Crossroads Coalition Inc

CORPORATE PRAYER THE HEART OF OUR MINISTRY IS CORPORATE PRAYER. SO A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME AND ENERGY WAS INVESTED IN PRAYER. OUR PRAYER EFFORTS TOOK A VARIETY OF FORMS, AND FOR A VARIETY OF PURPOSES. HERE ARE A FEW EXAMPLES: - BOARD OF DIRECTORS OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS MET WEEKLY TO PRAY FOR THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF THE MINISTRY INCLUDING FINANCIAL NEEDS, MINISTRY PLANS, GETTING PEOPLE INVOLVED, NEXT STEPS, OVERCOMING OBSTACLES, ETC. - WEEKLY PRAYER MEETINGS WE HOSTED A WEEKLY PRAYER MEETING ON WEDNESDAY NIGHTS. THIS PRAYER MEETING WAS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. WE SAW A VARIETY OF PEOPLE ATTEND AND PARTICIPATE IN THE PRAYER MEETINGS. WE PRAYED FOR SPECIFIC PEOPLE BY NAME, FOR THE SPIRITUAL GROWTH OF INDIVIDUALS, COUPLES AND FAMILIES. WE PRAYED FOR VARIOUS CITIES, AND SPECIFIC GROUPS WITHIN OUR CITY, GROUPS SUCH AS MILITARY VETERANS, FIREFIGHTERS, NEIGHBORHOODS, AND MORE. DEVELOPED RELATIONSHIPS MINISTRY IS ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS TO US. SO, WE SPEND A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME AND ENERGY IN DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS OF VARIOUS KINDS. HERE ARE A FEW EXAMPLES: - NEW CONGREGANTS WE WERE INTENTIONAL AND STRATEGIC ABOUT LOOKING FOR NEW PEOPLE WHO MAY HAVE INTEREST IN GETTING INVOLVED IN OUR MINISTRY THROUGH OUR PRAYER MEETINGS, OUR MEN'S BIBLE STUDY, OUR MONTHLY MINISTRY GATHERINGS, OR HARVEST TEAMS. WE DEVELOPED THESE RELATIONSHIPS MAINLY THROUGH ONE-ON-ONE OR SMALL GROUP MEETINGS OVER COFFEE, LUNCH, OR DINNER. - EXISTING CONGREGANTS WE ALSO SPENT TIME WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WHO PARTICIPATED IN OUR MINISTRY PROGRAMS. FOR EXAMPLE, WE WOULD FOLLOW UP VIA PHONE CALL OR PERSONAL VISITS WITH THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ATTENDED OUR PRAYER MEETINGS, OR THE MEN WHO PARTICIPATED IN OUR MEN'S BIBLE STUDY, OR ONE OF OUR GOSPEL WORKSHOPS. WE FOLLOWED UP TO HEAR TESTIMONIES OF HOW GOD WAS USING OUR PROGRAMS TO HELP THEM GROW IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. WE ALSO FOLLOWED UP TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND LEARN ABOUT WAYS WE COULD MAKE OUR PROGRAMS BETTER AND MORE EFFECTIVE. - VOLUNTEER LEADERS A THIRD GROUP OF PEOPLE WE DEVELOPED RELATIONSHIPS WITH WERE INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE VOLUNTEERING TO HELP LEAD PORTIONS OF OUR MINISTRY PROGRAMS. AT TIMES THESE MEETINGS WERE FORMALLY ORGANIZED, AND AT OTHER TIMES THEY WERE MORE SPONTANEOUS. MEETING WITH OUR VOLUNTEER LEADERS WERE A TWO-WAY EFFORT, FOR US TO PROVIDE TRAINING AND COACHING FOR THEM, AND FOR US TO LEARN FROM THEM ON WAYS WE COULD IMPROVE! GOSPEL TRAINING IF CORPORATE PRAYER IS THE HEART OF OUR MINISTRY, THEN OUR GOSPEL TRAINING PROGRAM IS THE HANDS AND FEET OF OUR MINISTRY. WE HAVE BEEN WRITING AND DEVELOPING A NEW CURRICULUM THAT SERVES AS THE PRIMARY RESOURCE FOR OUR GOSPEL TRAINING. APPLYING THAT TRAINING CURRICULUM TOOK A FEW DIFFERENT FORMS IN OUR FIRST YEAR OF MINISTRY. HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES: - WORKSHOPS WE HOSTED 3 WORKSHOP EXPERIENCES. THESE ARE 1-DAY WORKSHOPS LASTING APPROXIMATELY 6 HOURS. PARTICIPANTS EXPERIENCED INTERACTIVE BIBLE TEACHING, GROUP DISCUSSION, OBJECT LESSONS, AND PRAYER TIME. OUR ATTENDANCE FOR THESE WORKSHOPS WAS AROUND 15-17 PEOPLE. - MONTHLY GATHERINGS WE HOSTED A COUPLE OF MONTHLY GATHERINGS. THESE WERE FAMILY-FRIENDLY GATHERINGS THAT INCLUDED CHILDREN OF ALL AGES. WE OFFERED INTERACTIVE BIBLE TEACHING, GROUP DISCUSSION AND PRAYER. OUR ATTENDANCE FOR THESE GATHERINGS WAS AROUND 8 - 12 ADULTS, PLUS 10-15 CHILDREN. - INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS WE ALSO APPLIED OUR GOSPEL TRAINING IN THE MORE PERSONAL, INTIMATE FORMAT OF MEETING WITH INDIVIDUALS ONE-ON-ONE. THESE MEETINGS WERE PRIMARILY WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO DO NOT PROFESS ANY KIND OF FAITH OR BELIEF IN CHRISTIANITY. THESE INDIVIDUALS EXPRESSED VARYING DEGREES OF INTEREST IN HEARING MORE ABOUT OUR GOSPEL TEACHING. DURING ONE-ON-ONE SETTINGS, WE WOULD SHARE EITHER A SUMMARY OF OUR CURRICULUM OR SPECIFIC PORTIONS OF IT BASED ON THE TOPIC OF CONVERSATION. THESE 3 AREAS OF CORPORATE PRAYER, DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS AND GOSPEL TRAINING, ARE A SUMMARY OF OUR MINISTRY EFFORTS IN 2023. OVERALL, WE SAW FRUIT FROM OUR EFFORTS, WE EXPERIENCED GOD'S FAITHFULNESS, AND WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE YEARS AHEAD WITH GREAT ANTICIPATION!