• Steve Thorson Thank you, Bryan; though I'm more on track with this in my thoughts and in the way I've encouraged others, not so much in the ways we at Crossroads Community Church have operated. Maybe that's because so many of the people of Crossroads have been part of more traditional churches over the years. I've regularly encouraged and urged others to take up the preaching and leading role but only a few have wanted to step in. Perhaps it's because few of the brothers and sisters at Crossroads would fit into the "young adult" category.

    The article I quote from above is from Paul Anderson, a brother and mentor of mine and of many young (and not-so young) men and women. Our son Dan has been privileged to work with Paul at Communitas Minnesota.

    A few of our church "programs" have managed to follow the model Paul talks about, to some extent, more or less: Sunday morning Adult Bible Study now led by Ron, Monday night "Holy Spirit Christian Camaraderie" at Don and Robin Begarowicz's home, Tuesday evening prayer (and other prayer ministries) with Diann, Becky, Norma Jean, Toni, Mark, Jerry and Patty), Wednesday night "High School JAM" with Brenden, Matt, Aaron, Hannah, Caitlin, Seth (plus many others) and also the scripture and prayer that we share regularly at our church board meetings with Allan.

    During Sunday morning gatherings we have a "Church Family Time" and have other times during worship when we do our best to open it up to a freer flow of participation by the body. Our sons Dan and Jon through their "Igniter Ministries" have helped us with this as has Don when he led us on a Sunday morning last year.

    On June 7 (and in the weeks that follow when I am not at Crossroads) I'm praying that the people of Crossroads will dare to grow in some of what Paul speaks of, or in another way that we'll experience when Jon Zens of "Searching Together" - http://www.searchingtogether.org/ comes to teach and help.

    I wrote to Jon about some of these things last night as we're preparing to have him and his wife Dottie with us here on June 7. Please pray for us that the open tradition we've started will grow stronger -- whether its in the "open meeting" format that is spoken of by Jon or the sharing of leadership Paul Anderson encourages by example and teaching in the article above.


    For a sample of Jon's work go to