Today we are attending the Willow Creek Leadership Summit at Carruthers Creek Community Church a local “megachurch” in Ajax. I am looking forward to this, since this is the first Willow Creek event I am attending. I hope to post some of my thoughts afterwards. In the meantime what is going through my mind is “comparing” crossroads with Carruthers Creek. Not really comparing, but analyzing the place of both ministries in this community.
Some of the things going through my mind are:
- Is this the kind of “church” we would want to be if the Lord blessed our efforts with growth?
- What do we have to offer that isn’t already being done well by Carruthers Creek (or the many other ministries in Ajax)?
- Is there something unique about crossroads that we have to offer the community of Ajax?
- Should we even bother offering a youth program, when their program (C4Ignite) can offer so much more? I ask this as a parent of young teens.
- Why start another ministry in Ajax, when there are so many here already? A new ministry called Milestone Christian Ministries just opened between our home and the crossroads ministry center (at the former bingo hall). Or the Southside Worship Centre just around the corner from our home. And there are many more large and small churches and ministries – I hope to check them out.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not giving up on the idea of crossroads. I am just trying to figure out what crossroads needs to be, or to become, and what unique calling the Lord has for us here.
Lord, please lead and speak to me today as I reflect on crossroads through the lens of Willow Creek and Carruthers Creek.
These are good questions.
Every church should ask God about what/where He wants them to be…what their unique calling is.
Perhaps different churches are supposed to focus on different needs in the community…. one church cannot do everything and do it well….
(If you compare the population of Ajax to the # of churches there is probably room/need for a lot more places of worship)
Hi Norm:
It’s great to see the ‘old Norm’ is still alive, well and kicking, ……and always asking the ‘why’ or the ‘why not’ questions. Man, we dealt with those a lot back here at Hope …..and I am missing them already. Blessings and remember….there always has to be some ‘fun’ in everything you do…..so look for it. Nick