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