At 12:01a.m. on Friday, April 1st, I will again be fasting and praying about our special Easter offering. My objective is to fast one day for every one thousand dollars of our goal. As you know, our goal is $15,000, to be used to replace our current playground with a new and safer one. Last year, I fasted for twelve (12) days, which is the longest I have ever fasted. While we did receive a great offering, we fell short of our goal of $15,000.
I must confess I am somewhat concerned about this year's goal being reached. Now I know that God is in control and that anything is possible with Him. I have every confidence that HE will be able to help me make the whole fifteen (15) days of fasting. What fuels my concerns is our current shortfall in meeting our weekly budget. As I write this, we are currently over $500 under budget in our weekly giving, which translates to over a $6,000 budget deficit. This is nearly half of our discretionary budget for the entire year and we are only in the first quarter.
Over the last few years, we have pursued a simple, consistent stewardship strategy. We are committed to following priorities: 1) give 10% (a tithe) to missions, of every dollar we receive in general offerings; 2) take 3% of every dollar we receive and make additional principal payments on our mortgage, which is presently just under a half million dollars; and 3) fund our budget with fifty (50) weeks of offerings, and have two (2) special offerings each year. We have one special offering the Sunday before Thanksgiving to fund our benevolence ministry, My Brother’s Keeper. The second offering is on Easter Sunday to fund special projects, like the playground renovation.
Another important aspect of our stewardship strategy is that we divide our annual budget into two sections -- essential and discretionary. We can only spend money on discretionary expenses if our essential expenses are covered. Our current weekly offerings are nearly two hundred dollars ($184) per week less than our essential expenses. This is unsustainable. If it does not change quickly, it will require that we cut salaries and/or staff.
I do not believe in gimmicks or fancy campaigns when it comes to stewardship. I believe that complete honesty and total disclosure are most important. We will not spend money we do not have. If our weekly offerings do not increase, our expenses MUST decrease. Since there is no fat in our budget, we must cut "muscle," and that means lowering our essential expenses. The single biggest item in the essential expense budget is salaries. These are the facts.
What can we do about it? First, I believe everyone needs to be in prayer. The problem is not that our God lacks the resources. Second, each of us needs to take a serious look at our giving to the church. Since it is tax time, you can easily see if you have been giving as God has blessed you. Third, we each need to be very disciplined about our giving. Oftentimes, people forget that when they are not in church, our expenses go on. This is why soon we will be introducing online giving where you can set up an automatic draft from your checking account for your giving.
These are hard financial times. The economic situation of our nation has increased all of our costs, personally and congregationally. Yet, I believe God is still in control and is greater than all of these circumstances. He will provide the resources if we do our very best and leave the results up to Him. As I fast, I will be praying, not only for our special offering, but for each and every household in our congregation. I will also be asking for wisdom for myself, the staff, and the management team as we consider our options over the coming weeks. Please add your prayers to mine as we, together, seek God's blessing.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Saying good-bye for now
As most of you know, we held a funeral service for Linda Harrold at the church. It was a beautiful service of which I had a small part. The auditorium was filled to capacity. It was a tremendous testament to the impact that Linda had on so many folks in this community.
I was extremely proud on how our folks worked together to provide both the facility and the meal following the service at the cemetery. It was a great blessing to Linda’s family as well as a witness to the community of our congregation’s sense of community.
As I mentioned in my words at the service, I did not really get to know Linda until I started leading the small group she attended at the home of Scott and Melissa Flack. This is incident reinforced in my mind and heart just how essential small group involvement is. As a group, we were able to walk through some difficult times in Linda’s life, and offer encouragement.
This past Sunday was the start up of our small groups. I could not help but think about Linda as we began our group. She will be missed. However, the opportunity for you to be blessed and encourage still exists. If you have not attended a small group, I cannot stress enough how important it is to your spiritual development.
There are three groups and plans for a few more. Our next small group meetings will be Sunday, February 27th at the following locations and times:
4pm – the home of Scott and Melissa Flack
6pm – the home of Jason and Rachel Smith (childcare provided)
6pm – the home of Troy and Kristina Yeoman
There are also plans being made to begin a small group specifically for singles that will launch in March.
Our vision is to become a place where people experience transforming grace in genuine community. Genuine community begins with getting involved in a small group and doing life “together”!
I was extremely proud on how our folks worked together to provide both the facility and the meal following the service at the cemetery. It was a great blessing to Linda’s family as well as a witness to the community of our congregation’s sense of community.
As I mentioned in my words at the service, I did not really get to know Linda until I started leading the small group she attended at the home of Scott and Melissa Flack. This is incident reinforced in my mind and heart just how essential small group involvement is. As a group, we were able to walk through some difficult times in Linda’s life, and offer encouragement.
This past Sunday was the start up of our small groups. I could not help but think about Linda as we began our group. She will be missed. However, the opportunity for you to be blessed and encourage still exists. If you have not attended a small group, I cannot stress enough how important it is to your spiritual development.
There are three groups and plans for a few more. Our next small group meetings will be Sunday, February 27th at the following locations and times:
4pm – the home of Scott and Melissa Flack
6pm – the home of Jason and Rachel Smith (childcare provided)
6pm – the home of Troy and Kristina Yeoman
There are also plans being made to begin a small group specifically for singles that will launch in March.
Our vision is to become a place where people experience transforming grace in genuine community. Genuine community begins with getting involved in a small group and doing life “together”!
Friday, December 24, 2010
Seasons Greetings
What a great service we had celebrating Christmas! The kids did a fantastic job opening our service with their special music. We need to thank MaryAnne Duff and Sherry Gick for giving their time to practicing with the children.
Dawn Nance did a wonderful job planning, preparing, and leading the service. It makes me anxious to see what the worship ministry will accomplish in the coming year under Dawn’s direction.
Tyler is planning and preparing our children and student ministry and working to make it even better. I share his passion to see our young people come to know Christ as Lord and Savior as well as realize God’s purpose for their lives.
There are some who have doubts about the direction of Crossroads. It is understandable whenever change is made to have some level of uncertainty. However, for me personally, I have none. I see this change as one of the most positive and proactive decisions that our church as ever made.
One of the easiest things for a preacher to do in difficult economic times is to cut staff, play it safe and “hunker down”. Some churches are doing that very thing. Ministers are protecting their own job and salary, while trimming budgets to the bone. They will trade on the personal loyalties of members to secure their own futures.
The reality is that one can do this and the church will continue without showing any signs of a problem. Congregations tend to decay slowly and can run on momentum for a while. This only puts off the problem for a few years while squandering the opportunities God provides for the church to reach lost people.
The fact is the future of Crossroads Christian Church does not rest on me, but on the gifts, talents, passions, and dedication of EVERY MEMBER of this church, as well as the staff. I only bring a portion of what is needed to achieve our mission and vision as Christ’s Church.
Our ability to reach lost people increases as we are able to move members into active ministry in the church. The work of our staff and our ministry coordinators is critical in this regard. My role is to keep everyone focused on our mission and training leaders for the future.
The best days of Crossroads are still ahead of us. Even in these difficult times, God is still in control. He is able to provide for our congregation through those who are dedicated to Him and our vision of becoming a place where people experience transforming grace in genuine community.
Dawn Nance did a wonderful job planning, preparing, and leading the service. It makes me anxious to see what the worship ministry will accomplish in the coming year under Dawn’s direction.
Tyler is planning and preparing our children and student ministry and working to make it even better. I share his passion to see our young people come to know Christ as Lord and Savior as well as realize God’s purpose for their lives.
There are some who have doubts about the direction of Crossroads. It is understandable whenever change is made to have some level of uncertainty. However, for me personally, I have none. I see this change as one of the most positive and proactive decisions that our church as ever made.
One of the easiest things for a preacher to do in difficult economic times is to cut staff, play it safe and “hunker down”. Some churches are doing that very thing. Ministers are protecting their own job and salary, while trimming budgets to the bone. They will trade on the personal loyalties of members to secure their own futures.
The reality is that one can do this and the church will continue without showing any signs of a problem. Congregations tend to decay slowly and can run on momentum for a while. This only puts off the problem for a few years while squandering the opportunities God provides for the church to reach lost people.
The fact is the future of Crossroads Christian Church does not rest on me, but on the gifts, talents, passions, and dedication of EVERY MEMBER of this church, as well as the staff. I only bring a portion of what is needed to achieve our mission and vision as Christ’s Church.
Our ability to reach lost people increases as we are able to move members into active ministry in the church. The work of our staff and our ministry coordinators is critical in this regard. My role is to keep everyone focused on our mission and training leaders for the future.
The best days of Crossroads are still ahead of us. Even in these difficult times, God is still in control. He is able to provide for our congregation through those who are dedicated to Him and our vision of becoming a place where people experience transforming grace in genuine community.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Grow or Go?
I recently received an e-mail from a church growth "expert." He was selling his latest CD series, "Six Reasons People Leave Your Church". Frankly, I was surprised that he could only come up with six. Having been a preacher for more than three decades, I could have come up with six hundred excuses I have been given for members leaving the congregation. However, the first thing you learn in the ministry is that most people never tell you the real reason.
This is not to say that they are actually lying. Some have convinced themselves that they are doing something principled when in fact they are really running away from themselves. They believe that they are in control of their lives, rather than God.
You see, many believers have been misled into thinking of a church as they would their favorite restaurant. They want convenience. They want a menu that satisfies their pallet. They want it all at a comfortable price. To achieve this, they will seek to control the church through whatever influence they have.
The flaw in their logic is this underlying assumption of them being in control. As you have heard me say many times, God is in control. Everything that happens, He either allows or causes to happen. This is true both in your life and in the church. You see, God is working not only to grow the church, but also the disciples in that church. Growing as a disciple is a difficult and often painful process. Some would rather leave than learn the lessons God is trying to teach them.
Ironically, when they leave and join another congregation, they soon become dissatisfied again. The reason being, the problem was with themselves, not the church. They will continue the cycle until God finally breaks through this false assumption that they have about themselves. Until then they will wander from congregation to congregation, or worse, just stop going to church completely.
This is not true of every person who leaves a church. There are principled reasons for leaving such as immoral, unethical, or unscriptural practices of conduct within the congregation. If one has done all they can Biblically to correct the problem, they have no choice but to seek fellowship elsewhere.
In some cases, individuals are led by God to another congregation in order to advance the Kingdom. They leave as friends and with the blessings of the church. Many times, it is only for a season of time and then they return to continue serving God with us.
Finally, the door of the church is always open. No one has ever been banned from the church in the ten years I have served as the evangelist of Crossroads. Anyone who has left is always welcome to return. However, they must return committed to supporting the vision and mission of Crossroads. Otherwise they would be just as unhappy as when they left.
This is not to say that they are actually lying. Some have convinced themselves that they are doing something principled when in fact they are really running away from themselves. They believe that they are in control of their lives, rather than God.
You see, many believers have been misled into thinking of a church as they would their favorite restaurant. They want convenience. They want a menu that satisfies their pallet. They want it all at a comfortable price. To achieve this, they will seek to control the church through whatever influence they have.
The flaw in their logic is this underlying assumption of them being in control. As you have heard me say many times, God is in control. Everything that happens, He either allows or causes to happen. This is true both in your life and in the church. You see, God is working not only to grow the church, but also the disciples in that church. Growing as a disciple is a difficult and often painful process. Some would rather leave than learn the lessons God is trying to teach them.
Ironically, when they leave and join another congregation, they soon become dissatisfied again. The reason being, the problem was with themselves, not the church. They will continue the cycle until God finally breaks through this false assumption that they have about themselves. Until then they will wander from congregation to congregation, or worse, just stop going to church completely.
This is not true of every person who leaves a church. There are principled reasons for leaving such as immoral, unethical, or unscriptural practices of conduct within the congregation. If one has done all they can Biblically to correct the problem, they have no choice but to seek fellowship elsewhere.
In some cases, individuals are led by God to another congregation in order to advance the Kingdom. They leave as friends and with the blessings of the church. Many times, it is only for a season of time and then they return to continue serving God with us.
Finally, the door of the church is always open. No one has ever been banned from the church in the ten years I have served as the evangelist of Crossroads. Anyone who has left is always welcome to return. However, they must return committed to supporting the vision and mission of Crossroads. Otherwise they would be just as unhappy as when they left.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Saying goodbye
This past Sunday, we said our good-byes to the Thatcher family. Nancy and the children will be here for a little while longer as they wait on the sale of their home. Scott begins work this next week. Keep him in your prayers, as he is there in Minnesota starting a new job without his family.
While it is difficult to see such good people like them leave our congregation, we know that God is in control of everything. I am sure that God has great plans for Scott and Nancy in whatever church He places them. They have been such a tremendous blessing to us, and to myself especially.
Scott is a man of great character and solid integrity. When I think about his contribution to Crossroads and to my ministry here, I am reminded of a story from the book of Exodus, the seventeenth chapter. Moses was growing tired as he held up his staff which provided the means for the Israelites to overcome the Amalekites. When his arms dropped, the Israelites started to lose the battle. Aaron and Hur stepped in and held up Moses’ arms so that victory was given to God’s people that day.
I feel that Scott Thatcher, along with Dave Nordhielm, did this for me during a very difficult time here at Crossroads. Scott was a consistent source of strength and encouragement, both as an elder and as a friend. There are not many men who would stand up for what is right when the pressure is on. He did and our congregation is the better for it.
His wife, Nancy, has also been a blessing as well. She possesses a spirit of grace and wisdom that has lifted me more times than I can remember. When I would be feeling discouraged, Nancy would come along with a smile and a simple word of encouragement about how she was touched by my preaching. It made me realize that God works in ways that I often do not see.
Finally, we all need to remember that it is God who builds the church and He “has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be” (1 Corinthians 12:18). Just as He has a plan in moving the Thatchers, He has one for those whom He will move into our community and our congregation. Let us not forget that there are really no “good-byes” in Christ. We are friends and family forever!
While it is difficult to see such good people like them leave our congregation, we know that God is in control of everything. I am sure that God has great plans for Scott and Nancy in whatever church He places them. They have been such a tremendous blessing to us, and to myself especially.
Scott is a man of great character and solid integrity. When I think about his contribution to Crossroads and to my ministry here, I am reminded of a story from the book of Exodus, the seventeenth chapter. Moses was growing tired as he held up his staff which provided the means for the Israelites to overcome the Amalekites. When his arms dropped, the Israelites started to lose the battle. Aaron and Hur stepped in and held up Moses’ arms so that victory was given to God’s people that day.
I feel that Scott Thatcher, along with Dave Nordhielm, did this for me during a very difficult time here at Crossroads. Scott was a consistent source of strength and encouragement, both as an elder and as a friend. There are not many men who would stand up for what is right when the pressure is on. He did and our congregation is the better for it.
His wife, Nancy, has also been a blessing as well. She possesses a spirit of grace and wisdom that has lifted me more times than I can remember. When I would be feeling discouraged, Nancy would come along with a smile and a simple word of encouragement about how she was touched by my preaching. It made me realize that God works in ways that I often do not see.
Finally, we all need to remember that it is God who builds the church and He “has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be” (1 Corinthians 12:18). Just as He has a plan in moving the Thatchers, He has one for those whom He will move into our community and our congregation. Let us not forget that there are really no “good-byes” in Christ. We are friends and family forever!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
The Great Communion, again
On Sunday October 3rd, we will be gathering at Harrison High school auditorium to worship with three other churches in our community. This combined service was started last year and was such a tremendous experience we decided to make it an annual event. Elmwood Church of Christ, First Christian Church of Lafayette, and West Lafayette Christian Church will be there, and want our congregation to be well represented as well.
The value of such a service is the realization that the Body of Christ extends beyond our four walls. It is exciting to see individuals from different congregations recognize each other from work or school or even their own neighborhood and realize they are fellow believers. Sometimes relationships are renewed with past members and friends. It is a great time of worship and fellowship you will not want to miss.
See You There!
Mike
The value of such a service is the realization that the Body of Christ extends beyond our four walls. It is exciting to see individuals from different congregations recognize each other from work or school or even their own neighborhood and realize they are fellow believers. Sometimes relationships are renewed with past members and friends. It is a great time of worship and fellowship you will not want to miss.
See You There!
Mike
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Change is coming!
When Tyler Brooks was hired to serve as both our worship and student minister, we knew, at that time, that it was a temporary situation. We had discussed with Tyler that at some point in the future, he would be transitioned into either ministry full-time. While Tyler has done a good job of sustaining the ministries, having a divided focus has limited his ability to expand either of them successfully. Through discussions with Tyler, he has decided that his passion lies with student ministry.
Therefore, the management team has decided that beginning on January 1st, 2011, Dawn Nance will be serving as our minister of worship arts on a part-time basis. Tyler Brooks will be focusing full-time on serving the needs of ALL of our school students as student minister. MaryAnne Duff, who has been serving as our children’s ministry coordinator, will be our new coordinator for preschool ministries. We are convinced that these changes will position us to continue to grow as a congregation.
In order to minimize the financial impact on our budget, Dawn will not receive a salary but assistance with educational and ministry-related expenses. This is a win-win for both Dawn and the church. She is able to gain advanced training and education in the field of worship ministry, while we benefit from both her heart for worship and improved skills. Those of you who know Dawn personally are well aware of her passion for serving God through worship ministry and her desire to make this her vocation in the future.
To facilitate a smooth transition in January, you will be seeing more of Dawn and less of Tyler on the platform leading worship over the next few months. While Dawn is gradually taking over responsibilities in worship ministry, Tyler will be getting more involved with “Kidmo” (children’s worship) and the rest of children’s ministry. Hopefully, by January, everyone will be comfortable in their new roles and responsibilities.
With two people both serving in ministries that they are passionate about, I can see only good things happening as God continues to bless Crossroads.
Therefore, the management team has decided that beginning on January 1st, 2011, Dawn Nance will be serving as our minister of worship arts on a part-time basis. Tyler Brooks will be focusing full-time on serving the needs of ALL of our school students as student minister. MaryAnne Duff, who has been serving as our children’s ministry coordinator, will be our new coordinator for preschool ministries. We are convinced that these changes will position us to continue to grow as a congregation.
In order to minimize the financial impact on our budget, Dawn will not receive a salary but assistance with educational and ministry-related expenses. This is a win-win for both Dawn and the church. She is able to gain advanced training and education in the field of worship ministry, while we benefit from both her heart for worship and improved skills. Those of you who know Dawn personally are well aware of her passion for serving God through worship ministry and her desire to make this her vocation in the future.
To facilitate a smooth transition in January, you will be seeing more of Dawn and less of Tyler on the platform leading worship over the next few months. While Dawn is gradually taking over responsibilities in worship ministry, Tyler will be getting more involved with “Kidmo” (children’s worship) and the rest of children’s ministry. Hopefully, by January, everyone will be comfortable in their new roles and responsibilities.
With two people both serving in ministries that they are passionate about, I can see only good things happening as God continues to bless Crossroads.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)