This year our first goal was to ensure that the Gospel was clearly presented in at least 6 different areas of Main Street.  Thanks to key workers like Emily Johnson, Barb Vollkick, and our amazing Kids choir we were able to meet this goal.  From the background music, to the varied performances throughout Main Street, visitors would have noticed that this was a Christmas event with Christ at the center rather than the secular influences which are so pervasive elsewhere.

We also planned to have 200 volunteers serving together this year with 50 of them being brand new to our event.  We are excited to report that we had over 200 volunteers and believe it or not, more than 50 of them had never served here before!  Thanks again for all who came out.  Our prayer is that these events become an opportunity to connect with others in our church family.

Because we want Main Street to expand its influence in our community, we also had a goal to engage at least 10 different community partners who would help us in some way this year.  A few weeks ago we sent 14 letters to organizations who supported us. We also gave several local non-profit organizations an opportunity during our event to share what they were doing in our community.

We also had a goal to see 1500 invited guests come through our doors and we had plans for keeping track of these numbers.  This was a difficult goal to measure.  Our ballots this year gave us a better picture than we have ever been able to establish of how many of our guests were from Compass Point and how many were not from our church.  We found that of those who attended the performances, 45% identified themselves as guests to Compass Point, 25% said that our church was their home, and 30% of the Ballots were unclear (didn’t identify either way).  Unfortunately our attempts at counting overall attendance did not work as we expected, and in the end we have had to estimate these numbers.  We believe with this year’s weather we exceed past events in terms of overall numbers, and we believe that we saw more than 3000 people attend.  Although we can not say with certainty that we achieved our goal of 1500 invited guests, we were extremely encouraged by the percentages, and we feel that many if not most of our Compass Point Family brought friends to this years event.

We also wanted to see a return of 35% of our overall budget, which is extremely difficult given this event’s free admission.  By engaging companies who donated product, and giving people more opportunities to contribute we were able to recover 38% of what we spent.

Over all we feel this years event was a success, and it is our recommendation that we plan another Main Street Christmas 2012 with an even sharper focus and a new and fresh “look”.  Since this years event we have heard quite a bit of feedback on areas we could improve, as well as encouragement for a great weekend.  We value all of the input we have received, and we welcome your continued efforts to make future events even more effective and exciting.  We look forward to future events and if you would like to be involved in the planning process, please don’t hesitate to connect with anyone on the Main Street team.

Every year I reflect on volunteers and their incredible impact but this year was especially amazing because both of our burlington congregations were serving together.  From my perspective this may have been our best year yet.  The weather was perfect.  I love that we can serve together like this.

I love that we had volunteers that came every night to sweep up popcorn and take out garbage.  The unglamorous work did not go unnoticed

I love that we had a volunteer who drove all the way to Scarborough for deep friers and ovens

I love that we had people come ready to work behind the scenes cutting, folding, painting, building signs, and on and on and on…

I love that we had an amazing group of people take on our BBQ

I love that we connected with community groups like Community Living, and the Compassion society

I love that we had a blast

and I love that we saw hundreds if not thousands of people come through our door who were guests of many of you.

Well done!!  Thanks for your help!

Besides the excitement that comes with Main Street, there is also something even more significant for our own church family going on.  When we got our key leaders together for a meeting a few weeks back and I asked them for their favourite main street memories, they all started to grin, and you could tell that they had made some significant memories at our event.  Serving together is one of the hidden benefits of putting on an event like this.  When we serve together we get to know each other on a far deeper level, and when we laugh together, and solve cookie shortage emergencies, or chase Lamas around our church parking lot we make friendships that are significant, and we get excited about our church and its influence in our community.  That is why we have established a goal to have 200 volunteers serve at this years event.  Of those 200 volunteers we would like to see 50 brand new workers join our main street team.  If you have never served at Main Street, make this the year that you roll up you sleeves and pitch in.

Beyond the amazing opportunity to serve together, we can’t forget about the incredible impact this event has on our community.  Not only have we provided a free night out for families to have fun together, but we have provided a platform for community groups like Community Living Burlington, and the Compassion Society to showcase the wonderful things they do for people in our neighbourhood.  We have also seen many people choose to make Compass Point their home after attending this annual event.  And beyond all of that, there are many who come through our doors who have never heard the real story of Christmas.  What a great opportunity!

But, we cant do any of this without our amazing volunteers. So far we have almost 50 people who have committed to bringing Main Street to our community but we still need more!  Consider where you might serve and please talk to your friends, lets work together to reach our goal of 200 volunteers this year!

I started to think about all of the steps that have helped her move further and faster towards independence.  When she learned to crawl she could go further, and when she learned to walk she could go further, just recently learning to ride her bike took her further still.  Eventually she will learn to drive and it will help her go further again.  It made me think about my own life as well, and I thought about my own spiritual journey.  There are definitely skills that help us go further in our walk with God, but the problem is that they so often stay in our garage.  We have been working through a series here at Compass Point called “In case of emergency” and these are some of the tools, or the skills that will help us go further with God.  I know for me there are a few tools that have been gathering dust and its time to bring them out again.  When my daughter said to me “Daddy, I went far” it made me realize that I want to go far too.  And I want that for you as well, go to your “garage” find those tools that will help you, and go far!

It is always a privilege and an honour to be a part of a baptism service.  I am truly humbled to watch how God moves and acts in the lives of people.  Every story I hear gives me additional strength and courage to follow after God.  The first thing that you will see as you watched the baptisms at Compass Point is that each of the participants have all affirmed their faith in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation, and they are trusting in him as they strive to grow and develop as His faithful followers.  Every time someone is baptized, they are identifying with millions of believers who have taken this same step for thousands of years.

Here are some of the reasons for the Baptisms on Sunday

First they were following the example of Christ who was immersed (baptized) by John the Baptist before he began to share the good news of the Kingdom of God.  It symbolically shows our desire to follow God’s plan for our lives.

Second they were also responding obediently to Christ’s instructions for new believers.  In Matthew 28:18-20 we read that his disciples were told to baptize new followers of Christ.  It shows a clear shift in our loyalties

Third it is a symbolic demonstration of their new life as Children of God.  The Apostle Paul describes this picture of baptism in Romans 6:3,4:

“…don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”

Baptism reminds us that when we come to Jesus in faith, we bury our old life, and because of his resurrection, we can enjoy a new life that is being redeemed with meaning and purpose.

Here is what Baptism is not.

Baptism is not about fulfilling a religious requirement for membership in a particular church.

It is not done to make sure that we go to heaven when we die.  We believe the words of scripture – we are saved by faith alone in Jesus – not in rituals.

It does not mean that we will live perfectly as a result. We all still struggle, but we know that in Christ we can find forgiveness and mercy.

The bottom line is that Baptism is about demonstrating to God, yourself, and to those around you, that you want to live a life surrendered to Him.  We do this publically because it’s a lot easier for us to live this Christian live together than trying to do it on our own.  We are designed to grow and serve in community.

Thank you for being there to witness these baptisms, if you have any questions, or if you would like to participate in our next baptism service please contact me at paul@compaspointonline.ca

            I can’t believe another year has passed here at Compass Point.  I enjoy serving with you here at our church, and I am looking forward to what God has in store in the coming year.  I couldn’t imagine a better environment for my family.  I am watching my son and daughter grow so quickly, and knowing that each week they are loved and cared for makes me happy to call Compass Point’s Kerns campus home.

As the Campus Pastor here, I have been thrilled to meet so many new faces as they come to our campus each week.  Can you believe that since we began using our connection cards, we have welcomed more than 60 new individuals through our doors?  The best part is that each one of those people have names and stories, and for some reason or another they have decided to visit our Kerns Campus.  They have met many of you and you may not have even noticed.  One of my new friends came to Kerns for the first time and was simply smiled at by one of you.  He reported back to me the following week that he wasn’t feeling all that great, and that simple smile made him feel like he mattered!  What a difference we can make in the lives of people as Christ’s hands and feet here on earth.

I also have the Privilege of providing pastoral support to our Young Adults, and what I love most about this age group is that each time I meet with them I am challenged to think differently as we all learn and grow together.  This coming year we have a challenge ahead as we roll up our sleeves and work at making 2011 the year that Axis really begins to take off.  This Summer I look forward to building relationships with an eye to September and the new year ahead.

I want to thank all the volunteers that make Kerns Campus a great place to serve and worship.  From the Children’s ministries to youth, to worship, and all the ministries that meet during the week to provide space for all of us to grow as followers of Christ.  I also want to add a special thanks to the volunteers who serve outside of our church, especially the ones who make such a great impact right here in our neighbourhood.  (the motel ministry, the food pantry, and the many other ways you serve)  Guided by your faith your desire to serve is truly inspiring.

I am truly thankful to serve as your Kerns Campus Pastor, and I can’t wait to see what God has in store.

Blessings,

Its not surprising that many people walked away from Jesus saying that his teachings were too difficult to follow.  We know that Jesus of course was the great example of “strange” forgiveness.  I came across an interesting phrase as I was preparing for our college aged Bible Study tonight.  As followers of Jesus; Forgiveness reigns.  Grace conquers.  Thats great news for those of us who are feeling down about where we stand in relation to God, but while I can certainly celebrate this in my own life, I have a hard time applying the principle across the board.  If forgiveness truly reigns, then who in my life should be exempt from it?  probably no one.

The more I think about this, the harder it gets for me to wrap my head around forgiveness, but what if forgiveness is more about the person who is offering, than it is about the one receiving? We all know from experience that holding on to grudges and pain, and resentment keeps us from living joyfully, but I think that there is also something deeper going on.

Why did Jesus say “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly father will also forgive you, but if you don’t forgive men their sins your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Mt.6:14-15) This is one of those “Ahhw Man!” passages, where we cringe, or read it really fast and move on, pretending that it didn’t say what we think it said, but what if forgiveness showed a lack of faith.  Somehow we hold on to our hurt because we don’t trust that God is a God of justice.  We think that we need to hold on to the resentment because we deserve to enact retribution, and one day we will make it right.  (pay back).  Do I trust in the justice of God?  Do I believe that vengeance has a bigger impact on my life than it does on the offender?

I’m not perfect, I can’t forgive the way that Jesus did, but if forgiveness is for my benefit that wouldn’t it be easier to forgive? I don’t think that forgiveness means that the offender is without blame, it just means that we decide that the offence will not hold us captive and keep us from living joyfully, and ultimately …well.  Following after Jesus is not easy, and at times its downright confusing but if forgiving people helps make me right with God than maybe I should give it a shot.

A tomb emptied by the one who said he would

Surprise…..

Shock….

Joy.

He is risen!

The greatest moment in the history of the world lasted three days.  What a moment.  We need to remember that the most important fact about life is that death is not final.  Jesus was able to claim victory over death and we can follow in his footsteps.  What does that mean for us?

Well, in that moment the brokenness in our own lives was paid for.  In a world of intrinsic right and wrong I find it comforting that there is punishment for evil, but it’s also terrifying since we all have fallen short of “good”.  But in Christ we can say confidently that we are forgiven, by Grace (which means its undeserved).  Our goal is simply to go find Jesus, and he’s not hard to find.  See who he was and believe his claims.  For those of us who are still sceptical, consider that when Jesus appeared to his own disciples we are told that some believed and worshiped, and some doubted. (Mt.28:17)  There he was in the flesh, and yet some doubted.  Doubt, and unbelief are rational, and acceptable responses but don’t stop there, keep digging because what you believe about Jesus is the most important thing about you.  So go find Jesus, the real Jesus.

Also in that moment the brokenness in the world was fixed.  Not right away, of course, we are still in the midst of pain, suffering, and all kinds of heartache, but in the resurrection Jesus won, and we can have confidence that in the end evil doesn’t win.  Jesus is stronger and bigger than the problems of this world.  Every one of them!  And because he is, we have someone to turn to who has the power to change things. So easily life can become stormy, and it seems to be completely out of our control, and when we focus on our immediate circumstances we can drown in the day to day.  But when we focus on the one who can actually change things we find comfort and peace, and stability even in the midst of the craziness.  If you are in a place like I’ve just described, please, go find Jesus.  He can change lives, he can bring order out of chaos.  please, just go find Jesus.  He’s not that far off.  We’ve just heard his story, and the best part is…he’s waiting for you.

those who passed by hurled insults on him “…Save yourself!  Come down from the cross if you are the son of God.” (Mt.27:40)

In the same way the chief priests…mocked him “He saved others, but he couldn’t save himself!  …let him come down now from the cross and we will believe… he trusts in God, Let God rescue him now if He wants him” (Mt.27:41-43)

One of the criminals hurled insults too “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself, and us!” (Lk.23:39)

Even though the disciples had been told, they still didn’t seem to fully understand.  The next time we see them they are locked away together, possibly hiding from the religious leaders.  At least some of them thought that they had just witnessed the death of their leader and their Lord.  If I was there I would have cringed every time I heard one of those insults.  Jesus, please can’t you just prove to them?…please?… Have you ever really wanted Jesus to show himself, to prove to you that he exists and yet he seems to stay quiet?  I know its happened to me.  Its sometimes hard to believe that God has a purpose for our pain, and even our doubt, but somehow we know he does.  The thing is, we don’t know exactly why Jesus had to go through the pain that he did.  We know that Jesus took on the sins of the world on the cross, and that he died to pay the penalty for sin, but we don’t know exactly why he had to die the way he did.  But God had a purpose for the pain and suffering of his own son.  Why is that we sometimes have a hard time believing that he could also have a purpose for our pain?

Saturday was quiet, just like sometimes in life when God seems to be quiet.  But Sunday came, and Sunday always comes.  No matter where we are, or what’s going on in our lives, God is working behind the scenes…

something amazing is about to happen.