what Christmas meant

As we get rested up from Christmas, I've had some time to consider what Christmas meant this year...

The emotions ran high!

I went from doubting that it would ever come together - to the excitement or progress, and then felt loneliness under the weight of responsibility  - I went from exhaustion to the exhilaration of accomplishment and then fell into a deep contentment as we were surrounded by family!  I just love the challenge to create and relish the years I've been involved with many other team members working on the details.  The enjoyment of creating doesn't lessen the emotions we experience, but this year when we gave out over 60 new believer packets to people that raised their hands indicating a decision to follow Christ, any worry we had experienced was immediately forgotten and turned to praise!

In the midst of preparing Christmas there were intentional moments of reflection on the true meaning of a Savior born for me...a breath taking realization!

I love the season despite it's hectic requirements - and realize what a privilege it is to try each year to tell the story in a true, compelling way praying it makes the story of Jesus come alive to someone for the first time!

You can watch our service here Christmas at Crossroads

I took many pictures that I'd like to share - they tell the story of the journey called Christmas!

Crossroads Artist Group created light-bulb decorations
for the Crossroads tree at Kingwood

Grandmas helpers with the Crossroads' Christmas
tree!

When your talented daughter writes a book...what a blessing to read this Christmas!
Jocelyn Hunsader, author.

This precious little one was part of our Christmas video shoot!

My talented son Eric Biddle shot the Christmas videos

Our precious friend Kristin playing the part of the doctor in our video

It was a cold video shoot day

Such generous Crossroads' attendees braving the cold for our video shoot

Family all together at the carousel! 

Ernesto brought the house down with "Mary Did You Know"!
It was a definite highlight!

Loved working with these hilarious, talented gentlemen!!

A whole row of my Ashland cousins - so thankful for extended family I love!!

Blessed to have the amazing group The Trio playing in our lobby!

Beautiful flowers for the talented granddaughter dancer!

A star is born!

Good friends for Christmas lunch - Dana and Sue!

Cousins so happy to be back together!

Not sure who likes legos more?

Oliver and grandpa carrying Grandma Forbes' new tv down to her!

Family helping to take all the decorations down and clean for the Celebration services!

Loving being together again!

I encourage all of you with grandkids to let them serve with you and see you serve in the church,
if they grow up doing it they take such pride in serving others and spending time at church!!

This about wraps up my blessed Christmas.  I can't thank all of you who made Christmas at Crossroads a possibility, and all of my friends that prayed for me and encouraged me as we planned and executed the services with our amazing teams!!  Happy New Year!

watching from afar

I watched the Crossroads services this morning.  It made me realize again how much I love being there!

I marveled as I watched all the amazing praise team members, the beautiful voices and the hearts for the Lord that I personally know.  So many hours go into preparing well each week.  As I watched I thanked the Lord for our ministry and that I get to be part of it.

But one of the things I'll never take for granted is all the behind the scenes work that it also takes to create even one service.  It takes so many hours of preparation and creative work.

The beautiful set design by Arnie was breath taking!  I wasn't there, but assume our audio guy Eric probably helped hang everything and do the work it took to get it ready for the weekend with Arnie.

It's easy to just spend money to buy things for set design - instead we take pride in creatively solving problems and making new things out of old and beauty out of repurposed things others would consider useless.  It's a challenge we love to solve!  Go tech and creative teams!

Next I watched as the graphics that Eric our Arts Director created to support Pastor Dave's new teaching series came across the scene.  Beautiful and thought provoking were the words that came to mind.

Just as I'm proud of all the amazing up-front teams, I'm also very thankful and proud of the behind-the-scene hidden teams!!

Our creative process proves again how God has gifted each person with unique talents that when used in unity bring beautiful glory to God the creator!

weekend report

As I got home tonight from work and began once again working inside to keep caught up as well as begin some Fall cleaning, the trees blowing and leaves falling created a scene I could not resist.  So now I sit in my favorite spot on our deck.

The sounds that greet me are everything from falling walnuts as they pound the ground below the trees each time the wind blows, to birds considering whether they'll fly in to the feeders for an evening snack, to the sound of the neighbors' nightly target shooting.  All these sounds are a welcome distraction from what I should probably be accomplishing.

But I can't resist!

This was a great day as I got to do a couple of my very favorite things!

I got to work with a brilliant young lady that came in to record this coming weekend's announcements.  She loves the Lord and we talked about the amazing things God's using her to accomplish and it was such an encouraging time together.  I pray I get to work with her a lot in the future!  Very few things excite me more than discovering new talent and connecting them to our ministry!

After that I had the privilege with my daughter to present the Crossroads Christmas concept to Pastor Dave.  I've worked on 20 Crossroads' Christmas concepts and I'm still as encouraged and excited as ever when all year long I collect possible creative elements, songs, videos and set design ideas - and then sit down with others and watch how the ideas they contribute fit hand in hand with them.  It's obvious that God's hand is on the concept when everything lines up beautifully.  (It's also obvious when it's just been my idea and isn't the will of the Lord!)

As we showed Pastor Dave each element for the first time, it was fascinating to hear his on-the-spot suggestions and affirmation as he graciously listened to us and was so encouraging as he approved the concept.  I left this meeting excited to begin work on the specific elements that I need to create and pass on to others to work on!

Now about last weekend - the Weekend Report

I don't remember another weekend which was so full of technical miscommunications about details of the service, equipment failure, announcement guy's car breaking down preventing him from doing the announcements at the 9:00 a.m. service and many more difficult details behind the scenes.

I believe with all my heart that the enemy was hard at work to discourage the teams this weekend that were involved in the services following an amazing rehearsal last Thursday night and time of devotions and sharing personal needs with one another - a break through moment of sharing according to several team members I talked with!

But despite all the behind the scene problems I received so many compliments and thank you's for the praise and tech teams that I knew God used it exactly as He had intended and nothing was going to stop it from happening.

Here's just a few pictures of our weekend services.

Jocelyn lead this great team as we all joined in for a glorious time of worship!

Austin, Scott and Johnnie all gave their talents to the Lord to help
make the weekend excellent!

Our tech guys play such a huge part in the worship services too!  The LED set design is one of my favorites!

Our Setlist:

Announcements - Jesse Rider

Behold
Scripture Reading
King of My Heart 
The Lion and the Lamb
Special Music:  Home - Jocelyn Nicolas

Video Bumper
Message:  Our Home Pt. 2: Expectations in the Home - Pastor Dave Vance

To watch our services go to crossroadswired.com

I hope you all have an amazing rest of your week - and thanks for reading!

weekend report

It's been a while since I've written.

I messed up and lost my domain temporarily - but was able to get it back fortunately!  So here I am.

It's been so busy at Crossroads that I barely get to think about what's next, but thankfully I get to do life with staff I love - while pursuing our ultimate goal to provide as many opportunities for people to know our Savior and grow closer to Him in their daily lives as we possibly can.  Always with a focus on eternity, not the problems of today!

As we carry on the daily work I try take time to praise Him and thank Him for all he's given us at Crossroads.

This past week our praise team did an awesome job leading us in a great time of worship with our praise choir as Pastor Jesse completed the Desperation series.

 Our Setlist:

Announcements
Wonder
Glorious Day
Amazing Grace My Sins Are Gone
Revelation Song
Series Bumper video
Message: The Gift of Desperation  - Jesse Rider
Exit Song - Wonder


It's amazing to watch ministry during the week when the services are over and not everyone is there.

I watched a beloved friend who serves weekly move about the office cleaning the bathrooms and washing our towels.  She just quietly moves through our work zone, doing what she does to make our areas so wonderfully clean and neat!

Today was also a good example of the church at work as we hosted a funeral meal for one of our precious senior attendees.  My husband and I had been in his families' home for card parties, Christmas get togethers and meals together.  He always had some teasing for me and I'll miss him. This weekend there will be one more empty seat in our auditorium, instead of being there he's sitting with my dad, looking at the face of the King of Kings!  How amazing is that?

We have a team of volunteers that do a beautiful job of serving our funeral meals at Crossroads and I got to witness them 'doing what they do' so well to comfort and serve a family experiencing loss.

the Crossroads kitchen full of generous serving

This is ministry.

And I'll never tire of being part of it!

weekend report...among other things

It was another powerful weekend at Crossroads!  Pastor Dave started the Desperation Series today by teaching on 'Fighting Desperation', this is going to be a great series of study and worship!  I heard multiple comments on what the service meant to them - I'm so thankful!

To listen to Part 1 of Desperation - go to crossroadswired.com on Monday and click on Messages to find the message you want to listen to.   This weekend's message goes up Monday.

I'm so thankful for our praise team and their dedication!

Our setlist:

Jeanette Chase our Director of Family Ministry took care of announcements for us, as we anticipate hosting the simulcast of the Global Leadership Summit next Thursday and Friday! (there are still tickets available on our website)

Do It Again
My Heart Is Yours
Glorious Day
Bumper video
Message:  Desperation Pt. 1 - Fighting Desperation
Special Music: Even If
God is Able

I've just never been more thankful for our church and all it's doing to reach people for the Lord! There were more first time visitors in attendance again today that we got to show around and still others signing up to be baptized next Sunday taking next steps in their spiritual maturity!  Nothing more encouraging!

As we prepare to learn from some of the top leaders around the world this week at the Global Leadership Summit, I've been reading Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership.  In it I've read about Moses' leadership journey.  Quite the story!  A major part of his surrender to the Lord involved solitude.  An extended time alone with the Lord.  I love this description of the work of solitude.

Just as the physical law of gravity ensures that sediment swirling in a jar of muddy river water will eventually settle and the water will become clear, so the spiritual law of gravity ensures that the chaos of the human soul will settle if it sits still long enough.

I hope to grab a little solitude, to sit still before the the Lord this week and prepare well for all of the leadership principles I'll get to learn and be reminded of at the end of the week.

I pray your week will be full of some 'settling' and listening to the will of the Lord!

weekend report

It was a special weekend with Angie back on the team and her husband Mike Mahek teaching!  We always love the choir so oh how we worshipped at Crossroads this past weekend!

Our setlist:

Announcements - Linnell Allred

Lean on Me/Brother
Open Up the Heavens
Have It All
Holy, Holy, Holy
Unbroken Praise
Pastoral Prayer
Message: Perspective : Mike Mahek - Generations Pastor
Exit Song: Unbroken Praise

It was good to be in the house of the Lord!

To watch our services go to crossroadswired.com

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

weekend report

Every weekend that I get to stand and watch all of our staff and volunteers' weekly work come together to create the services and children's and student's classes- takes my breath away.  Why the Almighty God of the universe chooses to use any of us is one of the greatest mysteries known to mankind!  But, that's how He chooses to spread His Gospel.  

And this weekend we added a beautiful guest family and Executive Director from Asia's Hope to be part of our worship services.  There are perhaps no one I admire more then these people who give their lives to rescue children from horrible circumstances in Asia and India.  It was a weekend of taking account of our own lives as we worshipped with them and learned more from them.  Here's a few pictures from our time together!

Our Setlist:

Announcements

Jesus I Come

Oceans

10,000 Reasons

Message:  Justice - Pastor Dave

Special Music:  Break Every Chain - John McCullom

To watch or listen to our services on line go to www.crossroadswired.com

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

We'll see you next weekend as we begin a very powerful message series on Nehemiah!

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