pause

In our culture, we tend to look at the beginning of the year as a time to go charging off to accomplish all the things we said we’d do last year and didn’t, or to begin a host of new habits that we resolved to start, or to stop the old ones we promised ourselves we quit. The temptation is to hit the ground running. 

But what if we just took a minute and paused…

I don’t know how it works for you, but I know that when I come home from work after a long day, and I walk through the door and the kids are bouncing off the walls and the dogs are barking, and the television is blaring, and the kitchen is bustling with activity, I just want to take a minute and decompress. Something about quiet at the end of a period, or a season, of high anxiety and stress, helps us to reorder our lives. The holiday season can get us so wrapped around the axle with urgent concerns – money, family, crowds, noise, decorations, cooking, cleaning – that our stress can go right through the roof. It’s hard to hear yourself think, let alone hear from God, when there’s so much going on.

If we’ll  slow down… just for a moment… and listen… we might hear our Heavenly Father say, “You are concerned about many urgent things. But in all your activity, be careful not to overlook the truly important things”.  

Maybe it’s time to hit pause, and just get quiet for a minute. Pause. Two weeks, starting January 2nd.

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2010!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a great day in Christ!  Just a quick note to stop and celebrate what happened last night. Around 100 folks braved the chilly weather for an awesome Christmas Eve Communion service at Johnny Henderson Family Park last night.  Mulled cider, Christmas carols, and communion with the Crossroads family...what an honor it is to serve God with you all!

Enjoy time with friends and family this weekend as we take a break from our regular Sunday services.  Can't wait to see you all again on Sunday January 2nd at the College Cinema.

Peace.

WEEKEND UPDATE (Christmas Extravaganza 2010)

What a hoot Sunday was!  Crossroads was aboslutely JAMMED with people for our 3rd Annual Crossroads Christmas Extravaganza!  Tons of visitors, family and friends!  The Extravaganza is one of my favorite services of the year.  It's a decidedly low-budget affair where maximum importance on the truth of the Gospel, and maximum opportunity for hijinx and tom-foolery meet.  Here's a few of the things I noticed yesterday:

• Lobby was ROCKIN'!
• Nic, Janna and the band did a great job with the opening song and Christmas Carols.
• I totally botched the announcements, completely forgetting to mention what Communication Cards were, or what people were supposed to do with them.
• James Jones did a fantastic job with a straight up, old school, Gospel reading from Luke 2!
• Janna ripped O Holy Night!  Such a great voice.  Thank you God that you brought her to Crossroads!
• So great to welcome our listeners deployed in Afghanistan.  The crowd noise cheering for you was AWESOME!  Can't wait for you to hear it on the podcast!
• Loved sharing the message about Good News, that brings Great Joy to ALL people!
• I know many would disagree, but I aboslutely loathe singing Christmas trees.  So it's no wonder that T-Wag's Low-Budget Singing Christmas Tree was the funniest thing I've ever seen!  Way to go, Todd!  That's the stuff legends are made of!
• Elves were GREAT!!  Caleb, Sam, Caitlin, Ashley, John, Justin and Natalie cracked me up and had the crowd rolling!  Award for most disturbing elf has to go to Caleb.  Nice tights, bro!
• Will Lurie's Dancing Santa was ridiculously fantastic!  Just the right blend of holiday tradition and hip-hop hilarity...and just a bit naughty.  Will's an amazing talent...in a fat suit or out of one.
• Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make Sunday's service so special for so many people!  From those on stage, to those who set the stage, to our crack tech crew, to everyone who served in the lobby, the auditorium, the office, and the children's ministry, you offered your time, talent and treasure and God used it to draw people to Christ!

I absolutely LOVE being part of a church that takes the truth and importance of the Gospel message so seriously, while never takes ourselves too seriously.  The GOOD NEWS is that Jesus came and lived and died and rose again so that you and I don't have to go to hell.  That's the greatest gift ever given!

While you're hustling to make your final Christmas preparations this week, slow down long enough to think about this:  The most important thing is not finding the right present to give someone, or getting everything we want for Christmas.  Christmas has nothing to do with stuff.  Stuff isn't important.  The important thing is that our Heavenly Father sent His Son Jesus Christ to save us, and to bring us into a right relationship with God.  If you don't have anything else, but you have that, then you have everything!  

Merry Christmas!

WHAT SANTA LOOKS LIKE!

Yesterday I had the privilege of standing before the members of A Co 1/145th AVN REGT to thank them for doing something truly awesome.  These proud and capable young men and women collected enough food from our published list to put together 54 more Emergency Food Boxes!  Their timing could not have been better.  Our supplies of Emergency Food Boxes go up and down with supply and demand.  The last time we got low, the Crossroads family responded in remarkable fashion and in no time we had an abundance of resources.  But as we turned the corner into the holiday season, things were getting slim.

Enter A Co 1/145th AVN REGT (called "The Anvils", because they forge the future of Army Aviation): as part of their class project to dig in and serve the community, last night they brought pickup truck loads of emergency food supplies right off our list to the Annex!  Crossroads - and those served by this important food ministry - received the benefit of their generosity, and we couldn't be more grateful!  Thank you again!!  My prayer is that in 2011 we continue grow in our deep connection to the military community at Fort Rucker, serving those attending flight school and those who support the mission, and working together to serve others!  

FYI: Last night....Santa wore BDU's! 

 

    

A VERY COOL CHRISTMAS PRESENT

I wanted to give something space on the blog in hopes that more people would see it.  Last week I shared a POST about Love In Action Ministries, what a great gift from God they are to the Body of Christ, and what a great gift investing in LIA is for you to give to someone else.

Sunday night, I got this wonderful anonymous comment on that post.  What a blessing it is to see stuff like this happen.  Thank you, God!  Take a look:

"For my 64th birthday, I realized that I didn't need or want anything I had to feed, dust, wash, or put up. So I asked my adult children to please send a contribution to LIA in my honor. They did so. They feel good about it; I am thrilled that my kids understand my love for Love in Action Ministries; and we are doing God's bidding. What a blessing to be a part of this ministry!"

Let me just say, "Happy Birthday, anonymous"!  You've given us ALL a present!  What an inspiration!

WEEKEND UPDATE (121210)

Greetings Crossroads family!  Leslie and I spent a wonderful weekend with Hal and Sandy Mayer (you remember Hal from last weekend), and their staff and volunteers at Church at the Bay in Tampa (CATB).  They did something called a 'Barnabas Weekend' for us and three other church planters.  Why 'Barnabas'?  Barnabas was a leader in the early Christian church.  You can read about him in the Book of Acts.  His Jewish name was Joseph, but he was such an inspiration, the Apostles gave him the nickname 'Barnabas' which literally means 'Son of Encouragement'.

I want to thank Hal and Sandy, our host family Neal and Cathie McCullohs, the entire CATB staff and volunteers for really investing their time, opening their homes and their hearts, and pouring out generosity and encouragement on Leslie and I as well as Chip and Brittni Stallings, Steve and Amy Pridmore, and Barry and Linda Townsend. CATB is totally commited to training, encouraging and supporting church planting.  They understand that more people come to faith in God through Jesus Christ at new churches than anywhere else.  They get that church plants are the front lines in the battle to win the world to Christ!  Thank you CATB for all you do to equip churches to fight the good fight of faith!!  If you like, you can see a bit of the service HERE.

One of the greatest things about this weekend was the fact that none of it would have happened if it were not for YOU.  It's such a privilege to serve God with the faithful people of Crossroads!  Leslie and I think about you and pray for you continually!  We are so proud of you, and we thank God for you every day! 

• Thank you Pastor Ben Rice for studying and preparing and sharing a wonderful message at Crossroads this weekend!
• Thank you to all of the faithful people of Crossroads who serve, most of the time without any recognition, in the nursery and toddlers area, in the kindergarten area, in elementary ministry, in mentoring middle school kids, in youth ministry, in the lobby, in setting up and tearing down each week, in leading us in music and singing, in running the technology that supports our services, in meeting and greeting and serving and loving, in small group leadership, in showing up and growing up, YOU ARE THE CHURCH and the CHURCH IS BEAUTIFUL!
• Thank you to Crossroads hard-working, dedicated staff.  You have been entrusted with keeping and spreading the flame of God's passion and vision for Crossroads and you do a wonderful job!

I am grateful for all the kindness shown to us this weekend, but I am so aware that the biggest encourgement we get in the ministry is to stand alongside each other and serve!  I can't wait to see you all again on Sunday December 19th!  It's going to be a very special service so it's a GREAT time to invite friends and family.  We'll have some songs, some laughs, and we'll share about the GREATEST GIFT EVER!

Have a GREAT week!

   

A GREAT GIFT TO GIVE!

With the cold weather we've had lately (and snow yesterday...for 10 minutes or so), I am reminded of the brutally cold weather we had last year.  If you were around then, you might remember that we quickly set up a shelter for the homeless at the Annex.  We put out a call for blankets and food, and the Crossroads community responded like a well-trained army.  We got cots from the Red Cross, and had everything we needed to make a cozy shelter from the cold weather for those in need.  Everything except permission from the City of Enterprise.  And they shut us down after one night.

I vowed back then (as I wrote HERE) that we would have "the most effective mechanism for meeting the needs of the under-resourced that the City has ever seen".  Monday night we took another step closer to that goal as I took as seat on the board of Love In Action Ministries. Love In Action is the single most effective homeless ministry in the Wiregrass.  Part of the reason that I have been asked to participate is because Love In Action will be opening a branch in Enterprise.

Here's the great thing about Love In Action: it is not a church, it is a parachurch organization.  Parachurch organiztions work outside of and across denominations to engage in social welfare and evangelism.  Too often, churches have a difficult time supporting one another in our singular efforts for outreach.  One of the reasons for this difficulty (and it's such a shallow reason - but real nonetheless) is the problem of ownership...territory.  In other words, "If we get involved in what your doing than we're supporting your church with our money and our time and our people and our logo isn't on it so it's taking something away from our church".  Sounds stupid, but it happens all the time.

Love In Action knows how to help the homeless and those who are ravaged by poverty.  Love In Action opening a branch in Enterprise, and Crossroads hooking up with Love In Action means:

1. We don't have to re-invent the outreach wheel.
2. We can help an existing organization, already good at what they do, go farther faster.
3. We have access to service opportunities for our congregation that didn't exist before.
4. We're able to put resources to work right here where we live.
5. We get to do the things Jesus said to do.

In 2011, we're going to break through some barriers.  Aligning ourselves with Love In Action is one of the ways we'll do that.  Last year, in addition to the hundreds helped, clothed, fed, cared for LIA got 35 people off the street, into homes, and back to work.  Those are HUGE results.  No one at LIA gets paid.  No one.  Their administrative costs for an entire year didn't exceed $1500.  Guys, that's amazing.  These folks are the real deal.  They are motivated by the call of God on their lives.  They all work full-time at other jobs, and volunteer their time (from the top of the org chart to the bottom) selflessly.

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,

and he will reward them for what they have done.

(Proverbs 19:17)

This Christmas (hey, you're gonna buy something on-line anyway), consider "making a loan to God" by lending support to Love In Action Ministries.  You can do it right HERE.  Now there's a gift worth giving!  Here's another suggestion: tell someone who's planning on buying you a gift this Christmas, "Make a donation to LIA fo me!", it just might be the best gift anyone ever gave you.

   

WEEKEND UPDATE (w/Hal Mayer)

What an awesome weekend at Crossroads!  Many, many BIG wins for everyone (except South Carolina).  Here's just a few of the things that cranked my tractor:

• Mentor, church planting coach and personal friend Hal Mayer and his awesome (and very patient) wife Sandy flew in Friday night.  So GREAT to see them again!
• Saturday from 10:30AM to 1:00PM, Hal spoke about leadership and motivating volunteers at a staff and leaders luncheon.  He began with, "What's the last time you went skinny dipping..."  Things went uphill from there (and I learned much more about our staff and leaders than I knew before...and I'm not sayin' nuthin'!).
• Hal's teaching was direct, on target, insightful, and effective.
• Hal hammered me at every opportunity...all in fun!
• Sunday morning MIND-BLOWING fantastic job by Will, Rachel, Chris and our entire lobby team as they launched PHASE ONE of a complete lobby redesign.  It looked GREAT!  So proud of you guys!!
• New Crossroads T's and Hoodies!  Very cool.  Buy some.  100% of all profits go directly into the building fund!
• Got to meet many new people Sunday morning.  Lot's of first-time attenders!
• Worship was awesome Sunday!  Great job by Nic, Janna and the band.  Played a couple of my very favorites.  Sounded so good!
• Got to talk to Pastor Matt in Afghanistan LIVE on stage and pray with Matt and Hollie as they (sniff) step down from Children's Ministry to dive into new work that God has for them.  Love those guys SO MUCH.  Thank you Matt and Hollie and Ethan and Jacob for pouring your LIVES into the children of Crossroads!! 
• Got to introduce our brand new Children's Pastors NIC & JANNA MCELVEEN!  What a thrill to see God do what He does, and provide everything HIS church needs!! 
• Then I fumbled through an introduction of someone who has influenced my life and our ministry at Crossroads so much, I don't even know how to describe it.  Should have written it down.
• Hal Mayer was an absolute KICK on the stage at Crossroads Sunday.  He had us all rolling as he spoke very honestly and directly about SERVING OTHERS!
• Hal gets credit for the first use of the word "buttload" on the stage at Crossroads.
• Loved his story about buying his dad a drill to use building a deck.  When God gives us gifts, he gives them to us so we'll use them building what HE wants us to build!
• BEST of all...MANY made life changing decisions to trust Christ, and to rededicated their lives to His purpose!!!
• If you were not there on Sunday, BE SURE to listen to the PODCAST.

Crossroads, Staff, Leaders and Volunteers, you guys need to know how much Hal and Sandy bragged on you.  they were truly blessed to be here, and raved about how faithful you are, how comitted you are, and what a COOL THING God is orchestrating in Enterprise.  Hal saw something this weekend that I have the privilege of seeing every week: How blessed we are that God has put us all together for this work.  God is doing something HUGE in our community.  It was totally evident to Hal and Sandy both.  If we will stay faithful, and continue to love God, love each other, and serve the world around us, we will ALL be blown away where God takes us together.  And don't forget, Hal has already promised to be our maintenance man!

Thank you Hal and Sandy.  Have a GREAT week Crossroads family!

"Wangs and Thangs"

Years ago I used to record at a studio owned and operated by a guy named Steve Clayton.  Now, I didn't know Steve in his wild rock and roll days, but I know he had 'em.  When I met Steve he was much like me, an old rocker that had settled into a way of life that suited his faith and sobriety.  One of the most laid back people I have ever met, Steve had a pet phrase for any and every difficulty or challenge in life.  When faced with a blown take on a recording, an equipment malfunction, or the crippling medical condition that ultimately took his life a couple of years ago, I can't count the number of times I heard Steve say in his southern-fried drawl, "Ain't no thang but a chicken wang!"  

Way before the Outkast song of the same name, Steve lived that expression.  He was a treasure.  Steve gave so much to so many people.  He had a remarkable impact on my life, and the lives of many of the young people (including my own kids) who spent time in the studio with him, and nothing I could write here would begin to do justice in describing what a warm, caring, giving Christ-follower he was.  But perhaps the thing I remember most about him was that attitude that said, "Stuff may come my way, stuff I don't like, stuff I don't even understand, but at the end of the day, it's all in God's hands and God loves me."

That's the kind of attitude that Paul is talking about in 1 Corinthians 15, where he writes, "But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm.  Let nothing move you.  Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain".

Steve never let anything move him.  After all, if you're trusting God...everything else is just "wangs".