I’m super excited that two weeks from today I get to be a part of what I hope will be a great conversation with some amazing voices in the church.  Tyler Wigg-Stevenson, Bianca Juarez, Margaret Feinberg, Dr. Anthony B. Bradley and I will be hosting the 12 Conversations discussion here in Nashville.

12 Cities | 12 Conversations are free gatherings in strategic US cities to facilitate conversation about the internal struggles and external pressures facing the Church among church leaders, thinkers, pastors, authors, musicians, advocates, artists, social entrepreneurs, and YOU.

Here’s a quick video that will help you better understand what we hope to discuss:

I hope you’ll join us!

12 Cities | 12 Conversations Gathering in Nashville

Cross Point Nashville Campus

Thursday, September 16th at 6:00 PM

If you can’t join us in person, you can join us online at CrossPoint.tv

For more information, visit the website at www.12cities12conversations.com.

What would you like to discuss?

I’m compiling the questions for our conversation and would love your input!  Leave your question in the comment section for me.

I’m learning there’s never a dull moment in multi-site ministry…

Yesterday I headed to our Dickson Campus to spend the morning.  Things were moving along right on schedule.  We had just finished our program overview meeting and were prepared to do a full run-through of the service when the power went out in the entire building.  We quickly learned that no breakers were blown, that indeed the entire street was without power and we didn’t have any idea when power would be back up.  It was 45 minutes before the first service.

The Dickson Campus staff and I rallied together quickly to come up with a “plan b” (I couldn’t resist ).  Within 20 minutes we had chosen a new location for services that provided natural light, we had put together an acoustic set and I was reading through Pete’s message notes to try to come up with at least a devotional based on the 3rd element of our vision statement.

We pulled together the volunteers that were already there, talked through our plan, assigned new responsibilities, prayed… and I’m not joking… immediately after we prayed, the lights came back on.  Just in time for us to begin the first service.

Scenarios like this morning are just a reminder to me that you never know when you’ll really need to lead.  Leadership happens in the unplanned moments and today I was so proud of how our Dickson staff stepped up to lead through this potential hiccup.

I’m so glad we actually heard Pete’s message because it just might be the most intense, passionate, challenging message I’ve ever heard him deliver.  My notes won’t do it justice, but I’ll try…

DNA – Relentlessly Dedicated by Pete Wilson

The real crisis is that people are going to church but they are not growing in Christ-likeness.

I believe the “space between” is all about us changing the world.

I really believe this church can change the world.  I believe this church is called to change the world.

Somewhere along the way, we bought into the idea that church exists to serve our needs.

If you don’t live like you believe your life was created to impact the world you will miss the point of salvation and sanctification.

Matthew 28:19

Mark 16:15

Acts 1:8

God’s general will for you is summed up in these verses.

There is a disconnect in our lives between the grace of God and the purpose of God.

You were created by God to enjoy His grace, but you were also created to extend His grace.

Isaiah 43:1-2,7

Psalm 67:1-2

The ends of the earth have never needed God’s grace more than today.

Missions shouldn’t be just a program in the church, it’s the whole reason for the church.  Nobody gets a calling to do missions.  It’s what we do as followers of Christ.

Every single one of you are here for a purpose and a reason.

Wake up to God’s call on your life!

What would happen if a group of people rise up and say “it’s not about us”?

Give graciously. God has a purpose for your life and it’s to make a difference!

****************************

Today we also celebrated many of the amazing things we have been able to do as a church thus far.  This is just the beginning!

My husband and I were recently watching an episode of ABC’s What Would You Do?  The title of the episode was “Are You a Good Samaritan?”… it got us curious.

But curiosity quickly turned to frustration and then more discussion about what our role as Christians ought to be.

The purpose of the episode was to see whether passersby would stop to help someone in distress.  Here’s a clip from the show.

I’ll be honest.  I was conflicted.

As a female, if I were walking alone through a park (like the setting in the episode), I would have reservations about stopping to help an adult male, especially if there were not others in the immediate area.  Perhaps I’ve watched too many episodes of Criminal Minds or maybe it’s because I live with a cop who deals with cons and criminals every day, but the reality is criminals use these kinds of scams all the time.  I wrestle with where the line is between being a Good Samaritan and putting yourself in danger.

I do want to love like Jesus loves.

I do want to be sensitive to those in need.

I don’t want my heart to be calloused or unaware.

So, how do you find this balance?

How do you remain sensitive to opportunities to love and serve others without putting yourself in danger?

I finally went for a run tonight.  The last four days have been so wild the last thing I’ve thought about was exercise, but tonight I had to get out.

I was somewhat prepared for what I’d find.  I knew my running route would look far different than it ever has before.  But, I still wasn’t ready for the emotional impact of it.  As I ran around piles of debris, mask-wearing homeowners carrying stacks of drywall to the curb, other neighbors wandering aimlessly in shock, I couldn’t help but feel guilty that my house is ok.  I’m just 2 or 3 blocks away and my life looks completely different than theirs.

This flood damage is absolutely overwhelming.

There’s a distinct smell in the air.  I’ll never forget this smell.

There are conflicting emotions of somberness and hopefulness.  There are people who are optimistic and apparently peaceful and those who burst into tears or seem to still be in shock.

The needs are great.  The road will be long.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

If you live in the Nashville area and are available to help, please join us for the following volunteer days:

Thursday, May 6th
Friday, May 7th
Saturday, May 8th
Saturday, May 15th
Saturday, May 22nd
Saturday, May 29th

Meet at the Bellevue Campus (7669 Hwy. 70 South, Nashville, 37221) from 9 AM-4 PM!  For more details, check out the Cross Point website.

If you live outside the Nashville area and are looking for a way to help, your donations will make a huge difference.  All donations will go directly to help flood victims in the Nashville and surrounding communities.

How to give:

1. Donate online HERE
2. Mail a check to Cross Point Church 4301 Charlotte Ave, Nashville, TN 37209.  Make checks payable to Cross Point Community Church with “Flood Relief” in the memo line.

Thank you for your prayers and support.  We are so grateful!

If you live in Nashville, I want to encourage you to make plans tomorrow night to attend:

THE THIRD ANNUAL HOME FOUNDATION BENEFIT CONCERT
featuring Brit Nicole, Brandon Heath, Phillip LarRue, Tenth Avenue North & Audrey Assad

Hosted by my beautiful friend and fellow Cross Pointer, Natalie Grant.

Two things you need to know:

1. Human trafficking is real and it’s outrageous.  You can do something to help by buying a ticket and attending this benefit concert.  Natalie and the ministries she partners with are doing great things to restore lives of people affected by this tragedy.
2. The concert will be GREAT!  I attended this event last year and was absolutely blow away!  The line-up is great and hearing Natalie’s heart and passion is a beautiful gift of inspiration.

Here are the details:

Tuesday, March 9 – Doors at 7pm, Show at 7:30pm

All proceeds benefitting the H.O.M.E.S. project, restoring hope to those affected by trafficking and sexual exploitation.

Go get your ticket HERE!

People are going through the torture of being unwanted, rejected… and I think that is the greatest suffering and the greatest poverty today.

Mother Teresa

Today we visited Motherhouse where Mother Teresa lived the majority of her life in Calcutta.  We visited her tomb as well as saw the room where she spent the majority of her days.  Then we visited one of her homes for the destitute and dieing.

Such extreme suffering that was hard to digest in the few moments that we were there.

I wrestle with the extreme depravity that we are experiencing here.  It just doesn’t seem comprehensible that this is every day reality.  I marvel at Mother Teresa’s ability to stay engaged and hopeful for so many years when it seems that there is no end to the suffering all around.

And then I watched this video where she shares her thoughts on the face of poverty.  Poverty of the soul is not quite as obvious, but just as destructive.  And no matter where you live there are people all around you starving.

Do you see them?

Today we headed back to the Kalpur Slum to spend another day with the children and their families.  Once again they showered us with greetings and smiles… and this beautiful flower.

I have to admit I’ve been a bit overwhelmed by all the attention.  They are eager for you to look them in the eye, shake their hand or say their name.

I find myself wrestling with the tension of the attention.

I am no hero, celebrity or savior.  I’m just one spoiled American who flies in on a fancy plane and leaves before it gets too difficult.

But, it’s not who I am.

It’s what I represent.

… And what I represent is HOPE.

Hope for an education, a hot meal, a chance to learn the arts.  Hope for clean water, a steady job, a home that is their own.

From the children, to their parents, to the teachers and leaders at the school, our presence gives them renewed hope.  They know that other people care for them and are praying for them from thousands of miles away.  They know that a church in Nashville, TN is financially contributing to this project each month making their hope possible.

You know what?  Being “hope” didn’t cost me much today, but being “hope” inspired these families in an immeasurable way!

Here’s a quick clip from our craft project today.  Most of these kids have never done anything like this.

Can you see the hope in their eyes?

We made it!

After 32 hours of traveling with just pockets of sleep here and there, we arrived in Kolkata this morning.

We checked into the hotel, got a quick (cold) shower and our first taste of India cuisine before heading off to the slum where we’ll be spending the next few days.

As tired and exhausted as I was, I’m thankful that I didn’t miss the gift of this opportunity.

We arrived at the school to whoops and hollers and a pathway of flower petals.  The children were excited and had prepared some of their best for us.  We heard songs, poems and recitations that they had worked so hard on.  (Ryan also taught them a song… funniest thing was watching the kids try to mimic his mannerisms and animated expressions!)

Then we fed them lunch.  For most of them this is their ONLY meal for the day.

As much as I expected to serve and love them today, I never anticipated the honor they would bestow our team.

I am humbled.

Here’s a pic of some of the gifts they showered me with today:

But the most important gift to me was their smiles – their smiles in spite of their circumstances.  These children live in a slum.  They live in tents.  They are surrounded by filth, waste, disease and turmoil every day.  And yet they are smiling.  They are celebrating.  They are learning.  And they are enjoying life.

I’m humbled…  and I’m trying to smile too.

Cross Point Family!

We are partnering with our friends from G.O. Ministries to get a supply run to Haiti.  If you are looking for a quick, practical way to help, THIS IS IT!

Here are the details:

• All 3 Cross Point campuses will be collecting items from the list below THIS SUNDAY, January 24th
• The Nashville Campus will continue collecting items from 9AM – 5PM Monday & Tuesday.  The last possible drop-off time is TUESDAY, January 26th at 5PM.

Surgical Supplies

• External Fixators – suppliers – Stryker, Synthes, Smith and Nephew
• Nails – Stryker, Synthes, Smith and nephew
• Steiman Pins – same suplliers
• Plates and Screws – Stryker, Synthes
• Casting material – plaster or fiberglass-
• Sterile gauze
• Suture material – nylon – hundreds of packs
• Scissors
• Scalpels with blades
• OR lights
• Power saws and drills – are rechargeable – Stryker supplier
• Anesthesia
• Crutches
• Dressings supplies
• IVs ( Ringers Lactate, NACL, D5W, D50
• IVs start Kits
• Bandages
• gauze
• gloves
• masks
• scalpels

Needed Medical Supplies:

• Casting supplies
• Peroxide
• Ace bandages
• Bandages
• gauze
• gloves
• masks
• Scalpels
• Adhesive tape
• Antibiotic ointment
• glucometers

Medicines—we can only accept unexpired medications in bulk containers

• Regular insulin
• Anti-diarrheals
• Tylenol/acetaminophen
• Ibuprofen
• Antibiotics
• Tetanus vaccine

Food

• Bottled water
• Baby Formula
• Pedialyte or other pediatric electrolyte supplement
• Canned meats and sardines
• Canned pasta, already prepared
• Protein bars
• Peanut butter
• Ensure bottled drinks

Supplies:

• Tents (small and large)
• Tarps
• Blankets
• Sheets
• Rope
• Candles
• Flashlights/headlamps/batteries

Ryan Bult, our Missions Director, is heading up this project.  If you have any questions, you can direct them his way at ryan@crosspoint.tv.

If you are looking for a place to donate monetarily to the relief efforts in Haiti, we encourage you to consider Samaritan’s Purse.

Thank you so much for considering this!

Today I officially started training for this year’s Country Music 1/2 Marathon.  This will be my third year running the race.

Honestly my enthusiasm about doing it again was waning a bit when it came time to start thinking about training again.

The first year was an awesome experience.  I had never run more than 5 miles before I began training.  Rach, Shelby, Ash and I met weekly for training runs and we all had big smiles on our faces when we finished.

Last year I was really excited to tackle it again. But this time I was ready to document the experience, so I carried my little Kodak camera for 10 miles of the race.  I had high aspirations to beat my time from the previous year, but alas the heat was miserable, I burned all my energy filming and finished less enthusiastically.

But this year I’m excited to change it up a bit.  The first two years were really about accomplishing personal goals and experiencing it with great friends.  This year (along with many Cross Point folks) I’ve teamed up with Powered by Hope to put a cause behind my steps.

Powered by Hope is a team on a mission to turn racial division, class segregation, and spiritual poverty into community, possibility, and vision. It all begins with a new Hope – our support of New Hope Academy.
New Hope Academy