Many who watch Christian television may marvel at the stadium-like sanctuaries featured in some churches across the country. They seem filled to capacity, even in the nosebleed seats. However, will a mega-church atmosphere bring more people to Christ?
Those at Centerpoint Church say, no. The church, under the leadership of Senior Pastor Jeff Porte focuses on Jesus’ command to “go out into the world to make disciples, ( scripture?) Porte is a leader on the Southwest Michigan Reformed Churches’ Multiplication Team and goes to the jails and other places to bring souls to Christ. Executive Pastor Bill Crawford said Porte has the gift of evangelism. He said Porte uses that gift in leading all 26 on staff and his congregation.
That vision has led to Centerpoint go into neighborhoods and farm communities to build up smaller churches. They have trained pastors who have gone out to build up and lead The River located downtown Kalamazoo, The Bridge in Portage, Vanguard on the city’s south side, Northpoint in Plainwell, and New Community in Lawton.
Crawford said by starting a church in a community where many of the congregation members live, it allows them to feel more connected, grow in Christ, and in turn become disciples to bring more to Christ.
“Last Sunday the total of all the (satellite) churches more than doubled what we had here,” said Crawford who has been executive pastor for four years and is former state director of Fellowship Christian Athletes.
“In John 12:32 it says, ‘if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.’ Whatever we do, should always point back to Christ as the center of it all,” said Crawford.
History of Centerpoint Church
Centerpoint began in 1880 as a Dutch Reformed Church. Their members originally met in an apple orchard and later built their church on the corner of Elizabeth Street and Westnedge Avenue, on the north side of Kalamazoo. The area then was mostly Dutch and so were its churches.
When the Reformed church began conducting their services in English, the churches added First, Second, or Third Reformed to their title, according to Crawford. In the 1980s, after more than 100 years, the church moved to its current location at 2345 N. 10th St. in Kalamazoo.
Last fall the local church changed its name to Centerpoint. Crawford said the move was a step to eliminate a barrier for those seeking Christ, who may not gravitate toward the “Reformed” church denomination.
The Future of Centerpoint
In seeking to point believers to Christ, the church has been conducting research. They have studied the 10-year plan of Kalamazoo and learned by 2015, metropolitan Kalamazoo will be expanding west. They said that expansion would place Centerpoint Church near the center of the city. They also conducted a survey of those living within a five-mile radius of the church. What they learned was that those in the area wanted a community center which offered everything from exercise to financial classes.
They listened and on August 1, 2009, opened The Point Community Center. The center, operated by a board separate from the church, offers state-of-the art exercise equipment, wireless internet, The Coffee House, and drop-in basketball and volleyball games. Eliza Bast, executive director of The Point, said its gym includes a high school regulation-size court and two regulation-size volleyball courts.
Since its opening Bast said more than 10,000 people have come through its doors to use its facilities for everything from home-school basketball leagues and national Bridge tournaments to Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace programs and trainings for organizations.
“We wanted to provide a place that would be for those, who may have never come through church doors,” Bast said. “Once they come through the doors, we can build relationships, and planks for them to walk across toward that relationship with Christ.”
While The Point is connecting people, other ministry leaders say it is a vehicle to bring more people into the church.
Sally VanderBent is Women’s Ministry leader and oversees “Solid Ground for Women,” weekly Bible studies. She said nearly 100 women attend the 12-week Bible study sessions, which focus on a variety of topics. During the study time childcare is provided which allows some stay-at-home moms to have a respite and that devotion, and fellowship time they need.
“Our goal is to keep women in God’s Word. Through The Point and other programs, we can get these women in our doors, and connect them to Christ,” she added.
Crawford is excited about the vision Pastor Porte has casts for the church. From its high-tech nursery to its missions efforts in Africa, he said they key is that those in the church know and use their gifts to bring others to Christ.
“Apostle Paul said, ‘I am make all things to all men, that I might by all means save some,’ (1 Corinthians 9:22), said Crawford. “As churches get larger, they have to get smaller relationally in order to keep connected to the Kingdom.”
