TMG
Tom’s Midweek Greeting
Crossroads Community Church
Nevada, MO
April 25, 2018
Dear Crossroads Family:
It’s great to be finishing up the school year and starting our spring/summer season on so many high notes. Last Sunday was another one, as we were challenged by a missions presentation from Elena Rodriguez concerning her summer trip to Costa Rica, and we enjoyed good interaction as a “family” at our congregational meeting after the worship service.
There seemed to be two major lines of discussion at our meeting: 1) thankfulness for God’s blessings on Crossroads since we last met; 2) how to continue to stay connected and experience good relationship-building during the summer months.
1. We are thankful for God’s provision of a new Elder Board which has begun meeting regularly, and also for a new Church Financial Manager, Judi Edwards. Judi shared a brief financial report at the meeting. We can be grateful that giving is up just slightly over last year, and expenses are down just slightly compared to last year. So we are seeing God’s faithful provision.
2. There was good discussion about how we can stay connected during the summer season. I’m grateful that one of the hallmarks developing at Crossroads is a desire to have strong, healthy relationships. Here are some thoughts that came out of that discussion:
— Ways to have fellowship while working together this summer:
• Show ‘n’ Shine barbecue, May 19. Several volunteered to help, and we will need help from around 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. This is a good opportunity to have some visibility in our community and to benefit a good cause, Habitat for Humanity.
• Bushwhacker Days Gospel Night. Julie is needing volunteers to help in the hamburger tent on Thursday evening, June 7. Our church has regularly contributed financially to support this evening of gospel music; to serve those attending, as some of you volunteered to do, would be an extra special gift … as well as good fellowship.
• Pop Shop at the Vernon County Youth Fair in July. Those who served in the Pop Shop last year had a great time. Lots of smiles and laughter, and interaction with our community.
— Ways to have fun this summer. Some suggestions included…
• Let’s all go together to Church Night at the Nevada Griffons game! Church Night is Sunday, June 3rd, at 7:00 pm. Admission is free. If you bring your bulletin from church that morning, the church with the greatest number of bulletins will win a $75 donation to their youth ministry.
• Let’s have some fun going to watch the Cardinals play the Royals in Kansas City in August. We do have a church that loves baseball … and, once upon a time was pretty good at softball(!).
• Let’s plan some dates for a picnic, volleyball, softball, etc.
— Ways to develop spiritual ties this summer:
• Judi Edwards will host a time of prayer on Wednesday evenings on her back porch for all interested in praying for local, national, and worldwide needs. This has been a profitable time of prayer over the past year or more. God is using and blessing our commitment to prayer.
• Home Group will meet on Wednesday evenings during the month of June. I look forward to seeing you for good fellowship and encouragement.
• Continued involvement by those interested in the Young Life ministry development. Next meeting is scheduled for May 8 at 6 pm in the basement of the Cottey College chapel. Anyone is welcome to attend this organizing meeting.
• Ten Steps Toward Christian Maturity discipleship course. We currently have ten people from our church going through this course, and two from outside our church are getting started. Very exciting, and there is room for you to get started this summer. Let me know – I would love to help you get plugged in!
Don’t forget that this Sunday, April 29, we will celebrate Trent Ellis’s baptism at the conclusion of our worship service. (It is also Trent’s birthday!) I hope you can be there. Worship at 10:00 at the Y. There will be no Adult Bible Study at 9:00.
On Sunday, May 6, we will have a short reception following the worship service to honor our two high school graduates and three college graduates.
Let’s continue to put into action our hopes, wishes, and prayers for Crossroads, for our families, and for our individual lives. I was reading through 1 Thessalonians this morning and was reminded of the great long list of practical exhortations Paul gives at the end of that letter
(1 Thessalonians 5:12-11):
• Show appreciation to those who labor among you. Esteem them highly in love.
• Live in peace with each other.
• Admonish the unruly.
• Encourage the fainthearted.
• Help the weak.
• Be patient with everyone.
• Don’t repay evil for evil.
• Always seek after that which is good for everyone.
• Rejoice always.
• Pray at all times.
• Give thanks in everything.
• Don’t quench the Holy Spirit.
• Don’t scoff at prophecies.
• Examine everything carefully.
• Hold fast to what is good.
• Abstain from every form of evil.
The Christian life is an abundant life. God has shown us the roadmap, and he gives us the resources for it, if we will allow him to live out his life through us.
I hope to see you Sunday!
— Tom
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