BridgePointe’s shepherd team is putting forward two new candidates to join them: Ezekiel Payne and Nick Pelletier. Read this post to find out more.
The BridgePointe family surrounded Jessica D. during worship services on January 12 as she expressed her faith and commitment to following Jesus through baptism.
December 29th is our Sabbath Sunday, when we will worship from home instead of gathering for our usual services. We hope this Sabbath Sunday guide will equip you reflect on the old year, and invite God into the year to come as you worship from home this weekend.
During services on December 15th, members of the BP Family were privileged to witness and celebrate the baptisms of Brian and Leah as they expressed their faith and commitment to following Jesus. Join us in celebrating by reading their baptism stories and praying for their journey as disciples.
Marie and her grandson were baptized at the noon service on April 23rd. Here is Marie's story:
"Last year when I entered BridgePointe, I did so saying to myself, "I'm only visiting." Well, I'm here to stay and I'm so blessed that I walked through the door. The welcoming I received was so awesome and loving, the music was fantastic, and Jared's sermon was by far the best I've ever heard. I've learned so much in my short time here and I'm so blessed. I've certainly sinned a lot in my life, all of which I have now asked forgiveness for and I know the Lord has forgiven me. I still struggle with forgiveness and God bless Steve and Val for being there for me through this. I'm so blessed to have them in my life. Today, I want to be baptized and be closer to my Lord and to do all good works for Him, as I've found out the hard way that my way does not work. Thank you for this blessing of being baptized. I am so grateful. "
My life before committing to following Jesus seemed empty. While I always believed in Jesus I don't feel that I was fully committed. I am committing to Jesus today because I really found such hope in the message of staying on the path - it is not restricting, it is freeing and that is exciting as well as the message about what Jesus has so willingly done for us. That is powerful. Thank you for praying for me. I am ONE.
Before coming to Jesus my life was about me and my will. After I was lead to church by a friend, I desired a new way to live and my heart began to soften. Today I am choosing baptism as a sign of my commitment to live His way and not my way. I am excited to be part of BridgePointe's family where I feel I will continue to grow in my faith, together with others!
My life felt disorganized and chaotic before my commitment to follow Jesus. I noticed that my prayers were being answered and then realized that Jesus does save. I want to give my life to Jesus. I feel as though I've carried my worries and fears for much too long. Today, I wish to give him all my worries, fears and sins and start fresh. "God can restore what is broken and change it to something amazing, all you need is faith." Thank you for praying for me. I am ONE.
My life without Jesus in it: I was born with two teenage parents and lost my father in my first five years. Raised in abusive drug addiction, suffering from both parents, my childhood had sins that carried through my mother's life into my sister's and mine. I knew of so many sins, drinking, smoking, fornicating, I thought of suicide twice, almost killed myself after having my first born daughter. I gave up on life.
I began to pursue a relationship with Jesus because God put the right people in my life to help me get to Him, family and elders who guided me out of my old habits. Two women in my life, a great aunt and a good friend of my past gave me Bibles. My friend taught me the Word, ministered to me, brought me to church every week for two months.
Why I am committing myself through baptism today: Since consistently reading the Bible and learning in group I felt the Holy Spirit for two weeks straight convicting me. My prayer is that my family see me for who I am, that they see the past few years of change. The day I chose to be baptized, March 19th, 2017, I felt such a holy warmth, chilling presence on my heart. My mind was at peace, tears were drops of pain, in relief that Jesus wants me, believes in me. I am being baptized to get out of the traps in my blood of myself so I can live within His Spirit, beyond my flesh. Teach my heart, through His Spirit, that I can love God more than my desires, that His people love me and want to uplift me, that He will give me gifts to use on the path He chooses for me.
I am excited about this new journey in life with Jesus because I know and believe He has changed me for my family. My daughter can be guided to know His love, I can teach youth, others, that He is almighty and can be triumphant in all of our battles in life. He is love beyond every measure. I'm excited to learn to be more like Him. Let me be an example for Jesus to save another.
Thank you for praying for me. I am ONE.
Up until this point I have thought I could get through life on my own. I didn't think I needed God. I gave into drugs at a young age and it consumed me. I always knew something was missing, despite having the feeling that I was indestructible. Ten years ago, I got the best job of my life, my dream job. I knew that the drugs had to end. I was able to kick my addiction, but still I was blind and thought I did that on my own. My job became my distraction to keep me away from a life I had known for so long. My love for drugs then became a love for money.
Anyone who knows me knows I don't like change and I don't like going out of my comfort level, but my friends kept urging me to go to BridgePointe. After several weeks of their persistence, I figured I would give it a shot. As I entered the doors I was so nervous and I didn't know what to expect, but what ended up happening was life changing. I now know I have never been alone. God has been on my side the entire time, waiting. He loved me more than I could have ever realized, even with all my flaws and my past. Today is my way of saying that I am committing myself to Jesus. This is my starting point in drawing closer to Him and saying that I am never going to look back. I'll never forget the things of my past because that makes this moment mean even more to me. I am only looking forward from this point on. Thank you for praying for me, I am ONE.
At BridgePointe we were blessed to celebrate the start of 2017 with eight baptisms after our Sunday services. Here are their stories in their own words.
If it wasn't for the power of God, we wouldn't be standing here today. He truly answers prayer. If the enemy had his way, we would have destroyed ourselves and our family. We were slaves, slaves to addiction, bad habits, deceit and bitterness. Our family was destroyed. We ran from God and thought that in our blindness we could find happiness, save ourselves and our family. We were wrong and made a mess of our lives every chance we could and only ended up hurt, broken and empty. We knew we couldn't run anymore and we were tired of being slaves to sin. It was time for a change and we decided to make a choice.
By no means are we perfect, this is an every day process, we are a work in progress. We know only God can save our family, our marriage, our souls. Today we end one chapter of our lives and being another. As husband and wife we are taking a stand to let Christ be the light to our path, so we can give glory to Him and show our children a better way. We are so thankful to God for leading us to BridgePointe. We feel welcomed and accepted here. We ask you to continue to encourage us as we may also be an encouragement to you.
God has been pursuing me for years, but it was only when I fully surrendered to God, admitting that I can no longer be in charge of my life, that God revealed to me the worth He sees in me. Today, on this new year I want to start it off with honoring God by being baptized and pursuing Him to the fullest. I pray before God that I always go forward through the doors that He opens for me. May my pursuit of Him never get dull or end, and may I always remember the worth He sees in me, for He sent His only son Jesus for me. Thank you Jesus.
A little over a year ago, I finally surrendered to God. I could not ignore God's voice calling me and convicting me to come back to Him. I made a choice and surrendered to God. Since then, my life has changed. I long to worship God and to become like Jesus. I never in my life would ever expect to have this relationship with God and Jesus. I see and know him now as a friend and a father. I have been blessed beyond what I could have imagined. God has healed my most deepest wounds and even though I have difficulties in trusting, I find myself fully trusting God to an extent that I never knew I could. That is why today before my God and all my brothers and sisters in Christ, I want to be publicly baptized and honor God.
Before my life was committed to Jesus, it wasn't that great. I acted out a lot and did bad things, and my parents were not happy with my actions. What made me decide to pursue a life with Jesus was that I wanted to be a better person not only for myself but for my family. I want to be proud of my decisions and actions. I'm committing to Jesus through baptism today because I want to be like my father and have a big, warm, conscientious heart and do what is morally right. I want to be a new and better me. What I am most excited for entering this new life with Jesus, is peace, love, and happiness. Thank you for praying for me, I am One.
I am happy to be baptized today. My life before I committed to Jesus was always filled with the unknown. I never knew what the next day was going to bring. I'm committing my life to Jesus because I saw what it has done for my father. I want to be just like him because he has a big heart and always wants to spend time with me. I love him more than ever! I am happy and look forward to a life of peace and joy with my family and Jesus Christ. Thank you for praying for me, I am One.
My life before I committed it to Jesus was a long, painful and hurtful story. As an eight year old girl, I was molested for three and a half years by my father. I was also secretly molested and abused by my uncle for two years as well. This stayed with me for years, and I suffered silently.
I met my daughter's father when I was 18 and got pregnant. He beat me so badly in my eighth month of pregnancy that I ended up delivering my daughter who died from trauma to her brain. A year later I was pregnant again, and he beat me through the entire pregnancy, but this time I took my baby and hid out at a battered woman's shelter. A year later, I met the father of my last two children, who at first was too good to be true. Well, let's just say alcohol and drugs took over his life, so I left him.
I began to drink every single weekend to try and cover the hurt and pain. In 2000 I was diagnosed with hepatitis c and liver cancer. I got on my knees and cried out to God, "Please forgive me of my sins and anything I've done. If you spare me my life, I will pray every day. I will stop smoking and drinking and try my hardest to learn to live following you and glorifying your name." Three weeks later, my doctor calls me in for updated blood work and an MRI. There were no traces of hepatitis c or cancer.
I honored what I had promised, I just couldn't find a church for years. I met Brandee C. who invited me to BridgePointe. I hadn't been to church in years, but still read my bible, prayed, and honored God. I just knew I couldn't do it alone, something was missing. BridgePointe was missing!
I am committing myself and my life 100% today because I want to learn to live more like Jesus. I know I'll never be perfect, but I know God is real, He loves me no matter what my past was... as long as I believe in Him and I commit to Him. I am most excited about my new life with Jesus and BridgePointe so I can help teach my grandkids to live following Jesus and set a good example for them. Thank you for praying for me! I am One.
My life before committing to follow Jesus was me smoking marijuana everyday, sometimes twice a day, to try to get rid of thoughts of what happened to me when I was a little girl. I even went as far as being with a woman, but I knew deep in my heart it wasn't right and that's not the life for me. Seeing my children wanting to pursue a relationship with Jesus made me want to pursue my relationship with the Lord even more. I always knew something was missing from my life.
After meeting and talking to Brandee C. about my children and myself and my mom wanting to find a church to go to, she suggested her church BridgePointe. The first day going to BridgePointe I met Gay S. the kindest and most caring women I had met and after a few weeks she asked me if I wanted to serve by passing out programs which would help me meet new people and do communion and offering. With a smile on my face I said yes because I knew deep down this was what I'm supposed to be doing.
I'm committing to Jesus through baptism because I want to follow his Word. I want to better my life through Jesus. I know this is what I'm supposed to be doing, I want to know more about Jesus everyday. I'm most excited about giving my life to Jesus - this is it! I'm all in and excited to continue to learn more so I can teach my children. I now know it's better together than trying to do it on my own.
