I end this Sunday (January 31) overwhelmed and grateful:

• 136 people were baptized into Jesus today.  Over 100 of them made their decision this morning while people prayed for them.  It was an incredible move of the Holy Spirit.
• We celebrated 10 years of ministry tonight with a birthday part like no other that I have ever experienced:

1. 1000’s lifting their voices in passionate worship
2. laughing until my sides hurt– I love our staff team
3. crying like a school girl at recess
4. believing God for big things in the next 10 years

God is good.  Jesus is alive.  The Holy Spirit is at work.

Thank you Lord for my Cross Timbers Family–greater things…………

We have a medical team that left for the  the Dominican Republic in the early morning of January 20th to give aid to critical patients coming from Haiti.  This trip has come together very quickly and is a rapid response to an immediate need.  Please be praying for those are serving:

Rick White is leading and coordinating logistics

Medical professionals who are there are:
Jay Turner
Bonnie Turner
Carolyn Bradford
Jeff Day
Jennifer Martz
Randy Martz

Thankful for your prayers for all of them,

Toby

I know you are all aware of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit Haiti this week. The number of lives lost continues to climb and the devastation is difficult for most of us to fathom.

There are numerous ways that folks are helping.   Here is how Cross Timbers is going to respond:

Pray. We are joining churches all over the world in praying for the people of Haiti. At Cross Timbers this Monday, January 18 at 7:00 p.m, we’ll host an evening of special prayer for Haiti at all three of our campuses. We are inviting anyone and everyone to join us in Keller, Argyle or Denton for a time of prayer for the people of Haiti. Invite your friends and neighbors. Post it on your Facebook page. If you’re on twitter, please use the hashtag #pray4Haiti to help spread the word.

Give. There are two ways we are going to give towards relief efforts in Haiti:

• Cross Timbers is going to make an immediate donation of $10,000 to Samaritan’s Purse to provide water and shelter to those in need. This faith based organization has the ability to get much needed supplies to those in need in a fast and efficient manner. We want to help them help the people of Haiti.

• We are setting up drop off sites at all three of our campuses to collect medical supplies for an organization called Love A Child. The list of items that we are collecting is found below. Items will be collected at all three of our campus locations beginning this Sunday January 17 through the next Sunday January 24^th.Drop off times will be from 8:00 am-8:00 pm Monday through Friday and Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 a.m until 2:00 pm.

Both of these organizations have a long history on the ground in Haiti as well as a wealth of experience in large scale crisis response. It is through these partnerships that we are able to engage the need in Haiti. We have great confidence that you can trust that what you give will be stewarded well to help the people of Haiti.

Serve. These problems Haiti is facing will not go away in just a couple weeks, so we are committed to serving Haiti long-term. We have begun to adjust our missions budget for 2010 to help send short term teams to Haiti to aid in recovery. The immediate emergency situation in Haiti doesn’t present an opportunity for us to put teams on the ground to serve. But in 60-90 days, there will be tremendous opportunity for teams to serve in Haiti. We have begun to make some contacts with ministry friends who have connections in Haiti so that trips can be planned in an effective way to bring help to those who will continue to have need.

Medical supply collection

Medications:
(These items can be purchased over the counter at any local drug store)
Aspirin
Tylenol
Motrin
Children’s and adult multi-vitamin
Benadryl
Neosporin or triple antibiotic
Oral re-hydration salts
Cough medications

Medical Supplies:
(These items can be purchased over the counter at any local drug store)
Ace bandages
Alcohol pads
Band-aids
Betadine wipes and sticks
Drapes
Gauzes – any size
Gloves – all sizes, sterile/non-sterile
Gowns –surgical and patient (head and shoe covers, goggles, masks)
Pediatric supplies
Tape – all types
Thermometers

It is an honor to partner with churches across America in this effort.  Together we can make a difference!

I have been looking forward to the weekend of January 3rd for a long time.  For those of you who might not know, this Sunday we will be celebrating our ten year birthday as a church.  Actually we’re going to celebrate it all month long, but I think this Sunday will be very special.

Milestones are a big deal to me.  They remind me of all that God has done.  They encourage me for all that God is going to do in the next season.  Stopping to celebrate is important for us as a church family.  I can’t wait!

Sunday I will be sharing the three most important lessons I think that God has taught us over the first ten years and a promise that we are believing for the next ten.  Make sure to join us.  Invite a friend to come with you.  It’s going to be a great day!