Written by Ben Cox – One of the newest churches in Brownwood is currently meeting in the Adams Street Community Center and goes by the name of Cross Community Church. Lead by Howard Payne graduate and Brown County native Emmanuel Jimenez, the church is small but growing.

 

 

Jimenez is no stranger to ministry, having spent the last 14 years in various churches, largely as youth pastor. Jimenez says he felt a calling to return to Brownwood in order to make a difference. “We believe God’s called us to love our community, and so we want to be a church that adds value to Brownwood. We want to do things no one else is doing to reach the people no one else is reaching.”

From passing out free breakfast tacos some mornings to giving random people 25 cents a gallon off the cost of their gas, the church is dedicated to outreach. The effort doesn’t end in Brownwood, however, as Jimenez is preparing to begin a partnership with other churches to minister in other parts of the world.

Members of Cross Community Church at a recent outreach event

Jimenez says he truly wants to find the unchurched, and does not want to take anyone from another church in town. If he discovers that someone he is talking to about church is already a member elsewhere, he tells them “God told me not to steal sheep, so I want to encourage you to keep going to your church and pray for us.”

The church does not have members in the classic sense, choosing to call those who join “partners” instead. Jimenez says “If you’re a partner in a business and you walk by and there’s trash on the ground or you see something that can be improved, you jump in there and you try to make it better.”

Describing their church as an imperfect church, Jimenez says Cross Community Church wants “people from all walks of life. We don’t care about the color of their hair, how many tattoos they have, how many piercings they have, or the color of their skin. We don’t care about their past, we want everyone to feel the love of Christ.”

Jimenez and his wife, Bethany, describe the church as a “non-denominational church with Baptist roots.”

Praise and worship is a simple affair at present with an acoustic guitar and vocals lead by the church’s volunteers.

Emmanuel Jimenez, his wife Bethany and their two children, Sophie (2 yrs) and Coen (8 mo)

Describing his preaching style as “the 20 minute preacher,” Jimenez says “I try to teach in a way that’s applicable and everyone can understand. I try to keep it simple. Our goal is to make disciples and we believe that disciples hear and obey, and how can they do that if they don’t understand the message?”

Jimenez stresses the importance of the volunteers that help with everything the church does. “Without them, this church would not be possible. We are so thankful for the team that God is building at Cross Community Church.”

Establishing small groups and a weekly night of prayer are among the short term goals of Cross Community Church. The church service starts at 10:30 a.m. every Sunday morning at the Adams Street Community Center. They can be reached via their website.