The moment has arrived. For several years, the leadership of CrossCurrent has been dreaming and sensing the call of God to launch a new church. Today, we begin.

After months and months of waiting, planning, and preparing, a date has been chosen, and a plan is being unfolded. On January 16, 2005, CrossCurrent closed its doors on the Ashburn campus of Christian Fellowship Church, and opened our new church meeting in Ashburn, VA.

This dream has been stirring for years. From the first hint of God�s call emerging in January of 2000, to the final commitment to launch a new church in October of 2003, the leaders, volunteers and staff of Christian Fellowship Church and CrossCurrent have possessed a growing conviction that the health, maturity, and redemptive power of CrossCurrent would best be served by us being intentionally sent out by CFC to create a new church�one that would reach the non-believing people of a postmodern generation with a relevant, genuine, life transforming ministry.

The vision is compelling: to create a new church that will empower authentic and radical life change in people who are searching for God�skeptics and seekers who would not otherwise be reached by the traditions and styles of other churches in our community.

The game plan is simple: build authentic, transforming relationships with God and other people.

The call is clear: The stakes couldn�t be higher, as every human being hangs in the balance, everyone is searching for rib-cracking authentic relationships, and their eternal destinies hang�in part�on our choice to help steward their spiritual journeys.

In this new church, we will be very clear. We will do two things, and do two things well. We will hold white-hot, relevant weekend services�for children and adults. And, we will do life together in transformational small groups.

That�s it. That�s all we�re going to do, but in doing these two things with excellence, I believe that God will establish a movement for our generation, where lives are transformed in dramatic ways.

Positioned in perhaps the most influential city in the world, CrossCurrent is poised to change the world. The stakes couldn�t be higher. It demands our absolute best.
I invite you to join us with all of your heart.

The Bible clearly teaches that we must multiply ourselves to fulfill our mission. The mission of CrossCurrent is clear: To change the world through the building of authentic, transformational relationships with God and other people through the multiplication of relevant weekend services and life-changing, transformational groups.

Jesus turned the world up-side-down by investing three years in twelve men, all for the purpose of effective kingdom multiplication. He modeled the time, energy, patience, prayer and training it requires to truly develop a healthy disciple. In Matthew 28: 19-20, Jesus commanded us to model His ministry of making disciples: �Go therefore and make disciples of all nations...�

This command is not about just getting people in the front door worship service, but rather to multiply the values and motivation by which Jesus operated. It�s about moving people to deep levels of life change from the inside out.

Jesus made it extremely clear that �The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.� As I look around Fairfax and Loudoun County, I am haunted by this same truth. I believe that our ability to reach the harvest that is so plentiful around us is directly related to the number of sold out, committed, ministry-competent followers of Jesus Christ we are able to raise up.

What would happen to CrossCurrent if we committed ourselves to liberating the leader within everyone? What if we were able to raise up healthy leaders to steward other peoples� spiritual journeys and facilitate authentic biblical community? What would happen if we trained every person at CrossCurrent how to reach, care for, mentor and multiply their relational contacts?

The most important question that we must ask ourselves as we enter a new chapter at CrossCurrent is whether or not we are committed to the relational time that it takes to raise up more and better disciples. If you and I will commit to Jesus� model of making disciples and multiplying our ministry, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we will reclaim our nation for Christ one life at a time.

Damian Williams
CrossCurrent Associate Pastor

The History of the Vision

A Seed is Planted

CrossCurrent was launched 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 now reaches nearly 400 people each week.

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 in its target, but rather stylistic. In August of 2003, CFC dropped the age designation from CrossCurrent, calling it now a �worship service aimed at those with a post-modern mindset, open to all ages.�

In addition to this movement towards a multi-generational church setting for post-moderns, there had been a background stirring in the hearts of several leaders that had been going on for almost 3 years. 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 churches as a part of our ministry paradigm. In January of 2002, while needing to answer significant facility space limitations for CrossCurrent, the idea began surfacing again in the hearts of leaders that we were to be about the mission of planting new churches.

Several small and informal discussions were held over the following two years with certain key leaders within the ministry confirming their overarching sense of this unique calling. By late 2002, CrossCurrent had reached a place where we were deeply convicted that church planting was in 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.

The reasons to plant are Biblical and clear:

1. It�s in our DNA as a church: CFC was itself a church-plant by a group of young adults who saw a vision for a new ministry paradigm. CFC was launched in 1977 with a core group similar to CrossCurrent.

2. It frees both CrossCurrent and CFC to be specific in target: Each ministry has its own unique focus, culture and style. Creating two churches allows both groups to focus intensely and with clarity on their unique target audiences.

3. New churches reach new people and new resources: The average North-American church plants reaches 3 to 4 times as many non-believing people as an established church. People are energized to reach others, and to sacrifice at higher levels for a fresh vision.

4. CrossCurrent and CFC have both matured to the point where it is time: Every institution has a life cycle, which includes birthing new ministries.

5. The New Testament is a Church-planting story: It is how God expanded His Kingdom, by planting churches in every community. This strategy is just plain biblical.

The Details of the Vision

A 20-Year Run

A Church That Reaches Non-Believing People

We believe that spiritually seeking people matter immensely to God, and ought to matter immensely to the church. Therefore, we have as our highest mission to intentionally seek out non-believing people, intentionally build authentic relationships with them, and communicate the life-transforming message of God�s love to them.

It is our highest priority. There is no greater cause for which the local church exists.

Therefore, CrossCurrent will be relentlessly committed to designing everything that we do in such a way as to meet the skeptic, the seeker, and the non-believer where they are, and to equip and empower the believers of CrossCurrent to effectively reach their non-believing friends and family. We will make all that we do relevant and easy to navigate for the non-believer. We will create intentional pathways for the seeker to explore the truth of Christianity, while honoring their process of decision making. We will make CrossCurrent the safest place in the world for the skeptic to encounter the radically dangerous message of Jesus Christ.

A Church That Changes Lives

We believe that the church should expect God to transform the lives of every person who is a part of CrossCurrent, and that this life transformation should be so profound that it makes full devotion to Christ �just plain normal� for our church.

To achieve this end, we will do two things, and do two things well: Weekend services, and small groups.

White-hot, relevant weekend services for both children and adults will provide a catalyst for transformation, as we confront people with an authentic look at the claims of Christ. In these weekend events, people will be challenged to align their lives with God�s truth, and to make key decisions�key turning points�where they choose a path of full devotion to Christ.

Life change happens best in small groups of authentic relationships. Life transforming small groups will provide the relationships, the setting, the challenge and the leadership to experience genuine life change.

A Church That Empowers Future Leaders

We believe that every believer is called to be a leader of others�to steward other people�s spiritual journeys. Therefore, every believer in CrossCurrent will be challenged to find their unique place of investment into the �Kingdom of God� through the local expression of the local church. Whether through leadership of a transformational small group, or a task-based ministry team, every believer will help steward others to a place of full devotion to Christ.

We believe that we exist to empower new generations to effectively communicate the claims of Christ to their culture and the world. Therefore, we will intentionally set out to empower the ideas, visions and strategies of rising generations to start new churches throughout the Washington area, and perhaps throughout the eastern United States and the world. Over a 20-year run, we envision CrossCurrent launching dozens of new churches�and perhaps dozens of new movements�led by people whom God has raised up through the ministry of our church.

The Fulfillment of the Vision

A Series of Strategic Steps

Vision is a gift from God. He allows us to see a preferred future�a potential future�as if it were reality. However, for vision to be realized and fulfilled, human beings have to act. We meet God�s vision with our action. And results are born.

To fulfill the vision of CrossCurrent reaching a postmodern generation through a new church in Loudoun County, several key steps were identified by our leaders as essential �critical success factors��things that would have to occur over a one year period to prepare us to launch this new church. These factors are:

We must be a praying church, committed to establishing the right cultural �DNA�, the right spiritual climate, and the right emphasis on seeking God.

Fulfilled�
In several settings, CrossCurrent leaders have been seeking God for the future of our new church. Starting with the �Chapter 2� vision campaign in October, 2004, a new focused effort on praying for specific people we believe God has called us to reach will begin.

Fulfilled�
In answering God�s call to empower every believer to be a steward of other people�s spiritual journeys, and to plant dozens of churches out of CrossCurrent, and laying intentional plans to accomplish this vision, we are stepping into the compelling vision today.

We must be the right kind of church, with the right partnerships, affiliations, and belief systems.

Fulfilled�
In March, 2004, CrossCurrent leaders, volunteers and servants made the decision to plant this church as a non-denominational, Bible believing church. We remain committed to a familial partnership with our planting church, Christian Fellowship Church. We remain firmly committed to the doctrines of basic, Biblical, orthodox Christianity.

We must develop the right leadership culture, where people are empowered to healthily step up to God�s call to steward other�s spiritual journeys. We must find and hire the right staff team. We must implement the right leadership development, training and nurturing tools to equip our leaders to succeed.

Fulfilled�
In March, 2004, we held a weekend training event to equip over 75 leaders for task-based or transformational-based small groups. In September, 2004, we hired Damian and Anne Williams to serve as our key pastoral staff in developing our leaders to their highest potential. In October, 2004, we are launching new small group leadership equipping initiatives.

We must develop a whole new area of ministry that will provide the highest impact possible to the children of CrossCurrent.

Fulfilled�
A team of dynamic leaders has been assembling a vision to create a dynamic weekend service for children that will work in tandem with our adult weekend services. In September, 2004, we held our first �Children�s Ministry Sneak Peak,� which unveiled the new strategy and programming that will be offered to our children.

We must provide the right space, and logistical support for the ministry of CrossCurrent.

Fulfilled�
Over a half-dozen teams of volunteers have been working tirelessly on establishing the right systems to support CrossCurrent, in areas like financial management, procurement of equipment, membership development, facility acquisition and design, information technology, database and hardware.

We must all step up to the challenge of resourcing this new church with the right funds to accomplish the vision, both in the immediate short-term launch of the new church, and in the long-term provision of acquiring property and assets.

Fulfilled�
This �Chapter 2� campaign will challenge everyone who considers CrossCurrent their church home to step up to help us achieve the vision by prayerfully and sacrificially contributing to the future of CrossCurrent.

Directions...

Starting on January 16, 2005, our services will be moving to our new temporary location while construction is completed on our new building in Sterling. Our temporary location will be Eagle Ridge Middle School at 42901 Waxpool Rd. in Ashburn. We will be going to two services, one at 9:15 and one at 11:15. Here are the directions to this new location starting January 16.

FROM LEESBURG, VA
take the Dulles Greenway.
go to exit 5, Claiborne Parkway.
turn right at the exit on Claiborne Parkway.
travel .9 mile.
turn right on Waxpool Road.
travel .3 mile.
turn left on Waxpool Road just past the Broadlands Visitor Center.
the school is the first left turn.

FROM WEST
take route 7 East.
Stay straight on Rt 7 Leesburg bypass.
exit onto Rt 7 East.
from Rt 7 turn right onto Rt 641, Ashburn Road.
continue on Ashburn Road.
turn right on Ashburn Farm Parkway.
turn left onto Claiborne Parkway.
Continue on Claiborne Parkway until it intersects with Waxpool Rd.
turn right on Waxpool Road.
travel .3 mile on Waxpool.
left on Waxpool at the Mobile station.
ERMS will be on your left.

FROM EAST - TYSONS CORNER:
Merge onto VA-267 W toward DULLES AIRPORT (Portions toll). 17.0 miles
Take the CLAIBORNE PARKWAY exit- EXIT 5. 0.4 miles
Turn LEFT onto CLAIBORNE PKWY. 1.0 miles
Turn RIGHT onto WAXPOOL RD. 0.4 miles
Turn LEFT to stay on WAXPOOL RD (across from Sunoco Station) <0.1 miles
First LEFT to Eagle Ridge Middle School (Follow CrossCurrent signs)

FROM CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP CHURCH
Turn right (west) on Waxpool
Continue straight as Waxpool becomes Farmwell Rd. then Ashburn Farm Parkway
turn left on Claiborne and go 1.4 miles
turn right on Waxpool Rd. and go 0.4 miles
Turn left to stay on Waxpool. School on the left.