Crossroads Community Church defied the odds.

        Less than half of all new churches survive the three-year mark, say national experts. Far fewer ever attract a large congregation.

        Yet here's Crossroads, six years after a group of 11 friends conceived it, opening the doors this weekend to crowds between 1,500 and 2,000. The church, which had been meeting in a school, celebrates the grand opening of a new $14 million home, a remodeled 91,000-square-feet warehouse that sits on 17 acres in Oakley.

The new interior of the Community Crossroads Church, which is located in a former HQ store in Oakley. (Brandi Stafford photos) | ZOOM |

        “I could probably identify 25 to 50 churches nationwide that experience that kind of success,” says Peter Peaslee, of Outreach Marketing, a Vista, Calif., company that works with churches nationally.

        Leaders at Crossroads attribute its growth to defying something else: traditional expectations of worship.

        There's no cross hanging from the ceiling of the 1,200-seat sanctuary. No organ music greets worshippers. No Bibles are tucked under the auditorium-style seats.

        Instead, a band plays popular music. This weekend, the main hymn is U2's “Beautiful Day.” A large screen displays key points from the message — not the sermon — delivered on a stage by the senior pastor, Brian Tome, who doesn't want to be called “Reverend.”

        “We wanted to create a safe place for our friends who didn't know God,” says Mr. Tome, 36 of Mount Lookout.

        Although people of all ages attend services, the congregation primarily is professionals in their mid-30s, a mix of singles, couples and young families.

        The primary goal is to attract the unchurched. After the first year, ministry leaders looked at the numbers. About 70 percent were people who not did not regularly attend another church. Anecdotally, the leaders at Crossroads think the percentage today is the same.

Brian Tome Sr. (left), pastor of Community Crossroads Church, church ministry development director Cyndi King (center), and associate pastor Brian Wells stand in front of a wall featuring handprints of all who had an impact on the church. | ZOOM |

        “If all we're doing is creating a cool alternative to traditional churches, then we would shut it down,” says Brian Wells, director of spiritual development. Instead, they tout Crossroads as “church done differently.”

        Because of its target audience, the ministers don't assume any basic Bible knowledge. Before they talk about the message of Moses, they explain who he is.

        The services emphasize applying God's word to everyday life. To drive home a point, Mr. Tome couples scripture with clips from movies such as Tommy Boy or Jerry Maguire.

        “We use elements of pop culture as a bridge to what Jesus has to say about issues in our lives,” says Mr. Wells, 36, also of Mount Lookout.

        The building, which formerly housed Home Quarters, also is unconventional. It uses the rough look of a warehouse to create a contemporary feel. Air ducts and lights hang from the 24-foot ceilings. Part of the floor is concrete.

        Free gourmet coffee is standard fare. In the kids' area, the church shipped in a 24-foot fabricated oak tree.

        The challenge was to transform a space big enough for 1,200 that felt cozy like a coffee shop, says Kristie Pudlock, an interior designer with Champlin-Haupt Architects.

        Weekend services are Saturdays at 5:30 p.m. and Sundays at 9:30 and 11 a.m. at the church, 3500 Madison Road.
       

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