Who We Are

God is working in the life of our church to build up a strong group of believers who are committed to glorifying Him. We consider ourselves to be a large family who enjoy spending time with one another as we serve God and our community through the ministries of our church. We know that God has brought us together and we know that God has a wonderful plan for us. We are looking forward to the next phase in our journey to become what God wants us to be and to make a difference for His name and renown.

The Vision We Seek

Our desire is to glorify God by directing people to find hope in the cross of Jesus Christ, resulting in a growing, Bible-based faith in God, and overflowing in sharing His love with others through joyful service to our church, community, and world.

The Values We Live By

We value God-centered living - We seek to know God and His Son Jesus Christ more fully every day through faithful study and application of the Bible, consistent prayer, and authentic God-honoring worship. (Deuteronomy 6:5, 2 Timothy 3:14-17, Philippians 4:6, Psalm 29:1-2)

We value others - We strive to help others experience salvation from sin through faith and trust in Jesus Christ. We actively demonstrate the love and hope of Jesus Christ by accepting, encouraging, and caring for others. We believe in the power of strong relationships and fellowship with other Christians to build up, challenge, and hold each other accountable in our faith. (1 John 1:3, Mark 12:29-31, John 15:12-13, 1 Thessalonians 5:11)

We value family - We affirm the family as the first institution created by God and seek to build homes where parents rely on God's wisdom in raising children to know and love Him. (Joshua 24:15, Deuteronomy 6:6-9, Ephesians 6:1-4)

We value service - We believe that God saves us by grace through faith, but calls us to good works. Therefore, we believe every member should exercise their gifts in a ministry of the church. (Ephesians 2:8-10, 1 Peter 4:10-11, Romans 12:9-13)

We value leadership - We believe that leadership in the church exists to equip other members for service. Leaders should be mentoring and developing other leaders so that the church can more strongly influence our community and world with the good news of Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-13, 2 Timothy 2:1-2, Hebrews 13:7)

We value integrity - We believe that Christians should conduct their private and public lives with personal integrity, humility, and holiness. We believe the church should always act with the highest integrity in its policies, administration, and actions. (Micah 6:8, 1 Timothy 6:11, Titus 2:7-8)

We value joy - We believe true fulfillment and joy is found in our relationship with God. He desires that we be satisfied in Him and that our passion for Him, along with right living, should result in joy. (Psalm 16:11, Psalm 37:4, Philippians 4:4)

Our Beliefs

Crossview ascribes to the belief statements contained in the Southern Baptist Faith and Message as published in 2000. For a full description of our beliefs and our church covenant, refer to our Constitution and By-Laws.

Our Community

Crossview Baptist Church is located in Marietta, Georgia in a section known as East Cobb. Cobb County is a part of the metropolitan Atlanta area. The county has a population of approximately 700,000 people (1,950/sq. mile). Cobb County is home to some of the state’s largest employers; Home Depot world headquarters, Lockheed-Martin, and The Weather Channel.

Cobb ranks as the most educated county in Georgia (12th among all US counties). The Cobb County School System is the top education system in Georgia and the county’s number one employer (106 Schools / 15,211 Employees). Cobb is also among the top 100 wealthiest counties in the nation.

Within 3 miles of our campus, there are about 60,000 people in 22,000 households. Only 11% of people in our immediate community attend church regularly. 54% have no religious affiliation at all. The median age is 38 and the median household income is $81,000.

Our Leadership

Elders - Our church is led by a Board of Elders. There are a total of four members on the Board of Elders, which includes the Senior Pastor who serves as chairman. The three affirmed members serve on a rotating basis for a three year term. The Elders are responsible for helping the Senior Pastor and Staff in overseeing the administrative and teaching functions of the church, including shaping of policy. The Elders also serve as a sounding board for the Senior Pastor, pray with him, and encourage him in being God's man. They provide a spiritual accountability group for the Senior Pastor.

Other Church Officers – Other church officers include Trustees, a Moderator, a Church Clerk, and a Treasurer.

Staff – Our ministerial staff positions include Senior Pastor (full-time), Worship Pastor (part-time), and Student Ministries Director (part-time). We also have an administrative assistant position. For a current listing of our staff and key leadership, see the About Us page on our web site.

Constitutional Ministries – Our Constitutional Ministries have a church-wide focus and are considered essential to the life of the church. They give vision, direction and oversee the work of the Church in their respective areas of responsibility. For a full description of the ministries and their responsibilities, refer to our By-Laws.

Worship

Our worship style is more casual and contemporary. Our music tends more toward contemporary Christian praise and worship vs. traditional hymns. However, we do sing the great hymns of the faith, albeit with a more contemporary flair. Some of the artists we will draw from are Casting Crowns, David Crowder Band, Third Day, Chris Tomlin, Passion Band and Hillsong United.

Our Facilities

For a smaller church, we are blessed with wonderful facilities. Our 17,000 square foot campus sits on approximately 11 acres of land, located at 1100 Piedmont Road in between Sandy Plains Road and Canton Road. The sanctuary has the capacity to seat up to 500 people. The building is less than 20 years old and has a more contemporary style. There are 14 classrooms in the education and children’s wing, with two more classrooms behind the worship center, which are used for our middle high and high school classrooms. There are four offices and a large workroom. Click here to view our campus map.

Our History

August 1954 – A group of praying Christians met under an oak tree at the home of Mr. And Mrs. Fred Rogers to start a small fellowship.

September 1954 – Calvary Baptist Church was organized with 70 charter members. Rev. Harold E. Jensen was called as the first pastor.

May 1955 – Groundbreaking on the Canton Road location.

1956 – 1959 Rev. Glen Williams (father of Wayne Williams) serves as pastor.
Other pastors who served from 1959 to 1987 include:

J.W. Jordan, Taft Owenby, John Darnell, Hugh Johnson, Billy Brown, and James Presley.

August 1989 – Groundbreaking for the current location at 1100 Piedmont Road under the direction of Pastor Mark Marshall.

December 2001 – Calvary Baptist Church merges with Eastside Baptist Church to become the Eastside@Piedmont campus under the leadership of Dr. J. Gerald Harris.

February 2004 – After several months of guest preachers, Rev. Lincoln Badger begins his service as Campus Minister.

August 2005 – Eastside@Piedmont is renamed to Crossview.

November 2005 – Rev. Van Kicklighter begins his service as Interim Pastor after Rev. Badger returns to his native country of New Zealand.

August 2006 – Dr. Greg Belcher is called as Crossview’s first Senior Pastor.

April 2008 – Crossview Baptist Church becomes a standalone church.

January 2010 – Dr. Belcher leaves to pursue other ministry opportunities.

March 2010 – Rev. Van Kicklighter returns to serve as our Interim Pastor.

Statistics

Since our incorporation, Crossview has operated through God’s provision and the faithful giving of its members. We always spend less than we receive and faithfully steward all the blessings that God entrusts us with.

Key Programs

At Crossview, we believe strongly in the family. We offer a set of ministry programs designed to meet the needs of all members.

Sunday School is the cornerstone of our ministry. We view our Sunday School teachers as critical to the spiritual growth and development of our church. Teachers are required to sign a teaching covenant and are monitored to ensure they teach the Word of God accurately.

Childrens Ministries - Crossview provides a safe and loving place for children to come to worship and learn about God and to meet new friends.

• AWANA Clubs have been an integral part of Crossview where children learn and memorize verses from the Bible in a fun and friendly atmosphere. Although we are not offering AWANA this year, we expect to start it back in 2011.
• Kids Church is a special service designed for children (K - 2nd grade) where they learn to worship God in an environment made for them.
• KIDZWALK 101 is a four-week class for children who have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior and have expressed a desire for baptism.
• Throughout the year, we also offer a number of special events and programs for children that range from family fun to spiritual learning and enrichment as well as an evangelistic outreach to the community such as Vacation Bible School and Easter Egg Hunt.

Student Ministries - We have a vibrant youth program that focuses on growing our youth into God-centered adults.

• Discipleship - In addition to Sunday School and AWANA, our youth meet weekly on Sunday evenings for a time of discipleship. Currently, they are going through the Experiencing God group study. We also sponsor a DiscipleNow weekend with help from student leaders from local Baptist Campus Ministries.
• Community Ministry - Our youth regularly minister to our community partners (Nelson Price Treatment Center, JJ Daniell Middle School, and Specialty Care Nursing Home).
• Student Missions - The youth participate annually in missions via MFuge Mission Camps.
• Activities - Our youth go to a variety of Christian concerts together and have fun social activities throughout the year with their Christian and non-Christian friends.

Family Ministries - Adult and family events include the annual Ladies Christmas Tea Party, the quarterly church wide dinner on the ground, and a quarterly campus workday where adults, youth and children gather to work on various projects inside and outside the church building.

Our Joyful Servants (senior adults) meet monthly for fellowship and food. Our senior adults are very active in a variety of our ministries and are an inspiration to us all in their faith and walk with God.

Community Partners

At Crossview, we believe we need to be actively involved with local community and education organizations as we shine the light of Jesus to a lost world.

Nelson Price Treatment Center - One of the outreach ministries of Crossview is our involvement with the Nelson L. Price Treatment Center in Marietta, a part of the Georgia Baptist Children’s Homes and Family Ministries, Inc. This is a residential substance abuse program for adolescents that provides individual, group and family therapy, Christian-based 12-Step program of recovery, Spiritual Counseling, Psychiatric Consultation and Monitoring, Individualized Educational Plan and Recreational Activities.

We meet with the teens for an evening once a month referred to as “Game Night.” During this time, we provide snacks and numerous different age appropriate board games, cards, etc. We have also in the past played basketball at their outdoor court and helped serve at their annual Thanksgiving dinner. As they look forward to this time and have expressed how much they enjoy our visits and participation, we are currently working with the staff to possibly extend this to a bi-monthly event. Also, our church is privileged that the teens attend our Sunday School/Worship Service on a regular basis.

J.J. Daniell Middle School – Crossview has maintained a relationship with J.J. Daniell Middle School as a community Supporter. Members have been engaged with school faculty, staff, and parents in offering support to school sponsored activities, participating in campus work days, and providing needed school supplies for less fortunate families. Crossview has, in the past, participated in a tutoring program for the school’s students.

J.J. Daniell is a national school of excellence and part of the Cobb County School System. Crossview is just over 1 mile away from the J.J. Daniell campus.

We also have ongoing relationships with the Specialty Care Nursing Home and our local Women’s Pregnancy Center.

Missions

We are strong financial supporters of both the Cooperative Program and our local Noonday Baptist Association, tithing 10% of our receipts to these Baptist organizations. We also financially support several missionaries directly. Our youth group serves each year at the MFuge camps sponsored by Lifeway and coordinates Operation Shoebox each November through Samaritan’s Purse.