In 2008, the leaders of Crossroads Christian Church in Grand Prairie, TX, realized they had unintentionally left out an incredibly important component from their ministry — sports. A church that once had boasted a very active sports ministry for children, youth and adults now had very little to offer. As the leaders had aged and stopped participating in sports, programs related to sports began to disappear as well. So they decided to do something about it. An architect was hired and plans were made to build a complex that people from every age and stage of life could use. The result was the SportCenter — a 20-acre complex.

Adoptions between churches are becoming more common. No, not the kind of adoptions that cry in the night and wet their pants.
Where mergers of two separate churches are familiar, adoptions can be somewhat different. (Two mergers were reported on in the February issue of Church Executive.) As for adoptions, one church leader says: “Traditionally the process is started and directed by the adopting family based upon their criteria and desire to adopt. After considering all of the possibilities, the family finally chooses.” But the process for Central Christian Church in the east valley of Phoenix, and CrossPoint Church of northwest Glendale, AZ – 42 miles apart – proved counter-intuitive, says Jeff Small, executive pastor of Exalt Ministries at Central Christian, where 10,000 people worship each weekend at now four locations.