Paul Castelli

Dear Church Family

We kicked off DRIVEN this past Sunday. A four week series looking at what drives people. We started by looking at people driven by pain. What an incredible message God had for us. If you missed you can listen online. If you heard it, here are some follow up thoughts.

I came across this video and it is powerful

The Story of Zac Smith from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.

And I also read these verses in 2 Corinthians 1:3,4 this morning that spoke to this…

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”

God is up to something big in your life and through your pain. I pray you let Him show you the way.

In God’s Hands
Pastor Paul

Being apart of the largest life-changing event in the history of Crosspoint Church. We are planning for 1000 people to join us at our 2 Christmas Eve services this Thursday at 5:30pm and 7pm at Challenger K-8 School. This is a chance for us to invite our family, friends, neighbors and coworkers to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ.

We know that every year people stop and reflect on the meaning of Christmas regardless of their faith or belief. The reason they do that is because God has placed with-in each of our hearts a deep longing to know to Him. And at Christmas that longing is undeniably stirred. People all around the world want to know if Jesus really is the Son of God sent to redeem mankind.

And we have a chance to reach out to them and offer the answer they seek. We have the chance to offer them the love and hope of Jesus, just simply by inviting them to join us as we celebrate Jesus’ birth.

So make the most of the time before those services to invite people to worship and celebrate the birth of our Savior.

What a crazy time it has been. On Friday night I had an awesome worship arts team leader meeting. We have the best Worship Arts team on the planet. The leaders at that meeting are committed, gifted and true servant leaders. If you are looking for a place to serve at Crosspoint check out the worship arts team.

On Saturday Erin and I headed to Orlando for a house warming/Christmas party. However the engine in Erin’s car had other plans. We had the car in the shop last month for the same issue and Volkswagen said after 8 days of work it was fixed. So we had to cut our trip short. The car was nursed down to the dealership on Sunday and awaits a miracle. Its not our car, its God’s car and we are merely stewards. So we will see, right now Volkswagen is trying to weseal their way out of fixing it.

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday. What a day. Pastor Wayne taught an awesome message for our current “Reach”. He laid out a great plan for investing in relationships and pouring into to other people. Check it out at www.crosspointlive.com. My lovely wife Erin shared about what is going on in Crosspoint Kids (our children’s minsitry) and God is changing lives and growing disciples in our kids.

Also the Christmas offering is almost at $10,000. Go God. I believe it will reach halfway before Sunday. Our goal is $25,000 if you haven’t given yet you need too, don’t miss out out changes live in this county, nation and world through the ministries we are partnering with through this offering. You can give here.

We had a number of people step up and serve because we were short handed with some volunteer no shows. Way to go Crosspoint servants. You made life-change possible because you were willing to serve. We also had several people step to become volunteers. There is nothing more rewarding then serving.

Here are few other highlights…

*2 people accepted Christ. AWESOME!!!! Bring the total for 2009 to 102 people folloing Christ this year through the ministry of Crosspoint Church.

*2 people recommitted their lives to Christ. That brings the total for 2009 to 208. Wow, God is great.

*Did I mention the Christmas Offering is only $200 away from $10,000. I am so pumped about that. In the worst economic time in our nation people are still obediently tithing and then sacrificially giving abov and beyond. We God’s people are faithful with their finances, God blows the doors off heaven to pour out blessing, no really check it out Malachi 3:10.

* Christmas Eve is only 10 days away, we will have room for 1000 people. Who are you bringing?

Sunday night was our Small Group Leader’s Christmas Party. Pastor Brad assembled a fantastic group of leaders for this past semester and the next semester crop looks ready to lead. I was truly blown away by all God did in our small groups! The stories of life-change were overwhelming.

Let’s Make an Impact this Christmas

Every year we have the privilege to celebrate Christmas. It is a time to be with family, to exchange gifts, to share a meal and prepare to usher in a new year.

But before we do that let me encourage you to do four things to make an impact this Christmas.

• Give a “Christmas Eve Invite Card (5:30pm and 7pm)” to everyone you purchase something from, office friends, neighbors, family members.
• Be apart of the Christmas Gift Wrap on Saturday Dec. 19. It’s a chance to serve our community and let then know the greatest gift this Christmas was free. Sign up in the lobby on Sunday.
• Take a few hours on Dec. 20 to serve dinner to needy families and homeless in Hernando County with Love your Neighbor. Sign up in the lobby on Sunday.
• Give generously to the Christmas Offering. This money will be used for church starts, a clean water for a village, Native American outreach, local outreach and our children’s ministry.

I have come across a few really good Blogs this week regarding leadership and wanted to pass those along. But before I do that let me start with what I read this morning in the Bible.

I was reading Jeremiah 7, and a few things jumped out at me, especially vs 22-24. Take a second and read them. The first thing that stood out at me was a lack of self-leadership a topic I covered last week. But secondly, I noticed a complete lack of any leadership. No one setting the standard, no one living according to God’s commands, no one calling others to repent. Just the prophet speaking the words of God, which God assures will fall on deaf ears. Don’t let that be you, your church, your family, your city. Live and lead according to God’s commands.

I also read an awesome blog by Perry Noble on Church. What it should be, what it can do, and how if we follow God, He will lead us to make an eternal difference in peoples live. Check it out here.

Then I read a great blog book review of De-Railed by Tim Irwin. The book talks about the failures of leadership and the impact it has. Then the blog list 5 specific failures. Check it out here.

Lastly I read an article on “Breaking the patterns of worry for your team.” It was a really good read, even if things are going well in your organization, it doesn’t mean things are going well with your people. It is also  has a link to a worksheet to help people work through what maybe causing worry. Check it out here.

Just wanted to share those few things with you and hope they are beneficial to you.

We kicked off a brand new series “REACH.” Pastor Wayne did an awesome job teaching out of Matthew 28 about being intentional in our relationships and how to be attentional to those around us.

If you missed it check out the website for the download www.crosspointlive.com

We also add 100 extra seats to each service to make room for more people. Last week we ran out of seats in the first service and with Christmas Eve around the corner we know we need to make room for our friends, neighbors and coworkers, classmates and teammates. I was so thrilled to see those chairs in the service and people sitting in them.

We had two people accept Christ! That means that since January 100 have accepted Christ! That is amazing. Stop and let that sink in 100 people accepted Jesus this year through the ministries of Crosspoint Church in 2009.

And the best part is the year isn’t over. Don’t miss out on inviting people to church this month. The Christmas season is a time when people regardless of their background will accept an personal invitation to come to church.

See you on Sunday for part 2 of REACH!

I read that line in an article this week from Buckhead Church here is the link. It got me thinking about that for our church and for me personally.

First, for our church…

At Crosspoint every  December we take up a special Christmas offering that is above and beyond our regular giving. This offering usually goes to help set up the new year with either funds for new intiatives, events or staffing needs so we can make a big impact. Last year we were able to get some very necessary equipment for expanding our worship space and adding another children’s room.

This year we feel led to use only a small portion for our children’s ministry and to use the other 80% to help set five other ministries national and international up for a big impact in 2010. We are going to build a well in Africa for a village, support a native American ministry to teens on the reservation in Washington state. We are helping a church start in Michigan, and supporting a new church in Ocala, FL. And here in hernando county we are helping out Love Your Neighbor an organization that feeds the needy, clothes the naked and ministers to the homeless in our community.

I am so excited to be able to help those ministries and to help them this December by giving to the Christmas Offering so they can be set up for maximum imp;act in January. For Erin and I, it is an opportunity for us to give our best gift to God this Christmas.

We also focus in very intentional on Christmas Eve. We have found that is one of the greatest days to invite friends, neighbors and family members to church. We make a huge push to connect and serve our community and then invite them to share in our Christmas Eve worship services. It is a chance to share the reason of Christmas with love, grace and compassion and to offer hope to all for a truly divine new life in the new year. Starting this week we are adding 100 more seats to each service and 200 more for our Christmas Eve services. We are making room for people.

So that is what we as a church a doing in December to to fuel a great January.

Secondly, for me personally…

Every January is a big deal for Crosspoint as we kick off a new year, new series, new small group semester and try to connect with people as they are longing for the new year to be better then the last. Because I need to me ready and energized to lead and serve in those areas, it is key that I finish December strong and end 2009 well and then rest.

The best way I have found to be ready for the new year is to make sure I did everything i was called to do this year. So i take sometime to look over my 2009 goals and see where do i need to step it up in order to hit them before years end. I also take some time to reflect on what we have done and how that turned out, it gives me perspective.

Lastly, I spend a few days resting. I need some time off. I can’t burn it at both ends and expect to have what it takes to get me through another year without a few days to recharge mentally, spiritually, emotionally and to focus on my family. I can accomplish a ton of stuff for the Kingdom of God, but I only have one wife and one daughter and they need me too. So, I end each year with a week with them. Resting, Playing, Enjoying what God blessed me with.

So that is is how I focus and work hard in December to fuel a great start in January.

Will you join me this December to set yourself  and Crosspoint up for the best year yet?

Self-Leadership

It is the hardest part of leadership for me to get right. For me it is easy to lead others, to tell them what to do, to accomplish a task, to achieve something bold. But when it comes to leading myself…well that seems a little more difficult. The reason it is so hard to lead myself is because I am such a tough follower. And to be a good self-leader you must first be a good follower.

In order to lead myself, I must be following some example or guide for personal growth, discipline and hard work. For me, my example is Jesus. So I ask myself before I face the day, “to be a good leader today where do I first need to follow.” I spend some time reading the Bible and in prayer and seeking God. I am not always aware of where I am not being a good self-leader and I need God’s objective eyes to see those areas. This time helps me get a better handle on following and setting me up for self-leadership success.

Another way to think about self-leadership is the term self control. If I am leading my self then I am in control of what I am doing and not doing at all times. At the end of the day the only one responsible for me and how I lived is me.

For all of us who are called, gifted or reluctantly find ourselves leading, make sure you are being a faithful self-leader by being a good follower.

Proverbs 25:28
Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.

This Sunday was unbelievable. We wrapped up our “Whatever It Takes” message series with a special Lord’s Supper experience. If you missed it, go to our website and listen to it www.crosspointlive.com

The message started out with the Last Supper and journeyed back to the passover in Exodus 12. It was a great encounter with the grace and provision of God for people. As the teaching wrapped up I asked everyone to write down the name of people in their lives who are not under the blood of Christ. And then to come and place those names on the cross where the Lord’s supper elements were waiting.

It was a truly moving experience to watch as people everywhere got up and covered the cross with the names of family members, friends, coworkers, classmates and neighbors.People who they love and God loves and longs to see them come into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

Here are a few pictures…

When all was said and done the cross was covered with over 1000 names. Today the staff and I are gathering to pray over each and every name and praying that God will use the people of Crosspoint to reach each person that was stuck to the cross.

Our current message series “Whatever it Takes” rocks. You need to be here. Catch up online www.crosspointlive.com and come this weekend.

We talked about investing your life in others. We looked at the life of Barnabas how God used him to impact the Apostle Paul. It was powerful.

Here are few other highlights…

* 1 person accepted Christ, awesome!
* A person i have been praying for came to church and brought his family.
* 2 people recommitted their lives to Christ.
* 3 second time guest families, sweet. I love it when people come for the first time, but when they come a second time it means that something connected with them.
* We kicked off our Christmas Offering, go to www.christmasoffering.com and see all that God is going to do through our generous giving above and beyond our regular tithes and offering.

Busy week ahead as we finish up Whatever it Takes, plan for the Lord’s Supper on Nov 29 and kick off a brand new series on Dec. 6 “Reach.”

See you Sunday, and bring a friend.