Merry Christmas!

Just want to take a minute and wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas!  We had a wonderful morning together at home.  Best Christmas ever! Made all the better by the knowledge that we have such an awesome family at Crossroads with which we are privileged to do LIFE and serve God.

Last night's Christmas Eve Communion Service was a wonderful time. Though so many of our congregation travels home for the holidays, well over a hundred people gathered together to worship, share God's word, and share a special time of communion.  It was awesome!  A special thank you to all who helped make it happen, from those who decorated to those who made cookies and treats, to those who helped prepare the service to those who shared on the platform.

Whether you are at home this Christmas, or traveling far from Alabama, may God bless you and your whole household - spiritually, physically, emotionally, financially...in EVERY way -  today and each day as you draw closer to Him!  Make you be filled with peace and may the joy of the Lord by evident in all that you do!     

Thank You

Just want to say a very special "thank you" to the many Crossroads attenders that totally blew me and Leslie away with your gift on Sunday. A tremendous blessing, no doubt about it.  Thank you so much for sharing with us!

But the biggest gift in the basket that Hollie handed me at the end of Sunday's Crossroads Christmas Extravaganza, were the 2 dozen cards containing notes personally written to our me and Leslie and our family.  Your encouragement and your stories of life-change are oxygen to us.  Not that we're looking for pats on the back, 'cause were not.  But when you tell me that you are GROWING in your relationship with God, when you are following Christ with more purpose than ever, when you are CHANGING as a result of being a part of this church community...it makes me that much more determined to power through the challenges of church planting. And it lets our whole family know in a real and tangible way that GOD is IN what's happening at Crossroads.  Thank you so much!

Can't wait to see what happens in 2010.

A Little Perspective

If you have an annual household income of $30,000 you are wealthier than 97% of the people on the face of the planet.  Click HERE to check out this great tool from Global Rich List and see how you stack up with the rest of the earth's population.  Just the thing to get us on the road to creating margin in our lives so we could begin to give like the rich people we actually already are.

WEEKEND UPDATE (Xroads Xmas Xtravaganza)

Well Sunday morning at Crossroads was just about the most fun ever! Great time with the Crossroads family, tons of laughs, and a the wonderful truth of God's word to send us off for the holidays!  Here's a few quick take-away's:

1. We had a BUNCH of first-time attenders.  What a thrill when people come to Crossroads for the first time!
2. So MANY regulars out traveling for the holidays, but we STILL had 248 in the service!  Wow!  
3. We miss our many flight school students and their families.  Praying for a great and safe trip home and back for all of them!
4. So great to have the young people from the Filling Station and Hwy 68 in the service.
5. Maggie and Sam and the Crossroads worship band did a GREAT job Sunday!
6. We had some technical glitches that were totally drowned out by the raucous laughter during the service.
7. Caleb Bannin blew us all away singing "I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas".  Absolutely absurd...and totally Crossroads!
8. LOVED the movie's in a minute!
9. Matt Mendenhall is a VERY secure man!  Interpretive dance rendition of 12 Days of Christmas was so FUNNY, grown men were crying for it to stop.  Ridiculously, hilariously funny!!
10. Elves is a classic bit that never fails to wipe the crowd out.  Crossroads Christmas Elves were sublime!  TONS of laughs!
11. Ending the service having everyone up on stage dancing was the highlight of the week for me!  Now THAT'S how church should be!!

All that said, it was a privilege to share a message of hope yesterday!  Though anyone who attended yesterday's service knows we don't take ourselves too seriously at Crossroads, we do take God's word seriously.  And we take seriously our responsibility to share the good news with everyone we possibly can.  It was great to share from the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke.  My big takeaway? Nothing is impossible with God!

Everybody dance now...



XROADS XMAS GOODBYE from Gene Oden on Vimeo.

Stocking Stuffers!

Yesterday was the last day to bring stockings to the Annex for the Christmas Stocking Outreach.  Stockings will be distributed to children in the neighborhood behind the College Cinema.  Thanks Hollie, Natalie, and everyone who participated!

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.