CrossWalk HARBORS a Gathered Community. We aren’t here by accident. We are not all the same, yet we have found ourselves drawn together by CrossWalk’s unique gravitational pull. Can you guess what are among the leading reasons people find and choose CrossWalk? The leading reason people come to CrossWalk, based on feedback from CrossWalkers over multiple surveys, is what we teach. How we think about God, how we interpret and apply the Bible, and how we think about a range of critical issues are core reasons why people find and stay at CrossWalk. This is why we promote ourselves as a progressive alternative – the words identify who we are to Google, which is used by everybody looking for a church like ours. Our commitment to following Jesus has us stretching our minds, kneeling in service, standing for and with other in need of grace and justice, communing with God and connecting with others in community. We welcome all into this HARBOR, yet, quite naturally, those who call it home are those who resonate with our commitment to believing in the love of God so deeply that we love everyone fully.
The second thing that draws and keeps people at CrossWalk is a direct result of the first: our service to the community. As has recently been noted, 90% of CrossWalk campus use is for non-CrossWalk-specific use! CrossWalk is as much a community center as it is a community church! While we are still able to use our campus for CrossWalk purposes as needed, our theology compels us to think beyond ourselves to meet the needs of the community at large. We are well-known for – and proud of – our level of service!
Once people find themselves here, the reasons for staying build on those two foundation stones of believing and serving. Parents are thrilled that their kids love to attend KidsCrossing for elementary students and The 412 Lounge for middle schoolers. People find ways to serve. People find ways to connect. Friendships are formed. Community is created and recreated.
CrossWalk HARBORS a Diverse Community. When you attend a service at CrossWalk and look around the room, diversity might not be the first thing that comes to mind given the white majority present. In our culture, our eyes are trained to measure diversity by ethnicity, or skin tone representation. Napa is predominately white, which CrossWalk reflects. Yet Napa County is 42% Latinx, which we barely represent. Ethnic diversity is something we’d love to improve to add to the voices around the table yielding a greater variety of perspectives. We are stronger with plurality. Yet, despite our imbalance, we are proud to celebrate the ethnic diversity we do represent, which includes folx of African American, Asian, European, Latinx, and Pacific Islander heritage.
But before you assume we aren’t very diverse, think again. We are quite diverse in terms of age, educational achievement, gender identification, sexual orientation, neurodiversity, income levels, relationship diversity, and political persuasion. CrossWalkers come from a wide range of career backgrounds: professional, the trades, science, all levels of educational instruction, business, the medical field, environmental sciences, theological, the arts, mental health, retail, full-time parenting, agriculture, health services, students, hospitality, and more. This makes CrossWalk a rare collection of human beings – great diversity drawn together by shared belief and commitment to living out faith through service. CrossWalk’s Board of Stewards reflects this diversity, allowing for great representation of the congregation as well as broad insight feeding into our leadership conversation.
CrossWalk HARBORS a Loving Community. Love is a choice. Love is an investment. Love is an ethos. Love is pervasive at CrossWalk in very real ways. When people tackle the courage-required task of deconstructing and reconstructing faith, questions and ideas-in-process are welcome – a sign of loving encouragement. When people find themselves facing painful seasons of life like divorce and death, compassionate support shows up in conversations over cups of coffee and long walks. When people find themselves struggling after losing a job or a home, they are met with resources to help bridge the gap or find their way forward. Joys are higher and sorrow is supported when loving community is present. It takes investment of work, risk, time, and vulnerability, yet yields one of the most coveted, meaningful aspects of life: genuine relationships. Shalom is a Hebrew word, an umbrella term that holds space for love, peace, wellbeing, and much more. It’s the goal CrossWalk seeks to cultivate and the means to achieve it. Shalom is the heart of God, and it beats here.
It takes a lot to provide HARBOR for such desired community, including financial support to keep the daily operation going. Thank you for any support you can provide to “keep the lights on”. The campus CrossWalk calls home also requires support. Generations ago, people experienced similar HARBOR and invested time and money to create the bones of the buildings we use today. Over time each space has been updated and refreshed to keep it viable for the next generation. Right now, CrossWalk needs a strong boost of support to make sure our roofs keep the elements out, and the parking lot makes it easy to find space here. Thank you for helping CrossWalk provide HARBOR for all the people served day in and day out. With everybody generously helping as they can, we can ensure this HARBOR will be open for generations to come.