“Our...” First, Jesus reminds us that God has come to all people and joins us together as brothers and sisters. God is not just my personal father, but we come to God together, seeking him with others in community. Jesus continues to say “Our Father...” reminding us that we came from God, but also positioning us in a place of family relationship that everyone understands! God is the king and reigns from a heavenly throne, but when it comes to us, he invites us to approach him like children. Of all the appropriate and lofty titles, he wants us to know him as our father. What a beautiful invitation is in just these two words.

As a father myself, I have a perfect example in God. He showed us the greatest act of love by sending Jesus and demonstrating his love by overcoming death on the cross. May we all love our children like our Father in heaven loves us!

From Peter's Blog: https://peterbales.substack.com.

Anytime we set out in faith, we should come to expect that this moment will find us. Acting in faith means that we are stepping into something that is beyond us. When we don’t have the strength or knowledge or ability— God does. We are expecting him to come through. However, we may not experience breakthrough until we’ve discovered the moment of breaking.

Let’s be honest. We don’t enjoy coming to the end of ourselves. It’s uncomfortable, and even painful to find our breaking point in reliance on God. But the same moment where we feel so powerless is the exact place we discover his power. That position of humility is where we find God’s provision and grace.

How do we not just quit in these moments? I’ve found two specific things that have helped me persevere until the breakthrough comes. First, be honest with others. If you are struggling, find a trusted friend and let them know what’s going on. One of the biggest traps is to fight our battles alone. Don’t do it! Share the challenge and watch God bring solutions and help you fight another day.

Secondly, ask for help. Seek out someone with experience or discernment. I’ve seen God work through all kinds of therapy, inner healing, counseling sessions, and groups as well as pastors, classes, and even books! In my journey, it took all of that and more, but if I wasn’t honest with someone and never asked for help, I’d still be stuck and probably would have quit long ago.

“Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5 NLT). I want to encourage you to persevere until your morning comes. Or, as Paul writes, “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). Encourage yourself with these verses. Even as I’m writing this, I’m getting encouraged myself! Take some action toward hope and finish well. Don’t forget, if you need help with a specific challenge in your life, our Pastors would be happy to chat and pray with you!

From Peter's Blog: https://peterbales.substack.com.

So, leadership is upside down!??

How do we do this in the church? As we are praying together and asking God to raise leaders among us this is a good question to ask. How do we lead and take responsibility, while also making space for more leaders to grow and contribute? There is a tension in ministry of trying to lead without getting in the way. It’s hard to do that when you are in the front of the line.

Remember playing follow-the-leader when you were a kid? If the person in front stops, everybody stops. If the person in front turns left, everyone turns left. You get the picture. I want to suggest a different kind of leadership in the church. Rather than leading from the front, we lead alongside others.

We all have different strengths and experiences to share, but we also all have room to grow and much to learn. Walking alongside others positions us to learn from each other and have the humility that Jesus showed. It also prevents a leader from getting in the way!

I think about this a lot with my kids. For example, I’ve done a lot of music in my life, but I’m not very good at teaching music. So, instead of making my kids learn music and forcing it on them, I’ve simply shared my love of music with them. I’ve come alongside them and we’ve enjoyed music together and they’ve gone much farther than I could have led them. (And they are still growing!)

When a leader is positioned over others, there is a limit on growth. However, when we walk alongside each other, there is no limit from the leader and people can run ahead into whatever God is calling them to.

There is something powerful about this that makes me excited! It takes the pressure off of our leaders and helps us all to just adventure together with God. We can encourage each other and achieve more than we thought was possible alone.

I want to encourage you to dream big and look for how God is leading you. How can you come alongside someone and encourage them or receive encouragement? May God raise up leaders and may we stay in step alongside him!

From Peter's Blog: https://peterbales.substack.com.

Even if the change is good, we are leaving something behind to move forward into something new. This is a very real type of loss that is hard for many people. So, we see that we are resistant to change. We see change as a threat to comfort and stability, and we often try to limit the changes in our life. However, Jesus invites us to follow him and we are called to lives of growth, and therefore, change.

We’ve had a number of funerals in our church family lately. This is when the change feels especially painful. Yet, in each of these situations, there is hope. The losses are not truly a loss because in Christ, we have eternal life and a bright future with Jesus. Through these times of feeling the pain of change we also learn to find strength in God.

God knew we’d need it. Over and over he reminded us that our strength is not enough but his strength is! I love Jeremiah 20:11 that says, “But the Lord stands beside me like a great warrior” (NLT). It’s a reminder that God is with us in his mighty strength, ready to protect and help us with everything that is ahead. Besides that, he has also given us the Holy Spirit as the Comforter, to help us through times of change that may feel like loss.

 So how do we do change well? We must learn to embrace change as a positive thing rather than negative. We trust that God will bring good out of every situation and nothing is wasted. As we persevere, he forms us into his image and we are stronger for it. In fact, this resilience through suffering represents Jesus to the world. It is especially in times of great change when it’s important to stay connected to God and walk with others in the body of Christ. Here at Crossroads we’ve been given an amazing community and we are learning to walk together, both through trials and suffering, as well as through times of celebration. The key is to keep walking! Don’t give up when it gets hard, but lean on Jesus and his strength.

I had the privilege & opportunity to take 13 flights & clock over 24,000 flight miles to make the long journey to India with our missional partner, Forgotten Children Worldwide (FCW), in February 2026. We began in Hyderabad, then up to Patna, then south to Bangalore, then east to Hubbali, & then flying back up to Kolkata to finish our journey. Whew! I’m out of breath just thinking about it. As you can imagine, I spent a lot of time in the air or in a vehicle, which provided a lot of time to think, ponder, & reflect. So below are some of the thoughts I had while on this journey in India.

Jesus was bold!

If you spent a millisecond reading the Gospels, it is quickly apparent that Jesus was bold. Standing in a Hindu temple complex, the story of Jesus cleansing the temple came to mind (see Mark 11:15-18, Luke 19:45-47 or John 2:14-16). I understand on the surface, a Hindu temple today & a 1st century Jewish temple wouldn’t have much in common. However, similarities are there. Money was the oil that kept the gears turning in Jerusalem in the first century, just like it does at the Hindu temple today.

The complex is filled with people selling anything & everything to make a few rupees. Leys, tikka, food, access to a Hindu priest & Devadasi girls that you will hear about today are up for sale. This creates a chaotic quagmire of high emotions as people try to make a living. I imagine that there were similar things happening in the first century in Jerusalem. I then imagined Jesus turning all of that over as a zeal for His Father’s house consumed him. Standing in the Hindu temple gave me a richer appreciation for the boldness of Jesus!

Persecution is REAL!

Matt, Kody, & I were excited to see our good friend in Hubbali, Pastor Solomon, & his wife, Mani. They are wonderful, loving, salt-and-light Christians who have made it their lives’ goal to make as big of an impact for the Kingdom as possible with their time here on Earth. Matt, Kody & I were eager to hear about how things were going for them. In the midst of some of the questions, Pastor Solomon became visibly anxious. He stopped us & asked, “Can we talk about this more in a room & not in this restaurant? I am not sure who is listening.” He was nervous for good reason. The government & a sect of militant Hindus have made it exceptionally difficult for Christians to do the work that Jesus asks all of us to do. We heard concerns from all of our partners about government rules & red tape meant to make life harder for Christians. We heard story after story of violent attacks, pastors being jailed, assets seized, Christians from other countries being sent back home, all suffering for Christ’s namesake.

Pastor Abraham sent us a story that took place in January, in the state of Odisha, India, of a pastor who was beaten, tied up, & force fed cow dung because he wouldn’t renounce Jesus & declare the god Rama as Lord. I have the article, if you would like to read it. Here in the safety of the US it is easy for me to declare “Blessed are those who are persecuted for Jesus’s name!” However, when the rubber meets the road, am I willing to endure that? Am I REALLY willing to face the wrath of an angry mob ready to beat, humiliate, & possibly terminate me? It is a question I have wrestled with every day since I came back home. Am I willing to endure, like our brothers & sisters in India do every day?

The Word Continues

Jesus tells us that heaven & earth will disappear, but his words will live on for eternity. Despite the ever present threats & persecution of Christians in India, the Word continues. Every partner was unbelievably optimistic about the church in India. The harder the government would squeeze the more people seemed to turn to Jesus. While in Hubbali, we visited a dining hall that FCW had built for Pastor Solomon so he could rent it out & use the revenue to pour back into his ministry. Hundreds of people filled the dining hall. The people inside were volunteers from all over India creating audiobook translations of the Bible for tribal groups who did not have the Word in their native tongue. For 10 days, men & women would volunteer their time with Wycliffe Bible Translators. These shifts could last 13 hours! Reading the word for unreached people groups in India. When we drove through Hubballi, sections of the city that used to be filled with small temples & idols, bear images of the cross instead. All of this on the heels of increasing persecution! 

Trafficking here is EASY!

That thought should send shivers down the spines of all of us. When Matt, Kody & I would walk through some of these areas, it became increasingly clear, this is fertile ground for the evils of traffickers. Crushing poverty + unimaginable desperation + lack of education = a target rich environment of victims to prey upon. Imagine yourself as a single mom, uneducated with multiple kiddos. You have to rotate which kid gets to eat a small bowl of rice each evening. Then a stranger shows up & says they will help send your kid to school & pay you to send them because, well your 10 year old daughter does work & provide some income. So you accept a large sum of rupees, by your standard, for your daughter. You have no idea you sold your daughter to traffickers. If we are serious about ending trafficking, wouldn’t it make the most sense to dry up these fertile areas for traffickers? 

Your Sponsorship Matters!

Let me introduce you to one of my family’s sponsored kiddos. Her name is Baby and she is so super sweet! She has also lived a hard life in her short 12 years on Earth. The last time I was in India, Baby drew a picture for my daughter Audrey. It was sweet & Audrey was excited to receive the picture that is still hanging on our refrigerator. I showed Baby a picture of Audrey holding the picture she drew for Audrey & a single tear streamed down Baby’s sweet face. You see, it was more than just a picture for her. It conveyed that she had a family who loved her, cared for her, prayed for her, took the time to get to know her, but above all else showed the love of the Father to her. A girl who lives in an orphan home in India feels & experiences & knows that she has a heavenly Father that is CRAZY about her. Was nailed to a wooden cross for her. While we were in India some of these sponsored kiddos families would travel for hours, just to see us, because sponsorship has saved their kiddos from unimaginable horrors of severe, abject poverty & despair. Your sponsorship makes a Kingdom building difference! Get more information here.

FCW accepts donations of quality used clothing that is sorted and sent overseas. It takes a lot of clothing to fill a shipping container, but we did it again! We’re celebrating another incredible milestone made possible by your hard work and generosity! Our most recent shipping container weighed in at 29,456 lbs and is officially on its way to bring essential clothing to vulnerable children in Malawi! THANK YOU!

We’re also celebrating successes at our LEPROSY COLONY feeding and education program in INDIA. Recently, we success-fully organized a “3C Competition,” which stands for Coloring, Crafting, and Content Writing. Each child took part with great excitement and  confidence.

We celebrated their creativity by appreciating their hard work, giving notebooks as rewards, and taking them for a fun picnic outing outside the colony. 

The day was filled with laughter, learning, and happy memories. Seeing their smiles, growing confidence, and love for learning reminds us of the true meaning of this mission- bringing hope, dignity, and a brighter future to every child.

More info at www.ForgottenChildren.org

Isaiah Whalen (our KidsCONNECT Intern) and Pastor Stephanie attended the Kidzmatter children’s ministry conference a couple of weeks ago. It’s always a crazy time when 3000 children’s ministers get together!

There were times of worship along with teachings from leaders equipping our team with new ideas and tools for kids ministry. It was an encouraging and inspiring time.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR KIDSCONNECT?

Isaiah and Stephanie are feeling led to lean more into worship and prayer with the kids upstairs. As part of that, this week they are starting Yancy’s “Heartbeat of Worship” study for five weeks, where the kids will study some of David’s life and Psalms he wrote in worship, and press into a heart for worship themselves. November will be a time of gratitude and praise!

Look for some exciting changes in KidsCONNECT in the coming months! Reaching the hearts of kids in this generation is essential!

KidsCONNECT classes for nursery thru 5th grade meet on 3rd floor during the second service

As always, if you would like to get involved, please reach out to Stephanie or Isaiah.

I grew up in a small church and we were there A LOT. I remember lots of hymn singing and kids programs; VBS and church dinners. My sister and I used to get into trouble playing dodgeball in the church basement. You know… those pastor’s kids! I remember loving it. It was home and those people were like family.

My dad was always visiting people, and I remember tagging along in nursing homes and hospitals. We’d visit people in their homes and pray with them. Mostly, people liked to tell stories and talk about their families. Dad would talk about farming and weather and all the stuff that makes up life. He would hear about their troubles and share hope in Jesus with them.

My mom was always there too. My parents are a team in every way. I remember hosting many gatherings in our home and my mom would make beef and noodles and her famous rolls. They always had a large garden and loved people with food. My mom would love people with her hospitality and cooking while my dad was loving people with prayer and the word of God. He preached and she played the piano. It was not a grandiose formula, but it worked.

I wasn’t a student of theology and church history back then. I didn’t know about doctrines and beliefs, but that was okay. I met God in a church that loved well. To this day, my dad is a learner and reader. He’s curious about the ways of God and continually is seeking to go deeper. He shares his discoveries with me, just like his congregation. He chases after Jesus and we all benefit.

Reflecting on this makes me wonder who I am shaping? Our lives deeply affect those around us in ways we may never know. I know my dad isn’t perfect because he shared his struggles with me too. He is a humble, yet strong man of God. His relationship with Jesus is deep and evident. I still look up to him. He may step down from leading a church next month, but he is still a pastor. He is still a mirror that reflects the goodness of God to the world. His faithfulness has shaped me and I am forever grateful.

From Peter's Blog: https://peterbales.substack.com

I think it may be the opposite. Wanting more of God is not saying we want more stuff from God. Together, we are seeking God himself. We want to know him and invite him into every part of our lives. Blessings may come as part of that, but we must be careful about just seeking the blessings. The greatest blessing is knowing God!

Do you feel worthy? Probably not. It’s okay. If we look at ourselves, it is true that we aren’t worthy. However, we are loved and chosen. This is God’s idea. He made the first move to remove sin and restore us from the effects of sin.

Did you catch that? He doesn’t just forgive our sin- he wants to restore us from our brokenness. He has chosen us for this! It’s his idea!

In the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15), the older brother stays at home like a “good boy,” yet he doesn’t realize all that is available to him. He still has an orphan mindset and is jealous of the gifts the father has his brother. “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours.”

Hear the Father saying, everything I have is yours.

Jesus also said to his disciples, “You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it! (John 14:13-14). Then later Paul prays for his church in Ephesians and says, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20).

The point I’m trying to make is that you have permission to seek more of God. Run after him! He is your inheritance! You don’t have to feel like you are begging for this, instead we can come boldly before him like children. He’s invited us. He welcomes us!

Let’s turn to the Father together and expect more!

From Peter's Blog: https://peterbales.substack.com

Table of Intimacy-  Several places in the Gospels describe times when Jesus joined others around a table.  Sometimes this was his disciples, but often he dined with "sinners" that the religious people were appalled to be around. We can learn a lot from how Jesus interacted with people. The table is a very intimate place. Think about it.  How many people get to join you around your table?  Probably not that many.  It's reserved for special friends and family members.

That's Jesus.  He wants to have this sort of intimacy with us.  He wants to join us in our home and just hang out with us.  When you are around the table, you are usually not trying to get a lot done.  It's a time to eat, perhaps, but it's a time to visit and linger a while, building relationships.  There's not really an agenda.  We can just enjoy being together.

Table of Presence- There are other scriptures related to the table that was in the tabernacle.  It was a holy place where the Bread of the Presence was kept.  The note in my study Bible about this said, "It reminded the people that God would provide sustenance for them.  Above all, that sustenance was His presence."  Oh, I like that! We are fed by the presence of God and he sustains us!

Table of Warfare-  Finally, I think of the verse that says, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies." (Psalm 23:5) I love the idea that we can sit at the Lord's table and eat and our enemies have to watch!  Somehow, from this position of rest and reliance upon God, He fights for us on our behalf.

All that to say, we are invited to the table! It’s a place of intimacy, nourishment, and breakthrough.

 From Peter's Blog: https://peterbales.substack.com