Throughout September, CrossPoint Worship had the privilege of traveling across Kansas for our five CrossPoint Worship Nights in Liberal, Hays, Topeka, Hutchinson, and Salina. Over three weekends, more than 1,100 people gathered for extended times of worship and prayer, singing familiar songs alongside new ones written by members of our own church body.
Our vision for these nights was to create space for our communities to encounter Jesus through passionate worship and intentional fellowship. We wanted to open the doors of our churches to believers and guests alike, inviting people to experience the hope of the Gospel, while encouraging CrossPointers to grow as Surrendered Worshipers. Whether someone had followed Jesus for decades or was walking through the doors of a church for the first time, our prayer was that each person would be encouraged to take a meaningful next step toward Him.
Looking back, we're grateful to see how the Lord answered those prayers! In Liberal, two people professed faith in Christ, while several others came forward for prayer. In Salina, someone responded to the Gospel in a conversation afterwards, giving his life to Jesus in the parking lot! One of our Lead Pastors described the Worship Nights as "unlike anything I've ever experienced before at CrossPoint." Across all five locations, we watched people worship wholeheartedly and respond to what God was doing in their lives.
Another meaningful part of CrossPoint Worship Nights was introducing original songs written by worship leaders within our network. One of these, Joy!, began with an idea from Jen Svaty, the worship minister at CrossPoint Ellsworth. During a difficult season of ministry, Jen found herself struggling to experience joy. In her journey to dwell with the Lord rather than just do things for Him, she came across Psalm 73:28 (CSB): "But as for me, God's presence is my good." This Scripture became a turning point for her as she sought the Lord, asking Him to renew her joy and remind her that He Himself is the ultimate source of it. That truth eventually became the foundation for a song that we were able to sing together across our church network this past month. We look forward to sharing this song and many others in the coming months with the release of a live album made from those nights!
This is part of why we believe songwriting is such an important ministry of the Church. Songs have a unique way of carrying the truth of Scripture beyond the pages of our Bibles and into our everyday lives. They help us give language to our struggles, shape our affections according to God's Word, and declare sound theology together. As Psalm 145 reminds us, God's people are called to declare His mighty works and sing of His righteousness. Our hope is that the songs we write will help disciple worshipers to do just that.
As we reflect on these five nights, we're grateful for every person who joined us, and are especially encouraged by the stories of lives being changed by Jesus. Our prayer is that the seeds planted during CrossPoint Worship Nights will continue to bear fruit in the lives of individuals, families, and communities across Kansas!
Hunter Koonce | Director of CrossPoint Worship