Archive for March, 2013
This Week at Cross Church | Home from the Holy Land & Marching forward
Praise God for safe travels to and from Israel!
Wednesday morning our group of 41 returned safely from the trip of a lifetime. We are tired and we are happy to be back home in the Razorback Nation, but I assure you this tour group of 41 people, Jeana and I included, will never forget the history and Bible lessons that the Holy Land has to offer.
The Cross Church tour was under the direction of Avi Shemesh, an Israeli tour guide with a deep knowledge of the Bible and the history of the Holy Land — and a man that I call my friend. Avi led our group to sites in the seaport city of Caesarea, on the top of Mount Carmel overlooking the Valley of Armageddon, across the Sea of Galilee, in Jesus’ boyhood town of Nazareth, and finally in Jerusalem.
Walking where He walked, praying where He prayed
While in Jerusalem our group was fortunate to take a day to walk the Palm Sunday Path just as Jesus did so long ago. We descended from the Mount of Olives, stopping to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane, then crossed the Kidron Valley, and traveled up through the Eastern Gate of Jerusalem toward the area of the ancient temple. I especially valued our time in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jeana and I prayed for each of you that submitted a prayer request. For over an hour we prayed for you by name, calling on the Lord to work in your lives according to His will. Cross Church family, I love you and it was an honor to pray for you in such a Holy place.
Our tour group was blessed to have five Shiloh Christian students along for this adventure. It was a pleasure to watch these high school students see with their eyes what they have studied and have been faithfully taught for so many years — the bible came alive for these young leaders!
Marching Onward
My fellow travelers and I have absorbed so much in these last 10 days, but we are thrilled to be reunited with our Cross Church family and preparing for the many great days ahead. In the coming weeks we have a special opportunity to spend time together marking the special days between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, an eight-day time we are calling Passion Week. Our ministry team and worship teams are preparing a Christ-honoring series of Passion Week events that you and your family will benefit from.
Cross Church family, be at every Passion Week that your schedule allows for and invite those around you to join you. Find a full schedule of Passion Week events here.
Additionally, many of you received a mailer with an update on our GREATER THINGS giving campaign. If you are new to Cross Church, or just not familiar with GREATER THINGS, this is a three-year program (March finishes year two) that provides resources for great missional and ministry opportunities above and beyond our ministry budget allocated, click here for detailed information on the Gospel impact that your GREATER THINGS giving is making in Northwest Arkansas, America and the Word! I look forward to seeing you this Lord’s Day!
Yours for the Great Commission,
Ronnie Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
How We Package A Special Emphasis In Our Church
Often churches asked us how we package a special emphasis in our church? Well, let me show you an example of an 8-day emphasis we are doing at Cross Church for the week of Easter.
For several years I have desired to provide our people with a special series of powerful days prior to Easter Sunday. I wanted these days to assist in:
Providing a track of spiritual preparation for the celebration of Easter.
Highlighting biblical passages and experiences from the final week in the life of Jesus Christ.
Experiencing the solemnness the day Jesus died on the cross, what we regard as Good Friday.
As a leader, you come to a point and determine, “I am going to do this” regardless of what appears to challenge it. I determined that in 2013, Cross Church was going to provide an 8-day spiritual experience and biblical path that would highlight some of the major events and experiences of the final week of Jesus’ life.
Highlights of “Passion Week: The Final Week in the Life of Jesus Christ”
This is our theme for our 8-day experience that will lead us to having an Easter week with great impact. I decided rather than debating a chronology of timelines for the week, I would just lead us to teach and focus on some of the highlights of the Passion Week, the final week in the life of Jesus Christ.
You can see below how we are packaging these days around this theme.
Sunday, March 24, “The Lord’s Supper: Remembering the Gospel of Jesus Christ”
On this Sunday, we will teach the Word of God from Matthew 26:26-30 and do so for about 25 minutes. Then we will lead in a meaningful Lord’s Supper service that remembers the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Monday, March 25 – Friday, March 29
For five days, Monday through Friday, we will provide a noon-day experience for our people, that will include lunch, a 10-minute worship experience through singing, followed by a 35-minute biblical exposition.
Over these five days, we will teach the following . . .
Monday, March 25, “The Garden of Gethsemane: Jesus Christ Preparing to Die”
Tuesday, March 26, “The Betrayal of Judas and the Kiss of Death”
Wednesday, March 27, “The Denials of Peter and his Deep Regret”
Thursday, March 28, “The Scourging of Jesus Christ and the Final Hours Before His Death”
Friday, March 29, “The Crucifixion and The Death of Jesus Christ”
Friday evening, March 29, “The Death and Burial of Jesus Christ”
On Friday evening, we will have a very solemn, dignified, and serious service that will lead us to remembering the death of Jesus Christ. On this evening, we will have a very powerful worship experience with the Worship Choirs of Cross Church, which will be accompanied by the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas. Interweaving in this solemn service, I will lead us to meditate upon the life of Jesus Christ, really focusing on the death of Jesus Christ, and then concluding with a talk about the burial of Jesus Christ.
This Friday evening experience will have a very unique climate and feel. We will even request those who attend to not bring applause at any time during the service. We will be there to think upon the death and burial of Jesus Christ. As we walk out in deep meditation, our hearts will be prepared for Easter weekend.
Saturday Night, March 30 and Sunday Morning, March 31, “The Resurrection of Jesus Christ From The Dead”
The people who walk with us on this track during the Passion Week, will move from solemnity to celebration. On this coming Easter weekend, our people will have the most dynamic experience they have ever had during the Passion Week. We will see the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ because we have more fully understood the death and burial of Jesus Christ.
Finally . . .
This is one way we package a special emphasis in our church. I have led in this process, our Preaching Team has helped me with the Word, our Creative Worship Team has assisted us in overall experience, and our Communication Team will provide us resources to share this Passion Week vision with the masses of people in our region.
Every church does this kind of thing differently and I am sure I could learn from each of you. I hope today you have been encouraged by our methods at Cross Church.
Yours For the Great Commission,
Ronnie Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.