TMG
Tom’s Midweek Greeting
Crossroads Community Church
Nevada MO
May 25, 2018
www.nevadacrossroadschurch.org
Happy Friday!
Someone shared this Bible verse with me recently, and I pass it along to you: “It is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a very special place in my heart. We have shared together the blessings of God.” (Philippians 1:7-9, NLT).
It’s great to be part of a church where we have strong feelings for each other,…and where we’re sharing together the blessings of God!
I hope to see you this Sunday at 10:00 at the Y for some good worship and fellowship!
Thoughts on my mind…
Thanks to everyone who participated in the Show ‘n’ Shine barbecue last Saturday. Although we didn’t win first prize, our barbecue was nevertheless the best! Thanks to Richard Roberts for preparing it! Mostly we had a good time of fellowship; we helped a good cause (Habitat for Humanity); and we were able to interact with people from our community. Thanks again for a good time!
Thanks to two extra people who have volunteered to help with Children’s Church during the month of June! Such an answer to prayer! We could still use one or two more for the summer months, so as to lighten the load on those serving. It doesn’t have to be a “forever” commitment – would you just commit to taking a Sunday? This is truly an important part of growing a healthy church, and it’s a needed ministry to the children who are part of Crossroads.
This Sunday’s sermon will be “Lessons from Jonah.” Jonah happens to be the Bible story the kids studied last week in Children’s Church. This Sunday we’re all going to take a look at it together – kids and adults – and have some fun doing it! Who is the book of Jonah really about – Jonah? the fish ? Nineveh? God? You and me?
Don’t forget we’re going to the ball game on Sunday night, June 3, as the Nevada Griffons host St. Joe. It’s Church Night – admission is free, and if you bring your bulletin from that morning we’ll be entered in a drawing for a $75 contribution to our youth ministry. Mark your calendar if you haven’t already!
Home Group starts up Wednesday, June 6, at 6:30 pm at Cris and Donna’s house. We’ll meet four weeks before taking a summer break. If you haven’t been to Home Group lately, you’re missing the heartbeat of Crossroads Church. I encourage you to come. You’ll be encouraged, and you’ll share with others in the church the blessings of God.
Phill and Judi Edwards invite us all to their home after worship on Sunday, June 24, for a carry-in meal. If you don’t have plans that Sunday, let’s prolong our fellowship around an informal meal at Phill and Judi’s house for anyone who would like to come. We’ll keep it very simple – just plan to bring some food you can share with the group!
I enjoyed the lesson in one of our small discipleship groups this past week on “Obedience.” The lesson took us to the conversion of Saul of Tarsus in Acts chapter 9, and focused specifically on: 1) Saul’s obedience when the Lord instructed him to “go into the city (Damascus)”; and 2) the obedience of Ananias who was told to go visit this persecutor of Christians in the home where he was staying. These two small steps of obedience had long-lasting rippling effects, serving to launch the ministry of Saul/Paul which indirectly has reached you and me. The point of the lesson is that if we are seeking God’s will for our lives, it’s usually found by taking that next small step of obedience. If we will do that “next thing” that we know we’re supposed to do as followers of Christ, God will lead us along the way, and our obedience will have long-lasting effects that we probably never anticipated.
A New Start. The past three years at Crossroads have really been a work of God in giving our church a new start. It has been exciting to see Him do it! There are so many good things going on, and so many awesome people – all of you! What is particularly heartening to me are…
… a good spirit. It’s a spirit of people sincerely seeking God. It’s a spirit that causes you to show up on Sunday mornings with smiles on your faces. I enjoy that very much! Sunday is a highlight for me – I need the worship and interaction as much as you do!
… hard workers. I see this at events like Show ‘n’ Shine, or at our Thanksgiving dinner, or in your willingness to reach out to students from Cottey College.
… your willingness to grow as students of the Word, as disciples of the Lord Jesus, and as makers of disciples. That’s what the Lord has called us to do – make disciples.
What’s next for Crossroads? How do we solidify the ministry God has given us so that it has a long-lasting impact, beyond just what we enjoy today? We’re a little like the Jews in the book of Nehemiah, some of whom had returned to Jerusalem, but they were still vulnerable because the walls of the city were in disrepair. God sent Nehemiah to repair the walls so the city could be secure.
Joe Chenoweth is one of the men who have been helping us get the Young Life ministry started in Nevada. Joe is from Harrisonville, Missouri, and is an elder at one of the two Evangelical Free churches in Harrisonville, Cornerstone Community Church (https://www.3chv.org/). Joe has a plan he uses to help some Young Life groups in the KC metro area get a new start. He calls it “Bumpstart.” Recently, I had a chance to visit with Joe about his Bumpstart ideas. Joe feels the principles he uses in Bumpstart could also easily apply to a church such as ours. Joe is willing to come down sometime this summer to meet with our leadership and talk through some practical steps we could take to help Crossroads grow to the next level of its ministry. Would you pray with me about that potential meeting between Joe and us? I’m really grateful for his heart for Nevada and for Crossroads.
I look forward to seeing you Sunday for a great time of worshiping the God of Jonah!
— Tom
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