Legacy

Legacy is a weighty thing.

Last Sunday evening the Matriarch of Crossroads Church went home to be with Jesus. Annie Jean Welch and her husband Gabe founded our church way back in 1956. That was years before I was born and yet that simple act of obedience was eternally linked to my destiny.

This past Thursday I had the honor of officiating her home going service. I stood before her children and grandchildren in the church she planted almost sixty years ago and as the current steward of the legacy she now leaves behind, I vowed to them to guard that sacred trust - To lead this work with the same type of integrity and commitment that she demonstrated.

For the past week, I have felt the weight of that responsibility heavy on my shoulders. Yesterday I shared with our church how I felt and confessed to them that I know I can't do it alone. I asked them to help me carry out this responsibility by joining ministry teams, using their gifts and talents, inviting people to church and supporting the work with their prayer and finances. I was blown away as the entire crowd came to their feet in an ovation of support, many of them verbally shouting out, "We're with you Pastor!"

That weight feels a lot lighter this morning. By the grace of God, with an army of support at my side, I am ready to move forward and live out this legacy!

Making room for increase!

Yesterday we broke ground on our latest expansion at the church. 

The tree line between the church and the former country club is coming down! We are building out a second entrance and exit that will turn into our existing parking behind the apartments. In addition to the new entrance and exit, we are building out 150 new parking spaces! When this parking/exit expansion is complete we will literally be able to empty our parking lot at it's maximum capacity within 15 minutes! 

We are so excited to eliminate this hurdle to people attending Crossroads Church. We are so proud of the faithful who have dealt with our parking dilemma without complaining! Your patience is being rewarded and I believe we are opening the door to the largest era of growth our church has ever experienced! 

God Winks

The coolest thing happened this week. We have been hosting an event here at Crossroads the past few days called "Launch." It is a church-planting training event that is put on by The Church Multiplication Network - The church-planting arm of the Assemblies of God. Several couples came from around the country for this week-long training event. One of the couples, Jeff and Kristy Kerr, in attendance from Minneapolis, MN just happen to be the daughter and son-in-law of the man who helped us with our fundraising campaign back in 2009 when we were preparing to build our new worship center. They had no idea when they chose the event here in Lafayette that they would be attending "Launch" at a church their dad, Roger Lane, helped build! I call moments like that a God wink. 

The Right Person In the Right Place, Pt. 2

I have got to get ahold of this blogging procrastination habit of mine! 

In May we elected a new Superintendent for the Louisiana Assemblies of God. The position was filled by none other than one of my favorite people in the entire world - Scott Holmes! 

Since then, Scott and Kara have been busy doing what they do best - Being uniters! They have been criss-crossing the state reaching out to people who are a part of the Assemblies, were once a part of the Assemblies, or should be a part of the Assemblies and pulling us all together.

I am so proud of this incredible couple that Donna and I love so much. I can't wait to see what all God will achieve through this dynamic duo! A few years ago I made the decision to get more involved in our district because I didn't feel like the Assemblies of God my dad handed off to me years ago was the same Assemblies of God I was going to be handing off to my kids. I believe Scott and Kara's election is a HUGE part of the potential we now have to hand off a better Assemblies of God to the next generation!