#dwelldowntown

We have started this New Year talking about how we begin to adopt downtown Abilene.  This Sunday we will be giving specific direction  and opportunity to connect with certain ongoing projects.  Our goal is to bring life to the abandon places one corner at at time.  Through these conversations, Erin James-Brown was inspired to dwell downtown.  I have asked her to write about the idea and I want to encourage you to participate if you can, dream for yourself, and get involved.

@CrosspointFC and #dwelldowntown

When you drive through downtown Abilene what do you see? Abandon buildings? Dusty doors? Or hope in the community? As Crosspoint begins to explore ministry in downtown Abilene we are gathering this Saturday afternoon for #dwelldowntown. Rather than shopping at the big chain stores which promote economic growth outside of our lovely city, we can shop locally to support economic growth for small businesses.

Shopping small business is not…

1. Shopping small businesses is not shopping small. There are lots of options, creative gift ideas and offer unique opportunities.
2. Shopping small businesses is not more expensive. Although you may not get door buster savings like Black Friday, shopping small businesses ensures (often times) ethical shopping options, promotes the local economy and strengthens the understanding of the city as a whole. If you feel like you are paying more at a small business rather than Wal-Mart, consider the saving you make
3. Shopping small businesses is not just for shopping sake. Although you may find a lot of great stuff, this is not a shopping spree. We are entering into the small businesses of downtown in hopes of educating ourselves of alternative places to shop, looking for ways to support the local community, and promoting a healthy economy in the area we minister.

The goal of #dwelldowntown is getting out the community to learn more about the small businesses in downtown Abilene. Each person or family pledges to spend $5 during their tour of business. As your visit establishments,  By supporting small business we promote local shopping, local community, and jobs/entrepreneurial investments in the local area. Whatever you’re looking for jewelry, home décor or small gifts you can find it in the local shops of downtown. You can buy second hand at the Honeycomb Tree. You can purchase novelty gifts at The Texas Star.

So meet us at Monks Coffee Shop at 2 PM on Saturday (January 28), to explore downtown, support our local economy and community. Bring your $5, anticipation for some awesome items and hopes for a beautiful day in downtown Abilene.

Look for more information on our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @CrosspointFC to reminders and updates about our fellowship on Saturday.

A Christmas Message

Good morning and Merry Christmas.  I hope that you have the opportunity to celebrate this Christmas in the richest way. 

 

Last week as we announced that we would not worship together this Sunday I experienced a wave of emotional conflict.  There were so many who were affirming in our decision and yet I still didn’t feel a peace.  As of this morning I can say without reservation, it was the best decision.  For all of the reasons we started Crosspoint, opportunities like this help us understand the importance of personal faith and the role of community. 

 

As we drove around to look at lights last night my thoughts and prayers were with my Crosspoint community.  Somehow knowing that we would not be together today heightened my senses to those I would not see.  Some are away.  Some are gone.  All are important and all are missed.

 

To say that I love this community as an understatement.  I have an excitement for our work that is growing and becoming clearer each day.  So enjoy this special day and celebrate in whatever way helps you love Jesus more.  Our Savior was born and lives today.  Let’s worship the King.

 

jerry

Worship at Crosspoint

Crosspoint has been a strategic church from it’s inception.  Our goal has always been to be purposeful in everything we do-even if it took us time and tension to define and act on these purposes.  Before we ever had a Bible study or worship experience we determined that our purpose was to “help people know Christ and reach their full potential in him.” Fulfilling this purpose has taken on a variety of forms through our eight years.

Since we are not a denominationally centered church, there has always been a healthy discussion about our worship on Sundays.  Not the tired debate of contemporary vs. traditional but more a conversation about what Sundays should mean to us.  Last fall we began to feel it was time for us to clarify this and here is what we came up with:

Food–I guess you could say our call to worship begins when the food arrives.

Communion–we gather to remember Christ, share in community and embrace our Kingdom responsibilities.

Sharing our resources–through sharing our resources we learn to become a generous community.

We feel these three simple purposes help identify us each week and help us understand why we meet together as Crosspoint Fellowship Church.  If your interested, check out Acts 2:42-47.  You will find these three purposes embedded in the early church.

More than casual conversation

This morning the local paper published an article about Crosspoint meeting at Monks Coffee Shop.  The article captures the essence of our identity as we strive to be a part of a larger conversation throughout our community.  It is a challenging article at the same time.  In our experience in moving from place to place we have learned that it is easy to become complacent.  We become comfortable with our new surroundings and we soon forget the reason that we are a nomadic congregation.

When we moved to Monks last fall we did so in order to participate in The Advent Conspiracy where we would spend less and give more.  Our goal was to give away the money we would ordinarily spend on rent at the Civic Center.  This followed with another couple of initiatives and then spring and summer came and we were less intentional in our giving.

Maybe this article will help us in our course correction to become a generous congregation.  We talked about this some last Sunday.  We choose to do church in a more simple way where we can have a kingdom oriented mindset.  As we continue to see what God is doing in our presence let’s remember to listen to God, to one another and share what God is doing.  Through this we will gain insight into what may be the next steps of the journey.

Live in the conversation and continue in the pursuit of reaching your full potential–jh

Sunday Conversation: Listening during silence

Has God ever gone silent in your relationship? Does God seem silent in your life today?  A significant part of our relationship is learning to listen during these periods of silence.  It is not easy.  Last Sunday we talked about learning to listen during these silent periods.  Here are some suggestions for ways to listen during the silence and also some questions to help you continue the conversation.

 *make an appointment with someone you respect.  Schedule this time without any agenda other than just listening.

*go to a special place where you feel closest to God. 

*posture yourself where you can listen.  This could be more than just a physical posture.  Posture through worship, journalling, talking a walk.

Some questions to continue the conversation (small group or mentoring relationship)

1.         What is the worst advice you could give to someone who may be going through a time where God is silent?

2.         Read the text  John 16:12-16.

3.         What is one of those experiences you have had where you felt God was silent?

4.         How did you feel during that time?  How long did the silence last?

5.         How have you learned to respond differently as a result of this experience?

 6.         How might you expect to grow as a result of these experiences.

When God goes silent

“I have more to say to you, more than you can now bear.”  John 16:12 

These were the words of Jesus as he was getting to the end of his instruction regarding his departure.  He has been preparing his disciples for that time and then he came to the point where it was just too much.  He went silent on the matter. 

It is difficult to live in the silence.  We feel like we need to know more or maybe we even feel like we have earned the right to know more but still there is silence.  Silence prepares the way for more to come.  It affords us the opportunity to grow, to trust.  That doesn’t mean that we like it.  For whatever silence may teach us I think one thing is certain.  God is not silent forever!

May God give us the patience we need in our relationship to grow in the silence and to ready ourselves for whatever God has next.

Sunday Conversation: Confession

This week our Lenten theme is Repentance.  Our desire is to facilitate a worship where we can look deep within and have a time of confession.   In our conversation time we want to talk about the role of confession in our spiritual formation.  In my reading this week someone suggested that the role of confession has lost it’s significance since the reformation.  I find this interesting.   I’m not sure I can agree but this has definitely made me think.   Read along and  ponder this and other statements for yourself.

Think about the following statements: 

“The one journey that really matters is the journey into the place of stillness deep within one’s self.  To reach that place is to be at home; to fail to reach it is to be forever restless.”

“Confession is concerned with facing and naming before God the light within as it breaks forth with ever increasing brilliance.”

“Confession is made for the revealing of our light.  when we refuse to confess, the dominant note is self-righteousness.”

Here are some questions to consider:

1.  Does the suggestion of confession make you feel uncomfortable?  

2.  Consider the statement under getting started.  How might this place of stillness help us in confession?

3.   How has the role of confession influenced your spiritual formation? 

4.  Is the role of confession in the church a forgotten practice

Action points

1.   Find a place for confession this week.  Go there often in order remove yourself from darkness.

2.  Follow the Crosspoint Lenten Blog on our web site: www.crosspointfellowship.org.

Waiting

This morning we take the opportunity to reflect on those times where we wait on God.  These can be uncomfortable times.  Times that push us and challenge us.  The hope is that we might deepen our faith as a result of waiting.  If you are waiting on God read the passages below.  Reflect on the number of people you know who have waited also.  Read the stories of others who have walked a similar path.

Read one of the following passages:

Luke 4:1-13, Deuteronomy 26:1-11, Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16

Here are our conversation questions for the week:

1. What does it mean to wait on the Lord?

 

1. How has waiting on God helped deepened your faith?

 

1. How have you experienced God’s promises through waiting?

 

1. What does it mean to live in waiting?

 

1. What counsel can you give to those who may in a time of waiting?

 

Action points

1. Reflect on what you consider God’s promises to you. 

 

1. Listen for opportunities this week to encourage those who may be in a period of waiting.

 

1. Follow the Crosspoint Lenten Blog on our web site: www.crosspointfellowship.org.

 

 

Sunday Conversation: Our worship

In Sunday’s text we heard Jesus teaching about matters of spiritual discipline.  Too often we make our disciplines the focus of our worship and not God.  Since spiritual discipline is necessary it is easy to see how we might slip into a pattern of missing the desired object of our worship.  As we prepare for this Lenten Season it is appropriate that we examine our lives and move forward in a deeper commitment to our risen Christ.

Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21

Here are our conversation questions for the week:

1.  How is it that sometimes our spiritual disciplines get in the way of our worship?
2.  What can we do to keep our worship genuine?
3. In your worship, what are you doing that is meaningful to you now?
4. What forms of worship might we include in our corporate worship time that you would find meaningful?
5. How can we pray for one another during this Lenten Season where we might experience genuine worship?

 

Action points

1. Make Ash Wednesday a part of our spiritual formation.  You may not receive ashes but you can still make this day a significant part of your Lenten experience.
2.  Examine what you do to help the poor.  Determine ways you might regularly help the poor.
3.  Read the Crosspoint Lenten Blog on our web site: www.crosspointfellowship.org.

Sunday Conversation, Following our call

The disciples responded to Jesus call to follow him by leaving everything they had.  In their experience there was no time to waste.  The transition from self-employed fisherman to Christ followers was immediate.  For each of us responding to God’s call is unique.  Take time to reflect this week on your response to God.  Review the conversation questions and find someone to share your responses. 

Read Luke 5:1-11

Getting started:   The crowds have followed Jesus to the shore of the sea and among them are fishermen.  These fishermen have an up close encounter with Jesus and are changed.  They leave everything in order to follow Jesus.

Some questions

1.  What impresses you most about this story?

 

1. Have you ever made major adjustments in order to be obedient to a call?

 

1. What does it mean to be a fisher of men?

 

1. What might that look like in our culture?

 

1. What can this group do to help you in your willingness to follow?

           

Action points

Reread this story each day this week and ask, “How will I follow today?”

Go fishing, spend some time by the lake and reflect on the disciples experience with Jesus.