The Church: Cross Pointe Community Church
The Challenge: Reach out to the community in an unintimidating way with the love of Jesus
One Key Idea: Partner with other local churches to demonstrate unity in Jesus, not division by denomination
Cross Pointe Community Church doesn’t have the biggest congregation in the area, says Beth Newborn. Despite the size, the church was able to bring area churches together as one community for one afternoon.
The division sometimes seen within the church, among different congregations or denominations, was nonexistent. The unity of these churches coming together to serve took some by surprise.
“[People who came] were really shocked how all the churches came together,” says Newborn. “It was very unintimidating for people, because there was no one pushing some kind of agenda.”
Cross Pointe Community Church, a congregation of approximately 175 people in Aragon, Ga., hosted the “Day of Fellowship and Outreach” event June 8, 2013, and invited other churches in the Rockmart area to join.
“We just wanted to do a community outreach event—not for a membership drive or a time to take donations,” says Gary Diggs, Cross Pointe Community Church pastor. “We just wanted to let our community know that there’s help, hope and healing in Jesus.”
The group of churches arranged a family-friendly event in Seaborn Jones Park in nearby downtown Rockmart, a 30-minute drive northeast of Atlanta. While gently used summer clothing was handed out, volunteers cooked up hot dogs and provided live entertainment—complete with clowns, drama and live music.
“We’re not out here to promote a membership drive,” says Terry Sizemore, a Cross Point Community Church administrator. “We invite you, of course, but we’re just trying to share the love for people that Jesus lives inside us. It doesn’t have to be anything big. We just wanted to do something simple.”
Al Laird, the clothing drive coordinator, encourages Christians to meet people where they are and when necessary provide a helping hand.
“You take care of their needs first,” says Laird. “Then you create other opportunities to talk about Jesus.”