Hello, Crossroads Family !
Someone is powerwashing my house this morning. We all need a good powerwashing of our lives from time to time, don’t we ! Let’s pray God would do that for us !
I’m grateful for our church family and the mission we’re on to grow ever deeper in a relationship with God and with each other. And not only with each other but also building Gospel bridges to those around us in our community.
I appreciate that you put up with a pastor who is always asking questions. One of the things I’ve loved about being part of the Evangelical Free Church is its commitment to emphasizing the “primary” things of the Christian life and allowing for differences on things we might consider to be “secondary.” At the same time, the longer I walk with Christ and the more I contemplate making all of life His, secondary questions also seem to be important. So I appreciate that you’re willing to dig and discover and grow and, to the best of our ability, follow our great Savior obediently in all things !
I appreciate your compassion. What a wonderful quality of this congregation ! And with compassion, you also have much passion. You’re passionate about the people and projects that are part of your life, and you’re passionate about understanding God’s Word. I’m grateful for that. Jesus was also a passionate person ; it’s written about Him that zeal for God’s house “consumed” Him (John 2:17).
With passion, let us also work hard to maintain and grow unity. One of you was speaking to me recently about the Nevada High School football team, telling me that it’s a good team this year because the young men play unified. Unity is important in all things, and especially in a church. Love is our bond of unity. Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples : if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).
As I came online to write this TMG today, I glanced at an internet headline — one of those headlines that is not very important but says temptingly, “Click on me !” The headline read, “Survey : These 10 fast food chains have dipped in quality in 2025.” I didn’t bother to find out which chains these were, but it caused me to think that the quality of life at Crossroads Church has increased, not decreased, this year … thanks to all of you !
Here’s some good news I received this week from Emmanuel Evangelical Free Church, the church I pastored for fifteen years in Hermann, Missouri. I learned in an email that an announcement was made last Sunday morning that the church had made its final mortgage payment ! I’m thrilled to hear that ! That’s a project we began in 2009, so it feels like they have done a great job in faithfully pursuing God’s call upon them. It was roughly a one million dollar building project at the time, although the loan itself was not as much as that. Emmanuel EFC, at the time, was a congregation much like ours. So, let’s trust God to provide and to lead as He has already done so many times for us. Thank you for giving generously to the church as we begin to head down the final part of 2025. Remember that our hope is to increase giving in such a way that we can include a full-time pastor’s salary in the 2026 budget.
I look forward to the ways God will encourage, bless, challenge, and powerwash us during the second half of this week — including at Immerse (tonight, 7:00) ; at the women’s Breakfast & Bible Study (Saturday, 8 am) ; and at worship this Sunday morning at 10:00. We’ll have Children’s Church during the sermon for 0-7 year-olds, and also our 8-13 year-olds Bible class. (Thanks for praying for children and young people at Crossroads ! We could still use some additional helpers in Children’s Church.) Our new “Family Fellowship” group (families with young children) is going bowling Sunday afternoon. Would you pray for a great time of encouragement and relationship-building for these parents and their children ? Thank you !
Some dates and reminders :
Immerse tonight, 7:00-8:15, at the church. Everyone is welcome ! Come, no matter how much or little of the reading you’ve done ! You’ll enjoy the fellowship and discussion. A good midweek break !
Women’s Breakfast & Bible Study, Saturday morning, 8-9:15, at the church. This is a good time of fellowship and encouragement to women ! Contact Erin Townsend if you have a question (ektownsend12@gmail.com).
Men’s Recharge next Tuesday, September 23, 6:30-8:00 pm, at the church. We’re meeting this month on a Tuesday instead of Thursday ! Men, I hope you’ll come out and be encouraged by the fellowship and discussion. I understand chili is on the menu that evening ! Come hungry.
Sunday night Bible Study group starts September 28, 6pm, at the church. I’ll be leading a study in “How to Read & Understand the Psalms.” More information in the bulletin this Sunday. Bring a Bible and an interest in better understanding how to approach the psalms ! We’ll meet for six Sunday nights.
In addition to all of the above, we have an Elders meeting on Sunday, the 28th, following worship. We’re tentatively looking at Sunday, October 12, as a date for the next Hot Dog Dinner outreach in the parking lot of Walton Pool. I’m planning to schedule a Membership Class in October. Would you let me know if you would be interested in attending ? That will help me nail down the date. Thank you !Some prayer needs :
Austin Forkner, Julie’s son, has injured his leg. Would you keep Austin in your prayers. Austin has suffered a lot of physical injuries as part of his Motocross career. We also give thanks to God that LJ Austin, Julie’s dad, is recovering well from heart surgery.
Let’s continue to pray to God for our nation’s need for healing ; for protection for those who lead in various capacities ; and for peace. God hears.
A different perspective of ministry to churches and pastors
Mark Farran is a friend of mine who serves with the Evangelical Free Church Central District as one of the district’s Associate Superintendents. Currently, Mark is filling in as Acting Superintendent due to a heart attack suffered by our Superintendent, Mike Shields. Mark and his wife were missionaries with the Evangelical Free Church in Romania, and after that they served Zion Evangelical Free Church in Bland, Missouri, just down the road from Hermann. The letter below is one Mark sent out this week as part of the regular Central District update. It may give you a different perspective on church ministry and ways you can pray. I think you’ll also enjoy getting to know Mark a little bit. Thanks for praying for him and for his wife Jamie, and for Mike Shields and all the Central District staff. They are able to serve thanks to the financial support of individuals and churches in our district.
See you soon !
— Tom
I regularly get asked, “What is it like stepping into the superintendent role?” As I have processed this question many times now, I always have a variety of emotions surface. The first is gratitude. I am so thankful for how much Mike taught me over the last three years. He brought me along to meetings, taught me why he made decisions the way he did, and would constantly ask me, “If you were in my shoes, what would you do?” Even before I was in the role he was teaching me how to process what it would be like.
The second emotion I feel is low grade anxiety on the amount of work to be accomplished. My heart resonates with the Apostle Paul’s statement about the daily pressures and anxiety for all of the churches (2 Cor. 11:28). Our churches and pastors regularly encounter hardships. It is taxing to watch faithful servants of Christ endure adversity and mistreatment. What is most burdensome, however, is when leaders and churches lose sight of hope and the immeasurable greatness of His power towards us who believe.
The third emotion I feel is appreciation. I have an immense appreciation for our pastors and lay leaders. Nothing encourages me more than seeing a unified pastoral and elder team courageously pressing forward with a Gospel-centered vision. All across EFCA Central we have leadership teams who are committed to growing as life-giving churches. Some of those leadership teams are:
- Pursuing a name change to communicate relevance to their community.
- Working towards leadership health by diving into the tedious work of bylaw revision.
- Striving to become more hospitable by revamping their process of how guests are welcomed and loved.
- Boldly confronting unhealthy areas in the church.
- Pressing forward with building programs and capital campaigns to have a bigger impact in the community.
Each one of these churches have leadership teams which are living out the values of life-giving churches: Gospel Clarity, Gospel Boldness, Gospel Compassion, and Gospel Humility.
Churches living out these values display it with an insatiable hunger to see God work. Life-giving churches have committed leaders who pray for God to be at work in their church and community. In a world that is so complex and multi-faceted, there is a refreshing simplicity to Gospel ministry. We are called to glorify God by making disciples of Jesus Christ.
As you consider your church today, take some time to pray for your pastoral staff, elders, and lay leaders. Pray for your congregation to have a hunger and thirst to grow, and for your community around you to be reached with the Gospel.
For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might. (Ephesians 1: 15-19)
It is a joy serving Christ with you all!
Mark Farran
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