TMG

Hello, Crossroads Family!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!  We had such a good time at our Thanksgiving dinner last Sunday!  Thanks to all who contributed to the meal, and thanks to Heather Vestal for organizing for us!  It’s a blessing to belong to a church of caring people who are growing in their love for the Lord and for each other.

These praises from Revelation 4-5:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come” (Rev. 4:8).

“Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created” (Rev 4:11).

“Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.  You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth” (Rev 5:9-10).

“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing” (Rev 5:12).

“To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever” (Rev 5:13).

Looking Ahead…

Worship this Sunday

I look forward to seeing many of you this Sunday morning at 10:00 at the Community Center.  The sermon will be our last one from the book of Genesis:  “Great Fears and Great Hopes.”

Elders Meeting: Sunday, December 4.

The elders will meet following worship on December 4.  Please let them know if you have a need or request for them.  Thank you!

Home Group:  Sunday, December 4

Everyone is invited to the last Home Group for the semester.  We’re enjoying the series on “Discovering Your Spiritual Family Tree: Church History Made Easy.”  December 4, 6-7:30 pm, at my house, 628 W. Arch Street.

MAMS: Wednesday, December 7

All women who would like to gather for support and encouragement are invited to Michelle’s home, 602 N. Washington Street, on December 7 at 7 pm.

Christmas Eve Service

We’ll gather for worship and celebration on December 24 at 6 pm at the Community Center.  Friends and family are invited!  We will finish no later than 7:00.  

Prayer

You may be familiar with this reading on prayer.  It’s a good one for any of us who need God’s transforming work in our lives!

I asked God for strength, that I might achieve; I was made weak that I might obey.

I asked for health that I might do greater things; I was given infirmity that I might do better things.

I asked for riches that I might be happy; I was given poverty that I might be wise.

I asked for power that I might have the praise of men; I was given weakness that I might feel my need of God.

I asked for all things that I might enjoy life; I was given life that I might enjoy all things.

I received nothing that I asked for but all that I had hoped for.  My prayer was answered, and I am most richly blessed.

Have a wonderful rest of the week, and I hope to see you Sunday morning!

— Tom

TMG

Hello, Crossroads Family!

I hope you’ve had a good week!  There is much for us to pray about, and many people to pray for.  Would you please especially pray for the Nominating Committee in their work of seeking God’s will for a nominee to the Elder Board?  Thank you!

I look forward to worship this Sunday morning at 10:00 at the Community Center!  Sundays are a highlight of the week for me!  I hope they are for you too!

In regards to last Sunday’s sermon, “How People Grow & Change,” a question was asked after the service, “Doesn’t God accept us the way we are?”  Yes, of course He does!  Yet, He also wants to make us better than we currently are!  His goal, once you’ve come to faith in Christ, is to make you more like Christ, to make you the person you were meant to be without the sin that drags us down!

2 Corinthians 3:18 says we’re being transformed into Christ’s likeness.  Romans 8:29 states that God predestined all believers to be conformed to the likeness of his Son.  Author Jerry Bridges says, “Christlkeness is God’s goal for all who trust in Christ, and that should be our goal also.”  Imagine that: Christlikeness!  

Transformation may be the word we’re looking for.  “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2).  How does God want to transform you?  “What’s it like for the people who live on the other side of me?” is one way I’ve heard someone put the idea of identifying our need to grow and change.  What does God want to make better about me?    

That’s a good question for our church, too.  What does God want to make better about us as a church?  What’s one thing we could do better as a church in the coming year — even if it’s something very simple?  I’d be interested to know your answer to that question.  How can we obey Jesus better, and be transformed by Jesus more?

Coming Up

Thanksgiving Dinner

Everyone is invited to stay after the worship service this Sunday for a Thanksgiving dinner!  Paperware and drinks will be provided.  

Youth Group

Youth Group finishes its study series this Sunday evening, 6 pm, at my house, 628 W Arch Street.  Come for study, then games and pizza.

Community Thanksgiving Service

Monday, November 21, 7 pm, at LifeWalk Church.  Organized by the Nevada Ministerial Alliance.

Elders Meeting, December 4

Following the worship service.

Next Home Group, December 4

At my house, 6 – 7:30 pm.  Everyone welcome!  

Congregational Meeting, January 18

Please mark your calendar and plan to attend after the worship service.  We’ll be voting on an elder candidate and on a 2023 church budget.  Thank you!

What do you know, feel, do?

Someone who preaches asks the following three questions in their sermon preparation and delivery:

• What do I want people to know?
• What do I want people to feel?
• What do I want people to do?

Knowledge by itself is not transformational.  We also need to have our hearts transformed.  Without obedience (the “do” part), knowledge is relatively useless, too.  As you listen to this Sunday’s sermon (from Genesis 48-49), ask yourself:  

• What am I learning?  
• What am I feeling?  
• What does God want me to do?

Some Good Music at Cottey

The Cottey music students I’ve been accompanying this semester will have their recitals this Sunday at 3 pm, and Monday at 7 pm, in the Missouri Recital Hall at the Performing Arts Center on the Cottey campus.  Admission is free, and the music will be very good.  Come meet some of the students I’ve been able to get to know this semester, and enjoy an evening out with others!

– Tom

TMG

Hello, Crossroads Family!

Was anyone else up early on this second day of going back to Standard Time?  I enjoyed some extra quiet time with God this morning,…and in meeting with Him, I was led to share some things with you here at the beginning of the new week.  

We had a good day of worship, fellowship, and ministry yesterday — worship service in the morning, Nominating Committee meeting afterwards, conversations and fellowship, times of prayer, and also Youth Group.  A good day!  Thanks for being part of the family!  If you weren’t able to join us, please take time to hear the sermon on the Crossroads Facebook page.

There is much going on in our church right now — in the lives of individuals, and in terms of energy for ministry and growth.  Very exciting!  Sometimes even a bit overwhelming!  It’s exciting for me to see the personal growth taking place in so many of your lives.  There are also some personal and health-related struggles.  Satan is alive and active, too, opposing God’s work.  The Bible says, though, that we’re not unaware of his schemes.  They’re the same ones he uses all the time; let’s be mindful and on the alert not to let him trip us up!

Let’s remember, as we go forward,…

• … to keep lines of communication open with each other;
• … to do all things in a right way that honors God and each other;
• … to take advantage of the gift God has given us of godly church elders;
• … to look ahead and plan with prayer;
• … to pray …
  • … for a church home,
  • … for our elders and other ministry leaders,
  • … for the Nominating Committee currently at work helping us discern next year’s Elder Board.

Ahead:

• Worship next Sunday morning, 10:00, at the Community Center.
• Home Group next Sunday evening, 6:00, at my house.  (This will be one of the best and most exciting sessions in our series.  I hope you’ll come, even if you’ve missed previous sessions.)
• Carry-in Thanksgiving dinner following worship on November 20.  Please text Heather Vestal, 417-549-0051, if you haven’t signed up to bring a dish but would like to.
• Care package items due to Michaela by November 20.  Contact Michaela (417-684-3118) if you need ideas

Don’t forget to vote this Tuesday if you’re registered to vote.

Some Thoughts for a New Week…

Here are a few notes from reading and conversation I’ve had the past couple of weeks.  I hope they will encourage you as you begin a new week.

On Friendship (from The Gospel According to Job, by Mike Mason)

Friendship is an important need in our lives,… but also a complicated one!  Most of us don’t think we have enough friends, or that we don’t have as many as the person next to us, evidence that we’re not all that well-liked. What a funny (and self-centered) thought!  Job had three “friends” who came and sat quietly with him for an entire week when he was suffering.  Unfortunately, in their silence, far from actually comforting Job, they were picking him to pieces, analyzing him up and down for faults, proof that when it comes to friendships we may want to be careful about asking for more! A paralyzed man in Mark 2 had four friends who went to all the trouble and embarrassment of carrying him through a large crowd and digging down through a roof in order to get him to Jesus.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have just four friends like that?  You probably do have at least one … maybe even two,… maybe four!

It’s interesting that the Old Testament genealogical tables give way in the New Testament to lists of friends.  Yet, even so, the Apostle Paul, as his difficulties multiplied toward the end of his life, found himself abandoned by almost everyone (2 Timothy 1:15; 4:16).  In Jesus, we have a friend who sticks close, and to whom we can always talk.  

Are you open this week to being a friend to someone who needs one?  Many people ask me, “What’s my role, or use, in the church?”  Friendship is a powerful role, especially a friendship that expects nothing in return.

On Silence (from The Way of the Heart, by Henri Nouwen)

Regularly practicing the discipline of silence helps remind us that we are only pilgrims in this world, journeying to another world.  Most of the conversations we have with people keep us worldly-focused, sharpen our attachment to the things and ways of this world, rather than the world we’re heading toward. Proverbs 10:19 says, “A flood of words is never without its faults.”  Henri Nouwen suggests the following:  (1) Silence makes us better pilgrims; (2) Silence guards the fire within.  (“Our first and foremost task is to faithfully care for the inward fire.”); (3) Silence teaches us to speak more effectively.  “As ministers, our greatest temptation is toward too many words.  They weaken our faith and make us lukewarm.”  

On God Going Before Us (from The Jordan River Rules, by Robert J. Morgan)

Moving into the future is like living the life of an explorer.  The future is unexplored and can be just as daunting as dark continents, blazing deserts, and hostile jungles.  But the future is not uncertain to God.  When the Israelites crossed the Jordan River into the land of Canaan, God told them to follow behind the Ark of the Covenant by a thousand yards, let’s say about 3/4 mile (Joshua 3).  Think of your life in those terms, and you’ll have a fresh perspective:  God goes three-quarters of a mile before you into the next stage of life.  He’s three-quarters of an hour ahead of you.  Three-quarters of a month ahead of you.  Three-quarters of a year ahead of you.  Three-quarters of a lifetime ahead of you.  The Lord is already in our future, clearing the way, arranging circumstances in advance, preparing work for us to do and blessings for us to enjoy!

On Acceptance and Trust (from a friend who prayed this prayer) 

“Lord, if this is the way it’s gonna be, help me to be OK with it.”  Great prayer, I thought!  One I often need!  Not about God changing circumstances to fit the way I want them to be; it’s about God changing me.

On a Personal Note  

Here are a few things going on in my life as we roll into the end of the year.  I appreciate your prayers.

• This Friday, November 11:  Cottey Chamber Singers concert, 7:30 pm, in the Missouri Recital Hall.  (Join us!  Some good music, mostly Mozart, and free admission!)
• Saturday, November 12:  NHS show choir competition all day at Seneca H.S.
• Sunday, November 13:  Home Group (our next-to-last group for this fall)
• Saturday, November 19:  three of my kids home for Thanksgiving break
• Sunday, November 20:  Crossroads Thanksgiving dinner ; game night for youth group.
• Sunday, November 20 / Monday, November 21:  Recitals by some of the 24 students I’m accompanying at Cottey.
• Thursday, December 1:  Holiday Sing-a-Long at Cottey
• Friday, December 2:  Hanging of the Greens at Cottey
• Thursday, December 8: NHS Christmas performance for area realtors
• Monday, December 12:  NHS Christmas concert (Hope you’ll join us!)
• Sunday, December 18:  Congregational Meeting at Crossroads, following worship
• Saturday, December 24:  Crossroads Christmas Eve service at the Community Center
• Sunday, December 25:  Christmas morning worship
• Saturday, January 7:  speaking at Parenting Conference, Oakwood Community Church, in Tampa, Florida
• Sunday, January 8:  Dale Losch, President of Crossworld Mission, speaking in my place at Crossroads

In addition, I’m enjoying meeting weekly with Kaleb Vestal as we go through the “Ten Steps” discipleship study.  This is a joy for me and hopefully a blessing for Kaleb!  (Anyone can do this study … and learn to lead others through it!)  I also meet weekly with a young man from Ft Scott doing the same study.  I enjoy meeting with Heather Hall for prayer every other Sunday afternoon, a continuation of our Monday Night Prayer times from last summer.  Any of you are welcome to join us.  It’s kind of a re-centering time of sharing and prayer for about an hour.

Have a great week!  The Lord goes before you!

— Tom

TMG

Hello, Crossroads Family!

A few reminders about what’s going on at Crossroads:

Worship this Sunday morning, 10:00, at the Community Center.

Join us Sunday morning!  We’ll cover the final chapters of Genesis on Sunday mornings in November.  This Sunday, we’ll be in Genesis 45, the climactic revelation of Joseph to his brothers!  He’s alive!  What difference did it make to those brothers?  What difference does it make to you and me that Jesus is alive?  

I liked these couple of verses I read in the Old Testament book of Nehemiah (400s BC) this week, describing worship:

“Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, … and when he opened it, all the people stood up.  Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God.  And all the people answered, ‘Amen, Amen!’ while lifting up their hands; then they bowed low and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground”  (Nehemiah 8:5-6).

Not only were these people’s hearts and lips involved; they were engaged with their entire body !  This was heart-felt worship!  It’s a great gift to have time and place to worship God, … and people to worship Him with !

Youth Group this Sunday following worship

All young people 16 years old and up are invited to Jessica’s for lunch and a continuation of your Bible study.  402 S. Washington Street, following the worship service.

Nominating Committee

A Nominating Committee was elected last Sunday to lead us in discerning God’s will for a candidate for the Elder Board.  The committee is made up of the following people:  Angi Dahmer, Erin Reedy, Julie Kemper, Donna Rodriguez, Jessica Baker, and Stacey Wilson.  Shane Dahmer will provide leadership to the Committee on behalf of the current Elder Board.  Thanks to all of you for serving!

Congregational Meeting

Please mark Sunday, December 18, on your calendar for a congregational meeting following the worship service.  The two main agenda items will be the election of a church elder, and the adoption of a church budget for 2023.

Thanksgiving Dinner scheduled for Sunday, November 20

We have use of space at the Community Center for a carry-in Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday, November 20, following the worship service.  Heather Vestal will have a sign-up sheet starting this Sunday, or you can contact her directly.  Thank you!  This would be a great time to invite a friend!  We also have space reserved for a Christmas Eve service, so mark your calendars for a special evening of worship on December 24.

Thank you to all who reached out in Nevada and on the square this past Halloween evening!  It was great to have Crossroads represented by you!

I hope to see you this Sunday morning at 10:00!  Don’t forget that our clocks “fall back” one hour this Saturday night!  

— Tom

TMG

Hello Crossroads Family!

I’m really looking forward to Sunday’s worship service!  I’m thankful for you … and always happy to meet with you to worship, pray, plan, and serve our wonderful, risen Lord!

Today is my sweet Diana’s birthday.  This day has been for many years a happy day in my life and a happy day in our home.  When I think of all the things that made Diana so special, the one that stands out — and attracted me most to her in the first place (way back in 1985) — was her very personal relationship with the Lord Jesus.  When I met her, her intention was to go to Eastern Europe to share the Gospel alongside others.  Of course, we were eventually able to do that in Western Europe rather than Eastern.  She believed the Lord was someone you could always rely on, and someone you could always obey fully.  She wanted others to know Him because He is the true life and only source of real and lasting happiness.  I want to continue to walk in that path, and I hope you do too!

It has been interesting that on Sunday mornings in October we’ve been able to touch on several important and inspiring ministry concepts — world missions, local missions, Church history, giving (last Sunday — I hope you’ll listen to the sermon on Facebook if you missed it Sunday), and this Sunday we’ll talk about the concept of spiritual leadership in the church.

We have an important election of church elder coming up; so on Sunday I want us to take a look again at the role and person of church elders.  I think this will help us as we seek God’s will in this decision … and as many of us consider God’s call to be leaders and followers.  I’m calling the sermon “Sheep and Shepherds.”  We’ll look at the questions the Bible raises for shepherds and for sheep.  I think you’ll be challenged, and I hope you’ll be there Sunday at 10 a.m. at the Community Center!

More…

Elders Meeting

Our elders met last Sunday.  Our discussion and work were principally along these lines:

• We began work on a church budget proposal for 2023.
• We discussed church ministry initiatives and best ways of communicating ministry and fellowship opportunities.
• We set dates for upcoming congregational meetings.
• We finalized a proposal for a Nominating Committee (to be voted upon this coming Sunday after worship).
• We will be inquiring at the Community Center about using our space there for a Christmas Eve service.

Please mark these dates in your calendar:

• This Sunday, October 30, we will meet briefly to vote on a proposed Nominating Committee.  The job of the Nominating Committee is to seek a qualified candidate for church elder from among the congregation.
• On Sunday, December 18, we will have a congregational meeting following the worship service in order to elect an elder and to vote on a church budget proposal for 2023.  Everyone is welcome to attend.  If you are a voting member at Crossroads, we look forward to your participation in these decisions.  If you are not a voting member but would like to be, please contact one of the elders.

Care Packages

If you would like to contribute to a care package for our young people who have recently left for college or new work situations, please be in touch with Michaela about practical ideas.  Michaela will be collecting items for the care packages on the next several Sunday mornings, hoping to have the packages completed by November 20, in time for finals.

Home Group This Sunday Evening

What I like most about Home Group is not just the interesting video study on “Church History Made Easy,” but especially the close-knit fellowship with those who come.  It’s a chance to open up, share questions and needs, and to discern God’s will and work in our lives.  I hope you’ll plan to come this Sunday evening, 6:00-7:30, at my house, 628 W. Arch Street.

MAMS Coming Up November 2, 7 pm.

The Martha’s and Mary’s group for women will meet on Wednesday, November 2, at 7:00, at Michelle’s home, 602 N. Washington Street.  All women are invited for fellowship, discussion, and encouragement.  Plan to come and bring a friend!  Contact Michelle if you have any questions (417-283-8668).

Encouragements & Challenges

The Bible seems often to surprise us, doesn’t it?  I’ve been reading lately through 2 Chronicles which contains the stories of the kings of Israel (or, more specifically, the southern tribes of Israel, called Judah).  It’s interesting how often we feel that when we do right, God will bless us in some way that we expect — usually visibly, materially, … maybe physically or monetarily?  God has many wise ways of blessing, however, doesn’t He?

I was reading today in 2 Chronicles 30 which tells the story of the revival in Judah under King Hezekiah (716-687 BC).  Some lines from that story that I took special note of:

• They acted “according to the law of Moses the man of God” (2 Chron 30:16).  The people returned to God’s Word, something we are constantly needing to come back to as believers.
• “So the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people” (2 Chron 30:20).  Here’s a simply stated yet powerful answer to the people’s needs and their prayers.  Where do we need healing today?  Are you praying for healing in our nation and in our church where needed?
• “So there was great joy in Jerusalem” (2 Chron 30:26).  This kind of statement actually appears frequently throughout the stories of the kings.  We shouldn’t overlook the fact that God often gives us times of real joy, individually and as a community.
• Yet, after two long chapters (30 and 31) of revival and return to God, chapter 32 begins this way:  “After these acts of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and besieged the fortified cities and thought to break into them for himself!”  (2 Chron 32:1).  After many acts of faithfulness on the part of the people toward God came … invasion, terror, and war!  

Amazing!  I look forward to seeing, in the remainder of the story, what God accomplished through the unexpected challenge that followed so closely many acts of faithfulness and obedience.

It reminds me a little of the Laura Story song that was so popular just a few years ago:  What if God’s blessings actually come through raindrops or tears, or through sleepless nights instead of peaceful nights?  What if trials in life turn out somehow to actually be God’s mercies in disguise?  What if it turns out that the invasion of a foreign army actually took King Hezekiah and the Jews to even greater heights of spiritual life with God?

Maybe your trials today are God’s blessings in disguise.  We shouldn’t give up too soon on God!

Have a great rest of the week!

— Tom