Author: mission staff

Get your sunscreen ready & start tuning up that jumper. Cross & Crown’s 3nd Annual 3×3 Summer Shootout is just around the corner. We are excited to announce that we are in the process of organizing volunteers, cleaning the courts & accepting team registrations for this year’s tournament.

For those of you that are planning to participate in the tournament here are a few things to consider:

1.  It will be hot!  Bring some sunscreen, a hat or anything else you might desire to help keep yourself cool.

2.  If you would like to guarantee that we have your correct t-shirt size you need to submit your team registration and shirt sizes before August 2nd.

3.  The competitive league will be officiated by paid officials.  The ‘just for fun’ division will have knowledgable, basketball enthusiasts officiating games.

If you are an individual that wants to be involved but aren’t interested in playing here are a few ways you can help:

1.  Sponsor a team from the neighborhood that might not be able to come up with the funds to play/pay ($125 per team).

2.  Become a corporate sponsor.  If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a corporate sponsor you can email, call or text us and we will send you an information packet explaining all the details. Or, click the link Corporate Sponsor Form

3.  Provide Gatorade!

4. Contact us to see how you can help with some of the ‘dirty work’ required to get the court ready. Individuals & groups welcome.

5.  Buy a tournament shirt! All participants will receive a shirt with their team registration.  Anyone else can purchase a shirt for $20.  This year’s shirts designed by GRP FLY!

6.  There will be plenty of activity going on the day of the tournament.  Even if you don’t have an “official” position we would love for you to come out and watch a game or two, grab something to eat, meet some our of neighbors and enjoy the day with us.

Here’s why we started the tournament & an explanation of what our hope is – Tournament Explanation

This week we celebrate with our graduating seniors as they finish up their high school careers and many of them move on to some form of higher education!  For those students that still have a few years left of elementary, middle and high school we are gearing up for the summer months here at Cross & Crown and Rock Island.

Summer time means lots of students, work groups and added activities to our schedule.  Our services of the food pantry, clothing room, medical clinic, ect. will remain the same throughout the summer months but our times and activities at Rock Island will be much different.  Here’s a look at our schedule at Rock Island.  If you are interested in helping out or just coming to participate in a day or two please let us know! (405) 232-7696 or lwhitmire1@gmail.com

Also, we will be closed June 1-5 and begin our summer schedule June 8th!

Monday

10:00 – 1:00 Middle/High school help @C&C

1:00 – 3:00 All ages hangout & lunch

Tuesday

10:00 – 1:00 Middle/High school help @C&C

1:00 – 3:00 All ages hangout, lunch & craft

Wednesday

10:00 – 1:00 Middle/High school help @C&C

1:00 – 3:30 All ages lunch & movie

Friday

9:30 – 11:00 All ages help w/food boxes

This week the Northwest Classen Knight’s boys and girls basketball teams will be celebrating senior night during their final home games of the year.  As many of you know, we have been very involved with the Knights this year.  Helping with practices, off season training and providing meals throughout the season has been a pleasure.  Now, as the season comes to an end we are excited for the seniors and are hoping to send them out with a special evening and a couple gifts.

We have been collecting baby pictures of the kids over the last couple weeks and plan to blow them up and have them posted in the gymnasium the night of the festivities.  Also, we are getting each senior a Bible with their name monogrammed on the front!

There are 14 seniors.  Each Bible (monogramming included) costs $18.  Each picture costs $6.  So, to sponsor one senior $24 would cover the cost. 

Would you be interested in contributing towards this effort?

Also, for those of you that are interested in investing in the youth of Rock Island that attend schools throughout the city, prom and graduation are quickly approaching!  There will be plenty of future opportunities to help provide special memories for some special kids.

A couple weeks ago as most students stayed home from school and others of us celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day in one way or another, those of us at Rock Island did a bit of learning about the legacy of MLK, did some goal setting and then hit the courts to develop our basketball skills!

Here are a few pictures of the youth writing down their short and long term goals, discussing the life and legacy of MLK and working on some basketball fundamentals at a nearby gym.  Big thanks to Christian, Braxton and the others that are a part of BBB (Basketball Beyond Barriers) for their time, desire to help our young people and willingness to come down to Rock Island and be a part of bettering our community!

Here is an opportunity for some of our young people that will be out of school this coming Monday as we celebrate the memory and impact of Martin Luther King Jr.  Kids from all schools, cities and neighborhoods are invited to come mold their skills, play some games, have lunch and learn a little bit during their time off from school.  We, also, are looking for a few more older (high school students and adults) helpers to help facilitate the day’s activities.  Let us know if you are interested!

If you would like to help out an individual or family this Christmas we ask that you join us as we focus our efforts on providing warm, winter clothing for those we are in relationship with, as well as, those that will be in attendance Sunday evening, December 7th, for our special Christmas meal and worship.

Here are the ways you can help:

1.  Go yourself or with your own family and purchase new jackets, gloves & scarfs for any and all ages.  We will need items for newborns/babies all the way to adults!  Once you have gathered your items you would like to give please drop them off at our location on one of the following dates/times: 12/1 – 12/3 between the hours of 8:00am – 5:00pm OR 12/5 between 8:00am – 11:00am

2.  If you are not able to do the shopping yourself you are welcome to give financially towards our warm clothing effort.  These gifts can be mailed or hand delivered.  The same dates/times apply to all hand delivered donations.

Here is a look at our Thanksgiving and Christmas schedule for the remainder of the year.

(Unless stated otherwise we will be open during our normal operation days/hours.)

Closed: 11/26/14 – 11/28/14

Closed: 12/14/14 – 1/4/15

Reopen: 1/5/15

If you are not able to catch us on one of the days we are open and have a donation of any kind you are welcome to contact Paul at (405) 816-5895.

Thank you to everyone who has been involved in making 2014 such a tremendous year for Cross & Crown and our neighbors!  We continue to be blown away by God’s faithfulness and the way he constantly reveals Himself through His disciples both near and far.  Thank you for being a part of this journey with us!  We hope and pray that you and yours have a blessed holiday season and find rest and peace in reflecting on Christ and his goodness!

Last night was a bittersweet time for our family at Cross & Crown.  We shared a meal, worshiped together, meet some new friends and then were forced to face the difficult reality that not all was well.  1 Corinthians 12 tells us, “But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.   If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”

“…its parts should have equal concern for each other.  If one part suffers, every part suffers with it…”

Clyde and Judy recently experienced a fire in their home that has put them in a difficult position.  There utilities are now shut off – no heat, no water, no electricity.  They are experiencing a difficult season right now.  The body aches.

Following our time of worship and communion we decided it would be contradictory to the scripture and downright disobedient to celebrate & sing about the goodness of God without addressing the reality that two of our family members were struggling to see God’s goodness and whereabouts during their current time of struggle.

As members of the body of Christ Clyde and Judy’s pain does not and can not go unaddressed without the body taking care of its’ own.  So, we prayed.  We passed an offering.  We collaborated with them.  Their situation is not resolved but the body is working by the power of Christ.

If you are interested in helping with any of the following activities please let us know. We would be happy to give you further information/explanation as to what our biggest needs are and how you can be involved.

Cross & Crown

Sunday evening worship & meal begins October 12th
6:00 (meal), 6:30-7:15 (worship)

Rock Island

Monday
2:30-5:00 All ages hangout, snack & homework help

Tuesday
3:00-5:00 Elementary Bible lesson, craft & snack
6:00-8:00 Middle-school/High School Bible study & meal

Wednesday
2:30-5:00 All ages hangout & snack

Sunday
6:00-7:15 Elementary Bible Craft & Meal (Begins October 12)

Thank you to everyone that participated in this year’s Cross & Crown 3×3 basketball tournament. We had a great turnout along with improved competition from last year. We enjoyed getting to see some old friends, as well as, meet some of you that have been involved with Cross & Crown at some level in years past.

To close we would like to thank this year’s sponsors for helping improve the quality of the tournament along with helping us generate some additional funds towards our ultimate goal of $400,000 to build a gymnasium. Thank you Foreman Therapy Services, Toy Gun Films, Innovative Eye Care, Utopia Graphix & Rudy’s BBQ.

If you would like some additional information about our vision for the gymnasium please read the following:

Thank you for participating in Cross & Crown’s second annual 3×3 Hoop-It-Up. Whether you are actively competing in the games or just coming to enjoy the day’s festivities we appreciate your involvement and willingness to help.

Today’s tournament has a duel purpose.  First, by being involved today you will have an opportunity to meet Cross & Crown staff, volunteers & other partnering individuals & churches. Our hope is that through these relationships & shared passion we can build momentum towards furthering the mission of Cross & Crown: To proclaim the love, hope & mercy of Jesus Christ through service & prayer.

Secondly, today’s tournament has an objective of communicating a more specific vision of ours at Cross & Crown. This vision is to construct a gymnasium in order to further benefit the neighborhood and serve as a long term resource as we continue our calling in this small corner of Oklahoma City.

We believe a part of our calling as Christians is to serve individuals as Christ served those He encountered. We believe an effective way to address an individuals spiritual well-being is to first address their physical well-being.

Once our fundraising goal has been met a gymnasium will give us the opportunity to address health & wellness related issues, introduce nutritional values & provide mentoring opportunities through athletics amongst many other things.

See you all next year!