Crossroads Vision
Jesus Christ changes lives. We strive to know Him and to share what we learn with ourselves and with others. We want God to be glorified as the Holy Spirit changes individuals, families and our society by the good news Jesus brought. We work to foster a movement of churches and ministries that will change central New Jersey and from it the world.
Crossroads Core Values
Crossroads Community Church is a suburban community of changed people who are committed to serving and renewing Hillsborough and the rest of central New Jersey through a movement of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
1. Gospel. The good news we have is that in Jesus Christ the power of God’s kingdom has come into history to renew the whole world. When our relationship to God is not based on our efforts or abilities, but on who Jesus is and what he has done, the Holy Spirit comes upon us and begins to do the work of the kingdom through us.
2. Changed People. The gospel changes us from the inside out. God’s love and forgiveness for us in Jesus Christ frees us from our tendencies to both self-righteousness and self-condemnation. We accept others and ourselves as loved and valued people made in the image of God. The gospel teaches us to welcome and respect those who do not believe what we do.
3. Our Church. The Spirit of God renews us individually, and causes us to commit ourselves to others who have come to know Jesus. The church is a place where people are built up, and where the relationships we build testify to the coming of God’s kingdom among us. Here class barriers are broken down, and people are taught by the gospel to love and value those different from themselves. The idols this world worships (intellect, physical power, wealth, status and sexuality) are first exposed as inadequate gods and dethroned by the truth and love of the one true God. Christians then take these up as the Lord’s gifts to be used for His purposes: goodness, purity, service, beauty and life.
4. Our Community. We believe that the good news about Jesus Christ is the greatest power on earth to bring peace and health to a community. God’s love renews individuals, families and communities to live for His glory and the benefit of others. They then fertilize the cultural topsoil of the Garden State with acts of courage, kindness, hard work and humble service. We expect that Jesus in His people will make a difference at the dinner table, on the sports field, in the classroom, the boardroom and even in traffic!
5. Movement. Our church can never fulfill all the purposes of God even in Hillsborough, much less in central Jersey and the world. Therefore, we are committed to working with other churches and ministries to bring God’s renewal and favor through the gospel.
6. Service. Gladly and openly we invite others to believe as we do, yet even if they don’t, we will serve those around us. Scripture tells us that Jesus, "anointed with the Holy Spirit and power... went around doing good." We will follow his example.
7. Kingdom Renewal. Scripture and Church History teach that the gospel should and often has had a profound, lively and positive influence in government, business, science, education, the arts and media. One of the pictures Jesus gave of his kingdom was of yeast, which, when mixed in dough, permeates it and causes the dough to rise. Since the first century, believers have challenged, encouraged and enriched the cultures in which they have lived. We strongly encourage Christians to engage their culture in these ways.
Crossroads Mission
The purpose of the Church is to glorify God by fulfilling the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:36-40) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). We see that fulfillment as consisting of five activities.
1. Worship. To participate in public worship services together and to maintain personal daily devotions.
2. Fellowship. To encourage, support and pray for each other as members of the family of God. To share our lives together.
3. Education. To help members develop toward full Christian maturity and train them for effective ministry. To promote personal, spiritual growth and discipleship through Bible teaching.
4. Service. To serve unselfishly, in Jesus' name; meeting the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of those in our Church, community and the world.
5. Outreach.To share the good news of Jesus Christ with as many people as possible in our community and throughout the world.