Looking at the BIG PICTURE!

Dear Crosswalkers, God would have us, on a regular basis, step back and take a look at the big picture for what God is doing in the world and how we can be a part of it.  This is such a time for Crosswalk Church.  God has blessed us in so many powerful ways, and yet as our Christian to the Core (C2C) studies have reminded us, we need to periodically revisit God’s vision for our church family and for our own individual lives.  To do this, we must remind ourselves of God’s call on our lives and then see how we can impact the world around us. According to the Barna Group, research from the past year reveals six major religious trends in America. These trends are called "megathemes."  According to Barna, these megathemes should encourage us to "revisit (our) criteria for 'success' and the measures used to assess it."  The six trends that Barna identified are: 1.  The Christian Church is becoming less theologically literate. For example, research in 2010 showed that while most people regard Easter as a religious holiday, only a minority of adults associate Easter with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 2.  Christians are becoming more ingrown and less outreach-oriented. Less than one-third of born again Christians planned to invite anyone to join them at a church event during the Easter season. 3.  Growing numbers of people are less interested in spiritual principles and more desirous of learning pragmatic solutions for life. Spiritual practices like contemplation, solitude, silence, and simplicity are rare, while the importance of lifestyle comfort, success, and personal achievements is growing. 4.  Among Christians, interest in participating in community action is escalating.Christians are becoming more open to involvement in the community, especially as it pertains to justice and service. 5.  The postmodern insistence on tolerance is winning over the Christian Church.Possibly because of the fear of being labeled judgmental, Christians have become tolerant of a vast array of morally and spiritually dubious behaviors and philosophies. 6.  The influence of Christianity on culture and individual lives is largely invisible.While contemporary Americans find it difficult to identify any specific value that the Church has added to society, they have no problem identifying the faults of the churches and Christian people. I encourage you to mull over these trends.  Do you agree with the accuracy of this assessment?  How should this reality impact Crosswalk Church?  Where should we boldly stand against these trends?  How can you make a difference?  According to the Barna Group, "The Christian Church is in desperate need of a more positive and accessible image ... and the most influential aspect of Christianity in America is how believers do — or do not — implement their faith in public and private." This year, we are partnering with The Renewal Project and our friend, Doug Stevens, to guide us through a process of revisioning the future of Crosswalk Church.  The goal is for us to become the missional church God wants to us be.  This means rediscovering how we can build bridges into our community and impact our world to bring health, healing and salvation in the name of Jesus.  Please begin to pray for this process, and in March we will begin this adventure together with a new sermon series entitled “Building Bridges with your Life.” Meanwhile, this Sunday we will wrap up our present series on God’s blessings by looking at the blessing of a healthy family.  While this will be a practical study regarding our biological families, rest assured that this message will have something for everyone.  Why?  Because what the Bible teaches about biological families applies to our church family relationships as well!  Also, the key to having a healthy family is to always look to God as our heavenly Father!  I hope to see you in church this Sunday!! Blessings, Pastor John