Crosstown Connection

Crosstown Connection Aug 28 - Sept 3

Celebrating Josh Smith's Ministry

This Sunday we will take time to express our appreciation to Josh and Carrie Smith. This will be their final Sunday with us as Josh will be serving another congregation. As a special treat the worship team has prepared the six songs in highest rotation during Josh's time at Crosstown. Join us Sunday to find out which one is #1!

Josh originally began serving at Crosstown from 2011-2017. Josh then returned as Director of Worship Arts in 2018 and has served since that time. Let us be praying for Josh, Carrie, Amos, and Percy as they journey into a new season.

COVID Policy Update

Due to the advance of COVID in our community, we are making the following adjustment: Per MDH & CDC guidelines, it is highly recommended that all able persons wear a mask while inside the Crosstown building.

Interest Registration Form

Registration is open until Sept 5th!

The theme for retreat this year is "Changed by Jesus?!" We will dig into a number of Biblical stories of people who were changed by Jesus. What happened to them? How did they live differently after their encounter? How did they share their story with others?

We are working diligently to make sure that the weekend is interactive for all ages. We are even adding a bonfire session to practice sharing our testimonies. How has God been at work in your life? And we will collectively celebrate baptism together on Saturday.

We are excited for you to join us on this journey!

Visit our Retreat Website

If you are staying in Minneapolis, how can you still participate? Sunday's worship will be on the live stream! This means that worship will be offered at CPBC and on YouTube but not at the Crosstown building.

Meals for the Stembridge Family

The Community Caring Commission is requesting the congregation to share some food love with the Stembridge family. Recently Ruth started to receive hospice care and their daughter Sheryl has been providing care. We are asking the congregation to provide a meal for the family to support them in this challenging season. If you are interested in helping contact Kathleen Lindahl and she will clarify dietary restrictions, delivery process, and dates. jklindahl@comcast.net Dick and Ruth are also open to visitors if you would like to provide some in-person encouragement.

New Church Directory in September

Have you changed phone numbers, changed churches, or changed your email in the last year? Please send an update to the office as we prepare to publish the directory in September.

Pastor John's Upcoming Sabbatical

Crosstown's Lead Pastor will be taking a sabbatical from October 4 - November 14. This is a reinstatement of 1/2 of the sabbatical that was previously scheduled for 2020. During this season, Pastor John will be spending extensive time in solitude as he focuses on his "life verse" from Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God." The 2nd half of Pastor John's sabbatical is scheduled for May-July in 2022. Planning for Crosstown's needs during this six-week period is ongoing and will be shared in future editions of the "Crosstown Connection."

Improving our Welcome

How do we improve our welcome of guests to Crosstown on a Sunday morning? The Community Caring Commission has been wrestling with this topic for the last 3 months. This is what adaptive leadership looks like.

The commission is looking for 3 more friends who would be willing to join the ministry of greeting. Stand at the door, smile, and greet people with the love of Jesus. And especially care for those who walk in the door that you don't already know. Greeters need to be at least 10 years old, you can pick the Sundays that work for you, and we hope to be able to staff two volunteers each Sunday. Interested? Contact Kristi Johnson office@crosstowncovenant.org

Baptism on Sept 18 Only

We have a number of people interested in baptism but all have opted to attend the Sept 18 baptism at Covenant Pines. Therefore, Crosstown will not be hosting a baptism at Lake Nokomis this Sunday.

Wednesday Night Resumes

Starting September 22 we will be welcoming all ages back to the building for youth, kids, and adult programing. Programs will run from 6:30pm-7:45pm.

What are the programs going to look like? Are they meeting outside, with families, on Zoom, in person, drop off...? Details to come in next week's newsletter.

Property Announcements

The kitchen is now open. This means that food can now be prepared and served in the building.
The dumpster contract has been reinitiated and a dumpster has been returned to Crosstown property. Special thank you to Randall Thaden, Custodian, who physically carried all the Crosstown trash home while church saved some money by canceling our disposal contract through the pandemic.
The bus has been sold. After 16 years of service the bus has moved on back to the dealer. Read more about the bus's history in our blog post.
Construction in the sanctuary is planned to start in September. Preparations are underway to relocate Sunday worship into the commons/gym during construction. Actual dates are not finalized yet.

Sale of the Bus

Read more about the history of Crosstown's bus in this blog post.

Read more
crosstowncovenant.org

Lillehei Medical Scholarship Fund

We would like to celebrate Thomas Ritter as the 2021 recipient of the Katherine Lillehei Medical Scholarship Fund. The purpose of the scholarship is to encourage faith-filled members to pursue careers in the field of medicine. This includes doctors, nurses, physician’s assistants, nursing assistants, psychiatrists and other caregivers. This scholarship is for education of current practitioners as well as those still considering a career in medicine. Thomas is pursuing an education in the medical profession as a doctor. Please encourage Thomas via email as he continues his educational journey. His email address is Thomas.e.ritter@gmail.com

📅 Save the Date...

Discipleship Confirmation Kick Off Brunch Sept 12
All Church Retreat Sept 17-19
Baptism Sept 18 at Covenant Pines
No Worship in Crosstown Building Sept 19
Discipleship Confirmation begins Sept 22
Wednesday Night Programing resumes Sept 22
Equip Hour resumes Sept 26
Pastor John on Sabbatical Oct 4- Nov 14

Event Request Form

Office Hours

Monday-Friday 9:00-3:00

Parenting Class

Drop in any time to explore Biblical teaching and share wisdom on how to talk with your children about sex and gender. Wednesday nights on Zoom 8:00-9:00pm Zoom links. Check out the curriculum here and the intro video.

Northwest Conference News

Stromberg Announces He Is Stepping Down in 2022 -...

Mark Stromberg, superintendent of the Northwest Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church, announced that he would conclude his service on June 30, 2022. He has served as superintendent since 2011. Stromberg's Covenant roots go...

Read more
covenantcompanion.com

UNITE from the NWC

July 14-17, 2022 @ Bethel University

Unite NWC (formerly CHIC) is a high school conference for students entering 9th grade - seniors graduating in 2022. We’re estimating the cost to be between $300-$400. Stay connected as this regional high school conference develops.