.png)
Wherever we are in our journey of faith - we all have a Next Step!
FOLLOW JESUS
Become a Christian
Whatever you may believe about Jesus, there is one truth that we want you to know. He loves you! He loves you so much that He came to earth and gave His life so you could have a personal relationship with Him and God.
We are all separated from God because of Adam’s disobedience and Jesus is the only way back. In John 14:6, Jesus said,“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you really know Me, you will know my Father as well.”
It doesn’t matter who you are, what you’ve done, or where you came from, this gift is for you. Everyone is important. Everyone is included. Everyone is invited. You are no exception. Jesus loves you!
Here’s what the Bible says:
Romans 3:23 says, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Romans 6:23 says, “for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 5:8-10 says, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him. For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!”
Romans 10:8-10 says, “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
That’s it. Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord. Believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. Do that and you are a Christian! Your sins are forgiven and your relationship with God begins!
Some people think, “I have to clean my life up first – and be a better person.” That’s wrong. You don’t change to receive God’s love – you change because you experience His love.
When you accept His gift, your heart changes. And as you start walking in your relationship with Him, His love will change your life more and more with time. The Bible says, we can’t be saved BY good works but we are saved TO good works.
Jesus took all our wrong, made a sacrifice that would pay the price, and offers us His righteousness – we just have to accept it. If we believe that and commit to following Him daily, life will never be the same. Believing in Jesus is just the beginning of the greatest adventure you could ever imagine.
Have you accepted His gift and trusted Him with your life?
We’d love for you to let us know here.
Read the Bible and Pray
Relationships are built on communication. It’s impossible to be close to someone you never talk to. The Bible is God’s Word and it is the principal way that He speaks to us. It is the best way to learn about Him and discover how to follow Jesus on a daily basis.
Communication goes both ways so you should talk to God too. Prayer isn’t hard and there’s no special formula. Just talk to Him like you would a friend sitting right in front of you. He knows everything already, but He wants to hear what’s on your mind and how you feel on a regular basis.
You can download the YouVersion Bible App for free on your phone or tablet. And stop by the Next Steps desk on Sunday and we will give you a free hard copy of the Bible.
Start reading the Gospel of John at least 15 minutes a day. Then be still for a few minutes and just think about what you read. That gives God a chance to bring something to your mind that He really wants you to know.
And don’t forget to talk to Him every day, throughout the day!
Be Baptized
Baptism is something Christians have been doing for thousands of years as a testimony of their faith in Jesus. Baptism is not salvation – it is a public declaration that a person has started following Jesus.
We encourage everyone who accepts salvation to be baptized. Invite your friends and family and celebrate what it means. Even if you were baptized before, as an infant or years ago, we’ll baptize you again if you want to mark what has happened in your life.
To find out how to be baptized at Crossroads, go here.
Connect with a Local Church
Community is essential for life in general but also for your Christian walk. The Bible instructs us to help one another on our journey. The local church is a place to find friends and build relationships.
The church is also a place where we can learn and grow in our relationship with Jesus. It is a place where we can worship and prepare for the week ahead. It is a place for us to bring our friends and family to learn about Jesus. It’s a place where we can develop our talents and participate in ministry. And it’s a place to contribute financially to share the gospel with the world.
We would love for you to join us at Crossroads and make this your home. But even if this is not the place – you need to connect with a local church. Find a place where they believe the Bible and are on mission with God.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Every day, people around us feel like life is against them and some even believe that God or the church is against them.
What if those same people knew that Crossroads is a community of people who are for them? What if our church and our lives became a billboard to let the people around us know that Jesus is FOR them?
We believe that people won’t know Jesus is FOR them if they don’t know that we are FOR them.
Crossroads isn’t just a place where we gather for church services, it’s who we are as we go into the marketplace every day. We are committed to providing an environment at church, and all week long in our backyard, at the ballgame, at our desk at work, etc. where we can help people experience the love of Jesus.
We believe that the vision God has for our church and lives will be determined by the size of our hearts for people. We love people because God loves people and we are in this community to make a difference!
BRING A FRIEND
What is the first thing you do when you discover a new restaurant or experience a great vacation? Tell a friend. Faith is like that. It’s better with friends so don’t keep the good news to yourself.
There is power in a simple invitation. We live in a culture that is connected globally through social media – but many people are lonely. People are attracted to community because true fellowship is counter-cultural.
You may have friends that have never received an invitation and they are just waiting to be asked. So text, call or invite a friend to join you for our next event. And remember to pray for them too. God has big plans for their life and you can be a part of it.
JOIN THE MISSION
Serve at Crossroads
The best way to grow as a Christian is to get involved. And there’s a place for you to serve at Crossroads. There’s room for everyone.
It takes dozens of volunteers to make the ministry at Crossroads what it is. It’s true that volunteering requires something from you, but it will actually do something good in you and for you as well.
So sign up and join the mission today…….
Serve the Community and World
Serving outside the church walls is a mantra at Crossroads. Everything we do at church wouldn’t matter much unless we are salt and light, hands and feet, outside the church.
We love people because God loves people. We are givers because God is a giver. We are outward focused because that is our mission. Jesus said, “go to all nations” and that simply means reach out to people who are not like me. We step out of our comfort zone and look for opportunities to pay the bill or make the difference.
Through tithes and offerings brought into the church we partner with other ministries locally, nationally, and globally to change lives and share the gospel.
We offer a variety of opportunities throughout the year for people to give and go as we serve and love others together. 1 Timothy 6:18 says, “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” We have learned that it truly is more blessed to give than to receive.
When you join us on Sundays, you will discover many opportunities to serve the community and the world.
CHOOSE COMMUNITY
Life is just better when we do it together! Crossroads Church is a community where you can connect. We are family and you are welcome.
-
Within Crossroads there are many smaller communities as well.
-
LifeGroups for Kids, Students, Women, Men, and Senior Adults
-
Interest Groups built around hobbies and activities
-
Fellowship Groups where people get to know each other
-
Teams who serve together inside and outside the church
You can check The Hub on Sunday to see what is happening now!
GIVE GENEROUSLY
At Crossroads, you are among passionately generous people. We have created a culture that finds joy in giving of our time, talent, treasure and temple. We are excited that over 33% of all money received in 2018 went out of Crossroads to do Kingdom work in the community, nation and world.
When you give here you help create a church where unchurched people are welcome and people are learning to love God, love people and live on purpose. You are also financing local, national and global ministry that is changing lives.
1 Corinthians 9:6-10 says,
“But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. As it is written: He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever. Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness.”
It’s not what we keep that makes life worth living – it’s what we give away. Since Crossroads began, a group of generous people has chosen to give consistently and sacrificially of their income to create a church that God can use to change lives. And that group of generous people is growing every day.
Paying tithes, giving offerings and sowing seed into God’s kingdom is a joy filled adventure – because God simply won’t let us out-give Him!
Take your next step in giving and see what God will do.
-
Start – any amount for the first time
-
Grow – a specific amount or percentage regularly
-
Tithe – 10% of my income
-
Open Windows – any amount over and above the tithe