Did you understand, then, your entrepreneurial gifts?
I would call myself a late bloomer. I have always been inclusive in spirit. I was the one who saw the new kid in school and wanted to reach out. I think that desire to help people feel like they belonged was what allowed the entrepreneurial thing to grow inside of me.
What kind of issues did that core group wrestle with?
We asked a lot of questions centered on relevance. What kind of music do people listen to in their cars? What kind of humor did people watch on television? How does a movie provide a powerful understanding? I think all of those questions revolved around a shared desire never to make assumptions. We do not need everyone to agree with us, but we absolutely need people to know what we are saying. The ultimate sin for Crossroads is to make an assumption. So you will never hear us mention a biblical character without describing who he or she is, or quote a scripture without context, or say, “You know what we believe around here.” Nothing makes you feel more like an outsider than feeling like you don’t know what’s being said in a conversation.
Did the church grow quickly?
Yes and no. There were 11 people in the core group, and as soon as I came, two of them left. I did two breakfasts, two lunches and two coffees a day to try and woo people to the core group. I would chase away three people to every person who came to be a part of the core, and I think that’s where we did things a little differently. If you’re not chasing people away from the vision, then you’re not being clear with the vision. The temptation is to bring together a large crowd right away so you can have some financial security. The tendency is to say things to please people, particularly those who can bring a significant tithe. We understood you couldn’t do that and still maintain crystal clarity about your vision.
And what was at the core of your vision?
We wanted our neighbors and our friends to be able to attend a service without us. We tried to imagine services where it was unnecessary for us to be there to translate or interpret. I should be able to grab someone from a local bar, who would go to a service and get it. To do that, we had to make the service just as winsome as what’s happening in that bar. If it’s not engaging, then something is really wrong because God is the most engaging entity that the universe has ever known.
The congregation grew quickly. How did early success affect you?
In 2001, we moved from a rented facility into our first building. In three months, we doubled our size; in six months, tripled. I was 35 and my marriage was not doing well because the ministry had become an idol to me. I had gained a lot of weight; I was unhealthy. I was sitting in the atrium of a building that was already full and yet felt totally deflated. I sat there and said to God: “What is going on here? What’s next?” All I could see was another campaign to raise more money and build more buildings. And then, if that went well, another campaign. And then another. I told God, “I can’t do this. This is not what I signed up for.” God really birthed in me the vision of the kingdom of God that day. I sensed God saying to me, “If you can take these people and mobilize an army to change the city and bless the world, it’s going to be a game changer.” Everything changed for me that day. It was no longer about the frustrations of finances and buildings but opportunities to mobilize people to change the world.