August 4th, 2010 by Tim Moore

I think sometimes it is easier for us to invest in a system rather than in people.  It’s less complicated to create a uniform system where everyone is recruited, given a handbook and told how to operate.  But we have seen the limitations of systems in the church.  Sometimes they help, but other times they can actually hinder.

The church is in the PEOPLE business.  We are called to reach PEOPLE with the Gospel.  We want to see PEOPLE get on the path to God.  So we’ve decided to invest in our people rather than any curriculum.

I believe that if we can equip and train leaders how to care for and lead a smaller group within the church, that our entire church will grow spiritually.  So we are taking many steps to find and invest in new leaders.

Here are some of the things we are doing for the leaders:

1. Walking them through an application process.  (This can be started on the web, but it will finish with the personal help of our ccGroup leaders)
2. Our ccGroup leaders are making themselves available to meet one-on-one with leaders if the situations calls for it.
3. Offer up regular training sessions for anyone who wants to lead a ccGroup to give them the tools to do it well.  I believe the first scheduled training is August 11th.  Contact Mike McCoy for details.
4. We want to regularly bring leaders together to share ideas and continue to provide them with tool for leadership.
5. We are doing a series coming up to raise the bar of leadership within our entire church.

Jesus took 12 young guys who had nothing to do with ministry and turned them into leaders who changed the world (okay 11 of them).  He invested the majority of his time into those guys.  We want to do the same thing.  We are investing in our leaders!

August 2nd, 2010 by Tim Moore

This past Sunday, I shared the new direction we are taking with our groups.  They are now called ccGroups and with that name change comes an even bigger strategic change.  We have for many years had groups focused around doing the same thing (rehash the weekend message, bible study, etc).  They have been okay…but we are not fine with “okay”.

We are attempting to remove the road blocks to allow community to happen.  I believe when we simply allow true community to happen, discipleship naturally occurs.  Here are some of the key thoughts from this past weekend’s message based on Ephesians 4:11-13.  If you missed it, catch it later this week on our website.

• The pastor is NOT responsible for discipling the church…the church is responsible to disciple each other.  (Wow!! That was something I never captured in this text before.)
• Pastors and Teachers ARE responsible to equip or train the church to disciple each other.
• We don’t need another system or method to force discipleship, instead discipleship happens when people in the church are empowered to do what God asked them to do.
• We are not going to invest in methods or classes, but rather in people – to equip leaders to facilitate discipleship.
• Church leaders have often hindered this because we’ve wanted to control it.  (I am guilty of this as well)
• What is one thing you absolutely love to do and are passionate about it?  (Ride a motorcycle, play golf, scrapbook, read, etc…)  Could you imagine doing that for God and getting to help others as well through it?
• We are empowering our people to form a group around something they LOVE to do.  When people love the same things, they want to be with each other.
• Some might object to this because they think it is “too shallow”.  To that I say, “When you’ve lost your job and have no money for bills and food and people in your “shallow” group step up and give you money and food, you probably won’t think it’s shallow anymore.”
• I believe we can triple our ccGroups almost over night.  We have received TONS of requests already to form new groups or join one.

Some of the groups that people have expressed interest in forming are motorcycle groups, exercise  groups, outdoor groups, knitting (yes I said knitting) groups, reading/book groups, sports groups, business groups, and more.  I really believe this has the potential to create a deeper sense of community than we have ever known at Crossroads.

If you were inspired to be in a ccGroup or form a new one, go here and take the next step.

I’ll share some more thoughts on this throughout the week.

July 30th, 2010 by Tim Moore

Most everyone that comes to our church will see quickly that we put a major emphasis on our Weekend Experiences.  We recognize that in our culture, it is one of the best ways to reach people with the Gospel.  Our environment is darker, with moving lights, haze, videos and more.  Trying to reach an MTV generation is not easy.  Yet, it’s working and people are receiving Christ nearly every weekend at Crossroads.  That’s stinkin’ awesome.

But we are working to make it even better.  Here are few things we are working to help us create 5-star Weekend Experiences.

• We recently added a production manager that is responsible for the entire experience.  His job is to make sure everything runs well and is done with excellence.
• We have a short review after the 9am experience to see what needs changed or what can be made better for the other experiences.
• We are moving toward IMAG.  This would move us one step closer to stream our entire experience online as well as enable us to broadcast to future sites.
• We are training our Host Experience Team to do everything they can to remove distractions.  There may come a time when you walk out of our auditorium that you will be asked to stay somewhere else to watch the feed.  We aren’t trying to be difficult…we are trying to remove all distractions so people can clearly hear and receive the Gospel.  You can help us do this now by being courteous to those around you.
• We hope to get our construction going for tearing down the back stage wall and expanding the room by 2,000 sq ft which should let us add more seating and make the stage presence better!

We want everything we do to be 5-star quality.  Our hope is that by the time a guest makes it into the Weekend Experience, they have been greeted, seated and treated with excellence.  At that point, we will present the Gospel through a 5-star Weekend Experience and continue to trust God to lead people across the line of salvation.

July 29th, 2010 by Tim Moore

As many of you know, we have invested lots of $$ and hours into our new ccKids facility (The Boulevard).  We invested in our kids first because we believe in them and want them to know Christ.  It’s actually an outreach strategy.  Most statistics say about 80% of people who give their lives to Christ do it by the age 18.  So perhaps, they are worth investing in.  Here are some of the things we are doing to give every kid that comes to Crossroads a 5-star experience.

• We are finishing up The Loft (new space for Jr and Sr High groups).  We still need couches (good stuff) if you can donate any.
• We are investing big money in the kids space to reach people who never go to church or are disillusioned by it.    People who have an issue with this should read this post by Joe Miller.  Enough said.
• We want to double the number of people in our Impressions team and install the Concierge Team in the youth facility as well.
• We still have work to do to finish our ccKids Studio room.  We’re going to need help for this soon.
• Beth, our ccKids Director, is working to add more teachers and helpers to each room so individual kids can get more focus.  But to do this…we NEED you!
• We want to launch a 5-6 grade experience in The Loft and need leaders and teachers who are willing to invest in our kids at possibly the MOST important time of their lives.

Let’s just say, we care about our kids.  I care about my own kids and I want to do everything I can to build the most amazing Kids and Youth program I can.

It bothers me that nearly 80% of kids who are raised in the church walk away from it when they graduate.  I want to CHANGE that at Crossroads and I will do everything in my power to make that happen.  But I can’t do it alone.  I need your help.  Our kids need your help.

Listen, if you are a parent of kids who attend at Crossroads…YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING.  Don’t just drop them off every week and hope they learn about God.  Be part of it.  Be a helper, be a teacher, heck, be a bouncer.  Just get involved.

Are you ready?  If so, go here and fill out our volunteer application online!

Oh and you must have a background check before you can help out.  (And speeding tickets won’t disqualify you)

July 28th, 2010 by Tim Moore

One of the biggest questions we have wrestled with regarding new converts is, “How do we help them take their Next Step once they make a commitment to Christ?”  We have seen almost 170 people make commitments to Christ since launching here Lithopolis.  (That is only the people who have told us, I believe there are more)  We realized early on that we must be responsible to not only help them cross the line of faith but to take their next step as a Christ-follower.

One thing we implemented about a year ago was the creation of a Next Step to give anyone makes a commitment to Christ.  In this kit, we give them a Bible with simple reading plan to get them started, a DVD of a message I preached on Baptism, some cards talking about the essentials of The Bible, Jesus, a relationship with God and more, a journal, and a letter from me congratulating them and helping them take another step.

I think we have done a good job putting together something on a dime.  But we want to make this entire process a little more strategic.

Here are some of the things we want to do to make sure each new believer has every opportunity to make the Next Step.

• Revamping Guest Services to be more than just an information table, but rather people who call and follow-up with people who get a Next Step personally.
• We have plans to get a more professional looking box and materials to give out in this kit.  (This portion is very costly and we can’t do it yet)
• Creating Next Step small groups where people can attend for several weeks and begin to develop a good foundation for their faith.
• Trying to develop a process to help us capture their stories either on video or written shortly after the moment of salvation.
• Developing a process to help encourage them to take the next step toward baptism and joining a small group.

These are some of the ideas we have and are currently working on.  If anyone has any thoughts or things we could do to help new Christ-followers take that Next Step, I’d love to hear them.

July 27th, 2010 by Tim Moore

After last week’s strong message on volunteering, I thought I would take some time this week to unfold the vision more for all my subscribers. I hope the message was received with grace and that my church knows that I only want to see us DO what Jesus asked us to do. I love our church and plan to spend the rest of my life leading it to impact the world with the Gospel.

Our 5-Star Vision to treat people like VIP’s is going to shape how we do Guest Services. We recognize that we only get one chance to make a great first impression. We’ve done a great job making people feel welcome, but we now want to make people feel special. That is why we are working to adopt more of a concierge type mentality. Here are some of the things we are working through right now.

• We want to figure out how to find first time guests the moment they drive on our property. We want to give them the best parking spots and personally greet them
• We would love to have a golf-cart or two available for picking people up in the lot and driving them to the front doors (this one is expensive so if anyone wants to donate one…)
• We want to have so many people serving each experience on the Impressions team that we can offer individual concierge attention to our first time guests.
• Each trained concierge host will have a mission to make that person or family feel welcome and answer all their questions. They may offer to take them on a tour of the facility, help them get their kids checked in, offer to grab them coffee, help seat them and even leave a business card with them so they can remember their name and find them if they need anything.
• We are working on a new brochure to give first time guests that will tell them a little more about us and help answer any questions they may have after they leave.
• We are working on a follow-up procedure that will include a personal touch as well as possibly offer to deliver a pizza to their house or give them a gift card for a meal at some restaurant.

These are some of the ideas that we are discussing and working to implement. We did not think all of these up ourselves, some are inspired by some other great churches. You can see now why we have such a big need to double the number of volunteers.

If you have any thoughts or ideas to contribute, please leave comments. We are still developing all of this and welcome your input.  I will post more this week about what we are doing in other areas.

July 21st, 2010 by Tim Moore

Anyone who knows me well, knows I don’t like the word “Christian”. Especially when over 80% of our country at one point considered themselves Christians. I have an entire message series I’m going to preach on “How to NOT become a Christian”.

My problem is that our definition of Christianity doesn’t really fit well with what Jesus said. For most churched people in America, Christianity is a religion that defines where you attend church on Sunday. It is simply a label that when applied makes someone feel better about their chances of getting into heaven.

Jesus said… (I’m paraphrasing)

[Luke 9:23] If you want to follow me, pick up your cross daily. (Not many want to sacrifice their time or money to be used for God’s Kingdom)
[John 14:15] If you love me, you’ll do what I ask. (Most people ignore Jesus commands if they are hard to do)
[Luke 9:26] If you are embarrassed about me, I will be about you. (Many Christians never invite ANYONE to church)
[John 15:16] I have called you and appointed you to bear fruit. (Most are satisfied with simply attending church rather than being the church)

I’ll be honest…sometimes I wonder how many true Christ-followers there really are in the Church. As a pastor, it bothers me that I can’t make people or even convince them to TRULY give their lives to Jesus. Perhaps that’s because it can’t be faked. Either Christ has really done a new work in your life or it is all a show. And if it is…that won’t go well. [Matt 7:21]

I can promise you that I will always call for a higher level of commitment than what we have now. I want to stand before God at the end of my life and know that I did all I could to lead people to truly follow Jesus.

July 19th, 2010 by Tim Moore

Reality TV has become one of the hottest things to watch on TV in the past decade. Shows like Survivor, American Idol, The Bachelor and the countless others have redefined how we view TV. Before Reality TV, everything we watched was scripted and edited. Now, everything is off the cuff and raw.

To me, the most appealing aspect of Reality TV is that watching is real (for the most part). It’s not actors pretending to be a character…it is real people being themselves (good, bad and ugly). There is something raw and engaging about knowing what you are seeing is real.

I believe that perhaps the single biggest turn off that so many people have to the church is they feel like everyone is living scripted and edited lives. They don’t feel like it is real and don’t feel they can be around us. One of the greatest barriers that we have torn down at Crossroads Church is the fake church barrier. I am who I am off the stage and on the stage. What I have to say is real and sometimes comes across as offensive (although it is almost always the churched folks who get offended). This sometimes pushes people away, but honestly it is because they don’t know my heart and they don’t know me.

I could put filters on everything and edit out what I really want to say to make everyone happy. But isn’t that the problem? In the church, we have learned to relate to each other with masks on rather than by being authentic. We think we must act a certain way or say certain things around church people we don’t say or do around others. Umm…I think that’s called hypocrisy.

In the same way that Americans love watching reality TV, I believe the unchurched would love the church if it were more like reality church TV.

July 15th, 2010 by Tim Moore

Last night we celebrated the 130+ volunteers who serve at Crossroads Church. It was an incredible night. We gave away HUNDREDS of dollars in gift cards throughout the evening, offered free massages, food and even karaoke. The band led us in some incredible music and I got the honor of sharing my deep appreciation as well as the vision of where we are taking the volunteer ministry.

I told our people we must ditch a church mentality when it comes to volunteering. The church mentality says I’m JUST here because they need this job done or I JUST park cars or I JUST teach little kids. You don’t JUST do anything…you practically demonstrate the Gospel through what you do. We need to realize that every part of what we do reflects the God we worship. (Col 3:23)

I think its time we adopt a Restaurant Mentality in the Church. I truly believe that what the church is serving is the greatest meal around. Jesus said in John 6:35, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” If we believe that, then we must recognize our responsibility in how we present the Gospel.

When you go to a nice restaurant, you are treated like a VIP. Everyone working there knows their main goal is to treat the guests to the best experience they can. When you find a restaurant with incredible food (which the Church is already serving) and incredible service, it creates a buzz. It causes people to want to come back. It’s the best way to evangelize. People tell other people.

I envisioned our volunteers to ditch the church mentality and to think 5-star restaurant. We want every guest who walks through our doors to feel like and be treated like a VIP. Why go to so much trouble? Because they are a VIP. In God’s eyes, each person is a Very Important Person. They matter to God and should matter to us!

We have much in the works to step everything up a notch this fall. We want to go from a 4-start to a 5-star restaurant. And we need more volunteers to do this. If you are not currently volunteering at Crossroads, why not? Be part of what God is doing here. Get off the bench and into the game. The lost world needs you.

Click here to get involved.

July 14th, 2010 by Tim Moore

I have found it is often hard to plan inspirational or creative moments. I have weekly creative meeting to do just this for our weekend experiences. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it seems you come away feeling you exhausted your time and efforts with little to show for it.

It’s odd, but sometimes the most inspiring and creative ideas come to me at the weirdest times. I could be mowing the grass or riding along in the car when a creative message idea pops into my brain. It stews around in my mind for a bit and I think, “This would be a great way to preach on…” or “This would be a great illustration to present this biblical concept.”

Unfortunately, what so many of us do, including myself, is we don’t capture the creative moment. We then get distracted by the next thought and a few hours later we struggle to remember what inspired us. I have forgotten so many thoughts or ways to communicate something perhaps God wanted me to express.

For the past few months, I have determined NOT to let those thoughts or creative sparks get away. I usually get out my phone and email myself my ideas or I write them down in a notebook I keep with me. I do what I can to capture the feeling and message I’m downloading.

Recently, I came across this post from Steven Furtick that really confirmed the need to capture these moments. What challenged me was the emphasis he put on the “responsibility” we have to God for what he inspires in us.

Do you have a plan to capture creative thoughts your Creator is giving you? It could be a business idea or something to share with your family. Keep some small notebooks around or use an electronic device to capture your creative moments.