Merry Christmas!

It's 9AM Christmas Morning! We are at Lorri's folks. In 3 hours there will be 11 people gathered around a tree opening gifts. The stockings are already opened. Yes, there were some oranges! (some things never change)

Right now people are getting showers. I'm next in line. So I am not being crazy or delinquent by writing a blog. Do I get bonus points for writing one of these on Christmas?

I can't help but think how grateful I am to God today. Not merely for the day, or even for Jesus (which I am). But also for you who are a part of cW church. As people were headed to Christmas Eve services last night, I realized next Christmas we will be having our own in the building God is giving us. I can't wait!

If you are reading this on Christmas day itself... remember to take your card (from church) and be intentional about drawing close to Him today!

Shower is now open... my turn. Merry Christmas!

It's about time... and stuff.

1. I confess. I am blog delinquent. Sorry.

2. Just got back from Vikings/Bears Football game. Lesson learned: football and baseball have totally different style of fans. Man was it loud. Man was it rowdy. Man was it fun. Molly and I went courtesy of a friend who prefers not to become a message illustration. It was especially fun to go to a game because it was Monday night... those Sunday noon games are a little difficult for my schedule.

3. WE WERE ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE NEWSPAPER... check the picture. Here's a copy of the article(italics below). Now let me just say... reporters never seem to get everything right...there is nothing "modest" about $1.7 Million Dollars! But 9000 square feet is on the modest side for a church. I am happy for cW to get the ink. This is "The Rev. Mathers" speaking... although everyone I know calls me "doug". I am excited about the future... crossWinds or Crosswinds... is the greatest and most rewarding team I've ever been a part of... by the way, that's Diane Nickel standing there with me as I point to the window of my future office!

Anyway... here's the story.

$1.7 million church is a 'modest' start
12/18/2007 12:21:53 AM
By Matt Russell

Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN

It's one step at a time for a Rochester congregation as it builds a worship center on the city's north side.

The congregation, CrossWinds church, is erecting a 9,000-square-foot facility on 31st Avenue Northwest. The $1.7 million church will sit on a 20-acre site about a mile from the 75th Street Northwest interchange at U.S. 52.

"Its a modest first stage for us, but we're excited about it," said the Rev. Doug Mathers.

Modesty of ambition is a mindset Mathers stresses, but the master plan CrossWinds has developed -- allowing for a 100,000-square-foot building -- would result in one of Rochester's largest church complexes.

So what is CrossWinds church?

In a general sense, the 10-year-old congregation is an offspin of Calvary Evangelical Church in Rochester. Its pastor, the Rev. Doug Mathers, is a former Calvary Evangelical Free youth minister who wanted to start CrossWinds as a way of reaching people turned off by traditional church settings.

Mathers' congregation, which has met at Willow Creek Middle School in Rochester for its entire 10-year history, stresses a contemporary worship style with music, drama, and multiweek sermon series on themes connected to people's everyday lives.

Between CrossWinds' two Sunday services, the church's average weekly worship attendance is about 320 people, Mathers said. The new building will seat 260 people, but the master plan allows for a sanctuary with 1,500 seats.

"I don't have delusions of grandeur," the pastor stressed, saying the church will expand as need dictates.

In 20 years, however, he hopes people will ask him why CrossWinds bought only 20 acres of land.

If that happens, Mathers said, he'll tell people what he says now when asked why CrossWinds was ambitious enough to buy 20 acres.

"Because we couldn't afford 40."


4. Finally - thanks for your patience with me. I will try to BLOGON more faithfully.