As we enter the Christmas season, we want to turn our attention toward all the ways in which God is at work in our community and around the world. He is bringing hope to many who are struggling, showing His love through the church and through many wonderful people who give generously to those in need.

Sunday, December 4, we welcome our Global Compassion Partners to the stage. They will share about what God is doing in Rwanda, Uganda and Haiti during a panel conversation with Pastor Dan.

Throughout the Christmas season, we encourage you to pray about how God might be calling you to share the love of God with those around you. See you Sunday!

Throughout the Christmas season, we will be highlighting the work of our Local and Global Compassion Partners during our annual Christmas Compassion Campaign. Our hope is to raise awareness and funds for our partners in Rwanda, Uganda, Haiti and in Central Alberta.

This Sunday, we are in for a treat as representatives from our Global partners will be interviewed by Pastor Dan, live on the stage during the message portion of the services. Then, on December 18th, the panel will feature our local partners. Don't miss this rare opportunity to hear from our partners in-person!

Visit crossroadschurch.ca/compassioncampaign for more on the Compassion Campaign including a digital download of the Campaign Booklet, videos from last year's Campaign, and options for giving.

We're putting the soup on again Sunday, December 4th, except this time we'll be having chilli! We would love for you to come for our monthly meal as a church family. This is a great opportunity for you to build community at CrossRoads by inviting others to join you for soup. We hope to see you there!

TIME & PLACE
Soup will be ready following the morning services (10:20am/12:20pm) and before the evening service (5:20pm). After dishing up in the Café, seating is available in the Gym. 

COST
$5/person (ages 5 & under are free)
Family of 4 or more (if over age of 5) is capped at $20.

REGISTRATION
Save yourself time in line by pre-registering and paying online. Register and/or prepay at: crossroadschurch.ca/register

Payment is not required at registration if you would like to pay later; we will also accept payments on the day of the event. We can accept cash, debit/credit and e-transfer. If you would like to e-transfer, you can email it to: payments@crossroadschurch.ca (and write in the notes the payment is for Soup's On).

*Please Note: the Café is closed for days we have Soup's On.

You're invited! The Christmas Eve services at CrossRoads are an opportunity to remember the birth of Jesus and the hope that His coming brings. Invite friends and family to come for a special evening of sharing in the joy of Christmas. Stay and enjoy free cookies and a hot chocolate bar! 

December 24 Service Times:
1:00pm, 3:00pm, 5:00pm & 7:00pm

Kids programming available at the first three services.

An Evening of Encouragement

Come for music and hope: acknowledging the heartache of bereavement that is amplified by the holiday season. Featuring music by Prairie College. Tea and coffee reception to follow the program. No tickets necessary.

Wednesday, December 7, 7:00 PM
at CrossRoads Church

GUEST SPEAKER:
Bob Dobson graduated from Tyndale University in 1970 and has spent his career in various leadership and pastoral positions. He began High Power Soccer Camps, which uses sports to reach boys and girls (and their families) with the Gospel of Christ. In 2006, Bob lost both his wife and his mother in a tragic vehicle accident. Since that time, he has been sharing his story in an effort to bring hope and comfort to those grieving the loss of loved ones.

The next Thrive event will be Wednesday, December 7th, at 9:30-11:30am in the Chapel. Bring a snack to share and paint an ornament -- three ornament options will be available, feel free to only make one, or make them all. The cost is $5 per ornament - please bring cash.

Women of all ages and stages are invited to THRIVE in community with one another. THRIVE meets the first Wednesday of every month at 9:30-11am in the Chapel. This is a great place to connect and build community. Come and enjoy free coffee and light snacks. Childcare is provided. 

A safe place to see others and to be seen.
To hear others and to be heard.
To know others and to be known.

Registration not required, but you can sign-up here for monthly emails/updates: crossroadschurchreddeer.churchcenter.com/groups/crossroads-group/thrive

Are you struggling this Christmas season with hurts, habits and hang-ups?  Celebrate Recovery is a place to fellowship with others and to celebrate God's healing power in our lives through the program’s 8 Recovery Principles. By working and applying these biblical principles, we begin to grow spiritually. We become free from our destructive behaviors. This freedom creates peace, serenity, joy and most importantly a stronger relationship with God and others. 

Our Annual Christmas Banquet will be held on December 9th at 6pm in the Chapel. Tickets are available on Friday nights or at the church office.  Cost is $15 for adults and teens, $8 for those 4 to 12 and free for the littles 3 and under. We hold Celebrate Recovery every Friday night of the year, so we will be running on December 23rd and December 30th at 6pm for dinner or 7pm for large group followed by open share.

No online registration needed. Tickets will be sold only through Celebrate Recovery. Contact Julie at julieo@crossroadschurch.ca for questions.

The GEMS (Genuinely Enthusiastic Missionary Seniors) Christmas Banquet is Saturday, December 10th. 
It's that time again, and we are so excited to gather with you! The Banquet starts at 5pm in the Chapel. This year's music provided by The Plaiders.

Tickets: $20 each - available for purchase through CrossRoads Church Main Office. For inquiries & more information, please call Pam at 403-347-6425.

We are grateful to have the opportunity to collect bottle donations for use by our Missions department. Your donations provide funds to support a variety of needs for local & global outreach.

The collection trailer will be parked on the east side (right) of the main entrance and will be open for your donations between 8:30am and 7pm the second Sunday of every month.

Next Date: Sunday, December 11

Need help & hope as you navigate the Christmas season wondering how you will survive the weeks surrounding Thanksgiving and Christmas? Are you dreading these holidays, knowing that everything has changed and that happy memories from past years can’t be recreated? Our Surviving the Holidays seminar is made for people who are grieving the loss of a loved one.

          You’ll learn:

• How to deal with the many emotions you’ll face during the holidays
• What to do about traditions and other coming changes
• Helpful tips for surviving social events
• How to discover hope for your future

This session is free of charge, & will be Tuesday December 13th, starting at 7pm in Room 108, for 13 participants only. All materials needed will be distributed inside the class. Register here!

We invite you to a monthly gathering for those who share life with people who have special needs; whether it be families or workers. Our hope is that everyone (with & without special needs) is able to connect together, share, & encourage one another. We are excited to have a meaningful time of connecting together.

Sunday, December 18
3pm in the Cruisers Room (Room 104).

Register here or feel free to drop in!

(Upcoming meeting date: January 15)

The CrossRoads Church board wishes to acknowledge and thank each individual who participated in the June 2022 Church Health event. We are so grateful to have heard your insightful perspectives and to know that you are deeply invested in fostering church health.

Ministry leaders continue to explore ways to support and equip members to foster community and will find many encouraging ideas in the responses to the Church Health activity.

Among the major themes was a clear assertion of the importance of our CrossRoads community being involved in service, both within our church and within our community. Another theme affirmed the importance of prayer – private prayer, group prayer, in church, in homes, and in small group settings.

Read the full report here.

Last Sunday, November 20th, Pastor Dan Cochrane wrapped up The Freedom of Following series by responding to questions that the congregation submitted throughout this series. As Pastor Dan mentioned, there is a a follow-up video to address some of the questions that he didn't have time to cover on Sunday -- find it on our Series Resources page here: crossroadschurch.ca/FreedomofFollowing

Once again this Christmas, the Tree of Remembrance stands in the Foyer area. It is with honour that this tree is dedicated to you & the loved ones in your life who have passed away. Please feel free to fill out a Tribute Card & place it on the tree in remembrance of your special person. We pray that this will be a place to stop and reflect. It's an opportunity for you to acknowledge your grief & loss - placing your pain in His loving hands. Please see the tree as a safe place to pray, but mostly, to remember.

Calling all Millennials! We are looking to start up a few small groups this January and we are wondering if you would be interested in facilitating or hosting a group of Millennials that meet together to share life and study the Bible/discuss the Sunday sermon. Let me know if you're interested: jordanc@crossroadschurch.ca

We are once again offering a shuttle service to and from church on Sunday mornings for the 11am service. If you need a ride, please email JulieO@CrossRoadsChurch.ca. Rides will begin on December 4th.

Join us for the afternoon and evening on Saturday, December 3rd, with activities starting at 2pm. There will be outdoor activities for the whole family. At 4pm, the silent auction will begin (if you would like to donate to the silent auction, please email andrew@riversedgecamp.org). Supper will commence at 5pm, with an evening of music, Christmas Carols, and a Christmas message. Get updated on all Rivers Edge Camp happenings, and maybe even receive a pie as it is auctioned off to the highest bidder!

When you donate to camp, you are investing in lives that will be changed for eternity. We will be sharing where camp is headed, and some of the capital projects we are hoping to take on in 2023. 

While there is no ticket cost, a freewill offering will be taken. Space is limited, so register now at https://riversedgecamp.org/retreats/country-christmas-event/.

KAIROS is a foundational discipleship course on God’s mission. It develops the major biblical theme of God’s heart for all the nations of the world—both globally and in the neighbourhood—and His desire to use His people to be a blessing to them. This 9-session course will educate, inspire and challenge you to meaningful participation in God’s mission, a call to every believer.

Every Monday, starting January 16th - March 6th @ 6:30-9pm
Meet at Deer Park Alliance Church in the Youth wing - West Entrance.

Register for $99 HERE.

*Please note: There will be no class Feb 20th. We will have one extra class on Saturday, March 11th at 9am-4pm.

Most Sundays, with the exceptions of "Soup's On" Sundays, everyone is welcome to come to the Café to check out our new menu — hot drinks, cold drinks, cookies & muffins — and enjoy the space with family and friends. 

Café Hours: Sundays, 10:15am to 11am (closed December 4 for Soup's On)

If you have recently moved to Central Alberta or are newer to CrossRoads we would love to get to know you and help you plug in and find friendship and community.

Our Pastor of Community life, Jordan Cavanaugh would love to connect with you. Fire him an email at jordanc@crossroadschurch.ca and tell him a little about yourself and your family.

You can also visit crossroadschurch.ca/welcome or text 'welcome' to 1-833-313-1305. 

Whether you are registering for an event, signing up for a group, or checking your kids in on Sunday, you'll likely be using Church Center. Church Center is an application we use for many things here at CrossRoads. We use it for planning our Sunday services, organizing serve teams, and setting up groups and registrations.

We have recently added some additional features such as payment for events and the CrossRoads Church calendar is now on Church Center. There are two main ways you can access Church Center. We highly recommend that you download the Church Center app on your phone, or you can visit http://crossroadschurchreddeer.churchcenter.com on any internet browser.

Learn more about Church Center features at https://www.crossroadschurch.ca/churchcenter.

For the days you can't be with us in-person, tune into listen to the message every Sunday at 9am on ShineFM (90.5 on the FM dial).

We encourage you to share this information with those you know who may not be able to connect with us in-person or online.

Stay connected to the stories and day-to-day happenings at CrossRoads in these simple ways:

• WEBSITE - crossroadschurch.ca
  
  
• WEEKLY TEXT UPDATES
  Text: Updates to 1-833-460-1788 to subscribe (standard message rates apply).
  
  
• WEEKLY EMAIL
  Sign up here: Yes, send me email!   
  
  
• MINISTRY UPDATE VIDEOS
  Find them posted here & on Facebook
  

To give to the ministry at CrossRoads and those we support, we encourage you to do so through your online banking or e-transfer:

ONLINE BANKING
For online banking, please contact finance@crossroadschurch.ca for your payee account number. 

E-TRANSFER
For e-transfer, please use giving@crossroadschurch.ca as the recipient. In the notes section of the e-transfer, specify where you would like the giving designated to: General, Missions or Building. If no designation is made, it will be allocated to the General Fund. To receive a year-end donation receipt, please also include your address in the notes section of the e-transfer.

Other options can be found at crossroadschurch.ca/giving.

Following each service, prayer team members are ready to pray with you. If you join us in person, prayer is available in the Sanctuary. If you're watching online, let us know your prayer request by clicking here. Someone will then follow-up with you to pray together.

 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him." - 1 John 5:14-15