This Week at Cross Church | Dear Cross Church Family
1,122. Some might simply see that as a number. At Cross Church, we count numbers because people are numbers, and they count. The number 1,122 especially counts, as that is the number of people we saw come to Christ and be baptized last year! Each of us, through our prayers, service, and giving have had a part in that number.
Cross Church Family, it has been an incredible year! Our people have been all over our region, country, and world sharing the love of Christ with those who don’t know Him. Our children’s and youth ministry teams have impacted thousands of young lives with the gospel message, shaping and molding the next generation of Christian men and women. Our adult and family ministries continue to pour into the men and women that are shaping the culture for Christ.
Cross Church Family, we know this season of holidays, as wonderful as they are, can be costly. As you financially plan for the holidays and the final eight weeks of 2014, please accept this challenge: ensure that you have honored God the Father by giving Him at least one-tenth of all He has given to you this year. We want to challenge you to ask yourself: how has the Lord blessed me through bonuses, dividends, and other ways?
The Bible teaches us that God doesn’t need our money; rather, He wants what our money represents: our priorities and ministry passions. Therefore, in the final weeks and days of 2014, join us in making a statement of gratitude, purpose, and faith by reviewing your 2014 earnings and giving accordingly. Your end-of-year contributions to the Cross Church ministry budget ensure a sturdy financial path is constructed for 2015.
One creative way to give a special gift is to donate stock directly to the Church. Stocks often increase substantially in value over time. If you have been one of the beneficiaries of this, consider contributing some of your stock rather than cash to the Church. Such gifts usually result in significant benefits for both the contributor and the Church (in addition to God’s blessings).
As we look toward 2015, hopeful and expectant, we thank the Lord for all He has done at and through Cross Church in 2014. It is our prayer that 2014 has only been a taste of what is to come. We need each of you to pray and give toward this end.
In advance, we thank you, for we know you will honor God and help Cross Church reach Northwest Arkansas, America, and the world for Jesus Christ.
Andy Wilson Ben Mayes
Executive Leader of Ministry & Operations Executive Leader of Finance & Shiloh
P.S. Don’t forget you can simply and securely give your tithes and offerings through Cross Church’s website at crosschurch.com/give.
Israel 2015
Have you ever wanted to see the Holy Land? Walk where Jesus walked, see what He saw, and experience the journey yourself. More information, including the trip itinerary and registration, can be found here. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to visit Israel with Pastor Floyd and Jeana! November 21 is the deadline to sign up in order to ensure your air travel is with the group!
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
Guest Post: 5 Ways for Your Church to Reach College Students
Today, RonnieFloyd.com welcomes guest bloggers Dr. Nick Floyd and Noe Garcia. Nick is a Teaching Pastor at Cross Church, and Noe is College Pastor at Cross Church’s Fayetteville Campus.
We love the opportunity to do ministry in a college town. Our church is located 5 minutes away from the University of Arkansas, which is home to around 26,000 students. God has opened the door for us to reach hundreds of college students on a weekly basis. For almost four years, we have intentionally made an investment of sowing the gospel with this large group of people. Here are five ways that we have seen God use our church to reach college students.
- Unashamedly evangelistic. We are constantly confronting students with the reality of their sin and the grace of Jesus Christ. We have met them on their turf, having a constant presence on the campus that is led by our students. Each week at our college Bible study, we give people an opportunity to respond to Jesus. By His grace, we regularly see lives changed.
- Intentional with relationships. We wholeheartedly hold to the principle that ministry is all about people. Our college staff is rarely in the office because they are constantly out meeting one-on-one with students. Allow opportunities for college students to build relationships with one another, with church staff, and with others in the church. Small groups for students have been a priority for us and will always continue to be.
- Willing to let them own the ministry. In Scriptural terms, this is simply a call to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. We have seen that when we help students find their gifting and help them to see how that plays into the Kingdom of God, future leaders are born. It is our goal to send these students out into their future local churches as leaders from the day they arrive.
- Focused on multi-generational mentorship. Whether you believe it or not, college students crave mentorship and discipleship from older believers. It is a constant task for us to keep up with the number of students who are requesting to be mentored by someone in the church. We have made a conscious effort to place them into the life of the church and not separate them as their own congregation. We want them sitting next to a 70 year-old one service and holding a one year-old during the next service in the nursery. We want them to hear about being a parent or grandparent, not only applications to life as a college student. We feel this has been extremely valuable.
- Prayer. Honestly, you can take the other four and throw them out the window. Prayer has been the foundation of everything we have seen take place. For 28 years, Pastor Floyd has prayed that Cross Church would be able to reach the University of Arkansas and other local campuses. Prayer has been a focus within the ministry, even enlisting college students to lead our college prayer team. God can do more through prayer than we can by action.
By no means are we experts on college ministry. Most of the time, it feels like we are simply riding the wave of God’s activity rather than being good at ministry. We are amazed each week at what God has chosen to do. We hope the above principles can help you and your church reach college students in your city.
Nick Floyd Noe Garcia
Teaching Pastor, Cross Church College Pastor, Cross Church
@nickfloyd8 @ngarcia0802
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.