Centerpoint Membership - Meaning and Commitment

Of course, we want any and all who come to us to join Centerpoint, but we want prospective members to realize that membership means making a promise to our whole body of believers, as well as being called to a higher level of responsibility, service, and – yes – sacrifice. Membership is not a light matter.

Membership 101 (M-101) will explain why signing a membership covenant with Centerpoint is an important measure. Starting on May 1st, we will offer M-101 again and begin offering the follow-on classes (201, 301, and 401) on successive Sunday evenings. These classes will go deeper into what such things as service and personal evangelism mean, and will help give new members the understanding and tools they need to grow in relationship with God.

All classes will be held at Camp Grandview in Millbrook, starting at 6:30 pm.

M-101 is a basic introduction to membership at Centerpoint. It explains who we are, what we believe, and what commitments are involved in becoming a member. It will be held on the first Sunday of each month.

M-201 is a "how to"presentation on essential habits that every believer needs to develop in order to learn how to begin centering his or her life on Christ. 201 will be held on the last three Sundays in May and on the second Sunday of each month starting in August.

M-301 will help you discover your "SHAPE:" Spiritual gifts (in the Biblical sense), the Passions of your heart, your Abilities, your Personality, and the value of your Experiences. You will learn how God combines these elements so that you can serve Him effectively and joyfully in church and in the world. 301 will be held on the last three Sundays in June and the third Sunday of each month starting in August.

M-401 will help you develop your personal Christian testimony and introduce you to simple but effective methods for sharing your unique testimony. It will also explain Centerpoint's multi-site strategy and mission philosophy for reaching people deeply and widely. 401 will be held on the lasat three Sundays in July and the fourth Sunday of each month starting in August.

Only M-101, a completed membership application, and your signature on the covenant is required for you to become a member of Centerpoint. You will keep the signed covenant itself and it will be a document suitable for framing and display.

Centerpoint at CityFest

Several Connect Groups and other individuals volunteered to help at Prattville's CityFest this year.  we, of course, have pictures: [all photos courtesy of BeLinda Cooley]

Centerpoint's attendants on the "jumpy-bouncy thingies" await the onslaught of young'uns.

Children rush to the aid of Centerpoint workers who thought they'd "try out the equipment" and were heard minutes later yelling, "it's cramped in here and we can't get out!"

Even though they weren't the dirigibles we'd hoped for, the jumpy-bouncy thingies were pretty cool.  This little guy agreed.

More satisfied customers

CP's Associate Pastor Scott Schumpert supervises the action

(Okay, CP Executive Secretary Cyndi Lombardi actually supervised the action, but don't tell Scott...)

Worship Leader Shelley Green and her husband Tommy provided musical entertainment on CityFest's main stage.  Selections included Van Halen's "Jump," House of Pain's "Jump Around," and "Bounce" by Aaron Carter, among others...

Official Centerpoint Sketch Artist Rendering of Service for Missions Team in Action

Click on the image for a better view.

Centerpoint Challenge Run

Centerpoint's first-ever "CP Challenge" was a great success by everyone's reckoning, with over 350 runners taking part. All proceeds went toward to support our Youth's Peru mission trip in June. Below are a few images of the race (check back; more will be added as they become available):

Our 10K-ers; and a child shall lead them...

Our tots can trot:



Peace, love, and lactic acid!

Pastor Schmidt rides alongside runners, offering encouragement. Somehow, he didn't seem as winded as the other participants...


A word of prayer before the run ("...and please Lord, no shin splints again!")

"Okay, what fool gave Scott the megaphone?!"

At John's insistence (and by popular demand), race organizer Karen Barnard replaces Scott at the megaphone...

Mass start, at the front of the herd.

Thanks to the Prattville Police, who kept us safe on the routes.

We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day!

Thanks to Shelley Green for providing the music. Selections included, "It Keeps You Running," "On the Road Again," "Movin' Me Down the Highway," and "Running on Empty," among others.

Centerpoint Merch!

We now have our very own product line! We know everyone gets excited when a new T-shirt design is released, because no one can ever have enough T-shirts. Well, now you can put your “I’m with stupid →” poly-cottons back in the drawer and (with a little more dignity, we hope) display your Centerpoint affiliation. We are offering high-quality, blended, pre-shrunk short- and long-sleeve Tees in sizes from youth-small through adult-3XL. They are $15 apiece and will be on sale at the Legends (at least until we appoint a team leader in charge of Product Line Marketing…).

In the last few weeks, we've also seen some interest in obtaining the distinctive "Centerpoint Green" polo shirts that the Board Members and Pastors have been wearing around. We are looking into making these available, first to volunteer team leads and eventually to a wider audience. More details to follow soon...

Centerpoint Family Picnic and Easter Egg Hunt

Here’s info concerning Centerpoint’s family picnic and Easter egg hunt, Saturday 3 April, 10am to 1 pm. $3 per person (max of $15 per family) gets you a hamburger or hotdogs, chips, and a drink. See you there!

Between the Services

As stated, the period between our services will continue to offer programmed activities for children and youth. Also, on Easter itself, enough will be happening that coffee, donuts, and good conversation will be enough to fill our new “fellowship time.” We want to grow that time, however, into something offering more structured activity. With the next sermon series (April 11th), we will likely begin to offer question and answer sessions and(/or) special music to complement the messages. We want this to be relaxed, informative, inspiring, and open to all who are interested. We are open to suggestions, of course – give us your ideas and feedback via the connect cards. What we don’t want, however, is for this to just become another version of “your grandma’s Sunday School period” (not that there’s anything wrong with those….) (Oh, and grandma’s are definitely welcome in “fellowship time,” whatever it evolves into.)