WEEKEND UPDATE (110809)

Hey guys, fantastic morning at Crossroads. I am at the Annex early for ROADIES 101 tonight, so I thought I'd go ahead and do the update. Here's a few quick hits from the weekend:

1. Over a dozen people reconnected with their faith this morning as they rededicated their lives to Christ! Sweet!!
2. Totally awesome all-time high attendance today of 301!
3. Dozens of first-time attenders!
4. Worship was awesome this morning! Though we had some lighting problems and half the band was in the dark, they sure sounded GREAT! Fantastic facebook update about worship from one Crossroads attender: "The band was singing at church this morning, and people behind me were singing. It felt like I was in a pocket of beautiful". What a GREAT takeaway!
5. New video intro by Will Lurie - "Not Exactly Grandma's Church" - was EXCEPTIONAL! Funny, engaging, great animation, and absolutely true!
6. Teaching Pastor Ben Rice brought a GREAT message this morning in the second week of our new series ALL IN. He was sharp and well-prepared. He overcame technical difficulties, people getting out of their seats, babies crying, and a large dark area on the stage, and shared one of the best things I think I've ever heard at Crossroads on why we give: "To give momentum to the Gospel and meet the needs of others."
7. Liked this too: "Generosity takes faith, and gives hope". That's HUGE!
8. No one can embarrass themselves by singing a goofy song better than Ben Rice. We are not worthy to be in the presence of such mad rhyming skills.
9. Second week of the new Children's Annex and Highway 68. Everyone seems to have a great handle on the new areas and they are working well. Kudos to everyone involved!

Today. Tomorrow. Every day. IF you are free. Free to choose. Free to invent, to create, to dream, to live. Thank God. And thank a veteran. Veteran's Day is Wednesday, November 11th. Thank you veteran's for your service to our country!

Tonight as I prepare for ROADIES 101, I am in awe of what God is doing in our community. Completely blown away and totally humbled. So grateful for all who are pouring their lives into the kingdom of God by serving at Crossroads. Amazed. God is so good. We have seen 80% growth in less than six months. Let's celebrate and give Him glory!!

Can't wait to see what happens next...

Glad To Be Here

Wow. Brutal week. Lots of meetings. Lots of details. Lots of hustling. And a good deal of pressure in the tent-making department. But MUCH forward progress for the Kingdom of God in Enterprise, Alabama!! You know, sometimes you're flying high, and sometime you're grinding it out a step at a time. But in everything rejoice and give thanks to God!

Really looking forward to this weekend! Can't wait to hear Pastor Ben's message on Sunday, and welcome new members to the fold through ROADIES 101 on Sunday afternoon. So many good reports about small groups. So many relationships growing. So many new people coming. So grateful to be a part of Crossroads!!

I cut back a bit on the televised sporting events this week. The World Series is over, so I'll have to wait 'til next October to really enjoy baseball again. Got to watch Ethan Mendenhall's Steelers the other night. Even though they got beat (must've been the officiating) I had a blast. It was WAY better than TV. Taking Saturday off. Maybe a brisk ride in the morning, and ROLL TIDE in the afternoon!

Have a GREAT weekend. See you Sunday!

Many Hands Make Light Work

Many thanks to the many hands (okay...two) that Travis Hammons used to transform our dark scary Morgan Square Annex hallways, and mostly useless back closet, into bastions of glorious, welcoming brightness with the installation of light fixtures and switches. Complimenting the bomb-proof storage shelves that Mack McMichael constructed, the Hammons-installed fluorescence now make it possible to see things we have never seen before, like all the stuff that now needs to be painted. Thanks Travis and Mack! Way to go!

POKER FACES

The guy who invented poker was bright, but the guy who invented the chip was a genius.

~Author Unknown




If, after the first twenty minutes, you don't know who the sucker at the table is, it's you.

~David Levien and Brian Koppelman, Rounders




Last night I stayed up late playing poker with Tarot cards. I got a full house and four people died.

~Seven Wright




[Poker] exemplifies the worst aspects of capitalism that have made our country so great.

~Walter Matthau




There are few things that are so unpardonably neglected in our country as poker. The upper class knows very little about it. Now and then you find ambassadors who have sort of a general knowledge of the game, but the ignorance of the people is fearful. Why, I have known clergymen, good men, kind-hearted, liberal, sincere, and all that, who did not know the meaning of a "flush." It is enough to make one ashamed of the species.

~Mark Twain




The commonest mistake in history is underestimating your opponent; it happens at the poker table all the time.

~David Shoup




I must complain the cards are ill shuffled till I have a good hand.

~Jonathan Swift




"How long does it take to learn poker, Dad?"


"All your life, son."


~Michael Pertwee

WEEKEND UPDATE

Great weekend at Crossroads as we turn the corner headed for the holiday season. We saw out third-largest crowd Sunday morning with 279 people in attendance! Here's a few quick take-away's from the service:

1. MANY rededicated their lives to Christ on Sunday and several made the decision to go public with their faith through baptism!!
2. The new Children's Annex was a smash hit!! Wish we had done it months ago. Thanks to everyone who worked to make the new annex a success!
3. Highway 68, Crossroads middle school ministry, kicked off Sunday in Cinema 3 with twenty-two middle schoolers!! Great job by Pastor H and all those who serve in middle school ministry!
4. Absolutely AWESOME time of worship with Nic, Janna and the band yesterday!! Nic really connected with everyone in the building, the band sounded great, the new song was killer! Loved Nic's comment about the reason no one could clap in time with him, "Too many white people in here"! GREAT job by our worship band!!
5. Leo Taarea is a movie star! Thanks for the great vid Leo! Thank you for being so honest about how you felt about tithing before you came to Crossroads.
6. OH MY GOODNESS...I went reeeeeeeally long yesterday. Really long. So sorry. I hope no one got too antsy. I really believe that if a person can't say what they have to say in 36-42 minutes...they need to work harder and say LESS! My bad. I went 57 minutes. I apologize to all in children's ministry who had to tap dance while they waited for me to run out of wind! (BTW, don't tell my coach Hal Mayer how long I went, he'll make me run laps!)
7. Thank you Dave and Mickey for allowing me to cheat you at cards!! Great segment! Tons of laughs and lots of fun for everybody!! The most confusing card game EVER. That's the way many of us were taught to give. Disparate rules, mixed in with some sleight-of-hand, some myth, some conjecture, and VOILA! No wonder so many people don't connect with what Jesus said about being "rich toward God".
8. Even though I went long...I heard from many that they never heard much of what we shared in church before, "We give, because Jesus gave".

I could go on here, but I don't want this blog post to be as long as yesterday's message. Have a GREAT week!

"But we've ALWAYS done it this way!"

I am beyond excited about ALL-IN, our new series that starts this Sunday. It's only going to be three weeks, but it will lead right into another three-week series called PAY IT FORWARD. Put simply, ALL-IN is about GIVING, regardless of the hand you've been dealt. PAY IT FORWARD is about SERVING, regardless of who the recipient of your service is.

I have been on this journey of following Christ (and often running down rabbit trails claiming to be following Him) for 20 years. Maybe because I came to faith late in life (at 29), with a great hunger for life-change, I wasted no time, listening intently to what people told me and taught me, read my Bible, and did what I thought I was supposed to do. That can come at some cost, if the listening you are doing outpaces the growth of your understanding.

In other words, if you form OPINIONS about what is TRUE before you have read and studied for yourself and grown in understanding of what is ACTUAL Biblical truth, it is possible for you to spend many years BELIEVING something to be TRUE...that actually has little or no Scriptural foundation. In fact, if we are being honest, much of what you and I believe as followers of Christ (through little fault of our own) is rooted in religious, or church tradition. Not saying all tradition is bad, because it ISN'T, I'm just saying we need to recognize the difference between TRUTH an TRADITION.

Along those lines, I am going to pose a VERY PROVOCATIVE QUESTION Sunday morning, and proffer a principle that may challenge everything you believe about GIVING, and will challenge much of what you and I have been taught about TITHING. To what end? What purpose can possibly be gained from such an examination?? Only this: to GROW in the knowledge of what God truly wants FOR us, and what God truly wants FROM us. It's time for us to push all our chips to the center of the table and boldly declare, "I'm, ALL-IN!"

See you Sunday, it's gonna be one for the books! (And don't forget to set your clocks back, yo!)

"Call me when you have no class!"

Quick informational Blog post to let everyone know about two classes coming up in November. The first is Crossroads membership class called ROADIES 101. Two hours of rollicking good fun (and a bit of important info and inspiration) to take place on Sunday November 8th from 4:30Pm to 6:30PM @ the Annex.

The second class being offered this month (and every month after this) is a class for people new to the faith, or those returning to their faith in Christ. The class is called NEXT STEPS. It is also a two hour class that will be held Sunday November 15th from 4:30PM to 6:30PM.

If you have not taken ROADIES 101, here's your opportunity. If you want to learn more about the basics of what it means to be a follower of Christ, NEXT STEPS is for you. Learning is for LIFE at Crossroads!

To recap:

ROADIES 101 Sunday Nov. 8th 4:30-6:30PM @the Annex

NEXT STEPS Sunday Nov. 15th 4:30-6:30PM @ the Annex

Crossroads Children's Annex

In case you missed Pastor Matt and Hollie's awesome video announcement on Sunday...

This coming Sunday, November 1st, Crossroads new Children's Annex will open in the dance studio right next door to the College Cinema where our Sunday morning services take place. Pastor Matt & Hollie, Jessie Brooks and all of our faithful volunteers are working hard to create a safe and fun environment for your children nursery through kindergarten-age.

As you know, the Peek-A-Boo Nursery and Big Wheels Pre-School met in Cinema 3 since we launched last year. Everyone did a great job working to create a great environment there for our children, but doing nursery/pre-school in a movie theatre presents some challenges that simply can't be overcome. Flat, level floor space has always been the biggest of those challenges.

This Sunday, follow the signs to our new Children's Annex where your nursery through kindergarten-aged child will find a warm, inviting, safe environment with 4000 square feet of flat, level floor-space to love, laugh, learn and play!! Our staff is ready to accommodate the needs of all of our Crossroads kids! As always, there are many volunteer opportunities still available in every area of ministry at Crossroads. If you are interested in serving in our Children's Annex one Sunday a month, see Pastor Matt or Hollie on Sunday, they'll be happy to hook you up!

Thanks to all the parents of our nursery through kindergarten-aged children who entrusted the care of your kids to our great staff, and braved the idea of children's church in a movie theatre. You have patiently waited for us to expand, and we are ready to serve your family at a "whole 'nutha level"!! Thank you. See you Sunday at the new Children's Annex!!!

ROADIE APPRECIATION

Just a quick Blog post separate and apart from the WEEKEND UPDATE, because it deserves special attention of its own. This weekend, you guys blessed me and Leslie and the kids with a financial gift that was way above and beyond. I cannot express to you how humbling that is and how grateful we are.

See, the way we have it figured, WE'RE the ones who are blessed, we're the lucky ones, we're the fortunate ones...not you guys! We should be giving you cards, and pouring out blessings on YOU!

In the 10th Chapter of Mark, there's this great conversation that takes place between Jesus and Peter, on the heels of an amazing exchange between Jesus and a certain rich young ruler. Peter (and I imagine him looking wide-eyed with some trepidation, and a bit of a, "Um...feeling a little sorry for myself here" attitude), says to Jesus, "We have left EVERYTHING to follow you"!

Jesus says to Peter, "I tell you the truth, no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age". You know, I used to think that scripture was all about money. But it's so much MORE than that! Today, I realize that whatever Leslie and I and our kids have sacrificed for the sake of the gospel, is CONTINUALLY poured back into our lives by God. And the biggest way He does that is by letting us do life with YOU.

Today, our family is privileged to be a part of HUNDREDS of families that we have received at Crossroads! Brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, children. We have MORE than we ever imagined!

Thank you for all you do for us. We appreciate YOU!!! I pray that the Holy Spirit would always help us as we endeavor to walk worthy of our calling as your pastors.

Gene & Leslie

WEEKEND UPDATE 102509

Hey guys, fantastic day at Crossroads yesterday as we wrapped up our series The Living Dead. Here's a few quick hits from the weekend starting with Saturday:

1. Saturday was the bomb. Period. A bunch of Roadie Regulars and some new friends hopped on our bikes and did a quick 330-mile ride down to the Auto Museum in Tallahassee and back. Great to ride with Leslie, Dave, Ulli, John, Larry, Jackie, and Steve. Go fast. Make noise.
2. Sunday morning was simply incredible. Great crowd! TONS of first-time attenders. Several people recommitted their lives to Christ, and several made decisions to be baptized!
3. The lobby was just amazing. I think about 5 minutes before the service started, 260 people walked in and went for coffee and muffins at the same time. It was a circus-like atmosphere (all fun - no scary clowns), and it's something i have come to LOVE about Crossroads! We have a late crowd. It's just how we roll.
4. Worship was wonderful on Sunday!! The high point had to be hearing a couple of hundred folks singing "All Over" while the band played quietly. It was an awesome moment of God-connectedness! Reverent and totally right.
5. I have to say that The Living Dead is probably one of my favorite series' since we launched. So much fun! So many laughs, but all with an on-purpose, on-point message. Thanks to all who worked on the creative end to bring this series home!
6. Love how comfortable the congregation was yesterday. It was EASY to share the message. Everyone was so responsive. Great live-action feedback and participation.
7. I got silly several times yesterday as we drew out some illustrations for how to create MARGIN in our lives. (Think chocolate and pizza...) But fortunately, the message was strong enough to hold up under the weight of my silliness and goofing around. Understanding that we expend so much effort and energy fighting (and losing to) sin, rather than taking on temptation is HUGE! Setting personal boundaries way back from the edge of sin is SUPER-HUGE! I got as much out of that as anyone in the building, and I spent the evening thinking about boundaries I can push back.
8. A sizable group of first-time attenders came en masse from a place they have recently been. I want each of you to know how very welcome you are at Crossroads. It's a privilege and an honor to have you in the house. Should God direct you to stay and put down roots at Crossroads, it will be our privilege and our honor to serve with you and worship God together! We want ONLY God's best for YOU!!

Crossroads is continuing to grow at a very fast pace. In order to accommodate that growth, don't forget that THIS COMING SUNDAY we are launching the new Crossroads Children's Annex in the dance studio next door, and Highway 68, Crossroads Middle School Ministry is moving into Cinema 3. Pray for those in leadership, and pray for the resources required for a successful launch!

As you dig into your week, ask God to show you areas of your life where you can (or need to) reset, relocate, push back boundaries in your life to create MARGIN in your life. Don't spend this week butting up against the sin that seems to whoop you on a continual basis. Instead, create margin, by pushing back your boundaries so far from the edge of sin, that overstepping them wouldn't cause you to sin. Fight temptation long before it has a change to turn into sin in your life!

Share your faith with someone today and invite big! Have a GREAT week!!!