History

History video transcribed

Hi Teresa McBean here and I wanted to take just a moment of your time to explain a little bit of the purpose of why we have NorthStar Communities. NorthStar Community was started in February of 1999. It really started as a result of a failure. In our Christ-center community where the group who started this ministry attended, we realized we were not effectively reaching or supporting those who were trying to recover from those plaguing hurts in their lives. This was worrisome to us because in Luke 10 we realized that Scripture taught us that Jesus always went after those who were helpless and hurting to offer a hand up. So we formed a pilot project and began meeting. During the last 10 years that we have been meeting we have refined what we believe is the program that can help one transform their life and find freedom from their plaguing hurts. Some people who attend NorthStar come because they have an addiction issue. Others come because they are stuck in loss and grief, loneliness. Still others come because those they love are hurting and are resistant to help. They’ve developed some bad habits of their own that have impacted their own sense of peace and well-being.

Along the way we have developed partnerships with other churches. So in your community there may even be a NorthStar. We have also established a presence on the web that I am particularly proud of. We have a web site, www.northstarcommunity.com and also a series of teachings that you can find on www.lightsource.com. In addition to that we have Celebration services, support groups and other meetings and all of those opportunities to join us can actually be found on our web site.

Let me tell you why we meet. We meet because we believe it is in the context of community with the foundation of faith that we discover our true God-created identity. To that end we have found that our message of hope is effective in prison systems and with those transitioning out of prison and back into their daily life experience. We have discovered that people have a common ground when it comes to their pain and suffering even if they haven’t really decided the name of the Higher Power just yet. We have found that people can learn from the Christ-centered 12 steps, not just alcoholics or drug addicts. We have discovered that our pain is lessened and our hope grows when we get together as community and discuss plaguing problems with a solutions-focused mindset. So I hope that if you are watching this that you are one of the many people who explores the resources that NorthStar Community has to offer. I want to thank you for taking the time to think about who we are and what our purpose is here for you.

I want to close with one word of encouragement to you. I wonder if you are wondering or thinking about finding a solution to a problem that you have lost hope will ever be fixed. I’d love it if you would go to www.lightsource.com or even tune in to our local CBS affiliate television show on Sunday mornings in Richmond, Virginia and see if we might have a message that sort of rings true in your heart. Frankly you have nothing to lose. If you are struggling with a plaguing hurt, habit or hang-up you’re already stuck. It may just be the best decision you’ve ever made to consider taking a step forward. We’re here to offer you a hand up.

Now perhaps you are one of those who is listening to this and considering participating in a community that reaches out to help the hurting. I can’t tell you how much we would enjoy partnering, collaborating and teaming up with you. It is this collaborative spirit that drives everything we do at NorthStar Community. There are lots of ways you can collaborate. You can use our resources. You can support us financially. You can attend our meetings. But most of all what I love is when we join together in the smallest or most committed ways looking for solutions and going after the promise and potential that God has promised for us.

So poke around our web site, www.northstarcommunity.com. Find our TV spot. Go to www.lightsource.com. Or join in one our communities. Check us out. See if you think we have something worth offering. If we intrigue, entice or encourage you I want to ask you to step up and join us in trying to reach the world for Christ carrying God’s message of hope to hurting people. Would you enjoy participating with us? I know that we would love having you.

Now wherever you are and whatever you are doing it is my prayer that God will bless you and keep you, that he will sustain you and that He will give you a vision for your true God-created identity. Blessings to you and yours. Thanks for letting me share the heart and the message of NorthStar Community with you today.