Dear Members of Crossroads Christian Church,
Crossroads is being transformed by God into a more effective tool for His Kingdom. This process is going to require significant changes to the way we do things and how we define membership. We have determined that we need to better clarify our mission and align our discipleship strategy with it.
We need a simpler and more direct strategy for making fully developed disciples. Every member and every convert should know HOW Crossroads does discipleship. For example if you had a friend or family member accept Jesus Christ, what would you tell them to do FIRST after being baptized?
To that end, it has been decided that after Sunday, February 26th, Crossroads will no longer have traditional Sunday school. This decision was not made lightly. Back in 2006, the leadership team formed a group tasked with doing an in-depth study of small groups. It was the unanimous recommendation of that group that we transition to small groups. It is time to make that transition complete.
Beginning with the first Sunday in March we will be concentrating all our efforts on making our worship experience awesomely inspiring to believers and compelling the lost. It will begin with what we are calling "Open Connection" at 9:30am. This will be a time of open fellowship. There will be pastries and coffee. Our children's area will be open to provide fun childcare while their parents mingle and talk.
During the month of March, we will be retooling our small group structure and recruiting facilitators and/or host locations. Our intention is to launch our new groups on Easter Sunday. They will meet on a weekly basis. It will be important for every member to be a part of a small group. The curriculum will be carefully selected to challenge each of us to be transformed more like Christ.
Joining a small group will be the NEXT step in our discipleship strategy. When someone comes to Christ, they will be encouraged to commit to a small group. The group curriculum will help them grow in their spiritual walk. The relationships they develop will encourage them to remain strong.
One of the main objectives of each group will be to challenge members to serve. This is the NEXT step in our strategy. We want everyone to be involved in ministry. Our ministry teams are the critical element at this point in the process. It is through serving that we begin to find our purpose in the body of Christ.
The FINAL step in our discipleship strategy will be to develop a greater personal sense of God's Great Commission. Each of us is called to making disciples in our own way. Our intention is to facilitate members being involved in a variety of mission opportunities locally, nationally, and cross-culturally. This will hopefully sensitize their hearts for the lost and lead them to guide others to Jesus Christ.
There are many details yet to be worked out. However, we wanted to keep everyone informed as these changes develop. As always, your input is greatly appreciated, as is your prayers.
The leadership Team
Ron Holladay, Fred Townsend, Troy Yeoman, Dave Nance, Michael Duff
Monday, January 30, 2012
Friday, December 2, 2011
Thanksgiving Surprises
I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. My wife and I were invited to the home of my son's new in-laws. They were were very gracious hosts and we felt quite welcome. We enjoyed getting to know them and had a great time.
The highlight was my son and his new bride announcing that she is pregnant. Having just been married in October, they obviously did not waste any time. They are going on their official honeymoon at the end of December. Please keep both Mitch and Melissa in your prayers and ask God for an uneventful pregnancy along with a healthy baby.
As most of you know, the Sunday before Thanksgiving is designed as My Brother's Keeper Sunday. On that day, we take up our special offering for our benevolence ministry. This year we received over $4400 to help those in need. Given the state of our economy and our own financial difficulties as a congregation, this is truly a testament to the graciousness of God working through His people.
This is just the beginning of what I know God is going to do through My Brother's Keeper. With a new team of people, the ministry will grow and touch even more lives than it already has.
The highlight was my son and his new bride announcing that she is pregnant. Having just been married in October, they obviously did not waste any time. They are going on their official honeymoon at the end of December. Please keep both Mitch and Melissa in your prayers and ask God for an uneventful pregnancy along with a healthy baby.
As most of you know, the Sunday before Thanksgiving is designed as My Brother's Keeper Sunday. On that day, we take up our special offering for our benevolence ministry. This year we received over $4400 to help those in need. Given the state of our economy and our own financial difficulties as a congregation, this is truly a testament to the graciousness of God working through His people.
This is just the beginning of what I know God is going to do through My Brother's Keeper. With a new team of people, the ministry will grow and touch even more lives than it already has.
Transformation or Degradation
My wife reminded me that Sunday (first Sunday in October)was my tenth anniversary as the preacher of Crossroads. Whether you see that as a good thing or a bad thing depends on your prospective I guess. For me personally, it has prompted some deep introspection. It is not that I don't have regrets because I do. If you have ever tried to do anything worthwhile for God, you will make your share of mistakes. The secret is to learn from them, not dwell in them. The source of my personal reflection is that I have been long enough to see the long term results of my labors.
I continue to be amazed by the transformation God has brought about in the lives of some of our members. I am equally concerned when I see that some people have not grown at all in nearly ten years. I wonder what can we do as a congregation to inspire more transformation in the lives of individuals. The business axiom "the system you have is perfectly designed to produce the results you are getting" keeps coming the mind.
I am researching this subject and praying that God will open my eyes to areas where we can improve. It may be that we need to totally rethink our whole structure. At this point, I am open to suggestions and invite your comments.
I continue to be amazed by the transformation God has brought about in the lives of some of our members. I am equally concerned when I see that some people have not grown at all in nearly ten years. I wonder what can we do as a congregation to inspire more transformation in the lives of individuals. The business axiom "the system you have is perfectly designed to produce the results you are getting" keeps coming the mind.
I am researching this subject and praying that God will open my eyes to areas where we can improve. It may be that we need to totally rethink our whole structure. At this point, I am open to suggestions and invite your comments.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Changes Coming to My Brother's Keeper
In the month of November, we will be receiving our second special offering of the year for our benevolence ministry, My Brother's Keeper. We celebrate the ministry and receive the offering on the Sunday before Thanksgiving (November 20th). In its brief history, you have exceptionally embraced this ministry, as a congregation. Your contributions have helped many families in need. You have been faithfully using your PayLess gift cards, as well as participating in our two garage sales.
There are two important changes being made in the ministry. The first is that I will be turning over the primary responsibility for MBK to a team of members. The team will be headed up by Mark Gosney, who did an outstanding job serving on our management team. He will be working with Tonya Grimm, Becky Holladay, Stacy Tilton, and Jeff Parks.
I am excited by this change for a number of reasons. First and foremost, these folks are very connected to the community around our church. They know the needs of the families in our neighborhood. They are also very creative and resourceful individuals who will be able to grow the ministry.
The second change is that the ministry will now be handling all of our benevolence needs for members and non-members. It is more efficient to have one system dealing with this type of need than two separate systems. This will mean that MBK will need to develop additional revenue streams to cover its expanded responsibilities. Look for new opportunities to support this key ministry.
However, by far, our special Thanksgiving offering is the single greatest source of revenue for MBK. Please keep this offering in your prayers. I fully realize that these are challenging financial times for all of us. We need to remember that we serve a great God who is bigger than our present difficulties. Keep in mind that what you give needs to be over and above your weekly tithe or offering. I encourage you to think of something you can do or not do in order to give generously to this offering.
There are two important changes being made in the ministry. The first is that I will be turning over the primary responsibility for MBK to a team of members. The team will be headed up by Mark Gosney, who did an outstanding job serving on our management team. He will be working with Tonya Grimm, Becky Holladay, Stacy Tilton, and Jeff Parks.
I am excited by this change for a number of reasons. First and foremost, these folks are very connected to the community around our church. They know the needs of the families in our neighborhood. They are also very creative and resourceful individuals who will be able to grow the ministry.
The second change is that the ministry will now be handling all of our benevolence needs for members and non-members. It is more efficient to have one system dealing with this type of need than two separate systems. This will mean that MBK will need to develop additional revenue streams to cover its expanded responsibilities. Look for new opportunities to support this key ministry.
However, by far, our special Thanksgiving offering is the single greatest source of revenue for MBK. Please keep this offering in your prayers. I fully realize that these are challenging financial times for all of us. We need to remember that we serve a great God who is bigger than our present difficulties. Keep in mind that what you give needs to be over and above your weekly tithe or offering. I encourage you to think of something you can do or not do in order to give generously to this offering.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Our Stewardship Strategy
At Crossroads, we have a comprehensive strategy when it comes to stewardship. It is comprised of four (4) key elements. Each element is critical to the overall success of our congregation financially.
The first element is that we, as a congregation, tithe of our income. Ten percent (10%) of every dollar we receive in our general offerings goes into a separate checking account to be distributed by the missions team. The purpose for this is simply to honor God as the source of all our resources.
We also want encourage all of our members to be tithers as well. While this would obviously bless the church, the greater benefit would be to the individual member. If you are not currently tithing, it will take you to a whole new level spiritually speaking as well as financially.
The second element of our strategy is debt reduction. The wise leadership of the past has provided us wonderful facilities with a manageable amount of debt. Our current mortgage balance is around $480,000. While we have always made our payments, we feel strongly that we need to pay off this debt as quickly as financially feasible.
To that end, we have committed three percent (3%) of every general fund offering to reduce the principal balance of our mortgage. This might not seem to be a big amount, but every dollar paid now saves us a great amount of interest over the length of the loan. Coupled with that commitment is our pledge to never borrow money to pay operational expenses. This is why we have an emergency fund set aside to handle unexpected expenses.
The third element of our strategy is prioritized spending. Our annual budget is divided into two (2) sections. The first section is essential expenses. These are the basic necessary expenditures of the church. These include such things as insurance, mortgage, utilities, and staff salaries. These are fixed expenses that really must be paid.
The second section is what we call discretionary expenses. These are resources we give our ministry coordinators to carry out their individual ministry. While they are somewhat flexible and less time sensitive, they are important. For example, teaching materials are a discretionary expense. Our coordinators work hard to get the greatest value they can out of each and every dollar spent.
The final element of our stewardship strategy is radical generosity. Twice a year, we provide any opportunity to outrageously give to God through a special Sunday offering. Our first special offering of the year is taken on Easter Sunday. This is dedicated to special purpose or project. This year's offering was used to replace our outside playground equipment. We received over $12,000 on that day.
The second special offering is taken on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. All the funds received go into our benevolence ministry called "My Brother's Keeper". These funds are combined with proceeds from our garage sales and the Pay Less gift card program to help those with financial needs. We have expanded the program to provide assistance to both non-members and members of Crossroads.
Just like the legs of a table, these four elements provide a solid foundation for our stewardship. However every member of Crossroads has a critical role to play. Unless everyone does their best to become effective stewards of what God has given them, we will not have the proper amount of resources to operate effectively. We have provided tools to help you manage your giving to the church. One of those tools is online access to your giving record. Once you enroll, you can check your giving at anytime, print a statement, and even set up automatic drafting of your giving.
I especially like this feature of online giving and highly recommend it. Never again do I have to remember to write out a check before leaving for church. All I had to do was set up how much I wanted to give and how often I wanted to give it. Dave Ramsey calls this "automated discipline". It also benefits the church as well because there is no paper check to mess with and take to bank. My giving record is updated automatically and the funds instantly available to be used.
If you ever have a question about your giving, contact Stephanie Guinn. If you have any questions about our stewardship strategy, feel free to ask me or one of the elders.
The first element is that we, as a congregation, tithe of our income. Ten percent (10%) of every dollar we receive in our general offerings goes into a separate checking account to be distributed by the missions team. The purpose for this is simply to honor God as the source of all our resources.
We also want encourage all of our members to be tithers as well. While this would obviously bless the church, the greater benefit would be to the individual member. If you are not currently tithing, it will take you to a whole new level spiritually speaking as well as financially.
The second element of our strategy is debt reduction. The wise leadership of the past has provided us wonderful facilities with a manageable amount of debt. Our current mortgage balance is around $480,000. While we have always made our payments, we feel strongly that we need to pay off this debt as quickly as financially feasible.
To that end, we have committed three percent (3%) of every general fund offering to reduce the principal balance of our mortgage. This might not seem to be a big amount, but every dollar paid now saves us a great amount of interest over the length of the loan. Coupled with that commitment is our pledge to never borrow money to pay operational expenses. This is why we have an emergency fund set aside to handle unexpected expenses.
The third element of our strategy is prioritized spending. Our annual budget is divided into two (2) sections. The first section is essential expenses. These are the basic necessary expenditures of the church. These include such things as insurance, mortgage, utilities, and staff salaries. These are fixed expenses that really must be paid.
The second section is what we call discretionary expenses. These are resources we give our ministry coordinators to carry out their individual ministry. While they are somewhat flexible and less time sensitive, they are important. For example, teaching materials are a discretionary expense. Our coordinators work hard to get the greatest value they can out of each and every dollar spent.
The final element of our stewardship strategy is radical generosity. Twice a year, we provide any opportunity to outrageously give to God through a special Sunday offering. Our first special offering of the year is taken on Easter Sunday. This is dedicated to special purpose or project. This year's offering was used to replace our outside playground equipment. We received over $12,000 on that day.
The second special offering is taken on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. All the funds received go into our benevolence ministry called "My Brother's Keeper". These funds are combined with proceeds from our garage sales and the Pay Less gift card program to help those with financial needs. We have expanded the program to provide assistance to both non-members and members of Crossroads.
Just like the legs of a table, these four elements provide a solid foundation for our stewardship. However every member of Crossroads has a critical role to play. Unless everyone does their best to become effective stewards of what God has given them, we will not have the proper amount of resources to operate effectively. We have provided tools to help you manage your giving to the church. One of those tools is online access to your giving record. Once you enroll, you can check your giving at anytime, print a statement, and even set up automatic drafting of your giving.
I especially like this feature of online giving and highly recommend it. Never again do I have to remember to write out a check before leaving for church. All I had to do was set up how much I wanted to give and how often I wanted to give it. Dave Ramsey calls this "automated discipline". It also benefits the church as well because there is no paper check to mess with and take to bank. My giving record is updated automatically and the funds instantly available to be used.
If you ever have a question about your giving, contact Stephanie Guinn. If you have any questions about our stewardship strategy, feel free to ask me or one of the elders.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Laying on of Hands
A few Sundays ago, I had the privilege of ordaining three men as elders of Crossroads Christian Church. To my knowledge, this is the first time any elders have been actually ordained by our church. Some of you may be wondering why this is. Fundamentally, the answer is this is what the Bible teaches we ought to do. God, in His wisdom, created a form of church government that provides a "check and balance" system between the elders and the evangelist. In His structure, the evangelist ordains the elders of the church. This insures that the elders are Biblically qualified and not just popular men in the church.
The evangelist is also the person to whom accusations against elders are taken. This is why Paul warns the evangelist Timothy, "Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning." (1 Timothy 5:19-20) This kind of accountability is vital to a healthy church.
We will be having another "first" here at Crossroads the last Sunday of this month. Our new elders will be ordaining David Nance as an evangelist. He has been working with me for last two years as well as doing in-depth Biblical studies. This is an important moment in development in a congregation.
Please be in prayer for all these men as God uses them to grow his kingdom.
The evangelist is also the person to whom accusations against elders are taken. This is why Paul warns the evangelist Timothy, "Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning." (1 Timothy 5:19-20) This kind of accountability is vital to a healthy church.
We will be having another "first" here at Crossroads the last Sunday of this month. Our new elders will be ordaining David Nance as an evangelist. He has been working with me for last two years as well as doing in-depth Biblical studies. This is an important moment in development in a congregation.
Please be in prayer for all these men as God uses them to grow his kingdom.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
What's happening!
I have often said that when I preach my sermon, it is as much for me as anyone. Lately I have been clinging to the concept that God is in control of everything. My life has been a bit crazy, to say the least.
Let me organize this by age. My oldest son, Mitchell, is getting married in October. His wife to be is a wonderful woman and we could not be happier for them. However, as those of you who have married off a child know, this event requires some planning. Even the father of the Groom has responsibilities.
My second son, Miles, decided back in July that life would be much happier living in Tennessee. When we went down for vacation, he stayed on. It has been difficult finding a job, but he has one now. The next step is finding an apartment he can afford that allows pets. His dog is starting to get on my nerves.
Our daughter, Megan, is going to graduate school in Connecticut. She is a brave independent soul. It is the best school for what she wants to study. Of course I have to make arrangements to get her home for the wedding next month.
If nothing else, this is going to be an interesting year both personally and professionally. I trust that God has a handle on it, even when I feel like I am losing my grip.
Let me organize this by age. My oldest son, Mitchell, is getting married in October. His wife to be is a wonderful woman and we could not be happier for them. However, as those of you who have married off a child know, this event requires some planning. Even the father of the Groom has responsibilities.
My second son, Miles, decided back in July that life would be much happier living in Tennessee. When we went down for vacation, he stayed on. It has been difficult finding a job, but he has one now. The next step is finding an apartment he can afford that allows pets. His dog is starting to get on my nerves.
Our daughter, Megan, is going to graduate school in Connecticut. She is a brave independent soul. It is the best school for what she wants to study. Of course I have to make arrangements to get her home for the wedding next month.
If nothing else, this is going to be an interesting year both personally and professionally. I trust that God has a handle on it, even when I feel like I am losing my grip.
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