50 Years of Ministry 1959-2009

Celebrating 50 Years of Ministry 1959-2009

message from Marty
Senior Pastor Marty Grubbs

—from the 2009 Summer Issue of Crossings News, Volume 12, Number 3
There are a few sentences I have repeated frequently to you lately. Let me put them in print, yet again, because they are very important to me and to your understanding of Crossings.

“Crossings is a Christ-centered church, building Christ-centered people. We are a church called to minister to every season of life. As a church then, we commit to being with you for life. We leave no one out. We leave no one behind.”

As I have been thinking about the 50-year history of our church, I’m convinced we can still be a vibrant light of Christ in 50 more years. There will continue to be many changes in the culture, but I believe there will always be an appreciation in our culture for a place called “church.” I believe that our greatest ministry opportunities will be outside of the walls of our church on Portland, but I also believe that the importance of gathering for worship, strength, encouragement, and spiritual growth will be even greater as well.

Newsweek took the occasion of Holy Week to yet again point out the demise and ineffectiveness of the church, and as they say, the lessening impact of Christianity on our culture. It made great news, but it was incorrect. Stephen Prothero, chair of the Department of Religion at Boston University makes a very clear case for evidence that indicates a much different scenario than Newsweek pointed out.

Prothero took a look at the same data used by Newsweek, but he saw an entirely different result and outlook. “What this shows us is not how American Christianity is declining but how it is changing. The data tell us that Christians are increasingly likely to describe themselves as spiritual rather than religious, that they are increasingly wary of labels and institutions, and that they identify their faith less and less with organized religion and more and more with the personal power of Jesus himself.”

In response to the survey suggesting our country is leaving the Christian worldview behind, Prothero continues, “What the data does not tell us is that the United States is becoming ‘post-Christian.’ If you meet a random American walking down the street, the odds are only one in 62 that he or she will self-identify as atheist or agnostic. And even if we accept this survey as gospel, the United States today has more Christians than any other country in human history. The current U.S. population is more Christian than Israel is Jewish and Utah is Mormon.” He continues, “The real news in this data ... is a shift ... the nondenominational category that populates U.S. mega churches has exploded from under 200,000 in 1990, to 2.5 million in 2001 to in excess of 8 million today.”

Mark Silk runs Trinity College’s Program on Public Values, which released the latest survey results used by Newsweek, and he agrees with Prothero that the news media were napping when they spun secularization of America out of this report. Silk told Prothero, however, not to be too hopeful about diverting the Newsweek story midstream. “You can tell the truth,” he said, “just don’t expect anybody to pay attention.”

I’ve heard the various reports that the future of the church is bleak, that church attendance will decline, and that the future church will meet in houses. I find it interesting that even non-evangelical theologians, journalists, and pollsters find those predictions to be wrong.

I still believe the Bible calls us to simply “lift up Christ that all may see Him and be drawn to Him” and when we do that, the church will have no trouble having an impact in the culture ... until Jesus comes. As I said a few weeks ago, there will always need to be a place called “church” where Christians gather together to worship, refocus, refuel, and then scatter to make a difference.

This really isn’t rocket science. People who love God have gathered together in temples and churches for thousands of years. Yes, perhaps we have not scattered well with the love and forgiveness of Jesus, but if we at Crossings will do this well, I can assure you there will be a dynamic congregation at NW 150th and Portland until Jesus comes.

Upcoming Events

Support our inner-city school partners

Volunteer for school workdays, teacher supply drive, teacher partners, The Club, NEW Kids Bible Club and/or Whiz Kids

JOBS Ministry

Tuesdays @ 6 pm
at the Community Center—providing encouragement, support & resources to Crossings members in career transition & actively seeking employment

Stay connected

read five life-changing books together with other women

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