I Was Thinking . . .

Ephesians 1:19-20

2011-01-26T13:52:00.001-05:00

Charles Fiore, Crossroads' Student Ministry Pastor, shared this with me. Good stuff!

Ephesians 1:15-23. Paul prays for the saints at Ephesus saying, "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know...his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead..." (1:19-20 specifically).

G. C. Willis writes, "What a comfort to know that in all our weakness there is a surpassing power toward us and working for us. Moreover, it is a power that has not only been revealed to us in a statement, but has been put forth in the resurrection of Christ. The world and Satan were permitted to put forth their greatest display of power--the power of death--when they nailed Christ to the cross. Then, when the devil and the world had expressed their power to the utmost degree, God set forth His surpassing power by raising Christ from the dead, and setting Him as Man in the highest place in the universe, even at His own right hand...There are names for the government of this world, and the world to come, but Christ has a Name above every name--He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords...Thus the knowledge of what is coming is to have a present effect upon our lives and ways, delivering us, in the power of resurrection life, from the flesh and every opposing power, and separating us in spirit from this present world."

Grace & Peace in Ephesians 1

2011-01-11T18:25:00.000-05:00

[From Warren Wiersbe]

Now for the important question: How did these people at Ephesus become saints? The answer is found in two words: “faithful” and “grace” (Eph. 1:1–2). When Paul addresses his letter to the “saints … and faithful in Christ Jesus” he is not addressing two different groups of people. The word faithful carries the meaning of “believers in Christ Jesus.” These people were not saved by living faithful lives; rather they put their faith in Christ and were saved. This is clear from Ephesians 1:12–14, 19.

The word grace is used twelve times in Ephesians, and refers to “the kindness of God toward undeserving people.” Grace and mercy often are found together in the Bible, and they certainly belong together in the experience of salvation. Grace and faith go together, because the only way to experience grace and salvation is through faith (Eph. 2:8–9).

The phrase “in Christ Jesus” is used twenty-seven times in this letter! It describes the spiritual position of the believer: he is identified with Christ, he is in Christ, and therefore is able to draw on the wealth of Christ for his own daily living.^{^[1]}

5485 χάρις [charis /khar·ece/] n f. From 5463; TDNT 9:372; TDNTA 1298; GK 5921; 156 occurrences; AV translates as “grace” 130 times, “favour” six times, “thanks” four times, “thank” four times, “thank + 2192” three times, “pleasure” twice, and translated miscellaneously seven times. 1 grace. 1a that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness: grace of speech. 2 good will, loving-kindness, favour. 2a of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues. 3 what is due to grace. 3a the spiritual condition of one governed by the power of divine grace. 3b the token or proof of grace, benefit. 3b1 a gift of grace. 3b2 benefit, bounty. 4 thanks, (for benefits, services, favours), recompense, reward.

1515 εἰρήνη [eirene /i·ray·nay/] n f. Probably from a primary verb eiro (to join); TDNT 2:400; TDNTA 207; GK 1645; 92 occurrences; AV translates as “peace” 89 times, “one” once, “rest” once, and “quietness” once. 1 a state of national tranquillity. 1a exemption from the rage and havoc of war. 2 peace between individuals, i.e. harmony, concord. 3 security, safety, prosperity, felicity, (because peace and harmony make and keep things safe and prosperous). 4 of the Messiah’s peace. 4a the way that leads to peace (salvation). 5 of Christianity, the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is. 6 the blessed state of devout and upright men after death.^{^[2]}

^{^{ONE LAST THOUGHT: Theologically, grace comes before peace. Only when we open our hearts and lives to God's Grace can we then be in a position to experience His Peace.}}

^{^[1]} Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1996), Eph 1:1.

^{^[2]} James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible : Showing Every Word of the Text of the Common English Version of the Canonical Books, and Every Occurrence of Each Word in Regular Order., electronic ed. (Ontario: Woodside Bible Fellowship., 1996).

Ephesians 1:1-2

2011-01-10T20:15:00.001-05:00

At Crossroads, we've just started an in-depth journey through the book of Ephesians. I'm going to use the blog to post sermon material that I either just didn't get to because of time constraints, or that I chose not to present on Sunday morning, but consider helpful to our understanding of this incredible book by Paul.

The audio of the Sunday morning message can be found on the church's website: www.crossrdschurch.com

What do we know about Ephesus?

Large important city

Important FINANCIALLY -- was a crossroads city/port city/ traders & financiers
Important CULTURALLY

The Theater at Ephesus – seated 25,000 people --- Greek Plays – sports events, including. Gladiator competitions/fights == best known in the Bible as the place where citizens gathered/rallied after getting upset with Paul == accusing him of interfering with local commerce and religion through the preaching of the Gospel.
The Library of Celsus was built a little after Paul’s time – housed 15,000 scrolls

Important SPIRITUALLY

Temple of Artemis/Diana. The temple itself was made of marble, with 127 60-foot-high columns. The temple was 425 feet high. (This was more than twice the size Parthenon in Athens.)
Diana was the goddess of Hunting & Fertility
So, they were a very SPIRITUAL City/ just not a Christian City. This is very much where our culture has moved.

Important DESTINATION POINT

People came there – lived for a while – did their business – and often they moved on.
Have you ever thought about how big a reality that is in this area / and in Crossroads?

People come to get an education – move on. 100s of students have been touched by Crossroads through the last 20 years.
What about the military personnel/their families? They are now scattered around the country and around the world. And, add to them, the people who’ve gone as missionaries who were a part of our church in the past?
Crossroads, your impact on the world is larger than you realize!

Christianity began in Ephesus about 50 AD.

And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. 9 But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. 10 This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. Acts 19:8–10 (ESV)

What do we know about saints?
…To the saints who are in Ephesus. Ephesians 1:1b (ESV)

Bible uses 2 categories for all people – we are either saints or sinners! SAINTS know God and go to heaven – SINNERS don’t!
WE ALL START OUT AS SINNERS!

5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me. Psalm 51:5 (ESV)

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 3:23 (ESV)

***THERE IS SOMETHING INSIDE ALL OF US THAT WANTS TO DO BETTER – Witness New Years Resolutions -- WE HAVE A DESIRE TO BE BETTER!

We do all sorts of things trying to achieve saint-hood.
But, we have been lied to. Often told people are inherently good – we can just choose to be better and therefore live like a saint.
Sooner or later, we become despondent – feel it’s hopeless and just give up and give in to our sin-nature!
You can do all the right things – can recycle, drive a hybrid, read the right books, stop cussing and hanging out w/ those that do…
But we just become self-righteous and proud – not saintly at all.

To the … faithful in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 1:1c (ESV)

This just means, they exercise faith in Jesus!
“in Christ” – give up on self – righteousness and turn to Christ.

But now God has shown us a different way to heaven—not by “being good enough” and trying to keep his laws, but by a new way (though not new, really, for the Scriptures told about it long ago). Now God says he will accept and acquit us—declare us “not guilty”—if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like. Romans 3:21-22 (TLB)

So, If I asked you, Are you a saint? What would your answer be?
If you’ve trusted Jesus Christ – you are!

Why are you here and what does God desire from you?
1. Because God wants you to be a SAINT

2. Because God wants you to be GROWING IN YOUR FAITH

***What’s holding you back? What are you doing that you need to stop? What are you not doing that God wants you to start?

3. Because God is calling you to a MINISTRY

4. Because God wants to offer GRACE and PEACE to your city

Getting Over the Funk

2010-11-28T21:01:00.000-05:00

Came across a very good, brief blog post by Pete Wilson, pastor of Cross Point church in Nashville. There is lots of wisdom in this brief article. Read, apply, and share with others.

"Ever have one of those days?

You know those days, when everything goes wrong!

Who hasn’t had one of those days?

I had one the other day. It was the kind of day where I think I would have been better off just staying in bed. The kind of day that makes you wonder if you can do anything right.

Anyway, I was sitting there in the midst of my very bad day and jotted down a few choices I felt I had to shake this funk. So here’s my list. Hope it helps you on your very bad day.

1. Do something nice for someone else. While I’m not really sure that being selfless for selfish reasons is exactly Biblical, it sure does seem to work.

2. Tell yourself, “Well, at least I ______________.” At least, you went to the gym, or played with your kids, or walked the dog, or read your children a story, or recycled, or saved the world from catastrophic disaster. Okay, you probably didn’t do the latter but you get the point.

3. Go to bed early. I’ve said this before but sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is get some sleep. I’m always amazed how a little extra sleep helps you have a whole new perspective the next morning. Lamentations3:22 Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

4. Keep a proper perspective. Ask yourself: “Will this matter in a month? In a year?”

5. Be grateful. Remind yourself that a lousy day isn’t a catastrophic day. Probably, things could be worse. In fact, I believe most of it can and will be redeemed by God."

How to Start a Movement

2010-10-09T12:40:00.001-04:00

Whether you look at the work of God in what we call the Old Testament or during the New Testament era, from a sociological perspective, you can often define it as a movement. There is a key leader who is called by God to do something that no one else is doing. Then a follower emerges. A second follower comes into the group, then there is a mass movement of people who want to be a part of what God is doing.

In a few weeks, around the first week of November, Charles Fiore and I are going to team-teach a Sunday morning message on movements of God. By the way, it's not just about calling out great leaders. Movements don't happen unless there are courageous "first-followers". Who do you know who is standing out by themself, being creative and courageous? What a gift is within our grasp -- to come alongside pioneers and validate what they felt called to do!

Watch the video and dare to dance!

Crossroads Compassion Sunday - Loving God, Loving People

2010-08-30T12:42:00.002-04:00

Our Last Few Days of Summer Vacation

2010-08-05T13:06:00.000-04:00

Our Day at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta

2010-07-30T22:56:00.000-04:00

How to Listen to a Sermon - by George Whitefield

2010-06-20T21:55:00.002-04:00

Whitefield was an amazing servant of God and a preacher God used to bring spiritual awakening to his generation. I recently came across his instructional on how to listen to a sermon. Very good instruction for all of us!

How to Listen to a Sermon
by George Whitefield

Keys for getting the most out of what the preacher says

Jesus said, 'Therefore consider carefully how you listen' (Luke 8:18). Here are some cautions and directions, in order to help you hear sermons with profit and advantage.

1. Come to hear them, not out of curiosity, but from a sincere desire to know and do your duty. To enter His house merely to have our ears entertained, and not our hearts reformed, must certainly be highly displeasing to the Most High God, as well as unprofitable to ourselves.

2. Give diligent heed to the things that are spoken from the Word of God. If an earthly king were to issue a royal proclamation, and the life or death of his subjects entirely depended on performing or not performing its conditions, how eager would they be to hear what those conditions were! And shall we not pay the same respect to the King of kings, and Lord of lords, and lend an attentive ear to His ministers, when they are declaring, in His name, how our pardon, peace, and happiness may be secured?

3. Do not entertain even the least prejudice against the minister. That was the reason Jesus Christ Himself could not do many mighty works, nor preach to any great effect among those of His own country; for they were offended at Him. Take heed therefore, and beware of entertaining any dislike against those whom the Holy Ghost has made overseers over you.

Consider that the clergy are men of like passions with yourselves. And though we should even hear a person teaching others to do what he has not learned himself, yet that is no reason for rejecting his doctrine. For ministers speak not in their own, but in Christ’s name. And we know who commanded the people to do whatever the scribes and Pharisees should say unto them, even though they did not do themselves what they said (see Matt. 23:1-3).

4. Be careful not to depend too much on a preacher, or think more highly of him than you ought to think. Preferring one teacher over another has often been of ill consequence to the church of God. It was a fault which the great Apostle of the Gentiles condemned in the Corinthians: 'For whereas one said, I am of Paul; another, I am of Apollos: are you not carnal, says he? For who is Paul, and who is Apollos, but instruments in God’s hands by whom you believed?' (1 Cor. 1:12; 2:3-5).

Are not all ministers sent forth to be ministering ambassadors to those who shall be heirs of salvation? And are they not all therefore greatly to be esteemed for their work’s sake?

5. Make particular application to your own hearts of everything that is delivered. When our Savior was discoursing at the last supper with His beloved disciples and foretold that one of them should betray Him, each of them immediately applied it to his own heart and said, 'Lord, is it I?' (Matt. 26:22).

Oh, that persons, in like manner, when preachers are dissuading from any sin or persuading to any duty, instead of crying, 'This was intended for such and such a one!' instead would turn their thoughts inwardly, and say, 'Lord, is it I?' How far more beneficial should we find discourses to be than now they generally are!

6. Pray to the Lord, before, during, and after every sermon, to endue the minister with power to speak, and to grant you a will and ability to put into practice what he shall show from the Book of God to be your duty.

No doubt it was this consideration that made St. Paul so earnestly entreat his beloved Ephesians to intercede with God for him: 'Praying always, with all manner of prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and for me also, that I may open my mouth with boldness, to make known the mysteries of the gospel' (Eph. 6:19-20). And if so great an apostle as St. Paul needed the prayers of his people, much more do those ministers who have only the ordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit.

If only all who hear me this day would seriously apply their hearts to practice what has now been told them! How ministers would see Satan, like lightning, fall from heaven, and people find the Word preached sharper than a two-edged sword and mighty, through God, to the pulling down of the devil’s strongholds!

This excerpt is adapted from Sermon 28 from The Works of the Reverend George Whitefield. Published by E. and C. Dilly, 1771-1772, London. George Whitefield (1714-1770) was a British Methodist evangelist whose powerful sermons fanned the flames of the First Great Awakening in the American colonies.

Compassion Sunday

2010-06-02T14:08:00.000-04:00

Crossroads Spanish-Language Outreach Event

2010-04-19T11:48:00.004-04:00

Last Friday night, more than 150 people attended Crossroads' first major effort at a big event, reaching out to the Spanish-speaking community. On a weekly basis, we offer ESL classes and we have a brand new LIFE Group that is centered around Spanish speakers.

What an incredible concert, though! Anyone would have enjoyed it, regardless of your ethnicity or language abilities. The Samaritan Revival Singers were used by God to present the Gospel and lead us in an awesome worship experience. Thanks to all who helped make it possible!

Click the link below to watch a video of one of the songs from the concert:

Great Word on Worship by Hughes Oliphant Old

2010-04-06T21:25:00.000-04:00

Exodus 20:1-11

Here at the end of this series of studies on great biblical texts about worship, we need to look at that fundamental text: the Ten Commandments. The Law of Moses is basic to any understanding of the Bible, and the first four of the Ten Commandments very specifically have to do with worship. It is the Christian understanding of these Ten Commandments which interests us, but, however one approaches it, these first four commandments, or, as it is often called, the first table of the Law, are going to be basic to a biblical understanding of worship.

The first commandment makes clear that our worship is to be exclusively worship of the one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. To no other than this God are divine honors to be given. God demands of us exclusive devotion. This is the essence of monotheistic worship as our Puritan ancestors so well understood.

Jesus gave us an interpretation of the first commandment. Answering the question as to which is the first and greatest commandment, Jesus taught us that the first commandment is to love God with all one's heart, all one's soul and all one's mind. As Jesus saw it, the first principle of worship is that worship above all should love God. We find the same thing when the Apostle Paul is asked about a number of things which had become problems in the worship of the Corinthians. Love for God, our Father, and love of our brothers and sisters in Christ should be the first principle of Christian worship. (Cf. I Corinthians 13).

What about the commandment against idolatry? As we find the text in Exodus 20, it is carefully elaborated. We are not to make any images of anything in heaven or earth and we are not to bow down to them or serve them. For centuries this was characteristic of Jewish worship. There might be embroideries of angelic forms in the Temple for reasons of decorating, but there were to be no statues, figurines, or icons of God. There was no cult statue in the Holy of Holies.

When Aaron made the golden calf it was considered a serious breach of God's commandment. Even at that, the golden calf was not considered a real god so much as the mount on which the Baal rode. Still, the worship of the calf was considered idolatry.

Deuteronomy had made very clear that just as Israel heard God's Word at Mount Sinai but saw no form (Deuteronomy 4:12), so Israel must take care not to make any graven images of male or female divinities. God is not to be seen by human eyes. The folly of serving gods of wood and stone, the work of mens' land, is derided again and again (Deuteronomy 4:28). God reveals himself, as well as his will, by his Word, not by the art and imagination of men (Acts 17:29).

The point of the second commandment as it is to be understood by Christians is that we are not supposed to make images or pictures of God out of gold, silver, stone, wood, or even paper. We are not serving God by trying to imagine what he looks like. As we find it in Paul's sermon in Athens, we have no authority to make gods of our own art or imagination. Much rather, we are to be the living images of God. We ourselves are to reflect his glory.

Just as Jesus was "the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation" (Colossians 1:15, NIV), so we are to reflect the mercy, the compassion, the truth, the justice, and the generosity of the Son of God in all that we do and all that we are.

The third commandment teaches us not to take the name of God in vain. This is apparently a commandment against a magical understanding of prayer. When Jesus taught us about prayer he taught us to hallow God's name, to approach him with awe and reverence. We are not to try to gain control over God and use his power for our own purposes.

The fourth commandment is defined elaborately in Scripture. It is a commandment to observe the memorial of God's mighty acts of creation and redemption. "Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy" (Exodus 20:8, NIV). As we find the fourth commandment in Exodus 20:8-11, what we are to remember is God's mighty acts of creation. ""For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them..."(Exodus 20:11, NIV). First of all, logically the worship of God's people is supposed to be a memorial of the creation. The word "remember" is a theologically rich word in the Hebrew Scriptures. It has to do much more with observing the memorial appropriate to the Sabbath than merely recalling to mind that the Sabbath is a day of rest. In fact, when we read the fourth commandment as we find it in Deuteronomy 5:12, we find that we are to observe the Sabbath because it is the memorial of the redemption from Egypt. "Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day " (Deuteronomy 5:15, NIV). The worship envisioned by the fourth commandment is then a memorial of God's mighty acts of both creation and redemption.

Jesus gave us an important interpretation of the fourth commandment. Significantly, when we read the account of the Last Supper the Apostle Paul gives us in I Corinthians 11:25-26, we discover that Jesus directed that whereas the Passover was to remember God's mighty acts of redemption done through Moses in the Exodus, the Lord's Supper was to be done in remembrance of Jesus. From this it would appear that Christian worship is to be a remembrance of God's mighty acts of our redemption in Christ. In these words Jesus appears to be interpreting the fourth commandment.

It is for this reason, of course, that Jesus and the Apostles observed the fourth commandment not on the seventh day of the week but on the first day of the week, the day of resurrection. The Christian is to worship on the Lord's Day, the weekly memorial of Christ's ultimate victory over sin and death, the first day of the new creation.

Hughes Oliphant Old, formerly pastor of Faith Presbyterian Church in West Lafayette, Indiana, teaches worship at Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey.

This is an excerpt from Worship Leader magazine.

For No Other Reason Than Entertainment

2010-03-22T11:17:00.000-04:00

MERCY, NOT SACRIFICE

2010-02-23T11:21:00.000-05:00

When I start feeling smug about how well I serve the Lord, or how much I give to Him, God is quick to remind me that my sacrifices can be repulsive to Him, if I only made them to be noticed. Have you ever chosen to give up something (time, effort, money) for God - and no one else noticed? Did that bother you? If it did, was the sacrifice really for God, or was it for your own ego?

Max Lucado often has a way of driving home a truth. Try this one on for size:

“Lord,” I said, “I want to be your man, not my own.
So to you I give my money, my car—even my home.”
Then, smug and content, I relaxed with a smile
And whispered to God, “I bet it’s been a while
Since anyone has given so much—so freely?”
His answer surprised me. He replied, “Not really.
“Not a day has gone by since the beginning of time,
That someone hasn’t offered meager nickels and dimes,
Golden altars and crosses, contributions and penance,
Stone monuments and steeples; but why not repentance?
“The money, the statues, the cathedrals you’ve built,
Do you really think I need your offerings of guilt?
What good is money that’s meant only to salve
The hurting conscience that so many of you have?
“Your lips know no prayers. Your eyes, no compassion.
But you will go to church (when churchgoing’s in fashion).
“Just give me a tear—a heart ready to mold.
And I’ll give you a mission, a message so bold—
That a fire will be stirred where there was only death,
And your heart will be flamed by my life and my breath.”
I stuck my hands in my pockets and kicked at the dirt.
It’s tough to be corrected (I guess my feelings were hurt).
But it was worth the struggle to realize the thought
That the Cross isn’t for sale and Christ’s blood
can’t be bought.

Max Lucado, On the Anvil (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House, 1985), 20–22.

God, Us, and the Poor

2010-02-11T15:03:00.002-05:00

I grew up in what could be called a "working poor" family. I can't remember my Father ever being without work, but I can remember him being under stress about money. We never missed a meal or failed to have clothes, though we ate a lot out of a garden and wore jeans with holes and patches in a time when that wasn't considered cool and trendy.

I've thought a lot about my upbringing lately. You see, I now make more money than Dad could have ever imagined making. God has blessed Vanessa and me and our children with being able to get good educations (much of the credit going to the sacrifices our families made for us), and work in positions where we have been well compensated for our work.

I'm not sure why it was so easy for me to loose deep compassion for the poor, since that really is my upbringing. Maybe it's somewhat natural that as we work hard and have some success that we forget what it used to be like.

God has been pounding me in recent days with Scripture that speaks of His heart for the poor, the needy, and the outcasts:

“He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD,

and he will reward him for what he has done.”

Proverbs 19:17

¹⁸He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. Deuteronomy 10:18

²²“‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.’” Leviticus 23:22

¹⁰Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God. Leviticus 19:10

⁴Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have
reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. James 5:4

I know, without question, there were people along the way who made it possible for my Dad to learn a trade (carpentry), who paid him to do some jobs that they could have done themselves (as a way of helping him provide for his family), and who showed him immense respect -- even though they made 100 times his income.

God's wisdom is ageless. He gave us His truth and it is still truth. His principles work in ancient, agrarian economies and in contemporary, technology-based economies. To paraphrase someone I've heard say something similar about a different kind of truth -- God's Word works every time it's tried (applied). My biggest challenge is to just make sure that my heart reflects God's heart.

God's Grace Being Lived Out

2009-12-07T09:57:00.000-05:00

Seven and a half years of life for me and my family were spent in a small North Dallas suburb -- Highland Village, and the neighboring larger town where we lived, Lewisville. They were years filled with challenges, disappointments, victories, and some of the most wonderful people Vanessa and I have ever met. Some of those people are still in that church, now called The Village Church. They along with the 1000s who attend The Village (we didn't have that many people in the whole town when we left in 1993), have been engaged in prayer for the healing of their pastor, Matt Chandler.

On Thanksgiving morning, Matt collapsed during a seizure and was taken to the hospital where they discovered a tumor on his frontal lobe. Before undergoing a 7 hour surgery for the removal of the tumor, Matt recorded a message for his church. Take a look and listen -- and pray for his healing and for God to be glorified through what is happening.

Video from Matt

Lessons My Son is Teaching Me

2009-12-01T22:37:00.001-05:00

Vanessa and I have 3 incredible children, a great daughter-in-law and a wonderful son-in-law, along with 3 awesome grandchildren (1 which hasn't been born yet). Our oldest is Ben, age 28. He works for Christian World Adoption. He is a case-worker who handles a lot of the paper-work and communication with parents and workers in Ethiopia, where orphaned children and matched with American families.

Ben is in the middle of a 4-week trip to Ethiopia, where he is visiting the orphanages and meeting with people involved in the adoption processes. Ken Thompson, a missionary friend of mine, said "The trip will change him." I'm seeing it -- from the emails that coming from Ben -- God is changing Ben before my eyes. He's always been passionate about serving others and he loves God with a depth that is rare. Here are some of his words from communication with his wife, Brooke:

One by one (sometimes with a sibling) the children would come in and answer the cute kid questions first, then share about their background and experiences. Each had a story of how their innocence had been stolen in some way; through rape, abuse, lies, etc. They are just children, but have already been beaten up by this broken world. Most of them would barely speak in an audible voice. They were all scared and love impoverished. I somehow kept myself from being drawn in too much to the stories at the moment. I preoccupied my mind with the busy-ness of accomplishing the task at hand. It wasn’t until hours later, after the sun set while we were driving home, that the weight of it all fell on

me.

Zewdu loves Johnny Cash! In particular, the cd he made called ‘Songs from My Mother’s Hymnbook’, or something like that. Honestly, I’m not a huge fan but it was nice to hear a familiar voice singing songs I grew up with in English. It struck me how almost all of the songs seemed to be focused on when we get to leave this earth; ‘I’ll Fly Away’, ‘Never Grow Old’, ‘I Am Bound’. My American self was being critical of the lack of depth in these old songs and the lack of focus on what God wants to do right now, today. Immediately, the depth of the fall of humanity crashed down on me. I started to think through the stories I had heard earlier in the day. It was devastating. I did my best to keep from sobbing aloud. Why would those kids believe that there is anything better here on earth? Most of the songs were written by American slaves or those walking through the depression; times when there seemed to be little hope for this world. We want these kids to sing a cute song like “Jesus Loves Me”, but how can they sing that song when their parents have died and the next people in line to care for them have just lied, abused or raped them. If there is any hope left, it is only that there may be something better than this world. Maybe one day we’ll fly away from here. Maybe there’s a place where mom and dad will never grow old and leave me alone. I wanted to hug each of these kids and tell them that God loves them, but why should they believe me? If God loves them so much, why has their innocence been stolen? They’re children! I believe that God has an answer, I’m just not sure that I have it right now.

There are those that are breaking into these desperate situations and shining light where there is darkness. Yehualeshet and the Tikuret staff, for example, make sacrifices to provide good care for these children. Rather than just moaning about how awful this world is, they’ve decided to do something about it. They’ve taken the love that God has shown them and have poured it right back out on these kids. Rather than dwelling on “Why has this happened?”, they are constantly asking “What can we do about it?” “How is this an opportunity for the light of Christ to shine?” Stephne, Henok and the CCCE staff are other examples of those who are not satisfied with remaining in their gated compound and pretending that the desperation does not exist. They both have plenty of opportunities if they wanted to take them. They could leave Ethiopia, or at least the current situation in the south, and live a very comfortable life anywhere in the world…but they won’t. God has called them into the mess, and they have answered. He’s asked them to get dirty and to deal with problems that don’t have answers that can be placed on coffee mugs and sold in Christian book stores. Others I’ve met in this guest house have been called to the same thing. A family that has left a pretty comfortable life in rural Pennsylvania to engage in the brokenness and dirtiness of Addis Ababa to plant an international church with some Ethiopian brothers and sisters. Even here in Ethiopia, they’ve chosen not to seclude themselves in one of the nice ex-pat communities in order to be accessible to those they are here to love and serve. They’ve chosen to walk or ride the minibuses for transportation; 16 humans and a goat in a 12 person vehicle.

Another man who leaves the UK to live in Ethiopia; for 1/3 of the year trains local believers to run self-supporting businesses that can not only provide for their families, but relieve their local ministries from foreign support. He’s full of stories from these brothers and sisters; 300 former prostitutes now off of the streets and serving the Lord. Again, in the UK he has been and could still be a successful business man, but God has called him to the slums of Addis. Another woman from Switzerland has totally given up her life as a music teacher, to work among the poorest of the poor. She helps children, most of whom are infected with HIV, to see that there is light and beauty in such a dark place. Dr. Kelemu and his wife, Mekdes, are doing it too. They are draining their own resources in order to build a hospital in Shashemene. We had an opportunity to walk through the building that is currently under construction. I commented on how big the building is and Mekdes said, “Yes, it’s too big. Sometimes I don’t even have 100 birr for gas because everything goes to this hospital.” Then, she went on with excitement in her voice to tell me what each room will be used for. The most exciting part for me and for them, was the top floor. Their dream is to begin a school to train doctors and nurses out of the hospital. They showed me each classroom and the library and chapel. Dr. Kelemu said, “This is just a dream but, with God, dreams turn into reality!”

These are all people I’ve met in one week. So, in the midst of such deep poverty and need, there is a deeper commitment to sharing the love of Christ and meeting those needs. Obviously, the answer is not to simply bring the country out of poverty. The needs are much deeper than money, but through meeting those real felt needs of clean water, food, protection from diseases, the deeper needs can also be met; healing from abuse, a realization of the love of God, redemption. I can’t explain the relationship between God’s sovereignty and the stories I’ve heard, but I have known Him long enough to trust Him, regardless of what I see. I trust that He is working and I trust that there is a place for me to join Him. I trust that He’s not allowed me to experience this depravity without a purpose and even more, that He’s not allowed these children to experience such depravity without a purpose. He will redeem this land and He will redeem these kids and I want to be a part of it. I miss you and the boys desperately, but all I could think while driving past the half naked children walking miles without shoes to carry water back to their families in mud huts was “How can I leave this place?” Until today, Ethiopia has felt like home. I’ve been encouraged that it did not feel like such a foreign place. After this weekend, I don’t know that I will ever find a home here on earth. This certainly is not my home, but neither is America. In fact, Hendersonville, NC may be the most foreign place on earth to me now.

My son is teaching me. Teaching me to care more deeply about the broken people around me, to see a world that is bigger than my county or state, to see God's hand at work, even in the tragedies of life, and to see that what I consider sacrifice for the sake of God is nothing compared to what millions of God's servants are doing every day. Thank you, Ben.

Fully Devoted

2009-08-31T23:19:00.001-04:00

Willow Creek Church popularized the phrase "fully devoted followers of Christ" and Crossroads used that phrase for at least 10 years in our vision statement. What a great picture the words paint -- a man or woman who is sold out to Christ -- nothing held back -- unabashed passion for the causes of God!

This week, we'll start a 4-week study of the teachings found in Romans 12. The series is called -- are you ready? FULLY DEVOTED.

After 5 weeks of using movies as the theme of messages, this will be quite a change of pace -- one I'm looking forward to with a lot of excitement. We're going to "camp out" in one magnificent chapter of God's Word, breaking apart words, phrases, and sentences, to see what it would truly look like if we sold out to God and became fully devoted followers of Christ.

¹Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy,

to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

^{²Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:1-2}

Make It a Great Summer!

2009-05-24T22:17:00.001-04:00

Too often we coast into and through summer, especially in the context of church life. It's almost as if we expect there to be a "let-down" in attendance and even in our own relationship with the Lord. it doesn't have to be that way.

Sure, there are vacations and trips to the beach or the mountains. There are endless baseball and softball games and trips to the pool, but it can be an exciting time in all of our lives, as we seek to influence those around us to see Christ and pursue Him.

2 Corinthians 5:17-20, tells us how we are to live with and engage people. Summertime is full of opportunities to talk with people:

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

Phil Nations has written some great words about the opportunity we have, should we choose to be intentionally engaged with people, this summer.

"Our lives as believers are not about self; which is a tough concept when we are facing the summer months. It seems that summer is designed as a built-in “take a break” time of the year. Take a break from school, work, and even church stuff. But your summer can be the moment that you engage in the mission rather than disengage from the world. Let me give you 8 tips for making your summer count. And I promise that each one of them is possible!"

1. Look at people with eternity in mind. Everyone has an eternity in front of them. We need to see them as God does and care for them like it counts.

2. Show some hospitality. Believers should be the people that everyone else wants to be around. So be the person who invites everyone over for a cookout or a game night. Remember, you’re the ambassador for Christ so get into the lives of people living outside the kingdom.

3. Watch for a chance to serve. People give away all of their energy on family, work, and menial chores. Look for ways that you can care for your neighbors—even if it is just cooking a simple dinner for them.

4. Visit someone new. Look around your community and find someone who needs a friend. Maybe it is visiting in a nursing home or rocking babies in the NICU. Make your days count with people who feel they don’t.

5. Go somewhere unexpected. It is not too late to get your family’s name on the list for a mission trip. Leave your inhibitions behind and get going to a place that needs to hear about Jesus whether it’s downtown or to the other side of the globe.

6. Take somebody with you. Whatever you do, don’t do it alone! Take your family, get your Sunday school class involved, or invite the whole church to go out on mission. And make sure to take the kids. They’re ready to change the world, so let them.

7. Be truthful. Missional believers contend for the faith while speaking in a way understandable to the hearer. No matter what—be ready to tell the story of Jesus.

8. Love like Jesus. He lived a robust life of caring for the lost. He did it by meeting their needs and telling them the truth. And I can think of no better way to make your summer count than doing both of those.

Receptiveness Levels As We Invite People to Our Church

2009-04-01T16:34:00.000-04:00

As I do each year at this time, I'm encouraging people to invite family & friends to worship on Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. Some fresh research by the folks at Lifeway confirms that the more personal relationship the one being invited has with the inviter, the more likely they are to listen and respond positively.

For all the great efforts we make at communicating by mail, email, social networks, etc. -- the thing people really want is a personal conversation with someone they know.

The researchers actually asked about 13 different means of trying to communicate with people about Church and faith. The least favorite of Americans? Door-to-door efforts by people they don't know.

What about the timing of conversations about God? Is there a best time to talk to people? Take a look at what those who were asked said.

Pray about opportunities to speak to people you love and care about, sharing the hope we have in Christ!

Movies & Stories of God

2009-01-27T21:51:00.002-05:00

Vanessa and I love to watch movies. Over the past couple of weeks we went to see 2 movies that were filled with images and story-lines that reflect God's heart and the teachings of Scripture.

Gran Torino is a Clint Eastwood movie about a crusty, angry, independent retiree who hates most everything about his life -- especially the fact that his wife died before him. His neighborhood has eroded and he is now a minority in a community now dominated by Hmong (mountain people from Southeast Asia).

Lessons from Gran Torino:

Many people must be pursued relentlessly by someone of faith before they will ever consider God's claim on their life. The young Catholic priest is a great representative of God to Clint Eastwood, as he repeatedly shows up in Eastwood's neighborhood and even the bar, seeking to talk with him and be his friend.
Sometimes we learn neighborliness from surprising places and people. The people you are least alike may be the very ones who can demonstrate Christ-likeness (even if they don't know Christ).
There are plenty of people in the world who need someone to show them how to do the most basic things. The relationship that occurs between Eastwood and the teenage Hmong boy next door will inspire you to look around for someone who needs to be taught and mentored in life skills.
Even angry, vindictive people can be touched by Grace and become agents of Grace to others.

Then we spent an evening watching Liam Neeson portray a father whose 17 year old daughter had been kidnapped in Paris. What a marvelous picture of a Father who will turn heaven and earth upside down to pursue, find, and rescue his child.

Messages of inspiration and pictures of Godly qualities don't always come packaged in "Christian" movies. Sometimes, even when the writer or director are unaware, they inadvertently reveal God to us.

A Tumultuous Time

2008-10-02T20:35:00.000-04:00

What an interesting time we live in. Have you ever lived in a time where there seemed to be so much fear about what was happening in the world. Depending on who you listen to, at any moment the world is going to explode from either global warming or nuclear holocaust, the world economy is about to collapse, and the nation is on the verge of politically-induced disaster.

What does God say to us?

5 Out of my distress I called on the LORD;
   the LORD answered me and set me free.
6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.
   What can man do to me?
7 The LORD is on my side as my helper;
   I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD
   than to trust in man.
9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD
   than to trust in princes. (Psalm 118)

Ken

Hope and Change - Everybody's Talking About It

2008-09-26T11:33:00.001-04:00

I hope you're having a great week. If you're not -- I pray that you are experiencing God's grace in your life, as your difficult time makes you depend on Him more and more.

In a week filled with economic chaos, political bickering, fear, and uncertainty, I challenge you to find strength and peace in your relationship with Jesus. He promised a peace that is different from the world's peace that is always tied to one's immediate circumstances.

What an amazing time we live in. Every day we all have an opportunity to speak up to someone who needs to hear about the true source of Hope and about a Change is genuine and transforming. Hope and Change are not the currency of politicians -- they come from an all-powerful God who is willing to meet us where we are, unleash His power in our lives, and change our hearts.

Get to know Him and tell someone else about Him. They are dieing to know the Truth!

A New Era Begins

2008-09-18T18:37:00.001-04:00

For Crossroads, it's a new day. As with much of the last 2 years, it's exciting and scary, fun and draining, fulfilling and frustrating. And, it feels exactly right - like we really are doing something we believe God led us to do.

Last Sunday, we began for real, being a multi-site church. I'm sure that we're one of the smaller churches doing this. We've just now begun to average over 300 in worship and now we're asking people to consider leaving an established and growing ministry and move out to a high school auditorium with (initially) a small group of pioneers who are committed to growing a church.

Crossroads Anderson Creek is beginning much like her big sister did 18 years ago. Crossroads had a big launch and then settled into a smaller group who labored for years before having a permanent meeting place.

17,800-- that's the number I keep thinking about. It's the latest, conservative estimate of the population growth in Harnett County by 2013. By any standard, that's remarkable growth. One half of those people will move into the area we're planting Crossroads Anderson Creek. We can't start enough churches fast enough to reach that many new people.

Pray that we will be wise as we make decisions; good stewards of our resources; and obedient to every command the Lord gives us. If you live in the area, won't you join us!

Understanding the Times

2008-09-09T15:29:00.003-04:00

In a recent post on his blog, Ed Stetzer wrote:

In the movie, Lonesome Dove, Danny Glover portrays Joshua Deets, a cattle-drive scout whose job is to ride ahead of the drive and survey the terrain. Largely responsible for the success and safety of the drive, Deets would inform the team of any obstacles, dangers, enemies, or resources that lay ahead. By assessing the upcoming path, he could help the trail boss make an informed decision about how to navigate the way to the trail drive's destination.

Deets' role is reminiscent of the tribe of Issachar in 1 Chronicles 12:32 -- men who "understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take" (NLT).

The church (all the Christians around the world -- not just us) is notorious for losing touch with the times and losing our way in a maze of choices. How do we keep from becoming irrelevant?

One thing we must do is remember our mission! We can't forget why we are here. God never placed us on this earth to just hold down the fortress. In fact, this fortress mentality is what has caused most of our local churches to sink to new levels of obscurity. Jesus called us to charge the Enemy with the power of God, using His weapons for this spiritual battle against darkness.

I can tell you of 17,800 reasons we Christ-Followers must be aware of the Mission Christ has given us -- and be certain we are out pursuing Christ on that mission. 17,800 is the number of new people who will be moving into our Harnett County neighborhoods in just the next 5 years. Do you realize that if we tried to fit all those new people into our existing churches next Sunday our buildings would not hold them? And that's assuming they would even want to join with us in our existing churches.

We need dozens of new churches starting now! We need them to be in the areas where the new homes are being built. They don't all need to be alike -- we need contemporary, traditional, in-betweens -- we need churches that reach young adults and ones that focus on the 55+ crowd.

Next Sunday, Crossroads becomes one of thousands of churches in the US that is doing a multi-sitapproach to ministry. We are one church -- with more than one location where we worship. More about the implications of that in the next few days

Following Jesus

2008-09-08T09:42:00.000-04:00

I love what John Eldredge wrote about being a disciple (follower) of Jesus. ”We take folks through a discipleship program whereby they master any number of Christian precepts and miss the most important thing of all, the very thing for which we were created: intimacy with God. There are, after all, those troubling words Jesus spoke to those who were doing all the “right” things: “Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you’” (Matt. 7:23). Knowing God. That’s the point.You might recall the old proverb: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” The same holds true here. Teach a man a rule and you help him solve a problem; teach a man to walk with God and you help him solve the rest of his life. Truth be told, you couldn’t master enough principles to see yourself safely through this Story. There are too many surprises, ambiguities, exceptions to the rule. Things are hard at work—is it time to make a move? What has God called you to do with your life? Things are hard at home—is this just a phase your son is going through, or should you be more concerned? You can’t seem to shake this depression—is it medical or something darker? What does the future hold for you—and how should you respond?Only by walking with God can we hope to find the path that leads to life. That is what it means to be a disciple. After all—aren’t we “followers of Christ”? Then by all means, let’s actually follow him. Not ideas about him. Not just his principles. Him. (Waking the Dead , 96–97)

CHAOS & OBEDIENCE: Constant Companions

2008-01-08T13:38:00.000-05:00

Sunday morning I made the comment that obedience to God is often accompanied by a time of chaos. I'll go further and say that obedience to God creates chaos! Remember, chaos is simply another way to describe conflict.

Few things place us in conflict (sometimes even within ourselves -- see Romans 7) like hearing from and choosing to obey God. By the way, chaos is also the result of disobeying God. So, it looks like life is always going to turbulent.

My particular concern at our church right now is not to protect us from chaos, but to protect us from the Enemy using chaos to divide us. We have taken on an incredible number of major changes in how we are doing ministry. It stresses all of us -- especially now that the changes are upon us -- not safely out in the future.

We must all be careful. Any one of us is capable of doing things or saying things that will wind up being destructive to the fellowship and even to the larger Kingdom of God. It's more than ok to be nervous -- but not fearful. It's ok to disagree -- but not to be contentious.

What will the next few weeks and months bring us? Chaos. The great news is that chaos brought on by being obedient to God is a great thing if it drives us back to our Father. Chaos is wonderful if it means we've stopped playing it safe and starting living out on the edge of the light we have -- and even dared to step into the darkness, based only on what we heard God tell us. After all, isn't that what faith is?

Buckle up. It's going to be a wild ride!

Ken

Ear Infections & The Body of Christ

2007-11-26T20:58:00.000-05:00

I've never been known to run to the doctor very often -- or even get sick, so when I broke down and went to see my doctor the day before Thanksgiving, you know I was a little on the desperate side. For 10 days, my right ear had been closed, due to an infection. It's more than a little disconcerting to not be able to hear at a normal level. I noticed feeling a bit disoriented. It was aggravating to know that I was not always hearing what people were saying, or that I was, at best, guessing at what I thought they were saying. I couldn't appreciate our music at church, because certain pitches and tones just weren't coming through. I even noticed people were asking me to speak up -- I was apparently lowering my volume because with a closed ear, your own voice seems louder to you.

It all made me think about Paul's teaching about the Body of Christ -- that each person has a role -- an important role in the church. Guess what? When a member of the Body is absent, or just distracted, the whole Body suffers! I can't help but wonder if Crossroads has ever had an "ear infection". Do those who have a special role of discerning what God is saying to the Church ever fail to hear because of distractions or disobedience?

I suspect the answer is yes. Do you see how essential it is that every person in the church know what God has made them to be and do in the Body of Christ? Do you see how much we all contribute to what God is doing through us? Maybe you think you're unimportant, because you're just a toe! Have you ever thought about how important toes are? They give help in achieving balance and movement. My toes on my left foot don't have function -- believe me when I tell you how important toes are!

Be the Body! Be the part of the Body that God made you to be!

Ken

Go See "Bella" -- A Great Movie!

2007-11-18T20:05:00.000-05:00

Vanessa and I love to go to movies. Because of a number of factors, we haven't seen many in the last few months. Friday night, we decided we'd find something to go see. I picked a small, independent movie, playing at the "arts" theater -- not the type of movie or theater we usually seek out. You have to understand, I love war movies, westerns, and action/adventure stuff -- anything with explosions, intrigue, or intensity.

I'd heard about a movie called "Bella" through some interviews the director was doing last week. The story-line did interest me -- a single waitress is pregnant and has to decide what to do about her life and baby (though in the movie the woman refuses to say she is having a baby -- in her words, "I'm pregnant, I'm not having a baby." And that is what -- believe it or not, has made this a controversial movie. It is actually being protested for having a story where a woman doesn't choose abortion!

Without ruining the story for you, I just want to say that this is one of the most life-affirming movies I've seen. And, not just because the baby is allowed to be born, but because of the emphasis throughout the movie and all the characters that life is a gift from God and it is to be lived with joy.

Here is what one reviewer writes:

"The most poignant scene in the movie, the one that left me in tears, is when Jose and Nina go to the beach after dinner, and in this dark empty landscape, Nina confides to Jose about her own unhappy past. With the two of them sitting on a beach all alone at night, one could easily see this movie devolve into a typical love story, where two damaged people become whole and functioning again when they fall in love. But Monteverde has other, deeper concerns on his mind. This is not a love story, but a story of recovery, and survival. The relationship between Nina and Jose is more vital than that of lovers—they are helping each other find a way to fill the holes in their souls. The scene is a moving expression of confession and comfort. By its end, the camera hovers over these two people like an angel from above, as the two lie in the sand next to each other, earthbound but looking for a moment like they’re suspended in space. It’s a grand cinematic moment, and Monteverde pulls it off without flinching from the higher sentiment it evokes." (from a review by Beverly Berning)

Do yourself a favor and go see Bella -- you'll feel better when you come out of it than you did when you entered.

Ken

NUMBERS

2007-11-04T20:55:00.000-05:00

I hear this question a lot: Are you all about the numbers? My response to the question is to ask if you mean, "are you all about reaching people for Christ" then the answer is YES (and we'll never apologize for that), because every number represents a person that Jesus died for and a life that Jesus can change for His honor and glory.

Most churches and pastors that I know, and know of, believe this and live this. You may ask, are the numbers of people connecting with our church a barometer of progress? I believe they are. The BIG QUESTION really should be: Is the mission God has given us is being accomplished? What is the mission? LOVE…GROW…SERVE…GO!

Here are some more questions regarding numbers that we ask: Who is taking their next step to become a fully-devoted-follower of Jesus Christ? What steps are they taking? Are people connecting in community? Are people serving and using their gifts? Is there a spirit of love and unity in our fellowship? Are marriages growing and being strengthened? Are families thriving? Are friendships being created? Are we taking the message of Jesus into our world and helping others go with the Message of Christ to places we can’t go? These are just some of the "numbers" questions that we ask.

Make no mistake, "numbers" are definitely a way that we determine whether or not we are living out the vision that God has called us to. Numbers represent life-change, they represent connection, they represent involvement, they represent growth spiritually, relationally, and numerically. God has commissioned us to go into the world and make disciples; that means we are to reach people with His love and for His glory.

The bottom line is PEOPLE MATTER. They matter to God and they matter to us at Crossroads.

Have a great week.

Ken

Big Picture Lessons

2007-09-06T10:58:00.000-04:00

I'm going to try and get back into the habit of posting on a regular schedule. We got back to NC when the sabbatical was over and as you might expect, things were hectic. They still are, but in a good way. We've taken a look at the worship attendance numbers and discovered that Crossroads has grown at an annual rate of 50% increase each of the past 2 years.

For those of you who struggle with math (like me), that means God has doubled our church in the past 24 months. Last Sunday, on Labor Day weekend, we had the 3rd highest attendance in the church's history. We have so many new people coming that we can't learn all the names fast enough to keep up. What a great time for all of us!

Pray for the Elders, as we talk over the next week about major reorganizational steps and decisions we need to make to ensure that the growth continues and that people are loved and nurtured. Pray for people to step up and volunteer for ministry -- we need help in all areas -- especially in anything that has to do with kids. Did someone put out the word that Crossroads loves families with lots of kids? Well, we do -- and they're coming. Let's take care of them.

One thing we're taking a look at is a simpler statement of our church's vision and purpose. We're trying to move from a long, complex sentence to perhaps 3 words or phrases which will be more memorable for people and easier to use in explaining to those who ask what our church is about.

Bringing a true alignment of purpose throughout the life of the church is also something we're working on. The church's purpose needs to also be seen in single's ministry, youth ministry, children's ministry, worship, etc. Ministry Leaders, we'll be talking more about this with you.

To close, here are some big lessons I learned from the churches we got to visit this summer:

CLARITY of VISION - everyone (not just staff) knew how to succinctly explain the mission of the church
ALIGNMENT of VISION - throughout the staff and all volunteer leaders, the vision was embraced and individual ministries worked toward the common dream
OPTIONS - the churches that are continuing to grow are the ones who refuse to have a "take it or leave it" attitude. They offer people options in when they worship, how they worship, and where they worship.

It's going to be a great ride. Here are important words for the road:

"Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God." Hebrews 12:2 (Message)

We're Back!

2007-08-13T21:17:00.000-04:00

It's been a great summer, but it sure is nice to be home! Thank you, Crossroads, for allowing us the time, for budgeting the money, and for being so flexible. You're great friends and a great church.

We've learned more than we know what to do with, but I'm so ready to try and share some of the things God has taught us and reaffirmed to us.

I'll be back in the office and in my normal schedule on Wednesday (office days are Mon - Thur). We look forward to getting to see everyone and worshipping with you this weekend.

I'm several churches behind in writing reports, so be patient and I'll continue to write about our experience on the blog.

I love you and hope you'll be praying for me as I prepare to bring the message this Sunday. Vanessa is leading worship, with her team and we're looking forward to meeting all the new folks who've started coming to Crossroads while we were away.

See you Sunday.

Ken

THE LATEST FROM THE ROAD

2007-08-01T10:26:00.000-04:00

What a cultural shock the last couple of days have been. Vanessa and I have ventured into NYC (Brooklyn) for the first time in our lives – and we foolishly did it in a car. I rescind all the statements I’ve made in the last few years about missing city traffic. It’s not so much the congestion, as the use of motorized vehicles as a weapon or an expression of your personal emotions! There’s a lot of unresolved anger and aggression out there.

I know I promised the next time I wrote, it would be about the book Simple Church, that I’m reading. I’m so behind, though, in just reporting about our church experiences, that I really to need to catch up on that, first.
We had Mikaela with us last weekend and kept explaining to her that just going to 3 worship services was a nice break from the previous weekend in Charleston. I’m not sure she bought it. Saturday and Sunday, we attended 3 services in 2 churches, 2 ½ hours apart.

Saturday night, we were in D.C. to attend the service of National Community Church [ www.nationaltheaterchurch.com ] . This is a shining example of “niche” marketing of a church ministry in a community. Their printed materials say that over 70% of attenders at National are in their 20s and 30s. My observation was that it was mostly on the lower end of that range – young professionals, lots of singles. National Community has a clearly defined strategy – to use the highly used and safe D.C. subway system (The Metro) as the map for reaching the city. Specifically, they intend on having a worship service established at every movie theater on the transit route around the D.C. area. Everyone they’re trying to reach, rides the trains and everyone go to movies!

The one exception in their strategy is a coffee house location for the Saturday night service – this is the service we attended. But, even Ebenezer’s coffee house is located around the corner from Union Station. The coffee house is owned by the church. It is used as a beach-head into the neighborhood. They don’t play Christian music or keep Bibles on the tables, they just have a presence in the neighborhood, run it on Christian principles, staff it with Christians, and allow a few very subtle flyers on the door announcing events. The worship service is held in a small room (I’d guess 30 x 40 feet) in the basement. It’s finished out in the usual upscale warehouse style – lot’s of shiny metal and painted black duct-work and ceilings. The small room was packed out with probably 150-200 people. Vanessa and I were the token “old people” in the service.

On Sunday morning, we got up early and drove 2 ½ hours out into Virginia, to Spring Hill Baptist Church [ http://www.springhillbaptist.org/ ]. This is a 150 year old congregation that has had the same pastor for 14 years. Dan came to Spring Hill fresh out of seminary.

He’d done a fantastic job in leading the church to reach it’s immediate community and to see the opportunity in neighboring communities. Spring Hill sits in an old, rural neighborhood. After first adding services, to reach more people, they started adding locations.

By the way, Dan says they have determined they are really good with groups of 100-150 attendance, so each time a service has that many attending, they make plans to add a service. They old, original church site has 3 Sunday morning services. They have added 2 other locations and are about to launch still another.

The first service we attended was on the edge of Charlottesville, in a movie theater. The setting, itself was great for a church – plenty of parking, seating, and the big screen is already in place. They had a nice, acoustic Praise Band and the message was delivered by video (disk, not live-feed). It is a year-old site and had about 85 people attending (including Dan’s wife and kids who have made this group their place of worship).

We then headed over to the “mother ship” location. What a contrast! Here was what felt like the original 1800s era building, complete with uncomfortable pews, singing from a hymn book (all verses) and a congregation of nearly all senior adults. Dan later explained that most of the younger families attend the earlier services, some at this location, many at the satellite sites. The 11:00 am service we attended is the only “traditional music” service held at Spring Hill.

I’m going to continue write, but am quickly realizing that my “lessons learned” list is too long for always including in the blog writing. I’ll probably write something up and have it available for download or distribution when we’re back home.

Last night, Vanessa and I went to Brooklyn Tablernacle. Picture this – about 5,000 people going to church on a Tuesday night (every week) for a prayer service! It was an amazing experience. We may go back there on Sunday for a worship service.

Talk to you, soon.
Ken

Report About Seacoast

2007-07-25T23:07:00.000-04:00

This summer has been full of many “firsts” for Vanessa and me. This past weekend was the first time Vanessa and I had ever been Charleston, SC. For a couple of people who love history, it was a great experience.

It was also the first time we’d ever attended 5 worship services in one weekend! Seacoast is known as one of the true pioneering churches in the multi-site arena. They do it in a couple of different ways. Their beautiful facilities contain 3 distinct worship rooms – the largest one is where the most services occur and where the message is always delivered “live”.

The next largest room is called the “warehouse” – it’s a square room with a high ceiling and an industrial feel to it. It hosts a “family worship” service where families with young children who want their children with them during worship attend. But, at a later time, the lights are lowered, smoke machine is cranked up, and concert lighting added for the “edgy” music crowd.

The third on-site venue is called the chapel and it is openly advertised as the place to come if you grew up in church and want to sing a mix of hymns and praise music. A keyboard, acoustic guitar, a jim-bay, but no bass or drum-set are used. One chapel service has a live preacher, but the others use a video-delivered message.

So, all that is taking place at one campus – multiple worship styles, the same message (either live or by way of video), and many options about what time you attend worship.

Meanwhile, all around the greater Charleston area, are other gatherings of Seacoast Church – one meets in a Senior Citizens Center (600 people in 2 services) and another meets in what used to be a grocery store – sounds familiar, doesn’t it? That site has 800 total attendance in 2 or 3 services. The idea has been implemented further out, as well – Columbia, SC, Greensboro, NC, and soon in Asheville, NC.

Just like at LifeChurch in OKC, Seacoast is one church, meeting in many places. There is a part of the budget that is unified and a part that is unique to that local site. Each site has a “Campus Pastor” who preaches locally a few times each year, but whose main job is to build small groups, lead people to faith, and equip believers to serve.

Once again, I found a large church that is really generous with its resources. They’ve given me a copy of their manual for how they set up an off-site location. They’re also considering allowing us to access their online video training for small-group leaders. Pray about this – it could really give us a huge push forward with our own small groups development.

By the way, they said repeatedly, “Life-transformation occurs, not in the worship services, but in small groups.” They added, “We don’t treat small groups like a “program”. We’re a church of small groups. Small groups are the church in action.”

This next weekend, we’ll be in Washington DC, for a Saturday night service in a coffee-shop setting (I hope they serve diet-coke). Sunday morning, we’ll drive out to Ruckersville, VA to visit a church that started additional sites when it was about the size of Crossroads. We may learn more that applicable to our situation at that church, than anywhere we go this summer.

The next time I write, I want to tell you about the most profound book I’ve read in a long time – SIMPLE CHURCH. It has my head spinning about how we often make our structure and discipleship process far too complex. I’ll tell you more, soon.

Seacoast Church

2007-07-22T23:19:00.000-04:00

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Miscellaneous & Pt. 2 of LifeChurch Report

2007-07-21T23:14:00.000-04:00

I know it's been a while since I posted anything new. This last week was a transitional week for us in the sabbatical -- the long drive back to NC after visiting in Texas & Oklahoma, punctuated by a 4-hour Sunday afternoon breakdown in Muskogee, Oklahoma. The Lord was good and led us to a young mechanic who lives in his shop and was willing to put in the new alternator. Pray for Grady & Alesha -- they were kind and honest with us, but clearly need a Christian influence in their lives. Pray for Grady's business -- he says he wants to run an honest auto repair shop after being fired from several for not agreeing to deceive customers.

We came home, thinking we'd just do a quick turn-a-round, picking up Mikaela, doing some laundry, etc. It was quick, but eventful. Vanessa got a call from the principal of West Johnston High School, offering her a job, with guarantees of teaching her loves -- Algebra II and AFM. She hadn't been actively looking for a new position, but many of us have been praying for her to find a less stressful, more enjoyable job -- we're convinced this is God's answer to those prayers.

We're now in the Charleston, SC area -- checking out Seacoast Community Church - www.seacoast.org - I'll write about them on Sunday or Monday. It's now late Saturday and we've already gone to one service - tomorrow morning we'll catch 2 or 3 more of their venues and another location where a campus meets in a Senior Adult Center.

I wanted to finish up with a few more thoughts about LifeChurch:

Brian Ahern told me they are in their first year of annual membership commitments. What that means is that on December 31 of each year, they clean the rolls and take it down to zero! During the first few weeks of January, membership is explained and emphasized. People are given the opportunity to say they would like to be a member in 2007, but the commitment is a promise that you'll do 3 things -- attend, tithe, and serve. So, members are never allowed to have that feeling that "I have tenure, here." You're either a fully committed member who's doing those 3 things or you're not." Interesting approach.
Sunday morning we drove out to Stillwater, Ok -- an hour north of Oklahoma City. It is a university town of 40,000 - when college students are not around. Brian Ahern met us there and gave us the tour of this brand new facility. This campus had started out in a high school and only recently moved into it's own building.
An interesting thing we saw was open offices -- one large room with workstations where the campus pastor, age group pastors, support staff were all within earshot of each other. Autumn would love this arrangement -- I'd go nuts!
He shared a lot of nuts & bolts things with us -- how volunteers pick up their specific assignments when they come in -- how the offering gets handled (with lots of accountability and security) -- how children's ministry and student ministry are done at this location, etc.
We learned how the staff at the main campus really make it easier for these smaller campus congregations to do first-rate ministry. For example, tubs of children's curriculum are prepared by volunteers at the main campus and delivered to the sattelites. In the tub are all the materials a classroom teacher will need to teach the lesson that Sunday. Teachers/volunteers can walk in on Sunday morning and know everything they'll need is already gathered and in the room.
One neat thing we heard at one of the services -- the campus pastor said, "It's time to give our offerings. If you are here and are in need of the basic necessities of life - food, clothing, shelter - feel free to take out of the offering what you need."

Have a great service tomorrow. We're praying for great things to happen. I checked on the attendance and Crossroads is consistently having 50 more people each Sunday than we had on the same Sundays last summer. Last Sunday, you had over 200 worshipping with you. Way to go!!

We love you guys. Thanks for letting us have the freedom to do this trip.

Ken & Vanessa

LifeChurch: One Church - Many Locations

2007-07-14T23:46:00.000-04:00

Imagine this! One church, with centralized leadership and teaching, with 11 different locations where people gather with their own local campus pastor and staff, each having it's own worship leader and band. This is what God is doing through LifeChurch in Oklahoma City.

Tonight, Vanessa and I got to visit for over an hour with Brian Ahern, a staff member of LifeChurch. He gave us a tour of the Edmond campus, which is a pre-existing church building that now houses a local congregation in the network of LifeChurch locations. After the tour and conversation we traveled just 8 miles away and worshipped at the central, original campus in OKC. In a densely populated area like this, 8 miles can be a world away -- and it felt it. The Oklahoma City location is a completely different community than the Edmond location.

Tomorrow morning (Sunday), we'll attend yet another service in Stillwater (a college town -- Oklahoma State). They have locations in other cities in Oklahoma, in Florida, Arizona, Texas, and New York.

This weekend's teaching at all locations was completely video-delivered. I never missed seeing a live teacher! I think there are a number of factors:

The heavy use of video screens throughout the building and in the auditorium cause you to constantly be looking at the screens throughout the service, so when the pastor appeared on the screen, it seemed "normal".
The high quality of the video production. The message used multiple clips from the movie, "The Pursuit of Happyness" and there was a seamless video/audio transition from the movie clips to the teaching segments -- all the teaching was taped in outside locations (street tapings of the pastor sitting on a bus bench or walking down an alley).

This was my first time to be in a service where the message is delivered by video and I'll have to say I was surprised at how the delivery-mode was a non-issue for me. Clearly, if you didn't commit to technical and content excellence, the experience would be completely different. By the way, Vanessa's response to the use of video was the same as mine.

The music portion of the sermon was outstanding, though we didn't know the songs. It seemed more "worshipful" to us than Bay Area Fellowship's did. An interesting note -- the musicians in the band are paid. The explanation was that they are playing at 5 to 6 services per week, so it is a huge time commitment. Another factor -- it's easier to replace someone who is a problem if they're paid, as opposed to being a volunteer. Interesting approach.

The next time I post, I'll give more details about things I learned about this multi-site ministry while talking to Brian Ahern. He's a great guy who left a good job at a university to work with his home church.

More tomorrow or Monday. Have great worship tomorrow. We'll be praying for you!

Ken

LifeChurch Pics

2007-07-14T23:42:00.000-04:00

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LifeChurch Edmond, OK

2007-07-14T23:18:00.000-04:00

Each LifeChurch campus is in the same teaching series. This campus chose to promote the "At the Movies" series with a car crash scene on the front lawn.

HOME-TOWN CHURCHES

2007-07-09T16:13:00.000-04:00

First, a huge thanks to you who were praying with Vanessa for no rain on last Thursday – the weather was dry and cloudy – perfect for getting Jennifer’s wedding portrait pictures done. In the old country church we went to – the one my mother grew up in – we only had to contend with one small rattlesnake. He was curled up inside the building, but fortunately the church snake killer came along and took care of it for us.

I hope you guys had a great day at church. We really miss being with you. It’s been a good week with our families. We’ve been back and forth between the families (about 55 miles apart), but mostly with Ken’s. My brother has a beautiful lake house and we pretty much spent the time at his place eating, cleaning up, and then eating again. This has not been a good week for our plan to lose a little weight while we’re gone.

Tonight we came to Weatherford, which is Vanessa’s home town. The next few days will be a little more relaxed than the last few. We’ll drive Mikaela to DFW airport on Thursday for her flight back to NC. Vanessa and I will drive to Oklahoma City to visit Life Church this weekend. If you want to check them out, their web address is www.lifechurch.tv . They are probably the most video-driven ministry I’m aware of. They are a multi-site ministry where you apparently never know from Sunday to Sunday where the preacher will be preaching live and where you’ll be seeing a live video feed.

Oak Street Baptist Church – Graham, Texas – Ken’s home church
I’m developing great empathy for people who worship at early services. We attended the 8:15 service and I was really struggling to stay focused. Oak Street is a church of about 300 in attendance that could be considered a traditional one in some ways, though they use a band and contemporary music in worship.

Just a few observations:

If you’re going to have a lightly attended service (75 people in a room with close to 350 chairs) – it’s better to rope off the side sections and force the crowd to the middle. Oak Street didn’t do this and the result was a feeling that you were sitting alone in a big room, with just a handful of people within sight.
They have a great new worship leader who led from a beautiful acoustic baby grand piano. Good music (mostly stuff we do at Crossroads) with a guitar, bass player and drummer in the band. The poor drummer was really good, but they had him in a box – literally! The drum shield was a full enclosure with just a small opening above him. I think it’s obvious they’d had complaints about the volume of the drums, but the “fix” resulted in a muffled sound that was a real waste of drumming talent.
Praise Singers on both teams – I wish I had a photo of the singers we watched this morning to show you. Two out of three of them looked like they’d rather be anywhere but where they were. They were so uncomfortable and unemotional that it was almost humorous. It was certainly a distraction. Crossroads singers, thank you for smiling and engaging the congregation in worship.
The pastor is a great communicator and excellent Bible teacher. He preached a good sermon for the setting and crowd. The family discussion as we were leaving was that the message assumed the listeners have been Christians a long time and have a big Christian vocabulary. So, it made me think again about who our target audience is and are my message making too many assumptions about the knowledge level of our spiritual seekers and new Christians?

Northside Baptist Church – Weatherford, Texas
Northside is a growing church (about 1,000 total in 2 services) that is much more traditional than Ken’s home church. They are in a rapidly growing city and it’s one of those situations where the church will grow unless you’re completely incompetent in what you do.

Only a pastor and his family would choose to go to a church business meeting while on vacation. The leadership softened up the crowd by feeding us Texas barbecue brisket before the meeting started. It was informational to see how this church handled a presentation of a recommendation to build a $3 million dollar children’s building, with a recommendation also that they open a $10 million dollar line of credit that will be used to build a future worship center. Northside is obviously in a different financial league than Crossroads. They have a huge senior adult group that is made up of tithers and sacrificial givers to building programs. Most of their buildings have been built without a special fundraising campaign.

I thought it was very wise of the pastor to make the comment that even though they could constitutionally proceed with the building program with a 51% vote, he would not move ahead unless the vote was considerably over 90%. Obviously, they value unity in major decisions.

Have a great week and I’ll probably not do another update until next Sunday night or Monday. I love you and I’m praying for you and what God is doing in our lives.

Other Impressions/Thoughts/Lessons of Bay Area Fellowship

2007-07-03T19:27:00.000-04:00

Facilities: Here is a growing church that has built a functional, impressive church facility that in no way could be labeled “excessive” or “wasteful”. As you see from the exterior shots, it could pass for a business center, warehouse, or small arena. It’s primarily finished out with “upscale warehouse” motif, painted concrete floors in most areas, and above all else it is CLEAN! Every hallway, every bathroom, every classroom was spotless and uncluttered. We really need to look at our building (and my office) with some fresh eyes.

Helpful Volunteers & Staff: Cathy Harwick and John Atkinson were two of the paid staff who were amazingly helpful and patient in showing us around and answering a hundred questions. The greeters and these two pastors made a tremendous positive impression on us. They did more than give us the “party line”. They were obviously loyal to and passionate about the leadership and vision from the senior pastor, but were free to acknowledge on some topics that the jury was still out as to whether something was going to work in the long run.

Within their particular ministry areas, they were completely focused and sure of what they were trying to accomplish. In answer to a number of “How do you …?” questions, Cathy’s answer was “Vision. Vision. Vision.” It was her way of saying, we have to constantly repeat what we are doing and why we are doing it.

POSITIVES:

Obvious attention given to preschool/children’s ministry. Clear they are trying to reach young families.
Theme development in children’s facilities.
Helpful staff.
Commitment to excellence.
Volunteers are routinely praised and encouraged by each other and the staff.
Nice programs, which were really more of a brochure than a typical weekly bulletin.

NEED TO WORK ON:

Worship seemed too staged – no sense of audience engagement or unity in praise.
Focus on youth seemed light, compared to that which was on the children.
Greeting was too short (as opposed to Crossroads, which is probably too long)
We wondered if I hadn’t introduced myself as a pastor, if anyone would have spoken to us.
Temperature was too cold (according to Vanessa and Mikaela). I thought it was wonderful.
The message was ok, but the girls said it reminded them more of a youth pastor’s message.
Directions to the facility were too vague on the website. I also couldn’t find email contact information for any of the staff, except on their blogs.

Bay Area Fellowship

2007-07-02T00:42:00.000-04:00

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I Never Thought I’d Go to a Worship Service at 1:00 on a Sunday Afternoon!

2007-07-01T21:07:00.000-04:00

It’s hard not to feel like a movie or restaurant reviewer, when you know that in the next 6 weeks you’ll be attending 9 different churches, writing down your impressions and “rating” the experience. I guess there’s no way to completely avoid that, but hopefully the lessons learned will outweigh the temptation to become cynical, judgmental, and an observer, rather than a fellow worshipper with people who will all love their church.

With the disclaimer out of the way, let me tell you about our experience today. BAF is a 10 year old church (nominally affiliated with Southern Baptists) in Corpus Christi, Texas. Did I mention Corpus is a long way from NC? Finding information about the location and staff turned out to be more difficult than it should have been. It makes me want to really take a look at our website and see if a person who knew nothing about the geography of Harnett County could find our church by checking out the website.

We were given a great, extended personal tour of the brand new facility by Cathy Harwick. What a great lady! She is the Children’s Pastor at Bay Area, and they have an awesome place for kids to come and learn and worship. By the way, while Vanessa and I both heard and saw some things that we need to incorporate back at Crossroads, we both commented about how Autumn and the Crossroads Kid’s Ministry does some things at an equal or even superior level to some of what we saw.

We also got to slip into a Youth Worship/Teaching time. They have a great Youth Pastor who knows how to teach the Word to youth, but Mikaela commented that Crosswalk is a far superior youth facility compared to this church of 6,000 attenders!

We also had a good, extended conversation with John Atkinson, who is a Pastor over their small groups and discipleship ministries. He is familiar with all the churches we’re visiting this summer and was very helpful and honest. He acknowledged they have made some huge mistakes, but noted that through the mistakes they have learned the greatest lessons and even see God’s blessings when they are willing to acknowledge the mistakes. He laughed when I said, “It’s good to know that even the “big boys” are confused sometimes.”

As we sat and talked about the morning (and afternoon), we made a list of positives and negatives. I’ll post those next time. Why did we go to a service at 1:00 in the afternoon? Because we got to Corpus too late to attend the Saturday night service – yesterday was not a shorter drive day – it was another 12 hours into Corpus. We left in time to attend the 10:00 am service, but took so long in locating the church, that we were late for that service. Cathy’s tour lasted into the 11:30 service, so we were left with the 1:00 pm service. It’s a long time from breakfast to 2:30 pm, when we got out of church.

I hope everything went great at Crossroads today. I’m sure Kevin Davidson was used by God as he shared his heart with you.

Love,
Ken

We're On Our Way

2007-06-30T00:15:00.000-04:00

It's a little after midnight and we've just gotten settled into the motel room. It's been a typical long travel day -- 5 states in 12 hours of driving. We're in Jackson, MS and it's only 10 more hours to the first church we'll be checking out -- Bay Area Fellowship in Corpus Christi. The pastor first came to my attention through a book he co-authored, Go Big. It's all about how we serve a big God who gives big visions and dreams for His people if they'll only commit to obedience in a Big way!

What a huge week for Crossroads. I got word this morning that at Excel Kid's Camp, 35 kids made commitments to Christ. WOW! Thanks to Autumn and her entire team of volunteers who worked so hard to make it a week of eternal significance. The number of children who've indicated faith in Christ calls for a "whole-church response." Don't just leave it up to Autumn to call on those families -- everyone needs to pitch in and be a part of following up with those children and their parents.

This is what I meant when I said last Sunday that I was praying for this to be the greatest summer in the history of Crossroads. God is bigger than my prayers and dreams. I can't wait to see what He does next!

I love you guys. Talk to you soon. Ken.

7 Days til Sabbatical

2007-06-20T17:44:00.000-04:00

On Thursday, June 27, the Jeep will be loaded to the limit, the luggage carrier will be mounted, a full tank of gas purchased, the cocker spaniel handed off to a friend, and an excited pastor, his exhausted school-teacher wife, and one 17-year old who hates long road trips will head out for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure!

Thank you, Crossroads, for granting my wish for a sabbatical -- a time of rest, reconnecting with family, learning from individuals and creative churches, and spiritual renewal. Over a period of 6 weeks, we'll drive around 4,000 miles, visit 6 or 7 different churches, eat lots of great Texas cooking, get to play again with our new grandson, see places we've never seen, and no doubt have plenty of surprises that couldn't have been anticipated.

My desire is to return in August, revitalized -- physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I want to return with a fresh vision from God about our ministry. My desire is for this summer to be a summer of growth for Crossroads, as well. You'll hear fresh words from fresh voices you're not used to hearing. I pray you will be renewed and that when we return, there will be so many new people that I'll be asking you who people are!

Pray for Kevin Davidson, Chad Hall, Dan Deaton, and Chris Pearson, who will all be bringing Sunday messages. Pray for Chris and Autumn and our Elders -- Jim Burgin, Randy Currin, and Kevin Gregory -- as they serve you and minister this summer. Pray for Bob Gray and the great members of our worship team who will be leading great music in all the services. Pray for the many people who are moving to new communities this summer and pray for the people who are moving into our communities -- those who need Christ and need a church.

Pray for our safety as we drive and travel this summer. I'm praying for you.

Check back often -- we'll keep you updated with posts and with pictures.

I love you!
Ken

Convictions & Lessons - Part 2

2007-04-11T22:14:00.000-04:00

Back to the book I feel is so important to our learning how to continue to grow as a church, Go Big! by Easum & Cornelius. What are some of the other important points?

We must grow more leaders if we really expect to continue to grow. While we have a very high percentage of people involved in ministry (and that's a great thing), we are "leader-poor". More of us have to step up to the plate and be willing to lead people and ministries. With leadership comes higher standards and higher accountability.
We all need to encourage the development of a "farm system", much like Major League Baseball uses. In other words, each of us who is already in a responsibility, needs to call someone alongside us to be training and developing. Every teacher needs to be growing a new teacher who can take over the class or be sent out to start a new group. The same goes for greeters, musicians, prayer-warriors, and everyone else doing a ministry in the church.
As pastor, I must grow spiritually or the church will not grow spiritually or numerically. "You simply can't give what you don't have. And the larger a church grows, the more it relies on the spiritual growth of it's leader." (p. 72)

God's Plan for His Church's Spiritual & Numerical Growth is based on Ephesians 4:11-13:

Pastors do the equipping/training of Christians for service
The People do the work of God
As a result, the church is built up;
And unity is experienced

Finally, Easum & Cornelius make the comment that growing churches handle problems and problem-people quickly, directly, lovingly, and firmly. We must know and use Matthew 18 as our guide for personal relationships and conflicts.

EASTER

2007-04-10T21:07:00.000-04:00

Sorry about being so long in getting back to this. I'll still do "Part 2" of "Convictions and Lessons", but I can't resist just reflecting a moment on Sunday's worship service and the times before and after the service.

I had personally come to a conclusion (was a vision or word from God? -- I don't know) that we were going to see 300 people come to the Easter Service. These kinds of milestones are important for a congregation. Only recently did we start to consistently pass the 200 mark in attendance.

Many authorities on church-life have documented how certain sizes are difficult to pass through. The levels of 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1000 are commonly recognized "barriers." Statistically speaking, it's extremely rare for an American congregation to break the 200 barrier, if it doesn't do it in its first few years of existence. Crossroads is now 17 years old. I believe what we are witnessing is truly a work of God in our lives.

My (our) challenge is to submit our lives fully to God and cooperate, not push against, what the Lord is doing.

The immediate future will be full of decisions we'll need to make. The Elders are preparing a full range of recommendations to help us prepare for what God is doing at Crossroads. We're looking at where, when, and how to house small groups, when to add additional worship services, when to build additional facilities, and how to address our responsibility for an exploding population within minutes of our facililities.

Buckle up -- God's about to take us on a wild ride! It's going to be great.

Ken

Convictions & Lessons

2007-03-08T15:27:00.000-05:00

In many ways, it's been a tough week. Lots of meetings, difficult conversations, situations that force self-examination, and it seems the Holy Spirit is working overtime trying to get my attention.

Not only have I spent time looking at my personal relationship with God, I've been challenged through a book I've read to examine the priorities and commitments I've made as a pastor. There are as many different opinions about how a pastor should do his job as there are people in any given church. That's nothing new. What is new for me is the realization that I've done a slow slide toward people-pleasing and have not been sold out to pleasing God.

"You have to position yourself to
receive from God.
If you don't step out on faith, God won't bless what
you're doing." - Bill Easum

Here are a few of the reminders/lessons the Lord has brought to my mind through a book titled, "Go Big" by Bill Easum and Bil Cornelius:

Dreams should be really Big, because we serve a really Big God.
God wants His churches to grow, because as they grow, His Kingdom grows.
The pastor is either the bottle-neck or the catalyst for growth in a church.
Ephesians 3:20-21 -- We need to pray BIG!
[Protection - Pastor - Accountability] I need to stand between protection and accountability. I need leaders/members help in protecting me personally, spiritually, socially, emotionally, so that I can lead. At the same time, I need to voluntarily submit myself to the Lord and to our Elders for accountability.
Don't pray for rain without first getting an umbrella. If we are asking God to help us reach people for Jesus, what are we doing to prepare for them?
There are natural growth barriers for churches. After 17 years, Crossroads has just passed through one of them - the 200 Barrier. The leadership I gave to help get us to 200 will not work to get us to 400. I must re-tool, learn new things, sharpen skills, and depend on God more than I have in the past.

That's enough for now. I'll pick this up with a part 2 posting in a few days. Tell me what you think.

Mercy, Not Sacrifice

2007-02-28T16:35:00.000-05:00

“Lord,” I said, “I want to be your man, not my own.
So to you I give my money, my car—even my home.”
Then, smug and content, I relaxed with a smile
And whispered to God, “I bet it’s been a while
Since anyone has given so much—so freely?”
His answer surprised me. He replied, “Not really.
“Not a day has gone by since the beginning of time,
That someone hasn’t offered meager nickels and dimes,
Golden altars and crosses, contributions and penance,
Stone monuments and steeples; but why not repentance?
“The money, the statues, the cathedrals you’ve built,
Do you really think I need your offerings of guilt?
What good is money that’s meant only to salve
The hurting conscience that so many of you have?
“Your lips know no prayers. Your eyes, no compassion.
But you will go to church (when churchgoing’s in fashion).
“Just give me a tear—a heart ready to mold.
And I’ll give you a mission, a message so bold—
That a fire will be stirred where there was only death,
And your heart will be flamed by my life and my breath.”
I stuck my hands in my pockets and kicked at the dirt.
It’s tough to be corrected (I guess my feelings were hurt).
But it was worth the struggle to realize the thought
That the Cross isn’t for sale and Christ’s blood can’t be bought.

Max Lucado, On the Anvil (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House, 1985), 21.

2007-02-23T18:25:00.000-05:00

For the Crossroads Family:

I'm excited and scared. I'm excited about what God is doing in our church and in the lives of people around us, but I'm scared I'm going to mess it up. I'm grateful that God is Sovreign and bigger than my weaknesses and mistakes.

Our Elders have been asked to take on an awesome responsibility -- to take the hours of discussion and input from you an distill it down to the ideas that we believe God wants us to pursue. Where will it lead? I've no idea. We really have no preset agenda and want to be slow and methodical enough to be sure we're acting at God's prompting, and not simply following our own wisdom.

We welcome your input and continued dialog. Please contact us by phone, email, or just talk with us in person.

I love you and consider myself privileged to be your pastor.

Ken