If you weren’t able to join us for our monthly Church Life Update on May 7, here’s a quick recap of what you missed:
At Crossroads Church, we are not “reopening” because we never closed! Things might be changing, and we might see a re-launch of certain in-person programming, but we are not “starting back up.” There was truly no program or ministry that has stopped during this season of social distancing. This is a testament to the resiliency of our staff who have been working tirelessly to adjust our ministry to changing needs.
14 Day Watching Period
As we in Colorado continue to roll through new phases of opening, the name of the game is not “what can we get away with” but “how can we use our freedom to protect those around us?” Every time we are given more freedom, we will take a 14-21 day watch period to see how the new orders are playing out with regards to the health and safety of our community. If we discern that the new order is conducive to our continued safety, we will then make a move to add pieces of our in-person programming and ministry. In this manner, we will hopefully reduce the need for Crossroads to double back on any moves we make.
Grow and Build Hallways
Our Grow and Build Hallways (babies-5th grade) will remain closed to kids programming as long as there is a social distancing order in place. We want our eventual gatherings with children to be a positive experience for all, with no six-foot distancing or fear of contact. We acknowledge that this decision will affect a lot of families, and that church attendance must and will look different. We will follow the lead of our school systems to know when our community feels safe gathering kids together without social distancing measures.
Safe Neighbors Phase
When we come back together for in-person programming, it will be during the Colorado state government’s Safe Neighbors Phase. This order is not limited by number of people, but rather will require us to follow social distancing guidelines between families. When this phase begins (in approximately mid-June according to the latest information from the governor), we will follow our 14-day waiting period before making changes. After that time, we envision family groups gathering in the auditorium at our Taft Ave facility to be the studio audience for our FramilyCast. We do not want to launch back into any programming that excludes people; we want to continue to include members of our congregation that are the most vulnerable. When we do begin to welcome a studio audience, we will follow the health and safety protocols that are given to us, be it masks, distancing, entrance/exit considerations, etc.
Other in-person gatherings we imagine might re-launch during the Safe Neighbors phase while following strict distancing guidelines: critical care ministries like Celebrate Recovery, Divorce Care, and Grief Share; staff use of workspaces; senior high small groups, etc.
Financial Position
We are bringing in about 99% of our budgeted income—this is remarkable! We’ve seen a huge surge in online giving, which points to the fact that we’re a resilient church and we’re shifting our habits; however, our giving envelopes are a continual source of faithful income. We have also seen an increase in recurring gifts. Expenses are coming in around 95% of normal, and this includes technological upgrades. We have kept our staff at 100%.
We’re at $147,000 for Kids Are Worth It (KAWI) giving, even without a special Easter emphasis, as originally intended. Our 2020 miracle goal for KAWI is $200,000, with a stretch goal of $150,000. We have used this money to help families, and we will continue to use it to help families and in the life of our church as this giving emphasis continues throughout 2020.
Regarding attendance, we are engaging and staying connected as a community. Online attendance is exceeding last year’s auditorium attendance, so we know our church is engaged and growing. We’re in triple digits for attendance at online programs like Daily Drop of Hope and Howell Happy Hour.
We’re in a “get it done” mode as a church: we are identifying and meeting needs as we see them today. We’re trying to be wise stewards with our resources rather than trying to expand beyond our means during this time. Ministries and good work function on the generosity of people, and Crossroads has risen to the occasion in amazing ways.
We are a unique and diverse church, and our goal has been to offer as many opportunities for people to engage and connect with one another and with the gathered church that they would like. Be encouraged; the Spirit of God is at work here, and we celebrate that people are connecting and meeting God in new ways.
