9.15.2020 + Encourage One Another + No. 3

Hello, Church Family,

My name is James Aeschliman. My wife Caitlyn and I have two children, Owen (2 years) and Phoebe (11 months). There are many things that I love about Northpoint. I grew up at this church, was saved while attending this church, learned to serve in ministry here, and I am raising my family here. I have served in various ministries, including Students, Growth Groups, and support ministries like Medical Response, Campus Security, and Campus Prep. While there is no perfect church, and Northpoint has some areas to grow in, this is the church I love and want to see grow.

Here are my five things that I love about Northpoint:

1. Focus on truth 

Northpoint is not a church that I have thought I needed to worry about running off into heresy. We are held captive to the Word of God, and if anyone ever got to the pulpit preaching a doctrine other than what is found in Scripture, the congregation would immediately take notice and protest. We value expository preaching and specifically working our way sequentially through the text of the Bible. We want to see the whole counsel of God preached so that we don’t miss an aspect of what God has revealed in His Scriptures.

2. Desire for deep theology 

Northpoint is not a church that seeks a shallow theology. Northpoint is a church that wants to know the depths of the knowledge of God. Northpoint wants to be able to have a well-thought-through answer to the difficult questions of life. These characteristics are evident in our various Adult Discipleship Groups and Growth Groups. For example, Men of the Word will be going through The Truth Project curriculum in the coming year. We have a firm desire not just to know God with our hearts emotionally, but with our minds intellectually. While this can sometimes lead to people being caught in a “dead orthodoxy,” as D. Martin Lloyd-Jones called it, where one knows truths about God without ever worshiping and following Him, there is more danger in having an emotional religion that is not based in truth. I have found that Northpoint has a desire for a genuine heart of worship that is based on the deep truths of God; this is evident in our preaching, teaching, and lyrical worship.

3. Multigenerational 

Northpoint encompasses a wide variety of ages. There are children, high schoolers, young adults, young families, older families, and seniors. This is the biblical model. This wide range provides a wide variety of perspectives, gifts, and available time within the body, and is one of Northpoint’s strengths. Each person in our church body, whether young or old, male or female, student, working or retired, has their perspective from their stage of life, and as long as it’s grounded in Scripture, has something to offer to the congregation. There is much potential for the body of Northpoint to share life and grow together. Through our Growth Groups, I hope that all who call Northpoint their home will take it upon themselves to encourage and exhort each other with their unique perspectives and gifting.

4. Compassion for others

Northpoint is a compassionate community. Together, we have faced tragedy within our body. We have also seen others outside the body suffer and have sought to minister to them. Doing so, we have come together as a community to be God’s instruments to bring hope to the brokenhearted. When three young men from our midst were killed earlier this year, there was an amazing outpouring of love from Northpoint toward the families affected. Together, we prayed for them as a congregation. We prayed with the families. We brought them meals. We helped organize the memorials. We came together. Or, when David Gantenbein withdrew from consideration to become our executive pastor due to his daughter’s health conditions, I was very blessed to see Northpoint asking how, we as a church, could support David and his family. When a member of our body is hurting, Northpoint comes together to offer comfort. I know that if a need is brought before the congregation, there will be an overwhelming outpouring of love and support from the people of our church.

5. Focus on global missions 

For many years, Northpoint has not only focused on local missions but also on global missions. We have a passion to see the gospel truth declared to every tribe, tongue, and nation. We want to see all the world hear the gospel and see the lost saved. We have sent teams to Arizona, Alaska, Utah, Mexico, Greece, Ethiopia, Botswana, India, and China from what I can remember. We also support missionaries and pastors in these countries and others around the world. We have a desire to not only bring humanitarian type missions to these areas but, ultimately, to share the gospel, which is the most important task we can do. This is evident in our focus on teaching local pastors to carry on their work of ministry at home and abroad. It is evident in our support of missionaries around the world. It is evident in our plan to raise up and send Colin and Meghan Cordill to the mission field in the future. We take the Great Commission seriously globally, and I pray we also take that Commission seriously locally.

There are my five things.

Northpoint is by no means a perfect church. If there were a perfect church, they certainly wouldn’t want me to be a part because I’d mess them up. Jesus loves His church despite her sin. Jesus calls the church precious and beautiful because of His righteousness being applied to her. We, as the people of Northpoint, have the opportunity to be Christ’s hands and feet in serving each other, our community, and the world. I pray that we are faithful to that task, and I look forward to what God has planned for our future.

James Aeschliman
Northpoint Member