by Joel Tomkinson
Hungry people go where there is bread. And people are hungry for transformation. The mission of CROSS is simple: to CROSS out stereotypes, CROSS over boundaries that divide and share Christ’s love. For 16 years, the CROSS program (Charlotte, Regional, Outreach, Spirituality and Study) of Myers Park Presbyterian Church (MPCC) in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been developing disciples to practice this way of life. This is a way of life rooted in the relational ministry that Christ calls us to, a call to love in the present moment.
This summer, CROSS is hosting over 600 students and leaders from 34 churches in six states. Three to four churches will be on campus at a time staying in the Outreach Center, totaling 60-75 total participants weekly engaged in their faith journey. Each youth group will be guided into the Charlotte community by a trained college CROSS intern and will visit eight non-profit agencies or ministries over the course of four days of service.
Every morning is designed to guide participants to be present to God’s presence. After large group energizers, worship and a devotion, CROSS groups will visit one of CROSS’s 35 non-profit agency or ministry partners across Charlotte who are housing our homeless neighbors, equipping marginalized youth, providing dignity to the elderly and giving hope to the incarcerated. CROSS groups may do yard work at non-profit agencies, lead games at summer camps for low-income children, play soccer or make art with homeless neighbors, prep and serve a meal at a rehabilitation center, spend time at care facilities for the elderly who have dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, or play board games alongside homeless neighbors at the local men’s shelter. Before stepping onto each ministry site, each college CROSS intern guide will introduce and educate the CROSS groups on what they may expect during the two to three hours of service. CROSS groups can expect to glorify God through the joy of the service of their hands and the relationships they build with individuals within the ministries.
CROSS groups may also engage in simulations led by CROSS staff such as a “Walk in my Shoes” activity where groups will ride the local bus into uptown Charlotte to step into the life and stories of homeless neighbors looking for resources at local agencies. These walks are eye-opening and bring about a change in perspective for groups seeking to cross out stereotypes, cross over boundaries and share Christ’s love. The “Budget Challenge” simulation also stimulates thoughtful discussion at local food stores located in food deserts as groups must purchase balanced meals on a limited budget.
The CROSS interns keep the students and leaders in tune and on track throughout the day, often asking challenging, pertinent questions after visiting ministry sites during debrief conversations at the end of the afternoon. Our groups are encouraged to be open to holy transformation.
During the year-round weekend Urban Plunges or the summer weeklong City Serve program, students and leaders are discovering how to develop a new way of life, a new way of loving one another.
This spring, CROSS hosted 16 groups for the Urban Plunge weekend program (nearly every weekend January-May) and hosted five college groups seeking housing and programming for alternative spring break options, partnering with local ministries such as Habitat for Humanity for local builds. Our CROSS groups commune, eat and sleep at the Outreach Center (built in 2011 with a capacity for 65) located on MPCC’s campus where groups enjoy time together in the basketball gym, game room, lounge with Wi-Fi access, devotion spaces and sleeping rooms. The space has a kitchen, multiple showers (one designated for adult leaders) and also provides mattresses. Groups seeking a more intimate space may also sleep in the Cornerstone House on campus (capacity for 15), a four-bedroom home with bathrooms, a kitchen, Internet and community space.
CROSS seeks to fill its fall 2015 calendar with youth groups who may be interested in the Urban Plunge weekend retreats. Groups will serve at two local ministries with CROSSon Saturday, enjoy group meals, CROSS-led devotion time, city-guide support, and worship at the Celebrate contemporary worship service on Sunday morning. The weekend is a small taste of the summer weeklong mission trips, however no less meaningful given the intention of the specific youth group. CROSS also hosts family weekends and school groups engaging in service learning experiences as part of their educational curriculum. There is much to learn.
Much of the educational and theological underpinnings of the CROSS program are rooted in the conversations Jesus had with his disciples regularly, as found in John 13:34-35: A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
MPCC seeks to make disciples of Christ. The CROSS program has flourished under the umbrella of MPPC and has experienced the abundance of the church’s overarching goal to recognize how “every member has a ministry.” For example, this summer each CROSS group will be hosted at the home of a church member for dinner the first evening. The evening meal host program has been a delight for church members as they are able to share their hospitality, hear the students’ stories of transformation and mutually share in the experience of the CROSS participants.
God continues to grow this ministry. Five churches in the past 11 months have asked for resources on how to start up similar programs in their own hometowns. As MPCC originally developed the program after visiting a similar program in Portland, Oregon, in 1999, there is much to be shared. CROSS receives no money from the operating budget of the church and became fully self-supported in 2004. As MPPC seeks to be a teaching community, the CROSS board now seeks to develop intentional annual trainings for churches interested in learning how to begin similar ministries. Although this wisdom has been fostered for over 16 years at MPPC and to over 9,000 disciples, the ministry is the Lord’s and thus CROSS is excited to continue to make disciples by equipping fellow church communities.
The hungry will be fed. At CROSS, students and leaders share holy sacraments of chocolate chip cookies and lemonade with our neighbors, the homeless and the broken; they witness Christ’s abundance through relationships. There’s nothing showy about relational ministry. No houses are built. No churches are erected. Thousands of dollars of are not spent. People simply spend time with people. In fact, for a youth, spending time with someone different from oneself can literally feel like stepping out of a boat, just as Peter did, to walk towards Jesus on the water. It’s uncomfortable, awkward and new (just like middle school) — building faith rooted in communion, the communion Christ told us to remember and practice during the last supper. Come join in the feast of faith.
Following his junior year at Queens University of Charlotte, in Charlotte, North Carolina, JOEL TOMKINSON completed a summer internship with CROSS and was called back many years later to become the director of the program. Those interested in scheduling a CROSS experience may contact director Joel Tomkinson at [email protected], by phone at 704-927-1282, or by visiting the CROSS website at cross.myersparkpres.org. CROSS can also be found on Twitter and Instagram @crossmissions and on Facebook at CROSS Missions at Myers Park Presbyterian.
