Start Your Week with Crossroads
June 29, 2020
Crossroads hopes to provide resources to help you and your family throughout the week. Every week we will send this out listing ways to help you on your spiritual path.
Feel free to share them with family and friends!
Crossroads Re-Opening Update
Crossroads recently conducted a survey to gather your input on various aspects of returning to in-person worship and other ministry events. Thanks for your overwhelming response! We collected ~200 survey responses representing significantly more people as many responses pertained to an entire family. We received responses from every age group but the largest participation came from those aged 35-64.  Here’s what you told us !

Please check out the reopening page on our website for answers to Frequently Asked Questions and a short video from the Reopening Team.
Dave's Retirement Announcement
If you did not see Dave's retirement message, please click  here  to watch the video. A written version of the video can be found  here .
New Nurture Guide: Deborah Michel
We are thrilled to announce that Deborah Michel will be starting on July 1st in the role of Nurture and Care Guide. Here is a note from Deborah:

"Greetings Crossroads Family! Our family hails from the Pacific Northwest. David and I celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary this past January. Three of our children were born in Portland, Oregon - Josh, Alyson, and Emilie. Our son Joshua died in an accident in 1993. Two years later we moved to Ashburn, added a son, Ian, to our family.  

David and I are the proud grandparents of six - three of whom live nearby, and three who live in the Seattle area. We started attending Crossroads in 2007. We entered right into the community by joining a Circle of Care.  Our son was baptized, confirmed, and celebrated his Eagle Scout ceremony, all at Crossroads. I was fortunate to work with Flor Hoydilla in Women's ministry, as well as Cathy Norman and Tammie Bond on developing Women's Right of Passage retreats. I've also served on several committees, and became a Nurture Guide. 

The last two years I've taken a sabbatical from Crossroads. During this time I was enrolled in a spiritual director program at the prestigious Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation. I have been a practicing Spiritual Director since 2018. I'm very happy to be back with my Crossroads family, even though it is virtually. I'm thrilled to step into the roll of facilitating the Nurture Guides. This is a group of faithful servant-leaders, and I'm blessed to be with them again."
Summer Acts of Service
This week’s Summer Acts of Service features those experiencing homelessness in Washington, DC. In 2019, there were over 6,500 people experiencing homelessness. The main cause of homelessness is not drugs or alcohol; it is the lack of affordable housing. 30% of DC adults experiencing homelessness are employed. Men. Women. Families. Seniors. Veterans. The mentally ill. The face of homelessness is not what you might imagine. With DC’s low wages and soaring cost of living, one job loss or medical issue could be the difference of having shelter or not.

Crossroads has had a long history of serving those on the margins in DC. Prior to the COVID crisis, on the first and third Sunday of each month, Crossroads has served bag lunches to our brothers and sisters in Franklin Park. This simple act of love and kindness has been going on for over 16 years. Many of you have served by preparing
sandwiches, donating food items, or traveling downtown. 
 
Crossroads volunteers are still not able to return to Franklin Park and serve our friends safely. The Downtown Day Services Center near Franklin Park has been providing food and other basic services for those experiencing homelessness.  Click here for more information about the DC Day Service Center .

This week’s Act of Service involves donating items that will be used to make hygiene
kits and distributed at the Downtown Day Services Center. A complete list of items that
can be donated are: Socks, Shampoo, Soap, Facial Wipes, Sunscreen, Toothpaste, Toothbrush, Deodorant.  Click here for an Amazon wish list  that has been created for your convenience or you can shop locally and drop off the items at Crossroads Entrance 1 by 4pm on Friday, July 3rd.

Before you serve with action, begin by going through the reflection questions below. We go inward to reflect and then we go outward to serve.
Summer Acts of Service Reflections:
John 21:15-19 :    When they finished eating, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” Simon replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”    Jesus asked a second time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Simon replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.”Jesus said to him, “Take care of my sheep.” He asked a third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was sad that Jesus asked him a third time, “Do you love me?” He replied, “Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. After saying this, Jesus said to Peter, “Follow me.”

SERVE project : This week’s Summer Acts of Service features those experiencing homelessness in Washington, DC. In 2019, there were over 6,500 people experiencing homelessness. Here at Crossroads we have had a long history of serving those on the margins in DC. Prior to the COVID crisis, we served our brothers and sisters experiencing homelessness by distributing food in Franklin Park. Since we are not able to safely return to serve our friends in person, we are donating hygiene kits to the Downtown Day Services Center who will distribute the kits.

Reflection:  In this week’s scripture, we see Jesus instructing Peter to care for the followers of Jesus. All members of the body are instructed to care for others. Jesus’ instructions to Peter directly influenced Peter’s actions in the book of Acts. Peter is empowered by Jesus to “Glorify God”. When we confess that we love Jesus, we like Peter, are devoting and laying down our lives to glorify God.

General Reflection Questions:
  • Do you ever think of what you do for others as an expression of your love for God?
  • What might it look like for those you are serving if you did see it in that way?
  • When collecting items for the homeless hygiene kits, how do you think those who receive the kits will feel? Will they feel loved and seen? How would you feel?

Reflections for Families with Students:
In this week’s scripture Jesus instructs Peter to care for the followers of Jesus.  All members of the body are instructed to care for everyone else. This is how we are to express love for God.
 
  • When serving others, are you always showing a loving heart? 
  • Do you think those you serve notice when you don’t?
  • How can you be more intentional about showing your love of God in everyday acts of service?

Reflections for Families with Children:
  • In what ways do you show love for your children? Is it with time spent together? Ask your children how they know you love them. Are your answers the same or different?
  • As you gather or purchase items for the homeless for this week's act of service, remind your children of the bible story. Explain to them that with this activity, you are responding to Jesus' instruction to take care of God's people. Ask how that makes them feel.

Prayer:  God, we thank you for Your forgiveness and redemption. We thank you for Your ever-present and everlasting love. Empower us to go out and share that love with the world. May people know that we love You by the love we show them. We thank you for Your son Jesus for showing us what your love looks like in this world. We love You. Amen.
The Color of Compromise: An Ongoing Conversation
There's still time to sign up!
You have an opportunity to join us for weekly online sessions (Wednesdays from 7:00-8:30pm) featuring large group presentation and small group conversation focused on the history and legacy of racial injustice in our nation and the church. Through listening, learning, and sharing in conversation, we will reflect on both the painful reality of racism and meaningful steps toward greater levels of justice and reconciliation.

Pastor Jim Melson will lead this weekly series based on the book  The Color of Compromise  by Jamar Tisby who is an African American speaker, theologian, writer and president of The Witness: A Black Christian Collective. The book is a challenging and insightful resource to help all of us learn and grow in the call of Jesus to racial justice and reconciliation.  If you can't attend each week, you can watch a recording of the teaching at your convenience.  Please read chapter four for the next session on July 1st. 

To listen to previous sessions and to sign up for the ongoing conversation, click  here .
Church at Home Gathering
If you missed Sunday's Church at Home online gathering, you can watch it here .

You can also watch it anytime on the GOTGo app .
Songs and Videos Used in Sunday's Service
Imagine Well Being Resources
Imagine Well Being gatherings are available via Zoom so that you can be sure to take care of yourself during this stressful time. Each gathering is stand alone and designed to bring you more inner peace and healing in mind, body and soul.

The latest Imagine Well Being resources can be found  here.
Giving
 Although we aren't gathering in person, Crossroads' ministry needs don't change. Please prayerfully consider giving to the general offering.

You can give on our website (including PayPal) here .
Additional resources:
  • Sunday message: Watch here or on the GOTGo app
  • GOTGo App - Download from your app store by searching Crossroads GOTGo
  • Daily Texts - Text crossroads to 41411 to receive inspirational texts each day 
  • Daily Scripture, Prayer and Morning Focus - Sign up here
  • Spiritual Practices: Find them here
  • Prayer Requests: Submit them here
  • Imagine Well Being - Find online groups here
  • Small Groups: Find online groups here
  • Facebook - facebook.com/crossroadsnova
  • Instagram - instagram.com/crossroadsnova
  • Website - crossroadsnova.org