Crossing Community Church (Valparaiso, Indiana, USA)
On 13 November 1966, the Valparaiso Mennonite Church, Valparaiso, Indiana, held its first worship service. It began as an outreach of the Hopewell Mennonite Church at Kouts, Indiana, which purchased the Valparaiso Reformed Mennonite Church's meetinghouse at the corner of Napoleon and Willow Streets.
Approximately 50 Hopewell members participated in the new congregation. Samuel S. Miller and John F. Murray from Hopewell initially pastored the congregation.
In 1975, the congregation moved to a new church building on Silhavy Road. It also participated in a bread distribution ministry to needy families and a local homeless shelter.
By 2006, the congregation included an active group of Chinese members and participants from Valparaiso University.
In May 2018, the Valparaiso Mennonite Church withdrew from the Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference of Mennonite Church USA. It joined the Evana Network.
In 2020, the Valparaiso Mennonite Church changed its name to Crossing Community Church.
Bibliography
Klumpe, John. "Valparaiso Mennonite." Gospel Evangel 87, no. 1 (January/February 2006): 4-5.
"Our story." Crossing Community Church. 2024. Web. 20 August 2024. https://www.c3valpo.org/about.
Preheim, Rich. In Pursuit of Faithfulness: Conviction, Conflict, and Compromise in Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference. Harrisonburg, Va.: Herald Press, 2016: 302, 312.
"Valparaiso Church, Indiana." Gospel Herald 60, no. 3 (17 January 1967): 52. {includes photo)
Additional Information
Address: 1305 Silhavy Road, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383
Telephone: 219-464-8187
Website: https://www.c3valpo.org/
Denominational Affiliations:
Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference (Until 2018)
Mennonite Church USA (Until 2018)
Evana Network (2018- )
Pastoral Leaders at Crossing Community Church
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Hopewell Pastors | 1966-1968 |
| Etril J. Leinbach (1910-2006)(Bishop) | 1968-1976 |
| Alvin R. Beachy (1929-2017) | 1976-1980 |
| Lay Leadership | 1981-1982? |
| James R. Armstrong (1945-2022) | 1982?-1988 |
| Lay Leadership | 1988-1990 |
| Mario Bustos | 1990-2016 |
| Wilma J. Cender (1960-2019) | 2017-2019 |
| Steven Slagel (Transitional) | 2017-2018 |
| John Heflick | 2019-2021 |
| Ministry Team | 2021- |
Crossing Community Church Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1968 | 50 |
| 1970 | 56 |
| 1980 | 119 |
| 1990 | 56 |
| 2000 | 58 |
| 2009 | 45 |
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | August 2024 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Crossing Community Church (Valparaiso, Indiana, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. August 2024. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Crossing_Community_Church_(Valparaiso,_Indiana,_USA)&oldid=179492.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (August 2024). Crossing Community Church (Valparaiso, Indiana, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Crossing_Community_Church_(Valparaiso,_Indiana,_USA)&oldid=179492.
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