Independence Day Sing-Along- July 4

After worship on Sunday we invite you to join us for an Independence Day sing-along. This year, Independence Day is on a Sunday and, unfortunately, many places were not able to put together a typical 4th of July celebration (including parades). So we are offering a concert instead.

This event will not be livestreamed, it is offered in person only.

Paddle Boat Tour-July 12

Join some Crosstown friends for a trip down the Mississippi on a Paddle Boat. So iconic! This is a great Monday afternoon outing that is senior friendly, and the price is right at $10 a person!

All ages are welcome to join Nathan and Kristi Johnson for this 90-minute tour starting at 2:30pm. Please let us know if you need transportation assistance to Harriet Island.

The one hitch is that you have to buy your own ticket (link below) and contact Kristi if you need help. When it asks you who you want to be seated next to put our names :)

For the sanctuary lighting, at least 6 or 8 (to move a pew to allow the lift to access the light fixture). With flexible seating, and an accessible platform, that number would drop to 1 or 2. The flexible seating also allows better use of the sanctuary area and, in a way, expands the church by allowing some programs to use the sanctuary instead of some other space in the building, thus freeing the other space for other programs. The cost of flexible seating was avoided, because Josh Smith was able to procure 152 solid oak chairs with Bible holders from Emmaus Church in Northfield, MN for only the cost of transporting them, saving us over $26,000. The chairs are current models and the manufacturer said that plenty of the same fabric is warehoused so the church can order more identical units if needed.

The last phase involves making the platform wheelchair-accessible, recarpeting the sanctuary, and replacing the pews with flexible seating. These changes promise to enhance our ministries from children to youth to adult. We hope you believe in this investment for our future and get involved in the final phase.

Read more about the proposal, bids, process, and funding here.

Special Congregational Meeting July 18 after the service in person and on Zoom

VBS is for children ages 4 years-entering 6th grade.

🥯 🧃 🍪 Check out the VBS display at church this Sunday for volunteer opportunities and snack donation needs.

We will dive into a book by Daniel Hill, White Awake: An Honest Look at What it Means to be White. This is a continuation of Crosstown's work to pursue the "ARC of Racial Justice: Awareness, Relationships, Commitment." For those who are white to move forward in the hard work of wrestling with what it means to be white in America, this book provides an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to deepen our ability to "SEE" the presence of racial injustice.

Conversations are Tuesdays in person @ 7:00pm July 6, 13, 20 and August 3

or Mondays on Zoom @ 12:00pm July 12, 19, 26 and August 2 (Zoom link)

RSVP to Pastor John by July 6. Please purchase your own book.

Healing House Worship Service Needs You- July 17

This event is an opportunity for us to serve and invest in our neighborhood. Metro Hope is a residential drug and alcohol recovery program serving men, women, and mothers with children just a few miles from us. We get to coordinate and lead one of their Saturday morning chapel services. We need people to coordinate refreshments, serve refreshments, provide childcare during the service, lead worship, and do the teaching.

We're going to be at Healing House, the women and children's center, on July 17 from 9:30am -11:00. The location address is kept confidential until it's closer to our date. My understanding is that they're also located in south Minneapolis. Please RSVP to Angie or Polly by July 13.

Arrive Ministries is anticipating a large increase in refugees and they are preparing. In the last few years Arrive Ministries has seen only 100 people annually come to the Twin Cities. In 2022 they are expecting that to more than triple to 350 people. Crosstown has helped to resettle a new family to Twin Cities before. Currently Arrive is in need of housing referrals, and we all know how tight the housing market is right now. This could be connections to landlords for more permanent housing or an offer of temporary housing for families in transition. Learn more about housing needs here. And keep praying about how you can prepare to welcome the refugee in need. Romans 12:13

On July 11th we welcome Steph Page of Stories Foundation to worship. She will be sharing her ministry to end and help victims heal from human trafficking. Steph will also continue preaching on 1 John 2:1-17 in our Beloved Community series.

July 16th at Veterans Park @ 10:00am

July 19th at Wolk Park @ 6:00pm

All the date, time, and location details in the church app under the Children's calendar.

Passion for Christ Compassion for People