There’s a reason the scoreboard is prominently displayed at every sporting event. Fans shouldn’t have to search to find the score and know whether their team is winning.
But where is the scoreboard in church? How do we know if the church is winning? Churches don’t have traditional scoreboards because in God’s kingdom winning is much harder to measure. Plus, our “game” doesn’t end until Jesus returns!
But I still think it’s fair to ask what the church has been doing. What should we celebrate and what challenges should we be praying about?
We want to give you a quick look at The Crossing’s “scoreboard” midway through 2022, as well as what you can look forward to in the second half.
Good Things to Celebrate:
Ephesians Sermon Series & Devotional Workbook
We received a lot of positive feedback about the devotional workbook that accompanied the Ephesians sermon series.
“For me, the Ephesians devotional workbook has been an intentional reaffirmation of my identity in the Lord. As a middle school small group leader here in the church, I am often confronted with student questions like ‘Who am I?’ or ‘Where do I find my worth?’. (I am also asking these big questions myself!) I think the Ephesians devotional has helped provide guidance to answering these significant questions. The 15 minutes spent each morning going through the workbook has continually been my favorite part of the day and has helped me develop a clearer and deeper knowledge of my identity through Jesus.”
- Matt H.
Be watching for another devotional workbook this fall! Read to the end for more details.
Attendance
Sunday Mornings
The total attendance on a Sunday is significantly higher than pre-pandemic attendance. Between in person and online, more than 5000 people are participating in the worship service each week. We’ve never had the opportunity to help more people believe that Jesus is more than we do right now.
Small Groups
The pandemic reminded all of us of the importance of relationships. As a result, more people are getting involved in small groups. We maxed out our small group capacity in January and are adding more small groups in the fall so there’s a place for everyone to be connected.
Interested in joining a Small Group this fall? Don’t miss Small Group Preview!
Online
If you knew everyone was hanging out in one part of town, wouldn’t you want to spend time there pointing people to Jesus? Well, everyone—from teenagers to grandparents—spend a lot of time online. That’s why we’ve dedicated some of The Crossing’s resources to digital ministries that help people follow Jesus.
So far this year, there have been over one million podcast downloads and 134,000 blog post views.
A listener to Going There, one of The Crossing’s podcasts, recently sent this message:
“I live in Southern Indiana, and I LOVE your podcast. God dropped it in my lap just a couple of months ago and I’ve already caught up. I just needed to share that you have helped me tremendously. My husband and I had been (kinda still are but we’re working on it) in a bad spot for a while and listening to your podcast made me stop and re-evaluate how I was living my everyday life and how my actions and words were so badly hurting my husband. I’m a relatively new Christian and so my faith journey is really just beginning. [Going There] has kickstarted how to change my thoughts and dive into The Word and really start learning how to live for Christ. It’s so helpful and empowering to hear you be so excited about Jesus.”
- Linda D.
The numbers are important because they represent real people like Linda who are taking advantage of free resources that encourage them to engage with Jesus and their community.
Check out all the The Crossing’s podcasts here.
Staff Updates
Kermit Summerall is now serving as pastor for Crossing Men. In Kermit, Men’s ministry is gaining a pastor with a heart for helping people develop a deeper faith.
Addison Hawkins is returning to The Crossing to be a Pastor of Small Groups where he will work alongside Ryan Wampler and the rest of the Small Groups team. When Addison was a student at Mizzou, he became a Christian through The Crossing and then after graduation went on staff with Veritas. He eventually left Columbia to attend Covenant Seminary in St. Louis and serve at a church in Michigan. We’re glad to have him and his family back at The Crossing
In 2000 Scott Johnson moved to Columbia from Chicago to be on the original team that started The Crossing. He’s served as our worship leader for 22 years!
Ryan Wampler and Nathan Tiemeyer joined the team in 2002. They’ve served as pastors for 20 years!
We want to say thanks to Scott, Ryan, and Nathan for their dedication to Christ and The Crossing. God has powerfully used them in thousands of people’s lives.
Community
At Easter, we partnered with a multi-ethnic church plant in Ferguson, Missouri. Woke Bridge Community Church is living out God’s calling to heal racial divides and show the love of Jesus in North County of St. Louis. You generously gave $237,288 to help them accomplish their mission!
Find out more about our partnership in this blog post by Patrick Miller.
Woke Bridge Pastor, Sean Boone, preached at The Crossing on July 24. If you missed it, you can watch it here.
Challenges to Pray For...
CK Volunteers
Every Sunday, we turn away kids from Crossing Kids. We have the space, but not the volunteers. If you’re interested in getting involved at The Crossing this year, consider serving in Crossing Kids.
Keith Simon shares what he’s learned by serving in CK this summer.
Church Finances
Finances continue to lag behind expenses in 2022. Given the state of the economy, perhaps this isn’t surprising. We hope giving increases so that we won’t have to cut back on important ministry programs. God has given us unprecedented opportunities to help people develop a relationship with Jesus, and we trust he will give us the necessary resources.
Find out more about giving to The Crossing.
Second Half: What to Expect in 2022
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Old School Communion Sunday
On Sunday, September 4, we will have a special worship service in which we serve communion the way we did before the pandemic. This will be a service you want to experience in person if possible.
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Summer Nights at The Crossing
Join us on Friday, September 9 for a special outdoor worship night and baptism service in The Crossing’s courtyard. Bring your family and friends for food trucks and an evening of music and community.
Find out more about Summer Nights here.
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New Sermon Series– Daniel: Life in Exile, beginning September 18
The Old Testament book of Daniel is a fabulous story about how to live in a world that doesn’t share your faith. We will hand out a new devotional workbook on September 11 to help you engage with Daniel throughout the week. There will be some fun surprises that make this workbook even better than the last one.
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Upcoming Guest Preachers
We’re excited to welcome guest preachers to The Crossing –Bob Goff (Sept. 11), and Derwin Gray (Nov. 6).
Author Aimee Byrd preached at The Crossing on July 31. Watch the sermon here.
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Join a Small Group
One of the best ways to grow in your faith and build community in a big church like The Crossing is to join a small group. Come by a Small Group Preview for more information!
We have small groups for adults over 30, adults in their twenties, college students, and high school and middle school students.
Wondering how to stay connected at The Crossing? Sign up for the Mobile Worship Folder. Each Sunday you'll receive a text with the latest events, classes, and serving opportunities happening that month. You don't want to miss out!
