The Story of CrossRoad Church
In the spring of 1995, Dr. Barbara Williams Riddle, Superintendent of the United Methodist Church of the Jacksonville District, presented Sandy and Gee Sprague the opportunity of launching a new congregation on the southside of Jacksonville with a possible site on the extension of Baymeadows Road between Southside Boulevard and 9A. Sandy and Gee had lived and been in ministry at the Lakewood Church in Jacksonville since 1981 and were certain that the area was ripe for a new United Methodist congregation. God placed in them the desire to develop this congregation, and they accepted the appointment. In September of 1995, with the blessings of the Lakewood Church, they began plans to launch this new church.

During the planning stages, God birthed the concept of starting the congregation in a retail/commercial building. With the help of Jim Young, a local real estate developer, the search began and ultimately led to the Commerce Center at 8535 Baymeadows Road, Suite 56. Slowly the concept began to gain support and enthusiasm from the District Board of Church Development and from the Conference Board of Church Development under the leadership of Dr. Charles Courtoy.

While the physical development of the warehouse was underway, God had begun construction on the lives of many of its future members. In 1996 Sandy Sprague was hired to coordinate and direct volunteers into areas of ministry, especially nursery, children and youth. Cathy Murphy Giddens was hired to develop the choir and worship leaders, and Nancy Hess was hired as office manager. Working out of the Sprague home, a telemarketing campaign was organized to call 18,000 households within a five-mile radius of Southside Boulevard and Baymeadows Road. Making phone calls from Sunday through Thursday for two weeks, 20-30 volunteers offered information about a new United Methodist congregation starting in the Baymeadows area. Over 200 volunteers participated in this publicity effort.

This campaign identified almost 1,200 families interested in a new United Methodist Church on the southside of Jacksonville.

April 14, 1996, was chosen as the date to launch the first public service of worship. During the winter months and early spring of 1996, letters were sent to those on the telemarketing list and to some 200 families that had requested to be on the mailing list, advising them of needs and opportunities for service. As people came forward to volunteer to help, a wonderful core group developed. Though it was clear that God was active in the physical development of this congregation, He also began to guide this new congregation in developing their faith. Two groups began to meet at the Sprague home to learn about faith from the study Experiencing God. This study provided a wonderful foundation for the entire group.

The construction of the Worship Center began March 18, 1996. On that same day, volunteers came to paint and decorate the existing offices that would also become nursery and children's ministry rooms. With dust everywhere, the church began to make a home in Suite 56 of the Commerce Center. During the next four weeks, the warehouse was transformed into a Worship Center. Saturday morning before the first service, the last of the ceiling tiles were put in place, but it was conceded that the carpet would not be installed. On Saturday, April 13, 1996, the core group of sixty volunteers gathered to organize the ushers, greeters, hospitality, nursery, parking ushers and choir. After the team meeting, volunteers swept, mopped, swept, mopped, and then swept and mopped some more as they waited for the arrival of the chairs. Many people in the core group and from churches throughout the district donated $30 toward the purchase of a chair or $100 to purchase three chairs and a square yard of carpet. One person commented that was pretty good marketing: they can buy one chair for $30 dollars or three for $100. Three hundred chairs arrived around 2 o’'clock in the afternoon, and the once vacant warehouse finally looked like a house of worship.

At the encouragement of many friends, 100 chairs were rented and another 100 chairs were borrowed from Mandarin United Methodist Church. In our wildest dreams, it was hoped that we would fill the 300 chairs that we owned. We gathered for prayer around 9:00 a.m. The Ministry teams began to go into action. Around 9:30 a.m., the sound of people coming in began to be more constant.

The roar of voices became louder.

"We're running out of name tags!"

Where are the other 100 chairs?"

"I don’'t think we can fit any more people in the building!"”

Shortly after 10:00 a.m. (the delay couldn’'t be helped), the band started to play and the choir processed singing Ancient of Days. The room was alive with the presence of the Holy Spirit. The presence of Jesus was manifested in such a Joyful Celebration that it was clear to all that God was at work. The faces of the core group were stunned, their eyes filled with tears but smiling from ear to ear. Though there were many well wishers from other local churches, the vast majority were people who came to find a new church and a relationship with God and with a Savior, Jesus Christ.

The message that day was simple. It expressed the Vision of the Church. It sprang from the name CrossRoad: A place to connect and know we are not alone, where we come to get our bearings, and where we come to know the Guide. Though we have covered a lot of ground and have made changes over the years, the message is still "Get Connected on the Road to the Cross at CrossRoad Church!"

Throughout the spring, summer and fall, the congregation developed and grew. On December 15, 1996, Baymeadows CrossRoad received its charter as a United Methodist Church with 350 members. Each of those 350 people, and those that have come since, make up a very unique congregation: unique in the way we worship and unique in the way God has brought us here.

The congregation grew in size and in spirit while worshipping at the Commerce Center. The original Worship Center and office space of 7,200 square feet expanded to over 18,000 square feet for nursery, youth and young adult, education and space for fellowship.

In 1997, a 40 plus acre tract located on the newly constructed Gate Parkway was presented to the leadership of CrossRoad Church as a site for their permanent home. In November of 1998, the purchase of that site became a reality. During 1999, plans were presented to the congregation, and they generously donated to the Vision of building a facility on Gate Parkway.

Site work began in January 2000. In late May, with the final details of the loan in hand, construction of the building began. The first service in the new facility was April 1, 2001.

Over the years we have grown into an exciting, inspired, energized part of the Body of Christ. And we offer our invitation to you to be a part of the Future of CrossRoad Church!