weekend report

Amidst frigid temperatures we gathered as the Church.

It was a beautiful weekend of communion, fellowship, worship and learning more about God's creation of His church and His intention for how we should do life together.

I always think of those I only see once a month or maybe every-other weekend at Crossroads and feel sad that they may never know how God's personal design of the church really works.

God's church is the place where the gifts and talents that the Father gave every single one of us were given to be used.  It's the place where lifting our voices together in worship is the closest thing we'll experience here on earth - just a glimpse, just a taste of what eternally worshipping God face to face will be.  It's the place where every problem you've ever faced can be used to encourage others, showing them that God is in charge, that problems and trials are the very thing that draw us closer to Jesus - trials in our lives are the place we're no longer in charge but really fall deeply into faith in Christ.  It's the place where even those without family can do life in community, discovering in groups and classes who their family in the Lord is.  Those who know Jesus, do not have to do life alone - we are eternal family, we are The Church!

It was a beautiful weekend and I was thankful to be part of it!

Our Setlist:
Announcements

The Lion and The Lamb
King of My Heart

Communion - Pastor Wendell lead us in preparing for Communion

Come To The Table
Christ is Enough

Message:  Is It Yours?  Yours, Mine, Ours - Lead Pastor Dr. Dave Vance

Exit song: Praise Goes On

Please join us next weekend as we enjoy part 2 of our Is It Yours? Series!  If you missed this week's service go to the link below to watch.

Have a blessed weekend!

crossroadwired.com

weekend report

I was so thankful for this past week and weekend!  We had a blast together as a staff, away for a couple of days talking strategically as well as worshipping and goofing around!

And then we got to be part of the weekend as we worshipped together and soaked up the next teaching in the Doubting Doubts series.  It's so good - I was re-listening to the past 3 messages today while I tried to get caught up at home.  I was thankful our messages can be accessed at any time through our website or APP and on the Christian radio.

Here are a couple of the shots I took of our ministry this weekend!

Our communion team is such a blessing!

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Nothing is better than working with the
man you've loved for the past 40+ years!

We ended the weekend with our security drills - our security team
is the best!!

Our setlist:

Pre-service:   Nothing Can Separate us/You're Here
Video Announcements:
Praise:  Call Upon the Lord
Say The Word
Man of Sorrows
Communion: Man of Sorrows Instrumental
No Longer Slaves
Doubting Doubts Bumper video
Message:  Can There Really Only be One True Religion?  And is Jesus God?
Exit Song:  No Longer Slaves

To watch our services on-line go to crossroadswired.com

To see what other ministries used in their worship services go to theworshipcommunity.com

Have a blessed week!

weekend report

The weekend at Crossroads was really amazing!  It was full of worship, great teaching, 23 baptisms and communion as the body of Christ...so beautiful!

Here are just a few shots of the weekend!

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This was the Saturday night group waiting to be baptized praying with
the praise team.

Pastor Jesse is preparing the students that were baptized today!

Dan got up from the piano and into the water to baptize his granddaughter!

Our students were busy selling candles to help pay for their missions trips. 

And finally - I worshipped the Lord as I headed home a the
end of a glorious day!

Our Setlist:

Announcements on video

Scripture Reading - Pastor Dave

The Whole Earth
Baptism began during worship
Here In Your Presence
Forever Reign
Hallelujah - Communion during worship
Message:  Nehemiah Pt. 5; Fighting Opposition - Pastor Dave Vance
Exit Song:  Hallelujah

To watch our services on line go to crossroadswired.com

To see what other ministries used in their services go to theworshipcommunity.com

weekend report

When a service contains an anointed teaching, the Lord's Supper and amazing worship - well, it's just a little taste of heaven.

This service came at the conclusion of a long week of multiple, unbelievably good events and opportunities to serve.  It was the perfect conclusion.

We anticipate the same this weekend as we baptize many Christ followers ready to publicly proclaim their choice to follow Him and their desire for their life to publicly show it!  A message I got today was from a friend telling me his entire family is going to be baptized, that made me rejoice all day long!

Here are just a few of the elements of our services this weekend shown in pictures.

our beautiful communion table (thanks Jackie)

Those Tech guys running things!

a breathtaking moment...

Always willing to listen!

Our summer crowds!

 Our Setlist:

Opening Video announcements & Prayer

By The River - special music

Stand Alone Message:  Baptism - Lead Pastor Dave Vance

Down To The River To Pray - special music
Lead Me To The Cross
Jesus Paid It All

Communion transition

Amazing Grace
This is Amazing Grace

Closing Remarks and challenge to sign up for Baptism

To watch our services go to crossroadswired.com

To see what other ministries used in their worship services go to theworshipcommunity.com

The Last 24

Pastor Dave begins 'The Last 24' series this weekend at Crossroads - you shouldn't miss it!  Who cares about a couple of inches of snow!

Not only will it be an amazing message about Jesus gathered around a table with the disciples for their Last Supper - we will be sharing in communion.  Communion at Crossroads is ALWAYS an amazing time of reflection and surrendering to the Lord.  It's impossible to leave unchanged.

Pastor Dave talked a little with us today about his teaching while we worked on the details of the service, and I was captivated by the brief glimpse he gave us- I wanted to hear more!

Please come with hearts prepared to worship and receive the teaching the Lord is preparing for us to hear.  A teaching God can use to change your life!

weekend report

This weekend, well, it took my breath away...

Precious friends serving on our praise teams, tech teams, children's ministries, student ministries, missions team, parkers, greeters, coffee house volunteers, offering counters, communion team, iCenter, resource center, hostess to our praise team - I could just go on and on and on but I'll show you just a glimpse of our ministry instead!

Pastor Brian - a gift straight from God!

Some of our students (and leader-Jocelyn) selling candles for summer mission's trip

Two of my praise-team girlfriends in the greenroom before the service.

Faithful Dan - in his 18th year of leading

We 'borrowed' Mia from the Student Ministry band

Mia stepped in last-minute when we had no drummer - she did an AMAZING job!

A fall communion!  Love our communion volunteers!!

Praising Him!

Eric - High School Pastor - preparing to lead worship with his sister

Jocelyn rehearsing "It is Well" - beautiful - preparing to lead the students

Jesse - Middle School Pastor with his father - Mike and faithful side-kick preparing technically for the students!

Leah - popping corn for the Pre-Teens - it filled the ministry with a buttery amazing smell!

The greeters getting the low-down on when the doors open & close and all the details!

Kristin - our children's coordinator making even the nursery EXCELLENT!

some of the earliest to arrive each weekend - I call them 'the coffee club'

Our amazing worship team

Our Setlist:

Announcements:  Kick off of our 10th year of Adopt A Child!

Build Your Kingdom Here
All My Fountains
We Believe

Message:  Choices Pt. 3 - Choose Unity - Pastor Brian Boone

Communion:   Broken Vessels (Amazing Grace)

To watch our services go to crossroadswired.com

To see what other ministries used in their services go to theworshipcommunity.com

weekend report

Excellence and simplicity are the words that come to mind in regard to our services this weekend.

Simplicity compared to the Christmas services.  Oh how it was good to be back on a regular schedule and involved in producing this weekend's services at Crossroads!

And excellence describes the quality that our staff and volunteers working together accomplished within the details of the services.

We celebrated communion and worshipped the Lord as one body.  It was awesome!

Pastor Tim began the JOHN series that we've all looked forward to and it was SO GOOD to be in the House of the Lord!

Our Setlist:

Announcements (we produce our announcements on video each week)  This week I invited Hannah Barnhill to be our 'announcement girl' for the first time.  She was excellent!

Financial Year-end report
Our Chairman of the Elder Board, Mike Sloan and our Mansfield Site Pastor, Wendell Anderson gave us a financial update and it was a blessing to hear about God's people's faithfulness this past year at Crossroads.  So good.

songs:
Alive In You
Rescue
seated crowd and gave communion instructions for congregations to take communion during Oceans song -
Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)
One Thing Remains
Message:  JOHN Pt. 1   -  John the Man   - Pastor Tim Armstrong
One Thing Remains

To watch our services go to www.crossroadswired.com

To see what other ministries used in their services go to www.theworshpcommunity.com

weekend report

Any time we get to share communion as a congregation it's a special weekend and this was one of those weekend!

Our setlist:

Better Is One Day- Redman
Be Lifted High - Gateway
(during communion) Beautiful (piano solo)/More Than Amazing
I Stand Amazed/How Great is Our God - Tomlin
Message:  Obedience of Devotion- Sr. Pastor Tim Armstrong

As We Pray - Gateway

To watch our services on Monday - go to www.crossroadswired.com

To see what other ministries used in their services go to www.theworshipcommunity.com

weekend report

Awesome weekend!  Our congregation shared the Lord's supper this weekend.  It takes many people helping to prepare communion for over 2,000 people, but our teams are so great they make it look easy!

One small problem was that we made the communion table too big - none of us can reach the center and so I had the privilege of crawling around to light the candles.  We all do whatever is necessary!  

Our setlist:

Opening Special:  Remembrance - Redman

Announcements:

Worship:  Lead Me To The Cross - Hillsong

Worship: More Than Amazing - Brewster

Praise:  My Savior Lives - New Life

Message:  I Corinthians:  The Lord's Supper - Pastor Tim Armstrong

Worship during the communion elements:  Amazing Grace My Chains Are Gone - Tomlin

Worship:  I Stand Amazed - Keyes

To watch our services live each weekend or to watch the video of past services go to www.crossroadswired.com.

To see what elements other ministries used in their services go to www.theworshipcommunity.com

a great saturday

Today was a calm, slow paced day, just a great Saturday!  And it just kept getting better...

Tonight we partook in the Lord's supper as a congregation.  One giant table in the center - Christ followers making their way across the auditorium to take communion...just very moving!

Prior to the congregation arriving there were things to be done and our fabulous volunteer teams stepped up and helped create this night.  One not so attractive moment was when I was elected to crawl across the table in order to light a couple hard to reach candles!  That being finished it was time as a team to share the elements before the service began.

Deering Dyer, our Small Groups/House Church Director lead us.  I found it quite moving.  There is just a special connection between brothers and sisters in Christ when we share these precious elements and think about what they stand for.  Very moving...

As I said - it was a great Saturday, one I will not soon forget.  I cannot wait until morning!

communion

Tonight was a night of communion.

Earlier tonight, Deering Dyer lead us in a great First Wednesday service at Crossroads ending with communion and the congregation coming forward for prayer with our Elders and Staff.

Next we came home to a dark house - living room lined with candles and nearly 20 college students worshiping and sharing communion. I cannot think of anything I would rather have our home used for. This picture shows how the college students used a cutting board and pan to serve the communion cups. The bread was served in another tray.


Communion is such a meaningful - connecting experience. Jesus served communion to those He considered his best friends, his followers, his beloved.

We did this tonight in remembrance of Him because we are His beloved...so amazing!

weekend report

We usually celebrate communion the first Wednesday of each month, but, this weekend we had communion with the entire congregation - so amazing!

Our Setlist:

Pre-Worship: Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
Pre-Worship: When It's All Said and Done
Video Welcome
Worship: Offering
Praise: For Who You Are - Hillsong
Worship: Lead Me To the Cross
Communion: Pastor Tim Armstrong
Special Music: Grace Flows Down
Worship during communion elements: Facedown
Congregation prays with Elders
Dismissal

To watch our services go to www.crossroadswired.com

To see what other ministries used in their services go to www.theworshipcommunity.com

a communion day

Today we prepare for communion, both with our programming team to prepare all the details of tonight's service, as well as personally.

As the staff broke into study groups our text was I John 1:9. How appropriate.

Asking God to continuously reveal sins in our lives takes intentional focus. Confession is of course not a one time deal - but CONTINUOUS.

One line from the "Lessons on Assurance" booklet we were using was something I still haven't quit thinking about. "...honest confession must include the willingness to forsake the sin." I found this very troubling to be honest.

I thought back on how many times I have confessed similar sins and then fall right back into them. Does that mean I didn't completely forsake that sin? I think it does. How patient our God is as we CHOOSE to remain in our sin and bitterness...it is in fact a choice to remain there, not easy by any means, but a choice none the less.

preparing for communion

Tonight is communion at Crossroads. Time to prepare. I am referring to preparing myself, not the service.

We should not participate if we do not prepare our hearts for communion. Blameless before the Lord.

I am tempted to take this upon myself like all the other tasks that lay on my desk awaiting completion. Although we are told to practice communion in the scriptures, it is not a 'to do'. It is to be instead an act of worship, remembering the amazing sacrifice of Christ and the forgiveness His sacrifice provides.

I hope you will join us tonight for the communion celebration, please spend time preparing your heart and I pray the whole congregation will say, "it was good to be in the house of the Lord!"

remembering

We had our monthly communion service tonight.

Pastor Wendell talked about remembering in regard to communion as well as the new year. A time to begin fresh but to remember what Christ did for us...to always remember.

I need to remember His sacrifice - He loved me enough to die for me. I don't understand the depth of his love but I desperately want to understand it more and more!

I didn't get to be up at the front of the auditorium for prayer tonight - I was directing the service, but I saw some of my friends go up for prayer and heard some of them cry. What an honor to be at these services and watch people move even closer to their Lord.

Communion allows us to remember, things we need to confess and things that hurt - but then we are free to move on and to walk closely once again with our God. Amazing!

weekend report

Great weekend with communion. I had at least 4 people that told me they felt it was one of the best if not the best service they have ever attended at Crossroads! WOW!

It was very simple and very meaningful for our congregation. We usually celebrate communion on the First Wednesday of each month, but, try to have teach on communion and include it on the weekend at least once each month. It was amazing!

Our setlist:

Instrumental: Year Of The Cat - Al Stewart
Jesus Lover of My Soul - Hillsong
All Creatures Of Our God and King - Passion
Facedown - Matt Redman
Message: What is the meaning of the Lord's Supper?
Communion Elements taken: Facedown repeated
Prayer with Elders at front of auditorium: acoustic guitar
Final Song: Amazing Grace

To watch our services on Monday go to www.crossroadswired.com

To see what other ministries did around the country go to Fred McKinnon's site.

the final episode

Of course in ministry there is never an end, thank goodness. So, as we packed up Rebecca - we sat up communion and baptism for tomorrow night.

The college Small group stayed most of the day today to help us, and they ended the night by helping set up the baptismal for tomorrow. Now anytime you get young adults involved - the process gets just a little unorthodox, but, it gets done!

Bet your church never set up baptism this way?? Hope to see you at First Wednesday at 7:00 tomorrow. Good night - I'm exhausted but it's been amazing!!

snow, snow go away

Snow hit again forcing us to close down another MidWeek service! Last week we missed Communion, this week we missed the beginning of the "Hosea" series! Disappointing!

Well, as soon as we got the word everyone began to prepare to leave. We tried to catch volunteers before they left for church and put up signs on the doors and cleaned up. The clean up included distributing the donuts that our cafe would have sold...a big sacrifice, but, someone had to do it.

Pastor Tim did the distributing...Jon and Deering did their best to help 'clean up'! Deering Dyer is our Small Group guy, pictured on the right devouring a donut! This picture will make his wife proud! Speaking of Jon (pictured on the far left), we are losing him! This is his last week with us...so hard to believe.

Jon is one of the most talented, brilliant guys I have ever known and he is my friend. I love him and I thank him for everything he has done for our ministry. Many hours, many accomplishments, many inventions, many computer programs, many requests, many experiences together. Many memories I will never forget! Thanks Jon, don't get stuck in a snow drift in the morning only two days left!

Communion

Our monthly communion service is one of my favorites. A time to reflect on the Lord and all He's done for us, a time to worship Him and a time to pray for our congregation. We invite anyone after the service who wants to pray with staff and the Elders to come to the front of the auditorium. Possibly more of a blessing to those praying for their needs, then it is for the ones being prayed for. Funny how that works.

The communion service is typically more simply programmed than the weekend services, but it still takes a lot of preparation to make it a worshipful setting for our congregation. I walked through the auditorium on Monday where I found one of my faithful volunteers, Chris Love setting up our communion tables.

The next step was for our communion team headed by Roxy Rudrick (pictured) to prepare the bread and the cups of grape juice. This seems like it would be a very simple job to do, but I have tried to separate those little cups myself. It is very time consuming and I am very thankful for Roxy and her team that take care of this for me.

Eileen Kline usually decorates the communion tables but she currently is on our mission team in Thailand and Cambodia. (You can follow Eileen and the rest of the team's progress by going to www.ronbiddle.com.) My good friend Jackie Crawfis stepped in and decorated for me, it looked great!

The final step was for the team to practice the worship package. Tonight we went with just acoustic guitar and violin. It was perfect! Milo and Jessica played "the offering" while we took the communion elements, it was outstanding!

Our congregation never seems closer than during one of our communion services. It was a blessing to be at Crossroads tonight.