A couple of week’s ago, we opted to take a time-out from regular service planning to share some powerful stories and revisit our vision for Cross Point this year.
This was enough to keep me going for many more years!
In case you missed it…
If our Faith, Hope and Love initiative is new to you, you can learn more HERE.
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:
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.
Cross Point, Sunday Highlights, scripture/devotions
The single most important question you’ll ever ask in your life is… Who is Jesus?
This question has been asked and debated since Jesus lived here on Earth.
Examples in scripture where who Jesus was, was questioned: John 8:48, Mark 3:21, Matthew 16, Matthew 28
Most of us have a partial understanding of who Jesus is. We understand his death and resurrection. We know him as Savior, but we don’t know what it means to follow Christ. We don’t understand how he lived and how that applies to our life.
We want enough of God to keep us out of hell, but we don’t want enough of God to change our lifestyle.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today… is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is simply what an unbelieving world finds unbelievable. Brennan Manning
When we exclude how Jesus lived, we become undiscipled disciples.
Jesus’ death and resurrection – Jesus’ life = undiscipled disciples.
Luke 5:1-11 -this story is an important shift from Peter seeing Jesus as teacher and allowing Jesus to be Lord in his life.
We think Jesus had some good suggestions, but most of us are not willing to organize our life around them.
Luke 6:46-49
The vast majority of Christians know the powerlessness of knowing truth and not applying it.
Why are we not making the shift from Jesus being teacher to Jesus being Lord in our lives?
Seriously? scriptures: Matthew 5:38-39, Matthew 5:44, Mark 10:25, Matthew 5:28-30, Luke 14:26
We have to learn how to live in “the space between” – the time between accepting Christ and arriving in Heaven. We have to learn how to follow Christ as Lord in our lives.
Why do you think it’s so hard to allow Jesus to really be Lord in our lives?
Both the prayer of crisis and (the prayer) of formality prostitutes the art of prayer. For prayer is to be the continuing impulse toward light, hope, inspiration, spiritual intimacy, and renewal.
Dare to Journey: with Henry Nouwen
Did you catch that?
My prayers of crisis and formality p r o s t i t u t e the beauty and power of prayer.
I’m trying to let that sink in.
Because honestly…
I pray most when I’m freaking out about someone, something or some decision.
I pray consistently when I’m supposed to: for church meetings, at small group, before I eat, etc.
The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16
Pray continually. I Thessalonians 5:17
I don’t think the author is suggesting that we shouldn’t pray in crisis or in some formalities, but if that’s the only time we pray we miss the intimacy and relationship that comes with constant contact with our Creator.
How do you make prayer a continual part of your life?
Cross Point, Leadership, church administration, personal growth
Five years ago this week I walked through the doors of Cross Point Church not as a volunteer anymore, but a staff member. I remember that day so vividly. I remember driving the 30 minute commute from my home to the office thinking “Have I really done this?”, “Am I really walking away from the career I’ve passionately pursued since the age of 13 to work at a church?”, “God, is this really you?”
My mind was racing with questions and doubt, and yet there was a quiet calm underlying this decision. I couldn’t deny that God was doing something special at Cross Point. Five years ago with maybe 500 people in the seats in a dirty school cafeteria it wasn’t always apparently obvious that God had big things in store for this young church, but I can remember specifically the moment when I felt God telling me this was what I needed to do.
Fast forward five years and there are still days that I ask God similar questions to the ones I asked that morning of my commute… “God, really… is this really what you’ve called me to?”… sometimes that question is asked out of frustration and sometimes that question is asked out of awe and wonder.
In celebration of five years, I thought I would share five things I’ve learned so far…
1) It’s a 24/7 job. It’s a calling, a commitment and a sacrifice. I’m not suggesting you have to work unsustainable hours, but you can’t clock-in and clock-out. You have to embrace the responsibility.
2) Ministry leadership is not easier. In my case it’s been much more difficult than my corporate leadership experience.
3) I GET to do this. May I never forget the privilege it is to partner with God in the work of transforming lives.
4) Life-change never gets old. Seeing lives changed is all the fuel you need to make it through the dark days.
5) You can’t lose hope. You can’t lose sight of the vision. Create whatever marker you need to create to remember why you are in ministry and keep it prominently in front of you all the time.
What has ministry taught you?
Cross Point, Cultivate Her, Sunday Highlights
There’s a lot on my mind today, but nothing that sees to be formulated into a compelling blog idea. So let’s call it “Monday Morning Musings” and we’ll see if it sticks…
!!What’s on your mind today?
It’s been such a great weekend at all of our Cross Point campuses!
These are a few pictures from yesterday’s Serving Saturday event. Hundreds of volunteers served in so many different ways at all of our campuses and throughout our communities.
Thank you all so much for your time and investment! It makes me so proud to be a part of a community of believers that is committed to loving, serving and caring for others. You guys are amazing!
Thank you!
Business, Leadership, church administration, staff/employees
If you are in the second chair, you have not been called to a place of comfort; you have been called to a place of leadership.“
This quote is from one of my all-time favorite books entitled Leading from the Second Chair: Serving Your Church, Fulfilling Your Role, and Realizing Your Dreams (Jossey-Bass Leadership Network Series)
Leading at any level is difficult, but being a second chair leader – that leader that isn’t the CEO, Pastor, President, etc, but is the next tier of leadership directly serving these types of first chairs – has it’s own unique set of challenges. In my opinion, most second chair leaders have to balance many of the challenges of strategic planning, future development and business administration details with an awareness and intentionality to relationally leading the staff on a daily basis. The Second Chair is the leader that the team needs feedback, encouragement and direction from on a daily basis.
But, the see-saw of going back and forth from business to staff relations can make any good leader a little dizzy and unfocused.
Because I’m wired to be “task first”, I have to be very intentional to see-saw over to the relational side. The heaviness of the business, management and develop stuff can easily keep me grounded on that side if I let it. Remember when the big kid would get on the see-saw and keep you dangling in the air? Yep, that’s me. I’m the big kid on the business side holding down the see-saw while my staff are dangling in the air on the relational side dieing for a chance to come back down.
Odds are we all lean to one side or the other. Most of us are wired to be “task” or “people” first. Striking a balance between the two and having the discernment to know when to lean into one or the other, is a leadership skill that is developed over time.
Since I lean to the “task” side, I have created a few questions that help me know when and how to see-saw back to relationship.
My relationship questions:
If you are naturally a relationship person who needs help see-sawing over to the task side more consistently, here are a few questions you might ask yourself:
Here’s the deal, the see-saw will never be perfectly balanced. Remember how hard you tried to scoot up or scoot back on the see-saw to balance the weight so both you and your friend would be floating in mid-air? A lot of work for short reward.
Embrace the see-saw… just remember to not get stuck on one side or the other!
How about you? Which side of the leadership see-saw do you have the potential to get stuck on? Task or Relationship?
Cultivate Her, church administration
I’ve been hanging out at the Velocity Conference hosted by ChurchPlanters.com yesterday and today. It’s been a great time to connect with some great church leaders!
Yesterday my dear friend and mentor Sherry Surratt led a break-out discussion about “Engaging Women in Leadership”. Its exciting to see this topic growing in church circles and I love to get the chance to talk more about it. I also had the opportunity to share what we’re doing with “Cultivate Her”. It makes me so proud to be working with a team of women who are passionate about creating leadership environments for the women of Nashville.
Don’t Forget! Our next Cultivate Her event is THIS FRIDAY, February 26th at 7:00 AM. You can RSVP HERE.
If you don’t live in the Nashville area, I encourage you to join the discussion on the Cultivate Her blog!!
Cross Point, Sunday Highlights
Yesterday was a crazy day at Cross Point. Because of some technical drama I wasn’t able to adequately capture notes from Justin’s message, so Trish Davis one of my dear friends who also happens to be Justin’s wife, was gracious enough to be our guest post for this week’s Sunday Highlights. Thank You Trish!!
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It’s humbling beyond words to write today’s Sunday’s highlights Justin Davis is the Bellevue campus Pastor (and my husband). Justin and I have had to painfully stumble into understanding the dysfunction of the families we grew-up in and how that dysfunction spilled over into our marriage. Justin spoke candidly about the mess-ups and the lessons we have learned along the way. I hope these highlights will be an encouraging starting point regardless if you’re single, married or single again. I pray for your journey of becoming a healthier person in hopes to becoming a healthier family!
We don’t get to choose the family we are a part of, but we do get to choose who we become in the context of our family.
1. A Healthy Family Loves Deeply.
Loving deeply in a healthy family is love that is expressed no matter what. Deep love celebrates the uniqueness of each person
How does your family do in loving deeply?
2. A Healthy Family Forgives Unconditionally.
In some families, forgiveness is conditional. Forgiveness is offered only under certain conditions. 1 Corinthians 13 says, “Love Keep s no record of wrongs.” Jesus said it like this “He who has been forgiven of much, loves much.” When you forgive, love grows. When love grows, mistakes aren’t as big.
How does your family do at forgiving unconditionally?
3. A Healthy Family Creates Traditions
Donald Miller says in his book “A million Miles in a Thousand Years”: “I like those scenes in the Bible where God stops people and asks them to build an altar. You’d think He was making them do that for Himself, but I don’t think God really gets much from looking at a pile of rocks. Instead, I think God wanted his people to build altars for their sake, something that would help them remember, something they could look back on and remember the time when they were rescued, or they were given grace.” God knew that as people we live life more fully through the remembrance of traditions.
How well does your family do at creating traditions?
4. A Healthy Family Pursues Authenticity.
A healthy family isn’t where you’re loved because you are perfect…it’s where you are loved in spite of your imperfections. The mercy you long for is found on the other side of confession… grace is found on the other side of authenticity.
How well does your family pursue authenticity?
5. A Healthy Family Speaks Truth, in love.
Ephesians 4:15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. As you and I share truth with others in love, a transformation takes place in our hearts and we become more and more like Christ.
How does your family do at speaking truth in love?
6. A Healthy Family Gives Generously.
Proverbs 21:26 Some people are always greedy for more, but the godly love to give! A family who gives generously lives with the priorities of God in mind.
How healthy is your family in the area of giving?
So how do you start this journey of becoming a healthy family?
1. Be Intentional
The quality of your family’s health will be determined by the decisions you make intentionally, not the ones you let be made for you. You will not drift into health. We don’t drift into a great family…we make little decisions each day that added together become a sum greater than their parts.
2. Be Accountable
Accountability is the pathway to humility. Humility is the currency of healthy families.
3. Be Committed
Pursuing a healthy family isn’t for the faint of heart. Most of us are going to have to go back to some dark places. But what you will have on the other side of that is the family you’ve always pretended to have.
When you pursue being a healthy family, you allow the church to become more of the family God has in mind. As you love deeper, we love deeper. As you forgive unconditionally, we become more of a place of grace and mercy. As you establish traditions, we become a people of shared values. As you create a culture of authenticity in your family, we become a place where nobody is perfect, but everyone is welcome.
Jenni Catron is the Executive Director of Cross Point Church, a multi-site church in the Nashville, TN area.
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