April 27, 2025 Now What? Resurrection to Action: A New Community

April Monthly Mission - Crossfire Ministries
God is always the center of all that we do and we give Him all the honor and glory.  I would like to share with you some of the things that God is doing at Crossfire.  We continue to grow by 20 to 30 new families each day.  With the grocery prices rising, I do not see the need decreasing, but only rising in the next few years.  22,077 unique individuals received services in 2024.  We just passed the 15,000 families registered in our data base.  In 2024, we distributed 3,692,426 pounds of food, gave away 4860 Bibles.  And $414,528 in credits were used in our Thrift Store.  To help us accomplish all of this, we recorded 106,222 volunteer hours.  We average more than 80 on-site volunteers each day, including grocery service, processing, drivers, warehouse, intake, office, carts, and others.  We have volunteers join us from all walks of life—retired, homeschool groups, youth groups, community service, families.  Our parking lot overflows most days, so we are exploring all options to ease the space problem.  One thing we are currently doing is shuttling our volunteers every 15 minutes from a nearby church parking lot who have so graciously allowed us to use.
We so appreciate all the prayers and support from our churches.  We could not do it without help from the community.  Thank you Saint Paul’s, for loving us here at Crossfire. 

Gathering

Prelude
My Lord, What a Morning
Cynthia Hibbetts

Welcome
Rev. David Petty

Call to Worship
Darlene Woods

Leader: This is the day that God has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
All: We gather today to shout Alleluia! Christ is risen; he is risen indeed.
Leader: Out of the doom of death and despair, Victory comes, glory appears.
All: We gather today to shout Alleluia! Christ is risen; he is risen indeed.
Leader: We shall live, witness, and recount the deeds Of the God whose love endures forever.
All: We gather today to shout Alleluia! Christ is risen; he is risen indeed.

*Opening Hymn
Easter People, Raise your Voices
UMH #304
 
1. Easter people,
raise your voices,
sounds of heaven
in earth should ring.
 
Christ has brought
us heaven’s choices;
heavenly music,
let it ring.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Easter people, let us sing.
 
2. Fear of death
can no more stop us
from our pressing
here below.
 
For our Lord
empowered us to
triumph over every foe.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
On to victory
now we go.
 
3. Every day to
us is Easter
with its
resurrection song.
 
When in trouble
move the faster
to our God
who rights the wrong.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
See the power
of heavenly throngs.
 
*Greet Your Neighbor – Passing the Peace of Christ

Mystery Box

A Word of Inspiration

Scripture Reading 1
John 20:19-31
Darlene Woods

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors were locked where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

Prayer
 
Pastoral Prayer, Silent Prayer, The Lord’s Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer
     
Our Father
who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy Name;
 
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done
on earth
as it is in heaven.
 
Give us this day
our daily bread,
and forgive us
our trespasses,
 
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
Lead us not
into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
 
For Thine is the Kingdom,
and the Power
and the Glory forever.
Amen

Scripture Reading 2
Revelations 1:4-8
Darlene Woods

John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all the tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. So it is to be. Amen.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

Message
Now What? Resurrection to Action: A New Community
Pastor Donnie Sturgill

Giving Back

Invitation to Offering
Darlene Woods

Offertory
Morning has Broken
Mark Rankin & Cynthia Hibbetts

Prayer of Thanksgiving
Pastor Donnie Sturgill

Doxology
Praise God from Who All Blessings Flow
UMH #94

Praise God, from whom
all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures
here below: Alleluia! Alleluia!
 
Praise God, the source
of all our gifts!
Praise Jesus Christ,
whose power uplifts!
 
Praise the Spirit,
Holy Spirit!
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia!

*Sending Hymn
They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love
TFWS #2223 
WORDS: Peter Scholtes (John 13:34-35; Eph. 4:4-6)
MUSIC: Peter Scholtes
© 1966 F.E.L. Publications, assigned 1991 to The Lorenz Corp.
 
1. We are one in the Spirit,
we are one in the Lord,
we are one in the Spirit,
we are one in the Lord,
 
and we pray
that all unity
may one day
be restored:
 
Refrain
And they’ll know
we are Christians
by our love,
by our love;
yes, they’ll know
we are Christians
by our love.
 
2. We will walk
with each other,
we will walk hand in hand,
we will walk
with each other,
we will walk hand in hand,
 
and together
we’ll spread the news
that God is
in our land:
 
Refrain
And they’ll know
we are Christians
by our love,
by our love;
yes, they’ll know
we are Christians
by our love.
 
3. We will work
with each other,
we will work side by side,
we will work
with each other,
we will work side by side,
 
and we’ll guard
human dignity,
and save
human pride:
 
Refrain
And they’ll know
we are Christians
by our love,
by our love;
yes, they’ll know
we are Christians
by our love.
 
4. All praise to the Father,
from whom
all things come,
and all to Christ Jesus,
God’s only Son,
 
and all praise
to the Spirit,
who makes us one:
 
Refrain
And they’ll know
we are Christians
by our love,
by our love;
yes, they’ll know
we are Christians
by our love.
 
*Benediction
Pastor Donnie Sturgill

Postlude
Thine Is the Glory
Cynthia Hibbetts