We are only a few days from Christmas, and you can already tell this year it is going be different. So much has transpired in the last twelve months, and a lot has changed for Crossroads. While it has not all been good, most of it has been a blessing to see happening. In the wake of last year, there is no doubt that we, as a congregation, are growing again.
If you were in church Sunday, you witnessed this firsthand. If you missed Sunday, you lost an opportunity to see God at work. It is not that anything “miraculous” happened, but that one could feel the presence of God and of pure joy. Of course, not everyone felt it, but most did. Everything blended together, the music, the preaching, and the attitudes. There was an alignment of purpose that made the whole service special.
As I said in my message, this past year has been challenging for me as a preacher and church as a whole. However I believe we have come through the difficulties as more focused and dedicated congregation. We have made needed changes and remained committed to seeing them through to completion. Our direction is set and we are seeing the results each and every week.
This is not to say that everything is great and that no more work needs to be done. Our community is still dealing with unemployment, financial struggles, and with the effects these have on individuals and families. Our congregation has been touched by these as well. As never before, we need to be faithful stewards of all the resources God provides us as individuals and as a congregation. As leaders and ministry coordinators, we will need to spend every dime for maximum impact in fulfilling our mission.
We must not forget that even in the midst of difficult, GOD IS WITH US! He did not bring us this far to abandon us. He has positioned, prepared, and provided for us to reach the lost in this community. This Christmas should mark more than another year to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. It also marks the beginning of a new season of growth for our church.
My wife and I are proud and humble to serve this congregation at this time. We are eager to see what God has in store for His Church in the coming year. We wish you and your family a merry Christmas and a blessed New Year.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving!
I must begin by apologizing for my lack of posting. I have been so busy preparing for the holidays. I love this time of year but it does challenge one's schedule. It does not help that I am wearing far too many hats. Gladly, this is changing.
Beginning in December, Brad Fassnacht will be taking over as facilities coordinator. He has been a tremendous help these last few months. In fact, the whole facilities team has been great. My thanks to Jim Coffin, Mark Gosney, Jim Woodruff, Dave McCabe, Jeff Parks, and Brad Fassnacht. I also want to express my appreciation to everyone else who has pitched in to help clean, organize, and keep the church in good repair.
Several big projects have been completed in the last month. We had to replace the roof on the oldest section of our building. It was damage at sometime by a hail storm. We were able to get the job done at no cost to the church at all, thanks to Mike Tharp for his generosity. An interesting sidebar, the old steeple was removed. While it was down, I got a call from another congregation who was in need of one. They wanted to buy it from us, but I was glad to get rid of it.
It was also necessary for us to replace the pump and pressure system on our well. With the expansion of the building and the age of the pump, it had to done. I saw the old pump, and it was packed with iron deposits. It is a wonder that we got any water or pressure. The cost of the new system will be paid for out of the emergency fund. You should see significant improvement in the water pressure.
Another project has been to switch the church phone system to Comcast and provide internet service here at the church. Soon, you will be able to use your wireless devices in the foyer. However, I want to warn you that using them during a service in the auditorium could result in a virus that transfers all your funds into the offering! (Joking)
We truly have a lot to be thankful for, as a church. Our greatest blessing is not our facilities, but our people. Their willingness to serve and give continues to permit us to fulfill our mission and vision. Thank you God for the people of Crossroads!
Beginning in December, Brad Fassnacht will be taking over as facilities coordinator. He has been a tremendous help these last few months. In fact, the whole facilities team has been great. My thanks to Jim Coffin, Mark Gosney, Jim Woodruff, Dave McCabe, Jeff Parks, and Brad Fassnacht. I also want to express my appreciation to everyone else who has pitched in to help clean, organize, and keep the church in good repair.
Several big projects have been completed in the last month. We had to replace the roof on the oldest section of our building. It was damage at sometime by a hail storm. We were able to get the job done at no cost to the church at all, thanks to Mike Tharp for his generosity. An interesting sidebar, the old steeple was removed. While it was down, I got a call from another congregation who was in need of one. They wanted to buy it from us, but I was glad to get rid of it.
It was also necessary for us to replace the pump and pressure system on our well. With the expansion of the building and the age of the pump, it had to done. I saw the old pump, and it was packed with iron deposits. It is a wonder that we got any water or pressure. The cost of the new system will be paid for out of the emergency fund. You should see significant improvement in the water pressure.
Another project has been to switch the church phone system to Comcast and provide internet service here at the church. Soon, you will be able to use your wireless devices in the foyer. However, I want to warn you that using them during a service in the auditorium could result in a virus that transfers all your funds into the offering! (Joking)
We truly have a lot to be thankful for, as a church. Our greatest blessing is not our facilities, but our people. Their willingness to serve and give continues to permit us to fulfill our mission and vision. Thank you God for the people of Crossroads!
Monday, November 2, 2009
Summer Mission Trip
At last count, we are going to be sending fourteen (14) of our members to Show Low, Arizona this summer for our annual mission trip. We will again be partnering with the Francesville church to provide vacation Bible for the Native American children in the community. The group is a combination of adults and students. Some of them are alumni from last year's trip, as well as several new folks making the commitment.
One might ask the question, "Why do a short-term mission trip?" That is a reasonable question, given the great number of local service opportunities and the cost of traveling. The answer is that a short-term mission trip is more than just serving others. It is about getting a taste of both what it means to be a missionary and to minister in a different culture than your own. While the trip is a huge blessing to those you serve, it blesses you as well because it changes how you see the world.
Having been on two mission trips, one to Haiti and one to China, I can testify to this from first-hand experience. When I was in Haiti, I learned what real poverty is. When you work with the poor in America, you are one of many different institutions. In addition to the church, you have other charitable organizations like the Salvation Army and the Red Cross. You also have many government agencies helping out as well. In Haiti, all you really have is the church working with outside organizations like CARE (Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere).
If you want to lose weight, try eating your dinner with two hundred (200) starving people staring at you through a barbed wire fence. In your heart, you want to feed them, especially the children. In your head, you know you do not have enough food to even make a dent in their poverty. Feed this group today, and you will have a thousand here tomorrow. Then twice as many the next day, and the next day! When you have experienced that reality, you become a changed person.
If you were in the worship service when the group from last summer's trip shared their testimonies, you would understand what I am saying. They spoke of how the children and their living situations touched their hearts.
This is why we believe in short-term mission trips. It results in changed hearts and more dedicated lives to the mission of reaching others for Christ.
One might ask the question, "Why do a short-term mission trip?" That is a reasonable question, given the great number of local service opportunities and the cost of traveling. The answer is that a short-term mission trip is more than just serving others. It is about getting a taste of both what it means to be a missionary and to minister in a different culture than your own. While the trip is a huge blessing to those you serve, it blesses you as well because it changes how you see the world.
Having been on two mission trips, one to Haiti and one to China, I can testify to this from first-hand experience. When I was in Haiti, I learned what real poverty is. When you work with the poor in America, you are one of many different institutions. In addition to the church, you have other charitable organizations like the Salvation Army and the Red Cross. You also have many government agencies helping out as well. In Haiti, all you really have is the church working with outside organizations like CARE (Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere).
If you want to lose weight, try eating your dinner with two hundred (200) starving people staring at you through a barbed wire fence. In your heart, you want to feed them, especially the children. In your head, you know you do not have enough food to even make a dent in their poverty. Feed this group today, and you will have a thousand here tomorrow. Then twice as many the next day, and the next day! When you have experienced that reality, you become a changed person.
If you were in the worship service when the group from last summer's trip shared their testimonies, you would understand what I am saying. They spoke of how the children and their living situations touched their hearts.
This is why we believe in short-term mission trips. It results in changed hearts and more dedicated lives to the mission of reaching others for Christ.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
My Sincerest Apologizes
If you have been following this blog, you know how the number of comments has exploded in recent days. This fury of discussion caught me off guard. I was beginning to wonder if anyone ever read my posts, and then all at once I have total strangers posting their opinions. This has caused me to accelerate my learning curve on responsible blogging.
First, I want to sincerely apologize to the leaders and members of Crossroads for not being more knowledgeable on this subject. I should have set up this blog to be fully moderated by me. By failing to do so, I allowed others to post comments that were disrespectful and misleading about our church and our leadership. While I did delete those comments, I should never have allowed them to be posted before I had a chance to screen them.
In all honesty, I did not want this blog to be simply my thoughts alone but also to provide a forum for dialogue about some of the principles and issues that we are facing as a congregation. However, I failed to take into account that some people do not understand how to have a respectfully discussion without engaging in personal attacks or causing dissension. I am not saying that everyone who posted a comment did that, only that some did. This reflected poorly on the church to anyone who might be considering visiting our congregation and reading my blog.
Dave Nance and I had an opportunity this past week to attend a two-day conference. It was excellent and applied to many of the challenges our congregation now faces. However, one of the speakers said something that hit home with me in reference to this blog. He said, "The internet is the social lubricant of our time". He said that for decades alcohol had been the social lubricant that caused people to lose their judgment and say things that they would not normally say to someone. Today, he said, social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter, have given people opportunity to say things that they later regret.
While I am still committed to this blog being a conversation, it will now be a moderated dialogue. Comments will seen by me personally first before they are allowed to be posted. You are free to disagree, question, and offer other points of view. You must do it, however, in a respectful manner. Personal attacks will not be tolerated in any form. If you don't like the rules, then don't waste your time and my time commenting. In the interests of fairness, I have deleted all comments, including my own, so that we can start fresh.
First, I want to sincerely apologize to the leaders and members of Crossroads for not being more knowledgeable on this subject. I should have set up this blog to be fully moderated by me. By failing to do so, I allowed others to post comments that were disrespectful and misleading about our church and our leadership. While I did delete those comments, I should never have allowed them to be posted before I had a chance to screen them.
In all honesty, I did not want this blog to be simply my thoughts alone but also to provide a forum for dialogue about some of the principles and issues that we are facing as a congregation. However, I failed to take into account that some people do not understand how to have a respectfully discussion without engaging in personal attacks or causing dissension. I am not saying that everyone who posted a comment did that, only that some did. This reflected poorly on the church to anyone who might be considering visiting our congregation and reading my blog.
Dave Nance and I had an opportunity this past week to attend a two-day conference. It was excellent and applied to many of the challenges our congregation now faces. However, one of the speakers said something that hit home with me in reference to this blog. He said, "The internet is the social lubricant of our time". He said that for decades alcohol had been the social lubricant that caused people to lose their judgment and say things that they would not normally say to someone. Today, he said, social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter, have given people opportunity to say things that they later regret.
While I am still committed to this blog being a conversation, it will now be a moderated dialogue. Comments will seen by me personally first before they are allowed to be posted. You are free to disagree, question, and offer other points of view. You must do it, however, in a respectful manner. Personal attacks will not be tolerated in any form. If you don't like the rules, then don't waste your time and my time commenting. In the interests of fairness, I have deleted all comments, including my own, so that we can start fresh.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
A Wrestling Show in a Church?
Since it was announced that we would be hosting a fundraising wrestling show for the summer mission trip, there have been a lot of questions raised about it. In order to save time answering questions over and over, I want to address some of the concerns that have been raised.
Why a "wrestling show"?
Most of you know who Guy Louks is. He shared a testimony during our reunited service. What you might not know is that he has been involved in professional wrestling for many years both as a wrestler and as a promoter. He approached me with the idea of doing a show as a fundraising event for the church. Since we do not fundraising for the church, I suggested doing the event to support those going on the summer mission trip.
Is this appropriate?
While I grant you, it is out of the ordinary, there is nothing inappropriate about the event. Guy Louks and his guys have done events like this for other churches and for charities in our community. He has assured me that the show will be very family-friendly and will not cause the church any embarrassment. A wrestling show may not be your favorite form of entertainment. However, many in our community enjoy it and some of our members are involved in it.
This would not be the first time we have used our facilities for programs or events other than worship services. We have had garage sales, movie nights, and New Years Eve parties that have utilized our buildings. Some might have consider those "outside the box", but we have done them successfully and with great results.
What are the financial arrangements?
First, let me say that there is absolutely no cost for this event to the church itself other than providing the location. The proceeds of the ticket sales are to be evenly split between the wrestling company and the summer mission trip. Those who are committed to going on the trip will provide a concession with hotdogs and such. All proceeds from the concession go for the trip as well.
What risks or liability does the church have?
None at all! Guy has done these shows for years in all types of venues. He carries all the appropriate insurances on his wrestlers and his events. The ring he uses is designed with pads that lift it off the floor to prevent any possibility damage.
What are the benefits?
There are several benefits to hosting the event at Crossroads.
1) It provides an outreach to a part of our community that might never even know that our church exists.
2) It provides free advertising for our church in the community even to those who do not attend the event.
3) It provides a means of raising support for our mission trip without asking for funds from the congregation.
4) It allows members of our congregation to use their talents and abilities to help support the mission trip.
5) It gives those going on the mission trip an opportunity to work for the support they receive for the trip.
What's the downside?
The only potential downside is that some might not like the idea of having such an event in the building and in the auditorium. I understand their concerns, and do consider them as having some validity. The question from my prospective is simply this. With all positive benefits of hosting the event, is anyone really harmed if we do it? On the other hand, if we don't take advantage of the opportunity, there may very well be people who might not ever come to Jesus Christ otherwise. Of course, no one knows for sure, but I think the possibility exists.
While you might not attend the event, should not the possibility of reaching just one lost person through it make as least worth attempting?
Why a "wrestling show"?
Most of you know who Guy Louks is. He shared a testimony during our reunited service. What you might not know is that he has been involved in professional wrestling for many years both as a wrestler and as a promoter. He approached me with the idea of doing a show as a fundraising event for the church. Since we do not fundraising for the church, I suggested doing the event to support those going on the summer mission trip.
Is this appropriate?
While I grant you, it is out of the ordinary, there is nothing inappropriate about the event. Guy Louks and his guys have done events like this for other churches and for charities in our community. He has assured me that the show will be very family-friendly and will not cause the church any embarrassment. A wrestling show may not be your favorite form of entertainment. However, many in our community enjoy it and some of our members are involved in it.
This would not be the first time we have used our facilities for programs or events other than worship services. We have had garage sales, movie nights, and New Years Eve parties that have utilized our buildings. Some might have consider those "outside the box", but we have done them successfully and with great results.
What are the financial arrangements?
First, let me say that there is absolutely no cost for this event to the church itself other than providing the location. The proceeds of the ticket sales are to be evenly split between the wrestling company and the summer mission trip. Those who are committed to going on the trip will provide a concession with hotdogs and such. All proceeds from the concession go for the trip as well.
What risks or liability does the church have?
None at all! Guy has done these shows for years in all types of venues. He carries all the appropriate insurances on his wrestlers and his events. The ring he uses is designed with pads that lift it off the floor to prevent any possibility damage.
What are the benefits?
There are several benefits to hosting the event at Crossroads.
1) It provides an outreach to a part of our community that might never even know that our church exists.
2) It provides free advertising for our church in the community even to those who do not attend the event.
3) It provides a means of raising support for our mission trip without asking for funds from the congregation.
4) It allows members of our congregation to use their talents and abilities to help support the mission trip.
5) It gives those going on the mission trip an opportunity to work for the support they receive for the trip.
What's the downside?
The only potential downside is that some might not like the idea of having such an event in the building and in the auditorium. I understand their concerns, and do consider them as having some validity. The question from my prospective is simply this. With all positive benefits of hosting the event, is anyone really harmed if we do it? On the other hand, if we don't take advantage of the opportunity, there may very well be people who might not ever come to Jesus Christ otherwise. Of course, no one knows for sure, but I think the possibility exists.
While you might not attend the event, should not the possibility of reaching just one lost person through it make as least worth attempting?
Saturday, October 17, 2009
What does it mean to be a mission-driven church?
There are two kinds of congregations today. There are mission-driven churches, and there are member-driven churches. They are vastly different in many respects. Member-driven churches are focused on trying to keep the greatest number of members in the congregation "content." This usually involves keeping changes to a minimum, avoiding anything that is controversial, and always playing it safe.
Mission-driven churches are focused on accomplishing their God-given mission as a church. This means that they are willing do whatever it takes to get the job done. This usually involves making frequent changes in order to be more and more effective, thinking "outside the box," and being willing to take big risks. They are different from member-driven churches in another important way –- they are growing and reaching the lost!
Crossroads is a mission-driven congregation. Our mission is to connect people to God and to each other. You see the results of our pursuit of that mission every single Sunday morning: new faces, new families, and new believers being baptized. These things are not happening by chance but by the Sovereign work of God, as we intentionally seek the lost with passion and intensity.
As we make plans, we look for ways to bring the lost into our building and to connect them to God and our people. Some people will simply come to a worship service. Others will never accept an invitation to church because they have preconceived ideas about what church is and who Christians are. This is why we do more than just "have church."
For example, on Saturday, November 28th, Crossroads Christian Church will host its first-ever wrestling show, as a fundraiser for our summer mission trip. Guy Louks and NWA Indiana, his wrestling company, will have this show in our auditorium. It will be extremely family friendly and entertaining because it is, of course, a show. Those who are committed to the mission trip will be helping out with the show and providing the concessions.
Now I know this idea is a little unusual for a church, but think about it from the perspective of our mission. We will have over 120 people from our community attending this show who might never normally enter our building on Sunday. I will have an opportunity to share with them during the evening and invite them back for church. I don't know how many will come back, but I think it is worth the risk.
We have another outreach event planned in December. We are again hosting a Life Line Screening on Saturday, December 19th, from 8:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Life Line will be doing a tremendous amount of advertising in our community for this event. It will draw a distinctively different crowd of people into our building. It costs us nothing but the use of our building. Both events help us to accomplish our mission by helping us connect with vastly different groups of people in our community.
You see, it does not matter whether a person is coming to get screened for osteoporosis or to root for their favorite wrestler; the opportunity is the same. They are coming to us and we are connecting with them. Please be praying for these events and asking God to use them to help change a person's eternal destiny through Jesus Christ.
Mission-driven churches are focused on accomplishing their God-given mission as a church. This means that they are willing do whatever it takes to get the job done. This usually involves making frequent changes in order to be more and more effective, thinking "outside the box," and being willing to take big risks. They are different from member-driven churches in another important way –- they are growing and reaching the lost!
Crossroads is a mission-driven congregation. Our mission is to connect people to God and to each other. You see the results of our pursuit of that mission every single Sunday morning: new faces, new families, and new believers being baptized. These things are not happening by chance but by the Sovereign work of God, as we intentionally seek the lost with passion and intensity.
As we make plans, we look for ways to bring the lost into our building and to connect them to God and our people. Some people will simply come to a worship service. Others will never accept an invitation to church because they have preconceived ideas about what church is and who Christians are. This is why we do more than just "have church."
For example, on Saturday, November 28th, Crossroads Christian Church will host its first-ever wrestling show, as a fundraiser for our summer mission trip. Guy Louks and NWA Indiana, his wrestling company, will have this show in our auditorium. It will be extremely family friendly and entertaining because it is, of course, a show. Those who are committed to the mission trip will be helping out with the show and providing the concessions.
Now I know this idea is a little unusual for a church, but think about it from the perspective of our mission. We will have over 120 people from our community attending this show who might never normally enter our building on Sunday. I will have an opportunity to share with them during the evening and invite them back for church. I don't know how many will come back, but I think it is worth the risk.
We have another outreach event planned in December. We are again hosting a Life Line Screening on Saturday, December 19th, from 8:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Life Line will be doing a tremendous amount of advertising in our community for this event. It will draw a distinctively different crowd of people into our building. It costs us nothing but the use of our building. Both events help us to accomplish our mission by helping us connect with vastly different groups of people in our community.
You see, it does not matter whether a person is coming to get screened for osteoporosis or to root for their favorite wrestler; the opportunity is the same. They are coming to us and we are connecting with them. Please be praying for these events and asking God to use them to help change a person's eternal destiny through Jesus Christ.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
The Great Communion Service
I know I have said this before, but it is as true as ever. If you missed the Great Communion, you really missed a work of God. The day could not have gone any better. The worship was awesome and the Spirit was definitely moving in the service. The power of unity was on display with the greatest of simplicity. Four congregations were coming together to celebrate not our differences, but our commitment to Jesus Christ through communion.
Three emotions dominated me that day in the service. First, I was humbled by the presence of God working through the combined talents of the praise team. Brothers and sisters from all three traditions and all four congregations, working in both spiritual and musical harmony, blessed us with a great worship experience. If you were not touched by that worship you are in serious trouble, spiritually speaking.
Second, I felt a great sense of pride in our people who participated in the service. I especially want to recognize Tyler Brooks for the excellent work he did working with the worship personnel from the other congregations on this service. If you ever had doubts about Tyler's talent and professionalism, this service should have removed them. He did a fine job, as did all those who played in the praise band from our congregation. I also appreciate the men of our congregation who helped with the serving of the communion during the service. Your willingness to serve was a blessing and added to the overall effectiveness of the service.
Third, I felt humbled to be a part of the process that brought this service to reality. It is a risky proposition to bring differing congregations together for such an event. However, the spirit of respect and cooperation among the ministers in planning the service was refreshing. We all worked well together. God answered our prayers and honored our planning with an event that surpassed our expectations in every way.
Finally, as I did that day, I want to thank both our leaders and the leadership of the other congregations involved. To dismiss a single service at church is a scary thing for church leaders. It opens you up to criticism that you could easily have avoided. By supporting this event, the leaders of these congregations provided each of us a glimpse of what heaven might be like someday. A day when the Church of Jesus Christ will, indeed, be ONE.
Three emotions dominated me that day in the service. First, I was humbled by the presence of God working through the combined talents of the praise team. Brothers and sisters from all three traditions and all four congregations, working in both spiritual and musical harmony, blessed us with a great worship experience. If you were not touched by that worship you are in serious trouble, spiritually speaking.
Second, I felt a great sense of pride in our people who participated in the service. I especially want to recognize Tyler Brooks for the excellent work he did working with the worship personnel from the other congregations on this service. If you ever had doubts about Tyler's talent and professionalism, this service should have removed them. He did a fine job, as did all those who played in the praise band from our congregation. I also appreciate the men of our congregation who helped with the serving of the communion during the service. Your willingness to serve was a blessing and added to the overall effectiveness of the service.
Third, I felt humbled to be a part of the process that brought this service to reality. It is a risky proposition to bring differing congregations together for such an event. However, the spirit of respect and cooperation among the ministers in planning the service was refreshing. We all worked well together. God answered our prayers and honored our planning with an event that surpassed our expectations in every way.
Finally, as I did that day, I want to thank both our leaders and the leadership of the other congregations involved. To dismiss a single service at church is a scary thing for church leaders. It opens you up to criticism that you could easily have avoided. By supporting this event, the leaders of these congregations provided each of us a glimpse of what heaven might be like someday. A day when the Church of Jesus Christ will, indeed, be ONE.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Questions and Comments
As we approach the congregational meeting the leadership team has received some thoughtful questions and comments that we feel need to be addressed. We appreciate those who have raised these questions because there may be others with the same questions. We want everyone to have a full and complete understanding of our intentions.
Some have expressed a concern that the wording used in regards the term of office for elders is unclear. They believe it could be interpreted to limit elders to serving only six (6) years total. Respectfully, that would be a misinterpretation of the restriction. It clearly states “consecutive terms”. No limit is placed on the number of terms, only on the number consecutive terms.
It is the leadership team’s responsibility to recruit and nominate elders, if they did not want a person to serve, for whatever reason, they simply would not nominate that person. They would also not allow any individual to improperly use this restriction against anyone else. The provision is quite clear as written. It prevents an elder from serving more than two (2) consecutive terms. It does not limit the number of non-consecutive terms in anyway.
Another question was asked about staggering the terms of elders. This is a good idea and will occur without any added provisions. If approved, those elected next year will be one (1) year staggered from the current elders. Each year, as new elders are added, their terms will be staggered as well. In six (6) years, only the two (2) current elders would be prevented from serving another consecutive term. After a year off, they could be elected again to serve.
In regards to the addition of the positions of Treasurer and Financial Secretary to the constitution and by-laws, there have been some questions. First, it must be understood that the current constitution and by-laws contains NO PROVISIONS regarding how the church finances must be handled. The leadership, under the ministry team structure, created the Stewardship team as a means of handling the finances. When using the team approach to managing the finances proved to be ineffective, the leadership instituted the Treasurer and Financial Secretary positions. This change has successfully improved our financial management and accountability. This is why the leadership team decided to include this significant change in the constitution and by-laws.
Finally, the question was asked about how these recommended changes were developed. In the past, we have put together a team of people to review the constitution and by-laws for changes. That was not done in this situation because we were only making a few changes, and most are minor changes. We are planning however in the coming year to put together a team of individuals to totally review of the constitution and by-laws. If you would be interested in serving on such a team, please contact one of the members of the leadership team.
Some have expressed a concern that the wording used in regards the term of office for elders is unclear. They believe it could be interpreted to limit elders to serving only six (6) years total. Respectfully, that would be a misinterpretation of the restriction. It clearly states “consecutive terms”. No limit is placed on the number of terms, only on the number consecutive terms.
It is the leadership team’s responsibility to recruit and nominate elders, if they did not want a person to serve, for whatever reason, they simply would not nominate that person. They would also not allow any individual to improperly use this restriction against anyone else. The provision is quite clear as written. It prevents an elder from serving more than two (2) consecutive terms. It does not limit the number of non-consecutive terms in anyway.
Another question was asked about staggering the terms of elders. This is a good idea and will occur without any added provisions. If approved, those elected next year will be one (1) year staggered from the current elders. Each year, as new elders are added, their terms will be staggered as well. In six (6) years, only the two (2) current elders would be prevented from serving another consecutive term. After a year off, they could be elected again to serve.
In regards to the addition of the positions of Treasurer and Financial Secretary to the constitution and by-laws, there have been some questions. First, it must be understood that the current constitution and by-laws contains NO PROVISIONS regarding how the church finances must be handled. The leadership, under the ministry team structure, created the Stewardship team as a means of handling the finances. When using the team approach to managing the finances proved to be ineffective, the leadership instituted the Treasurer and Financial Secretary positions. This change has successfully improved our financial management and accountability. This is why the leadership team decided to include this significant change in the constitution and by-laws.
Finally, the question was asked about how these recommended changes were developed. In the past, we have put together a team of people to review the constitution and by-laws for changes. That was not done in this situation because we were only making a few changes, and most are minor changes. We are planning however in the coming year to put together a team of individuals to totally review of the constitution and by-laws. If you would be interested in serving on such a team, please contact one of the members of the leadership team.
State of the Church
The past year has been one of the most significant years in the history of Crossroads Christian Church. The congregation has undergone many changes. Some were intentional, while others were forced upon us by circumstances. However we have weathered the difficulties and God has proven faithful throughout.
Leadership Changes
We began the year electing two (2) new elders to the leadership team. Since that time, the two (2) currently serving elders have stepped down for personal reasons. This has left us with only the two (2) new elders remaining. Leading a congregation is not an easy task, even under the best of circumstances. These men have done a tremendous job of leading the congregation and dealing with difficult situations that were not of their own making.
Fresh leadership has given us a fresh perspective and a renewed focus on our mission and vision. The congregation is growing and reaching our community. We are adding new members and seeing visitors coming nearly every week. There is a new positive attitude that pervades our services and ministries.
We have discovered that we need to work on long-term leadership development and continuity. To that end, the leadership team is recommending a change in the church Constitution that increases the term an elder serves to three (3) years, but limits them to only two (2) consecutive terms. After serving six (6) consecutive years, an individual would have to “sit out” for, at least, a year before returning to the leadership. Our intention is to keep the leadership fresh and prevent burnout.
Economic Challenges
We are all well aware of the economic condition of the greater Lafayette community. While not as bad off as other areas in the nation, we have been impacted financially. The downturn in the economy could not have come at a worse time for the church. With our increased mortgage payment of our recent building expansion and the decision to increase our staff by another full-time position, we were forced to deal with some weakness in our financial structure.
The restructuring was difficult. However your generosity and support have allowed us to fully and successfully implement our new stewardship strategy. We are now in the best financial condition we have ever been in, systemically. We have a spending structure that is tied directly to our weekly offerings. We have established financial priorities, and debt reduction is one of them.
This is not to say that we have all the funding we need. We still have some members out of work and have lost others because of relocation to seek employment. Since July 1st, our offerings have not met our budget target, which means we will not have the resources for discretionary spending. I am still optimistic because July is traditionally a lower month for offerings.
Additional Staff
Beginning in September, Dave Nance will serve as an unpaid associate minister intern. I have agreed to mentor Dave in a study of ministry that will eventually lead to his being ordained to the preaching ministry. The program will combine study and practical experience in all related ministry areas. He is already leading our new young adult ministry, “The Bridge.”
Goals for the Future
Our primary goal will be to continue pursuing our mission and our vision by intentionally reaching out to the lost in our community. We have identified some key areas that need attention this coming year:
1. Add more elders to the leadership team through the recruiting and mentoring of qualified men in the congregation this year.
2. Reestablish our commitment to building a quality, growing small group ministry that connects members in authentic community.
3. Create a team of members to review the entire Constitution and By-laws and make recommendations on possible changes to be considered by the leadership and the congregation.
4. Develop a strategy for discipleship development that involves specific outcomes in terms of knowledge and behaviors.
5. Maintain vigilant adherence to present stewardship, worship, and ministry strategies.
As always, the leadership team is open to your suggestions, constructive criticism, and especially your prayers. God continues to bless our congregation because we remain faithful to His purpose for the Church.
Leadership Changes
We began the year electing two (2) new elders to the leadership team. Since that time, the two (2) currently serving elders have stepped down for personal reasons. This has left us with only the two (2) new elders remaining. Leading a congregation is not an easy task, even under the best of circumstances. These men have done a tremendous job of leading the congregation and dealing with difficult situations that were not of their own making.
Fresh leadership has given us a fresh perspective and a renewed focus on our mission and vision. The congregation is growing and reaching our community. We are adding new members and seeing visitors coming nearly every week. There is a new positive attitude that pervades our services and ministries.
We have discovered that we need to work on long-term leadership development and continuity. To that end, the leadership team is recommending a change in the church Constitution that increases the term an elder serves to three (3) years, but limits them to only two (2) consecutive terms. After serving six (6) consecutive years, an individual would have to “sit out” for, at least, a year before returning to the leadership. Our intention is to keep the leadership fresh and prevent burnout.
Economic Challenges
We are all well aware of the economic condition of the greater Lafayette community. While not as bad off as other areas in the nation, we have been impacted financially. The downturn in the economy could not have come at a worse time for the church. With our increased mortgage payment of our recent building expansion and the decision to increase our staff by another full-time position, we were forced to deal with some weakness in our financial structure.
The restructuring was difficult. However your generosity and support have allowed us to fully and successfully implement our new stewardship strategy. We are now in the best financial condition we have ever been in, systemically. We have a spending structure that is tied directly to our weekly offerings. We have established financial priorities, and debt reduction is one of them.
This is not to say that we have all the funding we need. We still have some members out of work and have lost others because of relocation to seek employment. Since July 1st, our offerings have not met our budget target, which means we will not have the resources for discretionary spending. I am still optimistic because July is traditionally a lower month for offerings.
Additional Staff
Beginning in September, Dave Nance will serve as an unpaid associate minister intern. I have agreed to mentor Dave in a study of ministry that will eventually lead to his being ordained to the preaching ministry. The program will combine study and practical experience in all related ministry areas. He is already leading our new young adult ministry, “The Bridge.”
Goals for the Future
Our primary goal will be to continue pursuing our mission and our vision by intentionally reaching out to the lost in our community. We have identified some key areas that need attention this coming year:
1. Add more elders to the leadership team through the recruiting and mentoring of qualified men in the congregation this year.
2. Reestablish our commitment to building a quality, growing small group ministry that connects members in authentic community.
3. Create a team of members to review the entire Constitution and By-laws and make recommendations on possible changes to be considered by the leadership and the congregation.
4. Develop a strategy for discipleship development that involves specific outcomes in terms of knowledge and behaviors.
5. Maintain vigilant adherence to present stewardship, worship, and ministry strategies.
As always, the leadership team is open to your suggestions, constructive criticism, and especially your prayers. God continues to bless our congregation because we remain faithful to His purpose for the Church.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
August 30th - Congregational Meeting
On Sunday, August 30th, we will be having our annual congregational meeting. A lot has transpired since last year’s meeting. We have lost some folks and we have gained some folks. All in all though, we are doing well as a church. In the meeting, we will be considering some changes to our Constitution and By-laws, as well as approved leaders and coaches for the coming year. The changes range from a simple change in terminology to a more significant change in the office of elder. It is important that you understand why these are being recommended for your consideration.
The first change is simply substituting the word “coordinator” for the current term we use of “coach.” This is more than just a cosmetic change. Our ministry team structure relies upon men and women to serve as deacons and deaconesses over specific areas of ministry. Originally, we chose the word “coach” because it was descriptive of what we thought their work would entail. However, we have discovered that the role is more coordinating existing ministries than coaching individuals in a specific ministry.
To that end we wanted to make this change to bring some consistency to our ministry structure. When a person is in charge of a specific ministry or event, they are called a “director.” For example, we have a VBS director. Their responsibility is solely for Vacation Bible School. We also have a nursery director whose responsibility is specifically over the nursery ministry. What is needed is not someone to coach them, but an individual to coordinate their ministries with all the other children’s ministries at Crossroads. This is why we want to make the change. A coordinator will coordinate similar ministries for greater effectiveness.
Another change we have proposed is the addition of the two (2) newly created positions of Treasurer and Financial Secretary. This division of labor has worked as planned in providing better financial accountability while not overburdening a single individual. These are positions that are vital to our new stewardship strategy. We want them to continue to be a part our congregational structure.
The final change proposed is to the length of time an elder serves. In the past, elders have been elected for single-year terms, and could be elected continuously with no limit. Given the importance of the eldership to the future success of the church, we decided that we wanted to increase the length of time they serve, but limit each elder to six (6) years of continuous service. They then would have to sit out for one (1) year before being elected again.
There are several reasons for this change. The first is that it creates consistency in the eldership. Single-year terms open up the possibility of several new elders coming on board at one time without enough seasoned elders to support them. With the three (3) year term, you would have only a few elders being elected each year. This would prevent any radical shifts in leadership.
The second reason is that by having a mandatory "sabbatical," we prevent elders from getting burnout and out of touch with members of the congregation. Oftentimes, leadership can only see the church from a leadership perspective. By taking time away from leadership, an elder can often get a fresh perspective and return better able to serve.
These changes are designed to help make Crossroads a better church. They will not be the last changes, however. As we go forward, I am sure there will be other ideas for improving our structure, as well.
The first change is simply substituting the word “coordinator” for the current term we use of “coach.” This is more than just a cosmetic change. Our ministry team structure relies upon men and women to serve as deacons and deaconesses over specific areas of ministry. Originally, we chose the word “coach” because it was descriptive of what we thought their work would entail. However, we have discovered that the role is more coordinating existing ministries than coaching individuals in a specific ministry.
To that end we wanted to make this change to bring some consistency to our ministry structure. When a person is in charge of a specific ministry or event, they are called a “director.” For example, we have a VBS director. Their responsibility is solely for Vacation Bible School. We also have a nursery director whose responsibility is specifically over the nursery ministry. What is needed is not someone to coach them, but an individual to coordinate their ministries with all the other children’s ministries at Crossroads. This is why we want to make the change. A coordinator will coordinate similar ministries for greater effectiveness.
Another change we have proposed is the addition of the two (2) newly created positions of Treasurer and Financial Secretary. This division of labor has worked as planned in providing better financial accountability while not overburdening a single individual. These are positions that are vital to our new stewardship strategy. We want them to continue to be a part our congregational structure.
The final change proposed is to the length of time an elder serves. In the past, elders have been elected for single-year terms, and could be elected continuously with no limit. Given the importance of the eldership to the future success of the church, we decided that we wanted to increase the length of time they serve, but limit each elder to six (6) years of continuous service. They then would have to sit out for one (1) year before being elected again.
There are several reasons for this change. The first is that it creates consistency in the eldership. Single-year terms open up the possibility of several new elders coming on board at one time without enough seasoned elders to support them. With the three (3) year term, you would have only a few elders being elected each year. This would prevent any radical shifts in leadership.
The second reason is that by having a mandatory "sabbatical," we prevent elders from getting burnout and out of touch with members of the congregation. Oftentimes, leadership can only see the church from a leadership perspective. By taking time away from leadership, an elder can often get a fresh perspective and return better able to serve.
These changes are designed to help make Crossroads a better church. They will not be the last changes, however. As we go forward, I am sure there will be other ideas for improving our structure, as well.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
The Hardest Part of Being a Preacher
If you were to ask me, “What is the hardest part of being a preacher?”, you might be surprised by the answer. I am not sure every preacher would have the same answer to that question. Each individual minister may struggle with a different aspect of the ministry. We are not all the same.
Honestly, though, in my thirty-some years of experience, I can honestly say for me the hardest part is living with a constantly broken heart. We have all had our heart broken at one time or another. Everyone who has ever loved someone knows what I am talking about. Unless you have lived a totally isolated life, you know the pain I speak of.
This may be my own character flaw or it may be the one area of my life that I have achieved some Christ-likeness. The fact is that I live with a constantly broken heart. I can remember colleagues warning me about getting too close to people of the church. Their advice was to not make friends in the congregation, and maintain a professional distance. It could be their counsel was the result of some bitter experiences in their own ministries.
What I have discovered over the years is that I cannot do this work without getting emotionally involved. I simply cannot bring myself to the point of not caring about the people I serve as an evangelist. This is not true for every job I have had.
When I have worked other jobs, I honestly made every effort toward being a great worker. I tried to do quality work and be a good employee. However, I had no emotional investment in the job. In fact, one of my supervisors criticized me in an evaluation by saying, “You come to work happy and you leave happy.” She was right because I never took the job “home” with me.
Being an evangelist, to me, is a calling more than a job. It is not about money or the size of the church, or even personal recognition. To me, it is about the lives of people. I truly believe that what God does through me is to transform people’s lives and their eternality. I cannot involve myself dispassionately in that process. It is too important.
Thus, the reason for my constantly broken heart is people. People are a messy business. They will break your heart sometimes, but they will bless it as well. Nothing feels as good as playing a small role in the transformation of someone into a disciple of Jesus Christ, to walk with them in their spiritual growth, and to see God working in them.
Such joy will, in turn, make you vulnerable to heartache when they stumble. While you know you cannot make their choices for them, you can no less turn off your concern for them. There is a danger that if you care too much, their pain can become your pain. As I often say, a sure way to insanity is to make yourself responsible for what another person says, does, or thinks. I say this for my benefit as much as anyone else’s. But it still hurts.
I do find great comfort in the realization that Jesus, Himself, suffered from a constantly broken heart. Jesus wept, and wept a lot. Because He loved deeply, He was constantly having His heart broken. Whether it was betrayal by Judas, failure by Peter, or abandonment by all His disciples, Jesus lived with a constantly broken heart.
Before the crucifixion, Jesus spoke with His disciples and said this, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you” (John 15:9-12).
I guess if I am going to love people as Jesus loves me, I will have to learn to live with a constantly broken heart – but a heart that also knows the joy that comes from serving Him.
Honestly, though, in my thirty-some years of experience, I can honestly say for me the hardest part is living with a constantly broken heart. We have all had our heart broken at one time or another. Everyone who has ever loved someone knows what I am talking about. Unless you have lived a totally isolated life, you know the pain I speak of.
This may be my own character flaw or it may be the one area of my life that I have achieved some Christ-likeness. The fact is that I live with a constantly broken heart. I can remember colleagues warning me about getting too close to people of the church. Their advice was to not make friends in the congregation, and maintain a professional distance. It could be their counsel was the result of some bitter experiences in their own ministries.
What I have discovered over the years is that I cannot do this work without getting emotionally involved. I simply cannot bring myself to the point of not caring about the people I serve as an evangelist. This is not true for every job I have had.
When I have worked other jobs, I honestly made every effort toward being a great worker. I tried to do quality work and be a good employee. However, I had no emotional investment in the job. In fact, one of my supervisors criticized me in an evaluation by saying, “You come to work happy and you leave happy.” She was right because I never took the job “home” with me.
Being an evangelist, to me, is a calling more than a job. It is not about money or the size of the church, or even personal recognition. To me, it is about the lives of people. I truly believe that what God does through me is to transform people’s lives and their eternality. I cannot involve myself dispassionately in that process. It is too important.
Thus, the reason for my constantly broken heart is people. People are a messy business. They will break your heart sometimes, but they will bless it as well. Nothing feels as good as playing a small role in the transformation of someone into a disciple of Jesus Christ, to walk with them in their spiritual growth, and to see God working in them.
Such joy will, in turn, make you vulnerable to heartache when they stumble. While you know you cannot make their choices for them, you can no less turn off your concern for them. There is a danger that if you care too much, their pain can become your pain. As I often say, a sure way to insanity is to make yourself responsible for what another person says, does, or thinks. I say this for my benefit as much as anyone else’s. But it still hurts.
I do find great comfort in the realization that Jesus, Himself, suffered from a constantly broken heart. Jesus wept, and wept a lot. Because He loved deeply, He was constantly having His heart broken. Whether it was betrayal by Judas, failure by Peter, or abandonment by all His disciples, Jesus lived with a constantly broken heart.
Before the crucifixion, Jesus spoke with His disciples and said this, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you” (John 15:9-12).
I guess if I am going to love people as Jesus loves me, I will have to learn to live with a constantly broken heart – but a heart that also knows the joy that comes from serving Him.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Our Stewardship Strategy
One of the most difficult subjects for the church to address is the issue of congregational stewardship – not how much you give as members, but how we, as the leadership, handle the tithes and offerings you give to be used to support the work of the church. It can be a very touchy subject because everyone, and I mean everyone, puts a different value on a dollar. What one person would spend their money on, another person would never think of spending money on. This is why we have taken some time to pray over and determine a long-term stewardship strategy for Crossroads.
With our perilous economic times, it is even more critical that we have a solid, wise, and long-term strategic plan for the church finances. We believe we have such a plan that addresses our current situation and will make our position better in the future. It incorporates a lot of expert advice and wise counsel. It is based, in part, on Dave Ramsey's “Financial Peace” principles of money management.
The strategy can be understood best as a five-legged stool that is well-balanced on all five legs, where each leg supports the weight on the stool. The five legs of this stool represent our five stewardship priorities. These priorities have been prayerfully and carefully established in a specific order.
1.Tithing to Missions
We are committed to tithing ten percent (10%) of our general fund income to support missions. We cannot ask our members to tithe of their income if we, as a congregation, are not trusting God by doing so ourselves. We believe this ought to be our first priority and that God's blessing will follow our faithfulness.
In the future, we will carefully consider increasing this percentage, but only after we are fully funding our other priorities. It is a mistake to believe that simply increasing this percentage arbitrarily demonstrates our spirituality. As our congregation grows so will our income, and in turn, so will the amount we tithe.
2. Reducing our Debt
We are committed to putting three percent (3%) of our general fund income toward additional mortgage principal each week. It is extremely important that we eliminate our debt as quickly and responsibly as possible. With our recent refinance, we did lower the rate of interest and our payment. We want to use part of that savings to accelerate our repayment.
If we can maintain our weekly offering of $4,000 or more, this three percent (3%) applied to the principal of our mortgage would shorten the term from twenty years to fifteen years. It would also save us over $110,000 in interest over the life of the loan. This is money that could be used for expanding our ministry, as well as funding the final phase of our master building plan.
In the future, we will carefully consider increasing this percentage, but only after we are fully funding our other priorities. We cannot starve our ministries for resources, because they produce the growth in our congregation. There is no wisdom in paying off a building that will be empty.
3.Proper Financial Management
Properly managing the finances of the church is critical. The leadership team must submit a budget that demonstrates wise and thoughtful planning. It must take into consideration past giving trends and current financial conditions. It must be rooted in the practical realities of our community. It must be an attainable goal for our congregation.
Having a reasonable budget is only half of the equation. There also must be a reasonable system established to handle the appropriation of the funds when they are received. Not everything in the budget is of equal importance. Just as in your own personal or family budget, there are essentials which must be paid FIRST. Only after these have been funded will funds be made available for discretionary spending. Every dollar must be spent carefully and effectively, and never before it has been received.
Meeting and exceeding the budget will be seriously pursued by the leadership and the ministry teams. As God blesses, any funds received in excess of the budget will NOT be considered a surplus until the end of the budget year. At that time, the leadership team will determine the best use of the funds for the good of the congregation.
To support proper money management, we have created a "contingency fund" of $5,000 for emergencies. Should the church need funds for an unplanned expense, these would come from the contingency fund. At that point, funds going toward debt reduction would be diverted to the contingency fund until it reached the previous balance, at which point the funds would go back toward debt reduction. This eliminates scrambling for funds in an emergency.
4. Separate Funding for Benevolence
As a Christian Church, we believe that the budget of the church must be funded by the tithes and offerings of the membership. We do not have fundraisers to pay salaries or the utilities or the mortgage. These are the operational expenses of God's church and therefore the responsibility of God's people. God's work is not the responsibility of the unbelieving.
However, in the case of benevolence, all the funds spent are for the benefit of those who are NOT members of the church. This is why the decision was made to establish a separate fund for community benevolence. This way, we can raise money through various means to build up resources for benevolence requests.
Each year on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, ALL of the money received on that day will go to support our benevolence ministry "My Brother's Keeper." We will report to the congregation on the number of people that have been helped and how they were helped. The objective is to build up enough resources that when times are tough and money is tight in the church budget, we will still be able help those in serious need.
5. Special Projects Funding
Our recent special offering on Easter Sunday demonstrated the kind of generosity God can provide through His people. We have decided that every Easter, we will have a large special project or several small projects that we want to ask the congregation to give a sacrificial offering to cover. These projects would include, but not be limited to, capital improvements in the building and grounds.
The goal and the project(s) will be announced in time for members to prayerfully consider and make such personal sacrifices as they deem necessary to give generously. The proceeds of the offering will be used strictly for that purpose and that purpose alone. However, it will give one and all the opportunity to give as the Lord leads.
We believe that by having and following this stewardship strategy with dedication, Crossroads will continue to be financially strong and able to meet the challenges of the future successfully. With God's blessing and your faithful generosity, we will have the resources to achieve our mission and fulfill our vision.
With our perilous economic times, it is even more critical that we have a solid, wise, and long-term strategic plan for the church finances. We believe we have such a plan that addresses our current situation and will make our position better in the future. It incorporates a lot of expert advice and wise counsel. It is based, in part, on Dave Ramsey's “Financial Peace” principles of money management.
The strategy can be understood best as a five-legged stool that is well-balanced on all five legs, where each leg supports the weight on the stool. The five legs of this stool represent our five stewardship priorities. These priorities have been prayerfully and carefully established in a specific order.
1.Tithing to Missions
We are committed to tithing ten percent (10%) of our general fund income to support missions. We cannot ask our members to tithe of their income if we, as a congregation, are not trusting God by doing so ourselves. We believe this ought to be our first priority and that God's blessing will follow our faithfulness.
In the future, we will carefully consider increasing this percentage, but only after we are fully funding our other priorities. It is a mistake to believe that simply increasing this percentage arbitrarily demonstrates our spirituality. As our congregation grows so will our income, and in turn, so will the amount we tithe.
2. Reducing our Debt
We are committed to putting three percent (3%) of our general fund income toward additional mortgage principal each week. It is extremely important that we eliminate our debt as quickly and responsibly as possible. With our recent refinance, we did lower the rate of interest and our payment. We want to use part of that savings to accelerate our repayment.
If we can maintain our weekly offering of $4,000 or more, this three percent (3%) applied to the principal of our mortgage would shorten the term from twenty years to fifteen years. It would also save us over $110,000 in interest over the life of the loan. This is money that could be used for expanding our ministry, as well as funding the final phase of our master building plan.
In the future, we will carefully consider increasing this percentage, but only after we are fully funding our other priorities. We cannot starve our ministries for resources, because they produce the growth in our congregation. There is no wisdom in paying off a building that will be empty.
3.Proper Financial Management
Properly managing the finances of the church is critical. The leadership team must submit a budget that demonstrates wise and thoughtful planning. It must take into consideration past giving trends and current financial conditions. It must be rooted in the practical realities of our community. It must be an attainable goal for our congregation.
Having a reasonable budget is only half of the equation. There also must be a reasonable system established to handle the appropriation of the funds when they are received. Not everything in the budget is of equal importance. Just as in your own personal or family budget, there are essentials which must be paid FIRST. Only after these have been funded will funds be made available for discretionary spending. Every dollar must be spent carefully and effectively, and never before it has been received.
Meeting and exceeding the budget will be seriously pursued by the leadership and the ministry teams. As God blesses, any funds received in excess of the budget will NOT be considered a surplus until the end of the budget year. At that time, the leadership team will determine the best use of the funds for the good of the congregation.
To support proper money management, we have created a "contingency fund" of $5,000 for emergencies. Should the church need funds for an unplanned expense, these would come from the contingency fund. At that point, funds going toward debt reduction would be diverted to the contingency fund until it reached the previous balance, at which point the funds would go back toward debt reduction. This eliminates scrambling for funds in an emergency.
4. Separate Funding for Benevolence
As a Christian Church, we believe that the budget of the church must be funded by the tithes and offerings of the membership. We do not have fundraisers to pay salaries or the utilities or the mortgage. These are the operational expenses of God's church and therefore the responsibility of God's people. God's work is not the responsibility of the unbelieving.
However, in the case of benevolence, all the funds spent are for the benefit of those who are NOT members of the church. This is why the decision was made to establish a separate fund for community benevolence. This way, we can raise money through various means to build up resources for benevolence requests.
Each year on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, ALL of the money received on that day will go to support our benevolence ministry "My Brother's Keeper." We will report to the congregation on the number of people that have been helped and how they were helped. The objective is to build up enough resources that when times are tough and money is tight in the church budget, we will still be able help those in serious need.
5. Special Projects Funding
Our recent special offering on Easter Sunday demonstrated the kind of generosity God can provide through His people. We have decided that every Easter, we will have a large special project or several small projects that we want to ask the congregation to give a sacrificial offering to cover. These projects would include, but not be limited to, capital improvements in the building and grounds.
The goal and the project(s) will be announced in time for members to prayerfully consider and make such personal sacrifices as they deem necessary to give generously. The proceeds of the offering will be used strictly for that purpose and that purpose alone. However, it will give one and all the opportunity to give as the Lord leads.
We believe that by having and following this stewardship strategy with dedication, Crossroads will continue to be financially strong and able to meet the challenges of the future successfully. With God's blessing and your faithful generosity, we will have the resources to achieve our mission and fulfill our vision.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
What is "My Brother's Keeper" ministry?
What is “My Brother’s Keeper” ministry? It is the benevolent ministry of Crossroads Christian Church. In the past, benevolence, assistance given to non-members of the church, has been handled through the general budget. Often, this would mean that funds were not available when the needs would come in. This resulted in our missing opportunities to reach out into our community with the love of Christ.
This is why we have decided to handle benevolence through a separately funded ministry called, “My Brother’s Keeper”. Through this ministry, we will able to respond to financial needs in the community by developing several funding streams in addition to the funds provided by the church.
Funds for the ministry will come from three possible sources. First, the church itself will contribute directly to the ministry two ways. One will be through a special offering we will receive on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. This will become our annual “Benevolent Sunday”. Our service that day will be centered a round our responsibility to care for the needy in our community. We will also report to the congregation on what the ministry has done in the past year.
Another way that the congregation will contribute to the ministry will be through our annual church garage sale. This event has been used to fund several different missions and projects in the past. However we would like to focus this event on raising funds to help the needy in our community. The event is a great outreach ministry as well. Currently, we are in need of someone to direct this event this summer.
Besides direct giving, My Brother’s Keeper will be funded through secondary giving by leveraging our spending. For example, if you shop at Payless or Marsh, there is a way that five percent (5%) of what you are already spending can be donated back to our benevolent ministry through using gift cards. There are several other such programs that we will talk about on May 31st when we launch the ministry.
I hope you will come and hear the exciting possibilities of this ministry and God can do through you. The movie is great, and the evening is free to all. Bring your family, neighbors, and friends on May 31st at 6pm to see a "One Night with The King" and hear more about My Brother's Keeper Ministry.
This is why we have decided to handle benevolence through a separately funded ministry called, “My Brother’s Keeper”. Through this ministry, we will able to respond to financial needs in the community by developing several funding streams in addition to the funds provided by the church.
Funds for the ministry will come from three possible sources. First, the church itself will contribute directly to the ministry two ways. One will be through a special offering we will receive on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. This will become our annual “Benevolent Sunday”. Our service that day will be centered a round our responsibility to care for the needy in our community. We will also report to the congregation on what the ministry has done in the past year.
Another way that the congregation will contribute to the ministry will be through our annual church garage sale. This event has been used to fund several different missions and projects in the past. However we would like to focus this event on raising funds to help the needy in our community. The event is a great outreach ministry as well. Currently, we are in need of someone to direct this event this summer.
Besides direct giving, My Brother’s Keeper will be funded through secondary giving by leveraging our spending. For example, if you shop at Payless or Marsh, there is a way that five percent (5%) of what you are already spending can be donated back to our benevolent ministry through using gift cards. There are several other such programs that we will talk about on May 31st when we launch the ministry.
I hope you will come and hear the exciting possibilities of this ministry and God can do through you. The movie is great, and the evening is free to all. Bring your family, neighbors, and friends on May 31st at 6pm to see a "One Night with The King" and hear more about My Brother's Keeper Ministry.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
God is GREAT!
God never ceases to amaze me. When the leadership team determined the goals for our Easter Sunday, I believed that only with God's help could we attain them. I know many of you prayed daily for God to move us, and He most certainly did. Six (6) new members, over twelve thousand dollars ($12,000) in a single offering, and over two hundred in attendance at worship (204), are clearly a demonstration of His presence in our church.
Most of you are aware of the challenges faced by our congregation in the past twelve months. However I believe we have turned the corner on those difficulties and that the accomplishment of these goals is evidence of that reality. You see, struggles are not always all bad. God often uses them to test our faith and commitment. He will use them to cause us to grow in ways that we are either afraid or unwilling to grow in. They make us reassess our motives and our beliefs. They make us stronger in the end.
This is not to say that we still do not have more challenges to work through. However we now have a true spirit of unity and cooperation in which to deal with them. With God's guidance and help, none of them are beyond our ability to work through. Some of them will require that more changes be made in the way we do things. We will need greater commitment from all of our members, including those who serve in positions of responsibility within our church.
On that subject, I want to express my appreciation to a man who has served as an elder in this congregation from its very inception, Neil Anderson. During my eight years, Neil has served continuously as an elder, with the exception of an accident-forced sabbatical. He has worked in both leadership and service. He has served in shepherding and in oversight. He has stood strong in the face of criticism and of difficulty. He successfully led us through three building campaigns. It is no exaggeration to say that Crossroads would not be where it is today without Neil Anderson.
Recently, Neil has stepped down from serving as an elder. He will continue to serve as the coach of support ministries and wants to focus his energies there. This is the ministry that deals with the maintenance of our facilities. As you might imagine, as our building has grown, so have the responsibilities for taking care of it. Neil, along with his wife Jennifer, has recently taken on the task of cleaning the church each week. This is no easy task, with all that we are doing through the week as a congregation. I am sure he would love to have more volunteers.
The leadership team will be looking to add more elders in August. We will be speaking to several men in the meantime about this. Please be in prayer for Scott Thatcher, Dave Nordhielm, and myself, as we continue to lead Crossroads.
Most of you are aware of the challenges faced by our congregation in the past twelve months. However I believe we have turned the corner on those difficulties and that the accomplishment of these goals is evidence of that reality. You see, struggles are not always all bad. God often uses them to test our faith and commitment. He will use them to cause us to grow in ways that we are either afraid or unwilling to grow in. They make us reassess our motives and our beliefs. They make us stronger in the end.
This is not to say that we still do not have more challenges to work through. However we now have a true spirit of unity and cooperation in which to deal with them. With God's guidance and help, none of them are beyond our ability to work through. Some of them will require that more changes be made in the way we do things. We will need greater commitment from all of our members, including those who serve in positions of responsibility within our church.
On that subject, I want to express my appreciation to a man who has served as an elder in this congregation from its very inception, Neil Anderson. During my eight years, Neil has served continuously as an elder, with the exception of an accident-forced sabbatical. He has worked in both leadership and service. He has served in shepherding and in oversight. He has stood strong in the face of criticism and of difficulty. He successfully led us through three building campaigns. It is no exaggeration to say that Crossroads would not be where it is today without Neil Anderson.
Recently, Neil has stepped down from serving as an elder. He will continue to serve as the coach of support ministries and wants to focus his energies there. This is the ministry that deals with the maintenance of our facilities. As you might imagine, as our building has grown, so have the responsibilities for taking care of it. Neil, along with his wife Jennifer, has recently taken on the task of cleaning the church each week. This is no easy task, with all that we are doing through the week as a congregation. I am sure he would love to have more volunteers.
The leadership team will be looking to add more elders in August. We will be speaking to several men in the meantime about this. Please be in prayer for Scott Thatcher, Dave Nordhielm, and myself, as we continue to lead Crossroads.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Church Membership
In recent weeks, the subject of church membership has come up in different conversations. For example, just yesterday, I received a call from a Christian organization asking about a person in our congregation. Their question was, "Are they a member in good standing?" Ironically, that phrase, "member in good standing," is one that I have given a lot of thought to lately.
Membership is a word that can have different meanings. In some situations, membership is one-sided. For example, someone can buy a membership at a health club or gym, which then entitles them to come and use the facilities when they want to. As long as they continue to pay their fees, they get to keep their membership. Whether or not they actually use their membership does not affect whether they keep it. In this context, "member in good standing" simply means you are current on your dues or fees.
In other situations, membership is two-sided. Sometimes, the group to which you belong has requirements or expectations of its individual members. When a member fails to maintain the requirements, the group then removes that member from their membership. Thus, the term, "member in good standing" here means that you are actively engaged in the group and meet the requirements.
What about church membership? Is it one- or two-sided? If it is a two-sided relationship, who decides what the expectations or requirements are? I have met people who thought that church membership was simply one-sided. They believe they are a member of the church until they decide not to be. To some, church membership has no connection to their actual participation in the congregation itself. This means that in some churches, there is a large gap between the number of people attending on Sunday morning and the number of people on the membership rolls.
The question of church membership has prompted some congregations to eliminate the whole concept of membership. If you come, that is all that matters; if you don't come, then that's okay, too. There is no accountability at all by the leadership for those people. Other churches have enacted very strict membership policies. I recently read an article advocating that ALL members be REQUIRED to tithe and to prove it.
At Crossroads, we have a membership covenant which we talk about in the Discovering Crossroads class. Every member signs a copy when they join, so they know what the expectations are for membership. In the covenant, it states that members are to be "attending faithfully" the services of the church. I used to believe that you did not have to specify to people exactly what "faithfully" meant, but recent events have caused me to reconsider that opinion. I have never been a big fan of restrictive policies and rules because they replace authentic relationship and actual accountability. I am not sure reducing membership to numbers and percentages helps individuals to grow into mature disciples. This is, of course, the goal of membership, or at least, it ought to be.
Membership is a word that can have different meanings. In some situations, membership is one-sided. For example, someone can buy a membership at a health club or gym, which then entitles them to come and use the facilities when they want to. As long as they continue to pay their fees, they get to keep their membership. Whether or not they actually use their membership does not affect whether they keep it. In this context, "member in good standing" simply means you are current on your dues or fees.
In other situations, membership is two-sided. Sometimes, the group to which you belong has requirements or expectations of its individual members. When a member fails to maintain the requirements, the group then removes that member from their membership. Thus, the term, "member in good standing" here means that you are actively engaged in the group and meet the requirements.
What about church membership? Is it one- or two-sided? If it is a two-sided relationship, who decides what the expectations or requirements are? I have met people who thought that church membership was simply one-sided. They believe they are a member of the church until they decide not to be. To some, church membership has no connection to their actual participation in the congregation itself. This means that in some churches, there is a large gap between the number of people attending on Sunday morning and the number of people on the membership rolls.
The question of church membership has prompted some congregations to eliminate the whole concept of membership. If you come, that is all that matters; if you don't come, then that's okay, too. There is no accountability at all by the leadership for those people. Other churches have enacted very strict membership policies. I recently read an article advocating that ALL members be REQUIRED to tithe and to prove it.
At Crossroads, we have a membership covenant which we talk about in the Discovering Crossroads class. Every member signs a copy when they join, so they know what the expectations are for membership. In the covenant, it states that members are to be "attending faithfully" the services of the church. I used to believe that you did not have to specify to people exactly what "faithfully" meant, but recent events have caused me to reconsider that opinion. I have never been a big fan of restrictive policies and rules because they replace authentic relationship and actual accountability. I am not sure reducing membership to numbers and percentages helps individuals to grow into mature disciples. This is, of course, the goal of membership, or at least, it ought to be.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Miracle On Easter
Most of you have already heard about MOE, or more accurately our "Miracle On Easter" campaign. The Leadership is challenging the congregation to pray and work toward accomplishing goals in three key areas.
The first area is that of finances. You are all well aware of the financial difficulties through which our community is going right now. Layoffs have hit several members in our congregation, and this has impacted the church. The leadership team has been proactive and has made a number of difficult decisions to address the situation.
We believe God is bigger that the current economic situation. We believe that He is able to do far more than we can ask or imagine. Therefore, we are praying and believing that He is going to provide through His people a $10,000 plus offering on Easter Sunday.
These funds will be put to good use. Primarily, a $5,000 emergency fund would be provided to be held in reserve in the event the church would need to make a quick repair or deal with a financial emergency. For example, just this week, we discovered that someone had stolen two of our air conditioning units; they cut the lines and took them away. While we do have insurance coverage, there is still a deductable. There will be other such expenses in the future. Our original building is in its 18th year under a 15-year-old roof. The original furnaces are also 18-years-old, with blower motors that could go out at any time. Our water needs are served by a well with a pump that could fail at anytime. It is wise to prepare for such "emergencies" with a reserve fund.
The rest of the offering would be used in our general fund, so that we can begin to accumulate resources toward our ministries. There are programs that need to be funded, such as VBS and our children's ministries. However, we will be very cautious in our expenditures to maximize the effectiveness of every dollar given.
Some might think such a goal is too ambitious, given the current circumstances. As I said, that is why we call it a miracle – because it exceeds our human potential. Yet some of our current offerings have caused me to question whether I set the goal too low. God is truly blessing us through your generosity.
I want to encourage everyone to think about ways of sacrificing something until Easter in order to give that little bit extra. Everyone's participation is critical in order for us to achieve our goal for God's glory. Do not let the devil convince you that your gift will not make a difference. Every dollar given can be multiplied by God.
The second goal is to welcome ten (10) new members into our congregation on Easter Sunday, whether through transfer or baptism. We have many folks who worship with us on a regular basis but, as of yet, have not become members. We are having our membership class "Discovering Crossroads" on Saturday, April 4th at 10:00 a.m., to answer any questions you may have. Those considering membership are encouraged to attend.
Our final goal for Easter is to have over two hundred (200) people in attendance. This is not a difficult goal to accomplish. It only requires that EVERY member of Crossroads commit to being here that day, and to inviting as many others as possible. Easter is a great time to invite friends and family to visit our services.
The key to realizing these goals is praying for God's intervention. Miracles still happen if believers will be unified in prayer and commit to being used of God. Pray for MOE every day, several times a day if you can. Ask God to show you want you can do to be an instrument of His will to make this miracle on Easter happen.
See You Sunday,
Mike
The first area is that of finances. You are all well aware of the financial difficulties through which our community is going right now. Layoffs have hit several members in our congregation, and this has impacted the church. The leadership team has been proactive and has made a number of difficult decisions to address the situation.
We believe God is bigger that the current economic situation. We believe that He is able to do far more than we can ask or imagine. Therefore, we are praying and believing that He is going to provide through His people a $10,000 plus offering on Easter Sunday.
These funds will be put to good use. Primarily, a $5,000 emergency fund would be provided to be held in reserve in the event the church would need to make a quick repair or deal with a financial emergency. For example, just this week, we discovered that someone had stolen two of our air conditioning units; they cut the lines and took them away. While we do have insurance coverage, there is still a deductable. There will be other such expenses in the future. Our original building is in its 18th year under a 15-year-old roof. The original furnaces are also 18-years-old, with blower motors that could go out at any time. Our water needs are served by a well with a pump that could fail at anytime. It is wise to prepare for such "emergencies" with a reserve fund.
The rest of the offering would be used in our general fund, so that we can begin to accumulate resources toward our ministries. There are programs that need to be funded, such as VBS and our children's ministries. However, we will be very cautious in our expenditures to maximize the effectiveness of every dollar given.
Some might think such a goal is too ambitious, given the current circumstances. As I said, that is why we call it a miracle – because it exceeds our human potential. Yet some of our current offerings have caused me to question whether I set the goal too low. God is truly blessing us through your generosity.
I want to encourage everyone to think about ways of sacrificing something until Easter in order to give that little bit extra. Everyone's participation is critical in order for us to achieve our goal for God's glory. Do not let the devil convince you that your gift will not make a difference. Every dollar given can be multiplied by God.
The second goal is to welcome ten (10) new members into our congregation on Easter Sunday, whether through transfer or baptism. We have many folks who worship with us on a regular basis but, as of yet, have not become members. We are having our membership class "Discovering Crossroads" on Saturday, April 4th at 10:00 a.m., to answer any questions you may have. Those considering membership are encouraged to attend.
Our final goal for Easter is to have over two hundred (200) people in attendance. This is not a difficult goal to accomplish. It only requires that EVERY member of Crossroads commit to being here that day, and to inviting as many others as possible. Easter is a great time to invite friends and family to visit our services.
The key to realizing these goals is praying for God's intervention. Miracles still happen if believers will be unified in prayer and commit to being used of God. Pray for MOE every day, several times a day if you can. Ask God to show you want you can do to be an instrument of His will to make this miracle on Easter happen.
See You Sunday,
Mike
Monday, March 9, 2009
First Congregational Forum
The first our congregational forums is behind us. The meeting was well attended and there was a diversity of members there. The purpose of the forums is to provide another means of receiving input from the congregation on matters that the leadership is considering. This particular meeting, however, was an opportunity to address any questions or discuss any issues members had.
As you would imagine, many of the questions received were about the recent change to one service and the type of service we have been doing in terms of worship style. For example, someone asked, "What is a blended service?" Several people afford their prospective on the question and gave suggestions. Tyler shared that his goal in designing the service is that everyone would find, at least one element of the service that connects them to God in worship.
Another subject that came up in several different forms is how the make-up of the church has changed over the last five to ten years. This will always be true of growing congregations. Our demographics have changed. Our talent pool has changed. We have different musicians with different talents. This affects the type of blended service we can provide with quality.
While the discussions were, for the most part, good, I was disappointed in the fact that much of it was focused on the past and on the negative. This was to be expected since we did invite members to share their questions and concerns. A certain amount of "venting" is healthy and even beneficial. However, I now believe the time for that is over. We need to put the past behind us, and move forward together.
I did not say much at the meeting because we wanted to hear from the congregation. What I did say was that while it is true we are a different church than we were eight years ago, I firmly believe we are a BETTER church than we were then. I also believe that eight years from now, we will be an even better church than we are now. We are growing as a congregation both numerically and spiritually. We have a committed and united leadership that is truly focused on our mission as a church. We positioned to reach this community during this time of difficulty as never before.
Future forums will be more focused on specific ideas or plans that the leadership team is considering. Congregational input is critically important to our success as a church. Their focus will be on the great things God is doing through us to reach the lost and build His kingdom through Crossroads.
As you would imagine, many of the questions received were about the recent change to one service and the type of service we have been doing in terms of worship style. For example, someone asked, "What is a blended service?" Several people afford their prospective on the question and gave suggestions. Tyler shared that his goal in designing the service is that everyone would find, at least one element of the service that connects them to God in worship.
Another subject that came up in several different forms is how the make-up of the church has changed over the last five to ten years. This will always be true of growing congregations. Our demographics have changed. Our talent pool has changed. We have different musicians with different talents. This affects the type of blended service we can provide with quality.
While the discussions were, for the most part, good, I was disappointed in the fact that much of it was focused on the past and on the negative. This was to be expected since we did invite members to share their questions and concerns. A certain amount of "venting" is healthy and even beneficial. However, I now believe the time for that is over. We need to put the past behind us, and move forward together.
I did not say much at the meeting because we wanted to hear from the congregation. What I did say was that while it is true we are a different church than we were eight years ago, I firmly believe we are a BETTER church than we were then. I also believe that eight years from now, we will be an even better church than we are now. We are growing as a congregation both numerically and spiritually. We have a committed and united leadership that is truly focused on our mission as a church. We positioned to reach this community during this time of difficulty as never before.
Future forums will be more focused on specific ideas or plans that the leadership team is considering. Congregational input is critically important to our success as a church. Their focus will be on the great things God is doing through us to reach the lost and build His kingdom through Crossroads.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Deeper Look
When the decision was made to return to a single service format, there were many reasons to do so. One of the biggest reasons was to provide the ability to return to having a Sunday school hour. With our two service format, we were limited in terms of classroom space for adult classes. Since returning to a single service, we have re-launched a full hour of Sunday school called "Deeper Look".
We have seen the number of people coming to Sunday school grow each week. We have three (3) adult classes along with classes for high school, middle school and younger. The women's class is already filling the classroom where it meets. My class has already been discussing some very interesting topics as we study Romans. Mike Dunn and Jerry Mathews are continuing their class on the minor prophets of the Old Testament.
Something else NEW at Crossroads is our congregational forum coming up March 6th at 7pm. This is the first of, what we hope to be many, such forums where members can discuss concerns and questions with the leadership team. We will also use this time to communicate with our plans for the future as well as the current condition of the church. Please make an effort to attend the forum.
Here are the guidelines for the forum:
1. Those who have questions for the leadership should provide those questions prior to the meeting so that we can have an opportunity to provide full and accurate answers.
2. Those who wish to speak at the meeting will need to let the leadership team know in advance so that we can keep the meeting to a reasonable length of time.
3. Those who speak need to talk about positive solutions as well as problems and concerns.
4. Comments and discussion must be focused on the topic, and should not be personal in nature, but respectful of others and their views as well.
5. The meeting will be limited to discuss only. There will be no debating, negotiating, problem-solving, or decisions made.
6. The moderator will control the length of discussion on any single topic, and will change the subject when all points of view have been heard.
7. The meeting will begin on time and will end on time. We will have other such meetings and other opportunities for congregational input. The meeting will be limited to ninety (90) minutes so that members can arrange for appropriate childcare and return home at a reasonable hour.
You might be asking, "Why have guidelines?" The answer is that we want the forum to be both positive and productive. As a Leadership team, we want to give members the opportunity to provide input and feedback to us on the church and future plans.
Finally, I am going to be writing a new blog post every week from now on and I would like to invite you to send me your questions or subject you would like me to address. In this way, we can continue the discussion and communication within our congregation.
In Christ,
Mike
We have seen the number of people coming to Sunday school grow each week. We have three (3) adult classes along with classes for high school, middle school and younger. The women's class is already filling the classroom where it meets. My class has already been discussing some very interesting topics as we study Romans. Mike Dunn and Jerry Mathews are continuing their class on the minor prophets of the Old Testament.
Something else NEW at Crossroads is our congregational forum coming up March 6th at 7pm. This is the first of, what we hope to be many, such forums where members can discuss concerns and questions with the leadership team. We will also use this time to communicate with our plans for the future as well as the current condition of the church. Please make an effort to attend the forum.
Here are the guidelines for the forum:
1. Those who have questions for the leadership should provide those questions prior to the meeting so that we can have an opportunity to provide full and accurate answers.
2. Those who wish to speak at the meeting will need to let the leadership team know in advance so that we can keep the meeting to a reasonable length of time.
3. Those who speak need to talk about positive solutions as well as problems and concerns.
4. Comments and discussion must be focused on the topic, and should not be personal in nature, but respectful of others and their views as well.
5. The meeting will be limited to discuss only. There will be no debating, negotiating, problem-solving, or decisions made.
6. The moderator will control the length of discussion on any single topic, and will change the subject when all points of view have been heard.
7. The meeting will begin on time and will end on time. We will have other such meetings and other opportunities for congregational input. The meeting will be limited to ninety (90) minutes so that members can arrange for appropriate childcare and return home at a reasonable hour.
You might be asking, "Why have guidelines?" The answer is that we want the forum to be both positive and productive. As a Leadership team, we want to give members the opportunity to provide input and feedback to us on the church and future plans.
Finally, I am going to be writing a new blog post every week from now on and I would like to invite you to send me your questions or subject you would like me to address. In this way, we can continue the discussion and communication within our congregation.
In Christ,
Mike
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
A Question of Stewardship
Several years ago, I served a congregation in the south western corner of Pennsylvania. The church had a number of unique problems, which mostly revolved around money and stewardship. This was caused by a couple of circumstances, one of them was that a member had died and left them nearly a half a million dollars in her will.
Early on in my ministry there, I was speaking with one of the elders. He informed me that he was not giving to the church at all. While he believed in tithing, he had stopped giving because the church did not "tithe to missions". He was convinced that what he was doing by "voting his pocket book" was totally correct. He reasoned that since the church was not doing what he thought they should do, he was justified in withholding his tithe and offerings.
To be honest, I was a bit taken back by what he told me, and I did not know exactly how to respond. After some thought, I sat down with him and lovingly confronted what he was doing. I explained to him that there is no such a concept in Scripture as "voting your pocket book". In my opinion, if you don't financially support the church of which you are a member, especially an elder, then you ought to go to a church that you can support.
What he was doing clearly demonstrated that he had no concept of Christian stewardship. In his mind, he could use HIS money to manipulate the church into doing what he thought they should do. The problem is, of course, it was not HIS money, but GOD's. God blesses you with material wealth so that you can GIVE to support His church, not attempt to influence HER leadership.
In my message on vision, I said that we needed to equally value and honor every single member of this congregation as Paul wrote in Corinthians, "so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other" (1 Corinthians 12:25). This principle especially applies in the area of stewardship and giving. No one should use their tithes and offerings as a means of controlling the church. Doing so is dangerous both to the spiritual life of the member and to the future of the congregation.
This is why I never want to know how much a member or family gives to our congregation. How much you give is between you and God, who blesses you with ability to give. You will always get the "equal concern" from me regardless of your giving. To do anything else is nothing more than favoritism which the Scriptures condemn.
Withholding one's tithe and offerings is extremely harmful to the member as well. You rob yourself of the blessing that comes from giving as well as turning your heart away from the Lord. Remember what Jesus said, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21). When you don't give, you don't care, and when you don't care, you can do a great deal of harm.
The fact is that every one of us could find some excuse not to give or not to give as much as we know we should. If we must agree with everything in church and in the budget before we can support it financially, then Crossroads is doomed. I have given faithful to Crossroads even though I had serious disagreements with some things. I did this because I am giving to God in support of HIS Church.
Leaderships change. Budgets change. However my obligation to the Lord does not. As long as I am a member of THIS congregation, I must support THIS congregation with my tithe and offerings. If, for some reason, I cannot, then I need to find a congregation that I can support.
This is not to say that the leadership of a congregation should ignore the membership. We need to be open to suggestions and willing to listen to your concerns. Everyone, regardless of how much they give, should be heard and treated with respect. As John Maxwell once said, "A leader with no followers is just man out for walk".
I would be the first to confess that, as a leadership team, we have not always done our best in listening to your input as a congregation. That is changing though. We are committed to pursuing the mission and vision of Crossroads Christian Church. We want and need for you to come along side us on this adventure.
In Christ,
Mike
Early on in my ministry there, I was speaking with one of the elders. He informed me that he was not giving to the church at all. While he believed in tithing, he had stopped giving because the church did not "tithe to missions". He was convinced that what he was doing by "voting his pocket book" was totally correct. He reasoned that since the church was not doing what he thought they should do, he was justified in withholding his tithe and offerings.
To be honest, I was a bit taken back by what he told me, and I did not know exactly how to respond. After some thought, I sat down with him and lovingly confronted what he was doing. I explained to him that there is no such a concept in Scripture as "voting your pocket book". In my opinion, if you don't financially support the church of which you are a member, especially an elder, then you ought to go to a church that you can support.
What he was doing clearly demonstrated that he had no concept of Christian stewardship. In his mind, he could use HIS money to manipulate the church into doing what he thought they should do. The problem is, of course, it was not HIS money, but GOD's. God blesses you with material wealth so that you can GIVE to support His church, not attempt to influence HER leadership.
In my message on vision, I said that we needed to equally value and honor every single member of this congregation as Paul wrote in Corinthians, "so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other" (1 Corinthians 12:25). This principle especially applies in the area of stewardship and giving. No one should use their tithes and offerings as a means of controlling the church. Doing so is dangerous both to the spiritual life of the member and to the future of the congregation.
This is why I never want to know how much a member or family gives to our congregation. How much you give is between you and God, who blesses you with ability to give. You will always get the "equal concern" from me regardless of your giving. To do anything else is nothing more than favoritism which the Scriptures condemn.
Withholding one's tithe and offerings is extremely harmful to the member as well. You rob yourself of the blessing that comes from giving as well as turning your heart away from the Lord. Remember what Jesus said, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21). When you don't give, you don't care, and when you don't care, you can do a great deal of harm.
The fact is that every one of us could find some excuse not to give or not to give as much as we know we should. If we must agree with everything in church and in the budget before we can support it financially, then Crossroads is doomed. I have given faithful to Crossroads even though I had serious disagreements with some things. I did this because I am giving to God in support of HIS Church.
Leaderships change. Budgets change. However my obligation to the Lord does not. As long as I am a member of THIS congregation, I must support THIS congregation with my tithe and offerings. If, for some reason, I cannot, then I need to find a congregation that I can support.
This is not to say that the leadership of a congregation should ignore the membership. We need to be open to suggestions and willing to listen to your concerns. Everyone, regardless of how much they give, should be heard and treated with respect. As John Maxwell once said, "A leader with no followers is just man out for walk".
I would be the first to confess that, as a leadership team, we have not always done our best in listening to your input as a congregation. That is changing though. We are committed to pursuing the mission and vision of Crossroads Christian Church. We want and need for you to come along side us on this adventure.
In Christ,
Mike
Friday, January 23, 2009
Congregational Meeting Sunday
This Sunday, we will have a short congregational meeting to vote on a proposal to refinance our two existing mortgages into one single one. You might asking, "How did the church end up with two mortgages?" The answer is that when we built the addition onto our existing building, we took out what is called a "construction loan". This loan gradually releases funds to the contractor as the structure is being built. Ordinarily, this mortgage would have been combined with our existing mortgage when the building was completed.
What happened was that when the time came to combine the construction loan with our existing mortgage, the interest rates had climbed to 8.75%. If we had combined them, we would have increased the interest on our existing mortgage by 1.25% (7.5% to 8.75). Obviously, it was better to leave the existing mortgage alone, and simply take on a second mortgage for cost of the construction. The downside was that it more than doubled our monthly payment for our debt to nearly $6,000.00 per month.
Now that rates have come down, we can refinance both mortgages into a single mortgage and lower BOTH rates to 6.75%. This will mean that less money will be spent on interest, and allow us to put more money on the principle of the loan when we can.
Since we have paid tens of thousands of dollars on the principle of our first mortgage, some people have expressed a concern about increasing the length (term) of the mortgage. The proposed mortgage is for twenty (20) years, and the interest rate is fixed for five years. Lengthening the term to twenty years DOES NOT increase our debt at all. As with all mortgages, you pay interest on the unpaid balance every month regardless of the term.
The length or term of a mortgage is determined by how much of the principle you pay every month, not interest. You never prepay interest, only principle. For example, if you have thirty (30) year mortgage, and you pay twice as much as on the principle each month, you will pay it off in fifteen years. Regardless, you still paid the interest on the remaining principle balance every month.
This is an opportunity for the church to greatly improve our finances and our cash-flow. There is no practical reason not to approve this proposal. Without this refinance, it will be more difficult for us to weather the challenging financial times ahead. By paying less interest, we will have more funds to invest in the ministry and growth of our congregation.
That is good the church and for the Kingdom of God.
What happened was that when the time came to combine the construction loan with our existing mortgage, the interest rates had climbed to 8.75%. If we had combined them, we would have increased the interest on our existing mortgage by 1.25% (7.5% to 8.75). Obviously, it was better to leave the existing mortgage alone, and simply take on a second mortgage for cost of the construction. The downside was that it more than doubled our monthly payment for our debt to nearly $6,000.00 per month.
Now that rates have come down, we can refinance both mortgages into a single mortgage and lower BOTH rates to 6.75%. This will mean that less money will be spent on interest, and allow us to put more money on the principle of the loan when we can.
Since we have paid tens of thousands of dollars on the principle of our first mortgage, some people have expressed a concern about increasing the length (term) of the mortgage. The proposed mortgage is for twenty (20) years, and the interest rate is fixed for five years. Lengthening the term to twenty years DOES NOT increase our debt at all. As with all mortgages, you pay interest on the unpaid balance every month regardless of the term.
The length or term of a mortgage is determined by how much of the principle you pay every month, not interest. You never prepay interest, only principle. For example, if you have thirty (30) year mortgage, and you pay twice as much as on the principle each month, you will pay it off in fifteen years. Regardless, you still paid the interest on the remaining principle balance every month.
This is an opportunity for the church to greatly improve our finances and our cash-flow. There is no practical reason not to approve this proposal. Without this refinance, it will be more difficult for us to weather the challenging financial times ahead. By paying less interest, we will have more funds to invest in the ministry and growth of our congregation.
That is good the church and for the Kingdom of God.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Our Vision for the Future
First, I want to begin by thanking all of you for your words of encouragement and support for my recent message on my vision for Crossroads Christian Church. It was a difficult message to preach given our challenging circumstances, but one I felt was desperately needed. When times a hard, it is really easy to become negative and pessimistic. This is why I believe we need to focus on a positive vision for the future.
I know it may not have seemed to be a positive message in the beginning, but I wanted everyone to know that I am not in denial about our current difficulties. Yes, our congregation faces some financial challenges. Members have lost their jobs and have had difficulty in finding employment. Yes, our offerings have dropped in recent months and it is reeking havoc with funding our ministries. These and other challenges make being a leader in this congregation tough.
However, I have been through such situations before. I am supremely confident that God is greater and more powerful than all these circumstances. It is times like these where true leaders rise the occasion. Our current leadership team is meeting these issues head on. We have made some tough decisions that will help us, not only to survive these things, but thrive in them as well. But it takes more than a few strong leaders.
We, as a congregation, can no longer rely on just a few dedicated folks to make this church work. Each and every member needs to take a good hard look at where they are and what they are doing in regards to this church. It is in times like these where every hour of service and every dollar given is critical. We cannot achieve our mission or fulfill our vision without the full support of everyone who is a member of this church.
For example, I said in my message that I believe we can have over 200 in worship every Sunday by the end of 2009. This is a very real possibility, but it would require all of us to genuinely commit to being in church every Lord's day. We have 113 actual members of Crossroads with 27 children. Add to that the 60 regular attenders with 12 children, and you have 210 people. This does not even account for the number guests and new members we will add in coming year.
This year will be a great year of opportunity for our church. As life itself gets more difficult, people will begin to question their priorities, and values. They will look around for answers. Just as the economy may cause us to lose some folks as they move to find work, it will also bring new folks to our community as well. We need to be ready to respond to these people when they come to us.
As long as we stand united as a church and work together to build God's Kingdom, we will grow under these present conditions. We have all the elements necessary for that to happen. We have the right staff and proper facilities. We have strong and visionary leadership. We have a good group of dedicated volunteers. But most of all we have God who specializes in making the impossible, POSSIBLE!
In Christ,
Mike
I know it may not have seemed to be a positive message in the beginning, but I wanted everyone to know that I am not in denial about our current difficulties. Yes, our congregation faces some financial challenges. Members have lost their jobs and have had difficulty in finding employment. Yes, our offerings have dropped in recent months and it is reeking havoc with funding our ministries. These and other challenges make being a leader in this congregation tough.
However, I have been through such situations before. I am supremely confident that God is greater and more powerful than all these circumstances. It is times like these where true leaders rise the occasion. Our current leadership team is meeting these issues head on. We have made some tough decisions that will help us, not only to survive these things, but thrive in them as well. But it takes more than a few strong leaders.
We, as a congregation, can no longer rely on just a few dedicated folks to make this church work. Each and every member needs to take a good hard look at where they are and what they are doing in regards to this church. It is in times like these where every hour of service and every dollar given is critical. We cannot achieve our mission or fulfill our vision without the full support of everyone who is a member of this church.
For example, I said in my message that I believe we can have over 200 in worship every Sunday by the end of 2009. This is a very real possibility, but it would require all of us to genuinely commit to being in church every Lord's day. We have 113 actual members of Crossroads with 27 children. Add to that the 60 regular attenders with 12 children, and you have 210 people. This does not even account for the number guests and new members we will add in coming year.
This year will be a great year of opportunity for our church. As life itself gets more difficult, people will begin to question their priorities, and values. They will look around for answers. Just as the economy may cause us to lose some folks as they move to find work, it will also bring new folks to our community as well. We need to be ready to respond to these people when they come to us.
As long as we stand united as a church and work together to build God's Kingdom, we will grow under these present conditions. We have all the elements necessary for that to happen. We have the right staff and proper facilities. We have strong and visionary leadership. We have a good group of dedicated volunteers. But most of all we have God who specializes in making the impossible, POSSIBLE!
In Christ,
Mike
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)