Connections Crossroads

Crossroads Church 1350 State Route 137

Grayslake, Illinois

60030

847-362-7120

www.crcsbc.org

In This Issue:

Go. Send or Disobey

Operation Christmas Child

Pastor’s Pen

Upcoming Events

Recent Family Notes

Our Staff

Stephen Farish Senior Pastor

Brian Hibdon Administration and

Pastoral Care

Anson Hanbury Music Ministries and

Adult Discipleship

Kevin Sheckler Children’s Ministries

Coleton Segars Student Ministries

Jayne Putman Support Staff

Cristina Slattery Support Staff

Birgit Deimert Custodial

Office Hours

Monday-Thursday

9:00-5:00pm

Friday

9:00am-12:00pm

Office will be closed:

November 24-25

November 2011

Go, Send or Disobey By Keri Sheckler

I was recently reminded of a quote by John Piper in regards

to missions. “Go, Send, or Disobey.” Ouch. This statement

really got me thinking.

Two years ago our church family was blessed by the teaching

of Jeff Lewis as he shared with us scripture after scripture showing us how God has a heart for the nations. Last year we focused on what it means

to GO to the nations.

This year, during the weekend of November 4th, 5th, and 6th, we as a church will focus on

understanding what it means to SEND. We currently support twelve families serving in Japan, Israel, Thailand, Mexico, Germany, India, Romania, Turkey and the United States.

Mike and Rachel Mitchell, who were sent out from our church five years ago to Thailand and are currently on stateside assignment, will be sharing not only how we can continue

our support for them and others, but will also lead us in learning more about the country where they serve. Rob Smythe will be sharing from his heart as well. Rob grew up at-

tending the Crossroads Church youth group and is currently preparing to go to India next

year as a supported missionary.

I encourage you to attend as many of the following activities taking place during the Mis-sions emphasis weekend. I also encourage you to prepare your heart for how the Lord is

leading you in going and sending. You don’t want to disobey, do you?

Missions Weekend Activities

Friday, November 4th 6:30 p.m. Movie, missions and popcorn.

A discussion in regards to the message of the film and what it means will follow the showing.

Saturday, November 5th 5:00 p.m. International Potluck Dinner

Bring a dish with ethnic flair. Don’t know how to cook anything international? American food is welcome.

6:00 p.m. Around the World in 30 minutes

We will “tour” the countries where our missionaries live, learn about their work, and take time to pray for them.

6:30 p.m. X-Perience Thailand

Know how to wear a sarong? Know the Thai alphabet? Come learn about the land, cul-ture and more importantly the spiritual needs of the Thai.

Sunday, November 6th 10:30 a.m. Worship Gathering

5:15 p.m. AWANA Operation Christmas Child Packing Party

Page 2 Crossroads Connections

Operation Christmas Child Annual Collection – November 14 to 21 By Roger Scott

Every day, boys and girls worldwide suffer from war, poverty, disease, and natural

disaster. Operation Christmas Child makes it possible for millions of these children to experience God’s love through shoeboxes filled with gifts. These shoeboxes open doors for presenting the Good News of

Jesus Christ. Many of these shoeboxes are distributed through local churches, which will offer children literature and culturally appropriate follow-up programs, including “The Greatest Journey.” The Greatest

Journey program is an exciting follow up discipleship program which helps children become faithful fol-

lowers of Jesus Christ. Millions of boys and girls have indicated that they have committed their lives to Jesus Christ after receiving shoebox gifts and participating in “The Greatest Journey” program. By sharing

their faith one-on-one, these children in turn lead friends and relatives to Jesus Christ. Miracles multiply as more and more families come to Christ and churches are planted in communities where none previ-

ously existed.

Operation Christmas child does not only touch the lives of those around the world that are hurting, it also

touches the lives of those who pack the boxes. It provides a simple and tangible way for children and adults around the world to share in the joy of giving to children during Christmas. It can bring families

together as they pray for their boxes and for those who will be receiving them. It unites church members

as they work together.

In 2011, Crossroads is again privileged to be part of this ministry. Besides our own congregation filling shoeboxes, Crossroads will be one of 2500 Centers in the U.S. that receives shoeboxes from individuals,

churches and business organizations. We then “pack them up” into cartons and prepare them for trans-

port to one of 7 Processing Centers around the United States. Crossroads is in a network of churches in our area that collect shoeboxes, which includes churches in Northbrook, Park Ridge, Mount Prospect,

Algonquin, Lake Zurich, Woodstock and Zion.

The national collection week for bringing in shoeboxes is November 14th to the 21st. Crossroads will be

open during various hours during the week to receive shoeboxes from the general public. If you are inter-ested in helping during collection week, stop by the Welcome Center and sign up to help. Our volunteer

hours are no longer than two hour shifts.

The Crossroads members who are part of the Operation Christmas Child team are: Lynn Hays, Roger

Scott, Dan Gudeman, Jayne Putman and Carmen Everding. Any of them would be happy to help you with any questions you might

have.

Here are some interesting facts about Operation Christmas Child:

Shoeboxes distributed in 2010: 8,183,087

Countries receiving shoeboxes: 97

Countries that collected shoeboxes: Austria, Australia, Canada,

Finland, Germany, Iceland, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland,

United Kingdom, and United States

Volunteers in the U.S. during Collection week: 140,000

Over 61 million shoeboxes have been distributed to 135 coun-

tries since 1993

Help make a difference in the life of a child this Christmas. Pack a

box and pray. That one simple gift can make a profound difference in the life of a child.

November 2011 Page 3

Pastor’s Pen: By Pastor Stephen Farish

A. The “Goal” and the “Fuel” of the Christian Life

Reminder can be a powerful force for good in our souls, especially when it comes to the basic truths of the Christian faith. That is why the Apostle Peter did not hesitate to stir

believers up in the faith by way of reminder of fundamental Christian teaching (2 Peter 1:12-13). That is why the Apostle Paul similarly wrote to the Roman Christians “very boldly by way of reminder” of the

essential truths of the gospel (Romans 15:15-16). That is why biblical writer Jude also felt it necessary

to remind his readers of the basic gospel call “to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

Please allow me to remind us all of two of the most basic truths of the Christian faith today, with the

audacious prayer that the Holy Spirit will use these simple reminders to do nothing less than increase

dramatically the capacity of our hearts to love God and our neighbors (Mark 12:28-31). The first re-minder concerns the goal of the Christian life. If we were driving our car some place, we would have a

goal in mind in the form of the destination we desired to reach. In something of the same way, the destination of the Christian life, the overarching goal for all we do, is the glory of God. “Whether you

eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). God created us his

people for his glory (Isaiah 43:7), and Jesus taught us to pray that not only we his followers but all creation would give the Lord the glory he alone is due (Matthew 6:9).

Second, since the glory of God is the goal of the Christian life, what is the spiritual fuel that enables

Christians to live in all things for God’s glory? That spiritual fuel is the grace of God, that is, his favor

toward us in the form of his power at work in us. When Jesus said that apart from him we can do nothing (John 15:5), he meant that apart from God’s grace, we can do nothing that brings the Lord

glory. Whereas Ephesians 2:8-9 makes it clear that God saves sinners by his grace alone, Ephesians 2:10 makes it equally clear that God also empowers saved sinners to live for his glory by his grace

alone. The Apostle Paul acknowledged that when he strove to do good works, ultimately “it was not I,

but the grace of God that is with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10).

If we are not to waste our lives here on earth pursuing the trivial and fleeting, let us stir ourselves up by way of reminder of the basic reality that God delights in generously giving us the grace to live for his

glory (and our everlasting joy in his glory) in all things!

B. What in the World Has Gotten in to You?

When you were really rotten as a child, did your parents ever ask, “What in the world has gotten in to you?” Of course they meant that we were acting so badly, it seemed to them as if some other child

suddenly had suddenly seized control of our bodies. In terms of the Christian life, however, the ques-

tion is not, “What has gotten in to you?” but rather, “Who has gotten in to you?” And the answer to that question should thrill our souls! Please allow me to take you briefly through some biblical teaching,

mainly from the Gospel of John, which teaching gives what may be a startling answer to the question of who has gotten in to Christians.

1) Jesus speaks in the Gospel of John of the phenomenon Christian theologians call “perichoresis,” which is the mutual indwelling among the three Persons of the Trinity in

the one God. Spiritually speaking, the Father is in the Son, and the Son is in the Fa-ther. Spiritually speaking, the Son is in the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is in the Son.

Spiritually speaking, the Father is in the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is in the Father (John 10:38; 14:10; 17:21). It is because of this mutual indwelling among the three

Persons of the Trinity in the one God that the Apostle Paul can write in Colossians 2:9

that in Christ “the whole fullness of deity dwells.”

2) Since the three Persons in the one God mutually indwell one another, then if any

one of them also dwells spiritually in the souls of Christians, then all three Persons must necessarily dwell spiritually in the souls of believers. For example, if it is true that a

Christian is indwelt by Jesus the Son, then necessarily the Father and the Holy Spirit must also indwell that believer, because the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit mutually in-

Recent Family Notes

Homegoings: Jenna Richards went home to be with her Lord and Savior

on Monday, October 10. Please pray for Dave, Saralyn and Danny as they grieve the loss of this precious girl.

Births: Doug and Betsy Walker are the proud grandparents of Heather Elizabeth born on October 6, Robert and Angela Kahl became parents of a baby boy, Kavanaugh, on October 7 and Michael and Cassie Fields became the parents of twin

girls, Callista Ann and Camilla Joy, on October 12.

New Members: Please welcome Anne, Kathy and Karin Hemingway, and Tim and Stephanie Preuss into membership.

Page 4

November 4-6 World Missions Conference

Fri. Nov. 4 6:30pm Popcorn, Movie and Missions Sat. Nov. 5 5pm International Potluck,

6pm Around the World in 30 Minutes 6:30pm X-perience Thailand

Sun. Nov. 6 10:30am Missions Sunday Worship

5pm Awana OCC Packing Party

November 12 7:30am Men’s Breakfast

Fellowship Hall “The Full Armor of God” with Scott Kooistra

November 13 7pm International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church Libertyville Covenant Church, 250 South Saint Mary’s Road, Libertyville

November 14-21 Operation Christmas Child Collection Week

Church Commons

November 17 7pm Women’s Coffee Connection Youth Room

November 19 5:30pm Thanksgiving Dinner

Pastor’s Pen (continued from page 3)

indwell each other. Simply put, we cannot have the Son without also having the Father and the Spirit.

3) The New Testament teaches precisely this reality: that Christians are spiritually indwelt by nothing less than the triune God! We are in Christ, and Christ is in us (Colossians 1:27; Romans 8:1). Christians also

enjoy spiritual union with the Holy Spirit (John 14:17; Romans 8:9) and with the Father (John 14:23; 1

John 3:24; 4:13).

4) What are the practical implications of this indwelling of Christians by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? “Here indeed is mysticism on the highest plane. It is not mysticism of vague unintelligible feeling or rap-

ture. It is the mysticism of communion with the one true and living God, and it is communion with the

one true and living God because and only because it is communion with the three distinct persons of the Godhead . . . Believers know the Father and have fellowship with him in his own distinguishing character

and operation as the Father. They know the Son and have fellowship with him in his own distinguishing character and operation as the Son, the Savior, the Redeemer, the exalted Lord. They know and have

fellowship with the Holy Spirit in his own distinguishing character and operation as the Spirit, the Advo-

cate, the Comforter, the Sanctifier” (John Murray, Redemption Accomplished and Applied, Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1955, 172-73)

There is a close connection between the two sections of this newsletter column. Above in part A we reminded ourselves

that the goal of the Christian life is the glory of God in all things, and the spiritual fuel God gives to empower believers to

live for his glory is his grace. Because it is true that the Triune God lives in us, as we noted in Part B, God does not oper-ate that grace upon us or outside of us but from within us! So let us rest in and live by the grace of God that is alive

within us—because God himself lives within us!

Soli Deo Gloria! (To God alone be all the glory!)