Hey Crossroads family,
Easter is coming in just a few days (April 16) and I am filled with anticipation over what God is going to do in each of our services. Here’s how I could use your help this Easter:
The message that day is called “An Empty Easter” and will focus on the emptiness of life versus the full life the empty tomb provides. This is a great opportunity to invite people you know as it focuses on who Jesus really is and came to do. In the few minutes it takes to invite someone, you never know what God might have in mind. Let’s get busy and reach one more for Jesus!
Please use the various tools that are available to invite others to Crossroads. You can use your own Facebook (or social media) account to encourage others to come to one of the Easter services. Be sure to share posts from our Crossroads Facebook Page, this is huge! Hopefully, you also have the small “Invite Cards” we’ve made available each weekend at the Information Desk. These have a map to the church and feature the service times as reference help for those desiring to come. Sometimes people need reminders and helps after you walk away! I would suggest you keep these cards handy in case God opens a new door of opportunity to share.
Finally, as usual, we’re preparing for lots of new guests to be with us for Easter. It would be great if you could…
- Attend the first service – which is usually less crowded.
- Make an extra effort to give a warm welcome to the people you meet.
- Park away from the doors to make room for guests to park close.
- Sit in the middle of a row, so guest don’t have to step over you for a seat.
It’s going to be an awesome Easter at Crossroads, and it’s a privilege to partner with you! I’m praying for your family and friends to come to Jesus this Sunday!
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Here’s some things I think about at Easter:
- EGGS – Growing up I have fond memories of picking out an egg coloring kit and coming home, my mom boiling eggs, then us dipping them in bright colors. Then, of course, these would be hidden and there was the adventure of finding them. Sometimes mom would forget where they all were.
- BASKET – I loved getting up on Easter to find a colorful, neatly wrapped Easter basket filled with some of my favorite candies. How did the Easter Bunny know what I liked??
- OUTFIT – Each Easter season my mom would take me shopping for a new outfit to where on this special day. I grew up in a church where everyone would deck out as much as possible. Not quite sure why, but it sure helped out the local economy. My dad would generally buy a new suit as well, or at least a new shirt and tie.
All of these are great family memories, but mostly this is what I think of when I think of Easter:
- THE PRICE – What Jesus went through in the final days leading up and including His crucifixion is beyond what I can imagine. Google Roman crucifixions and get ready to be horrified by the barbaric death penalty of these ancient times. These acts make modern day ISIS killers look tame.
- THE VICTORY – Jesus rising from the dead in such a dramatic fashion that the Roman soldiers, the religious leaders and His followers were convinced He was alive. Paul later tells us that he appeared to over 500 people at a time during His 40 days on earth after the resurrection. His victory over death now gives me victory in life and death!
I love my childhood memories, but the greatest of them all, is being raised in a home that let me know Jesus is alive!
If you live in the Avon, IN area, please join us in a powerful weekend celebration of Easter @ CrossroadsAvon.com:
SATURDAY, March 26 – 10-Noon Easter Egg Drop & Festival. Thousands of eggs will drop from a helicopter on the church soccer fields to the thrill of kids. Bounce houses, face painting, photos with the Easter Bunny will also take place.
SUNDAY, March 27 – Two services @ 9 & 10:45 a.m. Topic: Who Is Jesus? Join us as we sing, celebrate and communicate the wonders of the resurrection. Full nursery and fun kids programs will coincide.
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Approximately 2000 years ago everything changed when a man who claimed to be the Messiah rose from the dead. Not only did a few women and the disciples confirm this, but also Paul tells us that over the course of many days he appeared to more than 500 at the same time. These people became radical witnesses of the resurrected Christ and went all over spreading the news. We call it Good News because it means God the Father accepted the sacrifice of His own Son as payment for the sins of humanity. Now, there is an advocate that paves the way for us to be worthy of coming before the Father to obtain grace and mercy.
Here are a few reasons to celebrate this weekend:
You may feel discouraged – but He is alive
You may feel uncertain – but He is alive
You may feel weak – but He is alive
You may have sorrow – but He is alive
You may be sick – but He is alive
You may be tempted – but He is alive
You may feel inadequate – but He is alive
You may be lonely – but He is alive
It doesn’t make any difference what you are going through today, Jesus Christ being alive changes everything, so be encouraged today my friend. The world is convulsing in the birth pangs of a new age that is about to dawn, because Jesus is alive!
Our Resurrection Celebrations at Crossroads are this Easter Sunday at 9 & 10:45 a.m. Celebrate good times c’mon on!!
P.S. Our Helicopter Easter Egg Drop is this Saturday at 11 a.m. Tell somebody right now!!
Show your support, add your comment now...Hey Crossroads family,
Easter is coming in just a few weeks and I couldn’t be more excited about what God is going to do in each of our services. Let me share a few things I’d love to get your help with this Easter:
That weekend kicks off our new series, LIFE TO THE FULL. This is a great opportunity to bring along people you know as it focuses on what it means to be Christian. In the few minutes it takes to invite a friend, you could play a role in changing someone’s eternity.
Use the various tools that are available to invite others to Crossroads. You can use your Facebook account to encourage others to come to one of the Easter services. We have small “Invite Cards” available every weekend at the Information in the lobby. These have a map to the church and feature the service times as a reference help for those desiring to come. I would suggest you keep these cards handy in case God opens a new door of opportunity to share.
We’re preparing for lots of new guests to be with us for Easter. It would be great if you could
- Serve for an extra experience (maybe attend 1st and serve in 2nd?).
- Attend the first service – which is usually less crowded.
- Make an extra effort to give a warm welcome to the people you meet.
- Park far away from the doors to make room for guests to park close.
- Sit in the middle of a row, so guest don’t have to step over you for a seat.
Thanks for being a part of what God is doing at Crossroads. It’s a privilege to partner with you!
Craig White, Lead Pastor
P.S. Don’t forget to invite folks to our 1st Helicopter Easter Egg Drop on April 4 at 10 a.m.!
Show your support, add your comment now...“I have seen the Lord”! With those words, everything changed. Mary Magdalene came back from the empty tomb to the disciples to report that Jesus had risen from the dead and had actually talked with her. From that point on, her life and the lives of many others were never the same again.
What does the resurrection of Jesus mean for you and I today? Here are just a few things:
- A guarantee of eternal life (John 11:25-26 – Sunday’s text!)
- Demonstrated His power over death (Acts 2:24)
- Secures our forgiveness (1 Cor. 15:17)
- Safeguards our resurrection (1 Cor. 15:20-23)
- Gives us hope in hard times (2 Cor. 1:8-11)
Today, we think about His sacrifice, suffering and separation He endured for our sins, but not without hope for resurrection. The cross would mean nothing if not for the empty tomb. Praise God for those who said, “I have seen the Lord” and those who having not seen, yet believe.
Be sure to do all you can to invite someone to be your guest in Easter services this weekend. Let others know what the resurrection can mean for them today.
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I would like to make you aware of an opportunity to start a spiritual conversation with friends, family or co-workers. The Bible, an epic miniseries by Emmy-winning producer Mark Burnett and his wife, Touched by an Angel’s Roma Downey, will retell Scripture from the story of Noah to the resurrection of Jesus. It will air in five segments beginning this weekend, March 3 through Easter Sunday on the History Channel.
How can this help you share your faith? Ask people to watch it at your home. Make them aware that it’s coming and they can record it and even watch it later. Bring it up when discussing what’s on TV and ask what they thought of it. Record it yourself and then talk about it, offer to give a copy of it or show it in your home later to those who missed it.
Who knows, it just might be the open door you’ve been hoping for to reach that person for Christ. I’m anxious to watch it for myself and leverage it in any way I can to draw people to Him.
Remember: It’s The Bible miniseries on History Channel, five segments begin this weekend March 3 through Easter Sunday, March 31.
Show your support, add your comment now...What are some ways to have a great Easter? Cadberry Eggs are a good start! A Godiva bunny isn’t bad either. But beyond new outfits, baskets, and candy, what are some ways to make Easter an awesome day at Crossroads. Here are my suggestions:
- Pray, pray, pray for the services. Each of our worship experiences will feature an opportunity for those who don’t know Christ to come to faith in Him. It takes the Holy Spirit to make this happen!
- Pray for you to be used to invite someone to service. Ask God to lay someone on your heart that you could invest in relationally and naturally invite to be your guest. (Note: Use the Freedom series invite cards to help spread the word) Their eternal destiny and current reality could change because of your invitation!
- Plan to attend the 1st service at 9 a.m. Why? Because more already attend the 2nd service each week and…it’s the most popular service for guests also. This will help greatly with providing adequate seating in the Worship Center and crowd control in the kid’s ministry.
- Park as far away as you can. The walking will do most of us good! The Worship Team and staff will already be parking over at the church offices. In addition, you can line up along the curb on the north side of the building rather than taking up a parking space that a guest could use.
I believe by putting these suggestions into action, we can have the best Easter ever. That’s not to say some chocolate won’t be fun too! Which of these is the Lord challenging you to do? Which one is the hardest to practice?
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