It’s All About Confidence!

Dear Crosswalkers,
During the past four decades, the Gallup Organization has evaluated the public’s confidence in various public institutions. Their most recent survey on this matter showed that Americans are continuing to slowly lose confidence in churches and various religious groups.  For many years, churches were among the most revered organizations in the land (in fact topping the list some years).  Sadly, we are now in a situation where less than half of all adults (48%) have “quite a lot of confidence” in churches.  It used to be that 75% of American adults had a high degree of trust in religious institutions.  Why has this happened?

The answers are surely many.  Certainly the growing secularism of the culture in the US has played a major role in the decline of trust.  The highly publicized abuses in the Roman Catholic church have left many feeling shocked and betrayed.  Militant Islam has definitely had an effect on those who indiscriminately lump all religions together.  And then, honestly, in the evangelical church we have had our share of periodic scandals.

From a leadership perspective, the effect of losing people’s confidence is devastating.  People need to have confidence in their church family if they are to effect meaningful change in people’s lives and in their community.  At Crosswalk, we have worked hard to earn your trust.  We are not perfect.  But we will strive to be people of integrity, reliability, and trust in all our endeavors.

Of course, it all begins with our confidence in the Lord.  The NT says this about the ministry of the apostles to the churches: “We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ.  It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God” (2 Cor 3:4-5).

This Sunday we will look at a fascinating passage in our Heroes By Faith series.  We will answer this question:  How can we have a faith that blesses others, now and after we have passed from this earth? See you Sunday!

Love in Jesus,

Pastor John Christie

UPDATE ON FACILITY NEED
We are beginning a new fund to repair our parking lot, which needs to be repaired and recovered as it is posing a tripping hazard for our members and guests.  We have already received $2,700 into this fund from last week’s email appeal, and this Sunday we will make special mention of it.  Please consider a gift to this much needed project.  We will need $19,000 to do the minimal repairs, and nearly $30,000 to do the complete job.

IF YOU CAN HELP WITH THIS PROJECT, PLEASE EARMARK YOUR CHECK OR YOUR ONLINE GIFT (at crosswalkchurch.com) “Parking Lot” and we will put it to good use.  Many thanks to those who have already contributed!

IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES!
This Saturday @ 8:30 a.m. we will have another great Men’s Breakfast!
Aug 28 – Women’s Brunch in our gym – this Sunday is the last day to purchase tickets
Aug 29 – All Church Picnic at Las Palmas Park
Sept 26 – CROSSWALK’S MILLION DOLLAR CELEBRATION with a catered Lunch after worship!  This will be an awesome celebration of what God has done through us during the past 10 years!