Return On Investment

Occasionally we ask a Pastor or Church Communicator to let us know what they’re doing well (or learning). Welcome Bill Segroves!

The Church at Cross Point has always been very friendly to college students. Around 8 years ago we began hosting a venue/coffee shop for students called Bonhoeffers. The bands that play vary wildly in style and belief and there is little discrimination of content. The idea behind Bons is that we meet and get to know some of the regulars and musicians; cultivate relationships with them and disciple them.

This, unfortunately, has not resulted in very many coming through our doors on Sundays and after 8 years of this type of “success” most organizations would have packed it in.

On Thursday nights though, while classes are in session, you can find between 150 to 300 college kids packed in a space that will play host to a very small fraction of that number for worship on Sunday morning. At Cross Point’s height we averaged over 300 on a Sunday and were the first “progressive” church in our city. These days, we are very fortunate to have 30 people for service, including kids.

Regardless, our little band of volunteers show up every Thursday night and shows love to these 20 somethings. We’ve been host to on-stage engagements and their subsequent weddings, we’ve catered graduation parties, and we’ve been featured on major television networks when our artists have found a larger audience. 

These relationships have allowed us to be a part of some of the biggest moments in the lives of the students that pass through our building. God’s allowed us to make such an impact on them that they want to include us in these events and often credit us with helping them produce the results. 

I say these things to offer perspective, not to ask for a pat on the back. I have learned an invaluable lesson from serving as Communications Director at Cross Point and Bonheoffers.

The work we do is about relationships. The success we hope for is deep and meaningful, the kind that changes lives and enriches people’s existence. No matter the size of the church or how many butts are in seats on Sunday, if you don’t cultivate relationships with your audience, there will be no success.

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Bill Segroves is a reformed retail manager, hip-hop MC, and comic book artist. Some people say that you can’t be successful as a “Jack of All Trades” but he disagrees. Follow him on Twitter @tarrydiggs

We met Bill at a recent CFCC Certification Lab.