CandyPalooza!

Organized by parents of kids with nut allergies, this Festival was designed with YOU in mind!

When: Monday, October 31, 2011

Where: Crosspointe Community Church

(Edmond Road and Santa Fe, in The Trails shopping center) click here for map

Time: 6:30 p.m. —8:30 p.m. (come and go)

There will be crafts, games, nut-free candy, and fun for the whole family! Hope to see you there!

For more information, please contact Kari Darnell at 844-0039

Yet we recognize the desire we all have for a sense of community. One of the best ways to create community is having opportunities to come together in a relaxed, nor pressure environment.

As a gift to our family, friends and neighbors around our church we are hosting a neighborhood coffee night along with an amazing evening of entertainment from a local artist Brianna Gaither on Friday, August 12 2011 at Crosspointe. The doors open @7:00pm – concert begins at 8:00pm.

Through this event we have opportunity to create the kind of community environment where by we might connect with others around us.

Please begin to consider and invite those you wantto join you on this special night.

 Within a few moments the ‘ahh’ feeling was replaced with a “uugghhh” feeling. Somehow a hornet with a HUGE stinger landed on my arm which hanging out the window. Then the deadly (in my opinion) creature flew down the inside of the door panel next to the driver’s seat.  It was a very good thing that I am a tough man with little or no fear because that scene would scare the normal guy – and as you know I’m far from normal.

 Using the wisdom of Solomon I turned at the nearest driveway and slowly exited the truck to see if I could find where the massive killer creature may have gone.  In less than 2 minutes and with keen hunting abilities I spotted the little devil and determined one of us should die –I’m still alive.

 That day started out with my priority being to drink coffee with a friend.  Within seconds all of priorities changed without hesitation. Could it be some of the priorities of our lives need to be changed but we lack the courage, fortitude or energy to change them?  I wonder how many spiritual priorities do we have in which we know they need to be reprioritized but we just let them go.  This verse alone talks about priority: “seek ye first the kingdom of God”

 We can change our priorities faster than you can imagine.  The question is, are we willing to do it?

Since we moved into our new space in late October I’ve been so very, very proud of our core people!  The way you have served and the attitude of Christ which you display are testimonies of your understanding of the role you play as part of the core.

Last Sunday we had a number of guests. It was encouraging to hear their testimonies of how the people of Crosspointe have made such an impact on them.  They spoke of how friendly and welcoming this congregation is.

I mentioned last Sunday that Crosspointe isn’t about the preacher or the worship/praise leader.  Crosspointe is about each of us striving to serve the Lord and be faithful to accomplish His plan for our lives. The heartbeat and passion of Crosspointe doesn’t fall on the shoulders of just a couple of people –it actually falls on the shoulders of all of us.

Let’s continue to join together as a very loving church family to inspire and encourage each other on the journey of faith.  Let’s remind ourselves that the role each of us plays in the local congregation is vitally important to what God wants to accomplish in us and through us.

So thank you, Crosspionte, for being the core of people in which God had ordained in eternity past to be an extension of Jesus at this time of life.  Serving with you is a great privilege!

A major issue we knew was crucial was to be in a location where we might offer our building space to our community. When we realized God was providing the retail space at the Trails Shopping Center we knew that space would work perfectly to be used more than just a worship space.

In the few months that we’ve been at the new location several things have transpired.  Not only have we been able to establish great relationship with the other tenants but we’ve also had several opportunities to provide our space for community events.

1. Blood Drive – May 3

2. YMCA –children program using a portion of our space June 6-Aug 12 during the morning.

3. Lifeline Health Screening – June 23

It’s incredibly exciting to sense the Lord is leading in a particular way and then follow His leading! What a blessing to allow our space to be used as an expression of our concern and love for our community.

Let’s continue to be faithful as we wait on the Lord and as we seek to follow Him.

Some of guests Sunday came as a result of our Laundry of Love project and the face to face contact we had with some of the people we met.  We are thankful for the way the Lord provides and blesses and for the new people we have been able to share the love of Christ.

This Saturday and Sunday we are very excited to share the love of Christ by providing financial blessings to help some people with their laundry. During this time we will provide a few snack and activities for kids.  However the most exciting aspect is just being able to meet new friends and assist them in doing a mundane chore.  Laundry of love is just one of the ways Crosspointe Community Church is building bridges of influence into our community.

Then he gave to each family a lamp which they were to bring with them each time they came to church. He said, “Each time you are here the area where you are seated will be lighted. Each time you are not here, that area will be dark.  This is to remind you that whenever you bring your light the church will be warm and well let.  But if you are not here some part of the church will be dark.”  

Nehemiah 10:39, “We will not neglect the house of our God” Hebrews 10:25, “Do not forsake the assembling together as is the habit of some, but encourage one another”

So the question we have to ask is, why did Jesus cry? He didn’t show up on the scene and cry, but only after seeing how the family was grieving and having two women mention to him how they had wished he could have been there before Lazarus died and seeing an entire community there grieving as well. The bible says that Jesus was moved by their sadness and was greatly troubled. Not that He too was sad with them, but that He was sad because they were so sad. Some translations use the word “angry”. Jesus wept because he was upset. They were grieving like people who have no hope in resurrection. Jesus had already encouraged one sister that Lazarus would one day rise again and her response was so typical of our weak faith, “Yes Lord, I know all that heaven stuff, but in my reality he is dead.” (in so many words) Jesus wept because He knew that His time was short and looking out on this crowd, no one, not even His close friends, really understood who He was. They were standing in the presence of the “Word who became flesh”, the one who was there in the beginning of creation, who had power over every element of existence, and they didn’t have real hope in resurrection. They had a traditional faith and theological belief in their eternal existence, but it wasn’t real to them. Jesus wept over their inability to understand who he was. He didn’t use tricky words when he told them that there isn’t just a resurrection, but “I am the resurrection and the life.” Yet they morned as if this was the end.

Everyone knows how this story ends. Jesus does what is probably the most disturbing miracle of his ministry, but also the most profound. He asks that they roll back the grave stone. “But he’s been dead for days, he will stink!” the sisters exclaim. Jesus replys, “Have you not been paying attention, I am telling you that God is doing something!” (agian, my paraphrasing) They roll away the stone, and Jesus say’s a brief prayer and then yells out dramatically, “Lazarus, come out.”

The next part of the story is a little more then my imagination can handle. A man who has been dead for three days. Who’s body had surely already started to decompose. Rigamortis had definiatly set in, so his body was probably stiff and sore. I have no doubt that in Lazarus’ perspective, that his resurrection was a traumatic experience, no doubt also for the witnesses there. I imagine that observers there were first shocked and in awe, but then followed a deep fear of God and a complete reevaluation of who this Jesus fellow was.

It’s easy to make faith a story that we tell and not the foundation of our reality. Of all the influences in our lives, it’s easy to place Jesus down the list. He was so humble, so kind and good natured. Teaching so much of forgiveness and love. We think that if Jesus is third place in our life, then he will just be happy that he is there at all. But he wasn’t and isn’t. He wept. He was angry. And then he proved himself in a way that was gut wrenching and frightening. Placing Jesus as the core to your life and faith and letting that lead you means that you understand that this life and existence is not the end. Jesus has power over death, but outside of Lazarus, he let many others pass on. Because this life isn’t suited for us forever. This life is full of turmoil and sadness, brought on by sin and separation from our Heavenly Father. Jesus came to fix that, but not by mending our reality with a band-aid of healing and Lazarus miracles, but by resurrecting us from death and into an eternal life with him, in a place that he has made for us. A place that is suited for us to spend forever with him, no more sin, no more separation.