Paul CastelliLead where you’re gifted, serve where you’re needed.

Today we all gather around tables with family, friends and celebrate, remember, give thanks. As we do that I am so thankful to God for all the ways He has blessed me, my family and Crosspoint Church.

As you recall all the blessings of your life, never forget the best is yet to come.

One final thought, please take the time to read George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation, it truly is inspiring:

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to “recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:”

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789.

George Washington

Just want to take a few minutes to celebrate some big stuff from Sunday.

*We had 19 people accept Jesus on Sunday, Go God!!!
We had been praying for God to move in a mighty way and He did.

* We had 23 first time guest families!

Those are tow great things that need to be celebrated. As a church you are are inviting people and they are coming and they are coming to receive Jesus Christ as Lord. It is a privilege to serve alongside of you Crosspoint!

Also we have an update for our capitol campaign to celebrate

* 77 families or individuals turned in pledges committing to give over $341,000 over the next three years toward our $1 million goal. What a great start!

* 26 families committed to becoming givers, regular givers and tithers. This is a huge step in obedience, we talked about our pledges to the capitol campaign being over and above are giving and that for some families the first step is to become a tither. I am so excited about those who took that first step.

* 20 people accepted Christ during our Capitol Campaign. What a true testimony to God that during that time people where coming to Jesus. It has been a awesome season for harvest and I think it is just the beginning.

Be praying for Sunday that we will see even more people come to know Jesus and take the next step of obedience by signing up for Baptism.

In God’s Hands
Pastor Paul

Dear Crosspoint Family,

The last few years have been an amazing adventure in faith. We have seen God birth a new church in Hernando County with the result being over 257 people surrendering their lives to Jesus Christ. We have seen this church grow from 13 people to over 550 in weekly attendance.  And the best is yet to come!

The growth and life change has been unbelievable. The only explanation is God; God moving in people’s lives and people responding obediently. And as we set forth on a new journey for Crosspoint Church we know it is going to take the Holy Spirit’s leading and the faithfulness of His followers. This fall we are kicking off a three year capital campaign to raise $1 million to purchase land for our future facilities.

In order to raise this money every one of us is going to have to give sacrificially above and beyond our regular tithes and offerings. $1 million sounds like a lot of money and it is, but not to God and not to those who trust and follow Him. God has already begun to bless us financially. Our church is stronger than we have ever been in the area of finances. We are above budget, we have a two-month emergency reserve built up and our per capita giving has increased over the last twelve months!

But more importantly we are reaching more people than ever before. This past month we saw more people come to know Jesus in our Sunday services, than in the last three months combined! We have had more first and second time guests this month than the last two months combined. We are having a greater impact than ever before. And that impact is changed lives! As this continues we will eventually run out of space. We are already keeping a watchful eye and planning to go to three services next year when needed.

We will outgrow Challenger in the next three years and we need to be ready to move to continue effective ministry. So now is the time to plan, prepare and give toward that future. We want to be ready to minister to your friends, family and neighbors; we want to have room for their children. We want to continue to have room for new people.

So will you begin to pray and seek God as to what he would have you and your family give towards our $1 million goal? On October 10^th we are praying for everyone to start off our campaign with a first fruits offering and turning in their pledge cards.

A first fruits offering is an initial gift to launch our campaign with momentum. Our goal is to raise $100,000 in initials gifts, that day. Our second goal on that day is to have everyone turn in a pledge. The pledge card is a commitment to give a certain amount of money over and above your regular tithe each week, month or year for the next three years. Our goal for the pledges is to receive $300,000 a year in commitments for the next three years.

On September 12^th we are going to “Seize the Day” by kicking off our campaign. I look forward to seeing you there.

In God’s Hands

Pastor Paul

This month will go down in the short history of Crosspoint Church as a month to take note of. I have been replaying this month over and over in my head. All I keep coming back to is “Glory be to God!”

Here are some things to celebrate…

* We had over 550 people in attendance each Sunday the last 3 weeks of the month. That is a jump of 90 people in one week!

* We had 26 people accept Jesus Christ as their savior this month, that is 1 less then the last three months combined. Go God, that is awesome!!!

* This past Sunday we had people write down the names of over 600 people they are investing in, inviting and praying for to come to know Jesus as their Lord & Savior.

* We had 50, yes 50 first time guest families come this month,, that is more then the last two months combined.

* We had the highest monthly offering ever in the history of Crosspoint, over $41,000.  That is 25% higher then last August.

* We turned 4 years old as a church. I knew God could do it, it was me I doubted.

* We hired our first Student Ministry director and are planning our first event ans already have over 70 teenagers signed up. This is unbelievable. I love teenagers and I cannot wait to see what God is going to do.

Here are some things to be excited about…

* On Sept 12 were are kicking off our Land Campaign to raise $1 million to purchase up to 25 acres of land to build future facilities on. Yes I said  $1 million, i know that sounds like a lot of money (it is) but we have a 3 year plan to do it.

* We put together a great Capitol Campaign Leadership team to oversee this for the next three years. They are awesome, I am so excited for their gifts, abilities and most importantly their faith and heart.

* We are going to see God bring even more people to faith in Jesus then ever before in the history of our church.

* God is going to stretch all of us through this campaign, and is going to do things that only He can do, through the generous and obedient sacrifices of His people.

This is a new season for Crosspoint Church and for all of us it can seem like a little overwhelming. But for God it is exactly what he has planned for us at this time to be able to reach this community for Jesus.

To God be the glory! Let’s Seize the Day.

In God’s Hands

Pastor Paul

This past Sunday was the 4th Anniversary of Crosspoint Church of Spring Hill. We had the chance to celebrate all God has done in our community through the humble sacrifice and service of His people. It was truly a day to remember. We had a highlight video that showcased the journey. We also had a chance to celebrate all the life change and impact made. And we got here Cody and Jenny’s story of life change. It was an awesome day indeed! Best of all, 8 people accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

I can’t tell you enough at how blown away I am by what God has done. He is faithful to fulfill what He calls us to do. I am reminded of what He has done and what He has in store for us as I read Ephesians 1. I often forget all that God is doing in me and through, but on those moments when I stop and reflect, I am truly humbled. For the next three weeks we will walk with Jesus as we continue to explore our calling and God’s vision for Crosspoint.

I am also encouraged about what is to come. I know that the best that God has in store for me and Crosspoint Church has yet to come. God is doing more then I can ever imagine or fathom. In fact God has been orchestrating His next steps for us before we finished the last ones. And in the life of Crosspoint HE has a really big one coming.

In just a few weeks we will launch our first ever capital campaign to raise funds for land. It is going to be big leep of faith, but I know He is calling us to do it. I know as we continue to serve Him, reach the lost and disciple the saved that we will grow beyond the capacity of current meeting space. I know that in order to reach more people in Spring Hill we are going to need more space and more opportunities for ministry. And with the lack of large commercial property available in our community we will need to buy land and build our future ministry space. And I am stoked about it. I can’t wait to embark on this new journey, it kick offs on September 12, 2010 when we “Seize the Day.”

You do not want to miss out what God has in store for you.

Happy Birthday Crosspoint Church, today is the 4 year anniversary of the church. What an amazing journey it has been. I am cannot believe how far we have come in such a short time. God has truly blessed us beyond what we ever imagined.

I wanted to take a moment to look back at some of the big moments in Crosspoint’s short life:

* Had it’s first meeting on Sept 25, 2005, 12 people

* First Outreach project March 8, 2006

* First launch team gather April 23, 2006 at Chic-fil-A

* First preview service May 14, 2006

* Launched public services on August 13, 2006 at central High School, 149 people in attendance.

* Moved into our first office Jan 1, 2007

* First Baptism Service on Mar 31, 2007

* Small groups launched on Jan 21 2007, with 7 groups

* Added a second Sunday Morning service on Sept 9, 2007

* First Discovery Class Feb. 18, 2007

* Moved to Challenger K8 June 10, 2007

* Sent out first missionary to Africa Jan 17, 2008

* Had 476 people in attendance for Easter March 23, 2008

* Had over 400 in regular attendance for the first time Sept 7, 2008

* Changed service time Sunday Jan 11 ,2009

* Jan 2009 over 300 people signed up for small groups

* Oct 31, 2009 Largest outreach to date with over 1000 people coming to the different the Halloweenie Roast locations

* Easter April 4 2010 largest services ever 793 in attendance

* Largest baptism July 4, 2010, 49 people

Since inception…

257 People have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord & Savior

372 People have rededicated their lives to Christ,

151 People have been baptized, thru the ministry of Crosspoint Church

And all the glory and honor belongs to the Lord God Almighty!!!!!

Happy Birthday Crosspoint Church, today is the 4 year anniversary of the church. What an amazing journey it has been. I am cannot believe how far we have come in such a short time. God has truly blessed us beyond what we ever imagined.

I wanted to take a moment to look back at some of the big moments in Crosspoint’s short life:

* Had it’s first meeting on Sept 25, 2005, 12 people

* First Outreach project March 8, 2006

* First launch team gather April 23, 2006 at Chic-fil-A

* First preview service May 14, 2006

* Launched public services on August 13, 2006 at central High School, 149 people in attendance.

* Moved into our first office Jan 1, 2007

* First Baptism Service on Mar 31, 2007

* Small groups launched on Jan 21 2007, with 7 groups

* Added a second Sunday Morning service on Sept 9, 2007

* First Discovery Class Feb. 18, 2007

* Moved to Challenger K8 June 10, 2007

* Sent out first missionary to Africa Jan 17, 2008

* Had 476 people in attendance for Easter March 23, 2008

* Had over 400 in regular attendance for the first time Sept 7, 2008

* Changed service time Sunday Jan 11 ,2009

* Jan 2009 over 300 people signed up for small groups

* Oct 31, 2009 Largest outreach to date with over 1000 people coming to the different the Halloweenie Roast locations

* Easter April 4 2010 largest services ever 793 in attendance

* Largest baptism July 4, 2010, 49 people

Since inception…

257 People have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord & Savior

372 People have rededicated their lives to Christ,

151 People have been baptized, thru the ministry of Crosspoint Church

And all the glory and honor belongs to the Lord God Almighty!!!!!

Wow, what an awesome Sunday. God moved in a mighty way.
* 6 people accepted Jesus! That’s right we have 6 more brothers and sisters in the faith.
* 3 people recommitted their lives
* We had 8 first guest families and 5 second time guest families.
* Plus our we just hired our new Crosspoint Students director Chris Seitz.

God is doing some amazing things through Crosspoint and the people here. We also had some crazy unexpected news, we found out that we needed to go mobile yesterday, two weeks sooner then expected.

And you guys did awesome, we had first time guests stay after to help. Everyone jumped right in and we were able to tear everything down, load up the trailers and pull before 1pm. Thank you for making that possible.

Since the school needs us to go mobile we are back to regular set up and tear down each week starting this Sunday Aug 8. So if you are on those teams we will need you for your regularly scheduled assignments.

If you would like to be on either of those teams please just email me back I a will get you set up with the team leaders.

In God’s Hands
Pastor Paul

P.S. We are putting together our trailer team to pull our equipment trailers on Sundays, if you have a truck and would be interested in helping please email me or call me (352) 592-7188.

In December of 2009 we partnered with an organization called Water for life. We take clean water for granted but every day thousands die from having no clean water to drink. As part of our annual Christmas offering we were going to help build a well for a village in Liberia Africa.

Here is the story of that village…

Boiwalah Village Location: North 06º 52.926′ • West 10º 17.014′

Almost as if to say, “I’m next,” a pig watched at a distance while Naomi and John waded in the creek at Boiwalah Village for a drink of water. The acting town chief, a teacher from nearby Popota Public School, and another man from the village watched as the children scooped water with their hands. There is no well in Boiwalah Village and the creek is the only source of water for drinking, bathing, cooking, and washing clothes. Likewise, it is the only source of water for three other nearby villages.

There is a church in the town of Boiwalah, but the children who attend school must walk about thirty five minutes each way to go to the public school. People of Boiwalah earn their livelihood by farming: cassava, peppers, and plantain. Maybe some day they will be able to raise farm animals, but right now they only have the one female pig.

Boiwalah and the surrounding village desperately need a clean source of drinking water. Rather than pleading for gifts, the villagers came with their hands out to give a pineapple to the Water of Life assessment team as they were leaving the village. Among the group of people watching as the team left was a mother with infant twins. It is estimated that two thirds of the population of Boiwalah Village are children. Their chances of surviving childhood will be greatly increased through the gift of clean drinking water. Is Boiwalah a village you would like to adopt?

Well we did adopt that village the two others that shared that water source and here is a picture of the dedication service!

Praise God! Way to go Crosspoint Church, I am so proud of your sacrifice to bring clean water and the gospel to those in need.

I am not sure there are words enough to describe yesterday, but I will try.

Yesterday was our first on site baptism in the history of Crosspoint Church. Since we are a mobile church we usually do our baptisms at the beach. But we have had a hard time fitting all our people, our little beach in Spring Hill. Plus with the 4th of July falling on a Sunday we thought how fitting to celebrate our true freedom in Christ by baptism,  “going public” with ones faith in Jesus.

So that led to the crazy idea of a 4th of July outside baptism service and cookout. We got everything ready and the response was overwhelming. We had 52 people signed up for baptism. We had a borrowed portable baptistry form my good friends at www.churchatthebay.com and we had an army of volunteers to help.

And God added an absolute down pour of rain 10 minutes into the service, oh well.

So here are some of the highlights…

* 49 people got baptized!!! Our largest baptism ever…until the next one in Oct

* 539 people came out to celebrate with them.

* A police officer who came to know Christ 7 months ago got baptized, and then he got to baptize a former drug dealer that he arrested 2 years. Only God can bring about such life change!!!!!!

* We had an awesome cookout.

* The Crosspoint staff and the best volunteers in the world pulled off one amazing service despite the weather and last minute changes!

* The bag piper was off the hook, I mean it, He rocked! Nothing like closing the service with some “Amazing Grace” on the pipes!

I was truly blown away by yesterday and so grateful that God has asked us to participate in the life-changing work of His Kingdom. We witnessed some serious life change testimonies and it was awesome.

This Sunday we kick off a brand new message series “Passages”. The focus of this series is passages that have impacted and shaped the lives of the Pastors. You don’t want to miss one minute of it. See you at our regular times 9:30am & 11am and at our regular location Challenger K8 this Sunday!

In God’s Hands

Pastor Paul