Santa for Seniors a Big Hit and a Big Help

A trailer-load of Christmas presents was delivered Monday morning to the Westgate Armory in Dothan, the staging area for this years Santa for Seniors outreach.  This year Crossroads attenders made Christmas that much brighter for 50 area seniors.  Buying presents as simple as warm, fuzzy socks and snuggly blankets to meeting big needs like providing a new microwave oven or even a refrigerator, the Crossroads family demonstrated generosity to those in our community who are  often overlooked.  Big thanks to Natalie Lurie for organizing Crossroads efforts and bringing this outreach home! What a privilege it is to give.  

WEEKEND UPDATE (121309)

Great weekend at Crossroads despite torrential rain and "scary movie" foggy weather.  Here's a few quick hits from a great Sunday at Crossroads:

1. GREAT turnout yesterday!  I love that some of our biggest crowds are on days we have the crummiest weather.
2. TONS of first-time attenders and visitors.
3. Several people made decisions to rededicate their lives to Christ!
4. Got to lead worship for the first time in a LONG time.  It was great!  We had about twenty musicians and singers on the platform.  Glad it didn't collapse.
5. Doobie Brothers should ALWAYS be in our worship set.
6. As much fun as it was, we are REALLY BLESSED to have the awesome young people we have leading worship at Crossroads.  It is a job for people who are young in spirit AND flesh!
7. Lobby team did a GREAT job yesterday.  They were definitely undermanned, but really came through with a great lobby experience for everyone!
8. Pastor Matt did a GREAT job bringing the message yesterday!  I look forward to him doing it again!  Way to go, Matt!
9. Tons of comments from folks on Matt's message on Communication Cards.  He's a great storyteller.
10. Single Parent Oil Change was AWESOME!  Our crew lead by Todd Waggerman and Will Reeves braved the crummy weather to make it all work.  Great job guys!
11. Kudos to all who gave and participated and to Nat Lurie for bringing Santa For Senior home yesterday.  A TON of work, but 50 area seniors are going to have a GREAT Christmas.

I know I'm forgetting five or six things I wanted to write about, but I gotta hit the trail.  My trailer is loaded down with all the Santa for Seniors loot and we're taking it to the distribution point this morning.  I'll post an addendum to this blog later.  Have a GREAT day! 

WEEKEND UPDATE (120609)

Merry Christmas to All!  We began December by closing out our series PAY IT FORWARD and we have never had so MUCH positive feedback on ANY series we have ever done at Crossroads.  In fact, the past six weeks have seen changed lives, and a turning point in the course of our church community.  We have seen the fruit of people making a heart decision to begin living generously.  

I have never been more confident that in the weeks, months and years to come, the church at Crossroads will be known - as the early church was - as a place where the LOVE OF GOD is expressed to the community around us through our generosity and goodwill to ALL people!  Here's a few quick take-away's from the weekend:

1. The sanctuary looked FANTASTIC decorated for CHRISTMAS.  Kudos to Will, Sarena and everyone who made it happen!  
2. Sam did a great job with the opening song yesterday, and Maggie did a great job leading worship!  We had some band tightness and sound issues, but it was the first time that particular group of people played together.  Bottom line: those two sang their heads off and worship was wonderful!
3. Maggie has an amazing voice...but did you hear the girl PRAY?  Wow!  God was IN it!
4. LOVE the new Announcement Segment with Nat Lurie!  So helpful in getting the word out about important stuff.  We do email blasts, and print bulletins, and show slides, and make videos, but none of that seems to be as effective as this.  Natalie makes you want to pay attention.  Good graphics, too!
5. I was seriously off my game yesterday and I apologize.  I guess I was worn out from the trek to ATL to see the big game.  I was totally stoked to be at church, and really excited about the message, but it was better in practice and in my head than it was on the platform.  Mercifully...it was short!  Haha!
6. Although my whiteboard drawings were somewhat less than pedestrian, I think the point got across: A healthy church is OUTWARDLY FOCUSED.  
7. I like this too: If you're feeling bad about you...go help someone else.
8. Had to laugh when I asked who participated in 7 Days - 3 Random Acts of Kindness and only a dozen people out of 200 raised their hands (LOL).  Nonetheless, here is my conclusion, based on giving over the last six weeks, and the overwhelmingly positive response to our benevolence fund:  I have never seen MORE GENEROUS PEOPLE than I have at Crossroads!  It is obvious that people at Crossroads are far more interested in LIVING GENEROUSLY than in simply "doing nice things".  That's HUGE!
9. Here's some stuff most people don't see or know about:  Every Sunday morning, people show up early to help setup and stay late to help tear-down.  That's just life for a portable church.  But I've noticed (because our staff and leaders are making sure I understand...and because I personally stayed until the bitter end yesterday) that folks are bailing big time on the tear-down part.  Just sayin'.  
10. For those of you who stay and help...we could not do church without you.  For those who leave and do not help...we cannot keep doing church without you.  
11. We have HUGE opportunities for folks to serve at Crossroads.  Come see me, or Matt, or Hollie, or Brian, or Michelle, or Gary, or Carrie, or Rachel, or Ben, or Pastor H, or Will and we will hook you up!  The more folks that get involved, the less any one individual has to do.  Don't worry: this ASK is not about changing diapers or wiping runny noses.  This is about LIFTING things and PUTTING THEM AWAY.  Easy.   
12. Our setup and tear down time could be cut in HALF with the help of a couple of dozen people willing to work one Sunday a month.  Bring it, guys!  Keep living that generous life by pouring out LOVE on those around you, and Start your own VOLUNTEER REVOLUTION by serving one Sunday a month!
13. Other stuff you don't see: Kudos to Gary, Carrie and Rachel who rolled up their pant-legs and cleaned a poo-water flood in the restrooms!  THAT'S loving God!  I'm humbled...and really glad you guys are willing to do the hard stuff.         

Okay, on that high-note, I'm gonna wrap this up.  Hey, spend time with family and friends this holiday season.  And remember, we have three really great services coming up in December so invite Big.  Next week, Pastor Matt shares a great message, and I will rock your face off as I lead worship for the first-time in a couple of years with a smokin' line-up of musicians!  Sunday December 20th, it's our BIG CHRISTMAS SERVICE WITH ELVES and you DON'T want to miss it.  Wrapping up the month, we have a very special Christmas Eve Communion Service planned for 7Pm December 24th at the Annex.  Plan to attend all three.  Have a GREAT week!  Oh...and here's my favorite Christmas picture of the season so far.  It's Will and Natalie's little friend 'Buddy' telling Santa what he wants this year!

Christmas Spirit

Admittedly, I'm slow to get in the groove at Christmastime.  I'm not into the carols and all that, but I have a good and valid reason.  My early life was like living in a Christmas snow-globe, seriously.  Posing for plywood cut-outs of Dickens characters, standing atop rickety ladders as my father vied for another first-place ribbon in the neighborhood Christmas lights contest, and during one three-year stretch, doing nearly a thousand performances of a Christmas Vaudeville Olio replete with every carol ever written.  So, I've bestowed upon myself the right to gag when Bing Crosby comes on the radio.

But I have to tell you...I am actually pretty excited about Christmas this year.  For the first time in a decade, I welcomed the Fall weather, rather than bemoaning the demise of Summer and her long days and warm nights.  Maybe it was the late Summer trip to Mentone, maybe the October trip to New Hampshire, but whatever the catalyst, I sold out to the idea of sweater-weather and apple cider.  

October gave way to November, and the shock waves from an explosion of true community generosity overtook us all during Thanksgiving.  And the ripples continue as we turn the corner to Christmas.  Santa for Seniors, Christmas Stocking for Neighborhood Kids, the church's overwhelmingly positive response to our first monthly Benevolence Offering.  All of these things are working together pointing all of us to Christ.  And it's changing me.  So folks (.....drum roll please.....) I am officially READY for Christmas.  The cat has hit the wall.  It's time.  I'm in.    Note: to fully appreciate the significance of the cat comment, refer to the video below from last year:

Cat-tastrophe! from Gene Oden on Vimeo.

Thanksgiving Video

Just in case you don't follow me on twitter, or are a fan of Crossroads on facebook...here's the video from Crossroads Thanksgiving Outreach at the Annex.


Thanksgiving @ Crossroads 2009 from Crossroads Enterprise on Vimeo.

WEEKEND UPDATE (112909)

Greetings!  Smashing weekend at Crossroads, following an indescribably wonderful Thanksgiving week!  Here's a few quick hits:

1. MANY rededicated their lives to Christ on Sunday!  MANY first-time attenders.  (You gotta WANT to come to church on Sunday after Thanksgiving).  We had a great turnout and amazing attendance for a holiday weekend!  Average attendance for the 5 weeks of November was 265.  We're growing together!
2. Santa For Seniors kicked off Sunday.  Great job by Nat & Will Lurie getting prepared.  Overwhelmingly positive first-weekend response.  Of the ornaments on the Christmas tree in the lobby, representing 50 seniors to purchase Christmas gifts for, I think over 40 of them were taken!  Way to go Crossroads family!  Your generosity is helping to make Jesus famous in Enterprise!  
3. LOVED worship yesterday!  Band sounded great.  LOVED the opener! Totally rocked.  One long-time Crossroads attender wrote on his Communication Card: "Most of the songs the band covers are BETTER than the original!"  I agree.
4. Tough to let Nic and Janna go as they take off the month of December to have a baby.  We'll miss you guys, but we promise to not just HOLD the fort, but ROCK IT to the foundation while you are gone!
5. We fortunate to have such a great tech team that brings high quality support to everything that happens on the stage.  Without them, Crossroads would be an uninteresting and very dark and very quiet place!
6. We are also fortunate to have the people that take the stage as communicators at Crossroads.  Rachel, Natalie and Chris make us feel comfortable, welcome and informed every week.  Thanks guys!
7. Ben Rice brought the message yesterday for Part Two of PAY IT FORWARD and did a great job inspiring us to make generosity infinitely practical with this simple challenge: 7 DAYS - 3 RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS.  Great job Ben!  Your Crossroads family loves you for your incredible faithfulness and willingness to ALWAYS bring your best to everything you do!  Band geek.
8. Thanks to ALL of our leaders and volunteers who show up week in and week out and bring it!  There IS no Crossroads without you doing what you do!
9. Great to see so many old friends we haven't seen in a while yesterday.  Always fun to get a hug and say hello again!
10. Can't say enough about Children's Ministry at Crossroads.  It was a thrill yesterday to show someone who hasn't been to Crossroads in a while our new Children's Annex!  They were blown away by the growth at the church.  So am I!
11. We got to see a video of Thanksgiving at the Annex.  There was a lot of Kleenex in use by the time that video was over.  (NOTE: For the MANY who asked, the Thanksgiving video WILL be posted on the Crossroads facebook page today.) 
12. And finally, your response to Crossroads first Benevolence Offering was simply AMAZING!  We now have over $2400 in the Benevolence fund.  That's a GREAT way to start!  Well done church!   

Again, thanks to all who made November a TURNING-POINT month at Crossroads!  From your overwhelming, New Testament-church generosity, to your unselfish service in meeting the needs of others in our community, we are coming STRONG out of the corner as we head toward Christmas and the New Year.  As you put into practice the things we have talked about over the past few weeks, and as you commit to 7 DAYS - 3 RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS, think about what the Apostle Paul said: "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself." (Philippians 2:3) Living this scripture in REAL LIFE is key to turning Random Acts of Kindness, into an intentional lifestyle of serving others.

Peace.

   

  

THANKSGIVING UPDATE

I have written and re-written this post several times.  I can't seem to get it right.  I'm so amazed at what God did here yesterday that it's really difficult to find the right words (and put them in the right order) to adequately describe what happened, and how I feel about it.  Noting I could say would add to, or subtract from, what happened in our community.  Perhaps bullets would be best:

• 700 plates we prepared and given out yesterday, the vast majority of them at the Annex, but 100 or so at Martin Trailer Park.
• Thank you to the dozens of people who worked for days to prepare enough food to feed all those people.
• Thank you to Rhonda Childers and Sherry DeCesare and their families, who are due honor from all of us for their leadership in making this happen.
• Thank you to Pastor Izzy and all of our brothers and sisters from Rio de Vida who broke down cultural and language barriers and wooed the crowd from the streets.
• Random thought:  A little vision goes a long way. I had an idea last Thanksgiving to do something like this.  It was not an original idea.  (BTW, most of my original ideas are never allowed to take place.  That's God protecting you from me, and me from myself). All of this was God's idea.  Proof of that is that MY idea wasn't this big.  Further proof is that I was panicked for the last three days that all this work would be done...and no one would show up.  Proof of that is that until about 11:30AM yesterday, I was pretty sure that I had failed and this event was a bust.  
• I am such a tool.  
• When HUNDREDS of hungry people began streaming through the door of the Annex, I felt very small.  How about you?  I saw MANY moved to tears, as we saw God move in our community.
• The majority of people who came to eat yesterday came from across the street.  That beautiful neighborhood filled with so many beautiful people.  People living in a strange culture where they are reviled by most Americans when they're not being used as cheap labor.  People living on the edge of an existence where poverty would be a step up.  Beautiful people, with beautiful smiles.  

The big take-away from all of this is all the PEOPLE.  God loves PEOPLE so much.  He loves those who SERVED and He loves those who came to BE SERVED.  So many people.  Oh, thank you God that we get to do life together in this way!  Serving God is a privilege.  

I want to hear YOUR takeaway from Thanksgiving @ the Annex.  Post your comments here.

Peace.

  

Preparations for a Feast

     Late this morning, Leslie and I drove out to Camp Alaflo where Sherry, Rhonda, Hollie, Caitlin, Lindsay, Alice, Sarena, and Kathryn were working diligently making preparations for Crossroads Thanksgiving Outreach.  Teams of people have been moving through the neighborhoods around the Annex passing out flyers in English and Spanish, inviting people to be our guests for a Thanksgiving feast on Thursday.  The Annex has been prepared to receive all who will come and eat.  

     And then I had this chilling thought:  What if we made all these preparations - what if all the food had been generously given, the meals prepared, the word spread throughout our community - what if THE TABLE IS PREPARED...and no one comes to receive what has been freely given?  Though there will be MANY volunteers to eat heartily, and much food would be available, how heartbreaking it would be to make PREPARATIONS FOR A FEAST, and find that no one wanted to be served, no one wanted to sit at the table, no one wanted to eat, no one wanted to receive.  

     Now I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but these dots are way too obvious for even me not to be able to connect.  A GREAT FEAST has been prepared for all humankind.  The Master of the house has invited all to come and dine freely.  But many will hear the invitation and decline.  How God's heart must ache for those who choose not to come, when it's His desire that ALL should receive of His generous gift of grace.  

     But you know what?  It is not up to us to decide who will come; only to make preparations, and to extend the INVITATION.  So go.  Go throughout our community and spread the word, so that the house may be full.  Invite those who are uninvited.  For what CREDIT do we get if we invite only those we know, only those who will invite us back?  Go, and be merciful, just as God has been merciful to you and me.  

     

     Peace.

      

WEEKEND UPDATE (112209)

What an amazing weekend at Crossroads.  In fact, it was an amazing week leading up to Sunday.  Here's a few quick take-away's:

1. Volunteer meeting at the Annex for Thursday's Thanksgiving Outreach was amazing.  Rhonda and Sherry are really well organized and have poured themselves into this whole deal.  The volunteer turnout was remarkable!  Still need MORE volunteers to get flyers out today and tomorrow.  Call Hollie.
2. Sunday morning was overcast, drizzly and an absolutely perfect day for church.
3. Many rededicated their lives to Christ.
4. Again, TONS of first-time attenders.
5. We are AVERAGING over 273 in service each Sunday.  AVERAGING!  That's 150 MORE than this time last year.  When we go to two services, that number is going to go through the roof.  Why is that important?  So people can look at us and go, "They sure are growing fast"?  So we can feel good about ourselves?  So we can act really cool?  No!  If we're averaging 273 people, that means we have 273 opportunities to experience LIFE-CHANGE together!  273 weapons to arm to REACH OUR WORLD for Christ!  273 history-making world-changers to celebrate with!  273 reasons that our community will NEVER be the same!  Don't be nervous about counting.  God is adding to the church daily (Acts 2)!  
6. Outside of my easy chair, or hanging out with Leslie and the kids, the Lobby at Crossroads is my favorite place on EARTH to be!
7. Worship was smashing on Sunday.  Nic, Janna, AND Emberlin were wonderful.
8. I walked into each Cinema and also the Children's Annex on Sunday BLOWN AWAY by how many people are serving, and how God has enlarged our footprint in the community.  Humbling.
9. What a challenging message on Sunday morning.  If you weren't there for Part One of PAY IT FORWARD you need, need, need to listen to the podcast.  I promise, it will change FOREVER the way you think about generosity.  It changed me.
10. Mike Misunas ROCKED him some chocolate chip cookies!  He was so funny.  Again, if you weren't there, listen at minute 39 of the podcast to hear Misunas try to back out of coming up on stage for an illustration.  He sounded like a machine gun, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no..!"  So funny.
11. Can I just say that though we still have them for a little while, I am going to miss our Hawaiian contingent so much when they get out of flight school.  I think we need to plant a sister church in Hawaii.  Any volunteers?  Put your hand down, Leslie!
12. Overwhelmed by giving toward the end-of-the-monthly Benevolence Offering.  $1700 has already been given, and we haven't yet received the offering.  This is the kind of outrageous, over-the-top, ridiculous, hilarious generosity that Jesus was talking about.     
13. When I walked into the Annex this morning I saw more of that.  The place doesn't look like somewhere poor people come to wolf down a free meal.  It looks like somewhere honored guests come to break bread with one another.  It took my breath away.  Kinda made me teary-eyed.  I can't help it.  I'm Italian.  
14. I had tears running down my face watching "Blindside" last night at the college cinema, too.  Speaking of which, the building is a whole lot cleaner when we're having church in it, then when they're showing movies in it.  Thanks Clark, and thank you God, that we GET to do church there!

Okay, I could go on, but I'm gonna stop.  This morning someone visited the Annex to PAY IT FORWARD.  Thank you for your kindness and generosity to my family.  I went outside and helped someone I didn't know change their tire in the parking lot.  PAY IT FORWARD this week.  Give, like Jesus said - NOT because you have MORE and they have LESS, not because you OUGHT to, not because it would be FAIR - give because God gave.  Be children of the Most High, who is kind to the unthankful and the wicked.

Make SURE you invite people to Thanksgiving Dinner from 11AM to 1PM, this Thursday at the Annex.  Remember, church isn't just what we do at the College Cinema on Sunday.  It's who we ARE and what we do when we LEAVE the College Cinema on Sunday.  Go change the world for Christ!

Peace.

    

M-A-R-G-I-N

I participate twice a month in a video coaching network for church planters.  It's my first video network, but the third coaching network I've been in in less than two years.  I got into the whole coaching network thing in early 2008 after a group of us attended a conference.  I didn't really see the point at the time, but the guy on the stage said, "The number one thing your pastor needs to do if you are planting a church is get in a coaching network".  His reasons were compelling and convincing.  I was first in line to sign up that day, and the impact on my life, and on Crossroads has been immeasurable.

My first network was face-to-face with a dozen other planter/pastors and a coach, Hal Mayer.  We met all day, once a month, for six months in Ocala, Florida.  I learned in those six meetings, and in the study time associated with the meeting, things people unfortunately do not learn on their own...until it's too late, and the church they planted closes it's doors.  I learned things to do, and just as importantly, things NOT to do.  Why is that important?  Because 80% of churches fail in the first 18 months.  Those are terrible odds.  

Like riding a motorcycle (which I do), church planting is a tenuous proposition at best.  Good coaching is like wearing a crash helmet, gloves, and leather boots (something I also do).  It's all about creating M-A-R-G-I-N.  On the motorcycle, when your margin of safety increases, your likelihood of coming home in one piece also increases.  In church planting when your margin of knowledge and experience increases, your likelihood of being there next Sunday also increases.  I like margin...'cause we only launched 15 months ago, and I'd like to be around awhile longer.     

There's other things that also creates margin.  In our personal lives.  Things like turning your heart toward God, following the teachings of Jesus and the lifestyle He modeled, regularly joining other Christ-followers in worship, reading your Bible and meditating on the Word, praying, serving others, sharing your faith.  These are a few of the ways we create margin in our personal lives.  When things get tight, margin can make the difference between success and failure...really, between life and death.

Good coaching and mentoring breathes life into what we do at Crossroads.  Where do you have margin in your life?  Where do you lack margin?  Can you see where having margin might have made the difference for you in the past?  Are you committed to creating margin for life?

Sound off.  Comments are open.