My job and family situations for the past several years required me to travel a lot, so I wasn’t connected to a church community for the first time in my life. I felt like I was floundering and shared that feeling with my friend. I was living in Dayton at the time and often visited my parents in Berea, KY, so she suggested I check out Crossroads Dayton and Lexington. Then she mentioned that Crossroads also had an online community and I was surprised.
I gave Crossroads Anywhere a try and was amazed by it. I was still a little hesitant to engage with online groups because I wasn’t sure I could make it work with my travel schedule, but I did decide to give the 30 Day Challenge a try. I didn’t really know what it was but I decided to hit it and see what I could do. I had no idea what it would bring to me.
I was connected with Jess, my absolutely awesome guide. She has invited me to join her monthly group that brings together people who enjoy art. I think it will be a great fit for me because sometimes I get a little ADD and create what I call prayer doodles to help me focus. Sometimes they’re just a ribbon of color, but I enjoy them. I have doodled my entire life and I’m thinking the once a month meetings will be more manageable for my schedule as I relocate and start a different travel schedule with my new job.
Once I jumped into Crossroads, I quickly realized everything I had been so concerned and worried about was ridiculous. We all have a smartphone in our hand most of the day and now connecting to my church is just as simple as checking in with my brother or my best friend.
I feel like a dork that I spent so much time making it hard to get back to church in my own brain but it also made me realize I’m not the only person who feels that apprehension. It made me realize I can help others who feel that way, so I started inviting some friends over to watch the Crossroads services with me. I have a giant TV that swallows my living room that I was gifted when I moved in, but I don’t watch TV. Now it’s finally getting used. Once people see the quality of what Crossroads brings to the screen and that there is not only one gold nugget in each message but probably 10 gold nuggets, they begin to understand why I love it so much.
The app has also been a great supplement to my devotional time in the mornings. I use my paper Bible but I also get to pray for people in the app. I often wish I could help connect them to resources, but I always pray for a-ha moments for them to be enlightened to a resource they haven’t thought of and they would just know somehow since I can’t do it directly.
With my new job things are going to get a little crazy for a little bit, but I’m not going to miss a beat thanks to Crossroads Online Church. I needed water and sunshine and I got it! -Lisa Q.