To get to know us, we want to give you a picture of where we started, how God has been moving and the direction The Sanctuary is going.
The Beginning…
CrossTown Church (the original name) began with a group of people who desired to know God and to make Him known. We committed ourselves to live in authentic relationships with one another and with our neighbors. We longed to be a part of something that we would look back at the end of our lives and say – God is awesome!
Time of Testing…
On September 23, 2001, CrossTown Church had its first public worship service. We started out in the gym of River Woods Elementary School. The beginning was exciting and also very challenging.
After a couple of years of working hard we came to a crisis. We were struggling financially, we were losing people, and we didn’t know what to do. So, we prayed. As we sought out the Lord, He began to do a great work in our midst. As we look back at this time, it was the worst of times and the best of times. It was the point where we surrendered all we were to God so He could do with us as He wanted.
A New Place…
In January 2007, we moved to the Auditorium at Bolingbrook High School. This move helped unify us as a body, and it helped establish us in the community. Our desire has always been to be a church the community would miss if we closed our doors. Moving to Bolingbrook High School has reminded us that we are not here just for ourselves, but for those in our community.
A New Vision …
In January 2010, God clarified a new vision for our church — Building Homes of Faith. A home of faith is one that leaves safety for adventure, comfort for compassion, greed for generosity and isolation for community. That is what we hope to see happen in your home and in the homes in our community.
A New Name…
In March 2010, we changed our name from CrossTown Church to The Sanctuary. Biblically, a sanctuary is the place where God dwells. Our prayer is that our church is a place where God dwells; your home is a place where God dwells; and your life is a place where God dwells.