Monday, April 18, 2011

Words are Inadequate

    Words are inadequate to describe how I feel about yesterday (Sunday). Centerpointe Church was given a clear mandate to impact Fairfax County for Christ. 

    A good day in church consists of connecting with God through worship, Word, and giving. It also consists of connecting with people and watching them grow in their faith. But a great day in church is when we get a chance to connect people to God for the first time. YESTERDAY WAS A GREAT DAY! From what I know at this point, six people gave their hearts to Christ and others came back to Him. Two people, from another faith, came to me and said, "I want to be Christian." I love my job! 

    When I drive into Fairfax every Saturday from Baltimore, I am overwhelmed with the amount of people that live here - over one million and growing. I ask God every week, "How can so few make a difference in the lives of so many?" Yesterday gave me the answer: If we work to consistently connect people to Jesus and teach them what it means to be a disciple of Jesus and continue to honor Jesus in everything we do, we will make a difference. I guess you could say it is all about Jesus.

    The day continued to be incredible. At a celebration service later in the day, I was officially installed as the pastor. Larry Hickey, Bob Rhoden, George Raduano, Rob Seagears, Steve Brimmer and Bill Fraznelli spoke to the church about what the Spirit of God is doing. Each brought a word from the Lord to challenge the church to move boldly forward. I am truly humbled that these men took the time to speak into the life of the church, as each has played key roles in my life as mentors, teachers and friends. I was doubly blessed to have Brian Biondo and Miki Fields bring their extraordinary musical gifts to the occasion. Adding to the day were the staff and friends from Trinity, and personal family members that persevered route 66 to celebrate with me.

    Steve Brimmer said it boldly, “Remember Keith, you are not the first pastor of this church, and if the Lord tarries, you will not be the last.” We have to follow God in our season. I pray that when the next generations speak of this season, they will be able to say, “They were boldly faithful.”

    The day was topped off with a delicious spread of desserts prepared by ladies in the church. They went out of their way to make our guests feel welcomed. I am so incredibly proud of them. The people of Centerpointe have embraced my family and me with open arms, and I can’t help but fall in love with them.

    It’s a new chapter in my life and the life of Centerpointe Church. I feel like the first sentence was clearly written. “The eyes of the Lord are searching for a people who are calling out to Him, and He found Centerpointe Church at Fair Oaks. In His sovereignty, His favor now rests on them.”


What a way to start a journey!


PS. A very special thank you to the staff and volunteers who worked so hard to make the house ready for guests.

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