PURPOSE: 

1. CrossRidge Church exists to nurture a love for God, love for others, and make disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.  

PEOPLE: 

2. A disciple is a believer who is becoming more like Jesus (Matthew 5:3-12) as he/she walks with God, lives the Word, contributes to God’s work, and impacts the world with Christ’s love. 

3. Leaders of the church are to provide spiritual care and direction for God's people. They must be committed to prayer and the Word, giving encouragement and leading by example in their daily lives. Leaders are to be chosen on the basis of character, competence (gifts of leadership), care for the body, and commitment to our church's disciple-making philosophy. (1 Peter 5:1-4; Hebrew 13:17; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9) 

4.The Pastor's role is to cast vision, give direction, train leaders, teach the Word, be committed to prayer, and be a godly example. By concentrating on these commitments, he equips believers to share in the work of the ministry. (Acts 6:1-7; 1 Timothy 4:12-16; 2 Timothy 2:2; 4:2; Ephesians 4:11-13) 

5. Every believer is spiritually gifted and has a vital role in the church! Practical help and encouragement should be given to each growing disciple to develop his/her creative ministries empowered by the Holy Spirit. Although every believer does not share equal authority in terms of leadership, all servant gifts and leadership gifts are equally important in the Body of Christ. (Romans 12:3-8; Ephesians 4:11-16; 1 Corinthians 12:12-26) 

PROGRAMS: 

6. Our Sunday worship is Christ-centered with a contemporary atmosphere. The service should foster unity, as believers of all ages gather together for motivation and biblical instruction. This time should always be sensitive to those seeking a relationship with God, though its primary purpose is to nurture believers. (Psalm 47:6; 47:1; 95:6; 150:3-5; Romans 15:5-6; John 17:21) 

7. Everyone is encouraged to be intentionally involved in spiritual relationships within our body.  Relationships that are transparent, accountable, and focused on obeying the Bible together are the primary means of making-disciples at CrossRidge.  These relationships help people develop basic disciplines in our relationships with God and provide a practical arena to demonstrate the "one another" commands of the New Testament. (Mark 3:13-19; Acts 2:42-47; 20:20) 

8. Our desire is to be a loving church family that supports parents in the discipling of their children, by training parents and providing ministries where the plan of salvation is clearly presented and God’s Word is faithfully taught with practical application. We strive to maintain a healthy balance between outreach, growth, and ministry opportunities for students. (Deuteronomy 6:6-9; Psalm 71:17; 78:4-6; 2 Timothy 3:14-15) 

9. All ministries should intentionally contribute to the disciple-making process, winning souls to Jesus Christ and bringing them to maturity in him. (Colossians 1:28-29; Romans 12:1-2) 

10. Without compromising our message, we are committed to change our methods in order to reach more people in more relevant ways. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23) 

PRINCIPLES: 

11. We do not exist for our own benefit. The ministries of CrossRidge strive for an outreach-focused emphasis, rather than an inward- focus. We worship a missional God who has sent Jesus to rescue us. So now we are sent-ones who desire to reach as many as possible with the good news of Jesus Christ. (Luke 5:27-31; John 17:18; Romans 10:1; 2 Corinthians 5:11-20) 

12. Our disciple-making vision begins locally (in Holstein and surrounding areas) and extends globally (to all people and nations). (Matthew 9:35-38; Acts 1:8) 

POWER:

13. Jesus said, "I will build My church," and, "Apart from me you can do nothing." We are absolutely dependent upon His power and direction, for the task before us cannot be accomplished by man's will or resources. His Word is our final authority and the Holy Spirit is our divine Counselor. (Matthew 16:18; John 15:5; Psalm 127:1; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; John 14:26)