the Crusader
A Publication of CHRISTIAN CRUSADERS

EXCITING NEWS!

KTOH / FM 99.9 in Kalaheo, on the beautiful Hawaiian island of Kauai, is now broadcasting Christian Crusaders at 8:30 each Sunday morning. If you know of someone in this area, please let them know where to tune in to hear our program.

Also new to our broadcast lineup is radio station KBRX / AM 1350 in O’Neill, Nebraska. Much appreciation goes to members of Trinity Lutheran in Bristow, Nebraska, especially Rev. & Mrs. Raymond Hagberg, for making it possible for listeners in their area to hear the Good News on Christian Crusaders each Sunday at 10:10 a.m.

We now have an easier way to access this week’s program! By simply scanning our QR Code with your smart phone, you will be directed to our Web site, ChristianCrusaders.org, where you can listen to the program or read the message online. Christian Crusaders can now be heard on WTMJ/AM 620 at 5:00 a.m. Sunday mornings. WTMJ, a 50,000 watt news/talk/sports station, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, reaches Listeners in Green Bay, northern Chicago, Milwaukee, and surrounding areas.

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS!
Celebrating her 20th anniversary with Christian Crusaders is our Administrative Assistant, Crystal Gooding Smith!

If you have called the office or received a thank you for a donation, it’s quite likely you know Crystal. God has given her a wonderful gift – a warm and caring personality. Because of this, Christian Crusaders has been blessed to have her as a major part of this ministry.

When she was first hired in March of 1993, her tasks were simpler than they are today. She typed the newsletter, answered the mail, and fulfilled listener requests for sermons. But over the years, her responsibilities, along with her skills, have evolved. In addition to her earlier tasks, today she writes the opening and closing announcements for the program, types the sermons from the audio copy, prepares the audio copies for the producer, and sends the programs to the radio stations by mail and through online downloads. But the biggest change in her job is due to the addition of the Internet to the ministry. If you visit us online, you will find our weekly blogs, e-newsletters, and updates on Facebook – all written and posted by Crystal!

The tasks she enjoys most are corresponding with our listeners and working with the program, allowing her to use her creativity and education, while getting a firmer grasp on Christian theology.
Crystal has been the mainstay in our office. Five executive directors have come and gone while she’s been with the ministry, so along the way, she has had to adapt to new personalities and new ways of doing things. We often say, “Christian Crusaders can get by without all of us except Rev. Larsen, Rev. Kramer, and Crystal!”

Outside of the office, Crystal keeps busy with her husband, Craig, with whom she’s been married for 14 years, their 4 children, and 8 grandchildren, all living in Iowa. When she is able to get away, she loves to visit her parents and family, who still live in El Dorado, Kansas, where she grew up. In her spare time, Crystal enjoys reading, camping, working puzzles, and sewing.

When asked what Christian Crusaders has meant in her life, she had this to say: “Throughout my life, I have pondered my legacy. Will the world be better or worse because I was a part of it? It is important for me to know my life has a purpose. Serving God and his children through Christian Crusaders has allowed me to find that meaning. I believe that, when we understand discipleship as the reason we were put on this earth, we can be content in whatever capacity he places us, and we can impact the world in wonderful ways.”

A SPECIAL EVENT FOR PASTORS:

Monday, April 8, 2013, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
To register for this event, call the office at 319-277-0924 or email us at cc@naz.org.

ON THE LIGHT SIDE

Content to Just Be Together
While visiting a nature center, a woman noticed an unusual sound. “What is that noise?” she asked.

“It’s the frogs trilling for a mate,” explained Patti, the naturalist. “We have a pair in the science room. But since they’ve been together for so long, they no longer sing to each other.”

The woman nodded sympathetically. “Awe, yes. The trill is gone.”