Creating "New" Communities
Community Life Statistics 2019-2020
- 165 Alpha participants this year
- 2,500 Advent booklets distributed
- 15,000 people through our door over the Christmas Season
- 39 people baptized
- 95 semester community groups
- 1420 RightNow Media subscribers
Adaptability
This year for the Community Life team has been one with lots of opportunity to stretch, adapt, and listen to the Holy Spirit’s leading. It has been a pleasure for us to serve the CrossRoads Church family throughout this year as we developed multi-site services over the summer, renovated and expanded our facility, and then went fully online for services and groups.
We have also experienced a significant staff change with Pastor Jason Frizzell leaving to pursue another ministry opportunity at Centennial Road Church in Brockville, Ontario (www.centennialroad.com). Jason’s leadership of Community Life will be missed, but we trust God has good plans for all of us. May God bless and keep the Frizzell family as they move into a new chapter of their ministry together.
So through all this, thanks for hanging in with us, have a great attitude, and pressing into Jesus and into community with His Church.
Christ-Like Hospitality
In Peter 4:9 it reports, “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.” The word hospitality had been ringing in our ears for months and the excitement was erupting from our lips. We had invited each of you to scribble names with sharpies of those still needing to know Jesus on the plywood stage during the renos. It had been a ‘summer to remember’ as we gathered in the Gym and Youth Centre, scrambled to find the right entrance or our favourite seat, because it all looked different as we said hello to new faces.
We joined together as a community that persistently prayed while pinning pins on maps, memorizing scripture, and celebrating baptisms.
There were lots of firsts in our renovation journey as a church and we had to learn to avoid grumbling after multiple interruptions related to construction. In the delay, we discovered the gift of hospitality as we practically lived it out week after week. Laughter filled the hallways as we directed people like WestJet agents where warm smiles helped answer questions related to the weekly adjustments. We gathered on the freshly painted stage, the seats still had plastic on them, and we stood together praying as a Hospitality Team that September afternoon. It profoundly illustrated that, as a team, we prayerfully ask for opportunities to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those that enter the building.
We became keen to see the opportunity (Galatians 6:10) as our flexibility and adaptability would prepare us for the next change. COVID-19 would take our hospitality to digital platforms as we hosted groups online. It allowed us to activate the tools that we’d be practicing for the past year and extend the Biblical model of hospitality to our neighbours, friends, co-workers, and family in a time of need. As a Community Life department, we’d like to express our appreciation for those that have been involved as a group facilitator, Hospitality Team member, group member, Alpha participant, baptism host or baptized individual. You’ve each been a key part of this journey with our church community. We believe this is just the start of what it means to extend Christ-like hospitality!
Spiritual Formation
As Pastor Denise went on maternity leave in October, Stacy Mattheis stepped in to continue providing spiritual formation opportunities for our congregation. Like last year, the season of Advent was a great chance to reflect and prepare for Jesus’ arrival through an Advent booklet, playlists, and a weekly experience in the prayer room.
Our monthly Equipped event has been an amazing and well-attended resource - with a new speaker and topic each month. As COVID-19 changed all of our lives in March, we moved our Holy Week resources (Journey to the Cross, Passover Seder, and Passion of the Christ viewing) to online opportunities.
We were so excited for our first in-house women’s Bible conference, Rooted, to take place in March. That obviously couldn’t happen, so we’re excited to announce we have only postponed the conference to October 30-31, 2020. We have over 100 women who are signed up and ready to grow in their understanding and experience of Scripture. We can’t wait! Thanks again to Stacy for all of her hard work on our team in this season!
Online Communities
As a ministry based on groups, we have always known the importance of doing life with others. Never has this been so threatened than our current experience with COVID-19. Within a week, all contact with people outside of our families was forbidden; No face-to-face heartfelt sharing times, laying on of praying hands, or Christian fellowship around breaking of bread. We often see the evil that technology can be used for and the damage that can be done through it, but suddenly we had an opportunity to see how this same technology can be used to bring people closer together through online community. We were able start 30+ groups online which would continue to serve, pray, encourage and edify the body of Christ. We are still seeing new groups being formed that pave a way for the gifts of the Holy Spirit to be expressed and build up the Church during such a difficult time.
We also saw our first online Alpha program launched as our commitment to evangelism and discipleship must continue during this time. Currently over 30 people are fully engaged in learning more about what it would mean for them to follow Jesus.
Where Do I Want to Be When COVID-19 is Over?
Things have changed, life looks different. Some changes are for the better, other changes are unwelcome, and many are unfamiliar. As I find myself in places I didn’t expect, I’m drawn to the verse “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be 
discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9. Wherever you go! The grocery store, working from home, online schooling, job changes, Zoom meetings, a walk, an online group, health changes, financial changes, or relationship changes. You name it. Wherever you go, God is with you.
I see proof of Him with me already in many ways both at work and home, big and small. A mini bottle of hand sanitizer that has lasted two months already. Family relationships being strengthened over Facebook messenger. Peace when I go into a grocery store. Online groups thriving in community. New facilitators being obedient to God’s call on their lives to connect online.
God is with us. Our world can change, but He does not (James 1:17). The Lord your God will be with you, wherever you go.
Community Life Team:
Amanda Rein, Admin. Assistant to Community Life Ministries
Denise Snyder, Spiritual Formation Pastor
Shawn Hubert, Ministry Lead Pastor
