What to expect when you visit (Central Time Zone):
On Sunday at 9:00 am we have classes for all ages.
At 10:00 a.m. our worship begins. We have Sunday night worship at 6:00.
We have Bible Study every Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. Some of our members will be
available to greet you and recognize you as visitors. You
may ask them how to proceed to class or worship. Classes on
Sunday and Wednesday are divided by age group from infants
to adults. There are 3-4 adult classes each quarter studying
different Bible topics or books. You may attend the adult
class of your choice.
Worship will follow the simple New Testament pattern
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Singing: After announcements are made, acapella
singing (without instrumentation) will usually begin the
services.
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Prayer: The congregation will be led in prayer by
one of the brothers after a few songs.
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Preaching: A sermon will be presented by our
minister or, perhaps, by a visiting speaker. At the
conclusion of the lesson, an invitation song will be
sung. If you wish to be baptized into Christ, be
restored to a right relationship with Jesus or request
prayers for any purpose, you are invited to walk to the
front of the auditorium during this invitation song. The
minister will meet you and talk with you about your
needs.
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Lord’s Supper: Before the services are complete on
Sunday, the Lord’s Supper will be served. This is an
emblematic feast celebrated by Christians in remembrance
of the sacrifice of Christ for our forgiveness. If you
are not a member of the Lord’s church, feel free to
simply pass the trays to the next person. There is no
obligation or expectation for you to participate if you
are not a member of the church of Christ.
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Contribution: A final part of our worship service
before a closing song and prayer is the collection. The
Lord’s church in the New Testament gained finances for
its work only by the willing contribution of its
members. We continue that Biblical practice today.
Again, you are not expected to contribute if you are not
a member of the Lord’s church here at Crossville.
A Brief History of the Crossville church of Christ
The history of the church of Christ that
meets on Main Street in Crossville dates back
to 1923. Prior to that time, churches of Christ in
Cumberland County had been meeting at Linary, Lantana and
Clifty. In 1923, the J.E. Baxter family moved to
Crossville from Cookeville, TN and, finding no congregation
of the New Testament church here, they began meeting with
the J.S. Schulgen family in their homes. The nucleus
of this congregation, in the beginning, was seven persons
from those two families.
In May 1924, a tent meeting was conducted
with Will J. Cullum preaching and J. Sterling Turner leading
the singing. By the close of this
meeting, which lasted for several weeks, there were about 35
members of the church. They rented a meeting place on
the second floor of the Potter Building on North Main
Street. In October 1924, the L.P. Shanks family moved
to Crossville, adding their strength to the
newly formed group. Brother Shanks later served as an
elder of the church. Late in 1924, a lot on the corner
of First Street and Thurman Avenue was purchased
and a brick building was erected. The congregation met
for the first time in their new, although unfinished,
building in November 1925. This building served as the
meeting place for the church until January 1949.
The original church building at 423 North
Main Street was used for the first time on the second Sunday
of January 1949. The land upon which the building
stands was given to the church by the late B.L. Dooley, Sr.,
and his wife. Brother Dooley served as an elder until
his death. The later brother Clyde Wilson, who
served as an elder until his death, supervised the
construction of the building.
The new building was completed during the
summer of 1986. The new facility is constructed of
native Crab Orchard stone.
The congregation has been blessed with
fine gospel preaching. Although J.E. Baxter, J.D.
Jones, and W.C. Phillips worked with the congregation as
part-time preachers; the first located evangelist was Stoy
Pate, who preached here from 1935 to 1940. He was
followed by James C. Bays, Rufus R. Clifford, A.R. Hill,
Charles G. Caldwell, Roy J. Hearn, Ray Frizzell, Jr., John
Jenkins, who served this congregation for more than twenty
years, Jim Franks, Steve Riley, Sidney White, Wade Webster
and our current minister, Barry Kennedy.