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North Pointe

LIFE OF DAD Uncategorized

LIFE OF DAD

I discovered a site in my research about Dads that I think you'll like, even if you're not a Dad. Its not a religious site but as a pastor I think its got a lot of value for the dads I know, including my two sons. Life of Dad began in 2008 as daily updates on Tommy Riles's sweet daughter Bab’s health.  Babs was born with a heart defect, and battled through life-saving surgery at just 3 days old. Tommy works on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” as her audience warm-up comic. Here is his first ever post, written when Babs was just 1 day old. Since then Life of Dad has become one of the coolest destination for dads on…
Bob Jones
June 18, 2016
8 COOL BOOKS FOR THE SUMMER Uncategorized

8 COOL BOOKS FOR THE SUMMER

Reading is one of the most powerful ways you can better yourself and your life...unless you have some munchkins underfoot. I asked some friends for their summer reading recommendations. My favorite response was a FB message from Christa Gagnon (she gave me permission to post.)As you can see, my Top Ten is down to eight, but they're great recommendations.  Ironically, the eight responses are from people with lots of books and no little children in their homes. Kathy Fowler knows my reading is typically serious, non-fiction. No regrets after following Kathy's suggestion on this page turner of a novel: "ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE" - by Anthony Doerr - A Pulitzer Prize winner about a blind French girl and…
Bob Jones
June 15, 2016
VITALITY Uncategorized

VITALITY

Eric Samuel Timm may look like an unusual choice as a speaker for a women's event but here's why any woman and especially moms would want to hear to him: put 10,000 teenagers in a hockey arena; add one, buff, mid-western American communicator; stir passionately for thirty five minutes and you get something just short of a every mom's answer to prayer. Teenagers LISTEN to him. They learn from him, laugh with him and believe what he has to say about Jesus. On Friday night at YC 2016, Eric used a banana, a can of Coke, a straw, cupcakes, Saran Wrap and a wheel barrel to light up the darkness and communicate faith. When Eric asked youth at YC 2016…
Bob Jones
May 28, 2016
ITS OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY Uncategorized

ITS OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY

One recurring dream haunts me. While the circumstances and characters change, the message always remains the same: "You are alone. You have always been alone, and you always will be alone."  I Cry Out For Help But No One Hears Sheila Walsh, singer, popular TV host and author says, "Most mornings I wake from this nightmare, shake off the worst of it, pour myself a cup of hot coffee, and embrace the new day. But sometimes the dream leaves dark little fingerprints, smudges not so easily brushed away that seem to cling to me for hours. The dream has hounded me since childhood. I see myself walking down a corridor to an execution chamber, about to be put to death…
Bob Jones
May 25, 2016
TIME TO PUT GOD TO THE TEST Uncategorized

TIME TO PUT GOD TO THE TEST

North Pointe's ministry is fueled by the passion of the men, women, teens, boys and girls who volunteer. Thank God for them. Julie Whittal is the Chairperson of North Pointe's Missions Committee and she, along with Adena Lowry and Diane Shaw, head up the Walk Run Ride for Hope annual fundraiser. (The WRR involves a 2km, 5km and 10km walk, run or ride that is fantastic for your whole family and raises money for ongoing support of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS in Harare, Zimbabwe.) Julie's Inspiring Experience "I have volunteered with the Walk Run Ride for Hope the last 3 years, and my job has been to collect donations from companies and individuals for our event. I collect money that…
Bob Jones
May 18, 2016
WELCOME FORT MCMURRAY: ALBERTA STRONG Uncategorized

WELCOME FORT MCMURRAY: ALBERTA STRONG

Albertans have been opening their homes, cupboards and wallets for fire evacuees from Fort McMurray since the city’s 80,000 residents were told to flee Tuesday. Amidst the tragedy and anguish being felt in northern Alberta, there have also been tremendous and inspiring acts of generosity and kindness. Countless stories have emerged of rescue and help efforts from good Samaritans who have provided fuel, food, water, blankets, shelter, supplies and even cash to those in great need. North Pointe was volunteered as a crisis care center indefinitely to the pastoral and counseling staff from Family Christian Centre. They are reaching out to evacuees by providing counsel, prayer, hugs, coffee, gift cards and a network of support. Don't lose track of the…
Bob Jones
May 11, 2016
WHEN A CHILD SUFFERS: A MOM’S HEART Uncategorized

WHEN A CHILD SUFFERS: A MOM’S HEART

Christa Gagnon is the proud mom of two handsome boys and one precious little girl. When all of her friends in high school were discussing which programs they were going to take in University and what they wanted to be when they “grew up” she can remember thinking that her one and only desire in life was to be a mom. Being A Mom Being a mom was the best career choice she ever made. “I will never forget the first amazing months with my first child. Looking at him and thinking that I had no idea the heart could feel that amount of love for one human being. To my surprise it was the same when Jordan was born…
Bob Jones
May 8, 2016
WE WILL COME THROUGH TOGETHER Uncategorized

WE WILL COME THROUGH TOGETHER

The first tweet about the Fort McMurray fires showed up on my phone on Tuesday night. I was in Montreal on the second night of a ministry conference. The guest speaker was just getting into his message. His subject - how God starts “spiritual fires.” For the rest of the evening there was a tragically ironic parallel as he spoke about “the fire of God” while I was seeing tweet after tweet of horrific images of the fire destroying Ft Mac. Maybe I should have been paying closer attention to the speaker but a message about fire doesn’t cut it when a fire is raging towards friends’ houses. It was termed "catastrophic," a "multi-headed monster" and a "dirty, nasty" fire. 80,000 people…
Bob Jones
May 4, 2016
ARE YOU SETTLING? Uncategorized

ARE YOU SETTLING?

"If you can be a Christian in Canada, you can be a Christian anywhere." The words got my attention. The speaker got my respect. He was new to North Pointe and relatively new to Canada. Our meeting was so Tesfaye could help me get to know him, his wife and two young daughters. His Ethiopian accent made understanding his words a challenge but there was no misunderstanding his passion. Tesfaye Debla is a pastor and a church planter in Ethiopia. Adversity's Refining Ability He knows adversity. “When you become a Christian in Ethiopia, you face opposition and alienation from your family and society. You have to think twice to be a Christian for it comes with lots of cost and life…
Bob Jones
April 28, 2016
LOVING GOD, LOVING PEOPLE: SYRIAN REFUGEES Uncategorized

LOVING GOD, LOVING PEOPLE: SYRIAN REFUGEES

R and M are Christian Syrian refugees who lived in Jordan from 2012 to 2016. One day they will read this post. We want them to know then that we embraced them even before we met them. We've called them "R and M" to protect their privacy and security. Faces of Damascus R and his wife M grew up in Damascus. Five years ago they left everything to flee the bombings. They made their way to Jordan where they were interned in a refugee camp. Even in these "safe havens," the lives of Christians are precarious. Because of their Christian faith they had to leave the refugee camp. They were taken in by Jordanian Christians while they awaited the opportunity…
Bob Jones
April 17, 2016