In this week’s Update you will find information on the following (more details on each of these below):
- Preparing for Lent
- Church-wide Evangelism Training
- Wanting to be Baptized?
- Discipleship Hour Volunteers Needed
- Youth Ministry Events
- Mission Sunday: February 16th
- NEST Outreach Opportunity
Preparing for Lent
The Lenten season begins on February 26th with an Ash Wednesday service at 6:00pm. Please (find and) gather your palm crosses from last year’s Palm Sunday, bring them to church by February 23rd, and place them in the baptismal font in the foyer. The palms will be burned on the 23rd, and the ashes from the burned palms will then be used at our Ash Wednesday service.
Church-wide Evangelism Training
Would you like to grow more comfortable in sharing the Good News of Christ? Do you want your friends and family to know The Truth, but you don’t know how to tell them? Starting this Lent, CtR will begin using the CCQ course format of “Connect, Content, and Question” to grow into an intentionally evangelistic church.
On Friday, February 28th, we will kick off the Evangelism Training with a potluck dinner and teaching time from 6:00pm – 7:45pm. Childcare will be provided. We are encouraging all Life Groups to not meet that week, but instead come together as a congregation. The Training will continue in a special Discipleship Hour class offered every week during Lent, which will be led by David+ Watts and Justin Seligman!
Wanting to be Baptized?
We are planning to celebrate Baptisms on the second Sunday of Easter (April 19th). If you and/or your children are interested in being baptized, please contact Father Brian at revbriancampbell@gmail.com.
Discipleship Hour Volunteers Needed
There are several ministries at CtR that are looking for more volunteers who can serve on Sunday mornings. There is especially a need for Discipleship Hour childcare workers at this time. This does not involve teaching in the classrooms. If you are able to be a helper in the upper elementary or lower elementary classrooms, or the nursery from 9:00am – 10:00am on a Sunday, please let Jennifer Brown know at brownie7506@yahoo.com. Thank you!
Youth Ministry Events
Registration for Camp Booyah is open! Only 17 slots are left so now is the time to register! More information can be found on their website and you can contact David+ at revdavidwatts@gmail.com if you have any questions.
Also, the youth group will be meeting at church on February 16th and then have a service outing at Five Loaves the following Monday, President’s Day. Parents, please RSVP through the Evite that was sent last week. Or let David+ know if you didn’t receive it!
Mission Sunday: February 16th
Mark your calendars for “Mission Sunday” on February 16th! We will hear more about the recent Guatemala Trip, as well as the hopes and plans for our local and global mission efforts in 2020.
We will also have a special “treat” of getting to purchase gourmet Guatemalan chocolate that will directly support individuals that CtR-Guatemala Church is working with. The chocolate bars are 3 for $12, or $5 each, cash only. Please plan to bring your money on February 16th to help support the Guatemalan church, and take home some delicious chocolate!
NEST Outreach Opportunity
We have the opportunity to help Crossroads Church with a ministry to homeless through the Norfolk Emergency Shelter Team (NEST) program the week of March 4th – 11th. The homeless guests are picked up by buses and taken to area churches for a hot meal, housing for the night, a hot breakfast and a take-away lunch. We can help by assembling the bag lunches at CtR each afternoon during March 4th-11th and deliver them to Crossroads. Please sign up in Fellowship Hall if you and/or your family are able to help! Also, we will need funds to purchase the lunch foods and bags. If you want to contribute to this outreach, send a check or money to CtR earmarked for NEST. If you have any questions you can speak to Temple – t.richardson@cox.net .
“O Lord, our heavenly Father, keep your household the Church continually in your true religion, that we who trust in the hope of your heavenly grace may always be defended by your mighty power; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.”
– Collect for The Fifth Sunday of Epiphany (BCP 2019)