TMG
Tom’s Midweek Greeting
Crossroads Community Church
Nevada MO
April 3, 2018
Hello Crossroads Family & Friends,
What a wonderful Easter morning we experienced together! Thank you to everyone who contributed so beautifully to the breakfast, to worship, and to the activities for the children during and after the worship service. The venue at Enchanted Prairie Farm seemed just perfectly suited for us, and it was great to be almost all together, along with additional family members and friends. Great to see who we are(!), and I enjoyed with you the good fellowship and spirit of celebration. As God continues to knit us together, I think we see that we have something very positive to offer the people of our community.
I know not everyone feels like I do, but personally I’m enjoying this cool, gradual spring. The trees and flowers around Nevada are beautiful! I have a memory from our days in France of an Easter afternoon when Diana and the kids and I were out walking through one of the nearly deserted public squares in the city of Lyon. There was a cold rain falling that day too, and all of a sudden at one point it changed over to snow. We had such a fun time, laughing and being out in the big city, mostly by ourselves, in the Easter snow. This past Sunday was very much like that day. Praise to the Lord whose resurrection gives us reason to laugh and to hope.
I will be gone most of today and tomorrow to a pastor’s retreat for Evangelical Free Church pastors in Missouri and Arkansas. The retreat will be held at The Springs Church in Springfield. I’m looking forward to connecting with some of my pastor friends, many of whom have been a support and encouragement to me for the past eighteen years or more! Please pray for me that I will gain from this retreat some insights into the mind of the Lord for me as a pastor, and for us as a church. Thank you!
There are several in our Crossroads family who are dealing with health-related issues, and others who are burdened by the needs of loved ones in their extended family circle. As we move past the “high” of Easter, let’s not take our foot off the pedal of supporting each other through prayer, fellowship, and acts of service. Since we are taking a break from Wednesday night home group now, think about creative ways you can reach out to someone on a Wednesday night and plan some fellowship of your own!
Please continue to pray for the Young Life planning teams. I am proud of you for being engaged in helping launch this ministry. Let’s continue to pray. Let’s also be regularly in prayer for our own Crossroads Youth Group and its leaders, Forrest and Hannah. It brought a smile to my face to see the corner sitting area of the building on Sunday filled up with young people laughing and having a good time together.
Here are some reminders of activities and dates coming up on the church calendar:
• No Home Group this Wednesday night.
• Worship next Sunday, April 8, back at the YMCA. We will continue our Adult Bible Study series at 9:00, and we will worship together at 10:00.
• Youth Group this Sunday night, the 8th, at 6:30 at the Y. Roller skating on Saturday, April 14, at Skate Town in El Dorado Springs, 7-9 pm. Admission and skate rental is being paid for by the church; bring money for a snack, and bring a friend!
• I will be giving the invocation and benediction at the Crime Victims’ Rights Ceremony Monday evening, April 9, at 6 pm, at the Vernon County Courthouse. Please pray for my presence there to be one God uses for his glory.
• Elders meeting next Monday night, the 9th, at 7 pm.
• “Family” Congregational Meeting on Sunday, April 22, immediately following worship. A chance to catch up, do some planning, and pray. Everyone is welcome and invited to attend.
• We have scheduled a baptism for Sunday, April 29, during the morning service. If anyone else is interested in baptism, please contact me.
• We are planning a reception immediately following the worship service on Sunday, May 6, to celebrate our two graduating high school seniors, Trent and Sam.
• Schowe & Shine BBQ & Car Show – Saturday, May 19. This is an opportunity to be out in our community making contact with people. Proceeds benefit the Nevada Area Habitat for Humanity. We will need some help serving and interacting with people!
Thanks to Judi Edwards who has taken over the responsibilities of managing the church finances in her new role as Church Financial Manager. Please pray for Judi in this role and also in her work with Children’s Church teachers and young people.
“Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. … For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:1-4).
I recently heard someone make the following remark about “Christ is our life”: Christianity is not a philosophy; Christianity is not a program; Christianity is not propaganda. Christianity is a person, Jesus Christ. I hope his resurrection life and power will guide and energize each one of us!
See you this Sunday!
-Tom
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