Note from Tisha
Friends,
Chuck asked that I write this week’s Update, so, here go some of my not-too-deep thoughts for you to ponder….
I am constantly amazed when learning about Jesus and his word. It’s silly, really. Why would I be shocked that there is a well of understanding about the Lord so deep that I won’t ever reach the bottom? My sweetheart 7 year old daughter has said to me in the past as we sit down to learn together, “Mommy, I love Jesus and I already know about him and have asked him into my heart.” It’s both fascinating and worrisome to see how all of us tend to think we’ve arrived. That we know him and can move on. I hope you’ve enjoyed Chuck’s series in Mark as I have. Realizing that Jesus is infinite, unmanageable, offensive. That he owes me absolutely nothing, yet he’s powerfully tender to his children. That I must remind myself that everyone is born spiritually dead, that I am far from like him, that I do not naturally gravitate to him. And too, my honing in on the hope that he wants to attack my pride, he wants me to trust him as he works on my character, and he shows me grace by offending my ego. It’s hard to be thankful in those times of his construction work on my pride, which by the way happens on nearly a daily basis. But it’s after those times that I find the most reward, the most closeness to him, a tremendous softness and humility of my heart. It’s then that the Holy Spirit puts bread before me as I hungrily follow it to learn more. So when I hear of kids and adults shirking off the idea of learning more and diving further into our complicated God, my heart leaps to tell them: spend your LIFETIME getting to know him, and in that he will transform your relationship with him in amazing and unthinkable ways!
Speaking of building relationships with God, will you pray for the 18 students and 4 adults going to summer camp on July 10? We’re counting the days until we take our 3-5th graders to experience God in a fresh way up in the piney woods near Lake Livingston. Pray for our safety, health (it’s beyond hot), and for God to move in the hearts of ALL of our kids. Also, on July 4 a group of our people will be traveling on a mission trip to El Salvador. You can pray for them by name if you pick up a card at the info table and keep it in your bible or on your fridge as a reminder.
Sunday, July 4th is around the corner, so don’t forget we’ll have ONE service at 10am that day. It’s a family service, so all children (babies too) will be invited to worship together. Dress them up in red, white, and blue and they will get a fun little surprise that day!
And also, remember that our 2nd Annual Floats on the Porch is coming on July 18. This is an ideal day to invite a friend to experience the church AND have ice cream. What else would they want to do on a Sunday morning?? Don’t leave Sunday without snagging some invite cards at the Info Desk!
I pray you will be carving out precious time with him this week so he can feed your spirit. See you Sunday for more adventure!
Tisha Rich
Children’s Ministry Director
Mother’s Day Portrait Download Instructions
For those of you who had a family portrait taken on Mother’s Day by Pink Owl Studios, they’re almost ready for download!
Just follow these instructions to get your photo!
- Click here.
- Choose the album for the session you had your picture taken during (Crossbridge BEFORE, Crossbridge MIDDLE, Crossbridge LAST).
- Click on your photo to open it.
- While your mouse is on the photo, you’ll see options at the top of the photo.
- Go to “download” and choose “high res image.”
- Save the photo to your computer. This version of your portrait will print up to a 5×7 image.
- If you’d like to order prints larger than a 5×7, please email pinkowlstudios@hotmail.com to place your order.
Children Serving The Community
Your child can serve our community, one smile at a time!
It’s that easy for us to share love to another person, just with a smile and a few minutes of time. That’s what nearly 40 children and tons of parents did on Good Friday by attending the Silverado Senior Living egg hunt!
The residents at Silverado were eager for our families to come and be with them…..they supplied hundreds of eggs, they stuffed all the eggs with candy and toys, they provided prizes and food, and even two bunnies for picture taking! Silverado did all this for our families, so they could get something so simple from us….. some smiles and time.
And boy did we come through on that! What a blessing it was to have all of our Crossbridgers mingle and love on the residents after the hunts were done. You introduced your kids to them, you talked with them, you helped them get food. Even though it was brief, it was a very sweet time, and it was just enough to really bless the residents there.
So, if you came out on Friday, thank you for doing that. It was more than an egg hunt, it was about showing community residents that people care enough to give them time. And, thank you to Silverado for putting on the whole thing so that our kids could have fun at the same time! We’ll do more with Silverado in the future, so stay tuned on ways to teach your kids by example how to be the hands and feet of Jesus to others.
Tisha
Egg Hunt Fun Video
Good Friday (April 2) Egg Hunt Details
Hi Parents,
If you are planning to attend tomorrow’s Egg Hunt at Silverado Senior Living (be there by 3 pm; 1221 Seventh St, Sugar Land), here are some details for you to be aware of:
- There is very little parking at Silverado, extra parking is available at Fort Bend Baptist Academy, which is across the street.
- There is a side gate with grass to the left side of the Silverado building, this is the gate you enter with your child. They will not be letting families in through the facilities’ front door. Someone will be there to direct you.
- There are restrooms. ALL children, no matter the age, if they enter the building to go to the restroom, they MUST be accompanied by an adult.
- Please remember that this is a treatment facility for elderly with various forms of alzheimers. The “higher functioning” seniors will be outside in a seating area enjoying the kids and even helping at the hunt areas, they are able to talk and mingle and would love to talk with you and your child. The little ones (toddlers and 2 yrs) will egg hunt in an area that is easily viewed through windows by seniors who do not leave their room, so this in itself is a great ministry for them. The hunt will be over in about 2 minutes! So, after that, please take the opportunity to walk up to a senior and engage them with your child.
- Bring your camera! Bring a basket!
See you then, and thank you for making time to teach your child about loving on others unconditionally this Easter!
Tisha
Baby Boom – Changes in Crossbridge Kids
Wonderful Parents,
You may have heard that our church is expecting upwards of 22 babies this Spring/Summer (I say “upwards” because we suspect there are others who are pregnant but just not sharing on Facebook yet….lol). Our church has experienced baby booms like this in the past, although, we’ve had a lull for a few years. And, even though we know what to expect when we have this many babies, it is different this time around because we can’t just move portable walls to make a bigger room like we did before in the school.
My wonderful husband Scott spent the first day of his spring break working hard in our church nursery helping me change this classroom so that we can have more space for our little bitties. Let me share with you what changes have been made, or are going to be made, to accommodate all these new little followers of Jesus:
- The room has been restructured to accommodate more infants. Two cribs and one changing table have been removed. But, we still have 2 changing areas.
- There are now more swings to hold more infants, and a larger center area for tummy time.
- There will be 4 rockers for nursing moms.
- A baby monitor in the room allows for nursing moms to listen to the service.
- A gated corner will allow for early crawlers to play with toys, without pulling or toppling over onto newborns during tummy time.
- As babies become stronger crawlers, they will promote to the Toddler Class. This will allow for more room in the nursery for non-crawling infants.
- Soon, new mom’s will receive a special baby-bag for church, this bag will have the baby’s name clearly stated on it, it will be small and allow for more space in our nursery. (Eliminating the bulky nursery bags that are usually brought)
- Nursery help is coming. We have a short, but existent, waiting list of people who are willing to rock babies as they start to show up in the nursery. As the population grows in there, we will continue to add on more nursery volunteers to love on babies. (If you would like to help here when the time comes, I am still adding names!)
We are always looking ahead to ensure the safety of our childrens ministry. These plans for the nursery have been in the works since last year….we keep close watch on the numbers in each classroom and have plans for other classes as they reach capacities. We will keep you informed as changes are made to help your kids have the very best care and fun at church they can have. God continues to bless us with incredible tools and people to lead children to Christ, what a blessing it is to be part of it all.
Thank you for bringing your child to church on Sundays and investing in their walk and yours! See you for more fun on Sunday!
Tisha
Parents: Upcoming Storytime and Living Water News
Parents,
Here is some news you can use for this next week. Looking forward to seeing your family Sunday!
Living Water Challenge, Elementary – LAST SUNDAY, 12/20!
Elementary Parents: the students are really excited and working hard to think up ways to give towards our class challenge. So far, we have surpassed our initial goal, and we currently have raised $207. There are stories of kids doing extra chores to make money to give, asking grandparents to match what they give, change jars at home for collecting loose change, and more. What a way to teach our children to be on mission for Jesus, to give to others with an open hand and to think beyond themselves! Two teachers have said they would MATCH the total given for the class…..what a blessing and encouragement! This Sunday, 12/20 is the last Sunday to give for the class to this Living Water challenge. Thank you for doing all you do to lead your child to know the goodness of Him more each day.
Silverado Storytime, MONDAY, 12/21 & 28, 10 am
Lead your child (infants through 1st grade) to serve others the next two Monday’s by attending Silverado Senior Living’s story time, just for Crossbridge Church! This is a great venue to bring your baby, toddler, or even 1st grader, so they can love on Seniors by just being themselves and listening to a story, and maybe offering a hug or two. Hope to see you there!
Upcoming Family Ministry Events and Fun
Hello Parents!
We have lots of tools for you and your family together to celebrate the birth of our Lord, — I’ll be giving you some friendly reminder’s each of these next few weeks so you don’t miss out on all the fun!
December 6, Family Advent Calendar begins!
If you don’t already have this calendar on your fridge, pick one up this Sunday at the Information Desk. Each day there are short, easy activities to lead your child(ren) to know Christ more and to understand the meaning of Christmas.
December 13, Happy Birthday Jesus Party
We’ll be talking about the birth of Christ and each class, 2 years through 5th grade will have special crafts, a cake walk, and more!
December 20, My Brother’s Keeper Outreach, 1-4 pm
Kids ages 7 and up are able to serve with parents at this Alief mission, handing out gifts to needy children. Interested? Sign up to serve: Tisha@crossbridge.cc
Serve Your Community, Nov 25
NOVEMBER 25, SERVE THE COMMUNITY WITH SECOND MILE
If you are in town on Wednesday, November 25 and would like to be on mission for Jesus, Second Mile is serving thousands of needy families at the Stafford Centre.
And even If you have children 6 and up, they are invited to serve along side of you in the children’s area, where volunteers will help children with crafts, games and read stories. Second Mile is expecting 1,000 children to attend with families.
They need 7 volunteer families per shift, and here are the shifts:
8:30 am – 11 am
11 am – 1 pm
1 pm – 3 pm
If you do volunteer, they need supplies too….they are asking if volunteers would bring 240 crayons (can find boxes of 64 for $1 at Michael’s or Dollar Stores). Feel free to bring books to read to the kids or any games.
If you are interested, please contact Pam Liang at 281-343-5674 or liangpamela@hotmail.com. Hope to see you there!
FOOD DRIVE, Last Two Sundays!
Hurry! Time is running out for you to donate food to help 700 needy families in Aleif! Donate this Sunday or next (Nov 15 or 22)!
Ready to help local families in need?
We have an easy way for you to do this…..and it’s a GREAT way to include your children and teach them about giving this holiday season.
Crossbridge is partnering with My Brothers Keeper Outreach Center to help provide Thanksgiving meals to 700 families. This 501-C3 non-profit Outreach Center provides assistance to families in crisis in Alief. You can learn more about the center at www.mybkoutreach.org.
The list of food items is below, you can donate any of these or all of these. Please do not donate anything extra that is not listed on this list. The church is collecting food every Sunday through November 22, so don’t wait, there are only 2 Sunday’s left!
Leave your food donation in a paper bag near the coffee bar at church, and we’ll take it from there!
And lastly, are you in town on November 25? People ages 18 and up are needed to volunteer to help sort and distribute the food at My Brother’s Keeper Outreach Center. There will be a day of sorting all food donations the week of Thanksgiving, and a day prior to Thanksgiving to distribute the meals at the Center to the families. If you are interested in helping, email Renae Nelson at: renae.nelson@mybkoutreach.org
My Brother’s Keeper Outreach
Thanksgiving Donation Food List
Cans of:
Cranberry Sauce
Yams
Green Beans
Corn
Peas
Mixed Vegetables
Mashed Potatoes (box)
Bags of Rice
Gravy Mix
Rolls
Corn Bread (box)
Stuffing Mix
Dessert:
Jello
Cake Mix
Brownie Mix
Cookies
Drinks:
Juice
Kool Aid
Water
$15 Gift cards to
Fiesta or HEB
Crossbridge Sick Policies
PARENTS:
With school starting up and the flu season already making headlines, please don’t take YOUR CHILD’S SICKNESS LIGHTLY.
The church follows guidelines set by the CDC (listed below) in order to keep our families safe and healthy.
NOTE: If your child has had a fever or diarrhea within 24 hours of Sunday, do not bring them to Kids Crossing.
We love our nearly 100 children who attend here each Sunday, and we appreciate you thinking of the other families and our precious teachers before bringing a sick child. Besides keeping germs at home, be sure to keep the health of your area school’s and children’s ministries in your prayers this Fall/Winter!
SICK CHILD POLICY
Children are not permitted to be in Kids Crossing if they have:
–Fever (100°F underarm; 101°F oral or 102°F rectal) AND sore throat, rash, vomiting, diarrhea, earache, irritability or confusion. In babies 4 months or younger, a 101°F rectal temperature is a fever threshhold.
–Diarrhea
–Vomiting
–Body rash with fever
–Sore throat with fever and swollen glands
–Severe coughing (child gets red or blue in the face and makes a high-pitched whoop after cough)
–Eye discharge (thick mucus or pus draining from eye, or pink eye)
–Yellowish skin or eyes
Courtesy of the Center for Disease Control
Children must be free from these symptoms or fever for at least 24 hours.
Returning to Work or School
Guidance for Adults and Children with Seasonal or Novel H1N1 Influenza
V.4 Revised August 21, 2009
These guidelines will be revised as situation evolves.
To date, most illness from the novel H1N1 influenza virus has been mild to moderate, but, as with seasonal influenza, there have been cases of very severe illness and several deaths in Texas. Some persons are at higher risk of severe disease or complications from influenza (see Box 1). To prevent spread of illness, it is important to follow preventive measures to avoid catching the flu and also measures to keep from infecting others. For more information on preventing influenza, taking care of an ill person at home, and other influenza issues, go to Families and Individuals on the www.texasflu.org site.
These Return to Work or School guidelines address the timing of returning to work or school after an influenza-like illness. The cautions apply whether a person has seasonal influenza, novel H1N1 influenza or a similar flu-like illness (see Box 2 for symptoms of influenza). If the novel H1N1 virus (or other seasonal influenza virus) changes significantly in severity, DSHS and CDC may make different recommendations as the situation evolves.
Note: “Stay at home” means persons should not congregate with friends, participate in other school or community activities, or be sent to a different day care. An ill person may leave home for medical appointments but should wear a mask (surgical mask is sufficient) while traveling to and from and during a medical appointment.
Table 1. Guidance for adults with flu-like illness on return to work or school
| Condition | Exclude from work or school |
| Ill and treated with antiviral medication* | Until there has been no fever (>100°F) for 24 hours without fever reducing medications. ** |
| Ill and not treated with antiviral medication* | Until there has been no fever (>100°F) for 24 hours without fever reducing medications. ** |
| Persons who have traveled to area where novel H1N1 or seasonal flu has been confirmed and who have no symptoms | 0 days, monitor for illness |
* Those working in a health care setting should be excluded for 7 days from symptom onset or until the resolution of symptoms, whichever is longer. Refer to www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidelines_infection_control.htm for more information.
** If influenza severity increases, people with flu-like illness may be asked to stay home for at least 7 days, even if they have no more symptoms.
Table 2. Guidance for persons younger than 18 years old with flu-like illness on return to work or school
|
Condition |
Exclude from work or school |
| Ill and treated child or youth | Until there has been no fever (>100°F) for 24 hours without fever reducing medications** |
| Ill and not treated child or youth | Until there has been no fever (>100°F) for 24 hours without fever reducing medications** |
| Persons who have traveled to area where novel H1N1 or seasonal flu has been confirmed and do not symptoms | 0 days, monitor for illness |
* If influenza severity increases, people with flu-like illness may be asked to stay home for at least 7 days, even if they have no more symptoms.
Box 1. Persons at Higher Risk for Complications of Novel H1N1 and Seasonal Influenza |
For more information on preventing influenza, taking care of an ill person at home, and other influenza issues, go to
- Families and Individuals on the www.texasflu.org site.
