Earlier this year, we began sharing in our Sunday program, evidences of God’s grace and work in the life of Crosspoint and our community.  Below, are the evidences (July – September) collected into one post.  May these lead us to an attitude of thankfulness to and worship of our God who is at work, not only through us, but in us.  January-March 2017; April-June 2017

9/24

Recently, Crosspoint’s GO (Global Outreach) team made the decision to invest $1000 toward the response and recovery work that is happening as a result of hurricanes Harvey and Irma.  We gave $500 to the Midwest Food Bank and $500 to the Salvation Army, both of which are heavily involved in relief efforts.  Crosspointers, Sam and Chris Amick, both work for the Salvation Army, and we love to see how they serve the Lord through their roles there.  Thank you for continuing to pray for the lives that have been affected by these disasters.

9/17

God is changing lives by the power of the Gospel!  Be encouraged by the following testimony that was recently shared by a Crosspointer.  “I am so, so thankful for the haven I have found in Crosspoint.  It’s rest for my weary soul as cliché as that sounds.  But for real.  The true Spirit of Christ and the Gospel taught, spoken, shown, and lived out through the leadership of the church.  Although I’ve been attending just a short time, it feels like home.”

9/10

Over the past couple weeks, nine Crosspointers have jumped into serving in our First Impressions ministry.  We love to see how people are engaging in serving and ministry, and joining us in our mission to see a church living 3D…devoted to Jesus, dedicated to one another, and driven to reach people.  Our First Impressions ministry’s goal is to create an inviting, safe, and loving environment for all who walk in our doors.  We rejoice at how Crosspointers serve wholeheartedly in this vital area of ministry!

9/3

On Sunday, August 27, we were able to celebrate as Crosspointers, Mary Willhite and Greg Herrman got baptized.  We rejoice at how they have gone public with their faith in Christ, and how the Lord has been, is, and will be at work in their lives in the months and years to come.  Baptism is a picture that in Christ we’ve died with Him, and been raised to a new life in Him.  Thank you Lord for lives that are changing through the power of the Gospel and your Spirit.

8/27

We rejoice at all the Crosspointers who are beginning a new year at colleges and universities.  We love to see how these students are living life on mission in the contexts and communities in which they have been called.  Pray for these students.  Pray that their knowledge of the Lord would grow and deepen, and as it does, their lives would grow to reflect and glorify Him more and more.  Use Colossians 1:9-14 as a model for how to pray for them.

8/20

We are grateful for the 16 Crosspointers so far, who have said yes to the call to invest into Hype students (6^th-12^th grade) through our student ministry.  We love to see how God’s people are actively engaged in living a life that loves Jesus, loves one another, and makes disciples of Jesus, and then helps the next generation do the same thing.  Thank you leaders for setting a Christlike example for students through your words and way of life.

8/13

As God’s people, Scripture calls us to go and make disciples of Jesus, to be witnesses for the Lord by the power of the Holy Spirit, and to be ambassadors for Christ.  Our faith in the Lord is deeply personal, but was never intended to remain private and hidden.  We rejoice at how Crosspointers are living these truths out the other six days of the week.  Showing and telling of the Good News of Jesus in their workplaces, schools, homes, and everywhere in between.  Here is a testimony from a person who has been impacted by a Crosspointer living out their faith.  She shared that the Crosspointer “has been a positive influence on our peers here at work, and not ashamed or afraid to speak up in the name of the Lord.”  Praise God!

8/6

Recently, we gave $500 to the benevolence work of Heartline/Heart House in Eureka.  With that gift and others like it, Heartline was able to help local residents with utility bills, rent payments, and other necessary items such as food and diapers.  Thank you for being a church seeking to live out our faith.  James 2:15-17:  If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? In the same way faith, if it doesn’t have works, is dead by itself.

7/30

Stories of what God is doing around Crosspoint this summer:  Crosspointers are filling in for fellow team members as we serve wholeheartedly and for His glory.  Engaged couples are preparing for Christ-centered marriages and remaining tender before the Lord.  Crosspointers are inviting co-workers, family members, and friends to gather with them on Sunday mornings.  A Hype student “walks across the room” to talk to an older student who was sitting alone…a simple but powerful demonstration of love.

7/23

This past week at VBS, there were evidences of God’s grace all around.  Crosspointers serving wholeheartedly, faithfully, joyfully, and humbly behind the scenes and in front.  Children being welcomed, loved, encouraged, and taught God’s truth.  Families and households being impacted.  Our heart and desire is to reach and prepare the next generation, because they are they church of today, not just tomorrow.  So may the Lord continue His work long past this week, and may the seeds of His Word and truth that have been planted during VBS, grow and flourish in the hearts and lives of people.

7/16

Shared by a Crosspointer recently.  “I enjoy that parable and it was good timing for my situation.  It helped me recognize I was becoming lazy and allowing busyness to get in the way of spending quality/intentional time in the Bible.  I was slowly allowing my “soil” to become thorny.  Daily life was beginning to choke out my pursuit of God.  I’ve never considered the different types of soil as different parts/seasons of life but while you were speaking I recognized that I was slipping into a less than productive soil in my spiritual life.  I was still praying regularly and talking about God with my family but I wasn’t truly feeling and embracing God which I’m sure was evident to those around me.  Thanks for helping pull me back to the Word.”

7/9

We rejoice at how Crosspointer, Kyle Smeltzer, is living on mission this summer at ITESO University in Mexico, serving with ‘Cross Cultural Project.’  Kyle recently shared this update including this story:  “I shared with José and Antonio and a girl sitting with them at lunch named Sandra. Antonio doesn’t see religion as something that is really for him, but even still I got to share the main difference between Christianity and the other religions, that Jesus took away our sins therefore there is nothing we can do to save ourselves by works but only through faith in Christ.”  Be in prayer for Kyle as well as the people he is ‘driven to reach.’

7/2

We love to see how Crosspointers are caring for one another in the context of their Community Groups.  For instance, recently a Crosspoint family experienced complications following a surgery.  Their community group then responded and demonstrated love by preparing freezer meals for this family.  There are over 50 “one anothers” in Scripture. For example, love, care for, bear with, forgive, encourage, spur on…one another. Those “one anothers” can’t be practiced in isolation. 3D Community is mutual and shared, and we rejoice at how Crosspointers are living it out!