From Nancy Caldara

I thank the church and God for the opportunity of extending Christ’s love to others!

I thought about whom I could best help and use the money wisely. I was thinking about pooling the money with a few others in my small group and helping some other people but after praying about it, God brought some others to mind.

I have a co-worker that just lost his mother about a week and a half ago. He had not seen his mother in twelve years and was going to go see her in Nov. He doesn’t make a large salary, always glad to help others and has a wonderful attitude. He left on his trip the night before I was going to approach him. I wrote a note to him saying how much he is valued and appreciated, that I was sorry for his loss of his mother, that he and his family were in my prayers, and hoped this would help with a need and help to encourage him. I added the Pointe Project card and some money. I put it in his mailbox. Waiting to hear how that goes.

I also reached out to a single mom with a young child on my bowling league that I have known for years. She is a dear person, very kind and thoughtful. She recently lost her job and struggles at times to make ends meet. She has got another job but know that she buys for her daughter and often forgets about herself. I purchased a gift card, included the Pointe Project card and included a note and gave it to her. In the note I wrote expressing how much she is valued and loved by God and others and hoped that would help with a need or concern. I also wrote the gift card was not from me. She was so thankful! I will be anxious to share more about the Lord.

From Chris Robison

My name is Chris Robison and the Sunday that they gave us the money.Somebody immediatelycame to my mind, I have a friend that is going through a very bad divorce.With a husband that is not paying any child support to help feed and carefor her two children. So I went home that night and prayed that if there wasanyone else out there who needed the money more that God would show me andif He didn't I was meant to give it to my friend. As her need was greater, Iwent out and bought three bags of groceries and made her special doughnutsfrom my job I took the hundred dollars and the card and placed it in the box of doughnuts. I took it over to her and told her there was a specialdoughnut in the box just for her, and when she saw the money she started torefuse. I stopped her and I told her that it wasn't from me and at that timeshe looked very confused and said "What do you mean it's not from you?" andI said "It's not from me it's from God." and she still was confused andlooked at me and said "How can it be from God?" and i told her that it is agift from God. So I started to explain to her how our church had offered agift from God for us to go out and give in His name. She said the hair onthe back of her neck was standing up and said that it was a very specialgift for a church to give and said that we must have a special church to goto. And she was very greatfull and used it to help her children. She is achristian and and is very greatfull. As a christian I felt priveliged togive this gift in God's name. And it's an experience I will never forget andneither will she.Thank You- Chris Robison

From Ida Bullion

Ida called to tell us that the best experience she had with Pointe Project was when she gave $30 to the cashier at her usual latte stand to pay for the drinks for those in line behind her. Receiving this act of generosity inspired generosity in others as well and the folks who run the latte stand said that for two days people continued to spontaneously pay for the drinks of those behind them in line!

Aubrey Clement's Experience

I must say that I had an interesting experience, which certainly left me shaken and confused.

I was going about my day running family and business errands that brought me to the Canyon Road exit at 512, where time and time again I have seen men and women sitting by the roadside asking for help or handouts of any kind. Time and time again I sped on past without a look or even a glance in their direction. Often thinking to myself that they really don’t need it or if I gave them money they would use it in an inappropriate way.

Today was a different day……as I came to a stop at the light the man that I am sure I ignored so many times before was right next to me. God spoke to me in that moment that I wasn’t going to pass this man again without doing something for him. As the light turned green I asked God to lead me in what to do. Warm lunch, it’s cold outside he needs a warm lunch. So I went to the nearest store and bought chicken noodle soup (the warm fresh kind you can get any day for a quick lunch at Safeway) a bottle of water and a Kit- Kat bar. I actually purchased two meals one for the man sitting on the opposite exit ramp too. On my way back I noticed that the second man was gone and so I decided that I would give both meals to the gentleman I had seen first. Unable to go down the exit ramp, I had to pull just ahead, pull off to the right and put my four ways on and cross the street to deliver the meal. As I stood waiting for the light to change, loud voices from the cars nearby started to fill the air…..asking me if I was going to give what I had in my hand to THAT GUY?

“Yes”, I said.

“Don’t do it” was his response “he makes more money than we do”.

“I don’t know that” I replied and kept walking. As I delivered the meal to the nameless man, I placed my hand on his back and said lunch is on me. As I started back to my car again people were calling out from their cars, voices filled the air…asking “why was I doing that?” “He is a scam artist and he doesn’t need it,” and “I can’t believe you gave him money.”

As I got in my car and drove off a flood of emotion came over me and I can’t quite tell you how I felt at that moment. Why did these people care so much that I was helping this man? What did Jesus go through to help others? I was not prepared for the reaction I got from others, but the man said thank you, and that was all I needed to hear.

Aubrey Clement

One Person's Observations

I thought this was a great opportunity to really think about how I am helping my community. With the Pointe Project, I was able to help out others in need financially and spiritually without being pushy. Doors were open and people were willing to talk. One woman who was a single mom (her husband had to leave the country) had been struggling the last couple of months. Being able to share the joy of Christ with her really meant a lot to me and to her. It made me realize how important just talking with others really can be.

Pastor Kevin's Experience So Far -- Let Us Hear Yours!

After taking a week to think and pray about what to do, Nancy, myself and younger daughter, Audrey, took the Pointe Project to Audrey’s high school soccer game last night. We bought the first twenty tickets for those in attendance and then at half time passed out homemade brownies and cookies to everyone in the home and visitor stands. Audrey handed out bags of candy to her soccer team before the game. Our approach was to try and touch as many people as possible and encourage them with the cards to pass on acts of love to others. Besides just feeling good doing something for others, I was intrigued by how many people looked with skepticism on our acts of love. There were enough looks of hesitation about receiving our gifts that made me think about how foreign grace really is and how misunderstood it can be. The “nothing is free in life” mentality is alive and well in our culture and acts of grace and love truly are “invasions” into our normal way of living. No wonder Jesus’ message today is so hard to believe for so many. I hope to do my part in changing that mentality and extending God’s invasion of grace. --Pastor Kevin

The Pointe Project Has Begun!

On Sunday, October 7th, the people of High Pointe Community Church began an outreach called the Pointe Project. High Pointe placed money in the hands of each family present to be used to help and to bless those in need outside the High Pointe church family. It is our goal to act as the hands and feet of Jesus as we see opportunities to meet tangible needs in a spirit of Christian love. As we do, we ask others to do an act of kindness for someone else.

Watch this blog for posts of what's happening as the Pointe Project unfolds. If you have been impacted by the Pointe Project, either as a participant or a recipient, we would love to hear your story!