A Week That Makes a Difference:
Serve, Learn, Reflect

• On Monday-Thursday, ryeX middle schoolers will work with two ministry sites each day, with a break for lunch at a local park in between sites.
• Each morning starts with breakfast, followed by worship and devotion, and every afternoon leaves time for our group to debrief with CROSS staff, discussing what our group learned and where our group saw God each day.
• Monday and Tuesday evenings, ryeX students dive deeper into social justice issues during a staff-led program.
• Wednesday evening will be a time for our group to enjoy a special excursion in Charlotte.
• On Thursday evening, we will share what we have learned all week during a closing worship service.
• The week ends on Friday morning with a hot breakfast and a slideshow of photos taken during the week.

Cross Missions’ Mission
We strive to cross over boundaries that divide us, cross out stereotypes that judge us, and share Christ’s love. 

Why do we do this? 
We envision a world where Jesus’s command to love our neighbor is central to the message and the work of the Church. We believe that young people can live out this message and extend it beyond Charlotte by actively partnering with service agencies. By working symbiotically with service agencies, young adults can lead the way for the Church to be the beacon of good news our communities need and in the process gain a scriptural understanding of social justice. We are called to break down the divides that separate us and in its place promote reconciliation. We do this through courageous and welcoming encounters that build and deepen relationships with others. We are committed to being an open and affirming place for all people. 

The formula is simple: 
1. Combine worship, reflection, and service 
2. Serve others morning and afternoon 
3. Reflect and celebrate through morning and evening worship After a week at CROSS, people are transformed, returning home ready to meet the needs of their communities! 

 

Where will we be staying?
We will sleep in the Outreach Center (OC) at Myers Park Presbyterian Church. The OC is located at 1073 Providence Road, across the street from the main campus of MPPC. Our group will share sleeping rooms with other youth groups that might be participating in CROSS at the same time. Each youth and adult participant will have access to a twin-sized mattress but needs to bring a sleeping bag or sheets, and a pillow. The Outreach Center also has locker rooms with showers that groups may use during their stay, as well as a large gym, game room and lobby, and kitchen.



What will we eat for meals? 
CROSS will provide three meals a day from Monday-Thursday, with the exception of Wednesday evening, and a large breakfast on Friday morning. Continental breakfast every morning includes cereal, bagels, sausage, yogurt, granola bars, oatmeal, fruit coffee, and milk. Groups will pack a bagged lunch before leaving for ministry sites every morning, which includes a sandwich, chips, fruit, carrots, and a cookie. On Monday and Tuesday evenings, groups eat together on campus at MPPC, and dinner is prepared by the MPPC chef. Wednesday night is your own and the week concludes with worship on Thursday night.



What is the history of CROSS Missions?


During the summer of 1998, youth and adults from Myers Park Presbyterian Church went to Portland, Oregon on a mission trip to engage in urban ministry and service to the community. They returned inspired and convinced that MPPC could initiate a similar program in Charlotte, NC. With Session approval, the CROSS Missions program began in 1999 and grew steadily, becoming self-supporting in 2004. Today, CROSS partners in ministry with over 40 nonprofit agencies all over Charlotte, and has hosted over 20,000 people from 270 churches, colleges, and schools in 19 states during the past 26 years. can use it to add text to your template.

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