Part 1: The Beginning
CrossRoads Church was birthed in the living room of pastor Paul Gomez in 1998. With a congregation of barely
10 members, the welcoming abode of Paul and Teresa was more than adequate for the very your CrossRoads Church. Within time,
CrossRoads outgrew the living room of it's founders, and it relocated to a local movie theater.
Although the move was a step forward, it required a lot of hard work and dedication. Around 8:00 am
Sunday morning, a dedicated group of 10 volunteers would trek to the theater with two trailers full
of sound equipment and children's toys. Once inside, the cheerful bunch hooked up computer equipment,
performed sound checks, and unpacked large Tupperware-like containers of blocks, dolls, and plastic
telephones for use in the children's area.
After the service, the same group of volunteers would quickly tear down the sound equipment, put away
children's toys, and packed up the two trailers before the start of the 12:00 pm movie. Sometimes Pastor
Gomez' sermon went a little late, and the volunteers performed their duties under the curious gaze of
early-bird movie goers.
But the hard work paid off, and CrossRoads Church continued to grow as lives were changed. In 2002,
Pastor Gomez had the opportunity to move his growing church to a nearby elementary school. Although
Paul was reluctant to leave the comfy theater seats and massive projection screen behind, meeting
in the local school was cheaper and more intimate. So Crossroads Church left the dark recesses of the
Fossil Creek theater, and embarked on a new journey with new challenges.
Part 2: Moving On
Shortly after the move to John Spicer Elementary school, Pastor Gomez began to seriously ponder the
future of CrossRoads Church and whether or not he should continue to be a part of it. He had been
thinking about church planting opportunities in the New York area for awhile, and the horrific events
of Sept 11, 2001 seemed to intensify this desire to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with the people
of New York.
After a great deal of thought and prayer, Pastor Gomez decided that CrossRoads Church was stable enough
to continue on its own. So, with a bit of sadness in his heart, Pastor Gomez announced to his congregation
that he and his wife Teresa would soon be leaving for New York. Although many tears were shed on that day,
and the congregation was surprised by the news, CrossRoads Church wished their founders well as they
embarked on yet another journey in their lives.
Part 3: A New Beginning
After the departure of it's beloved founders, CrossRoads Church began the next chapter of its existance by promoting youth pastor Jonathan Atwell to the position of senior pastor. Since he had been working side-by-side with Paul Gomez for about three years, Jonathan was the logical choice for the position of head pastor. Energized with a wealth of unique strategies and unwavering dedication to Paul's original vision for CrossRoads, Jonathan is leading the way as CrossRoads Church continues to grow and prosper.
Part 4: A New Home
After months of prayerful preparation, CrossRoads Church moved into its first 7-day-a-week facility at 6331 Boulevard 26, Suite 250, in North Richland Hills, Texas on September 2, 2007. This was a bold step that the Senior Pastor and Leadership Team believed must be taken in order to continue to make a difference in our community. This 5,045 square foot facility will provide an exciting place for families to gather to worship and learn the ancient truth about God's gift in Jesus.
