Yesterday we had the first of our two annual meetings. All of the candidates for elder and ministry coordinator were approved. We will be doing the ordination of the elders on September 11th, rather than the next Sunday since it is a holiday weekend.
One thing that was mentioned by several of the ministry coordinators at the meeting was the need for more volunteers to serve in their ministries. From seniors to children, we need more people to get involved in ministry. There is always an opportunity to serve available at Crossroads. If you are not actively serving now, let me know, and I will give some suggestions.
I am hoping that we will see more folks in church now that summer is over and school is back in session. We have had a great number of guests each Sunday, but our some of our members have been missing. Some of this has been vacations and such. Some of it has been by neglect. If you have missed church, you have been missing some great stuff.
I want to commend Dawn Nance and the worship arts ministry for their dedication and hard work. I have really enjoyed the services, especially the new music blended with the old hymns. I continue to hear lots of compliments from guests about the quality of our services.
A few weeks ago, we highlighted our children’s ministries in the morning service. MaryAnne Duff is currently serving as our children’s minister. She oversees our Kidmo, Little K, and Special K programs as well as nursery. She is currently looking for someone to direct the nursery program. If you are interested in either serving in or leading the nursery ministry, contact her (maryanneduff@hotmail.com 532-1303).
Finally, on Sunday, September 25th, we will be ordaining our first “Timothy”. Dave Nance will have completed his formal internship with our congregation. He and I have been working closely both on his educational development as well as professional development. Scott Thatcher who served as an elder here, will be returning to participate in this important event.
Dave plans to continue serving as associate minister on a volunteer basis. We will be looking around though, for an opportunity for him to serve as an interim minister somewhere in community in order to get him some experience on his own. He has blessed our congregation immensely through his ministry as both Student minister and associate minister. Please make every effort to be there to support him in this important achievement.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
What's been happpening!
It seems like forever since I posted a new blog. The reason is that it has been a very long time. I must confess that blogging has not been high on my priority list. Lots has been going and is still going on. Having said that, however, I have decided that I am going to post every Monday from now on. Lord willing!
I know the departure of Tyler from our staff in one subject that I have not really addressed. His reasons are his own so I won’t comment on them. What I will say is that Crossroads was blessed to have him serving with us. I can only hope that he and Torie have been equally blessed by their time ministry here. I know that we all pray that God uses them in whatever congregation they choose to serve.
With Tyler’s departure, the management team hired MaryAnne Duff to serve as our children’s minister and Raf Caudillo as our student minister. Both are part-time positions and cost us less than half of what we were planning on paying Tyler to continue with us. This is a needed savings since our offerings are still falling consistently below our projected budget.
I am really pleased that we are now able to offer our members both online access to their giving records, and the ability to give online. I have personally set up my tithing online. It helps me to more disciplined and consistent. I don’t have to think about writing a check.
I cannot encourage you enough to sign up for this service. It makes life a lot easier for our financial secretary, Stephanie Guinn. She would have less cash and checks to deal with on any given Sunday. Even if you don’t have internet access, you can still give online. Just fill out the form in the brochure and give it to Stephanie.
There are several very exciting events coming up in the next few months. First, we will be ordaining our new elders on Sunday, September 4th, along with our ministry team coordinators. It has been a while since we have had elders. It will be good to have them again. The three men who are nominated are Ron Holladay, Fred Townsend, and Troy Yeoman. They have my full support.
Another exciting event is opening of the film, “Courageous” here in Lafayette on Friday, September 30th. This is a great film that will both entertain and inspire you. We are planning on making an evening of it. We will be providing childcare at the church.
Finally, we will gathering with the Elmwood Church of Christ, First Christian Church, and West Lafayette Christian Church for a joint worship service at the Long Center. Ever since we began doing this with the Great Communion two years ago, it has been a tremendous time of sharing and worship. It is my honor to bring the message this year.
I am excited about where Crossroads is headed. We have a great staff, a new leadership, and a very engaged team of ministry coordinators. Please be praying that God will continue to bless our congregation as we seek to do His Will.
I know the departure of Tyler from our staff in one subject that I have not really addressed. His reasons are his own so I won’t comment on them. What I will say is that Crossroads was blessed to have him serving with us. I can only hope that he and Torie have been equally blessed by their time ministry here. I know that we all pray that God uses them in whatever congregation they choose to serve.
With Tyler’s departure, the management team hired MaryAnne Duff to serve as our children’s minister and Raf Caudillo as our student minister. Both are part-time positions and cost us less than half of what we were planning on paying Tyler to continue with us. This is a needed savings since our offerings are still falling consistently below our projected budget.
I am really pleased that we are now able to offer our members both online access to their giving records, and the ability to give online. I have personally set up my tithing online. It helps me to more disciplined and consistent. I don’t have to think about writing a check.
I cannot encourage you enough to sign up for this service. It makes life a lot easier for our financial secretary, Stephanie Guinn. She would have less cash and checks to deal with on any given Sunday. Even if you don’t have internet access, you can still give online. Just fill out the form in the brochure and give it to Stephanie.
There are several very exciting events coming up in the next few months. First, we will be ordaining our new elders on Sunday, September 4th, along with our ministry team coordinators. It has been a while since we have had elders. It will be good to have them again. The three men who are nominated are Ron Holladay, Fred Townsend, and Troy Yeoman. They have my full support.
Another exciting event is opening of the film, “Courageous” here in Lafayette on Friday, September 30th. This is a great film that will both entertain and inspire you. We are planning on making an evening of it. We will be providing childcare at the church.
Finally, we will gathering with the Elmwood Church of Christ, First Christian Church, and West Lafayette Christian Church for a joint worship service at the Long Center. Ever since we began doing this with the Great Communion two years ago, it has been a tremendous time of sharing and worship. It is my honor to bring the message this year.
I am excited about where Crossroads is headed. We have a great staff, a new leadership, and a very engaged team of ministry coordinators. Please be praying that God will continue to bless our congregation as we seek to do His Will.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Important Announcement
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
At the last management team meeting, the decision was made that, as of July 1st of this year, Tyler Brooks will be working part-time for Crossroads and his salary will be reduced to $300 per week. His responsibilities will also be reduced to serving as our youth minister and only working with our middle school and high school students. This was not an easy decision, but one that was unanimously supported by everyone, including Tyler himself.
This is NOT punitive or performance related in anyway. It is simply a matter of being financially responsible. The current economic climate has affected many, including those in our congregation as well. Our weekly offerings simply will not allow us to continue with TWO fulltime employees and keep our commitments to tithe and reduce our debt. Since January 1st, we have been running a deficit that cannot continue.
Tyler will be seeking fulltime employment in the community and we ask that you keep him in your prayers. It would be a tremendous blessing if he could secure a job that provides, at least, access to group health insurance. This is especially needed with a child on the way.
The management team is committed to assisting Tyler as much as possible during this transition. We appreciate greatly his commitment to continue serving at Crossroads at this time. It was also decided we would use any funds remaining from the Easter offering after the playground was constructed to restore our general and emergency fund to their proper levels.
We strongly encourage you to pray for God to bless us in special way this Easter Sunday.
Working Together for His Glory,
Crossroads Christian Church Management Team
At the last management team meeting, the decision was made that, as of July 1st of this year, Tyler Brooks will be working part-time for Crossroads and his salary will be reduced to $300 per week. His responsibilities will also be reduced to serving as our youth minister and only working with our middle school and high school students. This was not an easy decision, but one that was unanimously supported by everyone, including Tyler himself.
This is NOT punitive or performance related in anyway. It is simply a matter of being financially responsible. The current economic climate has affected many, including those in our congregation as well. Our weekly offerings simply will not allow us to continue with TWO fulltime employees and keep our commitments to tithe and reduce our debt. Since January 1st, we have been running a deficit that cannot continue.
Tyler will be seeking fulltime employment in the community and we ask that you keep him in your prayers. It would be a tremendous blessing if he could secure a job that provides, at least, access to group health insurance. This is especially needed with a child on the way.
The management team is committed to assisting Tyler as much as possible during this transition. We appreciate greatly his commitment to continue serving at Crossroads at this time. It was also decided we would use any funds remaining from the Easter offering after the playground was constructed to restore our general and emergency fund to their proper levels.
We strongly encourage you to pray for God to bless us in special way this Easter Sunday.
Working Together for His Glory,
Crossroads Christian Church Management Team
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Special Easter Offering
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.
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)