Christmas Eve 2025

Dear CrossWalk Angels:
On this early Monday morning as I sit looking out of the window in my study, the snow is gently falling. It brightens up the
landscape just as the sun is rising. In this quiet moment, I sensed God’s Presence – so thankful for this gift. I began to
think about CrossWalk and the five years we have been together. We have grown so much.
But I remember back when we first started, we did not have a name then. We were four women who had a deep sense of
commitment to serve God. Rev. Gail, through prayer and encouragement helped us to begin the process of establishing a
wish list of what we could do for “outreach.” And so, one evening Glenyce, Helen, Janet, and I met in Janet’s garage.
Along came Helen with her sticky notes and charts. Our goal was to prayerfully consider what the Holy Spirit would like us
to do – something for our community and something to help us grow in our faith journey. After several months passed, we
began to have a sense of what the Holy Spirit wanted – and Janet said: “Let’s call ourselves “CrossWalk,” and here we
are five years later – still asking the Holy Spirit for guidance in everything we do.
We did not realize back then just how we would survive. Would CrossWalk continue to contribute to our community? How
were we to grow in our faith?
It is now almost Christmas Day in 2025. God has been so gracious and good to us. Every prayer has been answered.
Monetary gifts have just appeared when needed, and we have been successful in providing many outreach projects to
fruition. Our faith journey has grown exponentially.
We have met new friends and enjoyed wonderful fellowship through projects like Food for Friends, Blessing Bags, Making
sandwiches for the Warming Shelter at Wesley United Church and Bridges in Cambridge. We have supported much
needed supplies and clothing for the homeless not only locally, but also in Brantford, Toronto, and Cambridge. And there
have been other projects as well.
I think one of the most meaningful and important projects has been the new friends we have met and the weekly
friendship and camaraderie at the Curling Club – our home base where many of our projects take place.
Along with the “Outreach” side of our “CrossWalk Tree,” we have our “Spiritual” side – the side where all this began! All,
and I mean, “all” of our projects have been Holy Spirit driven! When we prayed for a new project, God provided the
answers and we were amazed at how quickly some of those projects appeared right before our eyes. We have learned to
pray together, to choose songs and prayers for our Wednesday night worship services. We have shared our stories of
faith, stories of hardship, stories of miracles, and of course much laughter. Rev. Gail continues to lead us in our Advent
and Lent studies as well as an in-person worship services quarterly. Pastoral care is always available.
Thank you everyone for all you do for God through this CrossWalk Ministry. And as Rev. Gail continues to remind us:
“God walks the road before you; Jesus walks beside you; and the Holy Spirit surrounds you and encircles you. Go into
this new year with the everlasting Peace of Christ!
Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child I born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder and His
name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.” Thanks be to God.
Susan Humphrey