Cross Point Chronicle | October 2026

Growing up in southern West Virginia, I learned early that a porch light meant something. When the light was on, it told anyone passing by: somebody's home, and you're welcome here. Nobody needed an engraved invitation. That light was the invitation.

October is Outreach Month at Cross Point, and this month we're turning the porch light on for our community.

On October 3, our Men's Ministry, B.O.W., will be taking Jeremy Watson's award-winning chili to Chili Night in Uptown Beckley. There's something about a good bowl of chili that opens up a conversation, and our men will be there to serve, to meet folks, and to represent Christ well on the streets of our city. Please pray for this event. Pray for the conversations that will happen around those tables, and pray that people will sense the warmth of God's love in the people serving them.

On October 28, we'll host the largest single outreach event of our year: the Annual Trunk or Treat at Cross Point. In recent years, this event has drawn over 1,000 children, plus their parents and guardians. Think about that. Over a thousand kids walking onto our property in a single evening. That's not a crowd; that's a mission field that comes to our door.

This year, we're doing something special. Every child who can read will receive a Bible of their own, and those who are not yet reading will receive a portion of Scripture written on their level. Candy is sweet and gone by Thanksgiving, but the Word of God stands forever (Isaiah 40:8). Only heaven knows how many of those little Bibles will be opened years from now at just the right moment.

You can help in several ways. We always need candy donations, and we greatly appreciate them. You can also donate financially to help purchase candy. And of course, we'll need willing hands and warm smiles on the night itself. This is a wonderful opportunity to simply love people, and I hope you'll be part of it.

Operation Warm is where we purchase coats for children in our area who need them. The cost again this year is $25 dollars per coat. We are partnering again this year with the Beckley Fire Department. This partnership is a real blessing to the child who gets a warm coat for winter and to us.
 
Also on the calendar is our Annual Partner's Meeting on October 25. While it isn't technically an outreach event, it's closely connected to everything we do. This is the time when we pause to look back and see God's hand at work among us, and to look ahead, listening together for His invitation to walk with Him into the future. Please make plans to be there.

Church, the porch light is on. Let's make sure everyone who comes up the walk this month finds a family waiting to welcome them.

Remember, you are loved and valued!

Love,
Pastor Vondie and Lori

Join Us for Cross Point's Annual Trunk or Treat Outreach!
Our Trunk or Treat event continues to grow each year, with over 1,000 community members joining us last year! This exciting outreach opportunity allows us to connect with families in our neighborhood while creating a fun, safe environment for children.

Event Details: Wednesday, October 28, 6:00-8:00 PM Please note: Regular Wednesday services and activities are canceled this evening

How You Can Make a Difference:
We need volunteers to help make this event successful! Here are the ways you can get involved:

1. Decorate a Trunk. Decorate your car and hand out treats to the families who stop by. If it rains, we'll move indoors and you'll decorate a table instead.
2. Parking & Traffic. Help guests park safely and keep traffic moving smoothly.
3. Line Greeter. Welcome families as they wait, help them feel at home, and share information about Cross Point.
4. Donate Candy. Drop off bagged candy in the donation box in the church lobby.
5. Sponsor the Outreach. Help cover candy, supplies, and event costs with a financial gift. Write "Trunk or Treat" on the memo line of your check, or select "Trunk or Treat Outreach" when giving online.
6. Invite Your Neighbors. Share the event with friends, family, and neighbors. Over 1,000 people joined us last year!
7. Pray. Pray for the families we'll meet and the conversations we'll have that night.

Volunteers: Please arrive by 5:00 PM. Food trucks will be serving so you can grab dinner before the event begins.

Ready to Volunteer? Sign up by clicking the link below. Every volunteer helps us extend Christ's love to our community through this meaningful outreach.

Help Keep Local Children Warm This Winter
This October, Cross Point Church is partnering with Operation Warm and the Beckley Fire Fighters Association to bring warmth and hope to children in our community who need it most.

The Impact: For just $25, you can provide a brand-new winter jacket to a local child. These aren't just coats—they're confidence boosters that help kids feel valued and ready to face each day.

Our Goal: 200 warm jackets by October 31st

How You Can Help:

• By Check: Make payable to Cross Point Church with "Operation Warm" in the memo line
• By Cash: Use a giving envelope (available in auditorium chairs or the Welcome Center) and write "Operation Warm," then drop in the auditorium giving boxes
• By App: Give securely through the Cross Point App—just select "Operation Warm" when donating

Every dollar stays right here in our community, ensuring local children stay warm throughout the winter months ahead.

Join us in making a difference—one coat, one child, one family at a time.

This October, we're refreshing our contact database to ensure you don't miss a single important update as we approach the busy holiday season. Whether it's service changes, special events, or community announcements, we want to make sure they reach you.

What we need: Please fill out an Information Update Card—yes, even if you think nothing has changed! Small details like phone numbers or email addresses change more often than we realize.

How to participate:

• Pick up a card during Sunday services
• Complete it online (below) or by scanning the QR code
• Or return completed cards to the giving boxes or Welcome Center

Why it matters: Accurate contact information helps us stay connected as a church family and ensures you're the first to know about everything happening in our community.
Thanks for taking a few minutes to help us serve you better!

The next round of Wednesday Adult Small Groups kicks off on November 4, and we want you in one. The Fall Session Small Groups will last 6 weeks and end on December 16. Whether you were part of a group this summer or you’ve been waiting for the right time to jump in, this is your moment. The following Small Groups will be offered.

Women’s Study: Fear & Faith – Finding the Peace Your Heart Craves
Location: Wednesdays at 6:30 PM in the Room 107

Description: This study is just for the ladies! Failure, rejection, sickness, losing a loved one, being alone—the fears we carry are many and heavy. Fear can be a tyrant, a bully we can't hide from. It can paralyze our spirit, damage our relationships, and hinder our faith.  When we're struck with fear, where do we turn? Can God really be trusted? In five heartfelt sessions based on her book, Fear and Faith: Finding the Peace Your Heart Craves, speaker and author Trillia Newbell invites women to explore their fears and how those fears impact their relationships, self-esteem, peace of mind, and walk with God. Each session features real-life stories of women who are wrestling with fear due to tragic events, difficult circumstances, or deep anxiety about what may or may not happen. Trillia will walk through Scriptures that show God's love and strength when we are afraid and His faithfulness in times of trouble.

Whatever your fear, you will realize you are not alone, nor are you without hope. You have the One who can calm your fears, grow your faith, and give the peace your heart craves.


Men’s Study: Homerun with Wisdom
Location: Wednesdays at 6:30 PM in Room 106

Description: This study is just for the guys! Being a man in today's culture can be challenging. However, we have the tools to hit a home run in being the man God has called us to be. Guys, you will not want to miss this teaching featuring Darryl Strawberry.

Young at Heart
Location: Wednesdays at 2:00 PM in Room 107
Description: A special time just for our seniors!

Cross Point Church’s Women’s Book Club will meet on Tuesday, October 20 at 10:30 A.M. in the church conference room.  Our discussion will focus on the book “Under the Magnolias” by T. I. Lowe. In Under the Magnolias, T. I. Lowe takes readers to the small farming community of Magnolia Grove, South Carolina, in the 1970s and '80s. When thirteen-year-old Austin Foster loses her mother, she's suddenly responsible for raising her six younger siblings and running the family farm, all while shielding them from their father's unpredictable and frightening behavior. Austin keeps the family's troubles hidden behind the farmhouse doors, but secrets are hard to keep in a small Southern town. As she grows into adulthood, she must decide whether to keep carrying the weight alone or let others, including a boy who has always seen more than she lets on, into her life. It's a moving story about resilience, sacrificial love, and the grace that can grow in the hardest places, and it will give your group plenty to talk about. All women are welcome to join us as we discuss this book and fellowship together.

Join us on Sunday, October 25 during the 11:00 AM service as we celebrate baptism - a beautiful opportunity to publicly declare your faith in Jesus Christ and share your testimony of the life-changing work He's done in your heart.

Baptism represents the inward transformation that occurs when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior. It's a powerful moment of obedience and celebration, both for those being baptized and our entire church family.

Have you recently accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? We'd love to help you take this important next step in your faith journey. If you have questions about baptism or want to share your story, please don't hesitate to reach out to our pastoral team.

Join Us for Our Annual Partner Celebration! Mark your calendars for October 25 at 5:00 PM as we come together for an evening of celebration, vision, and community decision-making.

This special gathering is an opportunity to:

• Celebrate and give thanks for how God has worked in and through our community this past year
• Share our vision and plans for the future
• Review and approve the upcoming year's budget
• Ratify Elder Board positions

Your voice and participation matter as we look back with gratitude and step forward together into what God has in store for us. We're excited to spend this meaningful time with you!

Here's an easy way to support our youth ministry—save your aluminum cans and bring them to church! Simply drop your cans in the recycling trash cans located in the gym by the carpet ball table. Every can makes a difference, and we're grateful for your support of our students!

Thank you for helping our youth!
Pastor Rob & Youth Team

"My house will be known as a house of prayer." – Matthew 21:13

Spring reminds us that God makes all things new. As the world comes alive again after this harsh winter, Touch Life is believing for fresh beginnings, restored hope, and hearts awakened to Jesus.

We are reaching for the lost with renewed passion and concern in this new season. Touch LIFE (Lifting Individuals For Eternity) is a prayer ministry dedicated to interceding for lost people to come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. This faithful group of prayer warriors meets on the first Sunday of each month at 8:30 AM in Room 105 to lift up those who need to encounter the saving grace of Jesus. Whether you're a seasoned intercessor or just learning to pray, you're welcome to join us. There's no greater privilege than partnering with God to see lives transformed by the gospel.

Next Meeting: October 4

Come be part of a ministry that has eternal impact. Your prayers matter, and together we can storm the gates of heaven on behalf of the lost in our community and beyond.

Did you know Cross Point has a team of people dedicated to praying for urgent needs?

The Prayer Warriors Team is a dedicated group of believers committed to interceding for urgent needs within our church family and community. This vital ministry ensures that prayer requests receive immediate and focused attention from faithful prayer partners.

How to Submit an Urgent Prayer Request
We make it easy for you to request prayer when you need it most:

Call the Church Office or Submit a Prayer Request Online
Phone: (304) 252-6684
Office Hours: Monday - Thursday, 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM

What Happens Next?
Once we receive your prayer request, we will place it on the prayer chain as quickly as possible, and our Prayer Warriors Team will begin lifting your need to the Lord.

Confidentiality
All prayer requests are kept strictly confidential and shared only with members of the Prayer
Warriors Team who have covenanted to maintain confidentiality.

Purpose
The Prayer Warriors Team is a dedicated group of believers committed to interceding for urgent needs within our church family and community. This vital ministry ensures that prayer requests receive immediate and focused attention from faithful prayer partners.

What We Do

• Receive and pray for urgent prayer needs as they arise
• Lift up individuals, families, and situations requiring immediate spiritual support
• Stand in the gap through intercessory prayer for our church body
• Respond quickly to time-sensitive prayer requests

Commitment Prayer Warriors agree to:

1. Pray faithfully for requests as they are received
2. Maintain strict confidentiality regarding all prayer needs
3. Remain available for urgent requests that may come outside normal hours
4. Treat this ministry as a sacred privilege and responsibility

How It Works

1. Prayer requests are submitted to the church office
2. Urgent needs are sent to all Prayer Warriors via their preferred contact method
3. Team members pray for the need as soon as possible
4. Confidentiality is maintained at all times

Join the Team
If you feel called to this ministry of intercession, you can sign up here:

Need a ride to church? Cross Point offers a van ministry to help you get here for Sunday and Wednesday services!

Our van provides pickup service within Beckley city limits. If you need transportation, contact the church office to receive the driver's contact information and schedule.

How It Works:
Contact the church office at (304) 252-6684 to receive the scheduled driver's contact information. Once you have it, please reach out to them directly to arrange your pickup:

• For Sunday services: Contact the driver by 7:00 PM on Saturday
• For Wednesday services: Contact the driver by 7:00 PM on Tuesday

These deadlines help our drivers plan their routes efficiently and ensure everyone gets picked up on time.

Important Information:

• Service is currently limited to Beckley due to driver availability
• Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult (18 or older)
• Our vans do not have child safety seats—riders must provide any necessary car seats

Don't let transportation be a barrier to worshiping with us!

Each month we will include attendance and financial information from the most recently completed month. Due to the timeframe of newsletter publication, this information will most often be a month behind. Church partners can obtain a copy of the most recent church financials by picking up a financial report in the wall hanger by the financial office or by contacting the church office.

August Sunday In-Person Attendance:
8/02 – 374
8/09 – 389
8/16 – 329
8/23 – 413
8/30 – 478
Average in-person attendance: 397

August Sunday Online Viewership:
8/02 – 39
8/09 –49
8/16 –70
8/23 –50
8/30 – 42 
Average online viewership: 50

General Giving:  $53,501.69
Building Fund:  $14,372.86
Faith Promise:  $700.00
Youth Designated:  $950.00
Children Desig.:  $500.00
Rental Property Income:  $1,850.00
Interest Income BF:  $39.72
Interest Income Sav.:  $97.23
Other:  $1,200.00
Total Giving:  $73,211.50