my day off

I am still reeling from the magnificent worship and teaching this weekend!

I don't know why, but, I feel like a new era of maturity and ownership of the ministry has begun.

Here are some of my observations:

1. In our youth department this weekend the missions team unveiled the new youth missions strategy.  This plan gives opportunity to students to participate in a youth missions track with the ultimate goal (over a period of time)  a global mission trip.  The thing I LOVE about the strategy is it is ALL about spiritual growth along the way.  No one may participate that doesn't take part in mentoring, discipleship and local level missions first.  By the time they meet all the requirements they are well on the road to being a fully developed Christ follower!  Can you imagine the impact to our ministry?  This holds a very personal gratification for me in that my daughter Jocelyn will be leading some of the trainings/mentoring.  She went off to college and got a Bachelors in International and Community Development and is working on a Masters in International relations and religion focusing on Christianity policy and ethnomusicology and she got to come back to Crossroads and use her degree.  God is good!
2. Greater participation in worship.  Our ministry is very geared toward the 'unchurched' feeling comfortable while learning about the Lord.  We've worked diligently to create an environment that feels familiar yet NEVER compromises worship or the teaching from God's Word.  When unchurched people fill the church you move them slowly toward maturity.  I think the age of our ministry has taught us many things, and God has created a hunger in our congregation for more and more and we are now reaping the result of them growing in the Lord and participating more fully in worship.
3. House Churches have helped to close the back door.  People that longed for a more intimate setting can now get that at any of our house churches.  The timing was CRUCIAL to our ministry and it has been a great addition to the main ministry!  The time these families sacrifice in their own homes to serve our congregation is just unbelievable!
4. Young Adults.  Maybe it's because I have been involved with my hubby in most of our churches weddings, that I realize these young couples' marriages are also significant steps toward our ministry maturing.  The marriages that are performed by the staff at Crossroads are pledging loyalty to one another as well as making plans to be involved as a couple after marriage.  They give me hope for our future.   This is a huge maturity step in my mind toward a long legacy at Crossroads-  Young adults fully involved and taking ownership of the ministry!
5. Longevity in serving.  Although we are ALWAYS in need of more volunteers, I have seen a longevity in the areas of the serving in the ministry-  that makes me very happy.  When a volunteer takes ownership of his/her area it is so good for the ministry.  What people that are not involved don't know is - volunteering is what God calls them to do.  Not just to go to church, but to be a true part of the ministry.  He created each of us to use our talents to help serve one another.  There is no higher calling.  In my department we still have some of our original volunteers still faithfully serving which helps tremendously to encourage others to use their talents!  I am very thankful for this as well and it too is a sign of maturity.

Well, I could go on and on but won't.   I just woke up celebrating what God is doing at Crossroads and wanted to share. 

I am forever thankful that He chose to bring us all together at Crossroads!!

weekend report

OK then, God gave us senses so that we could experience all that He has created.

This weekend we engaged nearly all of them as we revealed our new Environmental Projection.  Oh My Goodness it was good to be in the house of the Lord!!

I knew that this would be a step up to the visual part of our services, but I FAR underestimated how powerfully it would affect our worship.  It was engaging - to say the least!  We left feeling very blessed as a ministry to have a new tool of this caliber!  We are committed to do our best to communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ in ways that we have only dreamed of previously!

Our setlist:

Lay Me Down - Tomlin
My Savior Lives - New Life
Cornerstone - Hillsong
Lead Me To The Cross - Hillsong United
Jesus Paid It All
The Lamb of God; Systematic Theology - Pastor Tim Armstrong

this was used during the "Cornerstone" sone

full image

this was the beginning of "Jesus Paid It All"

My Savior Lives

the final image of the service

close up of final image - brought people to tears...

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

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

tired of the fighting

If you have spoken to me in the past couple of months you've probably heard me complain about the election and how ready I am for all the fighting to end.

I haven't watched the conventions because I cannot stop worrying about our country if I do.  And since I know worry is not pleasing to the Lord I just don't watch.  I did read an amusing comment this morning however, "should there really be credit given to any speaker (on either side) that fills a room with people fully dedicated to their party then gets standing ovations?  Should a speech given in front of enthusiastic peers count as truly influencing anyone?"  A small venue for the convention was chosen so that it would seem and sound more enthusiastic - every little detail of this election is completely controlled.  What looks spontaneous is anything but that.

I have prayed more about this election than any other in my life.  I think it's a crucial time in our country's history.  It think it's an election that we will always remember.  

But guess what?  God has already chosen our leader.  Our only responsibility is to be well informed, vote for candidates that support Christian values and true democracy, pray for all of our leaders equally and leave the rest up to Him.  It truly is In God I Trust!

There should be no fighting.  Freedom is being able to vote for whom ever you wish.

I love America.  And I thank God often that I got to be raised in a free country where I never have to worry about believing and worshiping Him freely, and where our needs have always been met.

God Bless America is something I pray God will continue to do, and that we will truly be able to say in God we trust as a country!

I'll make it short

I have been busy until nearly 11:00 each night for as long as I can remember, so I was tempted tonight to just crawl in bed without writing...again.

But, I was still very wound up when I arrived at home tonight.  So I'll make it short!

Tonight at Crossroads was amazing!

It was loud.

It was full.

It was exciting.

People of all ages filled the church as they came prepared to start another round of Fall classes!

Artist group

I had to lead my artist group in one corner of Town Square.  The last remaining unused space in the whole building!  A great problem to have.

You seriously missed a huge blessing if you weren't with us tonight!

You can still start next Wednesday, and I strongly encourage you to do so!

People came hungry to learn more.  That is just an incredible encouragement!!

my day off

This Labor Day morning we decided to drive to Ashland to spend a little time with my parents at an auction.  As always with my parents, it turned into gales of laughter, really bad coffee, embarrassing misunderstandings and on and on.

We started by arriving only to find out that dad wasn't feeling very well and would be late.  So Ron purchased a cup of coffee and almost spit it out it was so bad.  After dumping the rest out he drove off to Starbucks happy with an opportunity to get as far away as possible from the sale!

While waiting for our parents to come, we sat chatting as the auctioneer began.  

I finally noticed dad coming through the side door and waved for him to come sit with us.  My sister then took up the wave trying to get his attention.

The next thing I knew I heard the auctioneer say "I have $50" pointing toward us and then the auctioneer was saying, 'Stop waving your hands!!'  Still not realizing fully he was talking to us I suddenly noticed the sale had stopped completely as nearly 400 heads turned toward us.  I felt my face turn a hundred shades of red as I punched my sister to stop waving at dad!  I was never so glad my husband wasn't there in my life!

When dad finally got over to us and we told him what had just happened, he said he knew the auctioneer and would really tease him about yelling at his girls the next time he saw him!

Serious discussion about buying

We decided to get down from the stands and just walk around.  None of us were serious about buying anything,  we just went to be together.  (I half expected applause to break out when we left the stands!)

Below are some of the action shots!

Dad had a great idea! ha ha ha!

Surely no one would buy this hideous thing, let alone put it around their neck?  Sick!!

I wonder what goodies these once held?

We watched as people put all the things they

wanted into one box!  Sneaky!

As we walked I began to wondered who had been the owner of all these things?

Were these things they had loved and worked all their life for, or just an accumulation of stuff they had bought over the years.

What had held the dolls?  Worn the clothes?  Read the books?

It always makes me realize that what we consider SO important - just ends up a pile of junk.


It was another exciting day off - filled with high-class goings on - and a whole lot of laughing!!

I had to wonder what little girl had once held these dolls?

weekend report

A lot goes into every service at Crossroads that the congregation never sees!  Hours in planning, choosing just the right songs, videos, moving backgrounds, pre-service advertising on the screens, choosing what to put in the programs and on and on.  It's a blast seeking what would honor the Lord and support the thematic teaching of our pastors.  I decided to include some pictures that I took while filming just the announcement portion of our service as well as a couple other items of support from this weekend!

This is the innocent looking little hen that about removed Jamie's finger!

Jamie setting up Tim's teaching with the birds!

Our stage layout

Our setlist:
Yesterday, Today and Forever 
The Only One - Tomlin
We Fall Down - Tomlin
Holy, Holy, Holy - Milo
Counting On Your Name - Hughes
Video announcements at Bird Sanctuary:  Jamie Koenig - Middle School Guy
Systematic Theology Pt. 5: Senior Pastor Tim Armstrong
Exit song:  Counting on Your Name

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

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

video without sound

This morning I turned on the tv while I was working on other things just for company.  I turned it to a music video channel, not one of the nasty ones, it was one running slightly dated music videos.  I turned the sound off.

Each time I glanced at the screen it made me sad.

As I watched I saw people that had worked their whole lives to become famous.  Here they were on screen in a full blown - huge production music video, the thing they used to dream of doing and they looked completely unhappy!

And it struck me, video without sound allows you to really SEE them.

No matter who was on the screen, famous face after famous face, no one looked happy.  No one looked fulfilled - they had what they thought they wanted and yet guessing from the looks on their face, it was full of emptiness and disappointment.

Someone now owns them.  A manager decides what they look like, what songs will be produced and what their image will be.

The world stage, the glamour and the money didn't equal satisfaction as they had once dreamed - you could see it on their faces and in their empty, empty eyes.

What is it about fame that is so alluring?

I saw another star who I thought came out of a fairly normal, conservative upbringing checking into rehab.  It is nearly impossible it seems to resist the stereo-typical lifestyle connected to stardom.

I shut it off, and realized once again - I want no part of being 'recognized' publicly.   To be unknown sounds perfect to me!

To live in a way that shows true happiness and satisfaction found only in my Savior is exactly where I want to be here in little 'ole Mansfield.