Hello, Crossroads Family !
Just back home from a meeting of the Vernon County Ministerial Alliance. It was a meeting that lasted over two hours and was much different from our ordinary meetings, as it was dedicated to building relationships among those present and discussing what the future of the Ministerial Alliance should look like. I enjoyed it. I enjoy the connections I’ve made over the years with other pastors in town, mostly through the Ministerial Alliance. It’s hard to believe I’m actually now one of the long-termers in that group, having been at Crossroads ten years. I appreciated today’s commitment to Scripture, prayer, and relationship-building. I hope you’ll plan to attend the Community Thanksgiving service on Monday, November 25, at St Mary’s Church in Nevada. Yours truly will be preaching, and I’d love to have you there for support and to “show you off” ! 
Maybe I’ll even preach from Exodus ! The offering that night provides an important part of the Alliance’s Emergency Relief Fund for the coming year. 7 pm on the 25th. (No Chiefs game that night.)
Crossroads Calendar
Immerse tonight, 7:00
Everyone is invited ! The discussion will be from pages 225-248 in the Immerse Bible which corresponds to Numbers 12-24. Even if you haven’t done all the reading (or any of it !), you’ll enjoy the discussion and the fellowship !
Worship this Sunday morning at 10:00.
It’s great to see our worship area filled up with enthusiastic worshipers ! Thanks to everyone who prepares the facility, prepares the worship, and for all who prepare in prayer !
Elders Meeting following worship this Sunday
Thanks for your prayers for our elders. The main item on our agenda this Sunday is to work through a budget proposal for the church for 2025. Please pray that God will supply wisdom and vision ! A budget is not only a projection of future finances but also a statement of vision.
Hymn Study Small Group Sunday evening, 6:30
We’ll meet this week at the church rather than at the Knoches’. We would love you to join us for some quiet, thoughtful study and fellowship to end the day. We’ll be taking a look at two Advent/Christmas hymns : “Good Christian Men, Rejoice !” and “O Come, O Come Immanuel.”
Thanksgiving Fellowship Meal, November 24
Sign up at church this Sunday or contact Heather Vestal (heather.vestal@yahoo.com) if you’re able to contribute a dish to our Thanksgiving meal on the 24th. It’s always an enjoyable time with lots of delicious food !
Community Thanksgiving Service, November 25
7 pm at St Mary’s Church in Nevada.
Crossroads Cookie Exchange, Sunday, December 3
All women and your friends are invited to bring some special Christmas treats to share, and then go home with a box of treats yourself. 3:00 at the church. Contact Erin Townsend (ektownsend12@gmail.com) for more information.
Crossroads Christmas Eve Service, December 24, 6 pm
We’d love to have you join us for a special evening of worship on Christmas Eve. Please plan to bring family members, a friend, or a neighbor. We will finish no later than 7:00 so you can enjoy the rest of the evening as you choose.Finally …
I was thumbing through my files this week and came across this question in an old sermon I gave to my previous church, Emmanuel E-Free, in Hermann, MO :
“Do you believe God is growing His kingdom through Emmanuel E-Free ?”
It’s a good question to ask ourselves too. We’re hopefully not just going through the motions of “doing church” from week to week but rather committing our time, energy, offerings, and prayers because we really do believe God is accomplishing an important part of His work through us right now. Are you seeing that, too, like I am ? Let’s keep up the good work ; let’s be prayed up as we come to the end of another week and prepare for worship. May God fill us with His Holy Spirit so that we can accomplish His purposes for us !
This statement from one of Paul’s sermons comes to mind :
“David, after he had served God’s purpose in his own generation, fell asleep, and was buried among his fathers” (Acts 13:36).
May it also be said of us that we are serving God’s purposes in our generation ! A great time to be alive !
— Tom
P.S. Since we were talking some last Sunday about the Evangelical Free Church, here’s a link to a short video on the history of this movement of churches. Also, you can read the entire Statement of Faith of the EFCA at efca.org.
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