TMG
Tom’s Midweek Greeting
Crossroads Community Church
Nevada MO
October 9, 2019
Hello, Crossroads Family!
I’ve been thinking of you and praying for you! We are so often weighed down with life’s cares, and we need the prayer support and encouragement each one is able to give to the others in the family.
Also, our Adversary, the devil, attacks God’s people, sometimes directly and sometimes through cunning schemes we don’t see coming. I was just reading today that the Bible likens Satan to five different animals:
- a serpent, deceiving people (Genesis 3)
- a bird, trying to spoil God’s harvest (Matthew 13)
- a wolf attacking a flock (John 10)
- a lion that devours (1 Peter 5)
- and a dragon (Revelation 12)
Even so, our focus is not on the enemy, but on the one who has saved us and set us free! “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed!” (John 8:36).
On the schedule,…
Worship and Sunday morning Bible Studies, this Sunday at the Y.
- “The Truth Project” video series for Middle Schoolers and High Schoolers at 9:00.
- “Why We Can Believe the Bible” continues for all adults. Even if you’ve missed previous classes, you can join us. 9:00
- Worship at 10:00. Our sermon will be from Esther 5, “When You’ve Been Away From God.” We’ll look at three key words in this exciting chapter of Esther that help us develop a fulfilling and lasting relationship with God.
Congregational Meeting, October 20, following the worship service.
We need to have a short meeting to confirm the Nominating Committee. Those proposed for the Nominating Committee are Shane Dahmer, Julie Kemper, Dave Reedy, Erin Reedy, and Erlinda Reichard.
Home Group: Wednesday, October 23, 6:30 pm.
We’ll meet at Cris and Donna’s house on October 23 for fellowship, study, and encouragement. Mark your calendar! We would love to have you be part of this uplifting time!
Notes …
There are lots of good things going on at Crossroads! I enjoy the support and encouragement we receive when we’re together. Just a few of the things going on…
The Worship Team met last Sunday to plan worship services for October, November, and December. We will finish the Book of Esther in November, and shortly afterwards move into a series of Advent worship services. We’re going to have the younger children join us for those four Sundays in December and gear the morning messages to include them! It will be a good time of family worship and will give our Children’s Church teachers and helpers some much-deserved time off. We’ll also plan a Christmas Eve service again. We have a wonderful group of committed team members in worship, including Erin, Erlinda, Esther, Chosen, and Phill. I appreciate their hard work which includes choosing songs, mapping out a roadmap for each service, preparing slides and music, leading, and later reporting online to our music licensing company which songs we used. Lots of prayer goes into their service to the body each week. Thanks to Dave and Kim for providing the bread and drink for Communion once a month.
The Children’s Church Team is using the month of October to also study the Book of Esther on Sunday mornings. Esther’s story is an exciting one and shows God at work in people’s lives. In November, the Children’s Church theme will be Thanksgiving. We could use one or two more people who would be interested in teaching the kids at Crossroads once a month or so on Sunday mornings. It requires some planning, but mostly involves loving kids! Let me know if you would like to try! Our teachers currently are Esther, Lindsey, Julie, Donna, and Angi; our helpers are Shalea, Kim, Erika, Vicky, Sabrina, and sometimes Grace!
The Set-Up Team continues to bless us each Sunday by arriving early to set up chairs and other equipment for worship. Thanks to Cris, Forrest, Evan, and others who assist. We would always welcome more help, as occasionally someone from this team has to be gone on a Sunday. Let Cris know if you’d like to try out being part of the Set-Up Team. Thanks to everyone who lends a hand tearing down equipment and closing up the Y once the service is over! Others bring food, drinks, and even blankets, which is a help and blessing to us all! Thanks for all the thoughtfulness that goes into a Sunday morning! Cris and Forrest are also currently leading the youth study, “The Truth Project,” so they do double-duty on Sunday mornings. Our greeters, Dave, Shane, and Phill, are faithful to be at the front door early on Sundays.
The Follow-Up Team is planning to purchase a gift mug for first-time visitors to Crossroads so we can express our gratitude to them and give them something to remember their visit by. Our Follow-Up Team is doing a lot of good connecting work behind the scenes. I’m grateful to Stacey, Erlinda, Liz, and Dave for their involvement in the Follow-Up Team.
The Big Serve Team did a great job two Sundays ago helping two of our Nevada neighbors. The team cleaned windows and gutters, and repaired a broken garage door at one home; at a second home, they painted a garage. Great job, Dave, Julie, Erin, Esther, Gary, and led by Heather!
Others in the church bless the body through discipleship, food, prayer, friendship, food, outreach, giving rides, food, giving monetarily, and simply through contributing ideas. We appreciate the hard work of Judi Edwards, our Church Financial Manager. Erin Reedy is working hard on initial plans for a church Thanksgiving dinner in November. Please watch for a date to be announced soon. There is good news about church finances, and we give thanks to God for His generosity through the people of Crossroads.
Some things that are coming up and for which I invite your prayers:
- Our Nominating Committee will be at work seeking God’s will for a nomination to the 2020 Elder Board. Cris’s term on the Board comes to an end this year; he is eligible to be elected to a second term.
- We will need to put together and approve a budget for 2020.
- A goal is still making connections with other Evangelical Free churches and activities in our district (Missouri, Iowa, Arkansas).
- I would love to grow our worship team and find a person to coordinate the Children’s Church Team. Our Follow-Up Team is still working on updating our visitors information card. We also need more disciple-makers and pray-ers. Also, hospitality can be a missing art in a church of busy people. Take time to connect or invite someone when you can so that we can go on building deep relationships!
Happy birthday to Erlinda whose birthday was today (October 9)!
I look forward to seeing you this Sunday!
— Tom
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