January Post

Deeper is literally right around the corner.  Very soon we will be talking about how we experienced a mighty move of the Holy Ghost and witnessed many lives, students and non-students alike, transformed by the power and anointing of the Holy Ghost.   This kind of experience doesn’t just happen without preparation on our part.

Chuck Yeager didn’t break the sound barrier alone. He had the Bell X-1 research rocket plane that propelled him to reach mach 1.07 breaking the sound barrier for the very first time.  We as a church have the greatest opportunity to be the force behind Deeper that will propel this conference to new heights which the UPCI has never seen before.

I want to encourage each and every member of the church to set aside the month of January for some focused prayer and fasting for Deeper.  Be the force that will tear down strongholds and even break the backbone of the spiritual principalities, powers, and rulers of the darkness and spiritual wickedness of State College.

A few things to pray for:

Pray the “Spirit of Prayer” would be prevalent in the church

Pray for our speakers – Matthew Johnson & Tim Greene

Pray that our alter services would be effective

Pray we see a great harvest of Penn State Students

Pray for miracles, signs & wonders to be released

Pray that the weather will be nice (no snowstorms)

It is really important that during this time of prayer & fasting we pray in the Holy Ghost.  Ask the Lord to give you prayers in the Spirit that will destroy the yokes of bondage of our city and on the campus.  Deny yourself some things you would normally do or eat. Pick up your weapons of prayer and fasting & be the fuel that will take Deeper & this church to greater levels.  We are standing on the brink of the greatest move of the Holy Ghost since the day of Pentecost.  This revival could go beyond even what was experienced during the Azusa Street revivals.  It’s awesome to think you are a part of it!

All of us working together…… Makes a great Church!

-Scott Patterson

December Post

I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas!
Tis the season where we gather together with friends and family to celebrate Christ. However we are living in a world that wants to pull Christ out of Christmas and make it all about commercialism. Even Thanksgiving has turned into an event where it’s not about families & friends gathering together expressing their thankfulness for all the Lord has done in their lives. Have you recently observed thanksgiving has taken a turn? Current trends have recognized that the millennial generation no longer wants to spend time with the family during thanksgiving, they would rather be spending time shopping and spending money they don’t really have. So the retailers in recent years have turned the holiday season into a time to promote the greatest deals and sell the best new gadgets. I pray that this view does not creep into our lives and into the church.
Let’s push aside the world’s quickly changing view of the Christmas season. I want us to think about having a white Christmas this year even if we don’t get any snow on Christmas day. Think about this with me for a moment. Snow is really quite remarkable. The purity of a fresh blanket of snow covers all filthiness and impurities in the landscape. We need to have a white Christmas where our motives, our actions, our conversations & especially our hearts are pure, each and every day of our lives. Not just during what we call the “Holidays”.
Jesus has come into our lives to cover our lives with a blanket of purity. And he wants to cleanse us from all unrighteousness as well. 1 Jn 1:19 If we confess our sins, he (Jesus) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. O that the Lord would purify us from our sins, so we would be clean. That he would wash us, so we would be whiter than snow. Jesus is coming back for a bride without spot or wrinkle, a people that are without blemish.
God, I’m dreaming of a white Christmas where we as the church are cleansed from the ideas and mindsets of the world. Where we turn to you and we recognize the need to remain pure each and every day of our lives.
Let’s all have a White Christmas this year!

-Scott Patterson

November Post

Campus Ministry and Centre Pointe Church

There are thousands of college students attending Penn State, some literally from around the world. When I sit and think about what we are accomplishing as a ministry and as a church, I can’t help but pose this question. Who in Center Pointe can be a part of the Campus Ministry effort of the church?  The obvious answer to this question would be the Pattersons & the college students that attend our church.  I would suggest that you look past the obvious and realize that every person of the church is a part of Campus Ministry.

Make church a home:  Just think about it for a few minutes with me.  When a new student walks into the church to “check out the church” we all have an obligation to be friendly, caring, and most of all we can show the Love of Christ to them.  You make church what it is.  Let’s make it the best church in town by welcoming every person with open arms, whether it’s a student or not.

Pray for the ministry:  You are a vital part of this ministry simply because you pray for the ministry!  We would not see the results we are seeing if it wasn’t for the people from the church praying for CMI.  Pray for connections to be made, the international students that we are meeting, and our CMI events (Bible Blitz, Bible Studies & Monday Night Events).  Your prayers are making a difference!

Come to events:  One of the goals of Campus Ministry is to assimilate students into the church.  When you come to CMI events, you meet, connect with, and befriend students who have not yet attended any of our church services. What you are doing is making it more appealing when those same students come to church and they already know people in the church.

Give when there is a need:  I have been sharing during the Sunday morning announcements what the upcoming Monday Night CMI event is.  If you feel at anytime to simply give a few bucks to help offset some expenses it would be greatly received.  A five dollar bill will stretch and be put to good use in ministering to students.

Be part of a Great Church:  Great churches are made up of great people. We attend the greatest church in Centre County!  Thank you for being a part of Campus Ministry and catching the vision.  As a church we are impacting the world by reaching the students that attend Penn State!

-Scott Patterson