Can’t believe I almost forgot this amazing Kingdom stuff:

1 – Pastor Todd Bishop and the staff at The Point Church brought in a catered lunch for the entire staff at True North to congratulate us and welcome us into our new home. Amazing. Absolutely amazing.

2 – Northport Baptist Church has changed its name to Island Christian Church and has planted two new campuses: Port Jefferson and Holtsville.

Did I miss anything?  Holla back!!

So last Sunday I did something that brought me some very quizzical looks from a lot of people. Last Sunday I brought Pastor Dan O’Leary up on stage with me during all 4 of our Sunday services at True North. During announcements, I told our congregation that many of them needed to pray about maybe leaving our church to join Dan in what he’s doing at Arise Community Church.

If you weren’t there, Arise is a brand new church launching this fall in the Mt. Sinai – Rocky Point area. They had their first preview service last week and 80 people showed up!!!

Anyway, it was a strange thing to say. Pastors are known for being a territorial bunch, protective of their flock and wary of anyone who might in any way decrease their attendance numbers. So why am I encouraging people to leave True North and check out Arise?

Read More…

Video from the opening song from our Opening Day services.

Props to Rob Merkle for the footage and editing kung-fu!!

And thanks to Nico, Bekki and all of you who helped make it an amazing day.

Enjoy.

True North State of Mind from True North Media on Vimeo.

It’s a rainy Thursday afternoon and I’m sitting in my office reflecting on the fact that Opening Day has come and gone.

In a way, I still feel somewhat stunned by the whole thing. I once drove from New York to the Wisconsin border in one day. That night I experienced a bizarre sensation – I was laying still but still felt the sensation of moving forward at 75mph.

That’s a bit what this week feels like.

At the moment, I have many books still packed and many pictures un-hung. I am a far cry from having discovered my ‘new’ normal here at 1101 Lakeland. But my heart is at rest. The joy and overwhelming fun of this past Sunday is still very fresh in my mind. I smile often as I think of it.

This last year and a half hasn’t been easy. Not just the transient nature of having services on the road, but the uncertainty of it all. The fact that at the end of the day this whole thing is still very much a leap of faith. It all points to an underlying question: will this thing work? Can we grow into our new home? Will we be able to afford it?

The question of what it will cost to heat and cool this behemoth still remains unanswered. But on opening day, a record breaking 1,483 people came to church at True North!! That is absolutely mind-blowing, and it’s way way beyond any of our wildest expectations.

We rejoice – not in numbers, but in lives touched. Souls brought closer to the God who loves them. In providing a place where the God of heaven and earth can draw His children unto Himself. We are convinced that this is the role God has given us to play in His amazing story, and once in a while – not every day, mind you – but once in a while, you actually get to see the results of your work and it’s absolutely overwhelming.

A special word here to all our staff and volunteers – words fail to capture your dedication. You were a huge part of what happened here on Sunday, and what will happen here every Sunday to follow. This place wouldn’t exist without you. Thank you.

And for you newbies and searchers – welcome home. It’s great to have you on board.

Can’t wait to see what happens next!!! Stay tuned!!

Bert

ps – What was your favorite part of this past Sunday? Hit me with a comment!!