Sunday, July 30, 2006
Saturday, July 29, 2006
A Little Rest
Today we learned about another person who is interested in learning more about our church. They are interested in finding out how to "join" our church. Keep praying for people to be a part of our Bible study on Tuesday nights.
The group from FBC Katy took off for Houston this afternoon. It was a joy to meet them, and we look forward to a long-lasting relationship. We look forward to seeing what God will have done the next time they come back to Levittown.
This afternoon, Jenna and I took the girls to the mall. We had some fun strolling around and not doing much of anything. After we got home, the girls ran around in the sprinkler for a little while. Tonight we're resting, thanking God for the peace we feel in our hearts.
The group from FBC Katy took off for Houston this afternoon. It was a joy to meet them, and we look forward to a long-lasting relationship. We look forward to seeing what God will have done the next time they come back to Levittown.
This afternoon, Jenna and I took the girls to the mall. We had some fun strolling around and not doing much of anything. After we got home, the girls ran around in the sprinkler for a little while. Tonight we're resting, thanking God for the peace we feel in our hearts.
Friday, July 28, 2006
More Than A Mail Box
This morning, the team from FBC Katy headed to Manhattan. We had talked about going to the city with them, but decided to get some things done around here. It was to be an "off day" of sorts. But, I am quickly learning that God uses the everyday stuff, even when we are not expecting it.
Today, I got new insurance cards for our cars, new license plates at the DMV, and my new drivers license.
Then, I headed to the Post Office to get a mail box for Crossroads Church of Long Island. I filled out some forms, prepared my identification, and gently tapped on the window. The lady read my form. She then asked, "Is this a new church in town?" I said it was. She asked about the denomination and a little about me. She then told me that she wanted to go to church and that she was looking for a church. She told me that she was looking for a church with sound doctrine, and a church that actually practiced what it preached. Finally, she told me that she had a passion for evangelism. I invited her to our Bible study next Tuesday. She was more than a little interested.
Pray that she would come and join us.
Sterling
Today, I got new insurance cards for our cars, new license plates at the DMV, and my new drivers license.
Then, I headed to the Post Office to get a mail box for Crossroads Church of Long Island. I filled out some forms, prepared my identification, and gently tapped on the window. The lady read my form. She then asked, "Is this a new church in town?" I said it was. She asked about the denomination and a little about me. She then told me that she wanted to go to church and that she was looking for a church. She told me that she was looking for a church with sound doctrine, and a church that actually practiced what it preached. Finally, she told me that she had a passion for evangelism. I invited her to our Bible study next Tuesday. She was more than a little interested.
Pray that she would come and join us.
Sterling
This Past Week
Today marks three weeks that we have lived in Levittown, New York. Each day has proved more exciting than the previous day. We have yet to be bored! Things have become so incredibly interesting, that I know I need to be documenting each day.
Yet, though the days are interesting and exciting, that does not necessarily mean that they have been easy. We truly need and request your prayers for us.
Let me try to briefly summarize what has taken place over the last week.
Friday, July 21
My Dad and I went to Shea Stadium to see the Astros play the Mets. The Mets beat the Astros badly, but my Dad and I had a great time riding the train to the stadium.
Saturday, July 22
My Mom and Dad left to go to visit Niagara Falls. The mission team from FBC Katy arrived. The team consisted of 19 people who came to help introduce our community to Crossroads Church of Long Island.
Sunday, July 23
The first Crossroads Church of Long Island worship service was held with the team from FBC Katy. It was a special time of dedication, anticipation, prayer, and sharing the Lord's Supper together.
That afternoon we began to distribute brochures about our church. We met a lady named Carol. (a different Carol from the one I have written about before.) Randy, the pastor from FBC Katy, and I spoke to her and she told us that she was interested in our church. She went on to explain that she did not know about her relationship with the Lord, and proceeded to pray a prayer confessing Christ as Savior.
Later that evening, our friend Valerie Targhetta came over from Stony Brook. She attends graduate school at Stony Brook, located here on Long Island. She shared with the group from Katy some of the unique differences between New Yorkers and Texans. In particular, Valerie talked about the need to love people "no strings attached." It was really great to hear from her. Her words were right on.
Monday, July 24
We attempted to have a Kids Day Camp. It was not as well received as we had hoped. A couple of our neighbors thought we were trying to open a day care. They went on to let the authorities know. We received a written notice from the Town of Hempstead. That evening, Jenna and I were able to meet some more of our neighbors. We explained to them our intentions and had a chance to clear the air. By the end of our conversation with them, it was apparent that God was using even this situation for His glory. It turned out that this was not a bad situation, but an opportunity to visit with our neighbors.
Tuesday, July 25
We passed out more brochures and flyers about Crossroads. One man called me to find out more information about our church. He and has wife are considering coming to a Bible study held at our house next Tuesday. Please pray that God would allow them to do so.
Wednesday, July 26
We passed out more brochures. We also passed out about 200 frisbees at Jones Beach, located about 15 minutes from our house. The frisbees had our website printed on it. We were able to talk to a few interested people.
A guy name Brian, a guy who works at the hotel where the FBC KATY group was staying, came to the Bible study held at our house. He is interested in what God is doing with Crossroads. He is a believer who leads worship at a church about 15 miles away. We went out to a diner after the Bible study. He is interested in getting together soon.
Thursday, July 27
We met some people at Farmingdale Baptist Church. They are a small Southern Baptist Church, not terribly far away. We are trying to find out ways that they can be a help to us and how we can be a help to them. I am preaching at their church on August 13, 27, and September 3.
The afternoon was spent passing out water bottles at the train station located about 2 miles from our house. People were very happy to receive cold water and a koozie with our website on it
Barabara, our realtor, and her husband Andrew came to the Bible study tonight. It was a neat time for people to share where they had seen God working throughout the week. It was also great to hear Barbara and Andrew share about what God has done in their lives. It is obvious now how God used Barabara to help us find our house here. We were so glad they were able to come to the Bible study.
I learned a lot this week. FBC Katy truly is a partner in this endeavour. They have made a significant financial commitment to our church. But, it goes deeper than that. They are truly committed to the Kingdom. They helped us with some repairs in the house, put up our outside shed, brought us a lot of supplies, gave us a sno-cone machine, and more. But, they also offered us words of encouragement. They let us know that they were with us for the long haul. They reassured us that it was God who was in control of all of this.
Finally, please pray for us. We are learning more and more that this is exactly where God wants us to be. At the same time, we are dealing with people who are content to live without God. Help us to be sensitive in our conversations with others. Pray that we would hear and sense their needs. Pray that God would soften their hearts and become open to the gospel.
We enjoy hearing from you. Please continue to pray for us.
Sterling, Jenna, Madison, and Emma
Don't forget to check out my blog at www.sterjenmademmedwards.blogspot.com or website at www.nycrossroads.org.
Also, you can give to Crossroads Church of Long Island by clicking on
https://secure.signusup.com/giving/default.aspx?ChurchId=1022
Yet, though the days are interesting and exciting, that does not necessarily mean that they have been easy. We truly need and request your prayers for us.
Let me try to briefly summarize what has taken place over the last week.
Friday, July 21
My Dad and I went to Shea Stadium to see the Astros play the Mets. The Mets beat the Astros badly, but my Dad and I had a great time riding the train to the stadium.
Saturday, July 22
My Mom and Dad left to go to visit Niagara Falls. The mission team from FBC Katy arrived. The team consisted of 19 people who came to help introduce our community to Crossroads Church of Long Island.
Sunday, July 23
The first Crossroads Church of Long Island worship service was held with the team from FBC Katy. It was a special time of dedication, anticipation, prayer, and sharing the Lord's Supper together.
That afternoon we began to distribute brochures about our church. We met a lady named Carol. (a different Carol from the one I have written about before.) Randy, the pastor from FBC Katy, and I spoke to her and she told us that she was interested in our church. She went on to explain that she did not know about her relationship with the Lord, and proceeded to pray a prayer confessing Christ as Savior.
Later that evening, our friend Valerie Targhetta came over from Stony Brook. She attends graduate school at Stony Brook, located here on Long Island. She shared with the group from Katy some of the unique differences between New Yorkers and Texans. In particular, Valerie talked about the need to love people "no strings attached." It was really great to hear from her. Her words were right on.
Monday, July 24
We attempted to have a Kids Day Camp. It was not as well received as we had hoped. A couple of our neighbors thought we were trying to open a day care. They went on to let the authorities know. We received a written notice from the Town of Hempstead. That evening, Jenna and I were able to meet some more of our neighbors. We explained to them our intentions and had a chance to clear the air. By the end of our conversation with them, it was apparent that God was using even this situation for His glory. It turned out that this was not a bad situation, but an opportunity to visit with our neighbors.
Tuesday, July 25
We passed out more brochures and flyers about Crossroads. One man called me to find out more information about our church. He and has wife are considering coming to a Bible study held at our house next Tuesday. Please pray that God would allow them to do so.
Wednesday, July 26
We passed out more brochures. We also passed out about 200 frisbees at Jones Beach, located about 15 minutes from our house. The frisbees had our website printed on it. We were able to talk to a few interested people.
A guy name Brian, a guy who works at the hotel where the FBC KATY group was staying, came to the Bible study held at our house. He is interested in what God is doing with Crossroads. He is a believer who leads worship at a church about 15 miles away. We went out to a diner after the Bible study. He is interested in getting together soon.
Thursday, July 27
We met some people at Farmingdale Baptist Church. They are a small Southern Baptist Church, not terribly far away. We are trying to find out ways that they can be a help to us and how we can be a help to them. I am preaching at their church on August 13, 27, and September 3.
The afternoon was spent passing out water bottles at the train station located about 2 miles from our house. People were very happy to receive cold water and a koozie with our website on it
Barabara, our realtor, and her husband Andrew came to the Bible study tonight. It was a neat time for people to share where they had seen God working throughout the week. It was also great to hear Barbara and Andrew share about what God has done in their lives. It is obvious now how God used Barabara to help us find our house here. We were so glad they were able to come to the Bible study.
I learned a lot this week. FBC Katy truly is a partner in this endeavour. They have made a significant financial commitment to our church. But, it goes deeper than that. They are truly committed to the Kingdom. They helped us with some repairs in the house, put up our outside shed, brought us a lot of supplies, gave us a sno-cone machine, and more. But, they also offered us words of encouragement. They let us know that they were with us for the long haul. They reassured us that it was God who was in control of all of this.
Finally, please pray for us. We are learning more and more that this is exactly where God wants us to be. At the same time, we are dealing with people who are content to live without God. Help us to be sensitive in our conversations with others. Pray that we would hear and sense their needs. Pray that God would soften their hearts and become open to the gospel.
We enjoy hearing from you. Please continue to pray for us.
Sterling, Jenna, Madison, and Emma
Don't forget to check out my blog at www.sterjenmademmedwards.blogspot.com or website at www.nycrossroads.org.
Also, you can give to Crossroads Church of Long Island by clicking on
https://secure.signusup.com/giving/default.aspx?ChurchId=1022
Thursday, July 20, 2006
The Mission Begins
For months, we have been wondering what the ministry in New York would look like. I mean, we have known that we were going to start a church, but how do you actaully go about doing that?
We don't totally know for sure. But, we are beginning to see God do some things that remind us that He really is the One who led us to this place. He is the one who is in control.
Over the last 2 weeks, I would estimate that we have been to The Home Depot about 8 times. We are trying to get our house fixed up. We had to replace a faucet, toilet, fix the sink, buy some window unit air conditioners (it was 102 degrees yesterday!), and assorted other stuff.
Last Friday, I met an employee at The Home Depot named Carol. Carol is originally from Jamaica. We started talking about things. I told her that we had just moved to New York from Houston. She asked me what I did. I told her I was a pastor. She said, " I need a pastor!" She then went on to tell me about the divorce that she had recently experienced. She kept saying that she was "not complete." I told her that Jesus came to make us complete. She then went on about feeling guilty about different things. I told her of Romans 8:1, which says "there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." She told me she got goose bumps just hearing those words. We exchanged information and she asked me to pray for her. Now, we have more reasons to keep going to The Home Depot. Jenna went by to see her at the store the next day. Jenna said she was so happy to see her come by.
Carol does not attend church anywhere. She is truly searching. We hope that she will come to a Bible study at our house in a couple of weeks.
As best as I can tell, this is what the ministry will look like here. Meeting people in places where we are simply going about our lives. Meeting people who are desperate. Meeting people who ar e broken. Meeting people who are looking for more out of life.
Pray for us as we seek out these people. Pray for the mission. Pray for Carol.
Heading back to Home Depot tomorrow.
In His Grace,
Sterling
We don't totally know for sure. But, we are beginning to see God do some things that remind us that He really is the One who led us to this place. He is the one who is in control.
Over the last 2 weeks, I would estimate that we have been to The Home Depot about 8 times. We are trying to get our house fixed up. We had to replace a faucet, toilet, fix the sink, buy some window unit air conditioners (it was 102 degrees yesterday!), and assorted other stuff.
Last Friday, I met an employee at The Home Depot named Carol. Carol is originally from Jamaica. We started talking about things. I told her that we had just moved to New York from Houston. She asked me what I did. I told her I was a pastor. She said, " I need a pastor!" She then went on to tell me about the divorce that she had recently experienced. She kept saying that she was "not complete." I told her that Jesus came to make us complete. She then went on about feeling guilty about different things. I told her of Romans 8:1, which says "there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." She told me she got goose bumps just hearing those words. We exchanged information and she asked me to pray for her. Now, we have more reasons to keep going to The Home Depot. Jenna went by to see her at the store the next day. Jenna said she was so happy to see her come by.
Carol does not attend church anywhere. She is truly searching. We hope that she will come to a Bible study at our house in a couple of weeks.
As best as I can tell, this is what the ministry will look like here. Meeting people in places where we are simply going about our lives. Meeting people who are desperate. Meeting people who ar e broken. Meeting people who are looking for more out of life.
Pray for us as we seek out these people. Pray for the mission. Pray for Carol.
Heading back to Home Depot tomorrow.
In His Grace,
Sterling
Thursday, July 13, 2006
One Week As A New Yorker
It is hard to believe, but we have been in New York for exactly one week. The boxes are all unpacked and most of the pictures have been hung. Jenna has been working very hard all week to make this house our home. It is quickly becoming just that.
We don't yet know all that there is to know about New York. Far from it. We know enough to know that it really is different from Houston, Texas. Here are a few things that we have learned over the last week.
1. The LIE does mean to speak false or to tell a fib. It of course means the Long Island Expressway.
2. Five miles does not mean five minutes.
3. Bagels are much preferred over kolaches. Actually, I have not found anyone who knows what a kolache is, much less where to buy one.
4. The Mets and Yankees are both a very big deal.
5. The Long Island Railroad is the preferred way to travel into Manhattan.
6. Jones Beach is a beautiful beach about 10 miles from our house. The girls loved it!
We took the girls to Manhattan today. It was the first time for them to see the city. Madison was amazed. She just kept looking up at all of the buildings and signs. We took them to Toys R Us. Emma was excited to Geoffery, the giant giraffe. She hugged him. Then he picked her up. She looked at him and said with a smile on her face, "Put me back down, you're kind of scaring me!" It was extremely funny!
We ask for your continued prayers. Here are some ways that you can pray for us.
1. We are hosting a mission team coming from FBC Katy, July 22-29. This is going to be a great opportunity for us to meet a lot of people and to tell them about Crossroads Church of Long Island.
2. We are looking to build some relationships with people. Please pray that God would bring us in contact with people who are searching for a place to belong and a place to serve. Starting tomorrow, I will be out in the community looking to meet people.
3. Pray for me, Jenna, and the girls. We have worked hard, especially Jenna, trying to get everything where it goes. ( The girls have enjoyed seeing their stuff again. We wondered how they lived without some of it.) But, we are tired. Pray that we would get rest and revived.
4. There is a church, not too far away, where I will be preaching August 13 and August 27th. Pray that God would give me a specific message to encourage this congregation.
Thanks for your prayers and encouragement. It really means a lot. We appreciate your support so much.
You can find regular updates and pictures at
www.sterjenmademmedwards.blogspot.com
I know that I said that all future entries would be at our website www.nycrossroads.org,
but there are some things and people that I would like to list or request prayer for on our blog, that I do not necessarily want to feature on our website. Hopefully you can check both periodically.
Thanks again for your prayers.
Sterling, Jenna, Madison, and Emma
We don't yet know all that there is to know about New York. Far from it. We know enough to know that it really is different from Houston, Texas. Here are a few things that we have learned over the last week.
1. The LIE does mean to speak false or to tell a fib. It of course means the Long Island Expressway.
2. Five miles does not mean five minutes.
3. Bagels are much preferred over kolaches. Actually, I have not found anyone who knows what a kolache is, much less where to buy one.
4. The Mets and Yankees are both a very big deal.
5. The Long Island Railroad is the preferred way to travel into Manhattan.
6. Jones Beach is a beautiful beach about 10 miles from our house. The girls loved it!
We took the girls to Manhattan today. It was the first time for them to see the city. Madison was amazed. She just kept looking up at all of the buildings and signs. We took them to Toys R Us. Emma was excited to Geoffery, the giant giraffe. She hugged him. Then he picked her up. She looked at him and said with a smile on her face, "Put me back down, you're kind of scaring me!" It was extremely funny!
We ask for your continued prayers. Here are some ways that you can pray for us.
1. We are hosting a mission team coming from FBC Katy, July 22-29. This is going to be a great opportunity for us to meet a lot of people and to tell them about Crossroads Church of Long Island.
2. We are looking to build some relationships with people. Please pray that God would bring us in contact with people who are searching for a place to belong and a place to serve. Starting tomorrow, I will be out in the community looking to meet people.
3. Pray for me, Jenna, and the girls. We have worked hard, especially Jenna, trying to get everything where it goes. ( The girls have enjoyed seeing their stuff again. We wondered how they lived without some of it.) But, we are tired. Pray that we would get rest and revived.
4. There is a church, not too far away, where I will be preaching August 13 and August 27th. Pray that God would give me a specific message to encourage this congregation.
Thanks for your prayers and encouragement. It really means a lot. We appreciate your support so much.
You can find regular updates and pictures at
www.sterjenmademmedwards.blogspot.com
I know that I said that all future entries would be at our website www.nycrossroads.org,
but there are some things and people that I would like to list or request prayer for on our blog, that I do not necessarily want to feature on our website. Hopefully you can check both periodically.
Thanks again for your prayers.
Sterling, Jenna, Madison, and Emma
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Unorganizing Religion
Last night, Jenna and I attended my brother’s church. Aaron is the pastor of a church called Sondays. They meet together on Sunday evenings in Tomball, a town northwest of
The congregation at Aaron’s church is quite diverse. That is almost an understatement. There were people present who have nothing. Literally, they are homeless. There are others present who have more money than I can possibly comprehend. The amazing thing is that it is hard to tell who is who. The way that everyone interacts with one another is absolutely incredible.
Aaron had played a video that talks about Jenna and I moving to
I was totally encouraged by this guy. He was so genuine and sincere. I told Aaron about him later. It turns out that he lives at a shelter for men on the other side of
On the screen, behind my brother as he spoke, were two words: “Unorganizing Religion”. It’s Aaron belief that many churches have become too organized. Many churches have pecking order or a hierarchy. At Sondays, they want to make sure that every person counts. Their worth is not based on their wealth or status. It’s not based on what they have done in the past, nor is it based on what there ambition is for the future. It is all about Jesus.
The church is raw. It is real. It does not pretend to be something that it is not.
I’m not sure that I have ever seen a church like I saw last night. But, I sure did like it.
sterling
Friday, June 02, 2006
New York
June 2, 2006
We’re on a Continental Airlines jet, flying back to Houston. Jenna and I have spent the last several days in New York finalizing plans for our move. It has been eventful. From our arrival in New York, to our departure, things have been interesting.
After we landed at La Guardia Airport in NYC on Tuesday, we went to Budget Car Rental. As I was standing in line waiting for service, Jenna noticed David Caruso. You may know him better as Horatio, from TV’s CSI:Miami. Jenna got her picture taken with him and he gave her an autographed card of himself. (By the way, who does that? I can just imagine someone saying, ‘I’ve got my wallet, my keys, my phone, oh yeah don’t let me forget my autographed pictures of myself in case I run in to anyone who wants one.’ Maybe I should try that. If anyone is interested in an autographed picture of Sterling, please email me at sterling.edwards@yahoo.com)
This morning we took a cab to the airport. Understand that we are sort of new to this “hailing a cab” business. We’re not experts. We’re clearly novices in this area. Even still, we experienced what we believe to be an unusual NYC cab ride. We stood on Queens BLVD. I hailed a cab. This means that I kind of waved at a yellow looking car, and he motioned for us to jump in. That’s exactly what we did. As we got in, he took off. That is when we noticed the cat sitting in the driver’s lap. For those of you who don’t know, Jenna has something against cats. All cats. She’s allergic. But, even beyond that, there is a hatred that Jenna feels for all feline creatures. Pray for her.
I’m not really into cats either. But, I am definitely not into cats riding in cars, much less in a NYC taxi cab on the way to the airport. Cats don’t travel very well in confined spaces. The first thing we did was shut the window that separates the back seat from the front seat. The cat just stared at us for a while. Then, the cat jumped onto the floor of the cab. The driver swerved into another lane as he reached down for the cat. No joke, I thought we were going to hit another car. The cat was attempting to crawl underneath the front seat to the backseat. Don’t worry, Jenna and I had already created a barricade along the floorboard of the backseat. We spread our bags on the floor to ensure that the cat would not be paying us a personal visit.
So, here I sit. We’ve watched a couple of episodes of LOST. (Thanks Will Tanner!) We’ve eaten a bowl of cereal. We can’t wait to see our girls. We’re ready for home. That’s where things get tricky. The next time we come to New York, we’re coming HOME. While we are certainly excited, there is a growing reality of what lies ahead. We’re looking forward to it, trusting God for all of it!
Sterling
We’re on a Continental Airlines jet, flying back to Houston. Jenna and I have spent the last several days in New York finalizing plans for our move. It has been eventful. From our arrival in New York, to our departure, things have been interesting.
After we landed at La Guardia Airport in NYC on Tuesday, we went to Budget Car Rental. As I was standing in line waiting for service, Jenna noticed David Caruso. You may know him better as Horatio, from TV’s CSI:Miami. Jenna got her picture taken with him and he gave her an autographed card of himself. (By the way, who does that? I can just imagine someone saying, ‘I’ve got my wallet, my keys, my phone, oh yeah don’t let me forget my autographed pictures of myself in case I run in to anyone who wants one.’ Maybe I should try that. If anyone is interested in an autographed picture of Sterling, please email me at sterling.edwards@yahoo.com)
This morning we took a cab to the airport. Understand that we are sort of new to this “hailing a cab” business. We’re not experts. We’re clearly novices in this area. Even still, we experienced what we believe to be an unusual NYC cab ride. We stood on Queens BLVD. I hailed a cab. This means that I kind of waved at a yellow looking car, and he motioned for us to jump in. That’s exactly what we did. As we got in, he took off. That is when we noticed the cat sitting in the driver’s lap. For those of you who don’t know, Jenna has something against cats. All cats. She’s allergic. But, even beyond that, there is a hatred that Jenna feels for all feline creatures. Pray for her.
I’m not really into cats either. But, I am definitely not into cats riding in cars, much less in a NYC taxi cab on the way to the airport. Cats don’t travel very well in confined spaces. The first thing we did was shut the window that separates the back seat from the front seat. The cat just stared at us for a while. Then, the cat jumped onto the floor of the cab. The driver swerved into another lane as he reached down for the cat. No joke, I thought we were going to hit another car. The cat was attempting to crawl underneath the front seat to the backseat. Don’t worry, Jenna and I had already created a barricade along the floorboard of the backseat. We spread our bags on the floor to ensure that the cat would not be paying us a personal visit.
So, here I sit. We’ve watched a couple of episodes of LOST. (Thanks Will Tanner!) We’ve eaten a bowl of cereal. We can’t wait to see our girls. We’re ready for home. That’s where things get tricky. The next time we come to New York, we’re coming HOME. While we are certainly excited, there is a growing reality of what lies ahead. We’re looking forward to it, trusting God for all of it!
Sterling
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