Southpoint Christmas Letter

To the Families and Friends of The Church at Southpoint,

It has been a full year at Southpoint. We began the year with a visit from Imam Ashafa and Pastor James; we held our 5th Annual FunFest in June; we sent our mission team to El Salvador in August; we met at the school over the summer; and we spent more than eight months exploring a coffee house initiative culminating in an approved proposal in December. We have grown numerically and have worked hard to improve and expand our financial systems, our web presence, our volunteer capacity, our children’s ministry and our worship gathering. We faced the challenge of our own internal recession and will end the year with money in the bank. That’s a lot for a church of 75, with about 50 showing up on any given Sunday!

I am grateful for all the short and long term partnerships that have made this possible: Initiatives of Change; The City of Surrey; The BC Muslim Association; Link International; Semiahmoo House; The Southpoint Children’s Centre; Canadian Baptist Ministries; White Rock, Berea and Broadmoor Baptist Churches; Emanuel Baptist, San Salvador; the Trinity Opportunity Fund . . .

. . .  and the many local businesses who have come along side us, like:  All Trans; The Tehema; Daylite Auto; Dr. Barker; Dr. Pat Gowdy; Lisa’s Pet Boutique; The Jam Room; Umberto’s Flowers; CJ Auto Repair; Shells Salon and Spa; Bakerview Reality Appraisals; PWM Consultants; Tap Urban Café; Starbucks Coffee; Peninsula Safeway.

And the many leaders who have served among us on these special tasks and projects, like: Chris; Anne; Stacey; Karolyn; Laura; Pete; Katie; Dan; Janice; Colin; and the ongoing work of the Southpoint Leadership Team.

And so many other individuals who have given their blood, sweat and tears — including those who do not consider Southpoint ‘home’ or would even call themselves ‘Christian’.

Recently, I was given an image of Southpoint from a person new to our community. He said that Southpoint seems very much like an inverted cone or funnel. It appears small when you enter but then opens up to a much larger reality than what first appears. That is the reality of a networked church. That will be the increasing reality of Southpoint as we build the coffee house. That is also, I believe, the reality of the Kingdom of God. Though a mustard seed is small, it spreads like a weed and quickly covers a whole field, refusing to be contained by fences or other artificial boundaries.

Lots to celebrate this year as we rejoice in the birth of Jesus who came in such a small, fragile and deceptively insignificant way so that he might give himself for the life of the world.

Merry Christmas!

Pastor Scott Simpson