Church Highlights for October 20

October 23, 2013 by John

Members Meeting – Today. Members Meetings are a quarterly opportunity for us to hear from our ministry leaders on what God is doing at our church. It is an opportunity to look ahead and pray. It is also an opportunity to ask questions and fellowship with one another. The meeting will begin after a pot-luck meal. All members are encouraged to attend and bring something to share for the meal.

Reformation Celebration – October 27. Join us for a great time of fun, food, and fellowship, as we think back to the movement of God and the recovery of a clear gospel through the Protestant Reformation. Kids (and adults!) can participate in a costume contest (all costumes must be of people from church history). Adults (and kids!) can sign up to bring food or help during set-up and clean-up. The fun begins at 6:00pm. There will be no community groups that night.

Pray for the Pastors – November 9-10. In a few weeks, the elders will be taking their first planning and prayer retreat. Please pray that this is a productive time of discussion and fellowship as decisions are made for the immediate future of the church.

Angel Tree Ministry. This year, Crossway is again participating in the Angel Tree ministry. In the coming weeks, more information will be posted along with names of children we can serve. Please pray about being involved.

Preparing for the Lord’s Supper. Next week, we will be worshipping at the Lord’s Table. Please use this guide to help prepare your hearts to worship in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. Who can take the Lord’s Supper? The gives two requirements for taking the Lord’s Supper:

First, it for those who are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. “Believers” (Christians) are those who have: repented, or turned away from, their sins (Acts 3:19), placed their faith in Jesus Christ by trusting in him alone for forgiveness and salvation (John 1:12), and publically professed that faith through baptism, signifying their union with Christ, his Lordship over their lives, and their fellowship with his people (Romans 10:9).
Second, those believers are to come to the Table with a right heart-attitude toward Christ and his people. The Bible tells us that we should “examine ourselves” before we observe the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:27-28). You can examine your heart, through prayer, by: 1) Confessing your sins. “Confessing” means acknowledging to God that you have done what is wrong in a certain area (I John 1:9). 2) Asking for forgiveness. Only God can truly grant forgiveness, because all sins are ultimately committed against Him (Psalm 51:4). 3) Affirming God’s control over your life. Present yourself to Him as a “living sacrifice,” choosing to do as He wants rather than as you desire (Romans 12:1). 4) Restoring wrong relationships. This is one of the most important ways to prepare for worship at the Lord’s Table. Make a commitment to go to those people who have offended you, or have been offended by you, and seek their forgiveness for a broken relationship (Matthew 5:23-24).

During the reflection and meditation period just before we observe the Lord’s Supper, time will be available for you to do these things if not done already. If you need to speak with one of the pastors, they can help you at this time.