When Jennifer and I first began thinking and praying about a possible call to Pea Ridge Baptist Church, God showed us one particular aspect of this ministry that touched our hearts. We discovered that, over the years, this group of believers has been willing to set aside tradition if it meant effectively carrying out the mission God has given our church. This is why we were so excited to experience our first Cross Crew Sunday. On this particular Sunday, church members gather on the campus for a quick breakfast, prayer and a short devotion before breaking up into teams and going into the community to serve others. It’s the kind of work I’ve only read about in books or online, and longed to be a part of. There are several lessons that I learned through Cross Crew 2015, and I wanted to share them.
1) Serving together makes a difference
I’ve been a part of many missions trips and work projects. Coming together for a common cause brings a sense of unity and purpose to a group of believers that is only experienced when we serve together. However, I have never seen an entire church mobilize like we did on August 23. There is something very special about an effort that offers all members an opportunity to serve together at the same time. When we surrender our gifts to God and ask Him to use us, He does amazing things. And when we all do this together, His power in us is magnified.
2) Projects are really about people
On Sunday night, I told my girls how proud I was of them for serving faithfully at Cross Crew. Claire, my youngest, told me she really didn’t get to serve that much. In her mind, service was about accomplishing a task. I had the chance to share with her the message I received from the woman whose house we visited that day. She told me how thankful she was for our family coming to work, and how much her children enjoyed being around my children. I had the chance to share with Claire that serving God is more than completing a project. It’s about building relationships along the way, and she did that Sunday. It was a good reminder for me, too.
3) God is calling us into our community
Gathering is good. It’s something that we who follow Christ are called to do. I’ve heard many messages that quote Paul’s words in Hebrews 10:25, “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.” But if we aren’t careful, we emphasize gathering at the expense of scattering. It’s not an either or concept. It’s a both and. We gather and scatter. Why? Because God has called us to do both. Jesus said, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.” The tense of the command “go” in this verse has the connotation “as you are going.” Sometimes we go as individuals and sometimes we go as a group. But the important thing is that we go. Our community needs Christ’s love, and he has called us to carry it to them.
4) Our church has a serving spirit
Pea Ridge has been without a full-time pastor since November of last year. Yet, even before God called me and my family here, plans were underway for Cross Crew 2015. Leaders and projects were chosen, people had signed up to help, and volunteers already were mobilized to make this day happen. No one was waiting on a pastor to pull it all together. This is incredibly refreshing. During a period of transition, our church family hasn’t stopped serving. So many people have stepped up, and I know it hasn’t always been easy. Their love for God and others has continued to shine brightly. My main job, as outlined by Paul in Ephesians 4:11-12 is to train believers for the work of the ministry. That means spending time with the people of Pea Ridge Baptist … setting an example of following Christ through serving, teaching, listening and building meaningful relationships. That work has already begun and I can’t wait to see what God does in the years ahead. I believe He will raise up more people to join the work He has called us to do.
5) The work we are called to is a spiritual work
Cross Crew had an emphasis on physical work, but the day was very much spiritual in nature. Imagine if we weren’t spiritually prepared to serve? If we hadn’t surrendered our own desires to God and asked Him to work in and through us? The day would have been rough and we could not have been a blessing to others. You never know what you’re going to get into when you start projects like these, and frustration is sure to follow if we aren’t focused on Christ. We must continue to be a spiritually prepared people, and that means people of the Word and prayer.
As I look toward the fall season, my Sunday messages will focus on the purpose of the church. What’s exciting is that Pea Ridge is already a church with a purpose, and that was made clear during Cross Crew. I’m looking forward to traveling this journey of faith with everyone God brings into our lives, relying on the power of Christ in us to accomplish the mission of making disciples. Cross Crew 2015 was amazing. But it’s just the beginning.
Dan Londeree 