THE CROSSING CHURCH, INC.
TAMPA, FLORIDA

We look forward to meeting you. You will receive an email with details on your upcoming visit. This will provide you with essential information to make your visit as convenient as possible. We’re glad you’re looking for more information about the The Crossing. Our goal is to be a church where we can genuinely encounter God and grow in our relationship with him. We believe that, in doing this, two things happen: God is honored, and our lives become much more joyful and satisfying. The Crossing is a member of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) and, along with our denomination, affirms the truths of the historic, orthodox Christian faith. To succinctly state the core doctrines of this faith, The Crossing stands behind the following “Essentials”: All Scripture is self-attesting and being Truth, requires our unreserved submission in all areas of life. The infallible Word of God, the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, is a complete and unified witness to God’s redemptive acts culminating in the incarnation of the Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible, uniquely and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, is the supreme and final authority on all matters on which it speaks. On this sure foundation we affirm these additional Essentials of our faith: The Lord Jesus Christ commands all believers to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world and to make disciples of all nations. Obedience to the Great Commission requires total commitment to “Him who loved us and gave Himself for us.” He calls us to a life of self-denying love and service. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10) God’s authoritative Word, the Bible, is the Holy Spirit’s primary means to transform lives. Our passion is to help people understand and apply the Scriptures in a manner that shapes the way they live life in today’s world. Mission Their values and motivations change. Their view of work and education changes. The way they build friendships and interact with their family changes. Even how they think about themselves changes. In fact, there isn’t any part of a person’s life that isn’t transformed by a deeper, more genuine belief in the gospel. We are excited about being the kind of church that encourages this reorientation through the gospel in people of all ages. God’s authoritative Word, the Bible, is the Holy Spirit’s primary means to transform lives. Our passion is to help people understand and apply the Scriptures in a manner that shapes the way they live life in today’s world. We seek to take seriously our call to “make disciples” by “teaching them” the truths of Scripture (Mathew 28:19-20), as well as how to study Scripture for themselves. In this way, they “will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2). True worship is the right response to whom God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—has revealed himself to be in the Scriptures. Because worship is a response, our ministry will seek to engage hearts and minds in order to encourage faith and love in increasing measure. Because worship is a response to God, our passion is to help people delight in his holiness and grace, trust in his unfailing promises, and rely on his incomparable power. In this way, our worship will be both an acceptable offering before God and a witness of his glory, so that “many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord” (Psalm 40:3). The way we do ministry must reflect our commitment to bridge the gap that often seems to separate the church from the culture of our day in unnecessary and damaging ways. This means that our language, forms, and style of ministry must resonate with our culture, while at the same time never compromising the timeless truth of the biblical message. In doing this, the ministries of our church will not be “culturally driven” but rather “culturally sensitive,” enabling people to hear and understand God’s Word in a fresh and relevant way. This is a biblical mandate for us as a church in our community, in our culture, in our time. We value helping each person at The Crossing find an appropriate place to serve Christ by serving others—matching service opportunities with interests and skills. Many important things happen when we commit ourselves to a genuine, loving church community. This kind of environment provides the context in which we grow spiritually, minister most effectively, and become truly attractive to outsiders. It allows us to experience a blending of giftedness that we cannot achieve merely as a collection of individuals. Genuine, loving community always requires a real commitment. While we are a church that eagerly welcomes newcomers—without asking for any commitments on their part until they are comfortable—we also believe that growing in a church body is a process of growing in commitment, both of the individual to the church and the church to the individual. Ministry Philosophy Truth that is shared in the context of relationships is the normal means by which people’s belief in the gospel is strengthened. Believing the gospel is a community project. In the context of safe, non-threatening relationships in which people are allowed to be “in process,” the truth of Scripture must confront our unbelief. We need each other to help us believe the gospel and apply it to our lives. When we’re not in relationships where our unbelief is being challenged, it is nearly impossible to experience significant spiritual growth. Andrew Chernenkov is a Multi-Area Director for Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Ukraine (FCA Ukraine). Andrew works with the Rivne, Volyn, and Khmelnytsk regions. Andrew’s vision is to see that every region is equipped with a solid team of leaders ready to serve local coaches and athletes. His main responsibilities are to find, train, and invest in leaders and volunteers to reach FCA Ukraine’s vision of 80,000 coaches in Ukraine for Christ. Andrew says, “I believe that a coach is one of the most influential people in our society and a coach that knows Christ can help young athletes to be come real men and women who will influence the next generation.”