What We Believe

As a church, our stated purpose is to intimately know, joyfully be known by, and vibrantly make known the Glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ! We believe this goal can be lived out as we teach and apply the following biblical truths:

Glorifying God

"I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave." (Psalm 86:12-13)

Our greatest desire at CrossWay is to glorify God in all that we do and who we are. To glorify God means to have an ever-deepening love for Him. We love Him deeper as we know Him better for who He is! It means living with humble thankfulness for what He has done for us through the cross of Christ. It also means seeking to live our lives by His Spirit in grace in order to please Him through demonstrating His love to others.

Sound Doctrine

"Watch your life and your doctrine closely. Persevere in them..." (I Timothy 4:16)

We treasure the Bible as God's inspired Word and gladly submit to its authority. We're convinced it is completely sufficient to guide us in all areas related to our faith and practice. Understanding what the Bible teaches about various subjects (otherwise known as "doctrine") is of critical importance for the Christian life. That's why we seek to grow in our knowledge of God's Word through Sunday messages, small group discussions, specialized seminars and personal study.

Life In The Spirit

"Be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18)

Like the first Christians, we have a great need and desire for the dynamic power of the Holy Spirit in our midst. The Spirit counsels us, comforts us, and convicts us of sin. He guides us into all truth. He opens our eyes to the significance of Christ's death on the Dross. He empowers us to overcome temptation, live righteously and serve Him more effectively. He is daily active in our midst, meeting us, working through, above and beyond us. In obedience to God's Word, we seek to "live by the Spirit," and live "in the Spirit," depending on Him daily to make us like Jesus Christ.

Genuine Relationships

"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves." (Romans 12:10)

Meaningful relationships are difficult to maintain in this fragmented culture. In the church, however, genuine relationships really can be the norm. At CrossWay we are committed to serve and care for each other sacrificially. That's not always easy, of course, but in obedience to God we are determined to develop honest, intimate relationships as we follow Christ side by side.

Common Purpose

"Make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose."

(Philippians 2:2)

For the church to function as God designed, it must have a mission. Without a common purpose, the simplest task can be a challenge. Our vision at CrossWay is to glorify God through the proclamation and demonstration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We desire to see each member established in sound doctrine, passionate for God's presence, growing in godly character, developing authentic relationships and involved in practical service.

Family Life

"And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15)

We believe that marriage and family are sacred gifts to be honored, nurtured and developed into thriving relationships that glorify God and serve others. To that end, we offer Care Groups, seminars, retreats, biblical counseling and a wide variety of teaching materials. It is our joy and privilege to serve, support, and equip engaged couples, newlyweds, single parents, married couples and growing families.

Children

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate." (Psalm 127:3-5)

The Scriptures encourage and teach us that our children are a "gift" from God. As parents we have the privilege and responsibility of training them in the knowledge and fear of God as well as preparing them for their futures. The primary role of the church is to help equip parents to fulfill their roles as father and mother. Those who teach in our Children's Ministry are fulfilling a God-given role in our church by eternally investing in the next generation. We desire and encourage all members to become involved in ministering to our children.

From the earliest ages we want our children to have a growing understanding of God's greatness, Christ's crucifixion, and their profound need for a Savior. Consequently, we use a curriculum on Sunday morning that is God-centered and Cross-centered. Though important, this instruction is intended to supplement and not replace home-based training, which is primary.

Youth

We believe that Scriptures indicate as our children grow into adulthood they do not grow apart from but more intricately into the family and the local church. So, even in our meetings designed for the youth we desire the parents to be intimately involved. Building the families while building the youth into their parents within the context of the local church. The teen and post-teen years are crucial in the shaping of the next generation and we see Scripture calling the youth to take hold of the faith given to them and walk out with joy and conviction all that God is calling them to in leading the church into the years to come.

Worship

"...true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."

(John 4:23-24)

As Christians, all of life is to be worship unto God. Whether it be work, sleep, family life, handling of finances, gathering together on a Sunday morning or some other time with Christians. The object of our worship is the God spoken of in the Bible, whom we are reconciled to by the finished work of Jesus Christ upon the Cross, and daily live out through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. In the broadest sense everything we do, as well as think, is to be worship unto God.

But there is also a corporate aspect to worship seen throughout Scripture that would take place in our Sunday morning meetings. We call our Sunday meeting a "Celebration" because God's love and power have truly changed our lives. Nothing expresses the grace of God more clearly and fully than the death of Christ for sinners. Such undeserved kindness motivates us to worship God with sincerity and enthusiasm, expressing praise and thanksgiving for who He is and what He has done on our behalf. The Spirit enables us for worship, empowers us to worship, informs our worship through the Word, and indwells our worship.

We would see that our corporate worship flows from a life of worship and encourages a life of worship. When we gather together to sing praises to our God we would recognize that this is only an outworking, an expression, of our lives lived throughout the week and not an end in itself. Yet, we would also recognize that our time together is a catalyst and encouragement to live a life more aware of the active presence of God.

Care Groups

"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers." (Acts 2:42)

Care Groups at CrossWay are not just another ministry of the church, they are strategic to our mission together. Care Groups allow us to experience true biblical fellowship, genuine relationships, personal care, and God-ordained Christian maturity through our commitment to serving one another in love. These groups meet throughout the month in members' homes providing a context where we can apply the truth of God's Word to our lives.

Ministry Teams

The Scriptures describe Christianity as a life of service; first to God, then to one another, and finally to a lost and perishing world. At CrossWay we are committed to each one being involved in practical service. We are excited about helping people identify their unique abilities and invest them in God's service. With an emphasis on humility and servanthood, we aim to see each member involved in a ministry team as we fulfill our mission together.

Thank you for taking the time to learn a little more about us. We invite you to join us for our Sunday Celebration meeting at 10 a.m. If you desire more information please call us at 706.310.0150 or e-mail at office@crosswayathens.org