9.29.2020 + Encourage One Another + No. 5

 

Hello Church Family,

My name is Barbara Schaefer. My husband and I have been attending Northpoint since 2004. I have had the privilege of serving in WOW as a discipler, and am now serving also on the leadership team. I have also served for many years on the medical response team, covering Sunday mornings, special events, children’s winter camps, and VBS. I truly love this church, and these are five of the reasons.

My five reasons:

 

 

1. WOW
Until last year, I worked full time in a very demanding job. Many churches communicate to women, either intentionally or unintentionally, that women should not work outside the home, but that the most honorable place for a woman is home, raising her children and supporting her husband. One way they do this is by only having women’s Bible study during daytime hours. When we came to Northpoint, I was so thankful to find that the women’s Bible study, WOW, was offered both during the day and in the evening, thus supporting and honoring both stay-at-home moms and working women. And the first time I attended the Tuesday night study, taught by our outstanding Bible teacher, Marti Wiegman, it was obvious we were just as important as the Wednesday morning ladies. So, I joined and found that this was a place where I was welcomed, loved, supported, and fed. WOW has continued to bless me year after year. The teaching is challenging, the study itself (written by our own Holli Worthington) is in-depth, and the small groups give me the connection with other ladies that my heart craves.

2. Family 
Northpoint is truly my family. My husband, Perry, found out several years ago that his job was being relocated to Oregon. This was the same year that we lost both my mother and father within four months of each other. As we made the decision to stay or go, one of the most important considerations was that we would be leaving our church family. We had experienced love lavished on us during my parents’ deaths; just one example was the way Vivian Catanese and her crew took care of all of the details related to the memorial services. As I went through my parents’ belongings and got their house ready to sell, it was my Northpoint family that came along beside me to clean, sort, and pack. We had been doing life on life in our growth group, and these people were more than friends—they had become our brothers and sisters. My truly closest friends were/are all sisters at Northpoint. I am so thankful Perry declined the move, and now whenever we are tempted to move out of state, the first reason keeping us here is our family at Northpoint.

3. Biblical Teaching 
This has been addressed by others describing their five reasons, but I have to include this as well. I am so thankful that only the Bible is taught from the pulpit. I am thankful that we do not study someone else’s views on the Bible, nor do we study a book on current hot topics. I am thankful that we are being fed a steady diet of truth so that we are equipped to go live out our faith in a watching world.

4. Children’s and Student’s Ministries
Both of my daughters grew up in this church. They were much loved and well taught in the Children’s Ministry, and had the opportunity to be part of AWANA, VBS, and children’s winter camp. When they moved into middle school and then high school, they were nurtured, discipled, and challenged by the Student Ministry staff. They were given the opportunity to serve on several mission trips, including Caranza, Alaska, Utah, and Greece. They made their decisions to be baptized while part of Student Ministries. I am so thankful we have people of incredible integrity serving our young ones in these vital ministries.

5. Service 
Northpoint is a place where service is welcomed, encouraged, and expected. There are so many opportunities to serve, including helping in the nursery or children’s or youth ministry, patrolling the parking lot to keep us safe, participating on a mission trip, or a walk for life, being part of the prayer ministry as well as many, many more. We are a church that believes that service is vital to both the believer and the church.

These are my five reasons. I encourage you to think about your five!

Barbara Schaefer
Women’s Ministry