TMG
Hello, Crossroads Family!
Thanks for your presence and participation both in worship and at the congregational meeting last Sunday! I want to share some notes from the meeting and some thoughts of my own in this TMG.
Finances
While our income/giving is below what we had budgeted for this point in the year, so are our expenses. Thanks to your generous giving, our income is running ahead of expenses, which is a good place to be. Thanks to God for His provision. Please consider, as you continue to give this year, something additional for our Blessing Fund. That fund is used when there are some emergency needs that arise within and outside of the Crossroads family. We should keep that fund healthy. There is a separate basket on Sundays for the Blessing Fund.
Ministry
It’s exciting to see enthusiasm for ministry at Crossroads! Michelle shared plans for a monthly women’s fellowship/study/support group to start in September. Crossroads’ monthly Youth Group, along with young people’s ministry facilitated by Heather and Julie, and nursery care on Sunday mornings have all been significant ministries during the past school year. Thanks to everyone who supports these ministries through time and prayer. We should continue to build small group ministry (for young people and adults) as we serve the Lord and grow the church. Small groups are a key to healthy church life.
It’s also exciting to see the interest in finding the right “home” for Crossroads. There’s more of a hunger for this than perhaps I’ve ever seen in the time I’ve been at Crossroads,…and more of a united understanding of our need for that home. All that means we’re getting closer!
“What’s the plan?” I like it when people ask that question! God has been so faithful to Crossroads over the years; yet, the confidence we have in His faithfulness doesn’t mean we don’t also have steps to take — and decisions to make — in order to move forward and build a future for Crossroads. Finding the balance between what God expects us to do, and what He alone does, is one of the wonderful spiritual disciplines we must now grow in.
The plan up to this point has been to save and set aside money that would help us be in a position to act when the opportunity arose. That’s still the plan for now. In addition, let’s respond to the invitation given to us Sunday to take a look at two pieces of property :
- One is a piece of property for sale adjacent to the parking lot on the south side of Nevada Middle School (on Olive Street).
- The other is on South Washington Street, on the right-hand side of the street just before you reach the railroad tracks.
Please take a look at those two pieces of property when you have a chance and give some feedback to Cris or to one of the other elders. Thank you!
What I heard people say Sunday — at the meeting and afterwards — helped me to see there are three very practical decisions that will soon need to factor into our plan:
- An actual design of a building so we can consider whether any property we think about purchasing is big enough for a simple building that meets our current needs but also allows for growth.
- A decision on the advantages and disadvantages of owning a building inside the city limits vs. outside the city limits.
- A decision as to whether or not to go ahead and purchase some property now or to leave our Building Fund money in the bank while we continue to add to it.
Pray for our Elder Board — and for all of us — as we approach these kinds of decisions. Thank you for your input. We are in one of the “in-between” times we talked about in last Sunday’s sermon. Remember the four approaches we discussed concerning in-between times:
- Be patient.
- Be ready.
- Be obedient.
- Be God’s. (Genesis 33:20)
I had a good visit with Joe Chenoweth this morning. Many of you remember Joe did some coaching for us a few years back just before the pandemic. Joe took us through his “Walk the Walls” approach to growing church ministry, based on the biblical account of Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. I’d love to have Joe come down and connect with us again soon. Joe has good ideas on strategic ministry planning. “Where do we want to be in 3-5 years ?” is an important question that should be taken into consideration when making decisions about a church building. You can read more about Joe and his ministry at http://www.walkingthewalls.org. (In addition to serving on the staff of Young Life, Joe is a member and elder at Cornerstone Church, an Evangelical Free Church in Harrisonville.)
By the way, it came to my mind since Sunday’s meeting that one of the very first things we did at Emmanuel E-Free in Hermann, when it came time for us to build a building, was that we visited churches that had recently built. What good decisions did they make? What things did they wish they had done differently? One of the things some churches end up regretting is building too small.
All of us know people in the area who either are no longer attending church or perhaps have never been part of a church,…and yet they could benefit from the fellowship, teaching, and love we enjoy at Crossroads. The simple act of inviting people to activities of the church is something God still uses. Let us pray for open hearts, for our own open eyes, and for open mouths to invite other people when we have an opportunity. Who’s not with us now that we would like to be? Of course, ultimately our desire is to invite people, not to a church, but to an ever-deepening relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
More…
Missions
Our desire at Crossorads is to become a church more committed to God’s mission all around the world, both close to home and far away. We have a small amount of money budgeted this year to support missions. If you have thoughts on how we might best use those funds to support one local (area) and one worldwide missions work that we could stay connected to in the future, would you please pass your thoughts along to Heather Hall or to Erlinda. Thank you !
Statement on Supreme Court Decision on Roe v. Wade
I encourage you to read a statement written by the leadership of the Evangelical Free Church of America. You can find it here:
Supreme Court Ruling on Abortion — Evangelical Free Church of America
| Supreme Court Ruling on Abortion — Evangelical Free Church of America A response to the Supreme Court ruling on Roe v. Wade. |
The statement is a call for members of the EFCA to continue in our support of pregnant mothers, unborn children, their families and their communities. We base our support on God’s Word, Christ’s love, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Praise God for answered prayer ! Let’s be part of an ongoing movement to restore a climate of life to our nation.
Youth Group Tomorrow (Wednesday) Evening
Swim party and nacho party at the Vestals’ home, *contact us for location*, starting at 6:30. All high schoolers, college students, and beyond are invited! Bring a friend with you!
Worship This Sunday
Join us for worship this Sunday morning at the Community Center at 10:00. The sermon will be from Genesis 34, “Lessons from a Family Tragedy.” The story is a story of rape and revenge that Jacob’s family experiences. Who was right? Who was wrong? What lessons can we learn for ourselves from this family’s tragedy and the brokenness that followed? The sermon will be posted on the Crossroads Facebook page and on my Facebook page by Saturday evening.
No Monday Night Prayer
We will not meet for prayer this coming Monday, the 4th. You’re invited to join us again on Monday, July 11, and Monday, July 18, 5:00 pm, at my house, 628 W. Arch Street.
Church Picnic, July 24
We’re tentatively planning a fried chicken picnic at Radio Springs Park following worship on Sunday, July 24. We realize it’s hard to find a summer Sunday where everyone will be present. As the date approaches, please let me or Heather Vestal know if you can make it on the 24th so we can know how much chicken to order. Chicken, sides, and paperware provided. We’ll have people sign up to bring drinks, chips, or a dessert.
Camp Keirsey, July 17-21
Camp Keirsey, in Amsterdam, MO, will be open for high school students July 17-21. You can find information at http://kampkeirsey.com/, or please talk to Jessica! There is a deadline approaching for registration.
Concerned Women for America Meeting, July 16
Concerned Women for America (CWA) of Missouri invites you to a conference in Nevada on the subjects of Gender & Sexuality Issues, and Critical Race Theory. Saturday, July 16, 1-5 pm, at Enchanted Prairie Farm, 17557 East Stockade Road. The event is free, but registration is required. To register, please call Edith McReynolds at 918-527-7604. The speakers will provide a Biblical worldview approach to these two issues. The speakers will be Dr. Alan Branch, Dr. Mary Byrne, and CWA State Director, Bev Ehlen.
Final Thought…
Here are lyrics from a favorite Amy Grant song I was listening to in the car on my way back to Nevada today from meeting with Joe Chenoweth. May its truth and the invitation it contains offer you some encouragement! I hope to see you Sunday!
Lay down your burden, I will carry you
I will carry you my child, my child
Lay down your burden, I will carry you
I will carry you my child, my child
Cause I can walk on water, calm a restless sea
I’ve done a thousand things you’ve never done
And I’m really watching while you struggle on your own
Call my name, I’ll come
Lay down your burden, I will carry you
I will carry you my child, my child
Lay down your burden, I will carry you
I will carry you my child, my child
— Tom
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