Measuring Growth
As Cross Point has grown I’ve had to listen to the uninformed critics often claim that “we’re a mile wide and an inch deep.” It’s always seemed funny to me that people automatically assume that a growing church must also be a church that is somehow watering down the Gospel.
I’m part of a small team here at Cross Point which is studying spiritual formation. We are more committed then ever before to helping people become radically devoted to Christ. We’re asking questions like…
-How do you measure spiritual growth?
-What practices do we need to encourage among our attendees to develop sustained spiritual growth?
-What expectations should the church have for people when it comes to them becoming more like Christ?
I’m discovering it’s a lot easier to measure attendance and offering than matters of the heart and that’s probably why we’re often tempted to measure our church’s success based on those two factors.
While we’ve got a long way to go and spiritual formation cannot be solely measured by our desire to serve our neighbors in need, it certainly can be a sign of health.
Most of you are familiar with the text in Matthew often referred to as the Great Commandment.
Matthew 22: 36“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
I’ve been amazed at the national attention Cross Point has received for simply loving their neighbors over the past week. Our church has caught the eye of the local press, national talk shows, CNN, and I even heard Senator Lamar Alexander on the news thanking Cross Point on the Senate floor yesterday for our service to the community of Nashville.
I believe a church or any organization for that matter will see what it’s really made up of in moments of crisis and pressure. I’m very proud watching how Cross Point is responding in the middle of one of the greatest tragedies our city has ever faced.
If this is what a mile wide and an inch deep looks like, than you can call me shallow any day!
Besides serving what attitudes and actions do you think the church should be looking for when measuring spiritual growth?
47 Comments:
I’ve alwasy thought about crime rate. I have no proof or evidence, but I would think that if a church is helping promote Christ’s love throughout the community, then the crime rate would drop.
Michael´s last blog ..Not Getting A Good Game Pat
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Michael
5:23 am
I am at a small church… really small… and I feel the other side of this from time to time. I wonder, “If we aren’t growing, does that mean that God is NOT working?” I desire growth, but I want it to be for the right reasons.
Having followed your blog for a little while now, I feel that you are seeing growth for the right reasons. Growth, not just for growth’s sake, but possibly because this is a place where people have come because, simply, God has brought them.
To throw in my two cents on the question, I think that Peter puts it well in his epistle when he talks about growing in faith, knowledge, goodness, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly love, love… (did I skip one?). But each of those lead to a whole slew of new questions. So, I guess I haven’t really answered you at all.
Mr. Harmless´s last blog ..a minor accomplishment with a fizzle
[Reply]
Pete Wilson Reply:
May 11th, 2010 at 8:06 am
Don’t ever question God’s work through you even though your church is small. I grew up in a very small church that had a tremendous impact on my life and calling.
I think your Peter reference is right on!
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Mr. Harmless
5:43 am
Our church is talking about spiritual growth right now and his stance is it’s not about what you do or what you know but about how much faith we have. I think we would see that when we see people doing exactly what God asks of them. That can manifest itself in small ways, mundane ways or big, crazy ways. No way to put a measuring stick to that if you ask me!
Amy´s last blog ..Happy Mother’s Day
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Amy
5:45 am
good stuff, Pete.
how about this?: are folks evidencing growth via the Holy Spirit that indicates that they are not simply becoming replications of a few key leaders? do they evidence a direct relationship with Christ and not one that is mediated (inappropriately) by other people?
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Pete Wilson Reply:
May 11th, 2010 at 8:07 am
I think we lack a focus on the role the Holy Spirit plays in this transformation at Cross Point. We need a greater focus on this.
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John Ireland
6:04 am
I think those who say that about your growing church are jealous. Most of them will think they are a mile deep… but really, they’re a country club. Some aren’t, but those who criticize those working and showing the love of Jesus to the world around them are NOT following Jesus’ commands.
How to measure spiritual growth? Jesus said, “If you love me, obey my commandments.” — how do you measure that without it becoming legalistic? I think it’s going to be found in relationships. I think it will be seen in service to fellow man — the difference from the world being that we’re doing this because we love Jesus and He loves you and we want you to know him as opposed to, you need help, I’m here to help.
All that to say… hard to measure matters of the heart, Pete. Really hard.
Faye Bryant´s last blog ..Plan B Book Review
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Faye Bryant
6:09 am
Spiritual Growth is a tough thing. We can promote it. We can admonish people to experience it. But in the end the individual has to choose to subject themselves to the process of growing in Christ.
I am reminded often of the OT prophets. They would complain about the message. They would complain about how people reacted/responded to the message. Then God would respond to their complaints with the following paraphrased admonition: Don’t worry about how the people react…follow and obey me and allow me (God) to work.
Often times we get so caught up in what we deem to be measurements of success that we miss God’s leading.
The outpouring of relief work that Cross Point has been involved in is an amazing thing. It is God’s love in action. It is awesome. Lives will be transformed. Spiritual growth will occur in the lives of some of the participants.
Keep on, keeping on. Seek God first. Growth will follow. Seek God first. God’s work will be accomplished.
In the end, it is not about measurements, it is all about God.
Dusty Rayburn´s last blog ..Give Thanks
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Dusty Rayburn
6:09 am
25For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”[a]made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
Phil Chalos´s last blog ..Welcome to TrinityEnergy.com
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Phil Chalos
6:17 am
2 Corinthians 4:5For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”[a]made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
Phil Chalos´s last blog ..Welcome to TrinityEnergy.com
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Phil Chalos
6:18 am
Well said, Pete! Kudos on developing real spiritual growth that has manifested itself so powerfully in the past week or so.
Those are great questions your team is asking — if you come up with good ideas for how to measure and intentionally foster spiritual growth and good expectations for folks in your church, do let us know!! — Larry @ltbaxter
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Pete Wilson Reply:
May 11th, 2010 at 8:08 am
You bet Larry. I hope we can share out study with lots of churches.
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Larry Baxter
6:31 am
I don’t have a lot of thoughts about this, but I’m struggling with something similar at my own church. We started a contemporary service, but the leaders, who are older, don’t seem to have their whole heart into it. They’ve been heard saying they don’t like this type of service (meaning contemporary worship.) They seem to be afraid that it’s not “church” and is just fluff instead even though the same message is brought. So I would love to hear more of your thoughts on this.
Amy Nabors´s last blog ..Project Life: April 19 – May 9, 2010
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Amy Nabors
6:34 am
Count the growth in your small group communities. That seems to be an area where the ‘inch deepers’ would agree that if people are in community, and using the Scripture as text and teaching, then spiritual growth will naturally follow, singularly and on the whole.
Remind the ‘inch deepers’ that the first church added 5000 men the very first day. Good news, churches modeled after the church in Acts are BIG.
And then after that, they met in homes, and they grew in the Lord. Push small groups, over and over. And then count it.
[Reply]
Pete Wilson Reply:
May 11th, 2010 at 8:09 am
Totally agree Woody. The only numerical goals we’ve ever set as a church are in the area of community groups.
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woody
6:37 am
I couldn’t resist commenting today~ i stumbled onto your blog and also the crosspoint church blog because of reading Stuff Christians Like. Your church was mentioned on that blog and I decided to check it out. To be honest- when I saw your hair and your jeans:) I thought- wow, another shallow seeker church. then i listened to one of the sermons online- it was the series you did on fear a year ago- 15 minutes in i was crying because it was exactly what i needed to hear. after that i started downloading podcasts from crosspoint all the time. All that to say- people can think what they want- but if they took time to check out the ministry of crosspoint, they would see Christ in it.
Thanks for your ministry!
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julie
6:52 am
Pete… Awesome question!
In your book you mention the lack of transformed lives within the church.
How do you measure the transformation of a life? Somebody has to be involved with the individual to know where someone was at and see where they are going. I think that is why big churches get bad raps about shallowness – it is just too hard for everybody to be involved with everybody else’s lives. And it is so tempting to hold a Jesus measuring stick against a church-goers life and think they should be higher on the scale than they are if you aren’t invested in their lives.
So, I think that one way you can look at your church and ask, are there people who are investing themselves in the lives of smaller groups? Could you go to them and ask if they are seeing transformation in the lives that they are investing in.
But, that is not to say that the general body gets out of the question. Take those people who are investing in the smaller group’s lives and empower them to biblically challenge those that they are investing in… not beat them up but train them on how to disciple.
Want to know how well your church is doing spiritually? Ask the body 3 questions:
What do you believe? (Worldview)
Why do you believe it? (Apologetics)
How are you living it? (Application)
Every day we answer those 3 questions in the decisions we make. Are we being shaped by Christ or by the world around us?
Tony York´s last blog ..Are You a Coward?
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Pete Wilson Reply:
May 11th, 2010 at 8:10 am
Thank Tony. Brilliant.
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Tony York
7:05 am
Yes the constant thought that if a church is growing they must be watered down is hitting us here in Ohio as well. It is born out of a very narrow view of who God is and who can be called a Christian. And yes, it is born out of jealousy by stagnant churches that aren’t willing to do whatever it takes to further the Kingdom in the very short time they have on this earth.
I think the best way to measure growth is by the fruits of the Spirit you see in those who are a part of the discipleship making process at your church. We are all trees and if we produce bad fruit, he has no use for us, if produce good fruit, we are like him.
I visited CP last month and see nothing about it that would produce bad fruit if people plug in. I pray for you guys and love that a great church is being known for what they are FOR rather than what they are AGAINST.
Thank you for serving.
Matt Hafer´s last blog ..We found the Ark!! (I guess??)
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Matt Hafer
7:05 am
I’ve been a Christian for 25 years and in some great churches, but I’m telling ya, Pete, none have focused so much on personal spiritual growth as CP. While other churches are focusing on the Second Coming, CP focuses on the now–which is where we happen to be. I’ve been challenged by CP messages to the point of being annoyed. LOL But every week, I’m pushed to dig a little deeper and get a little closer to God. Anyone who thinks CP is shallow hasn’t listened and watched this church in action. I feel so blessed to be part of such an amazing fellowship!
[Reply]
Sally
7:17 am
I just know that I’ve grown so much since I started attending Cross Point. It is not that I am so much better about getting into the Bible or reciting verses but I feel different, I love different.
I have never been so proud to be a part of something as I am to be a part of the body of Christ at Crosspoint. Thank you for leading us as we work to feel the inevitable gap between who we are and who God created us to be.
Lindsey Nobles´s last blog ..Hitting the Wall
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Lindsey Nobles
7:44 am
I can’t help but to think about our beautiful oceans when I was reading your words. Even the oceans have shallow parts — the safe places people can come and discover what the water is like. Kind of like when a church like yours (and ours) does outreach. There is nothing deeply spiritual about moon bounces and face painting but it helps people come and discover and question, “Maybe I would like to find out more about this church.” Then they take their first steps in…they might even desire more.
That very same ocean also has deep parts filled with life and things we can’t even imagine and might not ever get to experience if we don’t explore. Just like your church, if anyone desires more they can explore and discover a deepness to faith they never knew existed.
Shallow parts. Think about it. How scarey it would be for so many without them.
Lisa A.´s last blog ..Cookie Cutter Words – Part I
[Reply]
Pete Wilson Reply:
May 11th, 2010 at 8:11 am
Wow! I’m so stealing this as my own.
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Bryan McGee Reply:
May 11th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
I was just talking with our creative team about this illustration recently.
We live on the coast and I have always loved this illustration of the ocean. At the beach we see people on shore enjoying the smell of the ocean and the sea breeze without getting wet. After a while, they dip their toes in the water. Then they may wade out waste deep. Others paddle out deeper and play in the surf. Still others jump in a boat and ride out to deep water to dive down deep. And then there was Jacques Cousteau. He ventured into the unknown and saw beautiful life unknown to the rest of mankind. So, he found a way to bring it back to us and pique out curiosity drawing us to go deeper. But we all start out sitting on the shore unsure of whether or not it is safe to get in.
I’m actually talking about this in the message this Sunday.
Bryan McGee´s last blog ..Praying for Nashville
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Lisa A.
7:57 am
We’re dealing with this at our church as well. Beyond the numbers, how do we know if we are truly becoming more healthy? Dancing monkeys will draw a crowd, but they won’t change anyone’s life. How do we know that life change is taking place? I think that the fruit thing is most definitely true. Are people becoming more like Jesus in the things that they say, think and do. Love is the big one for me. Are the people who I worship with loving God and loving one another more or less? Are we reaching out to one another and the community in love more or less? Is there a desire to love more or love less? Since God is love, are we becoming more like Him or less like Him in our love for Him and others?
[Reply]
Shawn Cornett
7:59 am
I believe it was Perry Noble that said, “You’re only as deep as the last person you loved.”
So true.
Salamun´s last blog ..Music Monday: Outlaw Country Playlist
[Reply]
Salamun
8:09 am
Pete, I had the privilege of tearing out the inside of a house with folks from your church yesterday. Lance, out team leader, is a stud. He gave direction gently, motivated us occasionally, encouraged us often and ministered to the family we were serving by just hearing their story and empathizing.
If Lance and the rest of our team are any indication of the depth of disciples at Crosspoint, man, whatever you’re doing (whatever God is doing through you) is working.
Shaun Groves´s last blog ..This Is Nashville
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Pete Wilson Reply:
May 11th, 2010 at 8:12 am
You have no idea how much that means to me coming from you Shaun!
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Shaun Groves
8:10 am
I’m ministering in another church in the Nashville area, and would like to say God bless you Pete and all of Cross Point.
Jacob´s last blog ..What Happens If . . .
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Jacob
8:32 am
Mr. Harmless hit a home run on his reply. Those in smaller churches feel the pressure of, “God isn’t moving, the church isn’t growing” and the bigger church feels the pressure of, “The people aren’t learning, the church is growing too fast.”
Critics criticize. Remember that our goal is to only please Christ and do His will. If God be for us, who can be against us!
As far as measuring spiritual growth this is something our church (250) has been pondering on the last month. Why are we doing what we’re doing, are we changing lives, what can we do better, what should we drop?
Pete, if you come up w/ a good way to measure..let us know!!
For us (granted we have a small church where it’s easy to measure) but we look at changed lives. Do the leaders in our ministries have great stories of lives being changed?
Jason Williams´s last blog ..Bringing them to the table or to your seat?
[Reply]
Jason Williams
8:40 am
Pete, we are wrestling with the same questions/issues at our church. We hear the same critics. One thing that has occurred to me, having grown up in a traditional Baptist setting, where spiritual growth was a high priority (and where many critics arise), is that I really couldn’t identify much greater spiritual growth there than I can now in our church.
This is especially true when comparing apples to apples. The fact is that we, like Cross Point I’m sure, do not have a ton of people who have been in church all their life, and have sat through thousands of sermons, dozens of Bible studies, etc. The largest ratio in our church are people who are new to church, new to faith, and still trying to figure what a life with Christ means. That combined with the fact that we are a large church means we still have a lot of messy stories of people that are just learning to put their faith into practice, while living many of their former ways.
I’m proud that many of our new believers and those who are still exploring the beginnings of a God relationship, are discovering that the work of a Christian is first and foremost to love. The structure of our church, like Cross Point, is very serving oriented, so they have practical ways to express their faith. They are still learning what it means to be “mature”, but in the meantime, they are sharing the love of Christ!
Ron Edmondson´s last blog ..8 Reminders for Granting True Forgiveness
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Ron Edmondson
8:50 am
Pete I agree with you that the only number that should really be focused on is community groups. I think that is where this spiritual formation really takes the heart through transformation. Dont get me wrong, your preaching is amazing and i love to listen to it. But the real transformation of the heart, i feel happens in small groups. I am a big proponent of hating the numbers game. But i do think it is essential to know that there is life change going on in your church outside of the walls of the church building. I have been hearing about Crosspoint and I live in northwest indiana. So whatever God is doing through you, it is impacting the lives of your attenders and they are passing it along throughout your community.
Brendon Foulke´s last blog ..Quick Question #7
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Brendon Foulke
8:54 am
Wow…”a mile wide and an inch deep”?
I’ve been in churches where people are pushed out because they didn’t wear the right clothes or they had a son with autism. That’s an inch deep.
I’ve been in churches where the pastor keeps a list of the sins that people confess to him and then if they don’t volunteer for a particular ministry or decide to leave the church he confronts them with that list and questions their commitment to Jesus. That’s an inch deep.
I’ve been in churches where a pastor won’t say the word “stripper” much less minister to one. That’s an inch deep.
If someone calls Cross Point “a mile wide and an inch deep” then they obviously don’t know what a church is supposed to be. Believe me, if I thought you fit that description, we wouldn’t be members and I certainly wouldn’t be praising you on Twitter or your blog or anywhere else.
Jason´s last blog ..Countdown to Blue Ridge: 5 days to go…
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Jason
8:56 am
Good Post, I have no insights into this today as I am running on the fumes of response to need. I am happy to let those who enjoy understanding the depths of meaning be the leaders in this discussion. I am also happy that Cross Point takes those who step forward and has the structure in place to send us where we can help. I love how you lead Pastor Pete and it has been my great reward to be blessed by Cross Point and the staff. Thank you.
[Reply]
Lance Lockhart
9:00 am
One thing I’ve seen as a catapult of widespread spiritual growth in a church is when the body really prays together. It’s like the rest of the “practices” that are definite signs of spiritual growth then naturally follow: community, serving, loving each other and those who are not part of the church, personal disciplines, etc.
Practically speaking, I’ve seen that manifest in specifically dedicated nights of prayer that start occasionally and become more regular. And then also during regular services… For example, having all the people affected by the flood or that the message specifically spoke to stand or come to the front and then having anyone who wants to come surround them as we pray over them…Having a staff guided prayer with some time for prayer in groups too.
In every instance I’ve ever seen a staff and church come together to pray together, God has most definitely made his presence know as well as both grown and used the people. Oh yeah, and he answered too. And the more it occurred corporately, the more God worked and changed people.
[Reply]
Dena Williams
9:06 am
Pete, I’ve almost drowned in the spiritual depths of some of the servants that are at Cross Point and I’ve also walked along the banks getting my feet wet with others. The awesome news is no matter which, they were always willing to take my hand and go deeper to help those in need. I don’t think you can measure growth but you know it when it is real and growth at Cross Point is real.
[Reply]
Warren
9:11 am
Spiritual growth isn’t learning more and more about God, it is being more and more like God. To learn something is one thing, but growth occurs in action. This church is loving people and building community like nothing I’ve ever been a part of before.
[Reply]
Pete Wilson Reply:
May 11th, 2010 at 11:43 am
Well said Brian. I can often get those two things confused. Good reminder.
[Reply]
Brian
9:34 am
Wow..the ocean post was incredible. I needed the shallow part when I first started coming. I came pretty skeptical and hurt and untrusting. Now I owe the vast majority of my spiritual healing and growth this past year and a half to Cross Point. Obviously whoever said “a mile wide and an inch deep” had absolutely no idea what they were saying. Thank you for challenging me to be not only be a better man but to fall into deeper love with our Father. There is something very VERY special going on at Cross Point
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Matt Price
9:42 am
My husband noticed someone at the Dickson campus that he knows from his business. He spoke with them after the service and asked how long they had been attending. This person said about four weeks and I just have to let you know that this place is the real thing. He said…it’s just so real isn’t it? I think that’s pretty deep for only four weeks.
[Reply]
Pete Wilson Reply:
May 11th, 2010 at 11:43 am
Love it.
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Lisa
9:52 am
Some think that because they receive less personal attention as their church grows, that means their church is becoming shallow and less concerned for the spiritual growth of it’s members. I hear stuff like, “I’m not being fed like I used to”, and ‘the pastor’s too busy to care about me now”, etc.
For those that criticize Cross Point on this basis, I ask who is more shallow, a church that chooses to suck up to it’s memnbers by stroking their insecurities (to keep them around), or a church that is relentless in it’s persuit of it’s ordained mission?
Just sounds to me like somebody got their feelings hurt.
[Reply]
Bill Renfrew
9:53 am
James 4:10 (New International Version)
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up
This verse come to mind when i think of Crosspoint.
I am so proud to know many of the Christ followers at this church and am always amazing at the selfless acts this body is doing in the name of Jesus. He is lifting you up because you dont hesitate to focus on him and you respond when he calls.
The vision has not wavered since the church began a few years ago – “To continue to grow as a community of believers radically devoted to Christ, irrevocably committed to one another and relentlessly dedicated to reaching those outside God’s family with the Gospel of Christ.”
Love this body of believers and what you are doing to show the rest of the world what the true meaning of church is.
thank you Crosspoint!
[Reply]
Rob Poznanski
10:51 am
meant to have “Amazed” in there, not Amazing….
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Rob Poznanski
10:53 am
For me, a great place to start is the fruit of the Spirit!
Kevin M.´s last blog ..3 ways to experience joy in our lives
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Pete Wilson Reply:
May 11th, 2010 at 11:41 am
Yep!
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Kevin M.
11:05 am
For me, community is one of the best ways to measure spiritual growth, but it’s often intangible so it gets overlooked. It’s often in community settings when people get to open up their heart and talk about how their heart has changed through the ministry they have have received at Cross Point. There have been a few occasions in our community group when I’ve been able to share examples from my own life when I had a chance to respond to life situations one way, but my heart had been changed due largely to the ministry I’ve received there, so my response was different. You can’t always necessarily measure that, but it’s invaluable.
Grant Jenkins´s last blog ..Confessions Of A People Pleaser (Guest blog by Stephen Brewster)
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Grant Jenkins
11:44 am
Sadly, I think the reason we assume that large churches have watered down the Gospel is because many have (and their numbers have grown because of it). And when ministry costs money (which invariably it does), how do you determine which ministries get your limited funding unless you look at the “numbers?”
I’m absolutely in agreement with you, I’m just struggling with the logistics of making the “institutional” church work without focusing on the numbers at least to some extent. And maybe the answer is to decentralize the “institution,” but how do you make _that_ work? Pooling the funds and having the semi-corporate structure has its uses (including, but not limited to, tax advantages)…but is that the most important thing?
No answers here.
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Princess Leia
1:16 pm
I’ve been reading your blog for over two years now and I read it every day without fail? Why? Because you and your church put Jesus first and love in action. The depth of the spiritual maturity was never more evident than the more than 2,000 Crosspoint people helping people – their own and others in their community – during this 1,000 yr flood crisis. And I know it’s not over, and while national attention dies down, and the spotlight is off, I know – I KNOW – that Crosspoint will continue to assist people and its church family in the aftermath. THAT type of spiritual maturity isn’t found in ‘inch-deep’ churches. Every post, every sentence, is geared toward ‘how do I grow, how do we grow as a church spiritually’? It’s in your messages, on your blog, and is showing up in big ways in the last few days during this flooding and its aftermath. Praying for Crosspoint and the many, many people affected by the floods. And, praying for the critics that God would touch their hearts, soften it so that they could see what we’re seeing in this love and faith in action in helping others during this crisis.
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Vicki
1:31 pm
Pete, regarding mile-wide-inch-deep; the church has developed criticism into a high art. Cutting your brothers and sisters to the quick and feeling oh-so-superior while doing it often passes for piety. And it is a tragedy.
RE: Spiritual formation – have you read the report that came out of Willow a few years back after they discovered they we’re not where they wanted to be? The name of the report escapes me – but I thought perhaps it might be helpful to check out.
[Reply]
Mike in Milwaukee Reply:
May 11th, 2010 at 4:21 pm
Found the link – it was called REVEAL.
http://www.revealnow.com/
[Reply]
Pete Wilson Reply:
May 11th, 2010 at 7:35 pm
Read the report a couple years ago Mike. It was very insightful. I need to get it out again though and review it.
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Mike in Milwaukee
1:34 pm
I love this post. I think the measure of a deep church is simple: service. When do we look more like Christ than when we serve? What you guys have done in the last week has been a beautiful picture of that. Service=sacrifice, and sacrifice is not shallow. Christ is growing in us when his love and heart for people is growing in us. When this happens, we can’t help but serve. It’s natural. I think this is a perfect evidence of spiritual depth.
Again, I think what you all have done, and what many similar churches have done to affect their community, is an irrefutable answer to those types of critics.
Morgan´s last blog ..Thoughts on Easter.
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Morgan
2:30 pm
Pete,
As fate would have it, I was back in Nashville for a Vanderbilt conference the weekend the storm hit. I flew out Sunday morning and just missed the emergency flooding.
As a former “Cross Pointer”, I have not been surprised by Cross Point’s overwhelming response to this disaster. In fact, I have been extremely proud. You were nearly as tall as Anderson Cooper, which tells me he is much shorter than I had initially appreciated.
I recall gathering in the “cafetorium” at Gower Elementary during the early days of Cross Point Church and it was abundantly clear to me that this was a genuine church body that understood Christ-centered living. If I am not mistaken, the only “numeric” goal that Cross Point has ever had, was to get at least 80% of regular attenders and members to participate in “small groups”. Why? Because that is where real life change occurs. It is not just the “holy huddle” gathering on Sunday mornings.
Now, Cross Point has grown exponentially from when I first attended in the summer of 2003. But, by “keeping the Main Thing, the Main Thing”, Cross Point has been able to achieve a most difficult task: 1. Be a place that is open/welcoming to seekers, and 2. Be a church that promotes in-depth growth through the gospel.
In short, I believe that the success of Cross Point is because the leadership cares very little about promoting “Cross Point”. Rather, they are committed to reaching the lost, serving Christ and serving one another.
MIss you guys…
Nate VZ´s last blog ..Things I forgot…
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Nate VZ
7:38 pm
I have been reading your blog for quite some time now.. I told somebody the other day “If I lived near Nashville, Crosspointe is definitely the place I would be!” Why? Because just reading your wife’s and your blog, I can tell you are “real” and you also inspire me! Don’t let the negatives get to you!
[Reply]
Hayley
8:14 pm
what i’ve loved most about the opportunities i’ve had to connect with crosspoint is the authentic faith that i’ve found there. the crosspoint family loves God and loves people, and y’all do it well. i value that so much!
alece´s last blog ..a different take on boundaries
[Reply]
alece
12:16 am
I’m very proud of my bro/sis at Crosspoint!
The first few things that come to mind (and just to be clear, I’m NOT referring to Crosspoint here.. just reflecting on previous experiences):
1. Are the leaders still spiritual “hungry” themselves (and encouraged to be so)? They’d still be in the “faith” sweet spot of having the spiritual whitespace to be led.
2. Are people more energized by being known or knowing others and spending time with “regular” folk?
3. Spiritual growth can be seen through the vitality of small groups. This may not be “glamorous”, but I think it reflects whether faith is being experienced at a personal level between believers (not just corporate).
Keep goin’ Pete! Keep up your heart for the message of Plan B!
Faith Barista | Bonnie´s last blog ..When We Try To Kill Our Stories: Contest Results & Reflection
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Faith Barista | Bonnie
1:55 am
I always get a kick out of people offering this kind of criticism. Hybels and Warren have been getting this stuff for years and the truth is many of the members in these so-called “meaty” churches couldn’t be a member at Willow or Saddleback. They wouldn’t qualify. It’s almost as if these critics think that there are a bunch of un-churched people sitting out there thinking that if only some church would just make them comfortable and not really challenge them then they will all flock to that church. The truth is, they go where there is life change. The reason there is life change there is because your church as well as the aforementioned are guided by the Spirit to be relevant. You communicate challenge in an understandable way. If all it took to grow a church really large was to dress casual, give out coffee, and sing the right music then my church as well as thousands of others would be mega churches. It takes spiritual transformation. You should be commended for your commitment to the right stuff. Keep it up!!
[Reply]
Rusty Williams
7:59 am
I think a good indicator whether or not those that have been around a while and are serving others are leading others to do the same.
Tiffany´s last blog ..Update: Next Step for the Pierce Family
[Reply]
Tiffany
10:16 am
Two things that have influenced me as it relates to spiritual formation are…
(This is my words of his teachings:) )
First, my pastor teaches that the more we spend time with someone, the better we get to know them. I will know more about my wife in spending 1 hour with her than reading a million books about her. It’s the same with God. The church, by enlarge, fills us with information and tells us to get more information. But that information will not draw us closer to God, only being with God will draw us closer. That’s where spiritual disciplines come in.
The second is I took a class called “Spiritual Formation”(not that I’m an expert). In the class, we discussed moments where we were shaped by God. Not from our doing, but when God revealed Himself to us. And spiritual disciplines are moments we enter into that allow God to continue to shape us. George Foster, John Ortberg, Dallas Willard have insightful writings on spiritual disciplines. Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun is a good book that we used in class.
Here is my pastors blog for more about his thoughts. “I’m Going to Puke” might be a good read about these thoughts
[Reply]
Jay
7:49 am
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