Achieving Simplicity!

Dear Crosswalkers,

A great article was featured in the Wall Street Journal online.  It's about a classic American company that does one thing, but does it extremely well.  It's the company that produces Whiffle Balls.  From their 15-employee operation along Route 8 in Shelton, Connecticut, Whiffle Ball, Inc. still cranks out their one product—a bat and a ball. The balls have always been made of white plastic, and they have always had exactly eight holes. Since the company started in 1953, they've experimented in making a few other products with mixed results.  So at the end of the day they always came back to their one big, simple idea—Whiffle Balls. According to Stephen Mullany, who runs the plant with his brother, "You've got to stick with what works." His brother added, "What do you need? You need a Whiffle Ball, a bat, and another kid to play with. And really that's it."

You can read the full story by clicking on this link:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303635604576391642837417256.html?mod=WSJ_hp_mostpop_read

Why do I share this story?  Because it is a perfect example of achieving simplicity in mission!  They've tried different things, but they always come back to the basic, simple, no-nonsense product that has endured for three generations.  At Crosswalk, we are wrapping up our Assessment, and many of you expressed appreciation for last Sunday's "dual preaching" as we presented the report.  Out of this Assessment will come a wonderful vision and direction for Crosswalk.  But ultimately we do one thing and one thing well.  Ultimately, the simplicity of our mission must never be lost.  Here's what we do and what we will always do:  CONNECT PEOPLE TO JESUS AND TO EACH OTHER.  The good news about Jesus never changes.  It can be communicated and applied to new generations in new ways, but the content is unchangeable.  The mission is simple: We present the love of Jesus to a hurting world and invite people to be a part of the Lord's forever family!  There is a beauty in achieving simplicity in our personal lives and in our mission as a church family!  

This week Leanna and I are at camp conducting a marriage seminar and spending time with family.  Here is a picture of our night of Laser Tag, and innovative people have wondered if we are really equipping marriage couples to fight fairly!!  I think it communicates more of the spiritual warfare that engages us as we live for Jesus in a world that is often less than receptive! 

Sunday will be a great day at church!  I will be there but our preacher will be pastor Ed Taylor.  Ed is very popular at Crosswalk, and his message is entitled, "Jazz after Blues" from Psalm 46.  We will celebrate Independence Day and partake in the Lord's Supper.  We will also commission the Hernandez family as they return to their mission field in Paraguay.  We will miss them greatly, but praise God for the year they were with us!  I hope to see you Sunday!!

Faithfully yours,

Pastor John

What Jesus Wants to Say to Crosswalk Church

Dear Crosswalkers, This Sunday we will take a short break from our series of studies through the Gospel of Mark in order to hear what the Lord Jesus wants to say to Crosswalk Church.  Intriguing?  Yes.  Presumptuous?  Maybe.  Let me explain.  For the past couple of months we have been in a process of Assessment.  This is where we have an expert in church health come and work with us, and specifically with our leadership team, and assess the health of our church family.  This is like your regular check-up at the doctor's office.  As part of this process, we asked all Crosswalkers to take an on-line survey; and then our resource person, Doug Stevens with The Renewal Group, conducted some relational and church evaluation exercises with many of us.    Well, the results are in!  And according to the survey, the interviews, and the small group exercises, the doctor's prognosis is... Come to church this Sunday and you will hear the results for yourself!!  So are we over spiritualizing to say we will hear what Jesus wants to say to Crosswalk Church this Sunday?  Maybe.  But the Bible clearly says that God wants to speak to us today, and that God has many ways of speaking to us.  Certainly one of those ways is that he speaks through his people (that's YOU, who took the survey!).  Another way he speaks is through leaders in our church family who are sensitive to the direction of the Holy Spirit.  Perhaps it is a step of faith, but I believe Jesus wants to speak to us today, and this assessment process is one of the ways he speaks. We see a great example of this in the Bible.  In the book of Revelation, the risen Lord is pictured as walking among his churches, and speaking words of Commendation, Criticism, and Challenge (promises the Lord makes to encourage his churches).  So this Lord's Day we will be looking at Revelation 2:1-7, and then listening with discernment to the application of this passage to Crosswalk.  We will be Commended (this is hard for some to handle), Criticized (this is EVEN HARDER for some to handle), and Challenged!  Doug Stevens and I are going to be duel preachers this Sunday, dialoging with each other and with you!  I hope to see you in church!  Faithfully yours, Pastor John

Courage in the Mall - A Challenge to Men

Dear Crosswalkers,

Father's Day is a perfect time to speak about the manly virtue of courage.  The great thinker C.S. Lewis said, "Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point." His point is well taken; any virtue will fail in the face of trial, testing, pressure or stress if it is not upheld with courage.

In a recent article called "Stepping Up," Christian author Dennis Rainy tells of an encounter he had with the manager of a popular clothing store in a mall.   He was there with his 13 year old daughter, who was shopping for a sweater.  While browsing around, he couldn't help but notice a life-sized poster of a young man who was completely naked!  Here's Rainey's account of his conversation with the store manager:

I shared with him that I had six children and was a good customer; then I said very kindly, "This picture … I'm sorry, but it's just indecent." I thought I'd get agreement.

Instead he quipped, "I beg to differ with you, sir. By whose standards?"

A little stunned by his response, I replied with measured firmness, "By any standard of real morality …. Sir, if that picture is not indecent, then I'd like you to get in a similar pose to that guy in the picture."

He looked at the picture, looked at my daughter, then back at me …. There was a moment of silence, full of anticipation. Then he shook his head and said, "Huh-uh."

I smiled and said, "You know, it's a good thing you didn't drop your pants, because you could have been arrested for indecent exposure."

Then he replied, "If you think that's bad, you should see our catalog."

So I went over and opened the catalog. One photo showed four teenage girls in bed with a boy …. I pushed the catalog back and said, "I'd like you take my name and phone number. I'd like someone from your corporate office to give me a call."

To which he politely said, "Sir, I can take your name and address, but they're not interested. They really don't care what you think."

My response was kind but firm: "I just want you to know I'm only one customer. I'm just a daddy of six kids, but I have a lot of friends. And I want you to know that wherever I go, I'm going to use this episode as an illustration of a company that doesn't care about the future of our young people, their morality, or the future of our nation."

It always takes a measure of courage to speak out against a wrong in our society.  The safest and easiest thing to do is to simply let things be.  But then how are we light in a dark world.  Rainey wasn't being obnoxious, and he didn't come across as "holier than thou."  He simply stated the truth.  Rainey concluded this story with a challenge for us all, but especially to men:

One of the greatest lies of our day is that one man, one husband, or one dad can't make a difference. As a single man, you can protect the innocence of a single woman you are dating by being a noble man of character …. As a husband and father, you are the warrior who has been charged with the duty of pushing back against the evil that seeks to prey on your wife, daughters, and sons. Stepping up to courageous manhood starts here. If you don't step up, who will?

Who indeed?

This will be a great Father's Day weekend at Crosswalk!  We have our Men's Breakfast on Saturday at 8:30 a.m.  Then that evening we have "An Enchanted Evening with Daddy", our annual Father-Daughter Dance.  Sunday morning we will honor the men in church with a gift, and the message is entitled, "Blessings of the Father."  We will look at the way God the Father bestowed his blessing on his son, Jesus.  Amazingly, this is the same blessing he wants to bestow on all of us!!  At the same time we men will be challenged to impart blessings on others, especially those who are nearest and dearest to us.

I hope to see you in Church!

Faithfully yours,

Pastor John

Making a Difference in our World!!

Dear Crosswalkers,

Crosswalk church is committed to serving our community, to be salt and light, and to be a witness for the Lord and his church in as many ways as possible.  The apostolic attitude is summed up for us in 1 Corinthians 9:22 (NRSV) - To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. So we serve and we bless and we seek to do good deeds in the name of the Lord.  Last week we had a team serve the homeless by preparing a meal for 70 people at Washington Park through our sister church, the Refuge.  We also had a team paint the Missionary House at RCP.  We also served through the Sunnyvale Chamber of Commerce at the Art and Wine Festival.  This last act of service is probably controversial to some.

Normally, we set up a booth among the non-profit groups in the children’s section and advertise our church and school.  This year, the organizers discontinued that program.  We offered to serve our community in any way, because we want our town to know that there is a church here that cares and loves and serves.  “Any way?” they wanted to know.  “Yes, we will even clean up trash.”  They countered, “The only thing we really need is for people to serve wine and beer for the city of Sunnyvale.  Will you help us?”  Well, I was informed of this while on a mission trip to NE India.  This is a bit of a stretch for a church with a Baptist background.  Many of us with a traditional Baptist or Pentecostal upbringing have been raised with the famous “5 no-no’s” of no drinking, dancing, gambling, smoking, and card-playing.  In my first church, a lady told me that a deck of cards is the devil’s bible!  Some traditions have replaced card-playing with going to the movies.  At any rate, I’m pleased that the church of Jesus has generally moved away from such cultural legalism and toward a more graced filled and Spirit led ethic.

Perhaps one of the last vestiges of this attitude is “No drinking;” in part because the Bible clearly forbids alcohol abuse, as in drunkenness.  Another pertinent factor is sensitivity to people in recovery, of whom our church is blessed with many.  Because of such sensitivity, on our church grounds we are an alcohol and drug free community.  We love our people in recovery, and praise God for the tremendous blessing they are to Crosswalk.  However, the use of alcohol is clearly a matter of conscience, according to Romans 14.  Also, we desperately want to reach more people and bring them into the process of recovery and more importantly, into a relationship with the Lord.  In fact the Bible is very affirming of such a commitment.  Our Lord Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding reception, and he regularly attended feasts which included a generous use of alcoholic beverages.  In fact, this opened him up to criticism from “holier than thou” types!  Jesus said, “For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners"' (Luke 7:33-34, NIV).  On this note, Dietrich Bonhoeffer quotes the great reformer, Martin Luther:

“The Kingdom is to be in the midst of your enemies. And he who will not suffer this does not want to be of the Kingdom of Christ; he wants to be among friends, to sit among the roses and lilies, not with the bad people but the devout people.  O you blasphemers and betrayers of Christ!  If Christ had done what you are doing who would ever have been spared?”  As with much of Luther’s writings, it is perhaps a bit overstated; but his point is a good one.

So because of this clear biblical emphasis, we decided to risk criticism by serving our community and going where other churches will refuse to venture.  The result from last week was overall very positive, but of course there are some improvements to make if we do it again.  I was with a team of 4 others in one booth, and I proudly wore my Crosswalk polo shirt and got into a couple of good conversations about the Lord and our church.  The Chamber of Commerce has a profound respect for our church’s servant heart, and seeds of the gospel were planted.  If you have any concerns or want to share any feedback with me, please reply to this email!

THIS SUNDAY will be a great day at Crosswalk! We are in a new series in the Gospel of Mark, and this week we will look at“How to Prepare for God to do Something New in Your Life!” We are honoring graduates, concluding our Missions Moments about Crosswalk’s impact in Bhutan, and praising the Lord together!  Come and be a part of it!

Love in Jesus,

Pastor John

What Is Your Church Worth?

Dear Crosswalkers,

The title of this week's email message is provocative: "What is your church worth?" There are so many ways to consider this, but a recent study attempts to answer that question in purely financial terms. According to a 2009 survey, on average, every year one inner-city church contributed $476,663.24 to the local economy! That's based on research by University of Pennsylvania professor Ram Cnaan, who in fact considers himself nonreligious. His 2011 survey is even more revealing! It concluded that one church alone, First Baptist Church in Philadelphia, contributed over $6,000,000 a year to the local economy! This is more than ten times the church's annual budget!  How is this calculated? Well, based on Cnaan's research, some of First Baptist's financial contributions include:

• Volunteer hours worked: $94,770 (weekly hours x 52 weeks x $20.25)
• Reduced crime rate: a reduction of $64,416 (crimes within neighborhood compared with surrounding neighborhoods x $2,210)
• Getting people off drugs and alcohol: $78,750 ($15,750 per person helped)
• Building enhancements/Capital campaign: $60,000 (estimates that half of expenses are spent locally)
• Helping people gain employment: $725,000 ($14,500 per arranged employment)
• Suicide prevention: $58,800 ($19,600 per person saved through clergy intervention)
• Divorces prevented: $22,500 ($900 per couple)
• K-12 School: $3,489,926 (# of students x $9,666)

I'm not sure Crosswalk quite measures up to this inner city church's standard, but I know the impact we have on people's lives, our community service projects, the ministry of Sunnyvale Christian School, our counseling, our missions investments and more is of significant value to our community and our world. More importantly, it is precious to our Heavenly Father. Ultimately, our worth as a church is determined by the Lord who called us into being. What does he say?

Isaiah 49:16 - "See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands..."

Jeremiah 31:3 - ...“I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself."

Ephesians 3:10-11 - God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 5:25 -...Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

The conclusion is simple:  WE ARE OF GREAT VALUE TO OUR GOD AND TO OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR WORLD!  THERE IS NO GREATER WAY YOU CAN INVEST YOUR TIME AND RESOURCES THAN IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD!

This Lord's Day we will begin a new series of studies on the Gospel of Mark entitled "Simply Jesus.' The purpose of this series is to lead us in a time of corporate Bible study on the centrality of our faith - Jesus the Lord. Scholars have long known that Mark was the first Gospel written, and there is a strong tradition in the church that Mark records the memories of the apostle Peter. In fact there is much internal evidence that Mark is, in fact, the preaching and teaching and remembrances of Simon Peter. This Sunday we will introduce the theme of the Gospel, and be encouraged by the Biblical truth that God delights in preparing people for something new. I believe right now God is in the process, whether you realize it or not, of preparing you for some new chapter in your life. This time of preparation is exciting. I hope to see you Sunday!!

Love in the Lord,

Pastor John