About Us
A Few Words
About Us
CrossWay Community Church
Purpose:
The purpose for which this church is formed is the worship of God, the ministry of care for one another, evangelism and the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the making of disciples into a community of faith and fellowship.
Vision and Values: CrossWay Community Church aims to be a discipling community which values . . .
- The Bible— Recognizing the scriptures of the Old and New Testament as the authority for Christian beliefs and practices, we aim to be biblical in orientation, basing all we believe and do on scriptural principles. (2 Tim. 3:16).
- Evangelism— Understanding that God’s “Great Commission” calls us to make disciples by baptizing (winning people to public commitment to Christ) and teaching, we aim to be evangelistic in nature, reaching individuals who are not actively connected to another Christian church. (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8).
- Relationships– Following God’s “Great Commandment” that we love God with all our being and love our neighbors as ourselves, we aim to be relational in character, enabling people to make meaningful “connections” with God and with one an other in an atmosphere of genuine friendship, care and concern. (Matt. 22:37-40).
- Relevance– Believing the relevance of God and His Word must be communicated and demonstrated to people in ways that attract their attention, hold their attention, and are understandable to them, we aim to be relevant in style by employing the best of both traditional and contemporary methodologies and resources to effectively communicate God’s good news. (Acts 17:22-24).
- Unity in Mission– Acknowledging that God intends His world-wide church to transcend barriers of race, ethnicity, gender, and nationality, we aim to be international and multi-cultural in scope, welcoming all people and engaging our members in financial support and personal involvement in the worldwide mission of American Baptists. (Gal. 3:28).
Mission: The mission of this church is to inspire and empower ordinary people to experience fulfilling and spiritually productive lives as followers of Jesus Christ. (Jn.10:10, 15:4-8; Gal. 5:22-23).
Vision: CrossWay’s vision for ministry, through which our mission will be accomplished, involves four primary ministry objectives . . .
- glorifying God by worshiping and living in obedience to His will and direction (Exalting);
- serving Seekers by demonstrating and communicating God’s love and presenting the good news of Jesus (Evangelizing);
- building Believers by providing emotional and spiritual support (Encouraging), communicating biblical truth (Educating), and training for Christian living and ministry (Equipping).
- mobilizing Ministers by involving believers in ministry (Engaging) and supporting and facilitating their involvement in ministry (Empowering).
Statement of Faith: We believe that being a disciple (follower) of Jesus Christ is not a matter of affirming a detailed doctrinal statement or living by a list of rules and regulations, but of having a growing personal relationship with God made possible by Jesus Christ. We do, however, hold to a basic consensus on key theological issues. This Statement of Faith expresses the core understandings that shape our life together as a discipling community.
- The Bible: We believe the Bible is the inspired, authoritative, and infallible Word of God and look to it as our only authority for what we believe and what we practice. As individual believers and as a church, we enjoy both the right and the responsibility to accurately read, interpret, and apply the scriptures. (2 Tim. 2:15, 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:20-21; 1 Jn. 4:1).
- God: We believe there is one true and living God who is manifested in three eternal and coequal persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14).
- Jesus Christ: We believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, fully human and fully divine. Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice for the sins of humanity, was raised from the dead in victory over death and sin, and ascended to God’s side in heaven. He will one day return to bring to completion the Kingdom of God. (Acts 1:11; 1 Cor. 15:3-5; Phil. 2:6-11; Heb. 1:3).
- The Holy Spirit: We believe the Holy Spirit works in individuals’ lives that they may acknowledge their sin and turn to God for salvation. The Holy Spirit indwells every believer at the moment of salvation, fills every believer as he or she yields to the Spirit’s guidance and instruction, and empowers every believer through spiritual gifts for effective living and ministry. (Acts 1:8; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 12:7,13; Gal. 4:6, 5:16,25).
- Humanity: We believe humanity was created in the image of God and that all human life, therefore, has value and dignity. However, humanity has rebelled against God and fallen into sin, so that all persons are by nature and by choice separated from God, powerless over sin, and in need of personal reconciliation with God. (Gen.1:26-27, 3:1-19; Rom. 3:23, 7:5).
- Reconciliation with God: We believe that individuals may be reconciled with God only by turning to Him for the forgiveness of their sins and being justified through the redeeming work of Jesus Christ. This experience is a gift of God’s grace which cannot be earned, but is received by faith as a person trusts in Jesus Christ. (Jn. 1:12, 14:6; Rom. 3:23-25; Eph. 2:8-10; 1 Jn. 2:2).
- Christian Life: We believe that the Holy Spirit’s indwelling, filling, and empowering of believers makes it possible for every Christian to experience a full life characterized by growth toward spiritual maturity and spiritual productivity. Every believer may relate directly and personally with God, and may also have the privilege of helping others relate to God. (Jn. 10:10; Rom. 8:29-30; 2 Cor. 5:18-20; Gal. 5:16-26; Eph. 2:10, 4:13; 1 Tim. 2:5).
- The Church: We believe the Church is the world-wide fellowship of believers in Jesus Christ, commissioned by Jesus to make disciples throughout the world. A local church is a community of believers characterized by love and unity, and committed to worshipping God and making disciples through evangelism, education, encouragement, and empowerment of believers for ministry and service. (Matt. 28:18-20; Jn. 13:34-35, 17:11; Heb. 10:24-25).
- Christian Influence: We believe that as Christians living in a democratic society, we have the responsibility to exercise our rights so that biblical principles of peace, justice, love, mercy, and morality may improve the character and quality of life for all persons. The integrity and mission of the church are best protected, however, when the church and state are separate and distinct institutions. (Matt. 22:21; Acts 5:28-29; Rom. 13:1-7).
- Human Destiny: We believe that all persons will ultimately be judged by God. Those whose sins have been forgiven through faith in Christ will enjoy an eternal state of blessedness in Heaven, and those who never turned to God will experience eternal separation from Him in Hell. (Jn. 3:16,18; Rom. 6:23; Heb. 9:27; 1 Jn. 5:11-12).
- Ordinances: We believe Jesus ordained that the church observe two practices on a regular basis: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism (immersion) is an initiatory observance through which a new believer publicly professes his or her identification with Christ and the church. (Matt. 28:19- 20; Acts 2:38; Rom. 6:4-5). The Lord’s Supper (Communion) is a recurring ceremony through which believers remember the sacrifice of Jesus’ body and blood and look forward to His return. (Matt. 26:17-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-26).