TMG
Tom’s Midweek Greeting
Crossroads Community Church
Nevada MO
Hello, Crossroads Family!
I hope you’re having a good week so far! I look forward to being together this Sunday for worship at the Y at 10:00!
Thanks to all who took time out of their Sunday afternoon last week to visit the building for sale on N. Washington Street. I felt the visit, conversation, and prayer were uplifting and reflect the work God has been doing in our lives over the past years. If you weren’t with us last Sunday, here are some of the things that were part of the discussion following our visit of the building:
- It was exciting to see the parking lot fill up to the extent that it did with the cars of just a part of our church family!
- The building has many positives, but it lacks room for growth. We might be cramped for ministry to children.
- A positive is that the building is being sold turn-key fashion; i.e., the chairs and other furnishings are being sold with the building.
- The question was raised as to whether or not a church necessarily needs its own building. Crossroads is known by some as “the church at the Y”; others regret not being able to point friends to a more permanent home.
- Discussion took place on the subject of Crossroads’ past and current relationship with the YMCA.
- A comment was made that “church growth” is not only about numerical growth but also about the spiritual growth that has occurred in people’s lives at Crossroads.
- Discussion took place over the need to build our financial base and our people base.
Thank you again for your honesty, for your attentiveness to each other, and for the expressions of trust in the Lord. After our meeting, the realtor brought up an alternative proposal which would involve renting the building instead of purchasing it. The elders are waiting to hear more information from the realtor about that idea.
Please pray that we will walk prayerfully and faithfully according to God’s leading. These are uncertain times, but the Gospel is needed more than ever. A healthy, vibrant, disciple-making church is needed as much as ever too!
I intend this Sunday, in my morning message, to build on the discussion from our building visit. We’ll take a look at the Israelites’ building of the Tabernacle at Mt Sinai, in Exodus 35-36, and ask ourselves, “Why were they able to do that?” Why was this new nation of people – living in the desert, and without a home – able to construct a beautiful, practical, mobile worship center that God inhabited? What lessons can we learn from them for the building of vibrant ministry at Crossroads?
Calendar
Worship this Sunday morning, 10:00, indoors at the Y. There will be a time of refreshment and fellowship immediately following the service so we can honor those from Crossroads who are graduating from their studies this year. From Nevada High School: Esther Rea, Konner Sisseck, and Adi Wilson. From Northwestern University, Melody Reichard; and from Colorado Mesa University, Elena Rodriguez. Congratulations to all!
Nevada Summer Lunch Program — If you can help distribute the “Grab ‘n’ Go” lunches along with another person from Crossroads on a Friday during July or August, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm, please sign up or contact Heather! Thank you!
Monday Night Bible Study — Next Monday will be our last Monday night study for the summer. 7:00 pm on Crossroads Facebook live! We’ll study five psalms of worship – helps for approaching God as we ought.
Rea Family on Break — Our family will be on vacation July 20-29. Shane McCasslin will preach in my place on Sunday, July 26; Jerry Carlin will preach on Sunday, August 2. If you have a need while I’m gone, please contact one of the other elders. Thank you!
Discipleship Training — We’re invited to a disciplemaking training event, based on the “Four Chairs” discipleship method, on Saturday, October 17, at The Springs Church in Springfield, 8:30 am – 12:30 pm. Mark your calendar for an opportunity to enlarge your vision for making disciples!
Kindness
These thoughts on kindness encouraged me today. How badly kindness is needed in our world! And, of course, kindness should always be a mark of our relationships in the church.
Kindness pours oil on wounds instead of causing wounds.
Kindness builds bridges, not walls.
Kindness seeks to make other people feel at ease.
When Jesus said, “My yoke is easy” (Matthew 11:30), the Greek word for “easy” is a word that can also mean “kind.”
The opposite of kindness is sharpness, or severity. Some people are sharp and severe, not kind.
Biblical kindness is not the shallow kindness of the world. Kindness is not compromise; rather the kind person is the person who possesses both convictions and courtesy toward others.
Kindness is the overflow of God’s love in our life.
- 1 Corinthians 13:4 — “Love is patient, love is kind ….”
- Galatians 5:22 — “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness …”
- In 2 Corinthians 6:6-7, Paul describes his ministry as taking place in the midst of much affliction, and also “in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love.”
What wonderful things God has for us as we grow in Him! Kindness is one of His good gifts!
I look forward to seeing you Sunday!
— Tom
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