Guest Post | Partnership and Preparation – The Cross Church School of Ministry turns Two by Jeff Crawford

Today, RonnieFloyd.com welcomes guest writer, Dr. Jeff Crawford. Dr. Crawford is the President of Cross Church School of Ministry and a Teaching Pastor at Cross Church. 

I’ve seen a disturbing trend in ministry the last 10 to 15 years.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve run across a young man called to ministry, fired up about the Great Commission, but totally uninterested in theological education. The idea of going to seminary just hasn’t crossed his mind. Or of it has, he views it as serving only to slow him down on his path to service in the Kingdom. In more recent years, I’ve even seen this attitude filter down to feelings about even obtaining an undergraduate degree.

I cannot tell you how this breaks my heart. And I get it when it comes to understanding their desire to “get out there” and serve. They have an acute sense that time is running out and thus there is no time to waste. I remember those same thoughts when I graduated from college so many years ago. I remember not being able to stand the thought of another three years of education pursuing an M.Div.  But I did it and am forever glad that I did. In fact, I would even surprise myself to go on and pursue a doctorate.

Education Unlocks Doors

Someone once told me that education is like a key. The more keys you have the more doors you can open. I never wanted to come to a door and not be able to open it.  So I’ve put as many keys on my keychain as possible.

At Cross Church, we have officially entered the arena of ministry preparation. Our Cross Church School of Ministry is now just over two years old. We are actively recruiting out third class of men and women called to ministry. Our goal is simple: To prepare leaders for life, ministry, and Gospel advancement globally. 

A Serious Commitment to Academic Partnerships

God has rewarded our efforts, sending some of the best and brightest next gen leaders to us for a one-year residency in ministry.  From the beginning, we have viewed what we do not as a competition but a compliment to traditional theological preparation.  We have been serious about this commitment.  So serious in fact, that we have worked very hard to establish partnerships with five of our six Southern Baptist Seminaries plus a compliment of colleges and universities; fifteen academic partnerships in all.  I’ve not gone deep on this, but I believe we may be the ONLY ministry training program to have secured this level of partnership with such a variety of institutions.

The reason for such a commitment? We are serious about training for ministry. Not only do we want the privilege of recruiting men and women for the Cross Church School of Ministry from our partner institutions, we fully work to push our graduates back to them for the best in theological education.

Are You Equipped to Unlock Doors?

So here is an observation two years into all of this: Very few of the men and women who have come to us had any intention of pursuing graduate level work in a seminary after finishing our program. But by the end of their year with us, without exception, ALL of them have concrete plans to engage in one of our partner schools. Without exception.

Why? Because we have them for a full year. Because during that year we are able to pour into them the seriousness of the call. And we are able to emphasize the seriousness of good preparation.

Our partner institutions believe in what we are doing so much that they have all granted academic credit toward degree completion just for being with the Cross Church School of Ministry for one year.

I have listed these dynamic partnerships below and you can learn more by visiting our website: http://www.crosschurchschool.com/about/partnerships/

Because we are partnered together, students are able to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. And once they finish their time with us and all of a sudden have as much as 21 hours toward a Master of Divinity… common sense, and a call to put another key on the key ring all of a sudden becomes irresistible.

The result – better prepared men and women serving in the Kingdom. And that’s the point.

Dr. Jeff Crawford

President, Cross Church School of Ministry
Teaching Pastor, Cross Church
@JeffCraw4d
@CCSchoolofMin