A Church Worth Celebrating
Social media is littered with people taking shots at local churches. Sometimes this is for justifiable reasons; such as, heretical teaching or sloppy pragmatism. Other times it seems that technology makes it possible for deconstructionists to point out the minute flaws of every church and its leaders.
These trends paint a picture of infighting and divisiveness that serves to further fracture the Body of Christ. Additionally, it masks the fact that there are local churches throughout North America worth celebrating.
Certainly, there are a few such churches that get most of the press. Their podcasts are downloaded, their ministry philosophy is replicated, and their pastors write nationally recognized books and speak at all the right conferences. We should praise God for such churches.
But there are other churches that are equally worthy of celebrating that do not get the same fanfare. They faithfully preach the gospel, make disciples, and plant churches in relative obscurity. These churches are also worth celebrating.
Consider Crosspoint Church in Clemson, South Carolina. Crosspoint is a nine-year old church plant located adjacent to the campus of Clemson University and is pastored by Ken Lewis, Jeremy Chasteen, and Jason Finley. Year in and year out, this church has committed itself to the task of making disciples and planting churches.
The living vitality of the church has been demonstrated by their sending of missionaries and church planters around the world, from India and Honduras to Greenville, South Carolina. In fact, The Church at Cherrydale, where I pastor was birthed through the ministry of Crosspoint Church. And, on Easter Sunday 2014, The Church at Greer Station will be planted in Greer, South Carolina by The Church at Cherrydale.
Crosspoint Church is having a grandbaby.
This type of fruitfulness is derivative of a number of characteristics that permeate the life of Crosspoint Church:
Disciple-Making Intentionality – Crosspoint is a simple church with a central mission – to make disciples who are consistently growing in the grace of the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Their ministry philosophy infuses the ethos of their church with a passion for multiplication. For example, the staff team of Crosspoint are held accountable to personally investing in relationships with the lost and with younger Christians. When I was on staff, the staff team of approximately a dozen people were personally discipling over 70 people.
Purposeful Prayers – The reproduction of disciples and churches is dependant on the prayers of God’s people. Crosspoint Church is faithful to praying for God to make disciples and plant churches. Fervent prayers for those they have sent mark their church meetings. In the four years since being sent from Crosspoint, the church has been a steady conduit of God’s grace to our church by praying for us during their corporate gatherings and throughout the prayer lives of their people. Few weeks go by when I do not hear from a member of Crosspoint who shares a word of prayer or encouragement.
Sacrificial Giving – Crosspoint allocates resources for the sake of multiplication. Their budget is not constricted by abundant programs, but rather is allocated to external mission. Prior to planting The Church at Cherrydale, Crosspoint allowed me to serve as Family Pastor on their staff while I prepared to plant a church. This season provided time for me to learn and grow and also provided the finances necessary to position my family to plant a church effectively. Since planting, Crosspoint has also given generously to the needs of our church and the churches that we are planting.
Selfless Humility – Many of the best leaders of Crosspoint Church are sent elsewhere. This means that the church is having to consistently train new leaders, fill voids in key ministries, and adjust to transitions of deep friendships. Not only that, but this work often goes unnoticed. The churches they plant do not bear their name and few may even know their affiliation with one another. They humbly allow others to reap the fruit of their labors without jockeying for affirmation or attention.
Genuine Encouragement – Every church planter knows the value of wise counsel and genuine encouragement from respected leaders. While Crosspoint may not host the next church planting conference, the pastors consistently make themselves available to those who would benefit from their wisdom. Their first child, The Church at Cherrydale, and their grandchild, The Church at Greer Station, are both better because of their investment.
Social media needs a steady diet of churches worth celebrating. Crosspoint serves as but one example of a host of God-honoring churches, that God is raising up who faithfully make disciples and plant churches. We long for a day when many more churches would follow in their footsteps.