Crossroads Church KC, Summer 2011 Update

[Crossroads Church Plant]

The last month has been a surprising one in the life of Crossroads
Church.

As you may know, our first and most significant partnership in
downtown Kansas City was with the Arts Incubator, a local nonprofit
dedicated to helping young artists get started in their careers.
Beginning in 2009, our team volunteered at the Incubator, helping to
host events and clean the repurposed, three-story warehouse. Later
that year, the staff at the Incubator invited us to host church
services in their space, and that led to us prayerfully kicking off
our “informal Arts Incubator services” in November 2009.

They had to be informal, because there were 15 of us at the time,
counting kids. And we were very prayerful because we knew we were
breaking every rule in the book about how to gain critical mass and
start a self-sustaining church service.

Now, after a year and a half at the Incubator, God has been gracious,
and our group has grown slowly and steadily to just over 30 adults.
We’re encouraged that these aren’t just faces at a weekly gathering,
but people who are putting down roots downtown, loving their
neighbors, living in community and growing in the gospel. These folks
aren’t just along for the ride.

In this time, our team has become better missionaries to our
community, deepening relationships with not-yet-saved artists and
young professionals. We’ve seen a handful of people who were far from
Jesus come to know him, and we pray that more will follow, as we
persistently sow the gospel.

Last month’s surprise came when the Arts Incubator was shut down due
to fire code violations. Events were canceled and staff and resident
artists were given an involuntary two-week leave of absence while
repairs were carried out. As part of the Incubator community, we found
ourselves without a meeting place.

As unexpected as this was, personally, the greater revelation was that
this had very little impact on Crossroads Church as a whole. While we
prayed for the board members, staff, and residents of the Incubator,
and looked for ways to assist, our community didn’t miss a beat.

Weekly City group meetings (around 12 people) happened as planned, as
our folks continued to live on mission as disciples who Listen, Eat,
Serve, Celebrate and Rest. Core groups (2-4 people) still got together
for prayer and gospel accountability. In fact, we still had services–
the first, with everyone packed into our home for brunch and extended
prayer, the second at a local landmark, Liberty Memorial, for outdoor
singing and preaching.

At the end of each of our worship services, someone sends us on our
way with a phrase coined by one of our leaders, Steven Dragan: “That’s
it...but that’s NOT it–because we’re the church!” I’m privileged to
serve with a bunch of people who see themselves as Jesus’ tribe, a
family of missionaries living a life that extends through every day of
the week.

All this to say, after a long, unintentional media black-out, I’m
checking in to let you know that we’re still here, still happy to be
in downtown Kansas City, and still growing. When I’m tempted to wish
we are growing faster, I remind myself that Jesus commanded his people
to go make disciples, which is a harder but much more glorious task
than filling seats.

Please keep us in your prayers, we trust that God will continue to
surprise us with grace because of them.

Peace,

AJ, Lindsay, Aidan (5), Asher (3), Ezra (1.5) & Miles (3 months)