From Pastor Peter... Worship in August Sundays: 9:00am & 11:05am. August August 6 Romans 12 For the Power of Love Notes: Communion Sunday

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1 August 2017 From Pastor Peter... Dear Cross Roads Church Family: Here at the church, we've had an exciting and joyous summer so far! Perhaps the highlight was the July 16th congregational meeting where you unanimously elected Brian Diebold as your next installed pastor. As with all transitions, there are mixed emotions. Brian's beginning here at CRC is also my ending. The joyful events of this summer cap a two and half year journey together. An interim process that required much soul-searching from all of us - and courageous and sometimes contentious conversations. Through it all you (and I) have emerged stronger, more clear and purposeful because we went through the process together. As this is my final newsletter article as your interim pastor, I wanted to take a brief moment to encourage you to do several key things in preparation for Brian's arrival mid- September, and a few other things in the months and years thereafter. Here's my suggestion list, in no particular order: Pray for the Diebold family's move and transition to San Antonio. As you know, moving and starting a new job are two of life's biggest stressors. Keep them in your prayers. During their first few months here, make a point to send the Diebold family notes or cards of encouragement. It's only human to acknowledge that they will probably both be celebrating their new beginning, as well as grieving the life and friends left in Pennsylvania. Minimize your expectations and maximize your partnership with Brian - versus just employing him as "the pastor." No one pastor will meet everyone's expectations. Nor is the future success of the church one-hundred percent solely Brian's responsibility. Rather, partner together. Build trust first, and then dream big into the future. Use your new Mission and Vision statements as much as possible, as a way to both guide you and inspire your ongoing and emerging work with Brian. Worship in August Sundays: 9:00am & 11:05am August 6 Romans 12 For the Power of Love Notes: Communion Sunday August 13 Romans 14 For the Cultivation of Peace August 20 Romans 15 For the Gift of Acceptance August 27 Romans 16 For the Moment of Farewell Notes: One service of worship at 10 am Farewell Reception for Pastor Peter following September 3 Guest Pastor Rev. Tricia Tedrow September 10 Guest Pastor Rev. Al Hockaday September 17 CRC Pastor Brian Diebold Cross West Roads Main Church St., An 8102 Midcrown Drive, San Antonio, TX

2 From Pastor Peter (con t)... Continue to explore creative ideas to reinvigorate and grow the congregation - numerically and spiritually. One very practical step would be to take the courageous action of replacing the pews with new chairs. This one action would allow worship services to be scaled appropriately to the actual attendance size, creating a more welcoming worship experience for all. Chairs will also allow for you to utilize the sanctuary space in multiple different ways and configurations - for different groups and different worship styles. Because chairs can be locked in a row, and also come with hand rests, they will function almost exactly like pews, but will be movable and stackable. I urge you to be courageous for the sake of your future and the ongoing viability of your community beyond five years from now. Last but not least, remember to keep the main thing the main thing. Church can become about everything except the main thing. The main "thing" is God. And more precisely - growing ever deeper toward into the love of God hidden with Christ. It's been a great gift for me to serve you these last thirty months. I have grown professionally and personally. When I first started, I too was in my own personal interim process. The ensuing months and years slowly but surely brought new beginnings for me and Shannon, and my own new call to serve as the next minister at The Church of Conscious Harmony just up the road in Austin. So, if you are ever in the area, please stop by. I look forward to celebrating with you God's faithfulness in our lives and congregations. I look forward to celebrating with you on my farewell Sunday, August 27th. We'll have one worship service at 10:00am, and I hope to give each of you a personal hug good-bye following the service. Remember - God's love has always met and will always meet all our needs. We give freely and receive joyfully! Every blessing in Divine Love, Pastor Peter 2 Cross Roads Church CrossRoadsofSA.church office@crossroadsofsa.church

3 A Word of Thanks from Pastor Brian... Dear Cross Roads Church Family, Thank you so much for the very warm welcome on Sunday (July 16). It is an honor and a privilege to be called as your next pastor at Cross Roads Church! I look forward to beginning our time together in September and to following wherever the Holy Spirit leads us. My family and I felt so loved and cared for by everyone right from the start, and this only helped to confirm for us that we are in the exact spot where God wants us to be. We felt your excitement, and hope to build on that enthusiasm as we work together to share God s love with the world around us. Cross Roads Church has so much to share! I also want to share how impressed I was by the music team and leadership on Sunday how blessed I was by their music, and how moved I was by the beautiful reception afterwards in the Hospitality Hall. We felt God s hand through it all. In the meantime, I am praying for you and for Pastor Peter in the coming months. I am so thankful for his leadership and his presence with you, and I pray that this will be a fruitful time together for both of you over these next couple of months. I ask that you would be praying for us as well during this time of transition. It was such a blessing to finally meet so many of you. I am so grateful to God for leading us to this point, and will look forward to seeing you again very soon. God bless you, and the ministry of Cross Roads Church! Yours in Christ, Pastor Brian Note from the editor: Pastor Brian and family closed on their new home July 31st. They are beginning the process of packing and preparing for their move to San Antonio! More updates soon Cross West Roads Main Church St., An 8102 Midcrown Drive, San Antonio, TX

4 Life at We Beat the Heat! Thanks to all who enjoyed the Beat the Heat series this summer! 4 great fellowship nights including Game Night with sliders by Barbara Froebel and gourmet nachos by David & Brenda Mata. Movie night watching Castaway with chalupas by Beth & Eddie Powell. Music Night with the classical piano/organ styles of Linda Wilson and Beth Weaver and a pizza dinner by Tom & Sandy Delk and Jack & Terri Leonhardt. And wrapping it all up with mission night of bundling school supplies with notes of encouragement and a yummy dinner by Silbia & Edward Esparza. Let s do it again next summer! 4 Cross Roads Church CrossRoadsofSA.church office@crossroadsofsa.church

5 Around... Hello from the Music Ministry! It s been a long HOT summer so far! The choir has enjoyed a nice break and will be returning later this month choir rehearsals resume next week. We will also start preparing for the Annual Pops concert. This year the theme will be Old Time Religion. Plan on coming out for some Old Time Sounds on September 24 th. We are also planning on an Old Time Ice Cream Social immediately after the concert in the Hospitality Hall where we ll welcome Pastor Brian, Kim, Elsie and Arlo. I m sure it will still be HOT in late September. You will notice Johnny Tolentino missing this fall as he heads off to college. His last Sunday at Cross Roads Church was July 30th. Johnny, along with Aubrey Henchman are our Section Leaders in the music ministry. The Section Leader Program is an outreach program from the Cross Roads Music Ministry to mentor, train and foster young musicians in the area - broadening their musical training and fostering an appreciation and knowledge of Sacred Music. These Section Leader positions carry a small stipends from the Worship Budget. We also get to enjoy their musical talents and youthful presence! We will have a replacement for Johnny this fall. We have Aubrey for at least another year! You may also have noticed the projection screens going out over the summer during worship. The heat definitely plays a role in this as the projectors are designed to turn off automatically if the heat sensors are too high. We keep external cooling fans on them to help with the hot Texas summers, but this isn t always the case. It is a reminder that all of the multi-media and sound equipment in the Sanctuary is over 12 years old now! All of the equipment is designed to last about 10 years and because we have so many volunteers that diligently clean and monitor the equipment, we are reaping the benefits of an extended lifespan on them! Trying to be proactive, the music ministry has developed a renovation/ replacement plan and submitted to the worship committee and in turn, session. Needless to say, all that equipment is expensive! Until then, we will maintain and repair to ensure sound/ visual enhancements are there for Worship to Glorify our Great God! Before you know it, it will be Advent. Plan on seeing the Bell Choir and some special music for the preparation of His Coming! Peace and Blessings, Gordon Ringler Cross West Roads Main Church St., An 8102 Midcrown Drive, San Antonio, TX

6 An Update... Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he s the one who will keep you on track. Proverbs 3:5-6 MSG Cherished Child Development Center Now Closed You'll remember a couple of months ago after a lengthy discernment process, the Session - with recommendation from the Campus Utilization Team - decided to close the Cherished Child Development Center. In an effort to better align with our new vision & mission statements, while seeking to best utilize the church campus and provide mission/ministry opportunities for our members, it was with heavy hearts that the CCDC board, staff, parents & children were notified of the decision. It's been an emotional couple of months for everyone as this long-running ministry came to a close. Many of you have served on or supported the board, the staff, the children, the parents. The Read & Dialogue Book Group took on the CCDC as their mission project. The music ministry welcomed the CCDC into annual Christmas concerts and you delighted in them! Nearly half of the Missions operating budget was dedicated to supporting the preschool. And countless hours had spent by Buildings & Grounds team members working to keep the preschool in tip-top shape. So, what do we do now? Pray! Pray for the director and teachers to find rest over the coming weeks and then to find gainful employment if desired. Pray for the children, parents and grandparents who now have a different morning schedule when heading off to preschool remembering change isn t always easy. And pray for our hearts to be open to the new ministry opportunity God is already at work for us to be faithful servants in. CCDC Board Member Barbara Froebel offers these final reflections on the closing of the preschool: The Cherished Child Development Center Passes Into History. Wow, it is quiet in these halls now. Parents, children and teachers are really gone. Memories of happy children s laughter echo through my mind as I thank God for the privilege of having served on the CCDC board. On Monday, July 31, Susan and the remaining teachers came in the morning to clean out their personal items. CCDC Board members did some quick cooking at Bush s Chicken and provided a lunch of chicken tenders, fried okra, cole slaw, and french fries. Bev Spitznagel (my hero!) brought home made peach cobbler and ice cream for desert. Teachers present were Norma, Kiki & daughter Ariana, Natasha, Virginia and Director Susan Moore. Norma plans to retire and Virginia has a new job, recommended by a happy parent. Applications are out for everyone else, so please keep them in your prayers. Many thanks to all who participated in the garage sale. Proceeds helped us meet salary and severance goals. August will find board members readying classrooms for new purposes. Did you know that Susan was hired years ago to close CCDC? With her talent and love for children, the talent and determination of our board members, we were able to remain open another 4 years! Who knows how many little hearts were touched for the Lord s purpose in that time and the 33 years from the first Mothers Day Out? Thank you to all who have served on or supported the board, the staff, the children, the parents. You are indeed faithful servants! Now it is for us to open ourselves to God, to listen for the whisper of the Spirit and discover how to serve His people in new ministry opportunities. What do you hear? I hear a door opening 6 Cross Roads Church CrossRoadsofSA.church office@crossroadsofsa.church

7 Mission & Congregational Nurture Ministry Lunch & Love The CRC Choir provided lunch and love to 36 guests in June. MCN is very grateful and appreciate of their time, talents and energy. They served hot dogs, macaroni & cheese, baked beans and desserts. All choir members worked hard to ensure our guests had a great meal and plenty to eat. Our choir fulfilled Lunch & Love s mission to Show he love and grace of Jesus Christ in our faces and actions. Lunch Serving Opportunities We still have opportunities to serve lunch and love in the months of August and September. Please contact Silbia Esparza at if you are interested or know a group willing to share their love. Agape Ministry Thank you to all that have donated food for Agape. If you haven t no worries, there is still time. Please consider providing food donations to Agape to help feed the hungry. Remember, hunger can t wait. Blessings, Silbia Esparza, Chair Christian Education & Youth Ministry Adult Sunday School classes are on break during August. Rob Spitznagel s adult Sunday class will continue it s Journey Through the Old Testament with II Kings in the fall. Children s classes continue through August with fun movies & Bible stories. Escape the summer heat with some cool Bible study on Wednesday afternoons at 1pm in the parlor. The study is The Story: Getting to the Heart of God s Story. Take a chronological walk through God s word in narrative form. There s room for a few more seekers in this class. Stop in anytime. The Monday small group will resume in September with Moses: In the Footsteps of the Reluctant Prophet and the Thursday small group will jump back into fall with Romans 8-16 for You. Contact the office for more information on either of these studies. CE&Y Chair, Brenda Matthews Buildings & Grounds Ministry For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:16-17 Greetings from your Building & Grounds Ministry! The Earth s natural resources and those from which we have developed others are given to us by our God through Christ Jesus. We have been instructed to use our resources wisely. At Cross Roads Church the Buildings & Grounds ministry works hard to maintain the physical aspects of our campus. It takes the efforts of many serving on the ministry and those of you who, while using our beautiful campus, keep the critical parts of our buildings and grounds functioning at their best. As a reminder turn on lights and air conditioning only for as long as you need them, then return them to their unoccupied state (lights off and the A/C turned up). Air conditioning is a major consumer of electricity, and as these systems age, their efficiency diminishes. If you use water to irrigate portions of the landscape, please use only what is necessary in the coolest parts of the day. Landscape is maintained better with deep watering less often than by shallow watering more often. As you go about the Lord s business at CRC, help B & G keep our campus looking its best and working at its peak levels by documenting any irregularities and outages regarding the various systems on campus from leaking hose bibs (faucets) and irrigation lines, a/c units not cooling as they should, and faulty lighting. The sooner you report, the quicker we can respond with the necessary corrective action. In His service, Tom Delk, chair; Patrick Hutzler, elder The Youth Group held a garage sale on Saturday, July 22 and made a profit of $152 to go towards Youth Group Activities. A big thank you to Stefan Wagar, Liz McDougle, Jordan Butler, Cameron Spitznagel, Tom Delk, Bev Spitznagel, Lisa McDougle, Rob Spitznagel and Sandy Delk for your sweat and diligence on such a hot day! Cross West Roads Main Church St., An 8102 Midcrown Drive, San Antonio, TX

8 Administration & Personnel Ministry OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE (and earn money) Facilities & Events Coordinator Position One of the church s Mission Plan goals via the Campus Utilization Team was to investigate and form partnerships to more effectively use the existing facilities. Early on the Team realized the need for a new church employee to interact with prospective partnerships and with those partnerships approved to use facilities. Therefore a new employee position, Facilities & Events Coordinator, was created. The purpose of this article is to see if any church member (or someone a church member might know) would be interested in serving in this position. Here are a few details of responsibilities and qualities we are seeking; a complete Position Description can be viewed/obtained in the church office: Title: Facilities and Events Coordinator Job Status: Part-Time, hours per week Reports to: Pastor of Cross Roads Church Compensation: Hourly Rate of $xx.xx Essential Functions and Duties: Responsible for liaison activities with community partners and the leadership of Cross Roads Church (CRC). Acts as primary contact for all external inquiries related to church facility usage and rentals. Develops and executes all contracts for facility usage. Schedules external activities and ensures no conflict with church events; and collaborates with the CRC Office Manager in this area. Collaborates with CRC Campus Technician/Office Manager/Building & Grounds Ministry to ensure all facility equipment/furnishings are in operating condition and that rooms are setup for events and other activities. Responsible for sourcing grants and other funding sources for campus improvements and outreach activities. Must be flexible with availability Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Faith commitment to Jesus Christ and serving others. Strong organizational skills required Strong administrative skills required: Will engage in verbal communication (telephonically and in person) with community partners and church partners Will prepare written documents such as facility usage agreements, receipts for building usage fees, and other relevant documents Will utilize technology to assist in job duties (cell phone, computer, internet, etc.) Strong verbal and written skills required Ability to operate sound equipment such as sound boards, microphones, amplification systems and other equipment that will assist in special events. Ability to work both independently and within a team structure. Physical Requirements: several related to walking, standing, lifting, sitting, hearing and talking. Interested? Contact A&P Elders Jack Leonhardt or Brenda Mata Prayer Ministry Prayer is vital to our Cross Roads Church Family and we have been blessed by a committed group of our CRC members who have promised to pray for one another, our families, and very close friends. We are finalizing the update of our Prayer Warriors list. If you have contacted us, thank you! If you wish to join or REMAIN part of this prayer family, please go ONLINE, Joyce Foster or Ann Zeigler or you may contact Lisa at the church and she will let us know. As a Prayer Warrior, you will be a member of our Prayer Family, and the CRC Prayer Ministry. As a Prayer Warrior, you make the commitment to set aside time, when receiving each request/ update to pray, and a commitment to pray on a regular basis for those in need of our prayers. You can pray at a place convenient for you. You do not have to be a part of the Tuesday prayer group ministry to be a prayer warrior! but you are always welcome to come and pray. 8 Cross Roads Church CrossRoadsofSA.church office@crossroadsofsa.church

9 August Calendar for Every Week: Mondays 6:00 pm Bridge Group Tuesdays 10:00 am Prayer Group (summer break) 2:00 pm Staff Meeting 6:00 pm Prayer Group (summer break) Wednesdays Church Office Closed 1:00 pm Small Group 6:30 pm Sanctuary Choir Practice (mid-august) 7:30 pm Praise Team Practice Thursdays 4:15 pm Campus Utilization Team Sundays 9:00 am Traditional Worship 10:05 am Sunday School The History of the Reformation: Part I of III In August: Aug 4th Prayer Quilt Ministry, 9:00 am Aug 10th Book Group, 6:00 pm Aug 22nd Prayer Quilt Ministry, 9:00 am Aug 27th One Service of Worship at 10am. Farewell reception for Pastor Peter to follow. The Protestant Reformation was the 16th-century religious, political, intellectual and cultural upheaval that splintered Catholic Europe, setting in place the structures and beliefs that would define the continent in the modern era. In northern and central Europe, reformers like Martin Luther, John Calvin and Henry VIII challenged papal authority and questioned the Catholic Church s ability to define Christian practice. They argued for a religious and political redistribution of power into the hands of Bible- and pamphlet-reading pastors and princes. The disruption triggered wars, persecutions and the so-called Counter-Reformation, the Catholic Church s delayed but forceful response to the Protestants. Historians usually date the start of the Protestant Reformation to the 1517 publication of Martin Luther s 95 Theses. Its ending can be placed anywhere from the 1555 Peace of Augsburg, which allowed for the coexistence of Catholicism and Lutheranism in Germany, to the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years War. The key ideas of the Reformation a call to purify the church and a belief that the Bible, not tradition, should be the sole source of spiritual authority were not themselves novel. However, Luther and the other reformers became the first to skillfully use the power of the printing press to give their ideas a wide audience. Celebrating 500 years! Mission Presbytery is planning for a joint service of San Antonio Presbyterian Churches on Sunday, October 29 th, 4:00 pm at Northwood Presbyterian Church in San Antonio. Presbytery staff, local pastors and church leaders are planning a service full of reformed liturgy, fun history, and a grand celebration of worship and a reception that only comes around -- - once every 500 years. Mark your calendars now! Around San Antonio: You re invited to a communitywide conference on mental health presented by Pathways to Hope Sponsored by Bexar County s Community Health Leadership Health Collaborative, First Presbyterian Church of San Antonio and The State of Texas To be held at The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts in San Antonio on August 11th & 12th The conference is for anyone who is affected by mental illness: People living with a mental illness or mental health disorder Family members and people who provide support Faith communities, lay leaders, clergy & staff Healthcare professionals Social agencies and chaplaincy Educators & counselors Students in social work, nursing or in healthcare Local community foundation Supportive employment and housing Criminal justice and legal assistants For more information, contact Lisa in the church office Cross West Roads Main Church St., An 8102 Midcrown Drive, San Antonio, TX

10 8102 Midcrown Drive San Antonio, TX Midcrown Drive San Antonio, TX fax Web: CrossRoadsofSA.church CONNECT with us Staff: Peter Haas, Interim Lisa Ringler, Office Manager Amy Oxley, Choir Director Gordon Ringler, Worship Leader Edward Esparza II, Campus Technician Office Hours M, T, Th, F 8:30 am 4:30 pm -closed Wednesdays 10 Cross Roads Church CrossRoadsofSA.church office@crossroadsofsa.church