Sunday Mornings at 9am for Sunday School and 10:30am for the Worship Service

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Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the answers to some commonly-asked questions. If you have further questions, please contact us.

How do you minister to children?

Please see our Children's Ministry page.

What kind of music do you have?

We use music as a vehicle to express praise to God and to teach and remind believers of truth so that they might be encouraged to godliness, according to the commandments of Ephesians 5:19-20Colossians 3:16, and James 5:13. Therefore, we strive to sing music that is Bible-saturated and biblically accurate, as our highest priority in music is sound lyrical content. In light of these biblical passages, we also strive to use music that encourages hearty congregational singing. We delight in, and desire to use, a wide variety of musical styles, so long as they meet these criteria.

What kind of leadership do you have?

At Crossway, we are led by multiple biblically-qualified elders (also known as “pastors” or “overseers”; see 1 Peter 5:2 and Acts 20:28). These elders all carry equal authority though they have differing roles and gifts. We also hold that deacons are to help these elders by assisting them in serving the church, though the office itself does not carry any kind of inherent authority.

What is your future location?

Our long-term plan is to purchase or construct a facility of our own once we are able to do so. Our plan is to be located in the general area of Pellissippi Parkway on the north side of Interstate 40.

Do I need a Bible?

We encourage people to bring a Bible to church in order to help them get the most out of what is read and taught, and to hold teachers accountable to what is in the biblical text.

We normally teach from the New American Standard Bible, though we feel there are many good and useful English translations available.

If you do not have a Bible, we would be glad to help you find one that is best for you.

What is unique about Crossway?

Please see our Philosophy of Ministry page.

Are you part of a denomination?

Crossway Bible Church is not a part of a denomination, but we do understand the value of working alongside other faithful churches to accomplish biblical goals, as well as the need to strive for unity with other believers in the body of Christ.

We also understand that we as a church are accountable to the Lord Jesus Christ as the head of the church, over which he exercises authority through his written word.

In the absence of a denominational affiliation, you can get to know us a little bit better by looking at some ministries we benefit from and are glad to endorse:

  • Grace Community Church - Our sending church in Maryville.
  • The Master’s Seminary - Greg’s alma mater and a place that exalts biblical ministry in the local church setting. For free online lectures of many classes from the seminary, visit here.
  • 9Marks - A ministry started out of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. 9Marks has numerous helpful resources for thinking biblically about how to develop healthy churches.
  • The Expositors’ Seminary - A fairly-new seminary based among several church campuses.
  • Association of Certified Biblical Counselors - Formerly known as NANC, this organization exists to certify biblical counselors after a thorough training process. We agree with the mission and philosophy of ACBC and desire that many of our members would become ACBC certified.

Are you Reformed?

Though we share much in common with Reformed theology, there are enough differences that we would not identify ourselves simply as a “Reformed church.”

Where we agree

We agree with Reformed theology in its affirmation of the “doctrines of grace,” including man’s radical depravity and inability, the need for God alone to bring regeneration (the new birth), the effectual nature of God’s call to salvation, and the final perseverance of all who have truly been saved by him. In other words, we teach a high view of God in his sovereignty and a low view of man in his sinfulness.

We also heartily endorse the “Five Solas” of the Reformation: Scripture alone, grace alone, faith alone, Christ alone, and the glory of God alone. We believe that the Bible is God’s word and is the sole source of authority in matters of church life and of faith and practice. We believe that a man stands righteous before God by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. We believe that all things are to be done to the glory of God alone.

We also support the Reformed tradition of establishing detailed confessions of faith. Our Crossway “What We Teach” statement is meant not only to teach our church on the specific points contained it, but to ensure that we are a confessional church that requires adherence to certain doctrinal standards for all who would teach in its midst.

Where we differ

We differ with traditional Reformed theology in that we believe that there are many promises to Abraham, David, and a future remnant of Israel that have yet to be fulfilled, and that can only be fulfilled in an earthly reign of Christ (the “Millenial Kingdom”) before the eternal state.

We disagree with Reformed theology in its view of the idea of “covenant”; though we see all of God’s redemptive activity as consisting in one gracious plan designed before the world began, we do not teach a “covenant of works” or a “covenant of grace” as that terminology is not found in the Bible and often confuses or overrides the meaning of the covenants that are actually mentioned in Scripture.

We also similarly disagree with Reformed theology on its view of the degree of continuity between Israel and the church. Though the church shares many similarities to Israel and there are Israelites who are part of the church, and though Israel and the church are both appropriately known as “God’s people,” we teach that the Bible does not refer to them as the same institution.

For more details on what we teach as a church, please see our What We Teach page.