Looking Ahead Together

Today, this afternoon, I sat and talked with my son Dan about how it is that God desires to lead us forward here at Crossroads Church.  It was a helpful conversation.  I enjoy talking with Dan.  He is a son and a brother.  We share a lot.  He has helped me many times, refining ideas, praying, challenging, clarifying.  So often we are on the same page.  I believe it is God's page, that is, what God writes on our hearts as His desire, His plan, His ways.

The thing is that Dan isn't a part of our local church.  He's only here now and then.  He's a bit like our partners in the network of churches that I participate with.  Great to work with, fun to pray with, but not "here."  Not living here and working here and relating here with the people that we live and work and relate with from day to day in this community we affectionately call "DC."

What I long for, and what I believe God wants for us, is that we, the people of our local church here, somehow find the time, or, perhaps better said, take or prioritize the time, to (1) get to know each other at a deeper level so we can (2) have those significant Holy Spirit led conversations about how God is leading us from the here and now to the future God wants for us.

As I look ahead I see a way for us to practice this "looking ahead together" as a church.  With our network of church partners we have a series of scripture passages and some preliminary ideas (for worship themes and messages) that are ready to go for September 8, 15, 22 and 29.  But rather than just importing or imposing those themes from the outside, please pray that we can find a helpful way to gather a few of scripture loving, God fearing, Holy Spirit filled men and women from Crossroads to share and pray about what God would like to do with next Sunday morning's worship time. 

What I'm thinking now is that we'd share together, as a small group, a bit from the ideas that the network has put together and then pray and talk together about how these things might, or might not, be God's plan for Crossroads the next Sunday.  We'd try to do this each week this month as a trial run.

Please pray that God will lead us to be wise in how we encourage this to happen in the days and weeks to come.  Ideally we would do this each week, perhaps on Monday or Tuesday, perhaps at suppertime.  Chances are the group would change from week to week.  Some will enjoy this and others will find it just another "thing to do."  Pray that God will lead those who He desires to be a part of this to come along and try it.  Pray that I'll find the proper way to invite people.

If you already know you would like to be part of this please let me know as soon as you can.  Thank you.

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