Crossroad's grand opening
Crossroads held an official opening for its new complex last weekend.
About 600 people came through through the doors of its new, purpose-built facility on Saturday 24 July, as the church staged an opening ceremony in the afternoon and then a youth “faith fest” in the evening.
The project was partly funded by a Press Go loan of $300,000, to be repaid over 6-10 years.
Minister the Rev Steve Millward says they catered for up to 350 people at the opening ceremony, and anticipated about 250 young people would show up for the evening Faith Fest event, which included a free meal.
Crossroads held its first service in the new building on 27 June. A powhiri was held on 11 July, followed by an Excel School of Performing Arts performance that attracted 320 people, about a third of whom weren’t connected with the church.
Steve says that while the auditorium chairs haven’t arrived yet, things are coming together. The sound system was installed last week, landscaping is underway and the church is raising money for kitchen and office equipment.
A pulpit is being created by a local high school student, with a koru design on the front to symbolise new beginnings.
The new facility can set 250-270 people and Steve says the church envisages it functioning as an “epicentre” for conferences, leadership development, and youth events. He’s invited many other ministers, from Kaimai, Auckland, South Auckland and North Shore, to the opening, and is keen to encourage others to also “think big and dream dreams”.
“It’s an ideal location for a 10.30am-6pm day conference; only an hour from Auckland or Hamilton, an hour and a half from Tauranga.”
Attendance at Crossroads in June averaged 90 people, up from 80 in recent months.
Steve has been making proactive contact with local community papers and a number of stories have been published about the church’s new building and vision in recent weeks.
The church has also distributed about 8000 flyers in its local area.
- July 2010
Crossroads’ dream nearly realised
The new building for Crossroads, in Mangatangi, an hour south of Auckland, is on track for completion by the end of May.
The Rev Steve Millward says they hope to start using the facility in June, as soon as compliance requirements are signed off. A grand opening weekend is being planned for 23-25 July.
Steve says Crossroads is planning its second regional “GPS Prayer Gathering” on 22 June, in the new building. The prayer initiative aims to attract 100 people from the 100 churches in the “golden triangle” between Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga.
“We are also incredibly grateful to God for adding to our number those worshipping with us on a Sunday and we pray this will continue.”
- April 2010
Crossroads finally realises building vision
Crossroads’ journey to a new, purpose-built facility has been long and some-times painful.
The church, midway between Auckland, Thames and Hamilton, sold off several of its smaller worship centres, raising the ire of some communities and generating some negative publicity.
But the Rev Steve Millward says Crossroads, like other churches in the same situation, “needed to be smart”.
“If we don’t rationalise, we face extinction”.
For 30 years, the church’s largest congregation has been meeting in Mangatangi’s community hall, where a lack of permanent signage makes it invisible to the community, Steve says.
Work on the new facility, also in Mangatangi, started in October 2009, with completion due in June.
Prior to construction, the church went through a significant consultation process, meeting with neighbours and groups that the district council saw as interested parties.
Session clerk Bill Millar says it gave them a chance to sit down and explain the church’s vision.
Bill’s son David, who’s been monitoring the project for the church, says the construction has generated significant interest in the community. “The site manager says there’s not a day goes by when there isn’t someone having a good look.”
The project had ambitious beginnings: when planning and fundraising work started, the congregation was only 50 people.
Bill says initially they were looking at a $400,000 building and a massive mortgage. Instead they have ended up funding a $2 million project without huge debt. Press Go has granted Crossroads a loan of $300,000, to be repaid over 6-10 years.
The new facility is on a 12-acre site and will seat 200 people, with expansion space for another 50, and includes a café and dedicated areas for other ministries.
“The question has been asked, ‘do we really need something as flash as that?’”, Steve says. But the building sends a potent message: “Before anything is said, they’ll say ‘wow, you guys did this, and you aren’t that big - maybe we can do it.’”
While the church described itself as evangelical, he says, “that wasn’t growing us”. So after thinking more deeply about their environment, they brought in couches, pot plants and a coffee machine.
“If people don’t apply their theology to building, music and dress, then they stay placed in the 20th century and become irrelevant very quickly. It’s amazing how those things help people.”
And then Crossroads started to grow. “For eight years, it was virtually the same people every week. In the last four years, we’re getting a trickle of people every week checking us out.”
Attendance at services grew to an average of 80 people in June 2009, and 90 in December. About 120 people are involved in the church altogether, Steve says.
The carpark is nearly full at 10am, with people coming for coffee before the 10.30am service; a stark contrast to several years ago when Steve struggled to start on time because of latecomers.
Elder Catherine Bentley says the Sunday coffee and gathering has become a much-needed focal point for the community.
At the moment, about 25 children come along every week, meeting in a very small space, with as much time setting up and packing down as with the children. At one point, Sunday school was being held in a van outside the church.
Youth church meets on a Friday night, and includes worship and a message as well as games and food. It has been held jointly with St James’ Presbyterian in Pukekohe, attracting about 70 young people in total, half from each church.
Part of Crossroads’ vision is to help other small churches grow.
The church is also planning conferences and youth events, such as its successful youth music festival Faith Fest, and to offer training such as parents’ courses.
Steve says events at Crossroads attract a big turn out “because we’re within an hour of Auckland”.
A “Global Positioning” prayer lunch held in late 2009 attracted 55 people from about 15 churches, and Crossroads’ goal is to get 100 people attending twice a year.
- from Spanz March 2010
Crossroads is construction central
Work started 10 weeks ago on Crossroads’ new church and event centre.
The church, which is located midway between Auckland, Thames and Hamilton, should be completed by the end of May.
At the moment, the church meets in a community hall and lacks any real visibility in the community, says the Rev Steve Millward.
The new site is 12 acres and was purchased by the church in 2004. Since then it has been used for Faith Fests, which are an annual youth music festival run by the church.
David Millar, a church member who’s been project managing the building work, says the new site will give the church much more flexibility.
At the moment, all the chairs and sound gear have to be totally packed away after every service – and put out beforehand.
Last year too many people came to the church’s popular talent quest, causing problems in terms of the building’s fire regulations, so it wasn’t held this year.
The quest for a building has been “consuming our strategic planning for the last umpteen years”, says Ruth Millward, Steve’s wife.
Despite its limitations, Crossroads has seen significant growth in the past year, with attendance at services growing to an average of 80 people in June, and 90 in December. About 120 people are involved in the church altogether, Steve says.
The new facility seats 200, with bi-fold doors opening onto a foyer with capacity for another 50. It includes dedicated areas for different ministries, and a café.
Bill Millar, who’s the session clerk, says the church definitely has plans beyond the building: “we’re really taking a long term approach. It’s about making sure this church is relevant to the community it serves”.
Press Go has given Crossroads a loan of $300,000, to be repaid over 6-10 years.
Read more about Crossroads’ journey, which included the sale of several smaller worship centres, in the March issue of Spanz.