Actscelerate.com

Question about The Bridge CoG N. Ga. & North Pointe.

Acts Mod Posts: 3346 **11/1/16 8:46 am**

I saw on FB that The Bridge CoG (Patrick Ballington) in N. Ga. is now a Strategic Partner of North Point Community Church and the North Point Network of Churches.

My question is, is The Bridge still CoG.

Patrick said they are considering having additional services during the week with Andy Stanley preaching.
_________________
Recorded Sermons @ www.pastorwiley.com

No one who died without Christ is happy about their decision.

And the answer is

Acts Mod Posts: 3346 **11/1/16 9:41 am**

I sent Patrick a pm on FB and asked if they were still CoG and he replied, yes very much CoG.
_________________
Recorded Sermons @ www.pastorwiley.com

No one who died without Christ is happy about their decision.

The Bridge COG

Friendly Face Posts: 116 **11/1/16 9:19 pm**

Thanks, Larry, for coming straight to me with you question. It means a lot that you would do so.

The Bridge remains and will remain a COG church. North Point is supportive of that and it would have been a 'deal breaker' if they weren't.

We agreed to.partner with them because of a similar mission and model of ministry that makes reaching unchurched with the message of Christ the highest priority and creating environments and gatherings that unsaved and unchurched people want to attend. We also share a common value to honor our church history and spiritual hertiage but looking for new ways to do and be the church to a generation and culture that has little or no previois church experience or understanding.

The relationship has been very refreshing, rewarding, and mutually beneficial. The level of leadership training, innovation, exchange of ideas, and interaction among our staff and the staff at North Point and the other partner churches is unlike anything any of us have experienced before. Our hope is to bring some elements of what we experience in the North Point Network to those in the COG who are interested and open.

01000001 01100011 01110100 01110011 Posts: 24285 **11/1/16 11:21 pm**

I truly like this. We are the Body of Christ, right? Cool

_________________
Some facts but mostly just my opinion!
jacsher@aol.com
http://shipslog-jack.blogspot.com/

Andy Stanley

Bound By Beaulah Posts: 1003 **11/2/16 5:06 am**

What about the Baptism of The Holy Spirit and Andy's beliefs? I was thinking I read where he does not believe in the second filling of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues?
_________________
Ronnie Lingerfelt A/K/A 4 golf.

Acts Mod Posts: 3346 **11/2/16 9:19 am**

Acts-pert Poster Posts: 16509 **11/2/16 9:31 am**

I think it's obvious that North Point accepted this group of believers to follow their model regardless of any theological differences for the cause of Christ.

This is great news!

I humbly disagree

Acts-celerater Posts: 935 **11/2/16 9:46 am**

the problem is, people always say this "that once the people are saved, then we will teach them about the Holy Spirit" but they NEVER DO!

What we always wind up with and I've been fighting this mindset for 35 years, is a bunch of people who have a salvation mindset and not much more. Will it get them to heaven? Yes. And for that I am truly grateful and not critical but who are we then? Does our Pentecostal distinctive mean anything? Why are we Pentecostal or maybe a better question is should we remain Pentecostal? When the supernatural is pushed out of our churches we lose faith in the God of creation. If God is not supernatural, or He just used to be once upon a time, is He still God?

The Book of Acts details how the supernatural became a preaching point or confirmed what had been preached. When that no longer is a part of the Gospel then we risk becoming no different than any other "spiritual mindset". How can you preach that Jesus rose from the dead if you don't also preach God is still manifesting the supernatural in the lives of believers?

I just returned from 2 weeks of ministry in England. One of the churches I worked with is an AG church but they are so pc that I was encouraged to not preach a message that used the Syro-Phonecian/samaritan woman's request to Jesus to heal her daughter who was possessed by a demon. Why? Because the pastor didn't want to offend sophisticated church members with the idea that we believe in something as superstitious as demons. And yet, I disobeyed him and the people were thrilled and hungry for more of the message (not about demons but about the power of God). ANd so it goes.

If you are Pentecostal, you don't have to be weird about it but be proud of it. Teach it, allow the Holy Spirit to manifest in a decorous way that brings God Glory. Don't quench the Spirit, don't grieve the Spirit. IF you don't like the Pentecostal message, we love you but just say that you are a Baptist or Wesleyen or whatever and go be a Baptist. Quit saying you're something you are obviously are not.

Acts-pert Poster Posts: 16509 **11/2/16 10:20 am**

John 17:21

Re: The Bridge COG

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1050 **11/2/16 10:46 am**

Hey Eddie

Acts-celerater Posts: 935 **11/2/16 1:24 pm**

Unity in the Body of Christ does not mean we agree on Pentecostal distinctives or not. I didn't say Andy Stanley wasn't of God. What I DID say was that IF we are Pentecostal should we compromise what we stand for and what we believe in order to be associated with other groups? Can we learn from North Pointe, sure we can. Could they learn from us, yes but they won't. It always is a one way street. We sacrifice the Holy Spirit on the altar of church growth every single time. We pay lip service to "teaching these new believers about the Holy Spirit later" but it NEVER happens.

Unity is not the problem.

Acts-pert Poster Posts: 16509 **11/2/16 2:10 pm**

I'll just let Patrick tell his experience. I am sure that NP is not telling him that he can't be Pentecostal. How silly.

Acts-pert Poster Posts: 16509 **11/2/16 2:26 pm**

BTW, North Point doesn't have an "e" on the end. It is named North Point because it is located on North Point Parkway in Alpharetta, GA just down the road from North Point Mall, where, BTW, I ran my best 5k. 😀

Larry/Brother James

Bound By Beaulah Posts: 1003 **11/2/16 5:54 pm**

Larry I have no idea why Salvation got brought up. I didn't say that you couldn't be saved with speaking in tongues! I find it hard to believe that a Pentecostal Church could aline with some one who des not believe that Pentecost is still alive today. Church of God still believe that The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is evidence by speaking in Tongues. Brother James great point!!
_________________
Ronnie Lingerfelt A/K/A 4 golf.

01000001 01100011 01110100 01110011 Posts: 24285 **11/2/16 11:45 pm**

I am assuming that the idea is fellowship and winning souls to Christ. I am always amazed when this is dismissed. I wondered this from a child. I remember hearing 'ignorant' statements like, "Of course Methodist and Baptist will go to heaven, but they are not as close to God as we are. because we have the Holy Ghost!"
_________________
Some facts but mostly just my opinion!
jacsher@aol.com
http://shipslog-jack.blogspot.com/

We are still Pentecostal

Friendly Face Posts: 116 **11/3/16 7:09 am**

....and North Point knew it before they approached us. They received our doctrinal statements and complete a thorough vetting of churches, pastors, and key staff members before extending the invitation to join their network. During the vetting process, they encouraged us to remain true to our Pentecostalism and have had absolutely NO issue with it. I have also come to realize that there are several Pentecostals on staff and in key leadership positions in the NP organizations.

The Bridge is Pentecostal, but would likely still be a disappointment to some of our COG brothers and sister who equate Pentecostalism as loud, hyper emotional, and distinctive only in certain manifestations. I will not get into a theological conversation or respond to requests to unpack that statement. There are numerous other threads that have tackled that issue. Let me simply summarize what I mean by that to say we believe doing things in 'decency and order' provides the Scriptural guardrails for what is acceptable Pentecostal expression.

The leaders at North Point do believe in the operation of the Holy Spirit and the supernatural. But quite frankly, my staff and I are more aligned with North Point's approach to ministry and fulfilling the Great Commission than we are with are with many of our Church of God churches. Our hope is to help our Church of God brothers and sisters that we care deeply for lower their defenses and reduce the perceived threat that keeps far too many of our COG pastor and people from being as effective as they can be in fulfilling the Great Commission.

I have grown weary trying to defend IF we are Pentecostal or not and will resist from being drug into new conversations that now question if we are Pentecostal enough or not. What makes working with North Point so refreshing is the 'what-ever-it-takes' focus on fulfilling the Great Commission. That attitude and approach has made them a target among all denominations and churches that prefer to focus on their doctrinal distinctives at the expense of losing focus on the lost and parting command of Christ.

And I rest my case

Acts-celerater Posts: 935 **11/3/16 8:45 am**

And so it goes... btw we are not loud, hyper or over emotional. WE are not country redneck pentecostal. We are more Bethel, IHOP etc in our worship style but we are overtly pentecostal / charismatic unashamedly so. Patrick surely is a man of God, but he is throwing out the baby with the bath water. He is sacrificing the move of the Holy Spirit on the altar of seekers. And if he hasn't yet, great but mark my words they will eventually. Just sayin..

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 14803 **11/3/16 8:53 am**

Brotherjames, your words seem so empty because you couldn't refrain from misrepresenting your fellow believers. What authority do your words have when you have accused people who are not cessationists of being that?
How can you convince people how crucial the Holy Spirit is when you are not yielded enough to refrain from misrepresenting your fellow posters.
http://www.actscelerate.com/viewtopic.php?t=86142

Patrick

Acts Mod Posts: 3346 **11/3/16 9:06 am**

Thank you for being willing to get out of the box. Even at the expense of criticism from your fellow CoG ministers.

Win the lost. Introduce your community to Christ.

Let the critics rave.
_________________
Recorded Sermons @ www.pastorwiley.com

No one who died without Christ is happy about their decision.

Hey Bonnie

Acts-celerater Posts: 935 **11/3/16 9:41 am**

love u sis, but get over it. My words are only hollow to you. I stand by what I said. Your comments that produced the reaction from me clearly made your stance on those issues known. If you are not a cessationist then embrace the supernatural God and His Spirit unashamedly and quit nit picking and criticizing people who are merely trying to have all that the Lord will give them by His Spirit in their ministries.