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.