Peace Is Worth It
We live our lives by faith, you see, not by sight. —2 Corinthians 5:6
Peace Is Worth It
Every year from Advent through Easter, we focus our energy on an annual Peace Is Worth It ministry emphasis. This spiritual emphasis invites each of us to invest a little extra time, talent and treasure to accelerate peacemaking in our lives and the life of our church. This peacemaking work is focused on rewriting the Five Unacceptable Truths of our world that break peace on earth:
- From Spiritual Emptiness to Spiritual Vitality
- From Poverty to Physical & Financial Flourishing
- From Illiteracy to Education & Opportunity
- From Fear of the Other to Inclusion & Affirmation
- From Modern Day Slavery to Freedom & Restoration
A Vibrant & Vital Faith for 2024
Peacemaking work promotes universal human flourishing, not just physical but also spiritual flourishing. Billions of people on our planet live with a sense of spiritual emptiness, unsettled and yearning for inner peace and peace with God.
At Crossroads, we describe spiritual emptiness as a lack of confidence in the goodness and nearness of the Divine Spirit in which we live and move and have our being. This lack of peace contributes to emotional fatigue, low self-esteem and feelings of hopelessness. Ultimately, spiritual emptiness dulls our hearts and dims the light of our souls.
But Jesus said that he came to give us life to the fullest, a life of vibrant and vital faith.
Vibrant and vital faith is a confident hope in the goodness of God and trusting that God is present with us as we navigate life.
This full life of living by faith and not by sight begins with the wholehearted acceptance that we are the beloved of God; and as the beloved of God, we can live with hearts full of gratitude, hope, appreciation of beauty, healthy spirituality and even humor. Together, all of these produce a transcendent life–a life full of divine purpose and presence in the midst of human problems, a life of spiritual vitality.
In 2024, our Peace is Worth Itspiritual emphasis is A Vibrant and Vital Faith. We are focusing on rewriting the unacceptable truth of spiritual emptiness, replacing it with spiritual vitality.
A Culture of Generosity
Together, we commit to accelerating the vision of peacemaking on earth by focusing our resources on programs, people and organizations that are transforming spiritual emptiness into spiritual vitality.
A Vibrant & Vital Love
TIME invested in our own spiritual growth produces spiritual vitality: a life full of divine purpose and presence through all of life’s valleys and mountaintops.
This January don’t miss our Peace Is Worth It teaching series, A Vibrant and Vital Love, where we will discover how a vibrant and vital love demonstrated by Jesus can transform us, our personal relationships and even our world. During this series, we will find inspiration in understanding how Martin Luther King, Jr. embodied this vital and vibrant love by choosing action over apathy, inclusion over exclusion, forgiveness over bitterness and non-violence over violence.
A Vibrant & Vital Work
When we donate our TALENT in vital service to causes that are important to us, we are demonstrating vibrant and vital love in a tangible way.
A key factor in spiritual vitality is vital service. How are we giving ourselves away to causes that are important to us? How can you demonstrate this vibrant and vital love this year? This certainly includes vital volunteering at church, but it is not limited to church. This year we want to hear about your Vital Volunteer moment. Be an encouragement to others and share how you came alive by being a part of a vital work.
A Vibrant & Vital Gift
Giving of our TREASURE in a generous way is vital to the peacemaking work of Crossroads Church.
Each year the Peace is Worth It Giving Fund gives a much-needed booster shot of resources to the peacemaking ministries of our church. From Advent to Lent, we encourage everyone to give a little extra to this fund to further the peacemaking work of our faith community.
Financial Goal of $100,000
We will intentionally invest our resources into four areas:
$25,000 – Vibrant & Vital Partnerships (Partners in Hope)
We will strengthen current partnerships and invest in new partners who are committed to rewriting the Five Unacceptable Truths and are creating vitality and vibrancy in underserved and marginalized communities.
$50,000 Vibrant & Vital Kids and Students
We are launching and expanding programs that help kids and students establish a faith that will carry them into adulthood, including the Early Adventure Center’s new UPK program and Adventure Camps’ expansion into a student leadership component.
$15,000 Vibrant & Vital Facilities and Environments
We will continue to refresh our aging facility and exterior, focusing on new carpeting in the preschool hallway, updating landscaping and increasing security around the property. Additionally, we will continue our work with Loveland Housing Authority to understand how our facility can be maximized for our new neighbors.
$10,000 Vibrant and Vital Benevolence Fund
Every month, members of our church family face worry and anxiety around finances. Some experience the loss of a job, a medical bill, a family crisis and need assistance. Some of our church family live with disabilities and need financial care beyond the resources available to them or their families. This year we will launch our Benevolence Fund with $10,000 from our Peace is Worth It giving.
