Centerpoint Community Church

09/03/2026

Hello, Good People,

As you know, I was a history teacher some years ago. I love to read about the past and I am often fascinated by the culture of various periods in history. I have always found castles interesting. Many castles had secret rooms and passages. Such hidden spaces in the walls, in the roof, or behind works of art were for protection and escape when under siege. During the reign of Elizabeth I of England many secret rooms were built in order to hide and protect priests from persecution. These secret rooms were called “priest holes.” Over the centuries people have used secret hiding places in order to protect themselves from danger. We all need safe places. During our lifetime we experience constant ups and downs, happy days and hard days, good news and devastating news, temptations and cruelty, evil and doubt.

Where do you go when you need to get away or where do you go when you want to hide? You might lock yourself in your home, or you might take a trip somewhere for a few days until you’re better equipped to deal with whatever is troubling you. David had a hiding place, a secret refuge that he trusted. Psalm 32:7-8 “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.” To make the Lord your hiding place is to go to Him and be still, undisturbed, and undistracted and wait.

Notice that David did not say “a” Hiding place, but “my” hiding place. As you know, there is a huge difference between “a” and “my.” David learned how to live in his hiding place by walking through various trials. Our trials are never fun nor welcome, and learning to walk and live in them also is not fun. But this life is full of trouble. In order to feel safe, you have to be able to trust the one who is protecting or shielding you. Who is more trustworthy than Christ? He always does what He says. He is true to His every word at all times because He is perfectly good. He will always do what is right. He is your Hiding Place. Do you know that David was on the run and hiding from King Saul for 10 years. Just as a priest hole offered a hidden, secure refuge from hostile outside forces, Jesus is often described in Scripture as a "refuge," a "fortress," or a "strong tower" for those in distress or facing spiritual adversity. Being "hidden" implies protection from spiritual condemnation and the ultimate security of one's soul. Spurgeon said, “Personal claims upon our God are the joy of spiritual life. To lay our hand upon the Lord with the clasp of a personal ‘MY’ is delight at its full.”

Corrie ten Boom's famous book, The Hiding Place, chronicles her family's efforts to shelter Jewish people during World War II and her reliance upon God while imprisoned in a concentration camp. It has also inspired numerous Christian hymns and modern worship songs focused on finding strength and safety in faith. The physical "hiding place" built in the Ten Boom home to protect Jewish refugees mirrors the biblical picture of Christ as a sanctuary and fortress for the vulnerable and persecuted. May He be your sanctuary in times of trouble and may you let Him be your hiding place.

Announcements:

1. Our Worship Service begins at 10:30a.m.

2. Sunday School for all ages begins on Sunday, September 13

3. We will begin AWANA Club on Monday, September 14 at 6:30p.m. Are you interested in being an Awana leader or helper? See Ron or Trudy Collins.

4. Mid-week Bible Study (Wednesday evening) will begin on September 16. *There will be a separate women’s study taught by Stephanie Wilsey. *There will be a separate men’s study taught by Pastors Steve & Stephen

5. S.E.N.T Men’s Fellowship will meet Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 6:30p.m. at Claude Henry’s home 112 Heather Dr. Monaca, 15061

6. A Women’s Daytime Bible Study will begin on Thursday, September 24 at 10:00a.m. The study will be on the book of Ephesians and taught by Luann Harrell Lewis.

7. Centerpoint’s Picnic will be held on Sunday, September 27 immediately after the worship service. There is a cost of $10.00 per family (that’s $10.00 per family not per person) for the food which includes: chicken, ziti, meatballs, green beans and almonds, and cake. You must bring your own drink.

8. Super Seniors: Let’s take a ride on the Gateway Clipper – Wednesday, Oct. 7.from 12 Noon – 2 p.m. Cost: $57.47 per person + $10 parking per car. This includes your “passage,” buffet luncheon, and musical entertainment.*Sign-up in the foyer. See Carol Radatovich for more information. The money is due by September 6. Please pay Carol by check by this Sunday.

9. We are looking for child-care volunteers. We are looking for child-care workers for Children’s Church for the fall. If interested, please see Stacie Vesolich.


In Christ Together,

Pastor Steve

09/02/2026

Our Centerpoint ladies had a lovely time tonight at Vesuvio' s restaurant: great fellowship and delicious food! Thank you, Laurie Kelly, for organizing this and presenting a special devotional for our group.

08/28/2026

Dear Friends,

Do you ever ask God to bless you? Some think it’s too selfish to ask God to bless them. God wants to bless you. How do I know that? Look at the following verses:

Psalm 5:12 “For surely, O LORD, You bless the righteous; You surround them with Your favor as with a shield”

2 Cor.9:8 “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work”

John 1:16 “From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another.”

Do you believe that you’re a candidate for God’s blessing? I hope that you’re saying YES! God says you are! Blessing is the answer to the ultimate human question, “What is the good life?” Blessing is different from success, because it begins with God. Every time God blesses, it's a gift of grace. The Hebrew word for blessed is barak. The verb barak is used 330 times in the Bible. It means “To invoke Divine favor upon, to bring the benefits of God to man.”

When a blessing is pronounced over you at the end of the worship service, it’s not a meaningless tradition. It’s a proclamation of Christ’s Victory. Okay, let’s pretend that we are about to board a plane in order to travel to a certain place. This is an imaginary plane, so get ready to board it. No baggage will be allowed on this flight. Please make sure your attitude and blessings are secured and locked in an upright position. All negativity, hurt and discouragement is to be put away. If you lose altitude under pressure during the flight, reach up and pull down a prayer. Prayers will automatically be activated by faith. Once your faith is activated, you can assist other passengers. The Captain (God) has cleared us for take-off. The destination is happiness and a sound mind. I hope that you left all negativity, hurt and discouragement behind you on this flight.


May God richly bless all of you as you travel through this maze that we call life. Please make Sunday a day given to the Lord. Let nothing interfere with your worship of our Lord and Savior.

Announcements:

1. Our Worship Service begins at 10:30a.m.

2. AWANA Leader Training on Monday, August 31 at 6:30p.m. Meeting for all current Awana leaders and helpers and anyone who wishes to volunteer. Are you interested in being an Awana leader or helper? See Ron or Trudy Collins.

3. Ladies Dinner on Tuesday, September 1 at 6:00p.m. at Vesuvio’s t. Please sign up on the sign up sheet on the table in the foyer.

4. Sunday School for all ages begins on Sunday, September 13

5. Mid-week Bible Study (Wednesday evening) will begin on September 16. *There will be a separate women’s study taught by Stephanie Wilsey. *There will be a separate men’s study taught by Pastors Steve & Stephen

6. S.E.N.T Men’s Fellowship will meet Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 6:30p.m. at Claude Henry’s home 112 Heather Dr. Monaca, 15061

7. A Women’s Daytime Bible Study will begin on Thursday, September 24 at 10:00a.m. The study will be on the book of Ephesians and taught by Luann Harrell Lewis.

8. Super Seniors: Let’s take a ride on the Gateway Clipper – Wednesday, Oct. 7.from 12 Noon – 2 p.m. Cost: $57.47 per person + $10 parking per car. This includes your “passage,” buffet luncheon, and musical entertainment. *Sign-up in the foyer. See Carol Radatovich for more information. The money is due by September 20. Please pay Carol. Please pay by check, if possible to Carol, and then she will make one payment for all of us.

9. We are looking for child-care volunteers. We are looking for child-care workers for Children’s Church for the fall. If interested, please see Stacie Vesolich.

12. September Birthdays: Aurora Mae Frey 9/2; A.J. Hull 9/3; Shianne Baker 9/4; Alyssa Woelfel 9/7; Dalashay Whitehead 9/7; Abigail Eck 9/9; Angela Reckner 9/10; Hannah Rose Reiner 9/11; Tracey Hamilton 9/12; Andrew Reiner 9/12; Carol Radatovich 9/14; Robert Ronbinson 9/16; Karen Zook 9/17; Leroy Lewis 9/18; Ava Morris 9/19; Abigail Eck 9/20; Jesse Culley 9/21; Ruth Radovich 9/24; Leia Cipriani 9/25; Chuck Hull 9/26; Rob Weiss 9/30.

(If you have a birthday in September that was not listed here, please make sure that Pastor Steve receives that information)



In Christ Together,

Pastor Steve

08/23/2026

Great reminder as we start the new week. Have a blessed week!

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

08/22/2026

Our Super Seniors had a perfect summer picnic. Thank you, Jane and David, for hosting. We appreciated your hospitality so much! The food, by all, was delicious, the fellowship great, the music by Dave Holbert and Bob Vallecorsa awesome, and our closing time of prayer, and a special devotional time led by Dave Howell was meaningful. We also loved the God Bless America musical montage. And we beat the rain !!!

08/22/2026

1) There is a time change for the Super Seniors' Picnic at the Howell Home. Our starting time is now 1:00 P.M- not 4:00 P.M. They are forecasting possible rain in the late afternoon, so by starting the picnic earlier, this gives us a nice time of sunshine before any possible rain. But rain or shine.... we Super Seniors will have a good time!

08/22/2026

Good Morning Church,

Have you noticed that life is constantly changing and can do so quite suddenly? Life always seems to be in flux, in a state of change, whereas we tend to desire stability and consistency. Change is constant and always will be as long as we live on this planet. Sometimes the changes are good and sometimes the changes are not so good. Challenges can stop us dead in our tracks, or they can cause us to move forward. Life will never be without challenges. I have certainly had my fair share of challenges in life, and I’m sure that you have had your fair share of challenges in life. In fact, you may be going through a crisis right now. You may be facing some stormy days and stormy nights – nights full of pain and terror, but God says in His Word, “And it came to pass.” Each period of life comes to pass.

Did you know that the phrase “And it came to pass” is found 452 times in the KJV? I want to point out to you that it does not say, “And it came to stay." When you are going through tough times, remember that it will pass. Those times come so that we might grow, learn, change, and be used by God for His purposes. While you are going through those tough times, it is possible that you might not see the light at the end of the tunnel, but that too will come to pass. You may feel hopeless, lost, and completely stuck in one place. I want to encourage you that the trials and troubles you are now facing will not last forever. Those problems don’t come to stay. They come for a season and pass on. No matter how bad your situation may seem, it will come to pass. Then you will be able to move on in life.

In the meantime, stay focused on God and don’t give up. Fix your eyes on Jesus and not on what is seen. 2 Corinthians 4:18 says, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” Don’t let the difficult times of life destroy you. Don’t let the difficult times of life control you. They will pass.

A story is told of a Sunday class that was asked one question: In your time of discouragement, what is your favorite Scripture. One young man said, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” from Psalm 23:1. A middle-aged woman said, “God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” from Psalm 46:1. Another woman said, “In this world you shall have tribulations, but be of good cheer, I have overcome this world” from John 16:33-35. Then an 80-yr.old gentleman stood up and said, my favorite verse in times of trouble is, “And it came to pass.” It’s found hundreds of times in the Bible. He went on to say, when I was 30 years old, I lost my job. I had six children and a wife to take care of. I didn’t know how I was going to be able to care for them, but I did. And it came to pass. At age 40 one of my children had a terrible accident. It didn’t look good, but in time things worked out. Although it was difficult for a while, he fully recovered from that accident. And it came to pass. At age 50 my house burned to the ground. We lost everything. Nothing was saved out of the house, but we survived. And it came to pass. At age 75 my wife died very suddenly. I lost my best friend. The agony I went through in each of those situations was unbelievable. Each time I looked in the bible, I saw one of the many verses that said, “And it came to pass.” I felt that God was telling me, my pain and my circumstances were also going to pass and that God would get me through it. And that’s why “And it came to pass” is my favorite verse in the Bible.”

Announcements:

1. Our Worship Service begins at 10:30a.m.

2. The Super Seniors will gather at the Howell Farm for a picnic this Saturday, Aug. 22 at 1:00. Note: this is a changed time from 4:00 due to the late afternoon rain. Please bring a food item.

3. Fantasy Football Draft Night: This Sunday evening at 6:00p.m.

4. A night of prayer & worship at Centerpoint: Wednesday, Aug. 26 at 7:00p.m.

5. AWANA Leader Training on Monday, August 31 at 6:30p.m. Meeting for all current Awana leaders and helpers and anyone who wishes to volunteer.

6. Super Seniors: Let’s take a ride on the Gateway Clipper – Wednesday, Oct. 7. from 12 Noon – 2 p.m. Cost: $57.47 per person + $10 parking per car. This includes your “passage,” buffet luncheon, and musical entertainment. *Sign-up in the foyer. See Carol Radatovich for more information. The money is due by September 20. Please pay Carol. The best method is to write a check made payable to Carol Radadovich, and then she will send one check from all of us.

7. Ladies' Dinner on Tuesday, September 1 at 6:00p.m. at Vesuvio’s. Please sign up on the sign-up sheet on the table in the foyer.

8. Sunday School for all ages begins on Sunday, September 13

9. Do you wish to serve as an usher or a greeter? If you would like to serve as an Usher, please see Josh Wilsey. If you would like to serve as a Greeter, please see Sharyn Faulk.

10. We are looking for child-care volunteers. We are looking for child-care workers for Children’s Church for the fall. If interested, please see Stacie Vesolich. If you need to update your clearances, please see Amy Langelli..

11. We will begin AWANA Club again in the fall. Are you interested in being an

Awana leader or helper? See Ron or Trudy Collins.

In Christ Together,

Pastor Steve

08/19/2026

Fun times with the Little Lambs! We had a great summer! What a wonderful group of kids!

08/18/2026

Our hearts are full today! ✨ A massive shoutout to our Helping Hands ministry and its incredible leader, Angela Morris, for an amazingly successful outreach event.

Today, our dedicated team hit the road to deliver some much-needed blessings to local apartments. Thanks to your support, we were able to distribute:

🎒 Backpacks

🛒 Grocery bags full of food

🧼 Essential hygiene items

Thank you so much to every single volunteer who showed up and poured love into our community today. We truly couldn't do this without you! Check out the video of today's service below to see the joy we shared. 📹👇