Thursday, December 21, 2006

Professions of Faith

I hope you are having an extremely happy Christmas! We are enjoying our time and our church and all the glory of our Lord’s birth, life, death and resurrection!
Excitement continues to build around Crosspoint as we prepare to ‘particularize’ in a few weeks – elders are elected, the pulpit committee has officially selected me as their candidate for senior pastor and in the midst of it, many of our regular attenders are officially joining the church.

What a joy for me to sit down with each one of them and hear their professions of faith! We have people from such diverse backgrounds and spiritual journeys all uniting to become a church that seeks to grow the Kingdom of God! It is awesome!
My main prayer request is for our lost friends who don’t know the joy of Christmas, especially Steven and Quan. Both are grappling with the good news of the gospel and wrestling with the issue of trusting Christ. Would you pray for their salvation!
Pray too for our church as we seek to build bridges into the lives our unbelieving friends! Pray that dozens would come to faith in 2007.
Graced
Jim

Crosspoint Presbyterian Church4061 King Springs RoadSmyrna GA 30082O-770.333.1775C-404.423.5466www.crosspointsmyrna.orgSnail Mail: PO Box 1956Smyrna GA 30081

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Merry Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS Crosspoint Family…

How are your Christmas check lists coming? >>> People to shop for >>> Christmas movies to watch >>> Ads to ignore >>> Family to see >>> Parties to get to

As a family ourselves I want us to pay attention to another list this week and begin talking to our Daddy about these prayer needs.

1- JEFF AND JAMIE FINCHER. Jamie wrote, “I just went for my follow up appointment after my MRI. I have one disc that is severely herniated and 2 others that are slightly bulging. The current plan of treatment is to continue physical therapy exercises and lift as little as possible (since not lifting is impossible with 2 little ones) and be very careful when lifting. If any of my symptoms change for the worse she said they would probably admit me immediately for surgery. Obviously I will be doing everything possible to avoid this so I will be following Drs. orders and get as much help with the kids as possible.”
2- MS. VALERIE. She’s in New Orleans this week due to the death of a family member. For those of you who’ve met Alice, it was her father who passed. Pray for her family in their grief.
3- STEVEN AND QUAN. These are two guys who Jim’s been meeting and talking with ab0ut trusting Jesus. Both of them are wrestling with the gospel and the claims Jesus has made on their lives. Pray they surrender.
4- TRAVELING SAFETY. Obviously, many people will be traveling this holiday season. Pray for God to grant mercy to us all.
5- GRATITUDE. I struggle to be completely thankful for what I have so I too often become bitter when my lust for more stuff isn’t satisfied. Pray that the gospel would be enough for every person at Crosspoint and our families. Pray that we would not get caught up in all that glitters nor satisfied with Christmas-toy joy. May the full, forever joy of Jesus be absolutely ENOUGH.

Merry Christmas,

anthony

Monday, December 04, 2006

Pagan Power and Housekeeping

Pagan power and housekeeping.
I was just combining the two old posts from the 'Prayer Blog' that no one added anything to for months and I just couldn't delete this blog. It is about my pagan friend Steven, who is fighting the power of God the whole way to redemption.

Pagan Power?
How do you show God’s power to a pagan or to a culture that is too busy for God? How can you convince a skeptic that God is real? Can you? I can’t.
This past month God has been hammering my thick skull with this point: ‘Jim, you can’t do My work. No matter how hard you try Jim, you are still a sin-sick, grace-filled PERSON. I am God. You aren’t.’
So I am thrust back into the proper position – I’m asking YOU to pray to God that He would show HIS power:- To Steven, my pagan friend. He has been asking good hard questions and saying, ‘I will NOT compromise my beliefs and experiences.’ But he is still (miraculously) interested in this God (‘your God of the Bible’) who sent a blood sacrifice of His own Son for me. Steven is throwing down the gauntlet to ‘my God’ to prove Himself more powerful than his pagan experiences.
How can I show him God’s power? His own sin? His need for a King and Savior? Only God can do that. Will you ask?

How can I show God's power to a culture that is addicted to self, comfort, sex, instant everything. There is a subtle pressure to preach and live like pastor’s are cultural helpers – just here to make everybody more successful.
Pray that I will and Crosspoint will be honest and winsome as we present the Truth. THEN PRAY that God will open the ears of the deaf, give sight to the spiritually blind and heal the sickness of successful people who don’t even know they are sick!
So pretty much I’m saying either the Holy Spirit shows up and transforms people (like me) or we ought to pack up and go back to the suburbs.Which God is more powerful; the God of Heaven and earth or the God of this world?
Thanks for faithfully praying for us in our mission to ‘Be One to Win Everyone’
Graced
Jim

Tactics and Countermoves

Tactics and Countermoves. Many of you have been praying for Q… as we discuss the gospel over 4 meetings. Well guess what? someone has been trying to derail things, and he is proving to be creative, if not a bit desparate.

Q and I have had 2 really good meetings. He is very hungry. He is reading John and asking good questions. Last Friday, we were supposed to meet at Zucca’s for lunch. He never showed, so I thought he got caught at the sandwich shop and couldn’t make it. Turns out he was catching a ride from a friend from the store to the restaurant and the Smyrna PD pulled his friend over doing a little, as he put it, ‘racial profiling and drug prevention.’ His friend had no liscense on him, and neither Q, so they spent the whole afternoon at the station trying to clear things up…. Can you believe it?

Either way, Q and I are on for lunch this Friday. And he asked me to pick him up this time.

If you have a minute, please pray for Quan again and
- Our baby church - Crosspoint’s first church plant, Emmanuel Church, in East Paulding/Powder Springs is in full fund-raising and prayer support-raising mode. Our Co-Pastor, José Mateo and his launch team will be starting public worship in March 2007 pending pledges for $180k over the next 4 years. Click on the link below for more info or to sign up to pray.
- The working poor – Several of our families and hundreds more in our city are struggling financially. Pray for God’s provision and mercy and warm clothes and meals for all the needy. Pray that God would lead us as we take action!
- Electing first elders – This Sunday December 10th Crosspoint will elect its first elder candidates! It is a monumental day for us as we take more steps to becoming an official church.
- Spiritual growth – We are 6 weeks into a series on Romans and it is very challenging! Pray for all of us to grow in faith and the grace of God’s gospel!

Thanks for praying for us! The Moon’s are doing very well. I hope to catch a good picture for you over Christmas!
Grace and Love,
Jim

Link to Emmanuel Church’s Prayer Email – emmanuelpca@comcast.net
Link to Crosspoint’s Prayer Blog - http://crosspointsmyrna.blogspot.com
Link to Crosspoint’s Website – www.crosspointsmyrna.org

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Pray Please

Hey all!
I don’t have a coherent story or illustration that weaves all these requests together, so would you mind praying these random prayers?!

- Pray for Pastor José as he begins raising prayer and financial support for Emmanuel Church, our church plant that will be ready to roll out in 2007. They need 260 more prayer partners! (see below for link)
- Pray for one family that needs reliable transportation. The wife is disabled after 30 years as an LPN, and the husband is way under-employed. They could use a newer car, and a better job for him! And just some encouragement in the trial!
- Sunday ministries are expanding:
- Ask God for English to Spanish translators. We have cool equipment and need more volunteers.
- Our Video is, well, stuck in the 1990s. Pray for upgraded equipment and a skilled volunteer leader.
- Thank God for our 20-25 2nd hour teachers and helpers! This Sunday they have a Training Day. Pray that they are encouraged and see the fruit of their labors with kids and youth.
- Pray for generous donations to local food bank for Thanksgiving and generous donations for ‘Operation Christmas Child’ shoeboxes used for overseas evangelism!
- Pray for me next week when I speak and coach at the PCA Evangelism Convocation in Boca Raton.
- LAST BUT MOST important, pray for POWER in the preaching at Crosspoint. We are starting a series entitled “God’s Gospel Changes Everything” a study through Romans! We need Jesus’ power through His Word!

Thanks for praying! You all are making a difference in me and in this church!
Graced,
Jim

Link to Emmanuel Church Prayer Email – emmanuelpca@comcast.net
Link to Crosspoint’s Prayer Blog - http://crosspointsmyrna.blogspot.com
Link to Crosspoint’s Website – www.crosspointsmyrna.org

Almost 5 Years of Prayer Support

Prayer Team,
It’s been almost 5 years since we first started this prayer email list.

Hundreds of you have prayed for God to establish a church here in SmyrnaVinings. Months of labor, spiritual battles, rejection, conversions, spiritual growth and prayers and God is FAITHFUL. We are making plans to graduate to ‘official church’ status in our denomination. I can’t believe it.

Last night we reached a key mark. David Daniell and Powell Harrison, our two elder candidates, were examined and accepted by the commissioners of our regional church presbytery! This is big news!!
That means January 14th, 2007 6pm, we will have our official Organizing Service and Graduation Party to follow!

So we still need you to pray.
Pray for David and Powell to keep growing into this co-shepherding role with me.
Pray for our Church Planter in Residence, José Mateo, whom we will send out in January to start a new church in Paulding County/Powder Springs area.
Pray for continued growth and protection from attack.
And pray that I will rest well in the strong arms of Jesus!
Graced
Jim

Thursday, October 12, 2006

A Peculiar Church?

A Peculiar Church?

Dear Prayer Team
We are reaching a significant mile-marker on our journey to expand God’s kingdom around the world. This month we are requesting permission to organize this mission church as an official church! There are several key examinations yet to be passed, but we are making the plans.

So, does this mean we don’t need a prayer team anymore? HA! NO WAY! I am desperate for prayer! I am the weakest link in this whole church! And the stakes get higher now too. The enemies without (satan and the world) and the enemy within (my own rebellious sin-sick heart) have an even BIGGER target to aim for. Keep praying please!

- Our potential officers will be examined this month. Pray for Powell and Anne Harrison and David and Karen Daniell. Pray for wisdom and protection as they assume the role of elders and elder’s wives. This is a big demanding shepherding task!
- Pray for the teachers and leaders of our new 2nd hour Christian growth ministries for kids, students and adults. These are the KEY new leaders in our young church! We have about 45 adults and 35 kids involved. I’m helping out in the 3-4th grade class and we are teaching 80% of the kids their first ever Bible lessons (like most didn’t know where to find Genesis in the Bible!)
- Pray too for our small groups to be unified, to learn and care well for each other. We have 10 groups including 2 Crown financial groups and a new men’s group on Saturday mornings.

Thanks for praying! It spreads God’s grace to many!
Jim

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Cars Gifted to Ministry

Dear Crosspoint Prayer Family,
Remember about 5 weeks ago we asked for prayer for two families that had urgent need for cars?
We had several people generously provide loaners and great price deals and now within one week’s time we have had TWO vehicles gifted to the ministry for both of the families who needed them!

God is so generous and so are his people! And He listens to your prayers!

The single grandmother now has a nice late model mini-van to haul all the kids she is raising, and our assistant pastor Anthony and his wife Sarah have a late model Toyota to replace the car that was totaled!

Thank you for praying!
Really, we wouldn’t be here without you! Keep praying for more conversions and more workers for this harvest field too!
Graced
Jim

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Both My Families

Would you pray for both my families?

Crosspoint is moving along toward ‘particularization’ or becoming an official church in our denomination. It is a really big deal, sort of akin to a graduation and a marriage at the same time – we are completing the early part of a story, but we are just starting our life together as a family.

This makes us a bigger target on the enemy’s radar. Pray for unity and love between us!

And my literal Moon family is getting into an exciting time. Elizabeth just started teaching music part-time at DCHS (2 classes a day), so she is being stretched as a first year teacher. Her health is doing well. And we have now 3 teenagers – my own youth group – which is a joy and a challenge. Pray for Jake (Jr. at Dominion Christian High), Erica (Fr. at Dominion) and Elysia (6th at Covenant Christian). They are maturing as people, students and as believers. It is a challenging time for them, even in great Christian schools and a more stable church situation.

But, this makes us a bigger target on the enemy’s radar. Pray for unity and love between us!

So, same prayer – both families! Couldn’t do this without you all!
Graced,
Jim

Thursday, September 07, 2006

Slack Asking for Prayer

Hey all you Prayer folks
I have been slack on asking for prayer! Why is it that when things are going well, I don’t ask for prayer? I honestly think (wrongly) that we don’t need it! What a thick skull I have.

We have had some really great ministry happening in and through Crosspoint. Let me tell you just one quick one. We sent 8 folks to First Pres Gulfport MS for a week of Katrina home repair/outreach. I was amazed at what a job our crews did! And wow, did we share the gospel while we worked! The one couple was quite a trip – he is a non-practicing Muslim, she is an semi-agnostic from the Czech Republic! She kept asking out loud, ‘Why do you do this? Give up a week’s vacation to come build my kitchen? I would never do this!’ We told her about Jesus – a lot. Pray for Karim and Eva Amin to come to faith in Jesus!

We are starting a 2nd hour of Christian Ed this month, cranking up another year of small groups, offering two Crown ministries and prepping for our ‘graduation’ to official church. It is great to have more new folks joining us and seeing the full house is encouraging! But we are still at a tender place. Sort a bigger target for the enemy now. Please Pray for Protection and effective ministry within our church and outside it.

But WE ARE STILL IN NEED! We are getting close to selecting elders. The pastor(s) are STILL IN NEED of faith in Jesus! Whereas I have struggled with doubt, now I’m struggling with self-sufficiency and human security! Pray that God would give me and the other leaders a continual sense of dependence and joy in Jesus only.

You all rock! Thanks for praying!
Graced
Jim

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Chris Professed Faith in Christ!


Hey Prayer Team!
Great news! The guy Chris who has been praying has com to the DaVinci Code discussions all three weeks – and he has professed his faith in Christ! Isn’t that awesome! So KEEP ON PRAYING FOR Chris and his family and for more CONVERSIONS!

Our outreaches are going well – both Backyard Bible Clubs were well attended (over 20 kids each with lots of parents hanging around), our concert ministry is growing step by step (www.rootshows.com) and the ‘Kindness is Contagious’ Ministry served 192 hot dogs to a baseball league party at Milford Park!

Would you pray for….
- Growth for Chris and his family. Pray that his wife and son trust Christ too. She has more Bible belt baggage to sort through. This is a very tender time for them! And quite a change in Chris!
- Pray for Pastor Anthony’s neighbor Jerry, a former liberal pastor turned atheist. They are in dialogue about the DaVinci Code. Only God can change a heart and make a blind man see, right? PRAY for Jerry!
- Pray for the process of selecting elders and deacons for Crosspoint. In about 6-9 months we should have officers trained and ready. We have a time of prayer and discussion coming up in July.
- Pray for the growth and maturity of our members and regualr attenders. We have many children and many small groups which can be a challenge. Pray that we rest our leaders well this summer and that we make and train disciples well!

Graced
Jim

Pastor/Church Planter
Crosspoint Presbyterian Church
4061 King Springs Rd
Smyrna GA 30082
www.crosspointsmyrna.org
jim@crosspointsmyrna.org
o - 770.333.1775
c - 404.423.5466http://crosspointsmyrna.org/templates/header.tem

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

If Atlanta Were Different

If Atlanta were different… it would be because Christians do what Doug and Sarah have begun…

I met Doug through an inner-city church planter’s training network we helped start months ago. He is an anglo guy from L.A. (lower Alabama) who played football for the Auburn Tigers. He and his wife moved into a low-income apartment in East Atlanta years ago so they could disciple urban youth for the long haul. They have been there four years I think. It will take a lifetime of sacrifice to see the will of God done there as it is in heaven. But I believe it is going to happen…

I went to their Bible study last night. I was impressed. It wasn’t the facility or the professionalism of the program, but the hunger of those 10 young men learning the Word of God.

I’m sure the spiritual warfare is intense. It isn’t easy to plant a church anywhere, much less where Doug is laboring. But the young men there want the gospel. They welcome it. The fields are full of harvest!

It takes guts and intensity to plant a church in inner city Atlanta. I’m proud to help guys like Doug. I’m doubly proud (in a humble way) that Doug would bring some of those youth to worship with us at Crosspoint any time.

One prayer request: Would you pray for God to call and fund and strengthen and protect Doug and Sarah and 100 more couples like them?
That is a prayer that will transform a city.
That is what it will take for all of Atlanta to be transformed by the Kingdom of God.
That is what I want Crosspoint to be doing now and into the future.

Graced
Jim

Monday, February 06, 2006

Good Sermon Jose!

Good worship yesterday!

Jose preached a really strong sermon. Not your typical evangelical sermon.
And it was GREAT to have Anthony here from Chattanooga leading in prayer.
And the band did a great job leading too!

Other than a crack about my former days as a proud mullet-wearing pastor, I needed to be reminded that sin IS in me and how much Jesus went through to forgive me (and you).

I'd say that is a sermon we all ought to hear over and over again.
If you want a copy on CD, we can mail it to you. Let us know.

Didn't Jose do a spooky good imitation of a TV preacher though?
Graced
Jim

Busyness is Lazyness

Busyness is laziness?

I was just reading a piece by Eugene Peterson (translator of 'The Message') and that thought slapped me. I tend to think I am a hard worker and that hard work and a 'full day' is a sign of success as a pastor/church planter.

Peterson says, 'Busyness is the enemy of spirituality.... It is doing the easy thing instead of the hard thing. It is filling our time with our own actions instead of paying attention to God's actions. It is taking charge.'

I cut that out and taped it to my monitor. I'll have to consider that as I'm a busy pastor of a young exciting church out to change the world!

Jim

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

I Have Glue for Brains

I feel like I have glue for brains. One thing I have learned is when I don’t feel like the brightest crayon in the box, I need to ask for prayer.

- Would you pray for me and Elizabeth that we would rest in the strong arms of Jesus!
- We are trying to prayerfully decide about taking another team to London this July for a week of prayer and evangelism. Would you ask Dad if we ought to do that?
- Our new assistant pastor Anthony and his family arrive this weekend. Pray for safety and God’s financial provision for them – they need either more support or a 2nd job. (What a step of faith they are making! They are raising support to come serve with us!)
- Ask God to lead my friend Steven the soon to be former pagan to read the Gospel of Mark. He asked me last week if I could tell him some Bible passages to read ‘that would show him what Jesus was like as a man’ and that he ‘would like to learn how I can have a relationship with your God.’ I couldn’t believe it. God is working in Steven.
- Pray for the people of Crosspoint. We have many challenges among us!

- And lastly, with London on our minds, we got this word from Jeremy (one of the missionaries among South Asians our 2005 team met)
Friends here have a 3 year old daughter who is in hospital in a completely unresponsive state - not talking, only blank stares. The doctors are baffled - maybe a virus in the brain? They are Gujarati Jains and God has put in on our hearts to tangibly help them as we can (visiting, and they have a son who is Noah and Sam's age who has come to play) and to PRAY that Jesus would wake this girl up and bring her back to herself and the whole family to Himself. If he can raise Jairus' daughter from the dead, he is surely able to do this. Would you join us in praying for this family as God leads you?

Jesus heal her and get all the credit!
Graced
Jim

Thursday, January 12, 2006

People Look at Me Funny

People look at me funny… when I show them the sword I got for Christmas. It is so cool. People have been looking at me funny for years and now there is a reason! This is a real, battle-ready sword. I take it to work every day.

It reminds me that we must pray. THAT IS the battle for souls. God MUST work or we are dead!

You all are such faithful pray-ers! Thank you for your ongoing prayer support. I think the devil is still ticked that we have made it this far, but I’m sure it is because we have received your most valuable support! Keep up the good work!

Here are some items for battle:
- Satan’s resistance. The last two weeks have brought many struggles to the forefront with our young believers. Marriage struggles, talk of separation, divorce, illness, financial problems, job change, discouragement. Pray that the ENEMY will NOT have the victory! That all our people will learn to do spiritual battle daily, to repent and believe the gospel, to obey and walk in faith!

- YES! Our new assistant pastor Anthony and his family (wife Sarah and son Will, 3) move in on the 28th! It will be a HUGE help to this ministry to have a steady high S administrator and educator on staff! Pray for the continued raising of his support, safety and quick feet. He has lots to get up to speed on!

- Maturing leaders. We are adding one pt pastor (Anthony), one tent-making pastor (José) and we have 14 other volunteer leaders for various ministries. Pray for their safety and protection. Pray that they grow in faith and do not gossip. Pray that I may train and equip them well for their roles.

- Inner City church planting – pray for me and Bob Orner, another church planter who have been commissioned by our new church network to help facilitate church planter development in inner city Atlanta. We could really mess up if we are arrogant and I can be arrogant so easy. Pray for wisdom and faithfulness in building trust across old barriers.

Overall, would you pray that we are faithful in the battle?
And that I use my sword well?
Graced
Jim

Friday, January 06, 2006

News for Prayer

7 newsy pieces I wanted you to know about and pray for:

- This Sunday begins a new series on biblical principles of money and finances. Yeah, it definitely needs a cool title. I want our focus in 2006 to be on growing unified so that we can reach out. There are so many needs and so many lost people!
One of the big limitations for the church is that we struggle with money. It kicks us down in our personal and family growth and limits what we can give to help the poor and how we can reach out to the lost. So for the rest of the month of January, José and I will be facing the issue of money, stewardship, generosity and what an awesome King we serve. I promise, no sounding like a Televangelist! (Well maybe José can do an impression…you’ll have to ask him.)

- Speaking of lost, I’m praying about having a special month this spring where we pray and prep some special Sundays to invite our lost friends and neighbors and family. Get the band to do some special music, maybe get a video clip worked in there. Maybe a sketch or two for illustrations. Pray about that with me.

- Speaking of lost, again, I got the first year of the ‘Lost’ TV show on DVD and I’m an addict! (So is my family!)

- Crosspoint Art Night on Sunday January 15th will be awesome. Tim and Gene have lined up some homegrown artists (Jeff Wood, James Steadham, Ibanez Downtain) from Crosspoint and the area for a night of music, visual art and even improv. Maybe skip small group and come out for that? Monday the 16th is MLK day, so all the bankers get the day off!

- Last one, did you hear that Pastor José passed his credentials committee written and oral exam and will stand before North Georgia Presbytery on Saturday the 21st to complete his ordination transfer into the PCA? And then he and Ana go to Church Planter Assessment Center first week of February! Lots going on with the Mateos!

- Youth Game Night Dec 28 ROCKED! If you are a youth, you wish you would have been there.

- Speaking of ROCKing and Youth, the Brogans are making plans to MOVE baby! They will be in town Friday (tomorrow) to scope o