Our vision

The four components of our vision are four different things we balance in both our daily walk with Jesus and our ministry as a church. We see them as being on two different axes – one centered around where we spend our time (connect and influence), the other on what we spend our time doing (grow and serve) – that we strive to strike a balance between in everything we do.

Connect represents all the time we spend in our church: all the events we attend, groups we belong to, services in which we participate – it’s all connecting!


For our church, connect represents how we come together as one, unified local church body. We believe that the dynamic of these types of spiritual settings are vital to the Christian walk. We accomplish this by gathering for worship every week on Sunday mornings and holding large-group special events throughout the year where our church and larger community can gather for fellowship. 

Beliefs

  • We believe that the Bible, consisting of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, is fully inspired by God and is the final authority for all matters of faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21).

  • We believe that there is one God who is infinitely perfect and eternally existent in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and by Him all things were made (John 1:3; Ephesians 4:4-6; Hebrews 1:3).

  • We believe that Jesus Christ was God manifested in the flesh, that He was born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, paid the penalty for all sin upon the cross, was buried, rose from the dead and ascended to the right hand of the Father according to the Scriptures (Isaiah 7:14; John 1:14; Luke 24:50-51; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4). 

  • We believe that all people are created in the image of God, and that all have sinned and are separated from a relationship with God which in and of ourselves cannot be restored (Genesis 1:27; Isaiah 59:2; Romans 3:10-23; 5:12; 6:23).

  • We believe that as a result of Jesus Christ’s substitutionary death, people can be restored to a personal relationship with God only through faith in Jesus Christ (John 1:12; Colossians 2:13; 1 John 5:11-12; Romans 10:9-10).

  • We believe that God the Holy Spirit has sealed all true believers guaranteeing their inheritance and is presently working in the hearts of His people to conform them to His own image by guiding, instructing, and empowering believers for godly living and service, which includes the granting of gifts for the spiritual growth of the body of Christ (John 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:13; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30).

  • We believe that the Church, composed of believers in Christ, proclaims the gospel of God’s redemption, nurtures Christians in their life of faith, and equips believers for works of service (Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 4:14-16).

  • We believe that Jesus Christ will return as promised in the Scriptures, and will receive to Himself those who have trusted in Him and will separate from Himself for all eternity those who have not (John 14:1-3; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).

OUR HISTORY

CrossPoint Church has roots going back more than 100 years. On November 21st, 1920, John Roth started a Sunday school in a two-room school house on Pleasant Hill. Ten years later, that group grew to more than 70 people.


From guidance and support from the Illinois Missions Board, this Sunday school became Pleasant Hill Mennonite Church. With a plot of land donated by the Stoeker family and a Civil-War era building transported by horse-drawn wagon from Metamora, church services began in 1930. By the 1960's, the present sanctuary was constructed.


By the turn of the century, Pleasant Hill Mennonite was facing some serious challenges: the church was shrinking with an aging population, and no new people were joining the community. They turned to the Lord for help and boldly prayed that God would send a group of 100-150 people to join them and rejuvenate their ministry of bringing the gospel to the people of East Peoria.


Meanwhile, a new church plant of 100 people was in search of a permanent facility. They had been renting space in a local theater but were at the end of the agreement. Providentially, their search led them to the school building on Pleasant Hill Road, adjacent to Pleasant Hill Mennonite. In the course of researching the building, the leaders of the two congregations met and began to discuss whether God may be drawing these two communities together for a greater purpose.


For the next four months, the two congregations sought God’s will for their futures, and both felt confirmed that God was directing them to merge. So, in January of 2003, after months of prayer and lengthy discussions, they merged as CrossPoint Church, an independent, non-denominational, Bible-teaching community of faith. The church building on Pleasant Hill Road became the new home of CrossPoint.


Just two months later, God once again showed favor to our community. In March of 2003, the school building and the adjacent six acres of land was placed up for auction. The leadership was unanimous in pursuing ownership of the building, and when the day of the auction came, there were rumors of bidding wars between CrossPoint and the local businesses. It looked unlikely that CrossPoint could compare with the deep pockets of other local businesses. But after the opening bid was made by CrossPoint, not a single competing bid was submitted. The building was purchased for only $100,000, and thanks to the generosity of the new congregation, it was quickly paid in full. To this day, CrossPoint Church is completely debt-free.


In October of 2019, Pastor Dan Johnston became the 17th pastor to serve in this location. We continue to carry on a long legacy of serving each other, our community and supporting Christian efforts around the globe.