Our Newest Urban Missionaries

Our newest Urban

Crossover’s Team Expansion

by Rondalyn Abode

God seems to give us the desires of our hearts. Seriously, I know that if you’re like me, you’ve heard that a million times, but I really believe that God puts certain desires within us that blossom and bloom according to His timetable! I have been praying for 12 years that a family would come to Tulsa to help with Crossover. I have envisioned a “Worship Arts” Ministry, and I was convinced that they were the ones that could bring this ministry to our community. I had no idea when I started praying this prayer that God had their family praying a similar prayer that they would go wherever God deemed to bring Him the most glory through their particular gifts and experiences! This guy helped teach my husband to love and obey God, and he and his family were faithfully teaching others to do that very thing in Frisco, Texas through art. God was preparing him and his family to come to Tulsa and to bring all that they are to help develop this community- the community where she grew up! She is a gifted Graphic Designer and Photographer, and she has longed to always be able to use her skills, abilities, and resources for God’s glory. God answered the prayers of both of our families!

I’ve also been praying another prayer for 5 years, that God would bring back this couple that had an amazing impact on Crossover through dance who I believed that we had lost to Georgia. I mean, who gets a degree in Recreation Administration? Who comes from Texas to attend ORU because God had created this desire in her heart as a teenager to run a community center in an under-resourced community? Her husband is no light weight either, we have created jobs to try to bring him back as he is a Gates Scholar himself. God answered our prayer by bringing them back as we get prepared to see another answer to prayer, the Crossover Community Center, come to fruition, if the Lord says the same.

This year, my faith and my resolve to pray without ceasing have been strengthened, and I’ve learned that prayer truly is the work of the ministry. I’ve been praying that God would develop the team needed for Crossover to do exactly what it needs to do in our community. We need everyone to bring their resources (their skills, talents, abilities, relationships, gifts, experiences) to drop at God’s feet and say, “God, do what you please.” I’ve seen Him do that. Our philosophy of ministry calls this, “Redistribution,” where everyone uses whatever they have in their hands for the development of the community. We have a guy coming from China to work for Crossover. He saw a job description for a Latin teacher and he just happens to be skilled at ACT prep. His wife has spent almost a decade learning about Christian Community Development work- the very type of work that we are doing, and to top it all off, she is from Tulsa! I honestly can’t say anything more than, “God does exceedingly and abundantly more than we could ever hope or imagine” or as Philip often puts it, “God does the heavy lifting!” He has been building out this dream team since before the creation of the world. In every position filled and

prayer answered, God has been bringing people that He has handpicked to play their role in seeing our community transformed. These are the good works He has prepared in advance for us to do, and I pray with everything in me that we are faithful to walk in those good works. This is quite the adventure, and I literally cannot wait to see what God does! And as you can imagine, I will be praying!

Will you join us by praying and financially supporting us as we continue to pursue partnerships to see this great work continue and expand? We are so grateful for the ways you have partnered with us, and we would love it if you got even more involved in this work of transformation!

Please come out for a tour, so that you can see restoration for yourself. Call me at 918.856.5377 x106 or email me at rondalyn@ croosoverimpact.org.

Grateful for Grace,

Rondalyn Abode Director of Development Crossoverimpact.org

Crossover Community Impact

20

Missionaries

New FACES OF CROSSOVER

David and Janice have been best friends for 25 years and married for 15 years. Together they have a rich background in Education, Missions and Visual Arts. David has a BFA and MFA from TU and is working toward his PhD in Art Education from UNT, and has completed hours towards a Th.M. in Media, Arts and Ministry from DTS. He will be teaching English his first year while creating a Visual Arts program for Crossover Prep Academy as well as within the community. Janice has a Graphic Design degree from Auburn University and an MBA with a concentration in Human Resources. She served in the US Air Force for 10 years, where she developed the love for graphic design, public affairs and missions. She has been the part-time Director of Marketing and Design for CCI since July 2017. With the relocation from Frisco, Texas, she is now working full time for Crossover Community Impact. The Connolly’s have 20+ years of experience in education, visual arts, design, photography, videography and marketing. They love sharing their gifts through Missions and volunteer work. David and Janice have 3 children, Hannah (13), Catherine (11) and Joshua (7).

David & Janice Connolly (Frisco, TX)

Chasten and Janet served in ministry together long before they were married or even a couple through dance as the founding members of Urban Sent while students at Oral Roberts University. Chasten received a BA in Pastoral Studies with an emphasis in Youth Ministry and a MA in Curriculum and Instruction from ORU, and then went on to join the Teach for America corp. Shortly after the completion of this program, Chasten became the Children’s Pastor at Lighthouse World Outreach Center in his hometown of Monroe, GA. He has made it a priority to teach the truth passionately and keep the gospel of Jesus Christ at the center of it all, and he will continue to do this as the Student Ministries Director for Crossover Bible Church and the Director of Discipleship for Crossover Prep Academy. Janet has a degree in Recreation Administration and an MBA. During her studies, she worked to gain the experience needed to become a successful director of an inner-city community center. She will be an Academic Coach at CPA during her first year but will transition to be the COO of the Crossover Community Center. As a couple, their desire is to pour out their lives for the glory of the Lord. Chasten and Janet have one daughter, Janai (3).

Chasten & Janet Hendricks (Monroe, Georgia)

Matthew and Ruth Whiteford have been married for 9.5 years. Matthew holds degrees from ORU’s Graduate School of Theology & Missions. He has been an educator in Tulsa and internationally for the past 10 years. He has a special heart for mentoring young men, for teaching Latin within a biblical worldview, and for mastering standardized tests, so he is pleased to return to Tulsa to work in these exact areas with Crossover Prep and the StreetLeader Program. Interested in CCD before she knew it had a name, Ruth grew up in Tulsa and has an undergraduate degree in Economics. Ruth has been a fulltime graduate student in Biblical Literature for the duration of their marriage, having just graduated this May with a Ph.D. from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. The Whiteford family has spent the last five years overseas in Kuwait, China, and Taiwan where their attention was occupied with the birth of a dissertation and two children, Jacob (2) and Vera (1). As such, do not be surprised if they don’t know what is going on, and please bear with them as they re-acclimate to an America vastly different to the one they left.

Matthew & Ruth Whiteford (China)

21

Crossover Community Impact