TMG
Hello, Crossroads Family!
A quick reminder that there is no Immerse tonight. Immerse is on a summer break now but will start back up in the fall. Thanks to everyone who participated this spring, and I hope as many of you as possible will be back in the fall, along with some others! Thanks to Forrest for initiating Immerse and for leading; to Dave also for being a small group leader; to those who substituted in Dave’s and Forrest’s absence; and to Jessica who led the large group in singing and prayer. The goals of Immerse were to connect with God, build community, and grow our faith. I believe we met all three of those goals on Wednesday nights this spring! Praise and thanks to God for this good step forward at Crossroads!
Happy Father’s Day this coming Sunday! We’re grateful for our dads and grandfathers and for all the men who make up Crossroads Church! These thoughts about Theodore Roosevelt, written by David McCullough, say a lot to me about the joy of being a father (and of having good fathers):
“Incapable of doing anything by half measure, Theodore Roosevelt embraced every part he ever played — scholar, suitor, soldier, cowboy and bear-hunter, husband, politician, president of the United States — but that of being a father most especially. He took on the role for his six children as if life depended on it, his and theirs.
“He was the kind of father who, at the dinner table, would serve the youngest child first, or who, when their mother was not looking, would cut the icing off his own cake and slip it to the nearest child. A baby’s hand, he thought, was the most beautiful of God’s creations.
“‘I love all these children and have great fun with them,’ he wrote to his sister-in-law, ‘and I am touched by the way in which they feel I am their special friend, champion and companion.’ If separated from them, he wanted them to know they were never out of mind. There was never doubt of his love for each of the children, his trust in them, his devotion to their mother, or that home was where his heart was. ‘After all, fond as I am of the White House, there isn’t any place in the world like home …'” (from the foreword of A Bully Father by Joan Paterson Kerr).
Here are some good words for fathers from the Bible:
— “Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face continually” (1 Chronicles 16:11).
— “This book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it ; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success” (Joshua 1:8).
— “Cease from anger and forsake wrath. Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing” (Psalm 37:8).
— “By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; and by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches” (Proverbs 24:3-4).
Calendar Reminders
Gospel Night at Bushwhacker Days, tomorrow
Several of you have volunteered to help at the concession stand tomorrow evening. It’s great, as a church, to have a part in sponsoring this evening of gospel music on the square in Nevada. Contact Julie if you have questions.
Pizza & Game Night, this Sunday evening
You’re all invited — 4:30 at the church this Sunday! There will be pizza and chips and board games and fellowship available for everyone! Please bring your own drink and/or some to share! Bring a friend too! If you have questions, let Michaela Walker or Erin Reedy know.
Evening of Prayer, June 19
Please join me and some others for an informal time of prayer starting at 7:00 on Wednesday, the 19th. Prayer is foundational to the good health and successful ministry of the church, but it’s often overlooked. Prayer is conversation with God, the only one who can meet all our real needs. Small group prayer has a way of encouraging in a big way those who participate in it. I hope you’ll mark your calendar.
Elders Meeting, June 23
Our Crossroads elders will meet following the worship service on June 23. If you have a need for the elders to address, please let one of them know between now and then. Thank you.
Newcomers / Membership Meeting, June 27
If you’re new to Crossroads and/or interested in church membership, join me on Thursday, June 27, at 7 pm for an informal time of getting better acquainted and learning about Crossroads. You do not have to become a member of the church just because you come; it will be a time of getting acquainted and an opportunity for membership for those interested.
Other things going on at Crossroads …
- Stacey is working on setting up a Venmo account for the church that will facilitate giving for those interested in using it.
- The church t-shirts are in, and Michaela will be working on getting those to you.
- The new sign for our church is being fabricated. We’re waiting on the sign ; a flag in the grassy median between the parking lot and Highland Avenue marks where the hole will be dug for it.
- As you’ve seen, the new door for the nursery is here and ready to be installed.
- Mark Tice, along with Jeremy Boyd and Tyler, joined about fifteen others from The Springs E-Free Church in Springfield to do tornado cleanup one day last week at Cedar Springs Camp near Cherokee Village, Arkansas. The camp is run by the Pinto family and was heavily damaged by a tornado last month. Phil Pinto is pastor at the Evangelical Free church in Cherokee Village.
- Austin Forkner went through a 6 1/2 – hour surgery this past Monday for damage to his head. He is recovering slowly. Continue to pray for the Forkners, Julie, and others.
- Rodeo Bible Camp is this week at Riverside Cowboy Church; let’s keep campers and workers in our prayers this week.
- Don’t forget that Crossroads is scheduled to serve dinner at Kamp Keirsey, about 45 minutes north of Nevada, on Sunday evening, July 21.
This Sunday
We’ll have a wonderful opportunity again this Sunday to worship our worthy God and Savior! I hope you won’t miss out! I’ll continue the sermon series in Exodus. We’ll again be at the burning bush where God reveals His “memorial name” to Moses. What is the significance of this name God says He wants to be known by? It’s a very personal name, and it tells us what a wonderfully personal God we have.
While reading this week in the Psalms, I jotted down a series of verses (in addition to those we’ve seen in Exodus) that tell us about our personal, caring, involved God:
— The Lord is gracious and merciful. Ps 145:8
— The Lord is good. 145:9
— The Lord sustains and raises up the downtrodden. 145:14
— The Lord is righteous and kind. 145:17
— The Lord is near. 145:18
— The Lord keeps all who love Him. 145:20
— The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. 146:8
— The Lord raises up those who are bowed down. 146:8
— The Lord loves the righteous. 146:8
— The Lord protects the strangers. 146:9
— The Lord supports the fatherless and the widow but thwarts the way of the wicked. 146:9
— The Lord builds up Jerusalem. 147:2
— The Lord supports the afflicted. 147:6
— The Lord favors those who fear Him, those who wait for His lovingkindness. 147:11
I hope to see you this Sunday morning, 10:00!
— Tom
Leave a Reply