The history of CrossCurrent Ministries can be categorized into two phases. First, CrossCurrent existed for close to nine years as a young adult focused sub-ministry of the largest church in Loudoun County, Virginia, Christian Fellowship Church. Then, in January, 2005, CrossCurrent was launched by Christian Fellowship as a daughter church, intentionally planted to become a full, multi-generational church, serving the needs of postmodern people in Loudoun County.
Early Days
CrossCurrent was first formed as a young adult ministry in August of 1996. Like most evangelical churches, Christian Fellowship Church had discerned a significant gap was occurring in church attendance between the age of 18—30. Desiring to close this gap, CrossCurrent was created out of a small handful of high school graduates, with the mandate to create a uniquely targeted ministry that would reach people in this age range, who were not otherwise being reached by the existing ministries of CFC. Chris Eads was hired to be the staff pastor for this age group, and to develop CrossCurrent. The ministry was launched as a primary Sunday morning worship service of CFC in January of 1997. Complete with its own worship band, teaching ministries, and midweek small group structure, CrossCurrent began the exciting journey of reaching lost people for Christ. Through the years, CrossCurrent grew from its humble beginning of two-dozen people to a service that reached nearly 400 people each week.
Awakenings
By early spring of 2002, through a series of focus groups, conversations, and strategic planning sessions, it had become apparent to all in leadership of CrossCurrent and CFC that the intentional focus of “18-30 year olds” was no longer appropriate for CrossCurrent, and that the ministry needed to become non-age-specific, but rather stylistic in target. In August of 2003, CFC dropped the age designation from CrossCurrent, calling it a “worship service aimed at those with a postmodern mindset, open to all ages.”
In addition to this movement towards a multi-generational church setting for postmoderns, there had been a stirring in the hearts of several leaders to plant CrossCurrent as a church. Starting with a leadership visioning retreat held in January of 2000, certain volunteer leaders within CrossCurrent began expressing a sense that we, as a ministry, would be called to plant multiple churches as a part of our ministry paradigm. By late 2002, CrossCurrent had reached a place where we were deeply convicted that church planting was our future.
In May of 2003, approximately 30 leaders and volunteers from CrossCurrent were selected to serve on a “Strategic Planning Team” that would be a focus group to discuss the viability of a church planting project. After four months of intensive study, discussion and prayer, this group unanimously recommended to the Christian Fellowship Church board that CrossCurrent be launched as a daughter church. The board agreed, and in October, 2003, they also voted unanimously to fully endorse the vision of launching CrossCurrent out as an independent, autonomous church plant.
A New Church
On January 15, 2005, CrossCurrent Ministries was officially launched as a new church, meeting in Eagle Ridge Middle School in Ashburn, Virginia, in a community known as the Broadlands. Fully staffed with children’s ministry and youth ministry, CrossCurrent began to reach families of all ages and demographics. The culture continues to be aimed at those who find more traditional churches less meaningful, and those who are skeptical and far from God.
Beyond two Sunday morning services, the real backbone of CrossCurrent is our small group ministry, with over 25 small groups meeting in homes throughout Loudoun County. Our youth ministry is thriving, with close to 60 teens—both churched and unchurched—meeting in neighborhood small groups, and large group gatherings. Children’s Ministry, known as FLIPT Kids, ministers to close to 100 children each week. Over 200 adults attend CrossCurrent on any given Sunday. In 2007, CrossCurrent has begun developing plans to plant a second CrossCurrent church in Purcellville, Virginia, as a part of our long range vision of planting numerous churches throughout the western suburbs of Washington, D.C.
