If you knew that tomorrow would be your last day with the people that you care about most what would you spend your time telling them? Would you use your final day to tell them empty stories? Or would you use that time to re-emphasize the things that are of the most importance?

Today is Maundy Thursday. Maundy is derived from the Latin word that means “mandate” or “commandment” and it is a day that we remember the actions of Christ on the final day before His crucifixion.

What is the “commandment” that Jesus gave on this day that was of such importance that we have named the day after it?

You can find it in John 13:34 & 35

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

The command that Jesus gave his disciples hours before His death dealt with the issue of love. Not the issue of power. Or control. Or religion. Or rules. Or sacrifice.

It was love.

As His followers may we remember this command given to us by our King. May we be a people that are recognized by our love for each other. Not for our glory, but for His fame, that the world may know that we are His Disciples.

Adam Legg
Communications Director

Adam Legg is the Communications Director at ChangePoint church in Anchorage, Alaska
and a regular blogger at www.AdamLegg.com

I just wanted to give a personal update and “What happened to Mark Adams.” So, as someone I have shared in ministry with over the last 10 years I wanted to share my heart with you.

·         What a Ride: I have LOVED and enjoyed serving you and your children at CP for past 10 years. It has been a personal passion to see kids step into life in Christ and connect with church in a way that is full of grace and truth. So many of you shared that passion and we saw God do amazing things in families. The 10-year journey took us from 400 kids on the weekend at Sentry Campus to 1000 kids on the weekend at ChangePoint. We set up and tore down an entire children’s ministry every Sunday at Dimond high school for two years. Then came the 125% growth moving into our new digs here. Wow, what a run.

·         A New Passion: God began to retool or shape my passion over the course of the last 12 months. I was open with leadership that I saw a change in my future towards a ministry of launching teens into adulthood. This passion was shaped by our own stage of life with launching 3 kids into adulthood this past two years. We have had dozens of young college students in our home and saw God use Gwen and I together at a time when these young adults needed it most.

·         Time for Change: At the same time that God has been brewing a new passion, things became more difficult for me at ChangePoint. My role became more and more administrative and problem solving rather than spending time challenging families and interacting with kids. The CP leadership recommended and I agreed to move on and pursue my passion for young adults and let someone else pick up the torch and run with it in the Children’s Ministry department. Although I am not on staff anymore at ChangePoint I am a fully engaged member of ChangePoint, passionate about our churches vision of Life in Christ for Every Alaskan and the World Beyond.  

·         Next Step in Ministry: God has used this time to refuel me personally and fan into flame my passion and calling to a college age ministry. I am in the final stages pursuing and launching a college age ministry here in Alaska through a national para-church organization. We hope to have these plans solidified soon. Please pray with us as all this comes together.   This is a strategic and critical ministry that the college age students of this state need.   More info to come on this as things progress.

·         Providing for my family in the meantime: As I begin to build a team and raise financial support, God has provided for our family  through a job at Continental Mazda-Volvo-Suzuki. I get to work with my good friend Rob Lellig.  As it turns out, I am enjoying selling cars and helping people get a great deal. I happen to be good at it. Who knew?? My wife made me promise not to drive home with a new Volvo but hopefully I will convince her in time. Stop by and visit anytime or give me a call (907) 382-1432. You have a friend in the car business!! I work Sunday through Thursday.

·         Friend me on Facebook: I would love to hear from you. So many of you and your kids have had an impact on me that will last a lifetime. Also, if you would like to be included in the information loop as we make inroads into college student’s lives in our states please let us know. Your love and friendship towards our family over the course of my time as your Children’s Pastor at ChangePoint has meant the world to me and I want to stay connected with you.   The best way is through FaceBook. 

Thank you for taking the time to let me update you.  What I most need from you as our family is in transition is your prayers! Change on this scale is never easy. It was never my intention to just disappear or leave you uninformed. Please know you are loved and I know many of you have been praying for us as a family and we have felt those prayers.

Blessings,
Mark Adams

9321 Snow Bear Drive
Anchorage, Alaska
99516
(907) 382-1432

mark.adams1432@gmail.com

They welcomed him as a king.

They worshiped. They laid palm branches at his feet. They celebrated the arrival of someone who… maybe… just maybe… could be the Messiah.

They thought that he had arrived to begin to build a kingdom.

And they were right.

Only he did it in a way that no one expected.

The culture of that day was looking for a political savior that would reign over Israel forever and they were looking for political freedom from those that had oppressed them for so long.

What Jesus brought was not political freedom, but spiritual freedom. Not release from captivity of political oppression, but release from captivity of spiritual oppression.

When they realized that the kingdom that Jesus had come to establish didn’t provide the comforts that they thought the coming Messiah should, they turned. Their shouts of “Hosanna” turned to screams of “Crucify!”

The kingdom that would bring life would be established through death.

This Palm Sunday we remember the arrival of our King into Jerusalem.

We remember the beginning of the end.

And we worship.

Adam Legg
Communications Director

Adam Legg is the Communications Director at ChangePoint church in Anchorage, Alaska
and a regular blogger at www.AdamLegg.com

Hello, ChangePoint ministers of the Gospel!

Thanks for taking the time to read our monthly newsletters. This is a great opportunity for the staff and elders to keep you up to speed on news, changes, challenges, and victories happening around ChangePoint.

First, let me take a second to remind you to exercise your freedom to vote on April 3rd. God has blessed us with the freedom and responsibility to shape our city. So take time to be informed, and be people of influence in Anchorage!

We are about half way through our planning process for our next ministry year that will begin in the fall. Department leaders and deacon teams are working hard to craft plans that will help our church family grow together as disciples of Jesus Christ and missionaries to our city, state and beyond. God continues to open doors for ChangePoint to use our time, talent, treasure and touch to expand his kingdom. This week, Dan Jarrell, Jim Capaldo and I spent a day with some awesome pastors from Fairbanks and Juneau to discuss how we can better work together to see more Alaskans become followers of Jesus.

This week our Executive Leadership Team had the tough job of cutting budgets for every department of the church. With the advice of the elders and our Finance Team, we’ve trimmed next year’s annual budget by $343,000 ($6,200 per week), to match the average giving for the last year. This will result in cuts in spending on all areas of ministry by this fall if giving remains at current levels. Please pray for our staff, as this is as emotionally difficult as it is practically challenging. However, if giving can increase to cover our existing needs by this fall, we’ll not have to make some of these cuts. So, please, also ask God to provide for his plans through his people.

This semester, I’ve been taking the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement class on Wednesday evenings. It has been eye-opening for me and my wife! Our appreciation for the mission of the Church in the world has grown tremendously! I’d highly recommend this course for anyone to find clarity on what it means to be used by God in a lost world.

We’ve had some great discussion in the last month about transitioning toward a church that is centered around discipleship groups who are living life and growing together like Jesus and his disciples all over our city! While living on mission is important for every follower of Christ, it is only one part of a follower’s life in Christ. It’s easier to get excited about the mission and neglect a balanced life of discipleship, winding up with a life that’s like a bike with lop-sided tires. Let’s seek to live lives characterized by enjoying God, and being transformed by him, so that we are credible witnesses when we demonstrate his heart to others!

Please keep your church in your prayers as we continue to plan for the coming ministry year. Looking forward to writing to you again in May.

Blessings,

Jay Pullins

A favorite bible passage of mine is John 10:10 in which Jesus says "I came that you might have life, and have it to the full."  I think many of us believe that at a head level, but at times doubt it at a heart level.  Despite what Jesus says, we have this unspoken fear that in some areas, He is going to take away, not fill us up.  We especially fear this in the area of finances and giving.

There are many reasons for this but fundamentally it comes down to this:  Our life experience in the here and now demonstrates that we don't fill something up by giving away the filler.  We don't fill up a jar of marbles by giving the marbles away, or fill up a cookie jar by giving away the cookies we just made, or fill up our life giving away the stuff we draw life from.  Therein lies the problem:  We often live our lives as though the stuff we have is what we need to be content and enjoy life.

As in virtually every other area of life, spiritual truth runs counter to our natural thoughts in this area.  Perhaps this is best summed up in Isaiah 55:8 - 9:

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord.

"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

In the area of giving, I submit to you this thought:
Giving back financially to the Lord and His work is primarily for the benefit of the giver.

Here's why:

Faith - It increases our faith in the Lord as our provider when we give back to Him first what ever we have decided in our heart to give.  When we give first, knowing we have to live on what is left (instead of giving if there is anything left), we take a very real and tangible step of faith to walk in the truth that He is our provider.

Focus - It helps us to maintain a life focus on things of eternal and spiritual importance when we consistently give of our earthly treasure toward those things.  "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  Matthew 6:21

In addition to those personal benefits, our giving does also benefit others by providing Funding for ministry.  While this is an important reason to give because this is how God intends ministry to be funded, I list it after the first two personal benefits because I am convinced first and foremost Christ wants personal relationship with each of us.  The Faith and Focus aspects directly impact that personal relationship with Him.

May you experience joy and contentment in your giving, may your Faith increase, your Focus be sharpened, and ministries that are important to you be Funded!

Rick Steele, Executive Pastor
ChangePoint

I used to travel quite a bit for work and one of the places I frequented was Juneau, Alaska.

My trips normally comprised a bumpy flight in, a couple days jam packed with meetings from morning till evening, and then a flight home. It was all about work 100% of the time and I normally got home feeling exhausted and in need of a rest.

But that all changed on one of my trips.

A friend told me about one of his favorite places, The Shrine of St. Therese, that was located a short drive outside of Juneau. I had an evening free so I decided to head out there and see what it was like. I couldn’t believe it. It was one of the most serene and peaceful places that I had ever been. I walked around the grounds, took in everything to see, and then sat alone in the small stone chapel. As I sat there I did something that I rarely did on a business trip… I stopped. I rested. I took a moment to just be still and silent.

And what a difference it made.

Even a brief rest, a brief pause in the fast paced reality of life can be the renewal that we desperately need.

That is exactly what lent is. It is a season to stop amidst the busyness of life to just breathe, rest, remember, and focus our attention on something bigger than ourselves.

So my prayer this week is that we would take time and stop. Allow yourself time with Jesus and just be with Him.

Your emails can wait. Facebook can wait. That text message will still be there. Be willing to lay those things down, even for a moment, and allow yourself a breath.

Make this a week of focus on the one thing that really matters. God Himself.

Adam Legg
Communications Director

How can I, extroverted, networked, party planning fool, be lonely? I have been blessed with a few good sisters to walk through life with. I have a husband who loves me and just wants to be with me. I have 4 children; two are married and living nearby which I see nearly every single day. But I can still be LONELY!

Life, as life does, will throw another curve ball straight at me. Actually, make that a grenade. Didn’t even see it coming, and BAM, I’VE BEEN HIT!! As I lay there wounded and deeply hurting I expect that an ambulance will come along any minute. It does not. I call for help but most run right on past. I can slide over a bit and try to protect myself and even dig around my pockets for some gauze and tape. I even pat it all down with a few well placed phrases from my extensive Christianeze vocabulary like, “just trust Jesus,” “God has a plan.” “God will do great things through this.” But, dang it all, it still just HURTS. But, the wound will become more and more insignificant as the searing loneliness takes over. All I hear is that when I am down I don’t matter. I only matter as long as I am a well-greased fighting machine. Weakness or woundedness is a liability so I best pretend and fight on. Unfortunately the festering wounds don’t heal themselves so sooner or later I will fall down.

The battle for the gospel message will rage on and it is unlikely that with so much to fight for that I won’t be missed. I won’t be wanted or even needed.

As I lay there on the ground, I long for Paul. His words handed wounded soldiers the courage to get up!


Romans 1

 8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.

 11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.


I Corinthians 1

4 I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— 6 God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you.

 3May all the gifts and benefits that come from God our Father, and the Master, Jesus Christ, be yours.

 4-6Every time I think of you—and I think of you often!—I thank God for your lives of free and open access to God, given by Jesus. There's no end to what has happened in you—it's beyond speech, beyond knowledge. The evidence of Christ has been clearly verified in your lives.
 

Philippians 1

 3-6Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart. I am so pleased that you have continued on in this with us, believing and proclaiming God's Message, from the day you heard it right up to the present. There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.
 

Colossians 1

5Our prayers for you are always spilling over into thanksgivings. We can't quit thanking God our Father and Jesus our Messiah for you! We keep getting reports on your steady faith in Christ, our Jesus, and the love you continuously extend to all Christians. The lines of purpose in your lives never grow slack, tightly tied as they are to your future in heaven, kept taut by hope.

 9-12Be assured that from the first day we heard of you, we haven't stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. We pray that you'll live well for the Master, making him proud of you as you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives.
 

1 Thessalonians 1

 2-5Every time we think of you, we thank God for you. Day and night you're in our prayers as we call to mind your work of faith, your labor of love, and your patience of hope in following our Master, Jesus Christ, before God our Father. It is clear to us, friends, that God not only loves you very much but also has put his hand on you for something special.

 7-10Do you know that all over the provinces of both Macedonia and Achaia believers look up to you? The word has gotten around. Your lives are echoing the Master's Word, not only in the provinces but all over the place. The news of your faith in God is out. We don't even have to say anything anymore—you're the message!

When I read Paul’s words of encouragement to those who are ministers of the gospel, and the church leaders I admit, I weep. Words of encouragement like cold water in the heat of a desert, those letters must have been. I imagine a room full of battle weary leaders pushing in to get a peek at those words inked on parchment. And they knew, no matter how intense the battle was, they WERE NOT ALONE. Somewhere was a man who would not fail to do battle beside them in prayer. He would not fail to lift them up. He asked God to give them the spiritual gifts they would need, he asked God to bless them and keep them unified. He asked God to establish them in love for each other. He bragged to them about the work their labor had produced all over. He spread the good gossip. Mostly, it was all they needed to just GET UP!

Where has Paul gone? I don’t see him anywhere! Yes, I work beside a few godly men and women. I have learned from them, been challenged by them, organized by them, and shared with them but have I labored with them? I don’t know. Do any of them labor for me in prayer? Not like Paul. Do I labor for any of them in prayer? Again, not like Paul. When my shield is too heavy to even hold out in front of me do they come beside me and hold my arms? Do I even have eyes to see when one of them is wounded or down and in desperate need of a kind word? Do I bring the presence of Christ, in me, to come alongside and wield a sword on their behalf and cover them with my own shield? Or do I criticize their work, Point out their weaknesses and try to find a “better battle buddy”? When I am wounded will they even notice?

Perhaps it seems unfair to compare our leaders, including myself, to the apostle Paul. But on closer look, Paul really had but one clear advantage. He was locked up in prison. He was not sailing to distant new foreign fields, he was not performing miracles or preaching from town to town. He longed to do just that but the mercy of God put him in a place where his heart for the churches would grow and where his passion for church leaders would be forced to pen and ink.

As a culture we have failed to lock up our church leaders. We ask them to do more than is humanly possible and then criticize them when they fail to display all of the spiritual gifts we think “leaders” must have. The deadlines are endless and the first thing to go, for myself included, is to do battle on behalf of my fellow leaders. I don’t LABOR in prayer (Oh sure, I still throw up a quick one but I don’t do battle). I don’t cover them with my shield. I leave them unprotected. I don’t lay down my own agenda let alone my life for a brother or sister. How can I when no one will fight for me either? At least that is the lie I choose to believe. I work next to them afraid to show my weakness or ask for help or I may be pushed aside.

This culture must change! In a church where we are moving full steam ahead with the notion that EVERY MEMBER IS A MINISTER, WE MUST BE WILLING, COMMITTED AND ACCOUNTABLE TO FIGHT ON BEHALF OF EACH OTHER FIRST! I believe God will not give us the ability to DEMONSTRATE HIS HEART to our city, state and world until we can demonstrate His heart to each other.

This will require far more than words. I must carve out a prison where I have nothing else to do but LABOR IN PRAYER, ENCOURAGE, COVER AND LOVE my fellow ministers.

Isn’t it strange how one word of encouragement can shape an entire day? Or, how  just to know that I am seen and that work I put my hand to matters? Just to have someone step up beside us and pick us up and hold our arms so we can once again get that shield out in front and FIGHT ON?

Lord, I long for Paul in my church. Lock up those you call to lead! Remove from them the burden of “too busy” so they can labor in prayer, encourage with fervor, see the wounded, and establish the church in LOVE. Cultivate in me a heart like Paul and eyes to see those who need Paul all around me. Give me the courage to lock myself away too, and consider the battle on behalf of my fellow ministers as more important than my great plans advance your kingdom.

Yours in battle until you return,

Gwen Adams