8 Essentials to Personal Growth

Discovering the freedom and joy that comes from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is an incredible experience. Like our own lives, our faith should also grow and mature over time.

At Crossroads, our hope is to build both a growing church and a church of growing people. We strive to provide an atmosphere where members, new and old alike, are nurtured towards maturity and stability, and encouraged to grow and flourish in their relationship with Jesus Christ.

The Church's Commitment
The role of the church is to unite believers in prayer and worship, to care for one another, and to equip and lead Christ-followers in advancing the Gospel in the world. We accomplish this by providing meaningful, celebrative worship and by teaching the Bible with consistency and relevancy to life. The church provides many opportunities for individual and church-wide involvement in ministries that serve inside our church, in our community and around the globe. You'll also discover opportunities for small group fellowship and ongoing Christian education.

Your Commitment to Growing
We have discovered that there are eight character qualities that are instrumental in helping you move towards Christian maturity. In fact, we have found these qualities so important that we consider them to be the foundational expectations we have for church membership at Crossroads. It's important to note that these principles are taken directly from the Bible. These ideas on Christian growth require nothing more (and nothing less) than what God's Word clearly spells out in His plans for us as followers of Jesus Christ.

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The Eight Essentials

We offer this list to you as a tool that will help you to monitor your own spiritual development. We encourage you to take some time to thoughtfully and prayerfully consider these eight personal growth qualities.

1. Bible study, prayer, and sharing in Christian community.

(2 Timothy 2:15, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Acts 2:42) It's important to acknowledge that you are responsible for your spiritual growth. We encourage you to take advantage of the many ministry resources that are available at Crossroads to help you grow and mature. We want you to succeed, and we are ready to assist you in every way possible to help you make that happen.

2. Faithful participation in public worship services.

(Hebrews 10:25) One of the great joys of the Christian community is participation in public worship. Something profound happens when believers gather together as one body to worship God through song, Bible study and prayer. Worshiping God is a wonderful privilege experienced by those who follow Christ as Lord. Every church member is expected to be faithful in participation in worship.

3. Participation in a small group.

(Acts 2:42, 46, 47a) Crossroads is dedicated to ministry through small groups. In a large family like ours, it's important that everyone is connected to a small group where they can grow together and care for one another. We believe that life is best lived out in community, and small groups provide an ideal atmosphere for shepherding, growing in faith, and bearing one another's burdens.

4. Service and involvement.

(Romans 12:1-8, I Corinthians 12:7-11; 28, Ephesians 4:11-12) We consider every member of our church to be a minister. Each of us has been blessed with special gifts and talents, and God has a plan for each of us to use these gifts to serve Him and to serve others. Church members are expected to serve within the church and to be people of impact in our community.

5. Supporting the ministries of the church through prayer.

(Philippians 1:3-5, 18b-19) At Crossroads, we freely admit our need for prayer. There are opportunities throughout the year for you to join with others in times of directed prayer. Elder prayer is available after worship services and prayer requests from the church body are listed in the weekly bulletin for inclusion in your personal prayer.

6. Financial contribution in a consistent and generous manner.

(1 Corinthians 16:1, 2; 2 Corinthians 9:12-15) Giving is a biblical principle and is an important part of your spiritual growth. The Bible speaks clearly on stewardship and generosity, and there are resources available to answer any questions you may have about Christian giving. We believe that those who give in a consistent and generous manner will not only bless our ministries and help them grow, but they too will be blessed and will grow.

7. Proclaiming the gospel and supporting others who proclaim the gospel around the world.

(Acts 8:4, 2 Corinthians 9:12-15) Our mission is to carry the life-saving message of Jesus Christ to every person on this planet. The gospel is too important to keep to ourselves! We offer ongoing educational opportunities to teach you how to share your faith with others, which you will be able to do through our extensive evangelism and global outreach efforts.

8. Responding positively to the leadership of our elders in matters of church policy and discipline.

(I Timothy 3:1-13, 5:17) The Elders at Crossroads lead with humility and integrity. Along with the pastoral staff, they establish and implement the vision of this ministry - a task that demands a great deal of integrity and dedication. Commit to praying for our church leadership and support them through participation in congregational meetings and events.

Visit our Resource Center for more resources on Christian growth and discipleship. If you have a question about any of these topics, please contact our evangelism pastor, Paul Linge, at 518-1417.