CrossPointe is a place. It is located in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley in Christiansburg, Va, on the former campus of Life Bible College East. Last week, hundreds of ministry leaders gathered on these grounds to celebrate its rebirth as a ministry center for pastors and leaders. Housed on the campus is the Center for Spiritual Renewal, whose primary focus is to help build a healthy and restorative pathway for those who are leading the church. Their journey is long and filled with many dreams, detours and distractions. The truth remains that all of us need times of refreshing, refocus and rebuilding.
CrossPointe is an intersection. It began as a center for Muslim studies, accentuated with a mosque and a minaret, but the place was eventually sold before the group took occupancy. It was purchased as a training center for men and women called into the ministry by The Foursquare Church. Later, a painful decision to close the school was made that led to the consideration of selling the property. Under Pastor Jack’s leadership, the board elected to retain the property and contend in prayer for its new purpose. Hence, the vision to house the ministry renewal center was birthed.
During the dedication time, Pastor Jack spoke a prophetic word: “Redemption costs more than creation.” While God spoke and the worlds were created without contention, it took the costly sacrifice of His son to purchase our salvation, freeing us from the hold of sin. These lessons should not be easily forgotten, as their truth permeates through the reality of our own lives. The unexpected costs of remodeling and restoring–the difficulty of stripping away the exterior only at times to reveal inner issues that must be resolved—only add to the complexities of restoration and redemption.
CrossPointe is a concept. The prophet Jeremiah declared in chapter 18 that the marred vessel should be returned to the potter, so that the master craftsman could reshape it into a vessel of honor. I sometimes wish that life wasn’t so difficult and that mistakes weren’t so costly. But it’s good to know that God has some pretty good experience in remodeling. I wish I weren’t so clumsy and prone to breaking things, but given the fact that it’s a reality, I’m glad to know there’s a place I can go to bring what I’ve broken: CrossPointe, where heaven and earth connect.
More information on CrossPointe is available online.
“He has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant forever: Holy and awesome is His name.” -Psalm 111:9 (NKJV)
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By: Glenn Burris Jr., general supervisor
