community at crossroads

You can just attend church each week, or church can be a living, giving, vital part of your life.

The friendships I've formed over the past 23 years at Crossroads were largely formed not just by attending church with the same people each weekend, they were formed by doing life with people.

By serving together, by attending special events with them, by surrounding something that needed to be accomplished with them, by helping someone that needed help, by studying and learning more about the Lord together, by living in community.

The reason we plan trips and special events at Crossroads is to provide opportunities to know one another,  to be together with brothers and sisters in the Lord!

Recently 42 of us had an amazing time away for 5 days together both with people we knew well and those we met for the first time.

This trip connected us around a common experience that we'll never forget!



Church is much more than a place to learn about our Lord, it's a place to meet some of the friends we'll spend eternity with!

These two were trouble!

The pools were beautiful and we had a Christian band playing pool-side!

One of our favorite times each day was eating together!

Competition was fierce!

I hope you'll consider joining us in the future as we continue to try to provide these times away, allowing us to grow close and build memories.  I think perhaps our greatest opportunity so far will be the trip to the Holy Land next March.

I'm preparing my heart even now to be ready to fully grasp the fact that the places we'll visit together will be the physical places Jesus walked!

This is what community looks like...so good!

alone time

Since it hasn't been as easy to just hop in my Jeep and run around the past couple days, I've been at home more than usual....a lot of alone time and have found I've enjoyed it immensely.  (Well outside the fact that our furnace is only capable of running at about 55 degrees...).

We were so busy over the holidays that it never even entered my mind to make new commitments to the Lord -  New Year's resolutions - so to speak.

That's why I'm thankful we waited to launch our "21 Days of Prayer and Fasting" until February.  You'll be hearing more about that in the coming weeks, we're working to prepare the 'guide booklet'!

I would encourage each of you to prepare now to make time in your day to really commit to being part of this!  Can you imagine the ways God could use Crossroads if we all fully turned our time and focus over to Him??

Shortly after our 21 Days come to an end, we'll also host one of the Community Nights of Prayer on March 12th. All the churches are being asked to consider hosting one of these nights.   This will be a tremendous time of prayer - coming together as the Mansfield community to lift up our leaders, broken community and ministry to the Lord!

Our area of Ohio is now known as one of the worst drug areas in the country - we can't change that alone- but God can when His people come together to make a difference through prayer and showing  the lost the only way to a meaningful life - Jesus Christ!

We know the Savior of the World personally, and it's time to start letting our community know!!

For Our City

The series Pastor Dave begins this weekend is called For Our City.  I'm not sure there has been another series he's lead that he's been more passionate about.

He is not satisfied with success between the 4 walls of Crossroads, he intends to lead us into changing our entire community for Christ!  And the Crossroads leaders believe with all of our hearts 

that is what God is about to do!

Imagine our Mansfield, once made fun of as a place where no one would want to live, vibrant and full of hope!

I'm not referring to physical restoration, but a mighty, supernatural spiritual restoration!

This spiritual restoration can begin to happen as we offer physical help, as we love and give unselfishly, opening the door to share our faith.

We can no longer stay silent with our personal relationship with Jesus unknown to those around us! Our community must see by watching how we live, how unselfishly we serve, that this relationship with Christ is what's missing in their lives.   It's the very thing they long for, even though many don't realize this yet.

Now is the time to step up and reach out from our safe, beautiful church to become like we never have before, a community church as our title suggests.

It's time Crossroads - to live For Our City!

what I learned today

I've been studying The Sermon on the Mount - it's so interesting to realize what kind of people gathered around that mountain to listen to Jesus.

They were 'people with no spiritual qualification' (quote from the Divine Conspiracy).

I had never thought about that before - they were not people that already had answers, or spiritual accomplishment, they were people in great need.  They probably thought they only had physical needs but Jesus revealed there were much more important needs then those!  And these needy people were the 'ones that shall inherit the earth' - according to Jesus!

"if we look at the Beatitudes as another list of spiritual to-do's, we diminish the beauty of Christ" (DC)

I feel sometimes that's what I spend my time doing - diminishing the beauty of Christ.  When due to sin I do not even fully enter that 'beauty' how can I possibly tell others about it?

As I sat in my living room this morning looking at God's beautiful snow, I prayed - actually begged Him to so fully enwrap me in Him so that when I enter a room people immediately want to know what is different - how to know Him - there is no significance outside of this.  There is no purpose to take up space in the world outside of this.

The Crossroads fast that is going on right now, asks us all to spend some time today, day #2, reflecting on our areas of weakness, and reminds us that repentance means an internal change.  And true internal change will lead to an external change of action.

Will you join me in examining your life today - confess any unconfessed sin - and let's change this community for Him simply by being obedient and giving up anything that distracts us from Him.

Let's be different through Him.

coming and going

This morning I had the privilege of meeting with a college student who has been serving in a volunteer intern position at Crossroads for the past few months.  She is a blessing, an OSU student who just started to attend Crossroads and wanted to get involved.

She isn't able to stay around this summer to actually serve one of our paid internships, so it's off to Washington DC she goes to intern down there.  How exciting!  The difficult thing about college students in the church is the coming and going that never ends.

I don't know what it is that makes me madly in love with teens and college students.  I find them fascinating and I believe with all my heart it's an age group the church needs desperately involved in the ministry.

I can hardly wait to officially launch Crossroads' internship program this summer!  I can't wait to spend time with all of them weekly getting to know them, being able to fulfill their school requirements with the serving opportunities Crossroads offers.

I've also been given information on possible direct involvement on the campus of OSU/NC State for Crossroads!  Affecting our community for eternity - nothing could be better!!

This just doesn't happen, God is opening doors.  Even the coming and going is all part of His plan!

out in the community

I realized recently that I need to get out into the community more.  I live a very secluded life.

How can I have an opportunity to share my faith - to help those who need help if I don't get out?

Last night my hubby and I volunteered for a dance performance surrounded by people we don't know from the Mansfield area.  It was great to meet new people - do something really different plus enjoy great talent!

Today I will just be 'in' and spend some time preparing for the evening service - one of my greatest privileges.  I pray that God can use our teams' weekly preparation to help someone begin their journey with Him this weekend.

It often surprises us what is the turning point in people's lives at Crossroads, a certain song, a scripture Pastor Tim uses or a practical application to the Bible -
the Word of God that people thought was written long ago but certainly could hold no relevance in their life today, suddenly comes alive as God reveals Himself to them…  whatever God chooses to use to draw them to Him - I pray it will happen again this weekend.

Please watch as you're out in the community, just doing your everyday life - for an opportunity to bring someone with you to Crossroads, or hand them an oval card and invite them to come.  This time of the year is a time that people think about family, about how unfulfilling their lives have been this past year.

In each of us there is a need to know our creator, a need most people try to fill with other things.  Please be the one that goes out in the community these next few weeks, to bring them in.

what I learned today

I have a confession. I am guilty of judging people based on their contributions to the ministry. Both serving as a volunteer in some capacity as well as lack of giving. (I don't see giving records - but based on needs of the church MANY people do not tithe). I am guilty of assuming this means that people either do not have a personal relationship with the Lord, or that they are selfish or spiritually immature. There I said it...now I must ask for forgiveness.

Today I was reading in "Life Together" by Bonhoeffer and became very convicted and looked hard at my own life.

I am a dreamer - I know what I THINK a Christian community should look like. God deals in absolutes - He makes it pretty easy to understand - our junk makes it difficult. This is what I read today...

"Innumerable times a whole Christian community has broken down because it had sprung from a wish dream. The serious Christian, set down for the first time in a Christian community, is likely to bring with him a very definite idea of what Christian life together should be and to try to realize it. But God's grace speedily shatters such dreams...God is not a God of emotions but the God of truth. Only that fellowship which faces such disillusionment, with all its unhappy and ugly aspects, begins to be what it should be in God's sight, begins to grasp in faith the promise that is given to it.

He who loves his dream of a community more than the Christian community itself becomes a destroyer of the latter, even though his personal intentions may be ever so honest and earnest and sacrificial. God hates visionary dreaming; it makes the dreamer proud and pretentious. The man who fashions a visionary ideal of community demand that is be realized by God, by others, and by himself."

I stand convicted - letting go of my own agendas - and thanking God for each little thing. I will be satisfied with the "small measure of spiritual knowledge, experience and love that has been given to me - so I constantly look forward eager for the highest good!"

I love Crossroads and all who attend. May our community truly reflect our thankfulness to God for all things and become a genuine Christian - non-judgmental community that attracts the lost to Jesus!

our community

My husband and I have traveled over the years. Coast to coast driving - flying to Saddleback a couple of times- a couple Florida vacations and a 25th anniversary trip And most recently my husband traveled to serve in Asia. We have been greatly blessed.

Despite what we have seen, we like home best. Tonight we went to the Bellville Street Fair, just a few miles from our home. The community was out- pumpkins were out - tractors were out - and kiddie rides were out. It's a simple community. And I think that's good.

Our friend Katie won fair queen !

God knew I could never sustain the pace of a big city. I am thankful for out community!

my day off

Relaxing! Very, very thankful for rest. After a late night at church watching the SuperBowl, then a late night conversation with my daughter that went into the early morning, it was such a blessing not to have to even set the alarm! Yay! A true day off.

I have a lot of catching up to do at home, things I have let go the past week. Some Ebay items to ship, a couple stops to make then back home for the day.

I do hope to spend some time in study and prayer. Recently I have felt very convicted about my prayer life. God has spoken through the preparation for the next series which will be on prayer, as well as through the series we ended this past weekend on Contentment. I am also feeling challenged by my kids. In my discussions with them I realize they have a raw, intense relationship with God that my generation wants desperately. They see their future as very different then the old 'American Dream', a renegade, authentic, real relationship not only with God, but with a close community of believers. This is something unfortunately, that my generation barely understands.

We value distance from others, we are suspicious of motive, cautious to 'get close'. We are scared to be hurt. Where does this come from? I want God to reveal this to me. I am asking God to help me to be brave and to work to build authentic community. I desire to help create opportunities within our ministry for authentic God centered life! This is my prayer on my day off.

who was blessed more

I have never been more proud than I was Tuesday at Crossroads! The people stepped up and provided Christmas ( a good Christmas), for 600 kids in our Community!!

They didn't have to do this, we didn't shame them into doing this, they did it to honor our Lord and take care of our communities' kids! How cool!!

Stories will no undoubtedly begin to pour in as families are blessed by their generosity! I have talked before about the difference in how we used to help our community, and how we do it now. We used to believe random acts of kindness was the best way to affect our community. Now we do it with more organization and purpose. We work with local agencies to identify the poorest of the poor, and help meet their needs. This has been a huge blessing, to use people educated in this area, people who work with our less fortunate day in and day out, they know far more than we do who needs us the most!

When I stood in the auditorium and realized that each bag represented a life that would be touched with a memory of God's church helping them...I was overwhelmed. Each bag = a child...the question is, who was blessed more?

the community is buzzin

I am very excited about some of the buzz around Crossroads. Things are hopping and I am really looking forward to the coming weeks!

-Adopt-A-Child-
This event is one of the most exciting all year! Crossroads has committed to providing Christmas for 600 kids in Richland County! These children have been identified by area agencies as the neediest in the area. We have the kick off announcement this weekend and I can't wait to see what God is going to do in our community this Christmas!

-Rick Muchow visit
You can see my previous post with details about Rick. The community seems to be buzzin'! What a blessing that he was willing to come and minister to our teams here at Crossroads on November 22 & 23! I cannot wait until he arrives!

-Small Group Leader training
This event begins in just a couple of hours. It will be the first time I've been able to attend one of these meetings and I'm really looking forward to it. Of course it doesn't hurt that one of my favorite fellow staff members, Deering Dyer, will be leading! Expected attendance=40+ yippee

-Thanksgiving service. Wednesday, November 26th we have a Thanksgiving themed service planned that should be awesome!

-We are finishing up plans for our Christmas series and Christmas Eve next week! We already know we are planning a children's recital and a string quartet in our Town Square!

We are really excited and thankful to the Lord for many, many things! What a blessing to serve here, hope you can join us!