Four years ago, Crosswalk Community launched its first service on September 25, 2005 under the leadership of John King, along with a launch team of about 25 people. The early days of Crosswalk were full of innovation, experimentation, excitement, challenge and so much more. Those people who were drawn to Crosswalk were primarily young and middle-aged adults who had been away from church for many years, or who had never felt comfortable in a church before. We saw incredible stories of people literally being pulled away from the gates of Hell, and meeting with God in beautiful ways. For those of us who were involved in Crosswalk’s launch team, our view of ministry and outreach was turned upside down. People were drawn to the genuineness and intimacy of Crosswalk Community.
In addition to the countless numbers of people who became saved or re-committed their life to Christ over the course of Crosswalk’s ministry, CrossWalk celebrated 37 baptisms, 26 people joining in church membership, and 21 children dedicated to God.
 One significant vision from Crosswalk’s beginning was to encourage leadership and provide leadership opportunities for young adults in the church. Crosswalk attendees were often given opportunities to pray, share testimonies, give announcements, lead worship, respond to the service, etc. As a result of this focus on leadership opportunities, two Crosswalk couples were released into full-time vocational ministry (Chad and Michelle Wenger and James and Becky Yutzy). In addition, Jeff Gardner took over leadership from John King as the main pastor of Crosswalk, and God has worked significantly in Jeff’s life through this leadership opportunity. We sense that God is calling Jeff into pastoral ministry through his experience at CrossWalk.  We also saw a number of people who came to Christ, or came back to Christ, and are now serving significantly in other churches, especially McBIC.
During the past four years, we also had some major setbacks due to people coming to Christ with gaping wounds and facing various spiritual challenges. We were constantly challenged by the “messiness” of this type of ministry.  Over the past year, due to various factors, Crosswalk has seen a significant decline in attendance. After many months of prayer, discussion, and guidance-seeking, we feel that it is the right thing to do to close Crosswalk Community at the end of this month, August 2009. Recognizing the amazing things that God has done in the lives of those people who have been related to Crosswalk in any way over the past four years, we feel that it is more than fitting to hold a final celebration of God’s work at Crosswalk Community on Sunday evening, September 20th at 6:00 p.m. in the FLC at McBIC.  We would like to invite all those who have attended Crosswalk in the past, as well as those who attend McBIC, or anyone else who has had a significant interest in Crosswalk, to attend this final celebration.
 During this service, we will also be hearing from Jeff Gardner about what God has done personally in his life, and about what new ministry opportunities might be in store for him.  We look forward to this night when we will thank God for the past four years and also look forward to what God may be poised to do.
 We are so thankful for your support over the course of Crosswalk’s ministry, and we are privileged to be able to look back on the past four years with a sense of purpose and gratitude for the work God has done in so many lives.  If you have any questions or would like to follow up with someone about the content of this letter, we invite you to do so.  May God continue to bless you as you follow Christ and become more and more like Him.

Sincerely in Christ,

The Core Team From CrossWalk Community:
John King
Jeff Gardner
Scott Benedict
Erin Conklin
Keenan Knaub
Jill Landers

This applies to people new to Jesus as well as those who have been walking with Him for quite a while. Not only does prayer connect us with God, it connects us with others in the CrossWalk Community, and beyond.

The leadership of CrossWalk is dedicated to seeking God in prayer for all decisions they make. Rather than making plans on our own, and then asking God to bless them, it’s much better to see what God has planned and go there. Regular, consistent prayer helps us to know the will of God so we can act accordingly. Whenever two or more are gathered in His name…

Please be in prayer for what you might be asked by God to share, and for the planning of the service.  Also pray that CrossWalk will experience God’s Favor through increase.  Increase in our ministry, increased influence with those God brings our way, and an increase in numbers of our CrossWalk Family.

I am believing that God desires a real deepening of our walk with Him, as individuals and as members of the CrossWalk Community.

Nathan Eli Landers Baby Dedication

Devin Taylor Baptism

Matthew Taylor Baptism

Clay Harris Baptism

Throughout this Lenten season we’ve been focusing on the theme, “Breaking Free.“  When I reflect on the biblical theme of freedom, I’m reminded of the Israelite bondage in Egypt.  Exodus 1 explains the sorry plight of the Israelites:

Exodus 1:8-14

The Israelites cried out to God in their misery and He sent Moses to be their deliverer.  Moses went before Pharaoh on God’s behalf with the cry, “Let my people go!”  Pharaoh’s obstinacy caused Egypt to have to endure God’s plagues,  In the final plague God’s angel of death took the life of the first born cattle and sons of all the Egyptians.  The Israelites were spared the death of their first born if they took the bollod of a sacrificial lamb and smeared its blood on the top of their doorpost.  When the angel of death saw the blood on the doorpost he would pass over their homs–thus the term Passover.  After the plagues of the first born Pharaoh let God’s people go free.

God delivered the Israelites from Egypt and throughout the Bible God identifies Himself as our deliverer.  Jesus embraced his role as our deliverer in Luke 4 when He quoted the words of the Prophet Isaiah as his mission: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me…He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners…to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

God is our deliverer–He is your deliverer.  Psalm 18:2 says, ”The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock in whom I take refuge.”  And in Psalm 40:17 we read, “Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me.  Your are my help and my deliverer.”  In what arena of your life are you most in need of God’s deliverance this Easter season?  Take some time to lay your need before God and to ask Him for his deliverance in your life.

-Pastor Layne Lebo