Opportunities for charity are everywhere, and there are plenty of credible places to give. In fact, you might think The Crossroads is just another one of them.
To us, one thing is different. Our giving isn’t about charity. It’s about worship.
Before we tell you what to write on your check or where to hand it off, it’s far more important that you know why we encourage you to give to God. Simply put, it’s what God says to do, and it’s an appropriate response to who He is and all He has done. Its’ an expression of gratitude, obedience, and reverence: worship.
Giving First
In the Bible God tells us to give Him the first part - “first fruits” - of all He gives us. Not because He needs it, but because we need to give it. What we do with what we have directs our heart and defines our worship. Giving to God reminds us that He has given us everything, and can be counted on to meet every need we will ever have.
How can you give at The Crossroads? We want you to give from your heart as an act of worship, so we pass offering bags at approximately the same time each week so that you have adequate time to prepare, spiritually and prayerfully, for making your gift. These gifts are handled by a select team of wise and careful stewards, and we provide envelopes in the bulletin in order to ensure the confidentiality of your gift. You may also send your contribution to The Crossroads’ office at 3120 W. Carefree Hwy. #1-697, Phoenix AZ 85086.
Giving Beyond
Almost all of us have more than we truly need or could ever use. Beyond giving regularly to the church, God asks us to stretch ourselves by sacrificing to share with others who have needs.
If you’d like to give in addition to your regular giving, you can support any of the following by writing the name of the designated fund on the memo line of your check. [To ensure that your contribution is tax deductible, please write “The Crossroads” on the payee line of your check]. To ask about giving toward something not listed below, please contact Beth Calder at beth@thecrossroadsaz.com or 623.466.7964.
- Benevolence {assistance for people in need}
- Children’s scholarships, {Arts and other camps, outings, etc.}
- Facilities Development
- Future Fund {Land acquisition}
- Outreach/Missions
- Youth scholarships {camps, retreats, etc.}
Giving Together
Following the biblical model of giving God the first of everything we receive, The Crossroads has established our own FirstFruits ministry. Through FirstFruits, we give at least 10% of our annual budget to outside organizations or individuals in need. FirstFruits dollars are given to para-church organizations, churches, local and global outreach organizations and missionaries, students with scholarship needs, and people who need financial assistance.
When it comes to money, we’re not just asking or telling people to give it. We’re committed to teaching and coming alongside to help people be wise stewards of all God gives — and modeling these principles first as a church. We plan to teach sound money management principles in Crown Financial Groups, a 12-week course that helps people learn what the Bible says about managing the possessions God has given to us.
For information on how you can learn more about God’s financial principles, contact info@thecrossroadsaz.com.
