hill Church appoints Biblically qualified men to serve as elders.
It is a great joy to partner with Jason and Redemption Hill for the advance of the Gospel in Indianapolis.
Who Will Help The Churches In Haiti?
January 16th, 2010 by Rick Long
From the Acts 29 Network:
The images streaming in from Haiti is disturbing. We feel pity, sorrow and a sense of helplessness at the extent of their plight. The waves of humanitarian aid are washing ashore in Haiti and beginning to meet this massive need but little if any of this medicine will soothe the sores of the suffering church. The country will be rebuilt in time, but so little of that aid will go to the pastors and congregations who are decimated and broken. Who is helping the Haitian churches and the pastors? While so many agencies will be focused on the immediate social needs, the local communities of faith are devastated as well. These bodies of Christ can also contribute toward meeting the spiritual and emotional needs of the local people who are burying their family members and are seeking comfort, counsel and guidance. Churches Helping Churches initiated by Mark Driscoll (Mars Hill Church and Acts 29) and James MacDonald (Harvest Bible Chapel, Chicago) is calling on the North American church to help restore the ravaged church in Haiti. MacDonald writes, “Without question the priority of the ‘church helping the church’ is commanded by Paul in scripture and modeled by Paul in his crisis care for the Corinthians and the church in Jerusalem. If Paul were alive today there is no doubt his first concern as a church planter and leader in the body of Christ would be for the family of God in Haiti.” “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Galatians 6:10 Mark and James are going to Haiti early next week to see first hand and assess what can be done to meet the needs of the church in the toughest areas. They will take a team to help them capture this story so they can report on the hope the North American church can bring. They hope to get some great stories on video about what God is doing in Haiti to help encourage God’s people around the world to be generous and help those in need. They are seeking to provide great photos and other video footage to give away online, to give to Christian agencies who could use it to help expose the need of the church, and to give to mainstream media outlets showing the difference the church and God’s people are making. Acts 29 Network is asking you to consider helping the churches in Haiti so they can continue to contribute in the recovery when other agencies have moved on from the devastated land.
A website has been formed to assist in the communication of this effort: http://www.churcheshelpingchurches.com/
