Times and Seasons

Dear Friends,

I was thinking about one of my earlier ministries the other day, and a pastor I worked with named Tommy. Tommy and I served at a church in downtown NYC. We helped our congregation through the events of 9/11, among other things. We also ran a marathon together!

When it was time for Lisa and I to leave NYC, Tommy understood right away. He told me something important that has always stuck with me. He said there are seasons to life, and to ministry, and that we needed to discern when seasons change. Later that same teaching came up at a Leadership Summit with Bill Hybels.

What kind of season are we in at Crossroads Church? What about our Creative Team? It's important to understand the times and the seasons so we know how to pray and serve effectively.

Crossroads has been in a season of transition over the last few years, particularly among the staff. I have to tell you I've been very impressed with the men and women Pastor John has assembled, but I know most of us are new- it's been a time of transition. New staff bring new ideas, personalities, and ways of doing things, and that means Crossroads has been in a season of change. I'll bet for those of you who have been here a while, it's been somewhat unsettling. I want you to know I understand that.

In Creative Arts, we now have a complete turnaround of staff. Over the last year, I've been blogging, talking, and videotaping to you regarding our team, our values, and how I see the future of our team developing. As we move into the next season for Creative Arts, I'll be leading our new staff and the teams to more deeply reflect and practice those values so we can be ready for growth, new campuses, and to be more effective in worship and outreach.

Over the next few months, I'll be communicating more about our future, and I'll share with you the reasons behind any changes we make. The Creative Arts staff isn't interested in turning everything upside down...I hope no one feels that way! But I'm sure most of you have noticed some differences in how we lead. Things like tightening up our scheduling, getting songs and charts out earlier, expecting attendance at Thursday rehearsals, and earlier call times on Sunday for tech are changes we are making to help us be the best team we can be. We are requiring more from ourselves too, of course. Many of these changes mean more work for us, but we are committed to serving everyone on the team to the best of our ability.

Thanks for sticking with the team through this season of transition. Thanks for praying for Crossroads and our team when God brings it to mind. Thanks for your sacrifice of time and talent each week that you serve. You are making an impact for the Kingdom of God!


JIM

PS- one more thing. Let us know how it's going. If you have a concern or a frustration, please let us know. If you have an encouragement let us know that too. We'll be happy to listen. Let's move forward together, not forgetting to have fun and enjoy our ministry!