Our Larger Church Family
Crossroads Community Church of Sullivan, IN is a member congregation of the the Churches of God General Conference (CGGC), Midwest Region, which is our larger family of churches that is spread out over the country, mostly from Iowa to the East Coast. The CGGC was founded by John Winebrenner around 1825 and has a rich history that we get to be part of. Within the CGGC each church has a great deal of freedom and autonomy.
One of the guiding principles is:
“In the essentials, there is unity.
In the non-essentials, there is liberty.
In all our beliefs, we show charity.”
The Churches of God General Conference lists these four main values:
Vital Connection- growing to maturity through meaningful relationships
Total Participation- all are qualified and commissioned to make disciples
Global Mobilization- sending the Gospel to places far and near
Daring Action- being secure in God, we are compelled to risk greatly
For more about specific doctrines of the CGGC, please see the booklet called “We Believe” which is available at Crossroads or online HERE.
These statements have guided Crossroads as well:
We believe that each individual matters to God, and therefore they matter to us. This inclues the concept of relational evangelism as a process. (Luke 5:30-32, Luke 15)
We believe the church should be culturally relevant while remaining true to the principles of the Bible. This includes the concept of being sensitive to our culture and using culturally current communication methods as we relate to the gospel. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)
We believe a church should operate as a unified community of servants with everyone using their spiritual gifts for the benefit of others. This includes the concepts of unity, servanthood, spiritual gifts and ministry calling. (Romans 12, Ephesians 4)
We believe that authentic biblical community is practiced best through small groups. This includes the concerpts of relational transparency, unconditional love, continuous spiritual growth, doing life together, and caring for one another. (Acts 2:46-47)
We believe that ministry to children is one of the most vital ministries in the church. Therefore, we pursue excellence, excitement and relevance in all that we do for children. This includes providing a safe, fun and creative atmosphere for kids to learn about Jesus and His love for them. (Matthew 18:1-6)
We believe that the most effective way to fulfill the "Great Commission" is to start new churches and we are committed to making that happen. This includes modeling and sending. (1 Thessalonians 1:5-7, 2 Timothy 2:2)