How Some People are Connecting with God at Crossroads

Frank King Finds God Waiting For Him
Frank King

After spending five years being as far away from God as one could imagine, I finally set my anger aside and prayed on an Alberta ski lift with a Christian friend. It certainly wasn't a loving prayer; in fact, it sounded a lot more like the opening salvo in contract negotiations.

But that was all God needed. Within minutes of praying I began to feel a lightness on my heart. Not only was that a surprise, it was a relief after so many years of cynical anger. And it's only progressed from there.

I was surprised again to realize that as time went on, God had been saving all those years of unwanted love for me. And when I finally opened up to Him, He showered me with that love. It was a downpour, a monsoon of delight and passion for me, despite all my flaws. I couldn't help but love Him back with the same depth of emotion.

God also led me to new, and most importantly, credible understanding of what He did through the death and resurrection of His son Jesus Christ. And so I did what I so long thought I would never, ever do: I became a Christian.

What prompted us to move to Ajax
John and JoAnne Schreiber; Greg, Scott, Cody, and Arielle

After living in the Acton area for all of our lives, we moved with our children Greg, Scott, Cody, and Arielle to Ajax in the summer of 1995.

John sold out of his business, we sold our home and took the step of moving to Ajax. We came to Ajax to be part of the vision of seeing this new church get off the ground. Adrian Van Giessen was the pastor of our church in Acton before he and his family left to move to Ajax. We were excited about the vision of starting a new church that cares about people who are not yet connected to God and wanted to be part of it.

God has been very faithful to us. John found employment in the fall of 1995, our home sold almost immediately, our children felt at home in their new school. We are presently very involved at Crossroads and are glad that we can be part of what God is doing through this church.

Finding out what God is really like
Yvonne Knight, Early Childhood Education Teacher

Before coming to Crossroads, I was dissatisfied with the way my life was going. I felt confused, frustrated, and burdened life's responsibilities as a working mom. I found myself looking at life with a negative and selfish attitude which left me feeling miserable. It was like I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel. I felt as though I needed something or someone to fill this void that I had.

I've been attending Crossroads for a few years now; it was the best decision that I've made in my life. Back in the summer of 1997, my daughter and I attended a carnival that the church had put on. We really enjoyed ourselves and I had picked up some information about the church. The next week, I decided to check out the Sunday service, being the inquisitive person that I am. I was really impressed by the non-traditional format of the service and the fact that everyone seemed authentic and welcoming. I was a bit sceptical at first, because it seemed too good to be true.

During that service, the pastor spoke in a way that related well to what was happening in my life at the time. At first I thought this was coincidental. Later that morning, I met several others, who all were very warm, friendly, and down to earth.

I returned the next week, still somewhat sceptical but wanting to find out more. I again experienced that same warm reception, and felt a true sense of community in this place. I knew that God had a plan for me and I wanted to discover what it was.

Since then, He has done some amazing things in my life. Looking back, I now recognize that He was always there but that I chose to not accept that and to instead do things my way, which wasn't always a good choice.

A few months after I came to Crossroads, I became a Christian, asked God to be the centre of my life, and I haven't regretted it for a moment! God has been so good to me.

He has given me confidence, insight and a positive outlook on myself and others. I am so thankful to God for leading me to this place, and for the loving, encouraging people that I've found here!