Lead Pastor Transition

June 23, 2024

All Church Vote for Potential Pastor Candidate - Now that the congregation has had the opportunity to meet Pastor Colton Townley and his wife, Jessica, and on the recommendation of your church board, you will have a chance to vote your support to extend a call for him to be the pastor of The Crossing Church on Sunday, June 30. Voting will be open at the church before and after services between the hours of 8:45am - 11:45am. Please note, you must vote in-person according to the Nazarene denomination bylaws. 

Voting for your future pastor is a privilege of membership in the Nazarene church. If you are not yet a member of the church and would like to be, contact Pastor David. Everyone will have the opportunity to vote but official church members, ages 15 years or older and actively participating at The Crossing Church, will be the determining factor.

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Lead Pastor Transition

June 2, 2024

Pastor Search Update - The process for identifying our next lead Pastor is progressing well and we thank you for your prayers. The Board interviewed a potential candidate on May 19 via zoom. Both the Board and the candidate felt very positive about this meeting and the candidate and spouse both feel led to continue forward in the process. Our Board vote was unanimous to have our candidate visit the church and meet with you, the congregation. Ultimately, our next lead pastor is called by you, the members of the church. The Board leads the process and recommends the candidate to the congregation. It is the congregational vote that officially calls the pastor. 

In order for you to be informed and also discern God’s will regarding our next lead pastor, you will have the chance to meet our candidate and spouse on Tuesday, June 18 at 6:30pm. That evening there will be a 45-minute service in our Worship Center. This will be followed by a time to meet our candidate and spouse in the lobby. This service will include a time of singing, a short devotional from our candidate, and a question & answer period for you to get to know them. Directly following the service, stay for a cookie reception. This is a meeting you will not want to miss.

By now, you have noticed we are not using the candidate’s name, this is to protect their existing ministry during this time of discernment. You will learn their names on June 18th. You may also be interested to know, the candidate will also meet with the staff and the board in person on Monday, June 17.

There is no more significant or important vote you will have within a Nazarene Church than to vote on the calling of your lead pastor.

Please be in prayer during this time and seek after the Lord’s will and plan on coming June 18.

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Lead Pastor Transition

March 10, 2024

When the Apostle Paul begins his letters to the early Christian Church, he often thanks God for the Christ followers there and for the work they are doing to proclaim the gospel. Take a look in Colossians, Thessalonians, Romans, and other Pauline epistles, you will see this pattern.

As I write this update, I am thankful to God for all of you that call Crossing Church your church home. We work and live together as the Body of Christ doing the work the Spirit has for us in our community. Your commitment to the church and your continued participation in our ministries and worship services is recognized and valued. God has a plan for us all. We eagerly await the Lord’s leading during this interim time in our church. Great days are ahead!

Lead Pastor Search:

Our District Superintendent, Dr. Virgil Askren, is actively talking with prospective lead pastors and identifying pastors that might feel a draw to Crossing Church. Dr. Askren is sharing the profile work completed by the Church Board last month. The profile of the church, and the identified gifts and graces in our next pastor, are the basis for these conversations.

On April 1, the Church Board will meet with Dr. Askren and get an update on the process. If there are viable pastors sensing a call to our church, Dr. Askren will present their resumes for consideration. The Board will likely review 1-3 resumes in this meeting. It is a process designed to discern God’s will rather than a ranking of skilled pastors.

Interim Preaching:

I hope your walk with the Lord has been encouraged and challenged through the preaching we have had in our church these past several weeks. We have heard from a diverse group of preachers; each one has brought a message from the Lord perfectly suited for our church. I am grateful for each of them coming to share with us. If you have missed any of the messages, I would encourage you to find the sermons you missed on our website. Listen to them wherever that is convenient for you. These sermons make a great “podcast” during your morning commute, time in the gym, or anywhere else you find yourself. Click on Messages and then Recent Messages from the homepage. You will find all the sermons there.

We look forward to seeing you online or in the Worship Center each Sunday. Please remember there are Wednesday evening ministries at the church and other small groups and service opportunities throughout the week. You are invited to join in and take part in the community we call Crossing Church. Please continue to pray for the Lord’s leading in our pastoral search.

Thank you,

Jeff Alexander

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Lead Pastor Transition

January 16, 2024

Transitions in leadership always represent both challenges and opportunities for the days ahead. We at the Crossing Church live in great anticipation for what the Lord has in store for our future as a congregation, we believe and hold fast to the knowledge that God goes before us and is with us in this time of transition. Our challenge is to remain unified in our love for God, our love for one another, and our love for the community in which we live. The ministry of the church must continue uninterrupted, and that is exactly what we plan to do. Our opportunity is to listen to the Spirit for the leader God has identified for us, and to trust Him for great days ahead. Our work is to pray, listen, and work diligently to recognize and extend a calling to that leader.

Transition Team:

Everything we do must be in obedience with what the Lord would have for us. To ensure we stay focused on seeking after God’s will in this process, a prayer leader has been selected to lead us. Our Prayer Coordinator is Beth Jacobson, NDI President & Board Member.

The Church Board will oversee the process of evaluating candidates, interviewing, and selecting a lead pastor candidate to be presented to the church members for a vote to call the pastor. Fred Good is the Secretary of the Board and will serve as the primary contact between the Board and the congregation.

The Colorado District Superintendent, Dr. Virgil Askren, will oversee the process to initially identify candidates for the lead pastor role and guide the board through the search process.

The church staff will remain in place and continue with their existing responsibilities. Jeff Alexander will step in as the Executive Pastor and lead the staff until a new lead pastor is hired.

Transition Process:

Work is underway to develop two profiles. First, a church profile that serves to inform prospective lead pastor candidates about the church. It describes who we are, the culture, the ministries of the church, church statistics, and other relevant information to help lead pastor candidates get to know the church. Second, a profile of what the church desires in our next lead pastor. What are the gifts and graces that are needed most, what experiences and background will help the pastor be successful, and what the leadership skills are that will be required. This second profile will be used by the District Superintendent and the Board to help evaluate candidates and their fit for the role.

The timeline for the search depends on a number of factors, including an evaluation of the health and readiness of the congregation for a new leader. In general, the board is expecting this process to take between six and 8 months. It could take longer; this process will not be rushed. The imperative is to identify the leader God has for us.

Interim Preaching:

Your Church Board and Executive Pastor appreciate the importance of preaching and proclaiming the Word in our Sunday services. Filling the pulpit is of supreme importance to the health of the church during the transition period, work is already underway to ensure this is covered week in and week out. The plan is for existing pastoral staff at the church to preach, and to also hire special speakers/preachers.

As of this writing, the preaching line-up for the next five months is nearly complete. The line-up of confirmed speakers in the months ahead include some of the most accomplished preachers in the entire denomination. The preaching at Crossing Church will not miss a beat. In fact, this interim time presents a new opportunity to invite people to come and hear the Word of God proclaimed in powerful and life transformative ways. Confirmed speakers include current and former General Superintendents (Dr. David Busic & Dr. David Graves), our USA/Canada Regional Director (Dr. Stan Reeder), District Superintendents (Dr. Virgil Askren, Colorado, Rev. Brett Rickey, Oregon), the University Chaplain, Northwest Nazarene University (Dr. Grant Miller), and many others. Stay tuned for a weekly announcement of our guest preachers. You and your guests will not want to miss a single weekend either in-person or online. All of our worship services will continue to be livestreamed during the interim time.