The History of Crossroads Christian Center

The Call into ministry came in October 2003 and name Crossroads, is the name inspired by God and given to me in late December 2002.  Situated in historic Contra Costa County, Brentwood is the city that seeds the vision.  Established as a town in 1878 and becoming a city in 1923, Brentwood as well as Antioch, Neroly, and Byron were the gateway in the Bay Area. The railroad transported dry goods as well as people in and out of the vastly growing and popular area.  Settlers from all over the country migrated to Contra Costa County in hops to strike it rich in the coal mining industry, yet most if not all settlers ended up in doing something different from their dreams.  City Founders as well as most other settlers soon discovered their aspirations and plans had quickly changed thus leaving them at a “crossroads”.    

 

The Brentwood name is originally out of England.  Between 1177 1184, King Henry II granted permission to cut down forty acres of forest and cultivate 40 acres.  Back in those days, there were no chainsaws or electrical equipment to assist man in cutting down 100 year old plus trees.  So, the method used was to partially burn the trees while cutting them down.  In 1221, Henry II gave permission to build a chapel on the town’s site for the pilgrims passing through to Colchester. 

 

The chapel was dedicated to St. Thomas of Canterbury.  On June 1, 1227, King Henry III granted a charter to hold a market at “burnt wood” every Wednesday once a week On July 12,1234 Henry II gave permission to build houses at Burnt Wood. In the 1700’s, The English Brentwood Urban District Council then granted an Achievement of Arms award in the form of a shield divided horizontally by a flame like division.  The lower half of the shield is red and the upper half silver.  This division gives the appearance of flaming wood, the original name being “burnt wood,” which became Brentwood.
 

You Are Safe Here 

   Our Freedom In Worship Will Never Surrender To Fanaticism We are forthright and expressive, but differentiate between the sound of praise and the noise of people. We worship as a choir in chorus, not as soloists in competition. We worship in spirit, with liberty but in concert under leadership. It’s safe to praise aloud with us, for we will partner together to worship in the beauty of holiness, and we will preempt a place for neither prideful formalism nor personal fanaticism.

Our Openness To One Another Will Never Exploit Anyone We foster communication and interaction, recognizing that true friendship is impossible without the pursuit of transparent and authentic sharing. What is shared in prayer is sacred which is and what is shown from your heart is treasured. We hold this trust that all who minister the life of Jesus to one another always function in the love of Jesus. That love is unconditional and non-manipulative and it always covers weakness and sin with strength and forgiveness.

Our Welcome to Spiritual Gifts Will Never Violate The Word We ask the Hold Spirit to be present here and to distribute gifts among us according to His will. All the gifts are present in the church, and every believer is urged to be free and responsible to minister gifts with sensitivity. We are covetous of their manifestation but not gullible as to their demonstration. Graciousness in ministry, submissiveness in spirit, and order in operation of the gifts is scriptural, and therefore insisted upon in this assembly.

Our Joyousness Will Never Degenerate To Mere Excitability
Childlike simplicity and faith can transcend patterns of pomp and pride which society dictate we accept. But child-like, is not child-ish, and so we refuse to be bound to the idea that true simplicity is either glib or emotional license. The joy and release in laughter, applause, shouting or tears involve the emotions, but for understood reasons, not merely sensational ones. True freedom is as thoughtful as it is liberated and we choose to live in the freeing truth