Boxes of Love

We are once again honored to be part of a wonderful ministry this Thanksgiving season called Boxes of Love. Last fall many families were able to receive not only a wonderful supply of enough food for a holiday meal, but were also able to hear the Gospel presented to them in a loving way.
Physical needs and spiritual needs were met and God was honored. You can go HERE to see how lives were touched last season right here in our own city.

This year you can volunteer in three different ways.
* We need individuals or groups to sponsor food boxes for $30 each.
* We need volunteers to pack the boxes on Saturday morning, November 21st.
* We need volunteers to distribute boxes on the afternoon of the 21st.

For details, times and an on-line sign up, you can visit the CrossRoads site
HERE.

This is a great opportunity for families to minister the love of Jesus in a very
tangible way to our community!

Sunday we had the privilege at CrossRoads to welcome Michelle Hilman and Melodie Aho to share about their local adoption ministry. Child of the King seeks to help the body of Christ care for orphans by providing assistance as well as financial aid to adoptive families. One of their major fundraisers will be next Saturday, October 24 at Paris Mountain State Park. You can read all about the Family Hikeathon HERE at their ministry's website. It will be an awesome way to join with other families in raising adoption awareness, and contributing financially to bringing another orphan home!

Beginning this Sunday, October 4th, CRCC will be offering a great class called Money Works . This will be a four week study on money management and financial strategies from a Christian perspective. Led by Bryce Covington, this class will meet form 9:00 - 9:45 in the adult classroom. You can go HERE for more information as well as to sign up!

The Hinge is Here!

Saturday, August 29
9am - 2pm
DowBrands Amphitheater
Behind the Peace Center

It will be an awesome day of prayer for our city that you don't want to miss! Click on the Hinge link for tomorrow's schedule and make you plans to be there!

Heritage Back-To-School-Bash

Over 300 backpacks filled with school supplies were given out Saturday afternoon to local children at Heritage Baptist. Almost 700 were in attendance and many also were able to be counseled while they were there. Ali and I were able to minister alongside other CrossRoads members and it was a joy to see families blessed with a physical need being met as well as the Gospel being shared with them!

How can I serve now?

There are now several great service opportunities at CRCC for everyone to get involved!

1) We are gathering sizes 6 - 8 clothing for boys and girls at Simpsonville Elementary School where our Good News Club volunteers will be serving. Many families are unable to purchase back to school clothes for their children. We want to help meet some of their physical needs and pray that it will then open doors to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.
* Plastic bins will be available in the lobbies for your clothing donations before school begins!

2) On Saturday August 15th, Heritage Baptist Church, one of our partner churches, is hosting their "Heritage Back to School Bash". We need volunteers from 4 - 6pm to help with registration and counseling. Interested? Please contact me at brianwoodard@crccsc.org.

3) We are also looking for nursery workers to love on our babies and toddlers once a month. Interested? Please contact shawnthompson@crccsc.org.

Travel news!

You can check out our family blog HERE to see our exciting travel news. God is so good and faithful. We covet your prayers over the next 2 weeks!

Yard Sale Part Deux

Saturday, May 23, 2009

We are very tired, but are PRAISING GOD for His provision. We still had enough stuff to set up another yard sale this weekend. (Dodging raindrops once again...What's up with that?!) My parents came for two days to help us out. They did way too much and we are so grateful for their help!

When everything was totaled from our two day sale, including some generous financial donations today, we made over $1,400!!!! All to bring our sweet Gracie home from Chain. "Thank you Jesus for your favor!"

Yard Sale Part One

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Trivia question

The term "stormy weather" can refer to...

A. The title of a jazzy tune sung badly by at least one contestant at every state level beauty
pageant in the United States.
B. The title of a 1943 musical motion picture.
C. The condition of the weather for our fund raising yard sale this morning.

If you said all of the above, you were correct!!! Last Saturday began around 5:30 for us as we were up early to set out everything for the sale. Our trusty local weather reporter said there would be no heavy rain until the afternoon. A little after 8:00am it started POURING!! Between our family, my sister-in-law, & niece, we managed to get everything that needed to be covered either in the garage or on the porch. It truly was a crisis of faith for us. My initial reaction was "let's pack it up". Can I tell you we learned that a die-hard yard sale shopper literally will tough it out "rain or shine".

We all were drenched, and total strangers were packed like sardines in our garage wheeling and dealing for everything not nailed down! We had to laugh! On what was a truly terrible morning for a yard sale, God allowed us to make over $700.00!! Whoo Hoo!We have a good amount of great items remaining, and will probably set up shop again next weekend. God was good.

We want to thank every single person who helped make this sale possible. Our church family at CrossRoads was overwhelmingly generous with their donations. We don't know the name of every person who gave, but PLEASE know we are so grateful for your love shown to a sweet girl that will soon be a part of your church family. Thank you to Jennifer and Kim for your great donations. Thank you Missy for your precious time spent pricing items & for your priceless encouragement. We could not have made it without the help of my wonderful sister-in-law and niece. Thank you!!!

The hands and feet of Christ

It was awesome to see the body of Christ at work on Sunday afternoon. Thank you so much to the close to 30 CrossRoads volunteers who came out to the Heritage Baptist Church community outreach. Many of our people sent food as well. Hundreds of people from the surrounding community were fed, given clothing and prayed for. Most importantly, seven people prayed to receive Christ that afternoon! It was also great to watch the children enjoy the games and inflatable toys! The weather was perfect, and God was glorified.

Join us tomorrow at CrossRoads as Dave Rhodes shares the timeless Easter message of new life in Jesus. I just love this time of year!

Tomorrow afternoon, you are also welcome to join many CrossRoads families to minister with our partner church, Heritage Baptist, as they host their Community Outreach Easter Celebration. This will take place from 4-7 at Heritage. 103 Ravenel St. Greenville, 29611.
You can check the CrossRoads website for more details!

CRCC Work Day

Tomorrow, April 4, is a church wide work day at CrossRoads. We would love to have as many hands as possible to help beautify our property! Bring your yard maintenance tools and sunscreen and we'll look forward to seeing you there from 8:30 - noon!

IT'S A GIRL!

Gracie Jia Shu Woodard
Chinese name - Lian Jia Shu
February 1, 2008
Lianjiang City, Guangdong Province, China

Please join our family's journey here! God is so good.

Irish for a day

We celebrated my wife's Irish heritage Sunday at the annual Irish festival downtown. We came away with a few sunburns and some great memories! It's hard to believe that last week at this time we were bracing for a winter storm!

Snow Day!

United in Prayer

If you have some time, check out THIS family's blog. We have become e-mail friends with Linn who has been an amazing encouragement to and prayer warrior with our family during our adoption journey. The family's home was completely destroyed last month in a fire, and while we praise God that no lives were lost, we grieve with them over the losses each one is experiencing at this time. Within three days, their home was destroyed, their oldest son living at home was in an emergency surgery situation, and one of their dogs died. All this while they have only been home a little over a month with their beautiful new son and daughter from Uganda. The body of Christ is not confined to your local church! Thank you God for the joining of hearts with believers we have never physically met. We are anxious to see how God will use this family's story and incredible faith to touch many lives.

Christmas

A New Year

Where do I want my focus to be this year? On the people and things that touch the heart of the Father. Please check out THIS site. How could you resist a mission that states as their goal to raise money to "help breathe life into the poorest communities, restoring hope and igniting justice"?
"...act justly...love mercy and walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8