Hello, Crossroads Family !
We now have a Nominating Committee made up of Mark Tice, Catherine Moss, Heather Vestal, Diane Ray, and Tommie Ray. They may be reaching out to you about a nominations for next year’s Elder Board. Or if you have thoughts or questions for them, please take time to bring those to them. The nomination(s) for Elder Board must be approved by a 75% affirmative vote by church members voting at our December 14th congregational meeting. Thanks to these five who are willing to serve on the Nominating Committee ! Let’s keep them in our prayers as they go about discerning God’s will for our church in this area.
I’ll be preaching this Sunday on the subject of church eldership and spiritual leadership in general. I hope you’ll be present. I believe God will renew and reinforce our vision for ministry together.
I read the following passage this morning in the book of Ezekiel concerning “shepherds.” How important it is that a group of God’s people have good shepherds. This passage reminds us of that in a rather painful way. You may remember that Ezekiel, like Daniel, was with the Jewish exiles in Babylon at the time when God brought judgment on the people living in Jerusalem and Judah.
“Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves ! Should not the shepherds feed the flock ? … Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost ; but with force and with severity you have dominated them. They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every beast of the field and were scattered … all over the face of the earth” (Ezekiel 34:2-6).
Wow ! Powerful, sobering words ! Thanks for praying for Crossroads’ elders … and for the selection of someone to fill the position that’s coming open at the beginning of next year.
Needs & Prayers
Our Crossroads elders spent time last Sunday discussing needs that may exist in our congregation or in the community because of the likely upcoming suspension of SNAP benefits. We’re seeking to help those in our own congregation who may be affected, and also ways we might assist Community Outreach at this time. I’ve also been made aware today of some of our other Ministerial Alliance churches who are organizing meal kits. I’ll bring that idea and their request to the church family Sunday.
We’re collecting items for Christmas gift baskets for the staff at Nathan Richard Care Center (located right across the street from our church building). Don’t forget to bring items to the church and place them in the basket at the back of the worship area. If you have questions, please touch base with Jenny Rives. Thank you ! We look forward to preparing some handmade crafts and assembling the gift baskets on Sunday, November 16, at 3:30 at the church. We’ll distribute these gifts, and will carol to the residents and staff, on Sunday, December, at 4 pm.
There are many prayer needs and praise reports in our church family all week long ! Thanks for sharing what God has done in your life ! Thanks for bearing each other’s burdens through prayer. Here are two or three to remember as we finish the week :
- Dominick Goodwin and Kylee Vestal will be married this coming Saturday. Let’s keep them and their families in our prayers. Don’t forget you are invited to the wedding reception Saturday, 5:30-10:00 pm, at Enchanted Prairie Farm, 17557 East Stockade Road.
- Mark Tice’s son, Bradley, will be married next weekend in Michigan. Let’s be in prayer for Bradley and his fiancée, Kate, as well as for Mark and his entire family.
- Dave Ewing underwent emergency eye surgery yesterday. We’re thankful that the procedure went well and Dave is recovering.
Reminders
Women’s Breakfast & Bible Study, this Saturday morning at 8:00. This is the final session for the fall. We give thanks to God for all women at Crossroads Church, and we’re thrilled for what He has done in the lives of those who were part of the study series this fall !
Worship this Sunday morning, 10:00. Children’s Church for ages 0-7 during the sermon. Bring your gift items for the staff at Nathan Richard. We’ll worship around the Lord’s Table at the conclusion of the service.
Sunday Night Bible Study, 6 pm. We’ll meet this Sunday night at the home of Marvin and Diane Knoche. We’ll study the Psalms of Trust. These are typically among our favorites — psalms such as 23, 121, etc. I hope you can join us !
Immerse next Wednesday night, 7:00. Everyone is welcome, even if you’ve missed some sessions. The reading assignment in the Immerse Bible is pp 311-355 which is the equivalent in other Bibles of the book of Obadiah plus chapters 1-24 of the book of Ezekiel.
Final Thoughts
There’s a lot to be said about Christ-filled relationships in a church. We all crave healthy, deep relationships with people, especially those with whom we share the joy of knowing the Lord. In a discussion I had with several other Evangelical Free Church pastors about 18 months ago, we kicked around a topic called “Crucial Conversations” (from a book by Joseph Grenny). See what you think about this topic from the few notes I’ve included below. Do we have good “crucial conversations” at Crossroads Church ? How can we do better and develop deeper Christ-influenced relationships ?
1. Anytime you find yourself stuck as an organization or team, ask, “What crucial conversation are we not having, or not having well ?” If you don’t talk it out, you’ll act it out.
2. What are the two or three crucial conversations that most affect the health of your organization (your church or ministry team) ? Focus on crucial conversations ; make them a positive, elevating experience. The Bible is a history of crucial conversations. There are two choices always : Talk it out or act it out.
3. Some “crucial subjects” that are often overlooked by church members and/or church leaders : (a) performance problems with volunteers or staff ; (b) members struggling with sin ; (c) concerns about the pastor(s).
4. Crucial Moments : There are some moments in the life of a church or other organization that have a disproportionate influence on the church. In other words, there are some crucial moments that matter more than others. Oftentimes, these moments are when there are (a) opposing opinions ; (b) high emotions ; and (c) high stakes involved.
As we discuss church eldership this Sunday (and some again on the following Sunday), I believe the Lord will speak to us about relationships in the church. Growing deeper in genuine relationship allows us to speak candidly (the truth) in love. There may be a myth we buy into that says you have to choose between telling the truth and keeping a friend. That myth can be at the heart of some church dysfunction.
“But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:15-16).
“Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:32).
Looking forward to seeing you Sunday !
— Tom
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