The Crossing

Founded in 2004 by Pastor Eric Dykstra, The Crossing Church began as a small group of 40 individuals in Elk River, Minnesota. Over the course of the last 7 years, The Crossing has grown exponentially to include a weekly attendance of over 2,200 people at 4 different campuses near the Twin Cities. The Crossing was founded with the goal of introducing God to people who do not respond to the methods of ministry employed at more traditional churches. In its Code, The Crossing Church states that it serves as "a hospital, not a cathedral." With this precept in mind, church leaders launched a 12-step recovery program in 2005. This faith-based program has aided The Crossing’s mission by allowing it to reach out to individuals battling addiction. By 2010, The Crossing had greatly increased the number of Crossing Recovery meetings held at its campuses, with classes reaching a weekly attendance rate of 200. The Crossing Recovery program represents only one way that The Crossing Church distinguishes itself from traditional churches. With creative, engaging services that target men in their twenties and thirties, the church began adding extra weekend services in 2006 to accommodate its growing membership and reach even more individuals seeking to know God. In 2007, weekly attendance reached 450 people, and the church's leaders launched the "I Went Last Night" campaign to promote new Saturday night services. After meeting for several years in rented spaces, including movie theaters and schools, The Crossing's members pledged $500,000 in 2008 to help purchase the church's first permanent location in Elk River. Just a year later, The Crossing opened a second campus in Zimmerman, and by 2010, over 1,000 members attended services every week. Since then, The Crossing Church has added two additional campuses and plans to purchase permanent spaces for them in 2011. Pastor Eric Dykstra designed the Crossing Church expansion plan to increase visibility and allow its 2,200-and-growing members to impact the community in even deeper ways. To learn more about the church's expansion and the current lineup of programs and small group services, visit Crossing-Church.com.