18 Mar BridgePoint Church Opens

BrigePoint Church in Tarentum had their Grand Opening service on Sunday. They had a great service with 132 in attendance. This is another church plant through Allison Park. Congratulations to Pastor Greg & Francie Krowitz!

Tarentum Church goes another Round in Gym
By Michael Aubele
VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH
Monday, March 17, 2008

Clara Manca walked away from Sunday’s service at Tarentum’s newest church feeling spiritually satisfied.

“I’m leaving with a smile on my face,” the Lower Burrell resident said.

Manca and her two children, Harlee, 15, and Julius, 11, worshipped Sunday at BridgePoint Church, which marked its grand opening inside the James 5:16 Center along West Seventh Avenue.

BridgePoint is under the umbrella of Allison Park Church on Duncan Road in Hampton. BridgePoint Pastor Greg Krowitz said his church is the seventh one that Allison Park Church, an Assembly of God denomination, has begun in the Pittsburgh area.

BridgePoint bills itself as a church that “connects real people to the real God,” Krowitz said. He said the church grew out of a small Bible study organized about two years ago in a house along East 10th Avenue in Tarentum.

Krowitz said the Bible study grew from a handful of people to about 30.

The group was forced to find a new home when the house where it was meeting was sold. Krowitz said the group found a new location at the James 5:16 Center, a faith-based boxing gym, thanks to gym owner Jim Kobert.

“The building is available to them for as long as they want to use it,” Kobert said.

The church distributed thousands of mailers and fliers before Sunday’s opening. Over the past few months, the congregation met for several worship services similar to a business “soft opening.”

BridgePoint will hold regular services at 10 a.m. Sundays.

Krowitz found it hard to contain his excitement.

“Are you as excited as I am to be here?” he asked the congregation. Members responded with cheers and applause.

Krowitz told the congregation that with the help of Jesus Christ, “The sky is the limit,” in terms of what can be accomplished in life, especially in the face of difficult challenges.

He invited boxer Paul Pindroh, 26, of Valencia to share the story about Pindroh became a Christian.

Pindroh said he came to his faith about five years ago after visiting Allison Park Church. He said his life before that was centered on partying as much as he could.

“God changes lives,” Pindroh said. “God transforms your life.”