Pastor Phil's Blog

Another "Sticky" Passage

2008-06-24T09:38:00.001-07:00

This weekend at Crossroads I'll be speaking on envy and jealousy and what it does to our hearts. Our case study will be the Biblical character Saul who cast a "jealous eye" on David. Saul's jealousy wrecked his life.

1 Samuel 18:10 says that as the result of Saul's jealousy, "a tormenting spirit from God overwhelmed Saul."

Some translations say "an evil spirit from God" messed with Saul. Either way, we have a hard time getting our arms around this verse. Does God send evil spirits/demons into our lives when we screw up? Is this consistent with the character of God?

One thing I learned a "hundred years" ago in Seminary was to allow the clearer teachings of the Bible to interpret the more obscure teachings. God sending evil spirits to torment people sounds a little weird. It certainly contradicts clearer teachings like James 1:17 that says "Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above..."

So what's the deal? Do I have to worry about an evil spirit coming my way and possessing me when I sin? Here are 3 quick thoughts:

1. In the Old Testament God's Spirit came and went. The Spirit filled people for certain tasks and then departed. All that changes in Acts 2. The Spirit comes for good and when the Spirit possesses a believer in Christ its a permanent deal. Therefore, Christians cannot be possessed by evil (temped...yes; harassed...yes; possessed...no; see 1 John 4:4). The Spirit certainly departed from Saul, but if you're a believer in Christ today you have no reason to fear evil spirits possessing you.

2. Saul deserved whatever God "sent" his way. Whatever happened was the direct result of Saul's willful disobedience and refusal to take his sin seriously.

3. The Hebrew linguistic data lends itself to different interpretations of this passage. I am NOT a Hebrew scholar (nor any other scholar, unless there's such thing as a "coffee scholar"). The little reading I've done says that EVIL SPIRIT could be a generic/broad term referring to any type of consequences or torment. Also, the phrase "from God" could be interpreted as something that God "allowed". In other words, Saul's tormenting spirit/painful consequences were not so much sent but allowed by God.

This is deep stuff. The Hebrew language is complex and sheds new light on this interpretive question.

Struggling with 1 Samuel 15

2008-06-11T14:47:00.001-07:00

This weekend at Crossroads I'm preaching on Saul's sad life (one of the greatest train wrecks in the Bible). One of the commands he disobeys is found in 1 Samuel 15--essentially he's to go and totally wipe out the Amalekites, men, women, children, babies, and livestock. The command was clear, yet (in our minds) cruel.

Again, we struggle with the "God of the Old Testament." How do we interpret or deal with a passage like this? It it hyperbole? Not in my opinion. Did God make a mistake and lose his temper? Not in my opinion. Did God really want them ALL destroyed? I believe he did. I believe God meant what he said. The problem is it's impossible for us to see things through God's eyes. For example:

Do we fully grasp God's holiness and justice? How much God hates sin? Do we have a clue how wicked the Amalekites were? That they burnt their children in front of statues of Molech, their idol? That their religion goes down in history as perhaps the most depraved known to mankind?

And do we fully grasp God's patience? He has put up with this vile nation for hundreds of years. This is no "blow-a-fuse" act of God. He's given them plenty of time to repent. Sin ultimately will be punished. Perhaps it was the Amalekites day of judgment.

Finally, do we fully grasp God's mercy? Yes, he commanded innocent children and babies to be killed...but perhaps that was an act of MERCY. No, I haven't gone mad. Think of the corrupt culture those babies/children were being raised in. Think about many of them being sacrificed (burned) to the idol Molech. And remember that children up to a certain age are not held responsible for their sins. Hmm. Maybe this command was an act of mercy--taking those children out of their godless environment to their eternal home in heaven. Maybe this was their only chance/hope of heaven.

Something to think about. I've blogged on this topic earlier. Scroll down for more of my ramblings and feel free to add some insight of your own.

Some BIG Decisions

2008-05-08T13:39:00.001-07:00

Crossroads is facing some "crossroads" of its own these days. Let me spell them out:

1. Do we launch our first satellite campus in Eagan? A church in Eagan (BridgePointe) is looking into the option of merging with us and becoming "Crossroads, Eagan." It would be "us" in Eagan--our style, our DNA, our teaching team, our worship, etc. with some minor tweaking. This is a huge step for both churches. It's risky, messy, and painful. But, it's also a proven way to expand God's kingdom. The potential for reaching thousands more for Christ is there. So...do we do it?
2. Do we keep our current campus and make it our second satellite campus? Call it "Crossroads, Cottage Grove"? Again, our DNA with a different flavor. Our plan has been to sell our Cottage Grove facility. Although we've had a lot of lookers no one has shown us any cash. Is this God's way of telling us to keep the campus and use it for His glory? This is a huge decision. The financial strain it would put on us would be noticeable. But the potential to reach more people for Christ would be there. So...do we keep it?

We're asking the Crossroads family to pray heartily this month. We want to make decisions that are bathed in prayer and led by God's Spirit. Our goal is to get our leaders together the end of May and make the right decision.

Pray for clarity and discernment. Pray that our staff and Elders hear God's voice. Specifically, we're asking everyone to pray during your normal prayer times and pray in your Meal Groups. We're also asking for special times of prayer coupled with fasting on Tuesdays in May. Why fast and pray? It's Biblical... specifically in times needing God's guidance. Abstain from one or more meals for the next 3 Tuesdays and pray during that time.

Feel free to ask questions or add your comments.

The God of the Old Testament

2008-03-19T13:55:00.001-07:00

OK...true confession: I've had a hard time with a lot of the Old Testament passages where God commands the destruction of entire groups of people. We're talking men, women, children, and even infants. This "vengeful, eye-for-an-eye, tooth-for-a-tooth, stone the sinner" kind of God bewilders me sometimes. There seems to be such a disparity between the God I read about in the Old Testament and the grace-filled God I see in the New Testament.

I don't have a lot of air-tight explanations but I would like to offer some random observations.
1. The O.T. world was very different. It was brutally violent. The "one" with the biggest muscles was in charge. How was God to get the attention of these barbaric people? Only one way--by speaking their language. By flexing his muscles and showing the world (by force) that HE was God.
2. Those God commands Israel to utterly destroy were utterly evil. They were guilty of gross sexual sin, as well as a boatload of others. How would God's greater plan of using Israel to bless the world be accomplished if God didn't eliminate and "clear an area" for the Israelites to thrive? What would happen if the Israelites became corrupted by these sin-infested people? People like the Canaanites who sacrificed babies by burning them alive...or who celebrated their victories by smashing the heads of their subjects' infants against rocks? Maybe some had to die so that others could live.
3. God never changes, so maybe the problem is MY ability to understand the God of the O.T. What we do know is that Jesus came to reveal to us God's character. In John 14 Jesus makes it clear that he is the spitting image of the Father. That if you know him (Jesus) you know the Father.

The principle that encourages me is is this: IT'S ALWAYS BEST TO WORK FROM THE KNOWN TO THE UNKNOWN. Since Jesus came and lived among us in clear view...since Jesus is the person in whom God is fully known...we should start with Jesus when asking what God is like. I define God from Jesus.

As John Killinger once said, "Jesus is God's way of getting rid of a bad reputation."

The question for us all is, "Can we trust a God like that (Jesus)?" I don't have to hesitate on that one. The answer is YES!

Stop, sit down, and feast!

2008-02-21T10:29:00.001-08:00

The Crossroads family is on a grand experiment. We're seeing what life is like when we daily sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to his voice...and feast on his Word. We've decided that living on one spiritual meal a week is flat-out stupid. We're tired of neglecting our souls. So, we launched Soul Food, which is more than a message series. It's going to become a way of life for us. Digging into the Word and feeding ourselves each day is going to become as common as taking a shower or eating breakfast. But I believe the results will be anything but common. This "experiment" will change us.

How goes it? We're one week into the Daily Readings. If you miss a day don't give up or beat yourself up. Get at it the next day. And the next. Remember, no one's going to do this for you. And you'll never "have time" to do it. You must make the time. We are each responsible to feed ourselves. Nothing is more important. Nothing has a great pay-off.

So...Stop, sit down, and feast!

Lovin' Leviticus

2008-02-11T15:18:00.000-08:00

OK...I'm kidding. I'm not really loving reading through the Old Testament book of Leviticus. I'm struggling through it (I'm in speed-reading mode right now). I'm getting a little weary of all the procedures. Do we really need a chapter of the Bible on "bodily discharges" (chapt. 15)?

Sometimes I think that God needs a better editor. Books like Leviticus don't turn people into raving fans of the Bible. But, Leviticus is in the Bible, so I'm reading it.

I guess there's a message for us in the book. I think the message is GOD IS HOLY AND HE EXPECTS US TO BE HOLY TOO. God's people were nomads on a journey. A very long journey. Along this journey they needed rules for worship and community. For hygiene and health. Leviticus spells out the rules in great detail.

But there was also a day coming when they'd arrive in Canaan. Canaan wasn't God-friendly territory. Gods and goddesses were everywhere. And the people needed many reminders that their God rules. That He was unlike any other god. He was the real deal and approaching HIM was to be done very carefully. Every detail matters to this God. Thus, the endless instructions and meticulous preparations. God is holy and he expects us to be holy too.

I guess I'll keep plodding along in Levitcus. It reminds me that God demands my best, and that every aspect of my life matters to him. It also makes me so grateful for Jesus, who came and sacrificed his life to make me holy and acceptable to God.

Good days...

2008-02-04T16:11:00.000-08:00

Excitement is building around Crossroads these days. Our much needed "bigger box" (new building on our new site) is actually going up right now. It's exciting to drive by the Woodbury Drive site and see vertical movement. We're targeting an early December '08 opening.

Our Meal Group movement of transformation is growing. It's been so exciting to see hundreds connected together around a meal, learning, praying, and serving together. Go to www.mealgroups.com for all the latest news.

Our post-Christmas growth spurt is very noticeable. Dozens of new people have made Crossroads their home since the first of the year. Many are being profoundly impacted by our weekend services. Registration for The Core (our membership class) is at an all-time high.

Our Soul Food series is off to a great start. The stories we're hearing about the impact the Divine Mentor book is having in people's lives is amazing. As we begin to feast daily on God's Word as a church, we will change. The spiritual famine will end...at least at Crossroads. DON'T MISS THIS WEEKEND as we unveil the self-feeding plan that we are committing ourselves to. It will rock your world!

These are good days at Crossroads. I am so grateful that God is at work and we get to be part of this together.

What "No perfect people allowed" doesn't mean

2008-01-17T09:07:00.000-08:00

We've recently been criticized by a few people who say our motto (no perfect people allowed) is nothing more than an empty slogan. The criticisms have come as a result of us confronting a couple of people in our church regarding their sin (which we thankfully rarely have to do). The sin we confronted was out in the open for all to see. It was sin the couple agreed was occurring. It was sin the couple refused to turn away from and receive any help with. It was sin that was creating some divisiveness in our community of faith.

The criticism is: What right do we have to exercise church discipline on sinners? Our sign says, No perfect people allowed. We're all sinners, right? Who do we think we are confronting people and calling them to repent of their sins? And what right do we have to ever ask someone to leave our church if they refuse to repent after a period of time?

First, the Bible calls us to exercise church discipline when needed. There is Biblical teaching that clearly outlines the process church leaders are to follow. Read Matthew 18:15-18; 1 Corinthians 5:6-13; Galatians 6:1; Titus 3:10; etc. We not only are called to do this in the Bible, but we leaders are held accountable to God if we don't! Our motive for this is always love--to help the person(s) turn from sin and live the kind of life that God blesses.

Second, our motto "no perfect people allowed" isn't an excuse to sin boldly. It doesn't mean we go light on sin or say "whatever" when those around us sin. It means we acknowledge that we're all sinners. It means we all humble ourselves before God and each other, striving to become more like Christ. It means we come out of the closet, admit our sin, turn from it, get help, and grow. It doesn't mean I come out of the closet, refuse to do anything, and expect everyone to let me do my thing.

In John 8:1-11 Jesus shows us how to deal with others who sin. He cared about the woman caught in adultery. He treated her gracefully. But note what he said to her in vs. 10: "Go and sin no more." Jesus called her to leave her life of sin. He expected her to make a change. We are to do the same for each other.

Here's my formula:
Struggling with sin yet open to exploring God's counsel...OK.
Refusing to deal with blatant sin...not OK.

Culture Shift

2008-01-14T14:23:00.000-08:00

Every church has a culture. Our "culture" refers to who we are or what marks us. There are so many things I love about the culture of Crossroads. Want a few examples? I love the culture of change here. Change is a given. We embrace it. We're not afraid to try new things (and bury them quickly if they don't work). I also love the culture of generosity at Crossroads. We may not be the richest church, but the sacrificial giving at Crossroads is off-the-charts. I could go on...

One of the things we want to add to our culture is to be people of The Word. People of the Book. People who value the Bible enough to read, reflect, and apply it to our lives on a daily basis. The book we'll be studying soon in Meal Groups (The Divine Mentor) is going to challenge us in this area. I'm so excited. As we get into God's Word and God's Word gets into us, we will be changed. Not just our culture, but our lives and our church.

PLEASE, get in a Meal Group. Meal Groups are where we're going to learn how to get into The Bible on our own. Meal Groups are where we're going to hold each other accountable to prioritize time in God's Word each day. Our next Meal Group launch happens on January 26-27. It truly is the start of something big here at Crossroads.

A Partnership That Works

2007-12-17T13:04:00.000-08:00

I love it when church staff members and church attenders work together for good.

We've been doing this for years at Crossroads. We say to church attenders: "You build relationships with people who are far from God. You invest in the lives of those you work with or go to school with or live next door to. You show them the love of Jesus. And you invite them to Crossroads."

What we (the church staff) will do is to create weekend services with the person you're inviting in mind. We will raise the issues you may be afraid or unable to raise. We will clearly and creatively present the claims of Christ. We will give the person you invite an opportunity to meet Jesus.

Christmas Eve is coming! Who in your relational circle needs to hear about Jesus? Who can you invite to one of our eight services? Only YOU can invite your friend, neighbor, or co-worker. And as you invite them, be assured that we are putting an inordinate amount of energy into making our Christmas Eve experiences the best they can be.

That's a partnership that works!

My Yearly Christmas Rant

2007-12-11T07:54:00.000-08:00

Every year around this time, I seize the opportunity to express my disgust with what we have done with the Christmas season. You know...the mindless consumerism...the quest to find gifts for people who have way too much stuff already. Although it sickens me, I'm not going to go on my traditional rant (you may argue I just did).

Instead, I want to share an observation. Last night as I was writing a Christmas card to our sponsored child in Swaziland it hit me--"Merry Christmas" means something radically different to her than to us. Kulilie lives in a hut. Her dad is dead and her mom is gone. For breakfast, lunch, and supper she eats mushed up corn. She plays with sticks and rocks. She has no idea what an IPod or Wii console are. She doesn't care about the writer's strike in Hollywood, because she's never watched TV. A Merry Christmas for her isn't about what's under a tree. For her, it's that Jesus loves her and came to earth for her and is watching over her.

My prayer is that Christmas will come to mean the same to us. Merry Christmas, Kulilie. And Merry Christmas to you all.

Jesus' Mandate

2007-11-29T12:03:00.000-08:00

Jesus' mandate in Matthew 28:19-20 is that we go into all the world and make disciples. The key word there is disciples--not converts. Disciples are fully devoted followers of Christ. Disciples aren't content with 90% obedience. They realize that 90% is 10% short of what God desires.

So, how are we doing in the disciple-making business? My answer is we're making progress! We're in the process of making our discipleship process clear and easy to follow. We want people to attend weekend worship, where they will be inspired to follow Christ and grow in their faith. From the weekend they attend Slice of Crossroads, where they meet the staff, get a feel for the DNA of Crossroads, and hear about what it means to have a relationship with Christ. From there we point everyone to The Core, which is our 6-week "Christianity 101" class. Then, all roads lead to Meal Groups. MG's are where we pray together, serve together, eat/connect together, and study together.

One thing we're going to add to our process is a personal, "self-feeding" step...we want to inspire everyone at Crossroads to be in God's Word daily (to learn to feed oneself). Nothing compares with personally hearing from God every day from the Bible. We'll be spending a couple of months early in '08 learning how to do this.

Like the roads in Minnesota, our process is under construction!

Would Anyone Give a Rip?

2007-11-17T09:15:00.000-08:00

Here's a good question: if all the churches closed down in our town, would anyone care? Would anyone grieve (outside of the pastors who'd lose their jobs)? Would anyone give a rip?

And outside of the obvious--no more church services, pot-lucks, pig roasts, bake sales, paper drives, pancake breakfasts, etc.--would the community REALLY be worse off? I hope the answer is YES. The church is supposed to be the hope of the world. The church is supposed to be the vehicle Jesus uses to prevail against the darkness. The church is supposed to be leading the charge in bringing what's happening in heaven right now to this earth.

We're working hard to do that at Crossroads. We're committed to making Crossroads a "mission outpost"...a movement of Jesus people doing Jesus stuff. We're going to keep leaning into the messiness of the world and be part of the remedy.

"Feed Me! Feed Me!"

2007-10-25T07:41:00.000-07:00

In my last post I talked about the famine in the church. We have starving sheep crying out to their shepherds/pastors, "Feed me, feed me!"

I've heard the cry at Crossroads and I promise to do my very best to make sure the meal that I've prepared for you (under the direction of the Holy Spirit) is nutritious. But, regardless of what is prepared and dished out on the weekend, we all need more than ONE good meal to be healthy. Sheep (myself included) need to fed daily. We must learn to be self-feeders--people who take God's Word and read it reflectively and meditatively. As Wayne Cordeiro writes, "Are you going to choose to feed yourself, rather than waiting to be spoon-fed once a week?

The problem with most of us is we're lazy. It's a lot easier to blame someone else than to accept the responsibility to get into the Word ourselves. That takes discipline. And time.

Speaking of time, I have to sign off. It's time for my self-feeding.

Famine in the Church

2007-10-11T10:09:00.000-07:00

I'm reading an amazing book right now called The Divine Mentor. The author, Wayne Cordeiro, talks about a famine in the church today. Even though we in the church have a plethora of Christian books, events, seminars, on-line sermons, stacks of Bibles, etc. (last year we Americans spent 59 billion dollars on Christian products and programs), Cordeiro says we're suffering from spiritual malnutrition.

I hate to say it, but I think he's right.

What's the problem? Why the famine? Who should we blame? I'll leave those questions hanging so we all have something to think about.

What Bothers You?

2007-10-02T08:52:00.000-07:00

As we try to discern God's chazown (vision) for our lives we have to listen to our hearts. We have to look at what bothers us. I'm not talking about things like people who drive while putting on make up (I followed a woman doing that this morning). Or the people with 16 items in the 15 items or less check-out line (you know who you are!). I'm talking about things that aren't right with the world. Things that we look at and get disturbed by. Things that we know break God's heart. Things that we get prodded or prompted to do something about.

For me, it's churches going through the motions. It's churches that are failing to reach out to their community. It's churches that are nothing more than a social club. It's churches that fail to see themselves as the hope of the world.

That reality bothers me so much that I decided to become a pastor and lead a church. And that reality bothers me so much that I invest time teaching future church leaders at Bethel Seminary.

What bothers you? And...what are you doing about it? The answer to the first question will point you to your chazown. More on this topic this weekend at Crossroads. Hope to see you then.

A Movement of Transformation

2007-09-28T06:58:00.000-07:00

That's our theme this year at Crossroads. We want to birth a movement of transformation. That's why we launched Meal Groups across the board. To slow down. To create space for God to work in and through us. To force us all into the rhythms of Jesus--prayer, servanthood, eating and building community with friends, etc. We know we've hit the "get into a Meal Group message" hard (a little out of our norm), but we label this our "win" at Crossroads. It's how we measure progress. It's really, really important.

Is getting into a Meal Group the end all? Is that all that spiritual maturity is about? No. We also need a daily time one-on-one with God where we learn to "feed ourselves"...where we (like Jesus did) get away alone and listen to and connect with God through meditating on Scripture and prayer. This one-on-one daily time with God will be the topic of discussion in Meal Groups in January. We have an amazing book lined up to study.

For now...it's Chazown time in Meal Groups...catching God's vision for our lives. Enjoy.

Green Light

2007-09-13T13:10:00.000-07:00

At last night's City Council meeting in Woodbury, we received the green light to move forward with our relocation project! Yea, God. It's been quite an ordeal. All the obstacles have been cleared. After we negotiate our "Developer's Agreement" we'll apply for a building permit and start moving dirt.

How does a move in date of Christmas Eve '08 sound to everyone? Hopefully we won't have to have 8 services like we'll most likely have this year. I'd be happy with 4.

My hat goes off to all who've been praying for God's favor on this project, and to Warren and our tireless Building Team for their persistence.

Why I want to do away with "church membership"

2007-09-01T07:33:00.000-07:00

That's right. I'm tired of "church membership" and want to do away with it. It smells way too much like our consumeristic society. Membership and entitlement go together. For example, as a member of the YMCA, I expect to be warmly greeted when I walk in the doors, I expect the locker rooms to be clean, I expect the racquetball court floors to be dusted, and I expect all the right equipment to be available to keep my aging body buff.

Membership is all about me--how am I benefited by belonging to __________? There's little thought about how I can contribute to the organization. There's very little ownership on my part.

I see this all the time with church membership. Person XYZ joins Crossroads back in 1996. They quit attending in 2002 but still want to be on the "active membership list." They call in prayer requests, they borrow chairs and tables for grad parties, they book the church for weddings, and they expect a visit from a pastor when hospitalized. Hey, they're "members" after all.

I don't see that as being Biblical. Church members shouldn't be asking, HOW CAN THIS BENEFIT ME? The question should be, HOW CAN I USE WHAT GOD'S GIVEN ME TO HELP OTHERS? HOW CAN I CONTRIBUTE TO THE MISSION?

I've read about a few churches who are moving from "church member" to "ministry partner." I like it. I think it's time to raise the bar.

Genesis 6--Noah Notes

2007-08-20T11:18:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned this past weekend in speaking on Noah/Ark, a couple of topics rise to the surface:
1. Who are the "sons of God" who had sex with women on the earth (Genesis 6:2-4)?
2. How could people live hundreds of years of age in the ancient world (Adam lived 930 years, Noah lived 950 years)?

Let me quickly tackle these. The phrase "sons of God" generally refers to angels in the Old Testament. Many scholars believe that what's happening in Gen. 6 is that fallen angels (also known as evil spirits) are either having intercourse with the women of earth themselves; or, they have possessed the bodies of men who are marrying women and having sex. Regardless, these unions are producing a race of strange beings called Nephilim (see Numbers 13:31-33). These Nephilim were a race of gians...the word Nephilim means "fallen ones." For further information, go to www.gotquestions.org/Nephilim.

What about the length of life in the Old Testament? In 4,000 B.C., people like Adam and Methuselah and others lived past 900 years of age! And then by 2,000 B.C., people like Abraham lived to 175 years of age. But by around 1,000 B.C., David only lived to 71 years of age. What's going on? My simple answer--NO McDonalds and NO Krispy Kreme donuts!!

Seriously, this is confusing stuff. I've read a bunch of theories--fewer viruses back then, a pre-flood canopy or vapor covered the earth and filtered out radiation, sin had yet to wreck the planet, etc. I'm pretty clueless. I'd encourage others to blog on this and point you to www.reason.org (go to Facts for Faith, Issue 5, article on "long life span") for further reading.

This Weekend--Baptizo!

2007-08-16T09:39:00.000-07:00

It's "baptizo" weekend at Crossroads. Baptizo is the Greek word for baptism. It means to dip, immerse, or submerge. We will be submerging over 40 people. I love this yearly event. I love it when people meet Christ and then publicly identify with Christ through baptism.

These folks are saying, "I have decided to follow Jesus." Baptizo is a beautiful picture--as the person is dunked, it's a picture of their sins being buried through Christ's death. As the person rises out of the water, it's a picture of their new life in Christ.

Join us as we celebrate God's transforming power at our main services. Then come to Bayport Lakeside Park on Sunday as we picnic and cheer on those being baptized. It all starts at 1 pm.

The Giants of Life

2007-08-01T13:46:00.000-07:00

I was totally overwhelmed by this past weekend. After speaking on the David/Goliath story, I asked the main service crowd to identify the "giant" in their life that they need to face. We wrote them down on cards. Hundreds were submitted. Hundreds.

As our staff read over the lengthy list, we were humbled and (frankly) stunned. We have a lot of struggling, hurting people at Crossroads. I guess that shouldn't surprise me. It goes with the territory. It was the number of people wrestling with alcohol, anger, debt, marriage, addictions, loneliness, and depression that got us.

I am grateful, though, for the openness of our church. We have a climate at Crossroads where it's OK to admit our imperfections and ask for help. Today our Prayer Team and Staff prayed over every entry on every card. We prayed for David-like courage to confront that which keeps us from becoming the people God wants us to be.

I am also planning on putting a message series together from the list. A series on facing our fears or a series on getting rid of unwanted "baggage" or ??

As we finished praying over the list, we were all exhausted. The good news is that the One we prayed to wasn't. God is bigger than any giant in our lives. Claim that truth. Move forward boldly. Do whatever has to be done.

I'm proud of you all.

Did you know...

2007-07-24T13:05:00.000-07:00

1,107 families/households make up Crossroads Church? Here's the breakdown of the major groupings:

664 are from Cottage Grove
101 are from Woodbury
73 are from Hastings
65 are from St. Paul Park
23 are from Inver Grove Heights
19 are from Newport
15 are from Oakdale

My guess is when we move those numbers will change dramatically. The Oakdale, Woodbury, and even Hudson numbers will increase.

Each number is important because behind the numbers are people. People who need Jesus. People who need to grow. People who need to connect with others in meaningful community. People who need a cause bigger than themselves to live for.

Whatever your zip code is...we're glad you're along for the ride!

Terry Foss Is Coming

2007-07-19T18:47:00.000-07:00

We're excited to announce that Terry Foss will be joining our staff as an associate worship pastor! Terry has been our #1 candidate since we did our nationwide search 8 months ago. Terry, his wife, and 2 children will be moving from NJ to MN the end of August.

The Foss' will also be with us for another visit in 2 weekends. We'll have a Q & A with Terry at our main services (he'll also sing a great Casting Crowns song at the end of the service). Ryan and the "worship gang" will also have a reception for the Foss' while they're in town.

This is good news. We look forward to the Foss' becoming part of our church community.

No Perfect People Allowed

2007-07-03T08:36:00.000-07:00

I think it's safe to say that the phrase "no perfect people allowed" marks us as a church. It's more than a slogan or a sign at our doors. It (authenticity, grace, acceptance) has permeated this place.

The group that came in last weekend from MN Teen Challenge noticed it. Many commented that they had never been more warmly welcomed and embraced. They felt like they belonged...that there wasn't an "us vs. them" feeling at Crossroads.

Authenticity means we don't hide our humanity. We don't pretend we're something that we're not. We're all sinners...all in process...all under construction just like the roads in MN...all in pursuit of the Perfect One.

Hiring Staff

2007-06-20T12:27:00.000-07:00

When a staff position is created or opens up at Crossroads, we are very intentional about finding the right person to fit the position.
1. A detailed job description is created.
2. A Search Team is formed (usually an Elder, a staff member or two, and several lay people involved in the area of ministry are part of the team).
3. The Search Team "searches"--collects resumes and interviews potential candidates for the position.
4. A recommendation is brought to the Board of Elders.
5. The Elders interview the candidate and make a decision to hire them or bring them to the congregation for the final decision.

When does the congregation make the call? According to our constitution, when Senior level staff are hired. In the current hires, James Racine is working under Jake Kerschner and is not Senior staff, and Terry Foss (candidate for Associate Worship Pastor...yet to be decided) will be working under Ryan Lunceford and will not need congregational buy in.

Sometimes we do a nationwide search (Terry Foss) and other times our search doesn't go outside the walls of our church (James Racine). Our goal is to ALWAYS first discern whether or not someone from within Crossroads can fill the open position. We love to hire from within--that person knows us and we know them. They "bleed" our DNA. If we don't have an insider that fits the position, we go outside.

Here's what we look for always:
Chemistry: do they fit on our team?
Character: are they mature in their faith and manifest the fruit of God's Spirit?
Competency: are they able to perform the duties of the job well?

As Senior Pastor, I always have a voice in the process. After 23 years of being a lead pastor, I realize how important it is to get the right people "on the bus and in the right seats." We take hiring very seriously.

That's the process. If you have any comments or questions, blog away.

More Staff Transitions

2007-06-19T07:40:00.000-07:00

Last night the Board of Elders agreed to hire James Racine to a 1-year interim position as Sr. High Pastor. James came in as the recommended candidate from the Search Team. James has grown up in our "system" and has our DNA all over him. He's been involved serving in the ministry and is the natural candidate to step in and fill James Brown's shoes.

Why a 1-year interim position? Because of James' inexperience and age. The 1-year period will be a time for James to be groomed and mentored by our staff. We fully anticipate that James will grow and shine and prove himself during this year.

We heard from many of our students saying, "You guys better hire James Racine!" After interviewing him, we agreed!

How does Crossroads hire staff? What's the process? I'll address that in my next blog.

More Transitions

2007-06-14T19:51:00.000-07:00

If you received my last Cyber Update, you know that Adult Ministries Pastor Steve Bristol has made a decision to transition from Crossroads. Steve has sensed God's nudging to become a lead or senior pastor. Although we hate to see Steve leave, we know that God has something new in store for Steve. Steve's been with us 5 years. It's going to be hard to say goodbye.

Please pray for Steve and his family. As they look at all the options, pray that God would guide them to the exact right fit. We're all hoping that Steve can find something in our region so we can stay in contact with each other and mutually encourage each other.

This transition may take weeks or months. During this time Steve will continue to oversee adult education and work on several special projects at Crossroads.

That's enough for now...

Transitions

2007-06-12T07:28:00.000-07:00

One of the keys to building an effective church is to get the right staff members "on the bus" and pointed in the right direction. As a church grows larger and larger, it's very common for staffers to switch seats or move into new seats. As of today, James Brown (Sr. High Pastor) is transitioning to a newly formed seat on the Crossroads bus--Groups Pastor.

As Groups Pastor, James will oversee what we believe to be the heart and soul of Crossroads (getting people into groups where connecting, serving, caring/praying, and learning is happening). James will cast vision, train leaders, and oversee numerous group launches over the year. He will also continue to be on our Teaching Team for weekends.

What about Sr. High? We have a team that's already been meeting and putting an interim plan together. Our goal is to announce an interim Sr. High Pastor yet this month!

Now you're "in the know."

Disturbing Prayer

2007-06-05T10:50:00.000-07:00

The staff at Crossroads are formulating goals for the new ministry year right now. As I've been contemplating my own goals, I ran across this prayer by Sir Francis Drake: "Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves. When our dreams have come true because we dreamed too little. When we arrive safely because we have sailed too close to the shore. Disturb us, Lord."

It's a scary prayer...but a good one. I know I sail too close to the shore too often. I want to push off into deeper water. I want to allow God to disturb me with a bigger dream and vision of what he wants to see happen at Crossroads. So, I'm praying the prayer..."disturb me, Lord."

I dare you to do the same.

A big weekend at Crossroads...

2007-05-30T09:15:00.000-07:00

Here's a shameless plug for this weekend...

1. On Saturday (9 am until noon) we have a totally free garage sale for our community. That's right--we're giving away everything. Crazy? Yea, but it's in our genes. If you have some great stuff (not junk) you'd like to contribute, please bring it by church on Thursday or Friday (we'll be sorting things on Friday night). Why do we do this kind of thing? To give God glory and to show that the BEST things in life (His grace/love) are free.

2. Spiritual MythBusters, part 4. This week we'll put the common belief that "God will never give you more than you can handle" to the test. ALSO, THE AFRICA MISSIONS TEAM WILL BE GIVING AN UPDATE this weekend about their life-changing experience.

Don't miss this weekend!!!

The Myths That Make Us Miserable

2007-05-12T09:28:00.000-07:00

This weekend we launch a new series called Spritual MythBusters. It's all about exposing and debunking the lies we believe. WHAT LIES ARE YOU BELIEVING? Don't fast-forward past the question. I would argue that every day (without even knowing it) we are fed lies that we embrace as truth. When we do that, we are taken captive by the evil one. The GOOD NEWS is Jesus came to release the captives (see Luke 4:18). This "release" happens through the Truth that we find in God's Word (see John 8:32).

Back to the big question: WHAT LIES ARE YOU BELIEVING? One of mine over the years has been "I Must Be Perfect." That lie believed as truth has driven me and haunted me. It's why my greatest fear is the fear of failure. It's why I work too many hours. It's why I shy back from taking on assignments that I'm not sure I can succeed in. It's why I hesitate to share my struggles (imperfections) with anyone.

God is slowly setting me free from this lie and its consequences. It all starts, though, with identifying the lie. Stop what you're doing right now and identify 1-2 lies you've allowed to make you miserable. What is God's truth that will set you free?

Kids Stuff Q&A, part 5

2007-05-03T08:04:00.000-07:00

More questions...

Q: How do we get our kindergartner to stop crawling into bed with us at 3 am?
A: I have no idea! Lock your door? I'm guessing the easy thing would be to allow it. The harder thing would be to bring the child back to their own bed every time it happens until they stop. Also, talk out what's going on...why is the child wanting to crawl into bed with you? Is there some fear that needs to be faced? I invite others to comment on this question. What's worked for you?

Q: I feel like I discipline my child, but yet if she doesn't get what she wants she will throw herself on the ground and throw a tantrum. How can I get her to stop the tantrums?
A: By not giving into them! Regardless of how embarrassing it is, never give into their little manipulative games. I know when you're at Cub and the kid is on the floor "doing her thing" you'll want to cave in, but don't do it. Kids are like wild stallions--they must be broken of their childish ways. Lastly, remember, that this too will pass!

Kids Stuff Q&A, part 4

2007-04-30T14:15:00.000-07:00

Q: What do you do when you're a single mom and never have a break...and become so angry that you just spank and yell at your kids all the time?
A: I can't imagine how hard it must be for the person who asked this question. I have no easy answers for you. Pray a lot...ask God to give you that "extra gear" that you need to do the hard work of parenting. Also, let us help you. Crossroads is a family. We have play groups for moms and other programming that may link you to other parents in your predicament. We have Life Groups made up of people who care. Some groups even allow kids to be part of the group. What I'm saying is don't walk through this season alone. God and His people care.

Kid Stuff, Q & A, part 3

2007-04-26T12:26:00.000-07:00

Q: How does a single mom continue to discipline and guide a child when the other parent is "the pal" and tells the child he doesn't need to obey?

A: I received several question like this one. Unfortunately, most divorces are ugly. In fact, I can count on one hand how many "friendly divorces" I've seen in my life. Usually there is so much hurt that ex-spouses try to get back at each other...too often kids get caught in the cross-fire or used as pawns to wound the ex. My response is that ex-spouses have to drop their weapons and call a cease fire when it comes to the kids and raising them right. Great effort and energy must be put into "same page alignment" when it comes to parenting. Sit down with your ex and say, "We may hate each other, but there's one thing we love in common, our kids. And if we don't come together and cooperate and do what's best for them, we will ruin them just like we ruined our marriage." What I'm saying is sit down and be mature and agree to a parenting strategy that's best for the kids. No more games.

I know this won't be easy. Make the attempt. Do your best. Take the first step. That's all you can do. I applaud you for not giving up or giving in and taking the easy way out.

Kid Stuff, Q & A, part 2

2007-04-25T11:29:00.000-07:00

Q: Would you say a blanket NO to letting kids play traveling sports?

A: If I had the courage I would! Seriously, traveling sports is a curse and a blessing. My opinion is that they do more harm than good. There's a lot of research out there that says kids/teens have lost their ability to do anything on their own because everything is now organized for them by adults. They no longer have the ability to "entertain" themselves. The other down-side regarding traveling sports is it gobbles up practically every night of the week. That's bad for everyone. When does a family just hang out together and do nothing? When do they sit around the supper table and talk and not have to worry about running off to practice or a game? I would argue that it's 10 times better for a kid to play catch in the backyard with a parent than to be in a traveling sport. Parents, don't be afraid to go against the grain on this issue.

Kids Stuff Q&A

2007-04-23T13:19:00.000-07:00

OK...I'm overwhelmed with questions from the weekend (true confession #1) AND I'm no expert when it comes to raising kids (true confession #2). But, I'll give each question my best shot.

Q #1: What advice do you have for parents who have "twixters" (22-26 year olds) living at home free of charge? How do we parents at this stage get the adult child to move on?

A: First, I'd have to ask why they're home. Is it for a good reason (saving $ for college or paying off college debt before moving out) or a bad reason ("I just want to have fun and no responsibility")? If it's for good reasons, give them a little slack. If they just want to sponge off of you and not grow up, I think you have to set some clear boundaries with them. Tell them you love them but you no longer will contribute to their immaturity. Give them a date when one of 2 things will happen: A. They will start paying you for room and board; or, B. They will move out. What I've heard from parents who have done this is that once the Twixter starts paying for room and board they don't stay home very long. Don't wait another day to do this. And, once that "day" is determined you MUST stick with it without wavering.

Kid Stuff

2007-04-17T08:21:00.000-07:00

Since we're in a parenting series right now, I thought I'd respond to a question I get regularly: Do I force my kid to go to church even if he/she doesn't want to?

The question bugs me. We work really hard to create an experience at Crossroads that is appealing to kids and teens and adults. I get bummed when kids (and teens) don't want to show up. Oh well...

My response to the question is YES, force kids to go to church. Will they whine? Will they pat you on the back for forcing them to do something they don't want to do? You know the answers to those questions. Kids need to learn, however, to do things (that are good for them) even if they don't want to do them. Do you force your kids to go to school? Yes. Do you force your kids to go to bed at night? Yes. Do you force them to eat healthy foods? Yes.

The rule of thumb is as long as they are living under your roof you have every right to expect them to attend church with you. Does that include teens? Yep. Young adults still living at home? Probably (although how you "enforce" this value differs greatly from kids/teens).

I didn't like going to church as a kid/teen. In fact, I hated it!! But, it wasn't optional. And even though my church was dysfunctionally boring, I still learned and benefited greatly from it.

Parents...you are the boss...you call the shots...you lead the way.

Some quick announcements...

2007-04-09T12:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks, everyone, for making Easter '07 a smashing success. We had a well-mobilized army of volunteers who made things happen. Many of you invited and brought friends. The numbers are still being tallied, but the response was overwhelming. We had over 1,000 guests join us at Park High School. Many took a step of faith and made a commitment to follow the Risen Christ.

This weekend 2 big things are happening:
At our main services we're launching a new parenting series called "Kid Stuff". This weekend we'll talk about what's on a parent's Job Description.

At Sanctuary (our Sunday evening service at 6 pm), Rabbi Ed Rothman will be our guest. Rabbi Ed is a Messianic Jewish Rabbi (he believes that Jesus is the Messiah). He will enlighten us about the Jewish roots of our faith and answer questions regarding Judaism. If you're not "into" the parenting series, give Sanctuary a try. You're also welcome to go to Sanctuary even if you go to the main services!

That's it for now.

Life without Christ

2007-04-07T11:37:00.000-07:00

I was trying to imagine what my life would be like today if I hadn't surrendered my life to Christ back in the mid 70's. Obviously, I wouldn't be a pastor!! Since my goal in my BC (before Christ) days was to be filthy rich, I'm guessing that's what I'd be right now. I'd be using my business degree to make some serious dough. My guess (I know myself pretty well) is I'd be a workaholic, self-centered business guy climbing the corporate ladder...not content until I get to the very top. I'm not sure what my addiction of choice would be, but I know I'd have at least one.

I have nothing against making money or being in business, but I'm so glad God got my attention. On this day before Easter I marvel at God's ability to change a person. I am grateful that God saved me from myself, and gave me a bigger purpose to live for. The verse that has struck me recently comes from Philippians 3:8 "Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ and become one with him."

Happy Easter!

Open Doors

2007-04-02T10:22:00.000-07:00

The Apostle Paul talked a lot about doors. He was a man on a mission. He asked God to open up doors for him so that the Good News about Christ could spread everywhere. This past weekend at Crossroads we committed to praying for the same thing--open doors to impact others and point others to the Risen Lord.

We thought of people we know who are far from God...people missing out on God's best...people not connected to God and His family. We committed to pray for them. To invest in their lives. To invite them to a place like Crossroads where they can hear about the life that Christ offers. Those people are on our "Easter radar screen". At the end of the service we walked up to one of three doors in the Sanctuary and wrote their names on a door. 1,232 names were submitted!

1,232 people. All made in God's image. All people for whom Christ died. To see a church that "gets it", that "gives a rip" about those outside its doors, is a beautiful thing.

Re-imagining Church

2007-03-15T12:43:00.000-07:00

What if...? I've been asking myself that question since I left the church of my youth. It's taken me years to get over the church I attended for the first 18 years of my life. Sadly, most of those I grew up with in that church, have left the church and have never returned.

What if church was more than something you "attend" and "endure" for an hour or so on a weekend?
What if church was more than a building you walk into?
What if church was a movement...a group of Jesus-like people who penetrated the world and did Jesus-like stuff?
What if churches measured their success not by the number of people sitting in the pews, but by the number of people serving the community by being the hands, feet, and voice of Jesus today?

That kind of church would "smell good" to those on the outside. With God's help, that's the kind of church we're trying to build at Crossroads.

Slowing down

2007-02-20T06:40:00.000-08:00

Hope you're staying up with the 40 DAYS prayer journal and reading Bill Hybels' book on prayer. Chapter 11 in Hybels' book hit me pretty hard last night. Here of a few things I jotted down as I read:

I cannot live an authentically spiritual life on the run.
Busyness is the archenemy of spiritual authenticity.
Spiritual health takes time--not left-over time or throwaway time--but quality time.
Hearing God's voice only happens as I reduce the RPM's in my mind.
The best way to reduce RPM's is through journaling.

The question that I wrote at the top of my journal was: AM I FAR TOO BUSY FOR MY SPIRITUAL HEALTH?

40 Days of Prayer has got me back to journaling and writing out my prayers on a much more regular basis. My commitment to my spiritual health has gone up several notches. I'd love to hear from you--what has 40 Days of Prayer done for you?

Do we really believe this...?

2007-02-14T11:33:00.000-08:00

One of the classic books on prayer is one by O. Hallesby called Prayer. In it he writes: "The work of praying is prerequisite to all other work in the kingdom of God, for the simple reason that it is by prayer that we couple the powers which can turn water into wine and remove mountains in our own life and in the lives of others, the powers which can awaken those who sleep in sin and raise up the dead, the powers which can capture strongholds and make the impossible possible."

My guess is we're all nodding in agreement with that paragraph. Intellectually, we believe that about prayer. Practically, however, few of us really believe there's that kind of power in prayer. If we did, we'd pray a lot more than we do.

These days I'm trying to narrow the gap between the intellectual and the practical. I'm trying to live more like "it's all up to God" so I better pray like crazy, and less like "it's all up to me and my giftedness" so I better work my tail off.

Comments?

Why I won't write a book on prayer...

2007-02-05T15:24:00.000-08:00

There are 2 main reasons why I'd never write a book on prayer:

1. Because I'm still a novice at prayer after being a Christian for over 30 years.
2. Because I can sum up the key to prayer in 1 word--commitment. I'm not sure a 1-word book would sell very well. People would scan the 1-page, 1-word book at Borders and not have to buy it.

Those who devote themselves to prayer do so because they're committed to prayer. They stay at it regardless of how they feel, regardless of how busy they are, and regardless of how angry or upset they get toward God.

If absolute commitment isn't there, we will give up on prayer. I want to have the same commitment to prayer that Daniel had in the Bible (see Daniel 6). When Daniel was told to stop praying to God and start praying to the king (or die), he went home, opened the windows and prayed to God AS USUAL (vs. 10). Daniel had a thing going with God. Nothing got in the way. That's where I want to be some day. When I get there, maybe I'll write the book, afterall.

Great prayers of the Bible

2007-01-31T12:19:00.000-08:00

This weekend at Crossroads we'll be looking at the greatest prayer in the Bible--the model prayer that Jesus gave to his disciples. We have much to learn from it. The good news is there are hundreds of prayers to learn from in the Bible. I've listed several actual prayers below. Each gives an example of someone talking to God about a particular issue...and each teaches us something unique about prayer:

Genesis 18: Abraham's plea for Sodom
Exodus 15: Moses' song of praise to God
Exodus 33: Moses meets with God
2 Samuel 7: David's response to God's promises
2 Chronicles 20: Jehoshaphat prays for victory
Ezra 9: Ezra's prayer for the people's sins
Psalm 22: A cry to God for help
Psalm 51: David's prayer of confession after committing adultery
Daniel 9: Daniel's prayer for the salvation of Jerusalem
Habakkuk 3: A prophet's prayer of acceptance
John 17: Jsus's prayer for unity among his followers
Colossians 1: Paul's prayer of thanksgiving

Happy reading! Remember, though, the best prayer you can pray is your own. Be real. Keep it simple. Keep it short (Jesus' model prayer is only 57 words in the original Greek).

Take a holiday...pray!

2007-01-29T12:14:00.000-08:00

I stumbled on a great quote I'm going to use this weekend on prayer. Simon Tugwell writes: (in prayer) "God invites us to take a holiday, to stop being God for awhile, and let him be God...We can stop doing all those important things we have to do in our capacity as God, and leave it to him to be God."

As one who took a holiday (vacation) from Dec. 26-Jan. 4, I can say that holidays are good things. We got away for nearly 2 weeks and did NOTHING! We had no TV, no phones, no computers, and no worries. I had no sermons to write...no emails to return...no "water issues" or other issues to solve...no staff to manage...no meetings to attend.

Tugwell's point is that prayer is like a holiday. It's me stopping long enough to remind myself that I'm not God. The weight of the world is not on my shoulders. Prayer is me turning over to God the things that I cannot handle or change.

I invite you to join me right now and take a holiday...pray!

Forward Movement

2007-01-24T14:40:00.000-08:00

In case you haven't heard, our water issue has been resolved with our new property! We're going to bring water in (via a tanker truck) and store it in a large holding tank. This water then will be pumped into our building and service our water needs. Note that this is a temporary solution until city water from Woodbury makes its way to our land (2-3 years).

Originally we were going to pay to bring water up from Cottage Grove and then when water was available from Woodbury we'd have to pay for it too. In essence, we were going to be double paying for water. This BandAid solution will save us a boatload of money in the long run.

Our next step is finish our design phase and submit it to the city. Our hope is that we'll be breaking ground this summer and moving into our new "box" late summer of '08.

We're excited--not so much for a new building--but for a greater opportunity to impact lives in our region. Our "business" is changed lives not building buildings. Buildings are simply tools, yet we're thankful that a bigger building is now on our horizon! Thought you'd want to know...

The unanswered prayer of Jesus

2007-01-13T13:05:00.000-08:00

Crossroads is about to circle the wagons and talk about prayer in a concentrated "40 Days of Prayer" sort of way. I confess I struggle with prayer. I've been doing a lot of thinking and reading on the subject. I want to learn and grow in this area.

In one of my readings this week I came across an article entitled "Jesus' Unanswered Prayers". I'd never considered the fact that Jesus had unanswered prayers (like we do). In fact, Jesus' longest recorded prayer (for unity among his followers--see John 17), remains far from being answered. At last count, over 34,000 distinct denominations/sects exist in the world! I'd say that's a far cry from Jesus' prayer that we would "be one".

I'd really appreciate any questions or comments you have about prayer. What you struggle with. What you hope we cover in the new series. Our last weekend of the series (March 3-4) will be a Q & A on whatever issues have surfaced.

Coming soon to Crossroads...

2006-12-22T13:45:00.000-08:00

Starting Dec. 30-31 and going for 4 weekends we will be in a new series called "Batteries Included". This series is all about understanding and tapping into the power of the Holy Spirit. In putting this series together we realized how few messages we've done on the Third Person of the trinity. Our bad. We hope to correct that.

Trying to live the Christian life without the power of the Holy Spirit is an exercise in futility. That's why most New Year's resolutions don't work...new year but same old "me".

My prayer is that this new series will revolutionize our Christian lives! See you in church...and Happy New Year!!

I wish you a "Mary" Christmas

2006-12-18T13:15:00.000-08:00

As a pastor I get a bunch of Christmas cards. Quite honestly, though, I've only kept 1 card in my life. It was a "home-made job" that my daughter Jessica gave me 15 years ago. It read on the front: Marry Christmas.

The typo has reminded me throughout the years that a Mary Christmas beats a Merry Christmas any day. The Bible records that there was a lot of commotion after the birth of Jesus. Angelic choirs were singing. Shepherds were sprinting around the community at break-neck speed telling everyone what had happened. But then there was Mary. She "quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often" (Luke 2:19).

That's my prayer for all of us this week. That we have some unplugged/quiet/treasuring times where we reflect on our King's arrival and the impact it's had on our lives. To put it in Jessica's terms, I wish you a MARY CHRISTMAS.

Q & A, final chapter

2006-12-14T07:31:00.000-08:00

Q: There are many evidences of church leader dishonesty and fraud. How do I know giving in church is actually going to God's work? Is there accountability for every $ coming into church?

A: I totally understand the question. At Crossroads we have a system in place that we have confidence in--1. We always have more than one person take the offerings, count the cash, and put everything immediately in the safe. 2. We have 2 people who then take the money, record all the contributions and put them in the bank (these are long-standing members who have been doing this "forever"). 3. Only a handful of financial people can write checks (no pastors have access to church funds) and no pastors know what anyone gives. 4. Every dime given and every dime spent is recorded daily and month reports are made and available. 5. A yearly audit is performed to verify all the above. IF ANYONE WANTS TO SEE THESE THEY ARE AVAILABLE. We have nothing to hide and have never had anything questionable happen to us in this area.

Q: If a person is totally in debt and does not have a good income, can that person start with less than 10% and then work up to it?
A: Yes. It's called by some a "graduated tithe". You start with say 4% this year and bump it to 6% next year and keep bumping as you pay off debt and "get your financial house in order". We (as a church) did this at Crossroads when I first came. We weren't giving anything to missions due to many factors. I suggested we start somewhere and increase it yearly until we as a church were tithing to missions. God honored that decision and we were able to start paying all our bills and give to missions.

Q: Let's say I work for a church (like Crossroads). Do I have to tithe or can I just keep the money I make and call it even?
A: (maybe this is one of our staffers' question!) No. You tithe whatever you make wherever you work.

Q: Don't you count time spent (in lieu of working) in volunteer work at the church in your 10%?
A: No. Tithing/giving $ is separate from using your talents to serve in some ministry. There are no reductions in your tithe for volunteer hours given. Sorry.

Q & A, 4

2006-12-09T13:33:00.000-08:00

Q: Do you tithe before or after taxes are taken out...gross or net income?
A: (#1 question asked) I know when my wife and I started tithing 25 years ago we tithed on what we had to take money from--our net income. The government's money went to the government. What we had left we channeled into 3 streams: 10% to God's work, 10% into savings, and live on the rest (80%). If you've never tithed before start with your net/after-tax income.

There are a lot of differences of opinion on this question. I've read them all and don't think you can make a strong argument that one's better than the other. The best thing to do is to start. Years later you can raise your giving level. You can tithe on your gross income or give 15% or more. Tithing is "a floor not a ceiling"...it's a good Biblical starting point not a stopping point.

Q & A, 3

2006-12-07T07:26:00.000-08:00

Q: Does ones tithe all have to go to the local church?
A: I tend not to get "hard nosed" about this question. Some teach a "storehouse" principle (Malachi 3:10) where God says bring the whole tithe into my storehouse (storehouse = temple). They say the modern equivalent to the storehouse is the church. Again, I don't hold tightly to that. God's work is God's work--whether that's at Crossroads or The Billy Graham Association. I will say that I believe your local church should get the majority of your tithe. Why? It's where you're at. It's major focus is your community. It invests in other worthy ministries (at least it should...at Crossroads we invest over $100,000 in ministries outside our church). And, you know what's really going on in and through your local church. You know the leaders. You know the mission and vision and the work that's really going on. You local church is where your heart and your family are at. So, invest heavily in it.

Q & A, 2

2006-12-05T17:24:00.000-08:00

Q: We live paycheck to paycheck...not because we have a lot of bills (we have no outstanding debt), but because it's all we make. How do we give 10% when we barely have enough for our own family? There is nothing to save.

A: First, I applaud your lack of debt. You are in the minority. I'm not sure how to answer your question without knowing your "lifestyle". I'd ask: what ARE you spending your $$ on? How much on housing? How much on entertainment? Do you have cable? Do you have a cell phone? Do you buy new cars? Where do you vacation? How much do you eat out? How much are you spending on internet (high speed or dial up)? Etc.

Those are all very personal questions, yet they have to be asked. Most (maybe not you) can save a lot more than they think they can by defining WANT vs. NEED.

Lastly, I would challenge you to right off the top try tithing for 3 months...trust God and see what happens...see if you are still able to live.

Q & A, round one

2006-12-04T14:51:00.000-08:00

As promised last weekend, I'll spend all this week blogging on questions I didn't get to during our Q & A after my message. Here's the first: "Can you give a suggestion of a good way to honor God (give money) during Christmas instead of giving presents?"

Yes. Christian relief agency World Vision has a "gift catalog" that is full of wonderful alternatives. For example: for $75 you purchase a goat (in someone's name) for an impoverished child in countries like Haiti or Kenya. That goat provides that poor family with milk, cheese, and yogart (and even fertilizer that can improve crop harvests)! So...instead of buying your spouse a $75 watch you buy a needy family a goat in their name (they get a card that says a gift/goat was given in their name).

We have World Vision catalogs at the mini-info desk right outside the Sanctuary at church. Or, go to www.worldvisiongifts.org for the same info.

Black Friday

2006-11-25T11:54:00.000-08:00

"Black Friday" once again turned into "black and blue Friday" as people pushed, punched, and trampled others as the doors at the stores opened early Friday. It makes me want to puke. When are we going to stop this insanity? When is enough enough? And we do all this to honor our Savior's birth into our world. Hmmm. Strange.

I know I've hammered on this theme too many times. I apologize for sounding like Pastor Scrooge (again), but I really feel sorry for those people who got up at 4 am to go shopping Friday morning. And I feel sorry for the majority of Americans who are totally stressed out trying to think up something to buy people who already have way too much stuff.

Oh well...in less than a month it will all be over.

Haggard Mess, Part 2

2006-11-18T14:13:00.000-08:00

I don't want to "beat a dead horse" but I do want to re-state what I feel is "lesson #1" for all of us evangelicals: we need to work really hard at creating an environment where it is safe (and normal) to honestly confess sin with one another.

In most evangelical circles that is not the case. People do not disclose sin because we tend to shoot our wounded in evangelical churches. Instead of extending grace we extend condemnation. The result? We bottle up sin and hide it and pretend we have our act together. The result? We wait until we're caught to confess our sin (way too late).

That's why many are arguing that we need to create a different environment in our churches. Not one that sweeps sin under the carpet...but one that allows Christians and pastors to confess sin to trusted friends and get the appropriate help needed for restoration to take place.

Here's a question for the Crossroads community: if you made the Washington County Bulletin stats for driving under the influence of alcohol or for _______, would you show up to your Life Group and would you attend church the next weekend?

The issue is whether or not we think we have to go into hiding after we've messed up.

The Ted Haggard mess

2006-11-08T14:53:00.000-08:00

It was hard to watch--another pominent pastor of a large church implodes. Purchasing meth and having sex with a gay prostitute isn't something you expect a pastor to be charged with. But it happens every now and then. It's sad. It's gives the church a black eye. It gives skeptics more ammo for not going to church. It destroys a pastor and his family. It destroys a local congregation (New Life Church in Colorado). It just destroys.

That's what sin does.

One thing it's reminded me of is that we're all sinners--pastors included. Church leaders are every bit as human as the next person. We are every bit in need of grace. If any of us thinks we are "beyond moral sin" we're deceiving ourselves. There is darkness within us that left unchecked will destroy us.

Another thing it's reminded me of is the need for accountability and vulnerability with others. When we stop talking honestly with others about our sin we are on the road to ruin. After this mess surfaced I called my accountability partner and we talked very openly about what we need to do to stay on the right path. We raised the bar and are committed to praying for each other.

One last thing (I'll post some more on this later) it's reminded me of is the need to build an "environment of honesty" at Crossroads--to build the kind of church where we can come out of hiding and share our struggles and get help. I want that to be true for pastors, leaders, and all who attend. I don't think Haggard had that option. That's my guess.

I cannot imagine the horror that Haggard's family and his former church family are going through. Please join me in praying for them. Pray for healing and restoration. Pray that somehow God will do something good through this mess. Finally, pray for the pastors and leaders at Crossroads.

WWJD?

2006-11-01T20:12:00.000-08:00

Ok, it's almost Election Day. Here's my question: If Jesus was living in our town right now, would he go to the voting booth next Tuesday and vote? Should we?

The dreaded "e-word"

2006-10-28T09:38:00.000-07:00

I'm flying out tomorrow to our denomination's headquarters to give input about "evangelism". The denomination has been doing a 2-day seminar in its churches on evangelism for the past decade plus called "The School of Evangelism". They want input to re-design it for today.

My first response is I hate the word "school" and the word "evangelism". Neither one brings warm and fuzzy feelings to my life. I spent 20 years of my life in school--I've had enough of school for 2 lifetimes. And "evangelism"--I know it's a Biblical mandate (and I'm all for sharing the Good News with those far from God) but when I think of it I think PROGRAM or I think ASSIGNMENT. It's going through a canned outline, reasoning with people, and trying to get them to step across the line of faith. To do it well, I have to do a good sales job.

The problem with 99% of the evangelism programs I've seen in churches is they treat people as projects. I think the new paradigm for evangelism in churches will be radically different. I'll let you know how our meetings go.

For now, your thoughts on evangelism (and how we do it in today's world) are very welcome.

Something to think about...

2006-10-18T12:58:00.000-07:00

I just stumbled on to this Franciscan blessing which I pass on to all who read this blog:

"May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships so that you may live deep within your heart. May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may wish for justice, freedom, and peace. May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done."

Be blessed,

Phil

Tolerance and diversity

2006-10-07T12:02:00.000-07:00

My guess is the words "tolerance/diversity" trigger different emotions in all of us. In our culture those words get jammed down our throats. We who are Christians are for tolerance and diversity, but we'd also all agree that there are limits to both. One of the presenters at a retreat I just attended talked about our need to get a handle on 3 things:
1. The essentials of what I believe--things I'm willing to die for that are clearly taught in Scripture.
2. Things that I feel strongly about but am not willing to die for (beliefs that are important to me yet aren't clear enough in Scripture for me to get fanatical about, therefore I agree to disagree with others in these areas).
3. Things that fit in the "who-gives-a-rip" category. Things not worth fighting about or wasting time on.

As I look over the church landscape I'm saddened. So many of our churches are fighting and dying for things that I believe fall under number 2 or 3. I'm not talking about things like the deity of Christ (a category #1 all the way). I'm talking about things like "your opinion of Rick Warren" or "views of baptism" or "speaking in tongues" or "worship styles" or "the role of women" or "end times views" or....

You may not believe this but we have had people (a few, not many) walk into Crossroads, ask what our opinion is of Rick Warren, and then either stay or leave according to our response!! How does that grab you?

I'll stop for now and post some other musings later. Let me know what you think of the whole "tolerance and diversity" thing.

Culture: Friend, Foe, or...?

2006-09-27T12:02:00.000-07:00

I'm speaking to some pastors about our relationship with our culture next week...how we (the church) view it and how we live in it. Some see 21st century American culture as the enemy, and they declare war on it (culture wars). They develop a "circle-the-wagons" mentality and isolate and attempt to insulate (think Amish here) themselves from culture. Other Christians and churches seem to go with the flow. They immerse themselves in culture and end up essentially no different from anyone else. They look, think, and act like everyone else.

I'm guessing we all would fall somewhere between those extremes (I hope). I know we're called to NOT copy the behavior and customs of the world. It's also clear, though, that we are to penetrate our culture in order to impact people for Christ. My point: I don't see our culture as a battlefield. I see it as a mission field. The difficult part is how we engage this post-Christian culture...how we live out what the Apostle Paul modeled for us in Acts 17:16-34 and 1 Corinthians 9:19-23.

Insights?

Where's God?

2006-09-17T14:33:00.000-07:00

Do you ever wonder why God doesn't make it a little easier for us to see/experience Him in our daily lives? Honestly, couldn't God be a little more "obvious"? Couldn't He use a little louder voice? Or hit us with a little bigger stick?

I've been thinking about that a lot these days. William Barry writes, "Whether we are aware of it or not, at every moment of our existence we are encountering God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who is trying to catch our attention, trying to draw us into a reciprocal conscious relationship."

I know what Barry says is true, but why is it such a struggle to encounter God?

Thoughts? Comments?

Measuring Spirituality

2006-09-06T07:22:00.000-07:00

How does one measure spirituality? Years ago I would've said "knowledge of the Bible". The people I looked up to could quote Scripture left and right. The were Bible junkies...people who'd beat your pants off playing Bible Trivia Pursuit.

As I got older I became a little more discerning. I noticed something disturbing: many of the Bible know-it-alls treated others poorly. They had little compassion...a terrible temper...were extremely judgmental or critical...etc. I would now argue that there's very little correlation between knowledge of the Bible and Spiritual maturity.

What I'm saying is this--it's not how much of the Bible you know that makes you mature--it's how much of the Bible you live out.

Thoughts? Comments?

BWCA

2006-08-31T06:48:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a boundary waters canoe trip. Amazing. For a type-A, performance-driven freak, this yearly trip is mandatory for my spiritual life. The beauty is unmatched. I know
God is omnipresent (everywhere), but He really comes out of hiding up at the BWCA. You should see the night sky! Awesome is the only word that comes to my mind. Astronomers estimate the number of stars in the universe at about 70 sextillion (that's 70 with 21 zeroes after it). I think we saw just about all of them from our camp site.

God showed up in a big way for us. Actually, the truth of the matter is I showed up. I took time to stop and look and listen. God is as present in "the Grove" as He is in the BWCA. My prayer for all of us is that we'd look for Him every day. He's closer than we think...

A Great Weekend at Crossroads

2006-08-20T19:58:00.000-07:00

Wow. It was "one of those weekends". First, the Community Carnival was awesome. To see a couple of thousand people having a blast on our grounds was pretty neat. It was THE party of the summer. Thanks to the dozens of volunteers who made it all flow so smoothly (Wendy, your team is incredible). Everyone had a blast...everyone was blown away by the fact that everything was free! Crazy, huh. Pray that our hospitality will draw many back to Crossroads.

Second, the Missions Week was inspiring. It's great to be part of a church that has a heart for the world. Thanks to Rick and his team for their coordination.

Weekends like this make me glad I'm part of the Crossroads community.

The Ideal Crossroads, Part 2

2006-08-04T17:45:00.000-07:00

Here are some (8) of my thoughts on what the "ideal Crossroads" would look like. Feel free to add some of your own as I encouraged in the last post.

The corporate worship and teaching would be annointed by the Spirit and each participant would experience a freedom to worship as they feel led.

The people who make up the church would fully grasp that the church is more than a building--it is a movement of God.

Prayer would be the business of the church...it would be more than something to begin/end a worship service or team meeting. The church would be on its knees often, maximizing the power of prayer.

Those who make up the church would "get grace". In other words, they would fully grasp it (God's unmerited favor) and freely dish it out to others.

A Christ-like generosity would permeate each person. Giving back 10% or more of their income would be the norm not the exception. At least 50% of the offerings would be invested in mission outside the church.

The church would "smell good" to hurting people and spiritually mis-directed people.

Everyone would be engaged in the ministry that fits their giftedness and passion and be serving with great gusto and joy.

Everyone would be in a Life Group, living out and practicing all 5 purposes of the Christian life.

The "Ideal Crossroads"

2006-08-01T14:57:00.000-07:00

In my previous post I made a comment that though we've made great strides, we have a long way to go as a church. No one would argue that Crossroads has "arrived". There aren't any perfect churches (and as the joke goes if you find one don't join it...you'll ruin it). One of you asked, "What would the ideal Crossroads look like?"

Great question! It's such a great question I promise to answer it. But first, I'd like to give you a chance to post your thoughts. Dream a little. What would your ideal church be like. Be funny or be serious...

Reaching new people vs. pleasing old people

2006-07-25T08:12:00.000-07:00

I am a student of the church in America. Just about all my friends are pastors, so I hear church stories all the time. Unfortunately, most of them are horror stories. Far too many churches are in conflict these days. In my humble opinion, the rub comes down to this: reaching out to new people vs. pleasing the old people.

Most of the dying/conflicted churches I know about want to reach new people. They want to see new people become followers of Jesus. What hinders that from happening, however, is they aren't willing to change. Change means putting my preferences aside (meaning I may not be pleased). Change means sacrifice. Change means sacred cows are butchered. There's always a price tag attached to change.

When churches are filled with people who say, "Please me, please me...feed me, feed me..." they might as well take the word "church" off their sign and become a social club.

It takes mature, self-less people to grow a healthy, mission-driven, God-honoring church. We at Crossroads have a long way to go, but I'm grateful for the great strides we've made as a church. Jesus came to seek and reclaim a world that had lost its way. What we're discovering is that it's a blast when we join him on that mission.

Text Messages (from God)

2006-07-05T18:57:00.000-07:00

That's the title of the new message series starting in a couple of weeks at Crossroads' main services. We're going to be looking at letters that Christ sent to actual churches in Asia Minor in the first century. These letters are preserved in the Bible in Revelation 2-3. They are amazingly applicable to churches today.

As Christ writes to these churches he typically starts with "commendation" and follows that with "condemnation". In other words it's a good news/bad news format.

Do you ever wonder what Christ would say to Crossroads if he text messaged or emailed or sent us an old fashioned letter in the mailbox? My guess is he'd have good things and bad things to say to us. After all, we're an imperfect church made up of imperfect people and pastors.

Feel free to blog your comments but keep these 3 things in mind: if you don't attend Crossroads you probably don't know us well enough to comment; you're not Jesus; and, share positive stuff along with the negative stuff.

Pastor Phil

A few Crazy Campaign "did you know's"

2006-06-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

Did you know...

Our Swaziland commitment (giving to community development projects and child sponsorship) will exceed $100,000 per year for the next 3 years?

In the last 4 months we have invested over $30,000 in our school district (playground funds for Crestview...reading books for each elementary school in District 833)?

Interior and exterior design work for the new building is moving along very well? We're going to end up with a building that will adequately meet our space needs when we move in and be totally flexible and expandable for future needs.

Giving to the Crazy Campaign thus far (6 months into it) is around $530,000? If you made a pledge you'll be receiving a financial update in the next 7-10 days. It'll be a reminder to you of what you've pledged vs. what you've given thus far. These will be prepared by our Financial Secretaries (and seen only by them).

A Crazy Campaign link will show up on our web site soon?

Craziness is part of our DNA as a church. We realize we exist for others. Hosting free carnivals for our neighbors, giving away water at parades, providing free oil changes for senior citizens, building homes in Africa for AIDS orphans, buying reading books for our schools...it's all crazy!

I look forward to more craziness...

Pastor Phil

Being part of a large church

2006-06-21T13:44:00.000-07:00

Last weekend 2 people asked me if I was concerned that Crossroads would "get too large" once we relocate. Quite frankly, I don't know how to answer that question. It never crosses my mind that we could get too big. I don't see "bigness" to be an issue. Read the book of Acts. The early church started out real small (120 people). But by the time you get to Acts 2 (Pentecost) 3,000 people repent of their sins and start following Jesus and the church immediately becomes a mega-church. They continued (regardless of their size) meeting in homes AND gathering together at the Temple.

I like to think of it this way--limiting the size of the church for our sake (comfort/convenience, having access to the Pastor, knowing more people, being in control, etc.) is a sin. As long as people are out there who don't know Christ we have to reach out. Growing bigger is not an option. I'm so glad the early church didn't say, "We're big enough. No more reaching out to those Gentiles." If they had thought that way, we may not be Christians today.

The church has to get its arms around this truth: we exist more for the people who are still far from God than for those who have drawn near to God. When we understand that, size ceases to be an issue.

Pastor Phil

Worship transitions

2006-06-12T13:02:00.000-07:00

A few people are a little nervous about our worship transition...our post-Mike way of doing worship. Are we going to radically alter our style? Are we going to turn off the lights and turn up the volume and go to a Sanctuary-like style? Which way are things heading?

Things will change (they would've whether Mike stayed or not). The only constant around here is change. Will we radically alter our style? No. Will weekends become like Sanctuary? No. Which way are things heading? We have no idea...we've decided to make things up one weekend at a time. We'll see where God's Spirit leads us. By the way, that's what we've been trying to do around here for a long time. Seek God. Let Him lead.

I would ask the Crossroads family to do 3 things:
1. Pray for the transition time.
2. Trust the staff and leaders. In July I will have served at Crossroads for 14 years. You know my heart and leadership by now. Our Elder Team is solid and extremely committed. Our staff is amazing. We all have this church's best interest in mind.
3. Give our interim worship leaders some slack. Ryan Lunceford will serve as Interim Worship Pastor. Gwen Budish will assist him. Deborah Yost will coordinate all the details. Jordan Lindstedt will be our worship intern.

The transition begins this weekend as well as a new series called "Identity Theft". See you then.

Phil

Church transitions

2006-06-01T12:13:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, our worship pastor Mike Gleason is leaving Crossroads after 7 years of ministry. Mike's a great guy and gifted worship leader. I'm going to miss him. The nature of his leaving is private in nature. The letter I wrote to the Crossroads family simply asked everyone to trust the mutual decision that has been made by our Elders and Mike. That hasn't sat well with everyone.

I understand the desire to want to know details. We all want specifics. We all want to have all our "why's" answered. The point I'm making is that sometimes the "why" is personal. Sometimes details aren't shared for very good reasons. Staff/personnel matters at Crossroads are Elder Board responsibilities. Things like performance reviews and setting salaries are not public in nature.

As hard as it is, there are times we have to trust our leaders and trust that God's Spirit is leading us. This is one of those moments...thanks for your trust.

Pastor Phil

A "fun" business meeting

2006-05-23T14:41:00.000-07:00

If you missed Crossroads' Annual Business Meeting last night (May 22) you missed a good one. Here are a few highlights:
1. We elected a new member to our Leadership Team (e-team)--Dana Gotz. Our thanks go to Julie Klinghagen who is stepping down after serving out her term.
2. We passed a budget close to 1.4 million dollars (about an 8% increase over last year).
3. We got a sneak peak at what the design on our future building might look like.
4. We honored Doug Smith (out-going Church Chairman) and we gave appreciation to Warren Langstraat for the year he has served as our Executive Pastor (unpaid staff).
5. I gave my annual progress report, noting the highlights from the past 12 months.
6. We got done in 1 hour and 10 minutes and then ate cake!

Thanks to all who attended. Go Crossroads!

Pastor Phil

The Land Is Ours!

2006-05-12T15:58:00.000-07:00

As of last Wednesday, Crossroads became the proud owners of a new tract of land! The closing went smoothly and now we can truly say that we are 33 acres richer and about a million dollars poorer. When will construction begin? Good question. We are well into the "design" stage right now with our architects. I'm still hoping that we'll break ground for the new facility sometime this fall. Warren Langstraat and his team are doing an amazingly thorough job. We're in good hands as this process moves forward.

Keeping you informed,

Phil

Out of Africa

2006-05-08T14:40:00.000-07:00

What a journey! I hope you were at Crossroads this past weekend as we shared (jet-lagged and all) our experiences in Africa. Before we left Swaziland, I jotted down 5 "I Am statements":

1. I am disturbed (at what I saw...at how the AIDS pandemic has brought so much heartache)
2. I am blessed (to meet the World Vision staff and see the work they're doing in Swaziland)
3. I am hopeful (through partnerships with church's like CR and through child sponsorship, much can be done)
4. I am honored (to have met my sponsored child and hang out in her hut with her family)
5. I am responsible (to use my resources to be an answer to the prayers of many in Swaziland and to use my influence to encourage other Americans to do the same).

Thanks for your prayers for our safety and health.

I'd love to hear and respond to your questions. Blog away...

Phil

Off to Africa!

2006-04-23T14:26:00.000-07:00

A team of 4 of us are leaving April 25 for Swaziland! We'll be laying the foundation/groundwork for our 3 year partnership with World Vision in a region in Mhlosheni. Mark May 6-7 on your calendars--that's when we'll be sharing our experience with the Crossroads family. I know God's going to use us in great ways to be a blessing to a region that the world has forgotten.

Oh yea, don't forget to pray for our safety! Thanks,

Phil

Marriage input, please!

2006-04-19T14:48:00.000-07:00

What do you think, are marriages "made in heaven"? Does God have "just the right person" picked out for us?

I'm starting a new series this weekend called "Happily Ever After...?" It's going to be dealing with several marital myths. Last question for you: what marital myths do you see people buying into these days? What would you say the top 2-3 are?

Thanks for your input. See you this weekend,

Phil

Easter

2006-04-14T14:50:00.000-07:00

Have a blessed Easter everyone!

Hope to see you at either 5 or 7 pm Saturday (5 pm is really full)...or 9 & 11 am Sunday. AND, Sanctuary will be celebrating Easter in its own unique way at 6 pm Sunday.

He is risen!!

Phil

Agree or disagree?

2006-04-07T15:36:00.000-07:00

Bono, lead singer for U2 said: "If Jesus were on earth you'd find him in a gay bar in San Francisco. He'd be with the people suffering from AIDS. These are the new lepers. If you want to find out where Jesus would be hanging out, it'll always be with the lepers."

What do you think?

Shameless plug...

2006-04-04T11:48:00.000-07:00

Don't miss this weekend at Crossroads! It's week 2 of DNA. You're going to get to see and hear about the Crossroads family in action--being light, showing love and compassion in this world. 6 different individuals or groups will be sharing their stories. AND, as an extra bonus, we'll share another "Top 10 Signs You're In The Wrong Church" list.

ALSO, don't miss the Congregational Business Meeting on Thursday at 7 pm. We'll give you a Crazy Campaign update as well as up-to-the-minute news about our relocation project. During this meeting we will make a final vote on the land purchase. Be there!

Blessings,

Pastor Phil

Just for the fun of it...

2006-03-28T19:40:00.000-08:00

For my message this weekend I asked our fine church staff to come up with a "Top 10 Signs You're in the Wrong Church..." I'll give you a sneak preview at a few:

Church Slogan--"Now with 20% less commandments"
Ushers ask if you would like smoking or non-smoking and frisk you before entering the sanctuary
Exit doors are coin operated
Baptism pool replaced with mud wrestling pit

OK...you get the idea. My challenge to you is to come up with some winners of your own. Who knows, maybe they'll make the message this weekend! Blog away.

Guests vs. Hosts

2006-03-21T19:46:00.000-08:00

I just got done sending out a Cyber Update to the Crossroads flock. In it (it was all about Easter) I asked everyone to do several things in preparation for Easter. One "biggie" I asked for was for our regular attenders and members to "give up their Sunday morning seat" to make room for Easter guests. I suggested the option of Saturday night at either 5 or 7 pm...or to come on Sunday and sit in the overflow room (multi-purpose room) and watch/participate in the service via a live feed.

The one word for all this is SACRIFICE. It's something the CR flock does often and does well.

It got me thinking about a couple of terms--hosts and guests. We who are inside the church must see ourselves as hosts and not as guests. We exist to serve. When we get that backward (and start seeing and acting like we're guests) we cease being the Church of Jesus Christ and starting being the Church of Me.

God doesn't bless churches whose insiders act like guests. He blesses churches full of hosts--full of people that act selflessly like His Son.

Guests vs. hosts...what do you think?

Re-location Info Dump

2006-03-13T07:33:00.000-08:00

Just a couple of quick updates on the land/building/re-location project:

The 35 acres on Hwy. 19/Keats are ours. We are in the process of making sure that we can get water and sewer to the property in a timely fashion before we write the big check for a million dollars.
The land is in a phase of development that isn't scheduled for water/sewer for 10+ more years. Since we can't wait that long we are working with the cities of Woodbury and C.G. to get water/sewer there earlier. It's quite a process. There are numerous "hoops". Please pray for God's favor!
The $$ from the Crazy Campaign continues to come in. Since November, we've received over $300,000 in cash. The Crossroads family pledged approximately 3.5 million over the next 3 years. That 3.5 million represents about 1/3 of the total cost of the re-location project.
Our architects are at work doing design work on the buildings. Everything will be built with great flexibility and with the ability to be expanded. We see several "phases" of buildings. Our first phase of buildings will have around 50,000 square feet of space.
Yes, we will get our youth back on campus in the first phase. No, we won't have a gym in the first round.
We currently don't have a serious buyer for our current facility. Once we get the water/sewer issues straightened out we'll market our building more aggressively. Without a buyer for our current facility, our plans would most likely get pushed back several years. We don't want to take on so much debt that we can't "breathe" and do ministry.

Questions?

Labels...

2006-03-04T11:25:00.000-08:00

As I re-read the comments from my last post and read some of the conversation on Brad's Sanctuary blog, one thing kind of bothers me--I'll call it the "label and condemn" movement. I see it more and more in Christian circles. We attach a label on something like "post-modern" or "emergent" or "seeker-driven" or "seeker-sensitive" or "purpose-driven" or "evangelical" or (attach your own label) and then we promptly judge and put that person/group in a particular box.

Example: "Seeker-sensitive churches water down the Bible...they're all Bible-lite". [I wish I had a dollar for every time I've heard that criticism]. Have some churches in an attempt to communicate to today's seeker made the mistake of not preaching the Bible? Of course. The problem comes when we label without looking into the content of what we're labeling. I find the people who major in labeling and condemning don't always do their homework. Rick Warren and the purpose-driven church model is also being labeled and condemned by many today. I don't "worship" Rick Warren but I've been at his church numerous times and I've listened to nearly 100 of his sermons. Is he perfect? No. Does he take a verse out of context once in awhile? Yes. But is he the heretic/antichrist that many Christians paint him to be? After looking closely at the content of his ministry and theology, I'd confidently say no. Thank God for Rick Warren. And thank God for seeker-sensitive churches. And thank God for the emergent church movement.

I know we have to label things to some extent. My point is look before you label. Jesus would probably take it one step further--love before you label.

I'd like to hear your comments!

Phil

DNA

2006-02-21T19:05:00.000-08:00

Every person and church has a unique DNA. After our "Going For The Gold" series I'll be embarking on a 3 week series on the "Crossroads DNA". I need your help...how would you respond to these questions: WHAT IS CROSSROADS' DNA? WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE? IF YOU HAD 45 SECONDS IN AN ELEVATOR TO TELL SOMEONE ABOUT CR...WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?

Any comments are welcome and appreciated (and will be used as fodder for my sermons!).

Blessings,

Phil

A correction...

2006-02-13T07:12:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday at the Men's Breakfast a comment was made that doesn't sit right with me. The speaker mentioned that the "word on the street" is that Crossroads' goal is to be the biggest church in Washington County.

Really? Where did that come from? Our vision is to impact thousands of people by becoming a community of Jesus-like people who do Jesus-like stuff. Our mandate is to obey the Great Commission (Matt. 28:20) and the call of Jesus to go tell people about Him everywhere (Acts 1:8). Having a goal to be the BIGGEST CHURCH is both short-sighted and egotistic.

We're not in competition with other churches. This isn't a game of "who's got the biggest church"? I pray for the day when every church in Washington County is growing and healthy. I give significant time and energy to encourage and coach other pastors.

Bottom line: the "word on the street" isn't always accurate.

Phil

Olympic Kick-off

2006-02-10T11:48:00.000-08:00

Who gets to stand on God's platform and receive His highest award...His gold medal? What is God looking for in a person's life? Why do some "make it" and other don't? Those are the questions we'll be answering starting this weekend at Crossroads. Our series is called, "Going For The Gold". We'll be studying the lives of several Old Testament characters--many winners and some miserable losers.

This weekend? The life of Abraham. The man who passed the "ultimate test". See you then!!

Phil

The Midnight Hours

2006-02-06T12:40:00.000-08:00

I can't tell you how many people walked out of this past weekend's service saying, "You were speaking directly to me." Seems like many of the Crossroads family are going through some tough times. Jesus said to expect difficulty. Trials are par for course as we live in the "land of Uz" (see Job 1). I'm so glad that God does some of His best work during the midnight hours. He's shaping and forming us. My prayer for all of us is that like Job, we'll hang on long enough to see God in a way we've never seen Him before.

I also had a bunch of questions thrown at me about the Book of Job. Most were dealing with the whole conversation between God and Satan. I don't understand it all. What comforts me, though, is that Satan's power is obviously limited to what God allows. Satan is on a short leash. I'm looking forward to the day when Satan is bound and banished once and for all. Until then, church, know that we are all in a battle. Suit up (see Ephesians 6:10-20 which talks about our battle gear), and fight valiantly.

24...How's It Going?

2006-01-30T08:00:00.000-08:00

Hey, troops. How are we doing applying the teaching from the 24 series? I'd love any feedback on how you're doing your mornings, 9-5 workdays, or evenings differently? Is it possible to take an ordinary day and live it with a greater awareness of God's presence?

One of the things I've put into practice is the simple "30 second pause"--before my feet hit the ground and start running in the morning, I pause and crown the Lord my King for this day, and I surrender my day and life to Him. The little spiritual practice has reaped great dividends.

How about you? Anything clicking?

We have one more round of 24 this weekend--the midnight hours--the hours I should be sleeping but am tossing and turning and thinking about all that's wrong in my life. How do we experience God during those kinds of sleepless hours. Hope you'll make it.

Phil

What would you have done?

2006-01-27T08:54:00.000-08:00

I just got done reading Genesis 22:1-19. God comes to Abraham and asks him to take his son away and sacrifice his life as a burnt offering. Man, talk about a gut-wrenching "ask". This is the son (Isaac) that Abraham and Sarah have waited for a long time. Isaac was their "miracle baby" (they were well beyond child-bearing years). Isaac was their promise come true--through him God would bless the world. What's up? How could God have asked Abraham to do something so "out there"? What do you think the point was? How would you have responded?

I'm speaking on this passage in a couple of weeks at Crossroads. I'd like to hear your insights/reactions.

Blog away. And let's keep the discussion going on a previous blog of a few weeks ago (29 comments and going).

Phil

24...the heart/mind deposit

2006-01-17T17:23:00.000-08:00

As promised, I want to take a few minutes to give you some practical helps in reading/ reflecting/responding to the Bible. Here's a method I've been using to study the Bible for over a decade. It's summed up in 3 letters: O, I, A. I take a short passage from the Bible and ask 3 questions:

O stands for observation. Here I ask the question: What's being talked about? Overall, what's the subject or theme in this text (try to write it down in a sentence)? If I'm in Psalm 23 maybe I would conclude it's "God's care for His people".

I stands for interpretation. Here I ask: What's being said (specifically) about that subject? Again, in Psalm 23 I'd specifically write down how God cares for His people: He restores, refreshes, guides, protects, etc.

A stands for application. Here I ask: How does all of this apply to my life? Back to Psalm 23, maybe I'm dealing with some fears and maybe I need to claim the promise of Ps. 23:4 (dealing with God's closeness and protection). In my journal I'd write down what I was afraid of and then write out a prayer incorporating Psalm 23.

Hope you try the O-I-A approach. It's a winner. In fact why don't you try it today or tomorrow and use Psalm 23 as your text.

I'm also curious how you're doing with the 6-9 am morning practices we talked about last weekend. As promised I prayed for everyone who said they were going to try the practices out (that means I prayed for over 300 of you). Awesome!

Pastor Phil

24...the morning hours

2006-01-15T19:21:00.000-08:00

How do we take an ordinary day and transform it so that we experience God in a deeper way? We talked about 3 morning "spiritual routines" that just may help us to be more aware of God's presence: the 30 second pause (before your feet hit the floor pause and welcome God into your day), the shower assignment (use your shower time to pour out your concerns to God and confess your sins to God), and the heart/mind deposit (find a quiet place and read and reflect on God's Word before your work day begins).

WHERE DO I START IN THE BIBLE? Yes, it's a big Book. Yes, certain sections are hard to understand. Where does the "novice" begin? I'll give you 3 options:

A. Start in the Gospels, which tell about the life and teachings of Jesus. The Gospels are in the New Testament--Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They record many of the same events from different perspectives. Start in the Gospel of John. Read a short section or two and reflect on what you've read.

B. Start in the New Testament book of James. James is one of the most practical books in the Bible. It's fairly easy to grasp and is only 5 chapters long (I'd suggest that you read about 1/3 of a chapter per day).

C. Read 1 chapter from the Old Testament book of Psalms and 1 chapter from the Old Testament book of Proverbs each day. That would be a good 15 minutes of reading. Proverbs is full of short, wise sayings. The Psalms are fairly short, from-the-heart kind of writings...many of them were ancient songs that were sung by God's people.

Pick one of the options and JUST DO IT! I'll give you some more practical helps on Tuesday.

If you were at Crossroads this past weekend, you heard me plug the TV show 24 (we ripped off the title for this message series). The premiere Sunday night was awesome...but I hope you heard my warning about the show--it's not for kids. It's about a counter terrorism unit which means it can get pretty violent. Be discerning.

Blessings,

Pastor Phil

24...Spending an Ordinary Day with Jesus

2006-01-13T14:59:00.000-08:00

Any 24 fans out there in blogworld? Brad turned me on to 24 a few years ago and now I'm an addict (for the clueless, 24 is a Fox TV hit show about a counter terrorism unit, C.T.U.). Each show (60 minutes) covers an actual hour in the life of the unit. An entire season of 24 covers one full day of their heroics.

What does it mean to do life with God on an hour by hour basis? How do I wake up with God? How do I take God with me to work or school? How do I do life with God in the evening hours? Those are the questions we'll be exploring in the new weekend series we're launching at Crossroads this weekend (Jan. 14-15). Most of us are real good at doing our "God thing" at church for an hour on a Sunday. Doing life with God 24/7 is a completely different ballgame. I hope you'll come out and tune into the Crossroads version of 24 this weekend.

Speaking of tuning in...the real 24 kicks off its season on Fox this Sunday night at 8 pm. I dare you...

Phil

Crossroads @ the movies...UPDATE

2006-01-05T09:32:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in my previous blog, we're off to see Narnia this Sunday night (after discussing the implications of the movie at our weekend services). The time is now set--8 pm at the Carmike theatres in Oakdale. You can buy tickets when you get there (a little risky) or purchase them on-line at www.fandango.com. The tickets will then be waiting for you (left window, I believe) at the theatre.

I'm taking the entire family! Hope to see you there,

Phil

This Weekend...Crossroads at the movies!!

2006-01-03T07:38:00.000-08:00

I hope you'll be in town this weekend...we're going to the movies!! We're devoting all 4 of our weekend services to discussing the Biblical themes/imagery behind the blockbuster movie "Narnia". Whether you've seen the movie or not, you'll be inspired by the message which focuses on the Kingship of Christ.

AND, if you haven't seen the movie, you can join the Crossroads family on Sunday night as we travel to Oakdale (Carmike Theatre) to view the movie. At this time, the movie times haven't been posted yet for next Sunday, but we're shooting for the time closest to 8 pm (I'll update this when we get the exact time). We're encouraging everyone to go to www.fandango.com to purchase their tickets.

This would be a great weekend to invite a friend to one of our services and then treat them to the movie in the evening. See you this weekend!

Pastor Phil

One last Crazy Campaign question

2005-12-28T19:44:00.000-08:00

Great blogging, team! I've read your comments with great interest. OK...on to the last of the FAQ's from the campaign.

3. Why was the Crazy Campaign "all about Crossroads"? It sounded like one big non-stop commercial for the church.

This question surfaced more than once during the campaign. I did a whole message entitled "Crazy Church"...and during the Celebration Event we did a few "shameless plugs" for Crossroads. Here's why: I was asking people to make a sizable investment and I wanted them to know what they were investing in.

Most people understand the Crossroads DNA, but many don't. I wanted everyone's "get it factor" to go up. I wanted everyone to understand what Crossroads is all about. Yea, we talked about Crossroads often, but it was intentional. The good news is that Crossroads isn't in love with itself. It's in love with God. We don't exist for ourselves--we exist for God. Our goal has never been to glorify ourselves or even to build a big church. We exist to glorify God and build His Kingdom.

If you were here at Christmas Eve you heard a powerful testimony by Leisa Garcia. When we taped the interview, Leisa spent a lot of time "praising" Crossroads...everything from the greeters to the pastors. It was a no-brainer for us to edit all the "ain't-Crossroads-great" comments from the testimony. Our purpose on Christmas Eve was to point people to Christ.

The Crazy Campaign was a very unique season for us. We did things we normally didn't do. We emphasized some things we had to emphasize. Did we violate any of our Core Values or "take our eyes off the ball" during the 2-3 months? Not in my opinion. And that's why God blessed it.

You can disagree. I'm listening.

Happy New Year!

Pastor Phil