Welcome to cross-trainers.org

        

 

Committed Christians serving Christ
"...by this time you ought to be teachers...." (Hebrews 5:12)
About Our Founders
"Growing people...growing churches...growing people...growing...>"

Objectives

Frank & Joy Becker were called to pastor their first church in 1973 and founded this ministry in 1986.

Cross Trainers wants every Christian to realize that when God created them in his own image, he gave every one of them a unique genius. God gives every human being some latent or potential gift or combination of gifts. When you receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, you receive an enduement of power from the Holy Spirit.

As you consecrate yourself to the Lord, the gifts will begin to unfold and the power that accompanies them will be increased until the gifts come into full flower. [For God’s support of this argument, see the Lord’s words in the parable of the Two Talents (Matthew 25:14-30).]


Of course we all tend to take two steps of faith forward, then one back, but as we mature in the Lord—and it’s never too late to walk with him while we are still walking in this world—our walk will become more steady and faithful.

The Lord will shape and enlarge our vision and our abilities as we faithfully submit ourselves to his service. We must capitalize on the potential he provides.


Many will testify that this proved true in their lives. They “grew” tremendously because they had enjoyed almost existential experiences, taking leaps of faith as they undertook what appeared to be impossible tasks,. These "leaps of faith" subsequently forced them to cast their cares upon God. And when they began to pray and rely on him, they found him performing miracles on their behalves in order to bring their dreams and plans to fulfillment. This was most evident as they yielded themselves as servants to help others know and grow in Christ. This still happens today. It was the New Testament norm.


The potential for growth is greatest in a small church environment, but diminishes rapidly in larger churches. wjere tje experience is only possible for a select few in the pastor's “inner circle." In larger fellowships, unfortunately, most people’s opportunities are generally limited to parking cars, attending nursery or greeting people.. The super church may have its purpose, but the purpose-driven Christian cannot find sufficient opoportunity there to challenge his life. Most are spectators; a few are performers. The multitude is the "laity," the few are ministers.


But the Bible explicitly states that we are all priests in the body of Christ. What’s more, each of us is to be a teacher (Hebrews 5:12). In these fellowships that are dedicated to numeric size, we are blessed if we get to say “hello” to the same person two weeks in a row.

The garden in which you will have your opportunity to flower and to display your talents must be a smaller one. This was the New Testament pattern, with people meeting "...from house to house....." It’s not so much a desire to be a big fish in a small pond. It’s more a need to have numerous opportunities for each one to grow and be challenged and appreciated. This was the way the Lord established the church. It was a fait accompli. Leave it to th pride of man to devise programs which would bring him fame, fortune and power through large bureaucratic organizations.


 

In a smaller dynamic fellowship, there are more than enough responsibilities and challenges for everybody, including teens and children. In the large church, there is one preacher for perhaps 25,000 people. In 1,000 small churches, there are perhaps three preachers for every group, so several thousand people have opportunities to grow as they bring the gospel to their grouips. Likewise, there are multiplied opportunities for teachers, musicians, missionaries, and every other aspect of ministry.

Nowadays, large churches are responding to people's hunger for fellowship by starting home group programs. But small or home groups are a feeble attempt to encourage fellowship and member participation. In the New Testament, the home groups were actually churches. Even in Jerusalem, where there was a large base of Jewish Christians and the Jewish Temple, congregations met in houses and were only able to congregate in the Temple because it was there and only until the Jews excluded the Christians. Gentile Christiians in other cities did not meet in a temple.

This is intense individual involvement. Calls to ministry come in strange ways. Perhaps a respected leader suggests an assignment, or someone in the congregation recognizes something that needs to be accomplished, not realizing that he may have just “volunteered” for the job because the Lord had first suggested itto them. If a person accepts that assignment, they are pretty much free to define, enlarge, redirect, plan, organize, direct and control it.

In some small churches, the leaders will pretty much keep hands off. If the group is flourishing, it will also be preparing to divide itself to start another church. The mindset is not to accumulate money to undertake a building program. It will be to train workers for the new fellowship. And the leaders won't be micro-managers. They will be too swamped earning their own livings, caring for their families, and overseeing the church to micro-manage. They will do little more than look to the ethical aspects and to guide it so that it fits the general direction and budgetary restraints prescribed by the word of God.


Where people are given a clear vision and then empowered to pursue it, there is much excitement and love. Here several leaders share responsibilities for leading worship, teaching, and other aspects of ministry. Here teens are assimilated into ministry, helping to teach the younger children, while the younger children learn about the privileges of leadership by assisting in the nursery or elsewhere.

Here the church is conducted rent-free in the homes of faithful Christians. Here there is no great distinction between the pastor-teacher and the Sunday school teacher. Here each one earns his own living. And here everyone is inspired to tithe because 90% of the tithes and offerings are used to lift the burdens of needy orphans, widows, and Christian missionaries.


It is the objective of Cross Trainers Ministries to encourage Christians to open and multiply such small group churches.
   

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About Cross Trainers

Informative Websites

Missionaries & Ministries

The Beckers have either visited and labored with these missionaries and/or we have known them at least 25 years.

Order Frank's book: You Can TRIUMPH OVER TERROR ("the small profits" help Frank keep on with this ministry.)

*Names and specific locations withheld because of danger to missionary and family

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