JOURNEY OF BELIEF
OUR MISSION
We believe that God has given us as a church the divine calling to help people find Christ, their place in the body (Christ’s church), and their mission to the world. This serves as our compass as we embark on the journey of finding and following Jesus in everything. We know that if we persevere in this, He has promised to be with us every step of the way under His supreme authority and everlasting love.
NON-NEGOTIABLES
For us to really grow and be changed together as a people, we need to unite around the same purposes: our hopes, our prayers, our desires and our expectations that define us as a community of Jesus Christ. Below are six values that we at Cross Life believe to be the Non-negotiables. While these are not all inclusive, they serve as the filter for all that we do at Cross Life Church.
– Building our lives on God’s WORD
– Finding the mind and will of God for us through PRAYER
– Inviting and acknowledging God’s PRESENCE in our midst
– Creating spiritual UNITY
– Serving and reaching PEOPLE no matter who they are
– Keeping a KINGDOM MINDSET (it’s not about us!)
ABOUT LEADERSHIP
At Cross Life Church, we believe that Jesus Christ is our Senior Pastor. Under Him we are groups and individuals that lead others by following Jesus. Together, we can press in and hear the voice of God and collectively choose to walk each step at a time with the cross before us. This is what the leadership structure looks like at Cross Life Church:
Jesus Christ
Senior Pastor
Tracy Larson
Pastor
Directional Leadership Team
The Directional Leadership Team is a group of leaders devoted to prayer and seeking the voice and direction of God. We believe in pluralistic eldership of a church that together there may be unity and clarity as God leads. The DLT is not a staff, nor is it a board—it is simply a core of individuals who desperately want to follow Jesus and lead others on the same journey.
The Christian & Missionary Alliance
The Alliance is a Christ-centered global movement more than 6 million strong. Cross Life Church is affiliated with The Alliance which means that we are committed to their purpose and are networked with other churches locally and globally in sharing the love of Jesus. Together with 6 million other worshippers of Christ, we are an Acts 1:8 family—inspired by Jesus’ love and empowered by His Spirit—passionate to bring the good news about Him to our neighborhoods and world.
Our internal beliefs about God, Jesus, the Bible, etc. are the same as that of The Alliance, which can be HERE.
MULTI-GENERATIONAL
PHILOSOPHY
We believe in generations. To us, it is valuable for older generations to extend themselves to the younger, and for the younger generations to extend themselves to the older. This we believe to be a necessary part of true community. And to be honest, this is what we call “family.” The Bible gives clear instructions of how to raise up a generation that remembers the greatness of God, AND how much a child can teach an adult in regards to issues of faith and spiritual inheritance. Thus, we have decided to organize our activities to align with this.
No formal children’s ministry.
No formal youth group.
No formal college/young adults ministry.
No formal adult/men/women/senior ministry.
What does this mean then? How does this work? These are probably a few of many questions (and possibly objections) you might have right now because this goes against popular thinking and even much of “church” culture. We will explain:
We understand the importance of teaching truth in levels of understanding. We understand the value of peer accountability and growth, and we also understand there will be certain interests and mindsets that find common ground amidst certain age groups. Furthermore it would be foolish to think that everyone is at the same level of thinking, maturity, comprehension, and interest. Therefore…
– We will make efforts to minister to multiple generations: that means older to younger and younger to older
– We will plan events throughout the month geared towards certain age groups.
– We will have occasional study groups that focus on certain topics or demographics.
– We will encourage strong friendships amidst those of similar age.
– We will provide opportunities where truth and practicality meet that could be geared towards certain demographics.
But here is the cool thing…
Our worship, our gatherings, our service, our prayer times, our experiences, our methods, our learning, our teaching, and our very lives will be shared with each other. There will be times where we feel uncomfortable, annoyed, or even bored. But these will be overshadowed by the incredible intimacy, excitement and inspiration that will arise out of multiple generations (plurality emphasized) seeking the presence of God … together!
And you’re right. It’s different. Very different. But not at all odd… Every church has its own calling from God and we believe this is what God has called us to do to respond to what our culture is actually crying out for: true community, close family, and grace centered relationships.
Again, this is something that we feel God calling us to act upon. It was only after we decided to follow His voice in this way that we began to hear about other churches and ministries doing the same thing with the same convictions (coincidence?…we don’t think so either). Here are a few articles that give more insight into this culture of generational integration: