weekend report

This weekend was a crazy combination of enjoying the outdoors, praying for and watching our team in Nepal as they consider another Mission partner, chasing mice, enjoying grand-babies but mostly just thanking the Lord for letting me still be a part of the crazy life-changing ministry of Crossroads!

Take a look!

Our team visiting Nepal - pray for God's leading as we consider a partnership.

Time in the great Fall outdoors with popcorn bags as big
as my grand-babies - precious times!

3 Staff members trying to catch a wee-tiny baby mouse, just
minutes before we needed to turn our attention to the services.

I took this picture of people coming and going at Crossroads this weekend.  Not
a single week passes that I don't praise the Lord for all of these precious people
He just keeps bringing through our doors! I just get overwhelmed with love and concern
for them spiritually!

This precious sister in Christ is bravely facing cancer as it ravages
her body.  She asked to be baptized after the Saturday service.

I don't know if there was a dry eye in the lobby...she'll never know how blessed we all felt
to be part of this beautiful moment.

As you can see this weekend was full of thankful moments, restful moments, prayerful moments and celebrations as the body of Christ!  It was good to be able to enjoy family, friends and to be in the House of the Lord!

one church...many places

It's been very exciting to watch our congregation begin to embrace "one church...many places".

It looks so many different ways.

Each of us with a personal relationship with Christ are 'the Church', so as the church our lives are on display taking the gospel to many places as we live for Him.  Living as if we really believe this, as if not only everyone around us at work and socially are watching, but living as if we REALLY believe that the creator of the universe is watching and cares very much about our everyday lives.  We are his vessels, we are the church.

So as the church, in our lives we are responsible to be a living witness for Him daily.  But collectively as the church, we feel God leading us outside the walls of the Crossroads' building at 1188 P. A. W. - calling us to 'go'!  And so we are...

Recently I had the opportunity to peek inside with the staff as we witnessed the beginnings of demolition so that remodeling can start making this building God has provided usable!

I really don't need to say much more since the following can speak for themselves...they tried so hard!

Stop by the Missions Center to sign up to volunteer and join in the fun!

our amazing, talented, dedicated staff

I really don't have to say much...because what you're about to see,  are the people who make getting to Crossroads everyday so very good!  I love our staff, how close we all are, how much we all understand what everyone cares about and dedicates their lives to...I could go on and on and on...but they say a picture's worth 1,000 words!  Enjoy!

Their entrance actually brought a hush to the crowd as we stared in disbelief
also wondering how we would every be able to follow
Dan's lead in worship...(makeup and nails done too!)

Baby Margot

Rachael is our newest staff member - the new Coffee House manager
She was 'Star - buck' get it?  

Greg claims he came as himself - look at that cute pig-tailed wife!
(Not sure what Dan is doing...)

Even superheroes hold little ones!

Just hanging out!

Harry Potter family!

Madeline and Miss Clavel

A truly crazy duo!

Hippies and tourists enjoy one another's company.

Tourists complete with fanny packs!

Way, way too much food!

Inside Out

A competition to remember - Dan's wife had to
pull his dress down...

Miss Clavel with pretend ice cream

Tad returned...frightening!

Joseph kept pushing his wife off the roller cart!
Eric and Greg won

Tad trying to balance M & Ms

Jocelyn was the winner of the balancing game!

Oliver had a riot playing with the left-over game trash!

I'm forever grateful to be part of such a great staff...even when we look weird!

a week of perspective

It's been the kind of week that gives me clear perspective on what's important and what's not.

I was honored to be part of several important things this week.  Things that mean way more then getting work done or keeping up at home.  Eternal things, people things.

We were hugely blessed to have the opportunity to prepare a very special meal and service for people we love who are experiencing a huge loss to their family.  The sudden death of a daughter.

I got to meet with ladies I love to look ahead at what we can provide for the women of Crossroads, we planned some events but most of all we just loved one another as we ate together.

We then got to minister to a family who is facing the loss of an amazing mother to cancer.  So hard to watch but so much rejoicing even in the certainty she will spend eternity with her Lord.  She speaks of seeing her beloved grandmother again, and that wish will soon become reality.

And then the awesome partnership I experienced with fellow staff as we dream of tomorrow and pray for Crossroads.

All of these things bring perspective.

They bring focus and renewed intention to my day.  The week has again reminded me not to take anything for granted but to look at it as the gift it is and to live fully engaged in it.

I don't know why it often takes difficult things to bring perspective, but my desire is to maintain it to keep a God perspective~

what I learned today

I realized this morning as I had a couple minutes to reflect back over my whirlwind life lately, that outside of my family - one of the biggest blessings I get to enjoy are the diverse 'communities' that I get to be part of.

Pastor Dave on stage at ALIVE!

Crossroads provides me with opportunities WAY outside what I ever dreamed I'd participate in - and last week I watched as God worked to extend Crossroads' Community again as Pastor Dave got invited to speak at the ALIVE music festival as one of the main teachers for thousands of teens and their parents/youth pastors!  God seems to be moving us outside of ourselves and into the community immediately around us as well as regionally, without us trying to make it happen!  So blessed!!

Here are some of the community areas I love the most in my life:


CROSSROADS STAFF
- I do not exaggerate when I say the Crossroads staff is my second family.

1. I know any one of them would be there for me or my family at a moments notice
2. We line up behind a common Mission: "Leading People to the Truth That Transforms Lives in North Central Ohio and Around the World.  This is what we measure each possibility against, each ministry opportunity we consider getting involved in.  We do nothing that doesn't support our Mission!  It helps us to be intentional with our time and resources.
3. We celebrate with one another and support one another in disappointing times - we are family!

SERVING AT CROSSROADS

-The reason I am on staff today, is because I first got involved in serving as a volunteer.  

1. When Ron and I began attending, I served on the praise team singing and playing synth.   
2. We attempted to also help in the children's area, but it didn't take us long to realize this was NOT our gifted area!  We did however enjoy the adult friends we made.
3. Next I was offered my Director of Creative Arts position as a volunteer and Ron and I worked together with the Crawfis' to create massive set designs and worked on all the special events.  (this was pre-lighting and video - so everything had to be physically created back then - we even used a slide projector for song words!)
4. The people at Crossroads that I have served on teams with as a volunteer, and as a staff member, have become life-long friends.  Something that will never happen if you just attend Crossroads and don't get involved in serving somewhere!
5. Although I'm very dedicated to continued development of all the Creative Arts teams and groups, I look forward to getting to know more and more new people along the way outside of our area as well!

NEW FRIENDS

-For 18 years I've stood in the Sound Booth, or calling cues in the Lighting Booth, and recently I most often am pacing back and forth across the back of the auditorium, watching the details of the services.

We almost didn't get it all to fit in when it was time to leave
the ALIVE festival last weekend!

I've often joked that I recognize everyone - but really know very few names.  But recently I've broken out of my area and just last week I had the opportunity of getting to slosh through the mud with 26 High School Students from Crossroads at the ALIVE music festival.  Ron and I went as the official cooks.  (little did we know most of our time would be spent just trying to keep things dry!)  

I came back feeling like I had just met a whole new generation at Crossroads!  Oh my goodness how great these students are!

I returned so encouraged about their future involvement with the ministry and met some who have attended since they were small children!  How encouraging!!   For others this was the very first time they've done anything like this with Crossroads - exciting first steps!

I think in January, Lord willing, I'll be going to Guatemala with the Crossroads team.  Again it's a team containing some 'already friends' - but, I also see names I don't know, and God never arranges these things randomly!  So I can't wait to do ministry with new friends too!

There is no true connection outside of community and I encourage you today to sign up to volunteer on a team at Crossroads, join a House Church or take a CLASS and experience strong connection through community!

Community: A unified body of individuals; a social unit of any size that shares common values.

What God reminded me of again today - was what a privilege I have as a believer in Him to do life with so many amazing people!   Are you part of the Crossroads' community?

finally there

Today is a personal celebration of FINALLY being in my #1 favorite spot in the world...my deck.

my view past my computer screen

I'm watching twirling seeds fall from gorgeous green trees and birds visiting our bird feeders as I hear the 'flap' of the American flag overhead...I breath deeply here and I learn.  Deep breaths have been missing lately - it's been nearly 5 full weeks now that I haven't worked a full 'on-site' week and it's taken a month to get everyone fairly healthy again.

I woke up today preparing to accompany my hubby to help another staff member complete a relocation of a Crossroads attendee that found herself in trouble.  We discussed as we drove how difficult it is sometimes to tell the difference between truly helping someone and being taken advantage of.  It's difficult to know the difference sometimes and even more difficult to discern whether our responsibilities are to just blindly help and serve without trying to figure everything out - or to insure the need is real.  This was a necessary 'saving', and it was good to watch a fellow staff member give this person another chance.

I wasn't sure how long it would take, and although I desperately needed to spend some time at home today, I marveled at how God can use all of us to accomplish and provide what He needs others to discover and know.

This serve opportunity took no time at all to complete and soon I found myself finishing the last load of laundry and now I'm here, in my favorite spot again.  Resting in the Savior and basking in His creation fills my heart again, and I couldn't be more grateful to finally be here again!

how should we pray

Last week when the Crossroads staff gathered to pray - Darlene read to us before we prayed about the suffering and persecution that we see around the world.

She asked the most challenging thing..."should we stop praying for God to end persecution?  Because persecution comes when God's people are living for Him - when new people are coming to know Him.  If we ask for persecution to stop, then in essence we're asking for God to stop working in the hearts of men." 

I thought about that all week - what a revolutionary way to think about what we see going on.   We watch as men with an evil agenda think THEY are in control when it couldn't be more apparent that they are puppets of evil - playing out exactly what God said would happen when His people rise up and are willing to lay EVERYTHING on the line to lead others to Him.  The persecuted believe with all their hearts that every person they can reach with the message of God is worth any personal risk.  What an amazing testimony this is!

Obviously we still need to ask for God to surround them with His Holy Spirit and presence so even as they face death, they know He is near.

I have been appalled at what has been shown on TV and will not watch any of it.  But, the other thing I can't get out of my mind is what Pastor Dave said in last weekend's message when he reminded us that in the book of Revelation God says in the last days we will be able to see what is happening around the world.  That's amazing that in God's Word He describes our current ability to 'see' with the internet - although He obviously doesn't come out and say 'how' we'll be able to see.

This should be extremely comforting knowing that none of this is a surprise to Almighty God and that He is indeed in control.


The question we must ask ourselves then is - if persecution comes to places where God is moving in people's hearts, is that why America is still going about it's daily business - for the most part blind or unconcerned with what is happening around us as long as we're comfortable? 

Interesting to wrestle with and pray about.

My personal prayer is for God to reveal His Glory through my life - to use me to lead others to Him,  so much so that persecution holds no place of fear within me as I rest in Him.

today's wisdom - from the young

A very wise young person I work with encouraged us today to bathe our days in prayer in preparation for the next chapter of Crossroads.  The enemy would love nothing more than to crush us - distract us with trivial struggles or side-rail us completely as we enter this next phase.

This young friend is wise beyond her years - and one by one today the staff went around the room and talked about the area they wanted prayer for, or the area they felt responsible for and what they considered the very most important ministry areas to cover with prayer.

It was moving, as it came to me I couldn't even speak as I choked out the words that caught in my throat - as I thought about the deep-deep passion I feel to pour my life into every aspect of what's presented from the stage at Crossroads.  I was overwhelmed by the burden I feel for our congregation and for our community.

Each word that's spoken, each song that's sung-  I scrutinize over changing even the most tiny detail until finally being satisfied with it, until I finally feel it's worthy to be placed before the King of Kings.

There's great debate whether it's better, perhaps even more spirit filled - to be more fluid and 'let it happen' vs. the 'highly organized' version of worship services.  When His Word talks about offering Him our best I believe it also applies to the preparation that goes into presenting the Word of God - maybe even more than any other setting...I don't know.

I only know, I lose sleep at night, I analyze everything and my heart REJOICES when I see the brilliant staff we have around us - leading us fearlessly and confidently into yet another weekend of worship.  NOTHING except a soul won for eternity pleases me more.

I love the unselfish way the entire staff serves the ministry as a whole and celebrates any accomplishment no matter who it is.  Anyone who holds someone else back or doesn't offer everything they possibly can toward making them successful should step aside in leadership.    Pushing others past you should be the goal.  Cheering them on - celebrating their success - and then stepping into whatever God opens up for you.

And so tonight I not only cover my own area of ministry in prayer - I pray for us all.  I pray for intense unity and a time that pleases the Lord like no other.  I thank Him for my fellow staff members and the amazing support from all our volunteers and Crossroads' friends!  And I can't wait to worship tomorrow at Crossroads!!!  See you there!

weekend report

Well, in 18 years of ministry I never thought this weekend would have to come.  But the Lord called our pastor away and this weekend was the celebration of all the things God has accomplished at Crossroads in those 18 years.   So sad to say goodbye - so good to remember what God has done - so sad to sing together one last time, watch videos together one last time and sit at the front of the auditorium together one last time…

But the thing that I continue to celebrate in my own soul is how well Pastor Tim and his family are leaving us.   I've never been part of a ministry where a pastor has left well!  It's encouraging, it makes me proud of them and gives me hope for the future!



Our Service and weekend farewell:

Our amazing choir and praise team

staff - elders farewell party

Wendell hosting our staff and elders

saying goodbye to faithful Worship guy Dan & Corrine

saying goodbye - Kristen

Our staff - 

Hit of the party - the Tim Bobble-head

Our Setlist:


Countdown full of photos
Video farewell:  Pastor Dave Pound
Long Train Running- instrumental with photos
Dallas Theological Professor Video:  Professor Hannah
Song: 2014 Songs of the Year Mashup
Song: Help Is On The Way - Michael W. Smith
Worship: A Mighty Fortress is Our God
                 10,000 Reasons
                  Blessed Be The Name
2 Stories from our congregation video:  Crawfis' & Rudricks'
Song: Thank You For Being a Friend with photos
Rick Muchow and Jason Allison video
Video collage:  Mother's Day - Cooking promo - Elvis
Pastor Tim says goodbye
Elders prayer of commission
Song:  He Is Able

To watch this service go to crossroads wired.com

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

away

This month has contained a whole lot of 'away'!  And what a blessing it's been!

Last night I spent the night away for one of my girlfriends' birthdays - I'm not sure how many words have been spoken - or how many times we nearly fell off the couch in gales of laughter, but it has been a blast!  I love the women God has placed in my life and HIGHLY value them!

In talking to other ministry leaders I have discovered that our staff at Crossroads is a rarity as far as how close we all are.  How awesome to get to work and serve with people we love everyday!

I want to tell you who my staff girlfriends are that I give thanks for!  There is one new girl I'm looking forward to getting to know, her name is Kelly!

These are the staff girls I work with everyday:

Julie
Jeanette
Darlene
Leah
Pam
Holly

On top of the staff we have amazing volunteers - God blesses me with these girls!

recognizing volunteers

Today our staff invited a few of our volunteers from each department.  What a privilege to serve with each of these dear people!  We celebrated the hours they give so unselfishly and thanked them, each one!

I cannot wait to do this again and invite more and more of our dedicated volunteers - our partners in ministry!

...Everything was going so well until -  several ornery staff members decided to use Deering's office as a trash barrel...I'll never tell!  Oh and, Pastor Tim was determined not to allow me to take pictures!  ha ha

laughter in the office

My dearest friends are those who make me laugh the hardest! I LOVE to laugh!

Today I heard laughter many times, this is GOOD!

Our Technical Coordinator, Steve Browning had me rolling when he showed us this weekend's parody he shot. SO funny! In fact, even during the final work on Christmas which contained the MANY details of programming today we laughed a great deal! So much fun when it is not tense with important decisions and hard things to work on!

Then as I walked through the office I heard various staff members enjoying one-anothers company. This is sweet fellowship indeed.

We have gone through different seasons with our staff, just as any business does, some seasons of struggle, some seasons of sweet fellowship. And, that is the season we find ourselves in right now.

I am serving with people that have a common vision and purpose. People that understand the pressure of ministry but feel called to be there. People that I dearly love!

I think maybe some of our work and laughter today may have caused God to smile just a little!

our staff are rockstars

I love the staff I get to work with - I should say the friends I get to work with! Today we went out to eat to celebrate 2 birthdays - so fun!

As we left of course there HAD to be an oh so friendly competition...the youth guys won!

I count it a privilege to work side by side with all my friends!

our staff

It was team one's turn to serve team two lunch - and they did it up Mexican! Everyone got into it- literally!

And it was so good to be with friends and to eat great food!

our staff preparing

Easter takes a lot of preparation to make sure the incredible message is clearly proclaimed - we take this very seriously!

But today we took an hour to enjoy one another! Our staff is divided in half and every other month we take turns providing a carry in lunch! Our Easter lunch was SO excellent! Can you believe the talented chefs we have? Of course a certain unnamed - ornery pastor cut a rather large cube right out of the center of the gorgeous bunny cake!

Just when we thought it was time to get back to work, Jesse (youth guy) jumped up and said we were
dividing up on teams to go on an Easter egg hunt!

Now, we all knew who would win... Deering located one hidden egg after another and led the Directors to victory! And so after excellent food and fellowship we went back to our work and are all looking forward to what we pray will be a life changing weekend for many, many people!