Hello, Crossroads Family !
Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord ? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill ?
Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts.
Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends.
Those who despise flagrant sinners,
and honor the faithful followers of the Lord,
and keep their promises even when it hurts.
Those who lend money without charging interest,
and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent.
Such people will stand firm forever.
Psalm 15 (NLT)
In all the noise and passion of a presidential election, you may be unaware that in Missouri we will also vote in November on a reproductive health care amendment to our state constitution. You can read the amendment proposal (Amendment 3) here or here.
Todd Brooks, one of our EFCA Central District staff members, makes a good point in a recent newsletter that this may be the only chance some of us will have in our lifetime to have a voting voice in this matter. I encourage you to read the proposed amendment and the information provided in the links above. May God guide us in making a good choice on this matter.
You might imagine that as a father of a large family I have strong feelings about the value of each life. Diana and I were influenced in our decisions about family by the ways human history has been impacted by the youngest children in some large families !
For example, in music, did you know that …
- … the German composer Robert Schumann (one of my favorites) was the last of five children ;
- … the German opera composer Richard Wagner was the last of nine ;
- … French composer Jacques Offenbach who gave us the “Can-Can” was the seventh of ten ;
- … Edvard Grieg, Norway’s greatest composer, was the fourth of five (His parents decided they could “afjord” him after all !) ;
- … William Steinway (yes, that Steinway) was the seventh of seven ;
- … one of America’s greatest composers, Aaron Copland, was the last of five children.
The same is true of American presidents. Here are five, but there are others :
- William Henry Harrison was the last of seven ;
- John Tyler was the sixth of eight ;
- Franklin Pierce was the seventh of eight ;
- Rutherford Hayes was the fifth of five ;
- Grover Cleveland was the fifth of nine.
My point here is not to preach about birth control (nor to say that oldest and middle children are not important too 
) but to remind us of the value of every human life, both to God and to all of us as members of society ! We simply don’t know the difference that little baby will make, regardless of its circumstances, if we will love and support him / her.
As someone who works at a high school, it’s easy for me to see the difference that a respect for life in society makes to students’ respect for each other and their teachers in the hallways of the school. A love for the pre-born translates into a love for every life. Dr. Albert Schweitzer believed that the concept of “ethics” boiled down simply to the idea of “reverence for life.” Really it does if you think about it.
Psalm 15 outlines some of the moral qualities of a person who wants to know God well :
- seeks to do what’s right
- speaks the truth
- steers clear of hardened sinners
- keeps his/her promises
- doesn’t gossip or slander
- doesn’t take up a reproach against someone
- doesn’t take advantage of people
- doesn’t accept bribes.
These are wonderful qualities that will change the world if we will allow God to produce them in us. We have an opportunity to impact lives by the way we live and love.
Our upcoming schedule at Crossroads
Immerse Bible Study
Each Wednesday, 7:00-8:15, at the church. The goals of Immerse are (1) Connect with God ; (2) Build community ; and (3) Grow your faith. I hope you’ll be there for each session of Immerse !
Breakfast & A Bible Study this Saturday morning
This small group for women begins this coming Saturday morning, September 7th, from 8:00-9:15 at the church ! We’re excited for how God is going to grow women in relationships ! If you have any questions , please contact Erin Townsend.
Hymn Study Small Group this Sunday evening
The first session of this study will be this coming Sunday evening, September 8th, from 6:30-7:30. We’ll meet at the home of Diane and Marvin Knoche, 1605 W. Maple Street. Jenny Rives will lead us in a time of fellowship, worship, discovery, and journaling for personal growth and encouragement using some of the great hymns of the faith.
Fellowship Meal, September 15
Everyone is invited to Bryan and Erin Townsend’s home, 13454 E. Nelson Road, following worship on Sunday, September 15th. Please be sure to sign up so we can get an accurate head count !
Ministry Teams Meeting, September 22
We’ll meet right after the worship service. We should need about an hour of your time.
Youth Game Night, October 5
More details coming ! Reserve the date !
Needs
Elizabeth Scheib has lost her Bible. If you come across a small pink Bible, would you be sure to bring it to the church and get it back in Elizabeth’s hands. Thank you !
Several health-related prayer needs – refer to my weekly TMG email for details.
See you Sunday !
These are exciting times at Crossroads. I remember years ago when our Central District church-planting coach said to me, “Sixty is a good number in a church. Everything over sixty is administration !” I laughed at the time, but he was right in that sixty is a good time in a growing church. We were almost sixty people at worship last Sunday, and several from our church family were gone due to the long weekend. And we did have a great time. Some important steps for us coming up as a church :
- The fellowship dinner on 9/15 will be a valuable time for connection and fellowship — growth in relationships, both old and new.
- The Ministry Teams Meeting on 9/22 is an important one. If you’re currently part of one of the ministry teams at Crossroads, your presence will be important at the meeting. We will answer questions, plan for the remainder of 2024, have some initial discussion about budget needs for 2025, and pray together.
- We’ll need soon to put together a Nominating Committee to elect officers for next year. This is an important step, even if it seems sometimes like a bother . Please be praying for this process and be ready to serve if asked. Thank you !
- We’ll almost certainly have a congregational meeting before the end of the year to elect officers and approve a budget for 2025. Again, prayers needed in advance.
- We continue to look for one or two people to complete our Missions Team so we can have good leadership in worldwide and local outreach.
So much has happened in the church in 2024 !
Thanks for your love and faithfulness to God and to each other !
— Tom
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