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Spotlight on:
Colonial Point Christian Church
- South Windsor, Connecticut -
Colonial Point Christian Church (CPCC) has always been a church that seeks to disciple its members and to help them grow in their daily walk with God. Currently, CPCC is engaged in the Natural Church Development survey which helps identify hindrances to growth and affirm the strengths of members in the congregation through the use of interviews and questionnaires. This process has already allowed the members of CPCC to see how God continues to work in and mold those who place their trust in Him.
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CPCC Staff (l-r) at Panera Bread:
Jen Ash (Discipleship Minister)
Mike Houle (Associate Minister)
Dave Johnson (Lead Planter)
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On a recent Sunday, CPCC dedicated an entire worship service to prayer. The church was divided into small groups and given topics/themes of prayer on which to focus while also being given the opportunity to write prayers for the CPCC staff. At the end of the service, those who attended were very positive in their feedback with comments such as "This was a great service; let's do it again," "I loved it -- it was terrifying and uncomfortable in a great way," and "You (really) can't do it alone." This experience helped deepen the commitment and openness of the CPCC congregation in a dynamic way.
Many individuals hurt by past church experiences find their way to Colonial Point. The ability to experience God, the church, and prayer in multi-faceted ways has increased their faith and has given them confidence in the church again. To aid this area of ministry, CPCC's newest staff member, Jen Ash, is in the process of conducting a spiritual survey around the "Theory of Planned Behavior." This theory centers on understanding that an individual's past behavior is a good predictor of their future behavior. Understanding past patterns of behavior helps these individuals learn how to grow in their relationship with Christ.
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Dave Johnson at
New Building Site
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There are also exciting things happening in the CPCC youth ministry. The youth of CPCC are currently focusing on being authentic Christians, not simply doing Christian activities. Half of the participants planning an upcoming missions trip to Mexico are youth. It is amazing to see these young people become part of a trip that asks so much of them spiritually and physically as they build homes in the midst of poverty with the love of Jesus Christ!
CPCC is also in the midst of a building program, having purchased seven acres of land. After initial architectural work provided by Visioneering, the church contracted with a local architectural firm three months ago. CPCC and the local firm have been working together on the philosophy, work, look and fit for the future building of CPCC. The planning and designing phases are halfway complete, and once these plans are finalized CPCC will break ground!
CPCC's leadership development continues. A second teaching and training cycle is in process with the goal of gaining new elders. Leadership development also lends itself to the development of other ministry leaders for the growing service this church renders in Connecticut .
Praises:
Ø The CPCC leaders continue to grow in their relationship with Christ.
Ø The prayer cards remind the staff of the faithfulness and trust the church has in them.
Ø The church is open to change and God's guidance even in the midst of doubts.
Ø CPCC is a place where life stories, as a part of God's overall story, can be shared and expressed.
Ø Panera Bread! The staff continues to develop relationships with the employees in what they affectionately call their "office."
Petitions:
Ø That God continues to bring new people to CPCC and that they are inspired by a church seeking God and finding Him.
Ø That CPCC continues to be patient, not idle, concerning their future plans and that they seek God, not purpose.
Ø That the Natural Church Development process continues to give CPCC insight into what God has done and continues to do with their strengths and weaknesses.
Ø That the missions trip to Mexico is successful.
Ø That CPCC has the resources to begin moving some dirt and start building soon.
For more information, check out CPCC's website at http://www.colonialpoint.com.
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