TMG
Tom’s Midweek Greeting
Crossroads Community Church
Nevada MO
June 3, 2020
Hello, Crossroads Family!
I hope you’re well and enjoying the sunshine which has returned to Nevada!
“Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all stars of light! Praise Him, highest heavens, and the waters that are above the heavens!” were lines we studied together last Monday night in Psalm 148.
That same Psalm 148 says He is…
… the Creator (“He commanded and they were created” – 148:5)
… and the Controller (“He has also established them forever and ever” –148:6).
Our future is in the hands of a God who rules and overrules and works all things together for the good of those who love Him.
Psalm 139, another psalm of creation, tells us that God is…
… all-knowing (verses 1-6). “You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar.” (139:2)
… all-present (verses 7-12). “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?” (139:7)
… all-powerful (verses 13-18). “I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (139:14)
… and all-righteous (verses 19-24). “O that You would slay the wicked, O God. Search me and know my heart, and see if there be any hurtful way in me.” (139:19, 23, 24)
I hope you enjoyed our Monday Night Bible Study on “Summertime Psalms” last Monday night on Facebook Live.
This coming Monday, June 8, we’ll look at some Psalms of Questioning. A question that occurs with some frequency in the psalms is, “How long?” “How long, O Lord, until You intervene?” I hope you’ll join us this coming Monday night, 7:00, on Facebook Live!
Why are we meeting outside on Sunday mornings?
I enjoyed our worship service very much last Sunday morning! Thanks to our Worship and Set-Up Teams for help in making that happen! I’m glad so many of the Crossroads family were there! God blessed us with wonderful worship, good fellowship, and encouraging teaching on the rich life that is ours in Christ. A video recording of the sermon is available on the Crossroads Facebook page.
As you know, the Osage Prairie YMCA has had some extra responsibilities this spring providing meals to children whose parents have continued to work through the pandemic. By meeting outside when we can, we help alleviate some of the concerns at the Y about keeping the building clean. Also, meeting outside in lawn chairs allows those worshiping to space themselves out to a distance they feel comfortable with. If you need extra space, or if you prefer to stay in your car and worship with the windows down, the speakers are giving lots of sound, so you should be able to hear from just about any distance on the property! Beyond all these things, springtime worship outside is a reminder of the beauty of the Lord we worship. I enjoy hearing the sounds of the birds and feeling the breeze during worship! We’re also working on keeping the service shorter time-wise while we meet outside. Thanks for your help and for your consideration of all different kinds of needs within our congregation at this time!
Coming Up
Cookout, this Friday night, 6 pm, at the Reedy Farm.
If you’re up for some more outdoor time, you’re invited to the Reedy farm this Friday for a cookout and fellowship starting at 6 pm. Dave will provide hot dogs. Bring a side dish, chips, and/or a drink if you would like! Contact us for directions. When you come into Moundville from the north, take the second left-hand turn (back east). The Reedy home is at the end of that street.
Saturday Night Worship Music, 5 pm, on Facebook.
Jessica is continuing to provide worship music on the Crossroads Facebook page and on her Facebook page on Saturday evenings at 5 pm. I hope you will be blessed by these moments of worshiping God in song. Great preparation for Sunday!
Sunday Worship, 10 am, at the Y.
We plan to meet outside, so please bring a lawn chair! I hope to see you there! A sermon will be posted on the Crossroads Facebook page by Saturday evening in case you can’t make it Sunday morning.
Monday Night Bible Study – June 8, 7 pm, on Facebook.
We’ll continue our “Summertime Psalms” series on the Crossroads Facebook page! Join us for some encouragement from the psalms!
Scrappy Church
It was not quite a year ago that we went through a Sunday morning sermon series called “Scrappy Church,” drawing ideas from the book by Thom Rainer called Scrappy Church : God’s Not Done Yet.
If you’ve been following the Crossroads Facebook page lately, I’ve been posting every week one of the seven transitions in attitude that make up a Scrappy Church. I’ve listed all seven below. I hope you’ll scan through them, use them in your prayers for Crossroads, and think about how we can continue to make these transitions in attitude!
Seven Attitude Transitions in a Scrappy Church
- From Excuses to Ownership
People in a Scrappy Church stop making excuses – “We don’t have very many people”; “We don’t have a building of our own”; “We can’t do everything the big church down the street can do” – and take ownership of their church as it is.
- From Obstacles to Allies
People in a Scrappy Church stop viewing some members of the church as obstacles to the progress of the church. In a Scrappy Church, value is placed on loving each other without condition. Instead of dwelling on differences or on criticisms, Scrappy Church members pray for those who have a different viewpoint, and stay outwardly focused. (Even Billy Graham had critics!)
- From Limitations to Abundance
“God has given our church all the resources it needs to minister right now and to move forward this week,” is an attitude held by those in a Scrappy Church. “My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:19.
- From Discouragement to Joy
For a church to be scrappy, its people make a conscious shift from focusing on the negatives to focusing on the positives.
- From Fear to Courage
The unwritten policy in many churches is “Let’s don’t rock the boat.” Unfortunately, in such a policy there’s no vision, no looking forward, no courage to win the world for Christ. “Be strong and courageous” is God’s command and requires stepping out to try new ideas of ministry.
- From Inward to Outward
The danger of small, relational churches is that they can become insular. It’s good to take care of the “family,” but taking care of ourselves isn’t the only purpose God has for us. A Scrappy Church has its eyes peeled for the needs of people all around, both close by and far away. Who is part of our extended circle of relationships, and how can we bless them in Jesus’ name?
- Continual Learners
Scrappy Church members are continually learning … about the Lord, about ministry, and about themselves. They read; they attend conferences and training; they are looking for ways to be better equipped to serve.
Which attitude transition would be most useful to you right now? Would you pray that these attitudes would continue to take root at Crossroads? Thank you!
I hope to see you this Sunday morning!
Tom
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