Jerry Harris Senior Pastor
The Crossing Quincy, Ill.
A 2013 Outreach 100 Church
TURNING POINTS
The turning point for our church really has two parts. The first part that turned us was our response to our location. We are in a micropolitan community steeped in tradition. Our approach was to be countercultural from a religious perspective, focusing on the 80 percent who were unchurched or underchurched. While this approach worked for our community, we also realized that eventually with the population limitations, we would saturate the community. This need pushed us into exploring multisite possibilities in other communities in our region. The result is a ministry region 165 miles wide in nine locations.
MEASURING SUCCESS
We measure success in decisions that translate into sustainable relational discipleship. While our attendance and decision numbers are important to us, the more meaningful measurements are numbers of small group leaders, groups and apprentices. We look to the reproduction of leaders at all levels.
GETTING DOWN TO WORK
My most important habit is the relationships with my campus pastors at their various locations. We meet weekly, and they have access to me daily for mentoring and resourcing.
THE CROSSING Quincy, Ill.
Website: TheCrossing.net
Twitter: @CorvettJerry
Founded: 1974
Affiliation: Independent Christian
Locations: 7
Attendance: 5,484
Growth in 2012: +734 (15%)
Fastest-Growing: 51
