Church is probably one of the most ambiguous terms in our language. The very thing that was once an idea, a way, a concept has become a battlefield of terms, theologies, and modes. Yea, we didn't like that either. Imagine a place where you felt safe. A place where you didn't feel the stress of having to perform. There was no need to dress a certain way, stand at a certain time, or even have pressure to perform. A safe place where you could come and connect with God, and then download good things from Him. No prerequisites required, just a simple connection to the Creator that simplifies life. SouthPoint is that place. We began gathering at the beginning of 2007 and have had an incredible time enjoying our community and our God. We hope when you come and experience the SouthPoint life that it energizes and adds joy to your life like it has ours. We honestly can't think of another place we'd rather be.
Craig and Patti Wendel
SUNDAY GATHERINGS
Our services have upbeat music and creative, applicable teaching that addresses the real issues of life in an exciting way. We are a group of people that passionately go after the things of God, and diligently work on incorporating this Jesus experience into our everyday, walking-around life. We'd love it if you'd join us and participate in one of our upcoming Gatherings.
We strive to create a safe environment where the unchurched and dechurched can come, connect with God, and download good things from Him.
VALUES
- The timeless Word of God
- Experiential Music
- Raw beauty; not perfection
- Creativity
- Real Community
- Cultural Connectivity
- Life-Giving Atmosphere
- Having fun
MISSION
We are a unique voice in our community. We are a people faith, who are known for our love and a voice of hope to our community.
BELIEFS IN A NUTSHELL
In the essential beliefs, we have unity. In the non-essential beliefs, we have liberty.
We believe:
- that GOD created all things to exist harmoniously
- that human sinfulness has created a chasm between what creation is and what it should be. In this current state, all of creation groans under the weight of brokenness, loneliness, illness, and instability.
- that, throughout human history, it has been God's passion to bridge the chasm and heal the brokenness currently plaguing humanity and all of creation, and God has constantly reached out to humanity through Scripture, prophetic voices, personal experience, and
- that in JESUS CHRIST we see God's boldest and most intimate expression of love for humankind and all of creation. We believe Jesus Christ to be the incarnation of God - that at a certain point in history, God chose to put on flesh and walk among us, and that, by believing in Him and actively following in His footsteps, we may experience life on another level - life as God intended
- that God continues to participate in human history through the powerful presence of the HOLY SPIRIT, which anoints those who receive it with the power to do extraordinary things. The Holy Spirit also draws communities of believers closer together, motivating ordinary individuals to remove the dividing barriers by serving one another
- that followers of Christ form a universal community known as the CHURCH - or the "Body of Christ. This image has been tarnished by selfishness and greed, but we believe the purpose still remains - the Body of Christ exists to embody the ideals which Jesus demonstrated: love, grace, courage, and sacrifice.
HISTORY OF SOUTHPOINT
"Where'd ya'll come from?" and "Why did you pick Desoto County?" - we've heard these questions over and over.
In the fall of 2005, Craig went on retreat alone to hear the voice of the Lord. He heard Him and He said, "Memphis". At that point, neither Craig nor Patti had ever even visited Memphis. They knew nothing about the area, the people groups or the demographics. But God said it, so they acted on it. After a little research, they were feeling drawn to the Desoto County area. Through confirmations from leadership and mentors, the decision was made to move to Desoto County, and on July 5th, 2006, the moving truck arrived.
We were in search of a name. We knew that we wanted to do church a whole new way, but our location was key. Through tedious list-making and sorting, the name SouthPoint was birthed. Then on to a tag line. "When your life goes south we'll point it out" didn't seem to work. "A new way to do church" was it. We had no idea just how revolutionary that would seem to our area . We just thought we were a new church in the southern-most point of the Metro-Memphis area.
Settling in commenced and on the Sunday evening of Labor Day weekend, we hosted friends, family and some students for our first Pre-Launch Meeting and Cookout. And SouthPoint was begun.
Three months of pre-launch services, lots of dreaming, and an enormous amount of planning and details came to a close. JANUARY 21st came and we held our first service in the Malco Movie Theatre in Southaven. That would be our home until November, 2008, when we moved to our current Southaven High School location.
Many people have come through our doors, but we know that its only the beginning.
AFFILIATIONS