STRONGER TOGETHER

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STRONGER TOGETHER

Together, we’re all adjusting to a lifestyle very different from what many of us have ever known. No one is immune to the pressures of job loss, overwhelmed healthcare, and social isolation. We need each other in a special way during this time, and even though we can’t gather together in person, we’re committed to praying, planning, serving, and caring for everyone in the best way we can — because that’s what Jesus would do.

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We’re here to serve our community in the following ways:

  • Blood drives: Crossing is hosting the American Red Cross for multiple blood drives. Visit the Red Cross HERE for more information and to find out when you can donate at Crossing.
  • Facemask drop-off: Crossing is a drop-off location for a local group making and collecting facemasks to be donated to hospitals in our area. To find out more about how to get involved, visit the Facebook group HERE.
  • Food pantry drop-off: Crossing is a drop-off location for non-perishable food items to be donated to the food pantry at A Church of Living Hope; for more information, visit their website HERE.

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We’re here to equip and encourage believers in the following ways:

  • Sunday morning worship services are online every Sunday at 10am. For more information about live streaming a service, click HERE.
  • Family Prayer will be live on our Facebook page as well, Sundays at 7pm.
  • Wednesday’s tabletop podcast with Tim, Steve, and Jarred is live on Facebook every Wednesday night at 7pm to discuss current events from a pastoral perspective.
  • The Crossing Family Hymnal is online HERE and perfect for singing at home.
  • Songs of Easter is our five-week Easter devotional, online HERE, offering seven songs to encourage us as we consider the person and work of Christ. It includes audio and video links, lyrics, a short devotional, and reflection questions to carry you throughout the week.

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If you need to contact someone in the office, you can call 215-968-0276, or email us here.

  • To our members and regular attenders: Your continued giving is important as we help people who will be financially impacted by the current crisis, support missionaries and other ministries, and plan to reopen and resume ministry activities as soon as possible. CLICK HERE to give online, or HERE for more information about giving at Crossing.

 

SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP GUIDE

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JOIN US IN A SUNDAY MORNING CHURCH-WIDE PRAYER AND WORSHIP INITIATIVE

The church is a people, not a building. So while we’re not gathering publicly Sunday morning, the church will still worship together! Everything you need to facilitate worship in your home is below. Even though we’re apart, join us Sunday morning at 10am as we read the same passages, sing the same songs, and pray the same prayers!

CLICK HERE to access the Worship Guide

CLICK HERE to watch the songs on YouTube

CLICK HERE to listen to the songs on Spotify

CROSSING AND CORONAVIRUS

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An update on Covid-19 and Crossing

For the time being, Crossing has suspended all public worship gatherings, as well as on-campus ministries and community group activities. We’ll resume as soon as it is possible and safe.

Our pastors, staff, and elders are still praying, planning, and caring for people as much as we can during this unprecedented season. Ministry, small group, and Bible study leaders are working hard as well, in order to keep up connections and find creative ways to keep people encouraged and in the Word. The peace and comfort we have in God’s character and plans, are the best antidote to fear and discouragement.

As we settle into our new “normal,” there are lots of ways you can stay connected, informed, and encouraged:

  • SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP SERVICES are live on Facebook at 10am. If you can’t catch it live, the video is available for viewing anytime after as well.
  • FAMILY PRAYER will be live on our Facebook page as well, Sundays at 7pm.
  • WEDNESDAY’S YET-UNNAMED PODCAST with Tim, Steve, and Jarred is live on Facebook every Wednesday night at 7pm to discuss current events from a pastoral perspective.
  • THE CROSSING FAMILY HYMNAL is online here and perfect for singing at home.
  • SONGS OF EASTER is our five-week Easter devotional, online here, offering seven songs to encourage us as we consider the person and work of Christ. It includes audio and video links, lyrics, a short devotional, and reflection questions to carry you throughout the week.

If you need to contact someone in the office, you can call 215-968-0276, or email us here.

  • A NOTE TO MEMBERS AND REGULAR ATTENDERS: Your continued giving is important as we help people who will be financially impacted by the current crisis, support missionaries and other ministries, and plan to reopen and resume ministry activities as soon as possible. CLICK HERE to give online, or HERE for more information about giving at Crossing.

 

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SONGS OF EASTER

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In the weeks leading up to Easter, we’ll journey through seven songs that have been purposefully selected to point us to the person and work of Christ. There will be one song each week for the first four weeks. During the last week, there are three songs: one for Monday through Thursday, one for Good Friday, and one for Easter Sunday.

The guides are listed below with links to view/download a PDF, as well as links to view the song on Youtube or listen on Spotify. They are also available in print at church on Sundays, and they are being emailed out weekly.

During the last week, all three guides will go out for the week, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. We hope you enjoy your time in reflection over these next several weeks. Let these songs elevate your thoughts and affections to consider Christ!

WEEK 1: KING OF KINGS by Hillsong Worship
PDF
Youtube
Spotify

WEEK 2: LORD HAVE MERCY by Matt Boswell & Matt Papa
PDF
Youtube
Spotify

WEEK 3: HIS MERCY IS MORE by Shane & Shane
PDF
Youtube
Spotify

WEEK 4: IS HE WORTHY by Andrew Peterson
PDF
Youtube
Spotify

WEEK 5: COME BEHOLD THE WONDROUS MYSTERY by Keith & Kristyn Getty
PDF
Youtube
Spotify

GOOD FRIDAY: STRICKEN, SMITTEN AND AFFLICTED by Fernando Ortega
PDF
Youtube
Spotify

EASTER SUNDAY: HOLY SPIRIT, LIVING BREATH OF GOD by Keith & Kristyn Getty
PDF
Youtube
Spotify

Faith Over Fear: Coronavirus Update

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HEY CHURCH, 

Have you heard the saying, “You must live under a rock if you haven’t heard about _______”? I suppose even if you lived under a rock you have heard about, if not been overwhelmed by, all the news about the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
We want you to know we are doing our best to provide you with a healthy environment when you come to church. But the most important measure is one that you can take before you leave home — wash your hands. Then come to church!
The following measures are currently in place and have been for some time:
  • Weekly cleaning — this includes wiping down surfaces and routine cleaning. At times, this happens 2-3 times per week.
  • We keep tissues, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant wipes throughout the building.
  • A crew disinfects all the children’s toys and play areas, as well as the tables, chairs, and countertops in the nursery and rooms 2 and 3.
We are adding the following measures:
  • We are asking our guest groups to wipe down the areas they use, and providing them with the products they need to do it.
  • In addition to the regular cleaning that we do, we will be giving more attention to handrails, doorknobs, lightswitchs, touchscreens, and keyboards.
  • On Sunday mornings before you arrive, our we’re sanitizing all the most frequently touched surfaces.
  • We have placed hand sanitizing lotion pumps at the Welcome Desk, the Son Country Desk, the kitchen in the East Wing, the upstairs kitchen, the main auditorium, and the snack area. (It helps if you leave them in those locations and don’t move them.)
  • We are asking all of our Sunday morning refreshment volunteers to wear gloves when they prepare our snacks and coffee.
  • Let’s all follow my son Owen’s example and move to fist bumping instead of hand shaking for a while.
When you think about it, all these measures should be in place not just because of of Coronavirus, but because of the seasonal flus that are more prevalent and affect far more more people every year.
But there is another dimension to this health incident. It’s the spiritual aspect of it. It seems there are two main ways people are reacting to the virus: fear or disregard.
Fear — Scripture teaches us that fear crowds out faith and leaves little room for trusting in the supreme power of God to care for us and provide in every situation, even a breakout of a virus (Isaiah 41:10). Fear causes us to miss the opportunity to serve and love others who do not know they could place their faith in God and find in him “peace that surpasses understanding” (Phil. 4:6-9). Fear robs us of living as “lights in the world” (Phil. 2:15) when we are as worried as the world. We can’t begin placing hope for our safety in all the things we can do, when it is better to do what we can and intentionally place our hope for safety in the providential love and care of our Lord Jesus. Our unsaved friends’ fear is an opportunity to show them how our lives are different because fear has been replaced with faith (John 14:27). So let’s encourage each other to flee fear and embrace faith!
Disregard — When I say ‘disregard’ I mean it in two ways. One is to disregard the virus as being harmless. It’s not; it should be taken seriously. Precautions should be taken to be safe and thoughtful. The other way I mean ‘disregard’ is when people play down the virus, they ‘disregard’ others who take the virus more seriously. It’s the snickering and eye-rolling and so many other ways we communicate that ‘those people’ are dumb or out of touch with reality. Again, we must look to the Bible to inform our hearts and shape our words and actions towards people who are feel differently than we do. Romans 14-15 teaches us to not look down on others. Instead we are to “please our neighbor for his good, to his edification” (Romans 15:2). Mutual love and respect is what sets us apart from the world (John 13:34-35). But to sneer or mock or look down on others for their conclusions on matters that are not of eternal importance is to fall short of the Lord’s commands and to be in sin. So while you might not be fearful, you equally harm the reputation of the Lord for your lack of Christ-like love for your brother or sister.
What should you be doing to prepare for the Coronavirus? I’m suggesting a few things. Really only reinforcing some things you already know.
  • Wash your hands — a lot. It’s more effective than hand sanitizer, of which supplies are scarce and limited. But soap and water are readily available.
  • Lay off the news. Only check your fav news source once a day maybe. Remember, they are more interested in keeping your coming back to their web site again and again than they are in giving you a balanced, factual report on any given situation.
  • Wash your hands.
  • Memorize key verses about fear and faith. Like Psalm 94:19. It’s a wonderful verse! “Whenever I am anxious and worried, you comfort me and make me glad.” (Good News Translation) The best way to learn something is to teach it. So memorize verses with your children or spouse or in your SG or bible study.
  • Wash your hands. (remember that repitition emphasizes a key point of the author!!)
  • Confess your fear or your dishonoring heart attitude to a friend and ask them to pray with you about it.
  • If you really want to get poked in the eye, read this article of the faith and example of the Chinese church. It will challenge you to consider your own faith and how the virus is effecting it.

All for now. Keep the faith. Wash your hands. I’ll fist bump you on Sunday!

Tim Smith

HOW TO SERVE YOUR CHURCH — EVEN IF YOU DON’T “SERVE” ANYWHERE

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Get your serve on — without ever signing up for anything!

A lot of people serve in their local church by volunteering. Maybe it’s passing out bulletins or directing traffic in the parking lot. Maybe it’s singing on stage or teaching a children’s Sunday School class. But whether you’re doing any of those things or not (or one of a hundred different things), there are some ways you can serve your church — without ever signing up for anything!

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WHY DID GOD REST? CAN WE WORSHIP HIM IN OURS?

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Come to me and I will give you rest. -Jesus

Summer is almost over, and many of us are done vacationing (or trying to squeeze in one more before fall hits). So while “vacation season” is winding down, many people are gearing up for the grind of fall. Kids or no, the “new school year” changes the way we feel about the change of season from summer to fall. In the air there’s a sense of time-to-get-back-to-it and okay-the-fun’s-over. We feel like we’re moving out of a season of fun and rest, back to a season of work — even if our work schedule didn’t change over the summer!

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YOU ARE A THEOLOGIAN!

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“No Christian can avoid theology. Every Christian is a theologian.” -R.C. Sproul

Have you ever thought of yourself that way? As a theologian? For many, the word theologian will conjure up images of old men wearing robes, studying the Bible for hours or days on end, gathering for debates and using words the rest of us can’t even pronounce. But is that an appropriate mental image; should we only associate theologians with the academic or scholarly? 

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GOD COMMUNICATES WITH US — AND HE DOES IT THROUGH A BOOK

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If you don’t like reading, fake it till you make it.

When I was in middle school and high school, I didn’t read anything. To Kill A Mockingbird. The Scarlet Letter. Beowulf. Nothing. We were assigned all these classic novels that (now) I wish I had read. Somehow I got by, but not only was my laziness sinful, it was practically unhelpful as I got to college and had to read something. Winging it wasn’t going to work anymore. So I forced myself and I did it ”” but I didn’t enjoy it. I got bored. It made me tired. I knew I was being coerced into reading so I could get a decent grade. Whatever the excuse, I still hated reading.

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PILATE, AND THE SEARCH FOR TRUTH

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“What is truth?”

That was the question Pilate (I believe rhetorically) asked Jesus on the morning he was crucified. While Pilate was trying to ascertain guilt enough to warrant a death sentence, Jesus said, “Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate answered with a question of his own, a question philosophers had been asking long before this day of Jesus’ trial — and people have been asking in every generation since. “What is truth?”

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