Dear Friends and Guests, Proverbs 29:18 tells us that without vision, the people will parish. What this means is that God gives vision and direction for His people. We are to see His vision for us and walk in it daily! At The Crossing Church we will be looking at the vision God has given us. You will learn about 4 points to this vision: Kingdom, Prayer, People, Presence. As we look at each of these over the next few weeks it is my prayer that God would grant you vision for your life, family, and future. Sincerely, Greg and Tamara Dumas, Lead Pastor
Crossing Kids May Monthly Focus: Kingdom - When I become who God wants me to be I will change the world. Kids can so easily get caught up in their own world they rarely look around to see if God has something more for their life. What is God’s mission? During the month of May CrossingKids will take a look at the parable of the lost sheep, The Great Commission and how we can gain the respect and privilege to speak into the lives of others. The fourth week of May we’ll dig into the Romans Road and teach kids what it means to lead someone to Christ. The last week there will be a special Missions focused weekend, a mini-mission’s conference. Join us in praying for CrossingKids this month as we learn what it means to be Kingdom Focused.
Emerge JV/Emerge
Interested in Volunteering? www.crossingonline.org/serve Want to join a LifeGroup? visit a leader in the 26.2 Café Office Hours Monday - Friday 8.30am - 5pm
Lectio Divina. We live in a fast paced world, and our time with God seems to be no exception. This next series, “Lectio Divina” is going to help students slow down and discover the art of listening, meditation, prayer, and contemplation. We will see a student ministry that is fervently praying.
Scholarships Needed! We are in desperate need of scholarships for students to attend Summer Camp. You could be a part of changing a student’s life by giving them an opportunity to encounter God! Contact Pastor Tom at tfox@crossingonline.org today!
Elementary Lock In Crossing Kids’ True Hero Lock In is open to kids who have completed kindergarten through 1st grade. The date is Friday, June 11. Kids will have a Jesus filled, overnight sleepover at the church with plenty of fun activities planned. For more information please contact Kim Gore at kgore@crossingonline.org.
Crossing Café DaSilva’s Coffee will be operating the café and offering a more extensive menu which will include premium coffees, lattes, donuts, and assorted pastries for an additional price. All proceeds for menu items will go directly to DaSilva’s to cover their cost. Enjoy the new selections!
Attention On-line Givers If you are currently an on-line giver you will need to re-register your on-line giving information with our new system beginning TODAY. If you have never utilized this great tool, now would be a great time to start. We have inserted a sheet with instructions for re-registering your on-line giving account. It will also instruct you on how to create a new on-line giving account. There will be a Crossing computer tech with computer in the foyer at the info desk to answer questions or assist you in creating or updating your account.
For Zion Sake Today our Jewish Ministry will have a table in the Lobby so that you will have a chance to see how The Crossing Church supports Israel and the Jewish people. Donations of new, modest, children’s clothing (no girls shorts, tank tops or short skirts please, long girls skirts are great) are being accepted for an Israeli Children’s Home which we will serve during our mission trip to Israel at the end of May. Call Beth O’Brien 813-857-7818
The Marriage Vows Retreat Registration is still available for this special marriage retreat at the Lido Beach Resort in Sarasota. Visit http://www.crossingonline.org/news to register online.
The 26.2 Spiritual Race is intricately designed with you in mind! Through the different 26.2 Experiences, you can learn more about The Crossing and its leadership, become involved in a LifeGroup, and understand more about your spiritual gifts. We encourage everyone to join in the race! Register for all the 26.2 Experiences at: www.crossingonline.org. The next experience dates are: • Warm-Up: June 13, registration closes June 6 • Starting Line: May 22 or 23, registration closes May 16 • Mile One: June 26, registration closes June 20
For more announcements: www.crossingonline.org/announcements
Saturday, May 15 Sunday, May 16 THE VISION 2 Chronicles 29:1-11; Proverbs 29:18; Habakkuk 2:2; Ezekiel 37; Matthew 28:19-20; 1 Peter 2:9
WELCOME TO THE
CROSSING CHURCH
Lead Pastor: Greg Dumas
SCRIPTURE 2 Chronicles 29:1-11 (NIV) 1 Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. 2 He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. 3 In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the temple of the LORD and repaired them. 4 He brought in the priests and the Levites, assembled them in the square on the east side 5 and said: “Listen to me, Levites! Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the temple of the LORD, the God of your fathers. Remove all defilement from the sanctuary. 6 Our fathers were unfaithful; they did evil in the eyes of the LORD our God and forsook him. They turned their faces away from the LORD’s dwelling place and turned their backs on him. 7 They also shut the doors of the portico and put out the lamps. They did not burn incense or present any burnt offerings at the sanctuary to the God of Israel. 8 Therefore, the anger of the LORD has fallen on Judah and Jerusalem; he has made them an object of dread and horror and scorn, as you can see with your own eyes. 9 This is why our fathers have fallen by the sword and why our sons and daughters and our wives are in captivity. 10 Now I intend to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger will turn away from us. 11 My sons, do not be negligent now, for the LORD has chosen you to stand before him and serve him, to minister before him and to burn incense.”
OBSERVATION • • • • •
Vision always directs Mission(s) and Method(s) Vision clarifies what you are NOT supposed to do by objectifying an end picture Vision inspires passion and incites participation Mission(s) and Method(s) lead to goals and objectives Goals and Objectives direct daily activities that accomplish Mission and ultimately Vision
APPLICATION 1. Our Passion has to be The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) Reach Teach Baptize 2. Our Participation has to be Consecration (2 Chronicles 29:4-5; 1 Peter 2:9) Pray Purge Purify Prepare
PRAYER Lord, thank you for your divine favor and guidance. You are the ultimate source of our Vision. We want to connect with your heart for the world. We want to be people who accomplish your will on the earth in our generation. We want to make the Vision plane so that runners can run with it. We want to live and not perish so we will set your life giving restraints and statues before us. You bless us Lord, thank you for caring enough to give us your Holy and abiding Word.
LIFEGROUPS Use the following as a resource for your LifeGroup to go deeper with this week’s message. We hope this helps you as you “do life together”. Opener: This week, Pastor Greg defined vision like this: A Vision is an End look at a God inspired dream. What dreams to you have for your life? What about for family life? How would you say those dreams are coming along? Be frank about which parts of your dreams you believe are God inspired and which parts may not be so. Digging Deeper: The Scripture from this week’s message has to be revisited. Read aloud 2 Chronicles 29:1-11 paying particular attention to verse 11. What do you as a LifeGroup make of the following statements? •
The Lord has chosen you to stand before Him
•
To serve Him
•
To minister before Him
•
To burn incense before Him
Application: These might be some of the most penetrating questions your group has had to answer. Do not be afraid – the Lord goes before you. •
“Where have you been negligent in fulfilling the vision God has given you for your life?”
•
“What parts of your dreams might you need to replace with God inspired dreams?”
•
“How can the LifeGroup help you fulfill those dreams?” Be as specific as possible.