Worship at Crossroads Christian Church

We appreciate your interest in Worship. We want to take this opportunity to present our philosophy of worship to you so that you know why we worship the way we do. We think you will find our form and style of worship to be very simple and straightforward. We believe the church should be a resource center where Biblical teaching, genuine hope, and spiritual growth are made available. It has been said that there are three needs of every human being that can only be met in Jesus Christ:  the need for cleansing from sin, the need for hope in death, and the need for a purpose in life. We want our worship service to be a place where forgiveness, hope and meaning can be found.

The Elements Of A Service

 While a variety of different things may take place from one week to the next, you will find that there are certain activities that take place each week during worship which are central to our faith as recorded in the New Testament. From its earliest days, as recorded in the book of Acts (2:42-47), Christian worship has included prayer, the reading and/or teaching of Scripture, fellowship and praise (both speaking and singing), the giving of possessions for the common good, and participation in the sacraments (Lord's supper and baptism). The earliest secular description of Christian worship comes from a Roman historian who noted that it was the practice of Christians to "sing hymns to Christ as if he were God". In all these acts of worship we are remembering and responding to all that God has done for us. Worship in the early church, as it should be today, was very participatory in nature.

A Sacrificial Attitude           

We encourage you to view the worship service as a place to give to God. This by no means implies that you will not receive a blessing from attending worship, but is simply a call to, first and foremost, focus your attention and devotion toward God the Father and our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. We believe that Biblical worship demands sacrifice, a word that, sadly, has lost the visual imagery that it must have had to the early Christians, who would at least be somewhat familiar with the Jewish and pagan practices of animal sacrifice. Such an image, the apostle Paul had in mind when he told the Christians in Rome that they were to offer themselves as living sacrifices to God in worship (Romans 12:1). Since Christ's death on the cross has forever fulfilled the Old Testament requirement for animal sacrifice, this aspect of worship is now to be expressed in the giving of our lives completely to the Lord and by faithful giving of our possessions. This self-giving, sacrificial attitude follows the example set by Jesus.

A Blending of the Best         

Music has the potential to enhance and empower, or detract from and even destroy, the corporate worship experience. Our congregation’s leadership is committed to ministering to all our members musically. Therefore, the style of worship we have chosen to provide at Crossroads is called “blended worship”. Blended worship simply means that our worship service employs a combination of traditional and contemporary elements, in both the type of songs we sing and the instruments we use. Our congregation is made up of  people who have their own unique personality, characteristics, preferences and tastes. It is precisely this variety of interests and abilities that allows the body of Christ to function properly. Blended worship allows for this variety of expressions and styles. The New Testament says nothing about styles of music. Jesus did not take issue with the use of music, instruments, or expressions of worship. Thus we feel that Jesus left his followers to worship God according to the principles and the spirit of his teachings. Jesus simply laid down this basic principle: "God is Spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).”

Hymns and Choruses           

Both contemporary choruses and traditional hymns have much to offer the body of Christ. Choruses communicate a freshness and vitality to our faith. They powerfully relate Christianity to contemporary culture. Many of them are taken directly from the Scriptures, allowing us to express Biblical adoration, praise and devotion to God in a personal way. While choruses provide a sense of intimacy with God, hymns educate and ground worshipers in the Christian faith. Hymns bring deep theological truth within our reach in portions we can grasp and with melodies we can remember. We want our children to appreciate our heritage and learn from the great hymns of the faith. The New Testament supports all types of songs as we are told “sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God” (Col. 3:16). Therefore, our goal is to bring the best of traditional and contemporary worship together for the mutual edification of the saints.

Loving One Another

While it is impossible to expect everyone to agree totally on musical tastes and preferences, we believe it is possible to respect the preferences of others in such a way that allows everyone’s needs to be met. Jesus prayed that His followers would be one and thus be a living testimony to the world. We think that it is healthy for all of our members to “give and take” when it comes to musical preferences. The Scriptures call it submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ (Eph.5:21).

Encountering God    

If God is actively involved in the world today, if Jesus Christ is alive, if the Holy Spirit truly dwells inside believers, why would anyone be surprised to encounter God during worship? In that encounter experience, we see ourselves correctly before him. The presence of God in worship humbles us, moves us to a deeper faith, and begins to shape us into His likeness. If one never expects to be moved or touched by the Spirit of God in worship, it will probably never happen. We want worshipers to develop a hunger for God’s presence, as expressed by the Psalmist who wrote, “As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?”(Psalm 42:1-2) To encounter God, we must come before the Lord with a sense of expectancy and anticipation. Your role is to attend and participate. Our role as a worship ministry is to provide an authentic environment where singing, giving, praying, and other areas of worship can be entered into with enthusiasm. This ministry also seeks to challenge participants to make biblical decisions that will affect their daily living.

Authentic Worship

We hope that you will not be satisfied with anything less than the authentic pursuit of God in both public and personal times of worship. Our desire is to captivate, inspire, and stimulate Christians to ever greater faith, love, and unity. By taking an honest look at the diversity of our members and working in a spirit of cooperation, we are attempting to provide a quality worship experience for everyone. Through our services we offer salvation to the lost and encouragement to the saved. We look forward to your participation in every worship service at Crossroads.

Carter Warden - Worship Leader