We've been visiting Crossroads Church for a couple months now. This is a very well organized church, however there are some real issues. Sadly the pastoral staff is so thin that they only have a few pastors that they trust to preach. This means that more than likely, you'll watch a video of the pastor. The music is very nice and not as loud as it used to be.
The pastors deliver easily digestible, coffee-shop sermons that only occasionally venture into challenging areas. When they do, it's about social issue like race. They steer clear of biblical rebuke and the prickly pursuit of righteousness.
Bibles are rarely opened (digital or hardbound) and so if the premise of the sermons is not fully rooted there, nobody seems to notice (or mind). The staff desires a feel-good message that keeps the seats full and the money flowing. However as I sit and watch the sermon projected by a beautiful ~$200,000, 60ft-wide, high-definition machine, I keep wondering how many more hungry people could be fed or rape crisis centers could be established or funded.
Just to highlight the culture and absurdity of it all, this last Sunday the pastor on stage advertised for the church picnic with the main draw being dollar beers. Some will say, "Well. . .maybe this church isn't for you". I can appreciate that but I'm not seeking legalism. I'm not saying the church should ban alcohol and insist that its attendees do the same.
However, what a church should do is set a good example. As our high school kids struggle to decide whether they can have fun without alcohol, their church shouldn't be serving up their parents. As college students are challenged to make good choices while inundated with drinking, their church shouldn't be undermining them. What if someone drinks too much? Is that the kind of awkward thing that a church staff should put on themselves to deal with? What if a recovering alcoholic attends the picnic. Shouldn't church be a safe place for them? What if someone gets a DUI on the way home?
And so, last Sunday will be our last at Crossroads. Sorry guys.
All USA
We've been visiting Crossroads Church for a couple months now. This is a very well organized church, however there are some real issues. Sadly the pastoral staff is so thin that they only have a few pastors that they trust to preach. This means that more than likely, you'll watch a video of the pastor. The music is very nice and not as loud as it used to be. The pastors deliver easily digestible, coffee-shop sermons that only occasionally venture into challenging areas. When they do, it's about social issue like race. They steer clear of biblical rebuke and the prickly pursuit of righteousness. Bibles are rarely opened (digital or hardbound) and so if the premise of the sermons is not fully rooted there, nobody seems to notice (or mind). The staff desires a feel-good message that keeps the seats full and the money flowing. However as I sit and watch the sermon projected by a beautiful ~$200,000, 60ft-wide, high-definition machine, I keep wondering how many more hungry people could be fed or rape crisis centers could be established or funded. Just to highlight the culture and absurdity of it all, this last Sunday the pastor on stage advertised for the church picnic with the main draw being dollar beers. Some will say, "Well. . .maybe this church isn't for you". I can appreciate that but I'm not seeking legalism. I'm not saying the church should ban alcohol and insist that its attendees do the same. However, what a church should do is set a good example. As our high school kids struggle to decide whether they can have fun without alcohol, their church shouldn't be serving up their parents. As college students are challenged to make good choices while inundated with drinking, their church shouldn't be undermining them. What if someone drinks too much? Is that the kind of awkward thing that a church staff should put on themselves to deal with? What if a recovering alcoholic attends the picnic. Shouldn't church be a safe place for them? What if someone gets a DUI on the way home? And so, last Sunday will be our last at Crossroads. Sorry guys.