MISSION/BELIEFS

Building and Strengthening Relationships with God

Our Mission

The Cross Ministry Group is on a mission to create safe, sacred spaces where men and women are transformed by grace and truth to live authentically as the body of Christ.

We are a non-profit organization led by a group of men and women volunteers who are committed to following Christ fully and living authentically.

Our weekend retreats and weekend workshops allow participants to strengthen their relationship with God.

Our Beliefs

We believe that the Bible is the inspired, authoritative Word of God. The Apostle’s Creed, the earliest recorded statement of Christian faith, articulates The Cross Ministry Group’s belief:

We believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son Our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into the dead; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from then He will come to judge the living and the dead. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.

Theological Perspective of our Ministry

The philosophy of the weekend is rooted in core theological truths.

• We are not God. We are human.
• As we follow Christ, we are in the process of being transformed into his likeness.
• In Christ, we are redeemed. We are being sanctified.  The teachings and experiences presented at our events are designed to help staff and attendees integrate in body, heart, soul, and mind the reality that God is sanctifying us and renewing us according to the Image of Christ.
• Christ comes in weakness in human form and presents his broken body as the portal through which we pass into God’s presence.
• If Christ comes in weakness, we too must come to God in weakness, in humility.
• We are “Broken” – which is an expression of  an attitude of humility that the image of God is broken within us and is being restored by his presence.
• We are Beloved. We risk believing that we are at all times connected to God’s love and power.
• The role of being in community and committed to staying in relationship with one another is a central element of discovering and maturing in our true and authentic selves, the new creation in Christ.
• We are wounded in relationship. We are healed in relationship.  The presence of God meets us as we are in community together.  We experience his transforming power as we journey together in truth and grace.

Core Values of The Cross Ministry Group

1. We have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us. (Galatians 2:20)  We are called to rest in the reality that Christ is our life and that all that is good in us flows from his life within us.  We are on the path of growing in faith and applying this reality to our daily lives.

2. God has already given us everything thing we need to follow him. We purpose to create opportunities for God’s people to step into the truth that we already have his power and love in our lives.  We must step into it by faith.  “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.”  (2 Peter 1:3)
3. “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your mind and with all of your strength.” Mark 12:30 It is our intention to explore how to fulfill this command in our daily lives through study, teaching and risking obedience in practical ways in our lives.
4. We view the Bible as God’s inspired word to us as his people. We look to him for creative and meaningful ways to proclaim his truth so that his people might experience the truth of the Gospel.  We value exploring spiritual disciplines, which will aid us in being conformed into the image of God.  As is seen throughout the Bible, the use of ritual and symbol is used to point to the truth about God and his people.  Embracing both ritual and symbol are tangible ways for us to grow in our experience of God’s grace and truth.
5. We embrace that we are human. We are not God.  We are not in control.  We submit to him and endeavor to surrender to his lordship.  We accept that we are fallen and endeavor to come before Christ in humility at the foot of the cross.  There we have fellowship with him and with others.  We are all human.  We are all weak.  We are all equally in need of God’s grace and mercy.  And so, we let go of control of our own lives as well as our control over the lives of others.
6. It is our goal to live from the true self. This is our redeemed self – the new creation –  living from the Spirit of God within.
7. We are dedicated to becoming people who are conscious and aware of how we show up in the world. Unless we are aware of the nature of our soul before God and others we will live an illusion.  We choose to uncover any ways that we are conforming to the ways and values of the world and then move toward confession and repentance.
8. We are committed to welcoming people where they are without judgment and calling them into the high and noble calling of God in their lives.
9. We must, each one, take responsibility for our own actions, thoughts, feelings and experiences in life. Without personal ownership we return to the fallen garden where blaming and victimhood rule.  We are called to live in humility and to focus on our own sanctification before God.  We are all fallen and the Image of God is broken within us.  We are redeemed and being sanctified throughout the span of our lives.
10. Transformation takes place in the context of community. In the midst relationship with trusted others we take risks to step out of our comfort zone and choose to be authentic and open.  In this environment fear and shame are overcome by the love, grace and mercy of God.  We are ushered into the reality of our beloved state before God.