When the house lights dim and the stage lights come up on this year's Christmas musical at Crossroads, it represents far more than an evening of entertainment. It's the culmination of a vision that has been quietly reshaping how Crossroads engages with its community — not through programs or presentations alone, but through the universal language of Creativity and the Arts.
Over the past few years, the Worship & Creative Arts Ministry at Crossroads has been intentionally building something different: a space where authentic, Spirit-driven worship meets creative excellence, where both in-person gatherings and online viewers can encounter God through music, visual arts, performing arts, media, and technology. But the vision extends far beyond Sunday mornings.
We believe worship is a lifestyle, not just a Sunday experience. And that conviction has led us to ask: How do we take this beyond our walls?
The answer has been The Arts at Crossroads — an initiative making tangible impact through missional discipleship efforts. Rather than simply inviting the community to come to them, Worship & Creative Arts Ministry at Crossroads is actively engaging the community around them through three core focuses: Education, Culture, and Relationship.
Crossroads partners with local schools such as Valley Christian to support arts programs, provides affordable rehearsal and performance space for local artistic organizations such as Moezart Productions and Stage of Mind, and creates cultural gathering opportunities through concerts and events for organizations like East Valley Chorale and Tempe Community Chorus. Each activity serves as what the ministry calls a "touch-point" — an opportunity for relationship with individuals who might never otherwise visit the campus.
These bridges also extend beyond the local community to include meaningful partnerships with other churches such as Tempe Nazarene and Chandler First Church of the Nazarene. Recognizing that no single congregation has all the resources, talents, or reach to maximize kingdom impact alone, Crossroads has intentionally built collaborative relationships with other churches.
We are not competing with other churches — we are collaborating for the Gospel. And when we share resources, knowledge, and creative vision, everyone benefits. More importantly, more people encounter the good news of Jesus. This collaborative spirit reflects a growing understanding that the mission is bigger than any one church. We genuinely want to serve and impact those closest to us. The relationships that develop are organic, built on shared creative experiences and mutual respect.
It is a delicate balance — taking creative leaps of faith while remaining faithful to the church's mission and core values. Innovation must serve the greater purpose, not replace it.
This brings us back to the Christmas musical — and why it matters that Crossroads invests significant resources into bringing the community together for this annual celebration.
Christmas is perhaps the one time of year when people are most open to encountering something special, something beyond the commercial rush and family obligations. It is when hearts are open toward themes of hope, redemption, and love — the very heart of the Gospel message.
The good news of Christmas is not just a story from 2,000 years ago, it is an invitation into relationship with a God who meets us where we are. Creative expression — whether through music, drama, or visual storytelling — has this unique way of speaking directly to the heart in ways words alone cannot.
Christmas at Christmas becomes a natural extension of everything The Arts at Crossroads has been building throughout the year. Those local musicians and artists who have rehearsed in our space? They are invited to participate. Those students from partner schools? They have a front-row seat to excellence in production. Those community members who have attended a concert or have been a part of other events? They receive a personal invitation to this special celebration.
So when Crossroads opens its doors for this year's Christmas musical, we are offering
more than an evening of holiday entertainment. WE are extending an invitation — to experience the good news of Christmas through creative expression, to encounter the goodness of God in unexpected ways, and perhaps, to begin a relationship that extends far beyond a single performance.
We believe God is doing something significant through the arts in our community. This Christmas, we are simply creating space for people to experience that for themselves.
In a world that often feels chaotic and isolated, there is something powerful about gathering together — believers and seekers, artists and audiences, neighbors and strangers — to witness a story of hope, redemption, and love made available through creative expression.
That's the true gift Crossroads is offering this Christmas season. And it's one that cannot be wrapped in a package.
