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PROJECT UPDATES
Dear Crossroads,
Every week we see God’s hand at work in our church. Worship services are full, kids’ classrooms are buzzing, students and young adults are gathering in record numbers, and new faces are joining our family week after week. In so many ways, our church is truly “busting at the seams.” What a wonderful problem to have because it’s evidence of the hunger people have for God’s presence, truth, and grace.
That’s why we are moving forward with a new, God-sized idea: Greater Things: A Place for Generations. This is not just about a building—it’s about making room for so many of the friends, neighbors, and family members that you have invited to come and see what God is doing at Crossroads Christian Fellowship. They will have a space to continue to meet the life-changing presence of Jesus.
This building is simply a tool in God’s hands: a tool for reaching children, strengthening students, gathering families, and sending disciples, not just for this moment in history, but for the ages to come. As a church of generations, we are building not only for ourselves, but for our children, our grandchildren, and those who haven’t even walked through our doors yet.
Let me take a second to pause and thank you. Through your faithfulness and generosity, coupled with faithful stewardship of our church finances, we now have around $6 million towards this project. THANK YOU! That is nothing short of remarkable! Your giving has already built a foundation of faith, and together, we are trusting God to carry this vision through completion.
We believe the future of our church is not defined by our limitations, but by the limitless power of God. “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us…” We know that God is calling us into greater faith, greater impact, and greater transformation in our community and beyond. It can be a bit of a scary place to be, but we know this is exactly where God wants us: fully dependent on Him.
You are invited to join us on this project. We appreciate your prayers first and foremost, because we know that God responds to prayer. We appreciate your financial involvement and any other offer of time or talent to help us see this across the finish line!
With love and gratitude,
~paul
BUILDING FOR
GREATER THINGS
As we look toward Greater Things, these images provide a glimpse of what God is calling us to build together. More than walls and windows, this vision represents a place where lives will be transformed, faith will be strengthened, and the next generation will encounter Christ. Each space has been prayerfully designed to serve our church family and extend the love of Jesus into our community. What you see here is not just a building—it is a foundation for ministry, discipleship, and outreach for years to come.
IMAGES
LIVES TRANSFORMED
TESTIMONIES OF HOW GOD HAS MOVED THROUGH OUR CHURCH
“About six years ago my family took me to Crossroads Christian Fellowship as I was at a crossroads in my own life. If it wasn’t for the lead pastor there at the time, who knows where I would be now. […] After this life saving moment, Crossroads continued to walk with me and be a consistent church family until I was Baptized in April a few years ago! After this point only God knew the wild ride of discipleship I was in for! The lead pastors began to unpack the giftings that God had given me, along with my weaknesses, and gave me great opportunities of growing and walking those out; now I’m on a path to become a pastor myself!”
-JEDEDIAH KING
“Crossroads started the child sponsorship program called Eden's Child and opened the door to Rwanda for me! But it’s not just about people in Rwanda! I’ve met so many people in Crossroads just because they are sponsors. To share the joy of connecting a sponsor and a child with pictures or messages, because I know them both, is awesome! It’s all about relationships!”
-LANNI FETVEIT
“For most of my life, I held the belief that church wasn’t a place for me; I just didn’t fit in there and that was true for most of my childhood. When I came to Crossroads, I felt a sense of joy and belonging inside a church. My decades-long search for a connection with Jesus was finally over. My Crossroads family lovingly showed me through Scripture what God says about me, and now I no longer suffer with debilitating social anxiety and fear that kept me isolated, quietly longing for meaningful connection. I cannot put into words the gratitude I have for God bringing us to Crossroads.”
- AMANDA ALLEN
"Now we have been back [at Crossroads] for several months, and it is obvious that the
Spirit is alive and well in this body. The preaching is Biblical and theologically strong.
We love that Pastor Paul is not afraid to be truthful and call us out when needed. There
are so many opportunities to serve, enjoy fellowship, and know God better...It will be important as we move forward to be accountable, staying in step with the Holy Spirit and handling all the curve balls with honesty and loving hearts. What we have observed of the leadership, including our Pastor Paul and the Elders, is that of measured, Spirit-led and welcoming hearts that desire to please God and nourish the spirits of God’s people. We will pray as this movement goes forward that all the glory goes to God for His great wisdom, provision, and grace for His church.”
-TIM AND BETTY DARR
“When we started Child Bridge, our home church didn’t just witness this vision—they shared in it. Together, we’ve seen God change lives and reshape child welfare in Montana. It continues to grow and expand even today. I believe that same spirit of faith, vision and courage is leading us now—because God isn’t finished with Crossroads. He has even “Greater Things” ahead!”
- MARY BRYAN, FOUNDER, CHILD BRIDGE
“After many unsuccessful attempts, miscarriages and an Ectopic pregnancy that required emergency surgery, I was deeply depressed. […] I gave up on God at that point and quit going to church. I hit rock bottom with my depression and was on suicide watch multiple times [….]
We moved to Bigfork, Montana after retirement and started our lives over. I checked out multiple churches in the area and when I came to Crossroads, I immediately felt at home. Listening to the Pastor for the very first time, brought me to tears. I remember him pointing in my vicinity and saying GOD LOVES YOU! To me, God was having Pastor Mike talk directly to me. I love Crossroads and it IS home to me. I truly feel in my heart that had I not came to Crossroads, I would not be here today. God and Crossroads saved my life.”
-SHIRLEY STINE
THE NUMBERS
Updated: July 2, 2026
God is calling us into “Greater Things”, and together we have the privilege of responding in faith. The vision before us will require $10 million in total resources. By God’s grace, and through your generosity, we have already received over $6 million pledged toward this goal!! We now invite you to join us in prayerfully considering how the Lord may be leading you to participate.
This is more than a financial campaign—it is a spiritual journey. Each of us is encouraged to seek God’s direction, listen for His leading, respond with joyful obedience and watch what He will do! As we give, we are not just funding a building; we are investing in a legacy of ministry, discipleship, and outreach for generations to come.
Attendance Graph from 2021-2026 showing a 111% increase in attendance
NEXT STEPS
PRAYER
As we move forward in this building project and see God faithfully bringing us along, we want to be a people who don’t just rely on plans or resources, but on Him through prayer. “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” Philippians 4:6 (ESV), “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” So we ask you to support this project by bringing this before Him together—asking not only that He would provide what is still needed, but that He would shape our hearts in the process, because ultimately, this is His work, His church, and His glory.
FINANCIALLY
What is most important is that each of us seeks the Lord and responds faithfully to His prompting. Together, our collective sacrifice will allow us to build a place where “Greater Things” will happen for the glory of God. If you’d like to meet to discuss a potential gift, I’d welcome a conversation.
Please call me (Paul) or any of our Elders. You can reach me directly via email: paul@crossroadsbigfork.com
or call: 406-551-9154
I look forward to talking with you!
ONE TIME GIFTS
MULTI-YEAR COMMITMENTS
CREATIVE GIFTS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
MISSION AND VISION
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We believe God is moving in our church, opening doors for ministry that we could not have imagined a few years ago. Our community and congregation are growing, opportunities for outreach are multiplying, and the needs around us are greater than ever. In prayer and discernment, the Elder Board of Crossroads has sensed God inviting us to trust Him for more — to step into “Greater Things” that will impact lives for Christ and extend His kingdom in our community and beyond. God has uniquely prepared our church family — with the vision, the unity, and the resources — to take this step of faith. By beginning this journey together, we position ourselves to draw closer to God in His leading, strengthen His work among us, trust His plan and invest in kingdom impact that future generations will carry forward.
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Everything we do flows from our mission to know Christ and make Him known. This new project is one way God is equipping us to do that more with what He has given us—by building capacity for worship, discipleship, and service that will help us reach far beyond our walls with the hope of the gospel. The vision is not a building; the vision is transformed lives through a mult-generational, community-focused church that represents the truth, grace and love of God throughout the world. The building is only a means to that end.
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No — it’s about people and relationships! Buildings are a tool for ministry, an instrument in God’s hands. With the significant increased growth we see an opportunity for more people to encounter Jesus, grow in faith, build relationships and community with one another and be equipped to expand the kingdom. Again, the building is simply a means to that end.
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We are praying and believe this journey together as a family will strengthen our faith, unify our church and draw us even closer to Jesus. He is already increasing the faith of Crossroads leadership who are learning to grow in our trust of Him. As we step out in sacrificial generosity and obedience, we trust that God will deepen our dependence on Him and multiply the spiritual fruit in and through our lives. As we pray to hear His voice, we’ll get to watch together and celebrate what He does through our church family.
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This is about being kingdom focused. Our vision of being “A Place for Generations,” means different ages and demographics of our congregation, but it also means that we are thinking about generations to come! We are sowing seeds today that will bear Kingdom fruit tomorrow. We have often thought about the investment made by previous leaders of this church to get us to where we are today. In a similar way, we intend to set up future generations for the greater things God has for them as well. By investing in this work, we ensure that future generations will have a place to worship, encounter Christ, be discipled, and be equipped to serve. We are not just building for ourselves, but for those who will come after us.
PURPOSE AND NEED
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There were several factors that went into our decision not to renovate our current building. After consulting with an architect, a structural engineer, and talking to some builders in our church family, we have concluded that a balcony or expansion would come at too steep a price. Estimates for this project were around $2-3 million (largely due to the reinforcement of the current foundation to support the load of a balcony and the structural changes to the building that would be necessary.) Furthermore, we would be out of this church building (not only on Sundays, but all week long) for potentially up to a year, requiring the rental of another facility. After all that, we would only be able add approximately 100-130 new seats to our current sanctuary.
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While this was going to be a helpful addition to the facility, it does not address the most pressing needs. The most important problem we have at this moment is an increasing lack of space for both adults and children on Sunday mornings (as well as all week long.)
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As we spoke to more and more of you, we recognized that one of the things that makes Crossroads such a special place is the community that we all feel coming to church on Sunday morning. We love being together and this is why our mission and vision statements have such an emphasis on community. Breaking the church apart into separate campuses, while that may be an eventuality, felt like a move in the wrong direction. Everyone seemed to like the idea of a satellite campus, but very few were interested in leaving our Bigfork ‘campus’ to help us start one. At this point, we have decided to maximize the space that God has given us here in Bigfork and then from there, we’ll start branching out into other communities. (There are many other factors that went into this decision such as staffing, resources, logistics, live-stream preaching vs. live preaching, etc. and we can discuss those with you further if you would like).
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While we do believe there may be value in starting another service on an evening during the week here at Crossroads, we do not believe it will solve our main problem of overcrowding on Sunday morning. We have seen this before with clarity. Providing another service time for the community may result in more people coming to Crossroads, but we have to weigh that carefully against the cost to staff, volunteers and all their families. This would also add to the problem of colliding with non-Sunday activities and events, further limiting our building for other ministries.
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Without action, our facility will continue to limit our ability to serve our current congregation and new attendees joining us every week. Ministries such as children, youth, women, men are currently being stretched and will not be able to serve the needs on an ongoing basis.
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The existing building will remain a vital part of our church. Connected to the new sanctuary by a large welcoming lobby, the existing building will become the new Kids Ministry wing of Crossroads Christian Fellowship. This expanded space will allow us the ability to welcome more kids each Sunday, expand the number of classrooms, and have a large space for children to gather together each Sunday for worship before heading to their classrooms.
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The new building plan includes a lobby, sanctuary, restrooms, coffee area, living room, storage, meeting space and more. We will be renovating the existing building by expanding the current church kitchen, adding classrooms and expanding the existing office area for church staff. Most of the current building will remain the same, but will undergo some updates for increased functionality.
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Yes, we will continue holding our regular Sunday services in the current building. The expansion will happen across the parking lot and will, for the most part, not interfere with our Sunday church services. At some point we will need to join both buildings together and while there may be a brief interruption, we don’t expect it to keep us from gathering together on Sunday mornings. If there is such a disruption, it would be temporary and we will still find a way to worship together!
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A certain level of disruption is unavoidable, but we’re working closely with the architects and builders to minimize the impact. Our goal is to maintain as much normalcy in worship and ministry as possible during the construction phase.
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The expansion is expected to take about 18 months. But as you can imagine, the timeline is dependent on funding, permitting, weather and many other variables. We will provide regular updates on the progress, next steps and anticipated completion dates. Ongoing prayers for efficiency, excellence and safety will be needed!
PROJECT SCOPE & BUILDING PLANS
FINANCIAL QUESTIONS
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The projected cost of the project is just under $10 million, which includes both the new expansion and the renovation of the existing building. We currently have just under $6 million available through our building fund and incoming building pledges.
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We have finalized the engineered drawings and our builder has gathered firm, updated bids from the required contractors. The current project total is just under $10 million. Our Elder Board, Project Manager and Builder are now in the process of value engineering to identify potential cost-saving opportunities to bring that number down further.
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At this point we have completed all preliminary steps and now have fully engineered plans, construction documents in place, and bids received. We are looking at value engineering to keep the cost down.
To date (3/31/2026), we have spent $493,910 to get us up to this point and now we have everything in place to move forward with the project and break ground.
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We are asking for pledges to be made over a 36 month period beginning in October 2025 and ending on December 31, 2028.
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Our goal is not to take on any debt. Our prayer is that through the generosity of our church family we will continue to raise the amount needed to fund this project in full! Our Elder board takes any debt very seriously and will guide the church in this delicate and important decision. We will keep communication open with the congregation regarding any decisions regarding debt.
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Not directly. Your regular giving will continue to support ongoing ministries and operations. The capital campaign is above and beyond regular tithes and offerings. However, in the past, excess giving has been added to the building fund and that may continue in the future once all of our reserve accounts have been fully funded.
GIVING AND STEWARDSHIP
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EIN: 81-0502858
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You can give in many different ways: one-time gifts by check or credit card, multi-year pledges, online giving, stock transfers, through donor-advised funds, or estate gifts. Please reach out to us directly with any questions on how to give.
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If you are interested in giving stock to the Greater Things Project, your broker will need the following information:
EIN: 81-0502858
Account Name: Crossroads Christian Fellowship of Bigfork
DTC #: 0793
Account Number: Please call the church office and it will be provided. 406-837-0246 -
Every person and family is in a different season, and God knows your circumstances better than anyone else. In a campaign like this, we are not seeking equal gifts but equal sacrifice. The question is not about matching what someone else gives, but about seeking how God is inviting you personally to participate.
We encourage you to make this a spiritual journey: pray, listen, obey, and watch what God will do. Ask Him to guide your decision, and be open to His prompting. Often He stretches us beyond what feels comfortable so that our trust in Him deepens. At the same time, He honors a heart that gives cheerfully and sacrificially.
The “appropriate amount” is the one God places on your heart. If every one of us seeks Him and responds in obedience, we believe He will provide all that is needed for His work through this campaign.
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The total duration of the giving period is 36 months beginning in 2025 and ending December 31, 2028. Annual or monthly commitments may be made through pledges to be fulfilled through the 36 month period.
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We truly believe that if this project is going to be successful, it will have to be a work of God. Our church family is very diverse and we understand that you may not be in a position to donate a large amount of money. Please take heart and know that every single gift matters. We just ask that you first pray and ask the Lord to guide you in your giving. We hope that all will make the same sacrifice even though our giving amounts will be different.
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Yes, all pledges and contributions will be handled with strict confidentiality.
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Yes, we are committed to full transparency throughout this entire project. Financial reports and construction updates will be made available regularly. If you have any specific questions please feel free to reach out anytime to Pastor Paul at paul@crossroadsbigfork.com.
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Yes, the church is a registered 501(c)(3) organization and gifts are tax-deductible as allowed by law. EIN: 81-0502858
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While we know you take your pledge seriously, pledges are not binding. However, we will do planning based on your pledge. But if your situation changes, we understand and are here to support you. Please reach out to Kate Averill at kate@crossroadsbigfork.com if you have any questions!
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Regular updates will be shared through the Greater Things website, weekend update emails and Sunday services. Let’s watch God at work!
TIMELINE AND NEXT STEPS
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Yes! After much prayer and consideration the Elder Board has decided to move forward with the full scope of the project. We feel confident that God has directed our steps and is calling us to faithfully trust Him as we move forward. We will continue to actively fundraise to fill the gap and believe God will see this project through completion.
As of 3/31/26 we are moving forward with breaking ground this spring.
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We first just want to thank everyone who has generously stepped into this project with us. We appreciate all of you!
If you have not joined us, we invite you to jump in. The project is starting and now is the time.
If you have already given, but feel like you’d want to give more, please consider.
You can reach Kate Averill anytime with questions regarding your new or existing pledge: kate@crossroadsbigfork.com
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With everything in place to move forward, we plan to begin the project in the Spring of 2026. The first step will be to move the existing sewer line out of the field across from the current building. Once the sewer line has been moved we will be able to begin construction shortly after.
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The expansion is expected to take about 18 months. But as you can imagine, the timeline is dependent on funding, permitting, weather and many other variables. We will provide regular updates on the progress, next steps and anticipated completion dates. Ongoing prayers for efficiency, excellence and safety will be appreciated!
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
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Our purpose, mission and vision statements are located on our website and these are the guiding documents for our priorities for the building. We recognize that ministry happens much more often than on Sundays. All week long, our current building is full with Crossroads ministries for every age group as well as community ministries that fit our vision and mission. Due to our current space limitations, we sometimes have to say no to potential new use of the current building. With the new building, we foresee that it will be used in much the same way: larger groups will have access to using the new sanctuary, with smaller groups able to use the lobby and small classrooms therein.
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We do not plan to stop any ministries or initiatives during construction. The building fund and campaign are separate from our operations budget. We do not want to take away from what God is doing in one area so that He can do something else in another area. That being said, we have asked all of our ministry leaders to be very diligent and responsible during this time to not have any expenditures above and beyond what is Spirit led and needed.
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We have assembled a traffic study team and brought on a traffic engineer to help us analyze and solve the traffic ingress and egress onto our property. This led us to apply for an Access Permit in November, which we have received. We didn't realize the scope this situation could potentially cause and the millions of dollars it might cost. Thankfully, the engineer at the Montana Department of Transportation decided that our permit stands and all additional expenses are off the table. Praise God! We are now moving forward with a traffic speed study of Highway 35 in front of our church. There is still much work to be done, but we see God's hands on this and He's opening doors in miraculous ways to bring us resolution.
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The plans we have do include some new meeting areas. For musicians there is a very comfortable ‘green room.’ We also have two rooms in the lobby that will accommodate smaller groups. The sanctuary and lobby will both accommodate larger groups and meetings. We do not plan to add any more rooms or spaces to this plan, but plan to fully utilize all of our spaces as multi-use, multi-purpose and multi-function.
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At this point, we are not actively entertaining any satellite campuses in other communities (see above). However we are watching and praying about this carefully, especially during the interim. This may help to alleviate some of the space issues that we are currently facing. We have several creative ideas that might help as we wait for the new building to be finished.
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We plan to cross that bridge when we get to it. For the time being, we are maximizing the use of this property with this building project. If the Lord continues to bring growth, we will re-consider other options such as satellite campuses or church plants in other communities.
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This is such a great question. First of all, our 1100+ people on a weekend does typically include between 150 and 200 kids. This brings the total number of adults in the sanctuary down into the 900’s on a Sunday morning. With 650 seats, this should last us for some time at the current growth rate we have.
By comparison, this church building would be the second largest church in the Flathead Valley (second to Canvas). Here are the seating capacities for other churches in the area: Canvas: 960, East Haven: 535, Christ Lutheran: 425-450, Grace Church: 300ish.
In addition, the building size is directly related to the number of parking spaces we would need to have available. Because we have a desire to keep some green space on the property, we did not want the entire thing to be an asphalt parking lot. This was another limiting factor for the size of the building. We have dreams that someday we’ll have some nice fields below the church for field sports.
Of course, we always have the option of moving back to three services that would accommodate almost 2000 people.
Finally, we are trying to balance the idea of keeping the 'feeling' of Crossroads small even as we grow. Coming into a huge room that will remain somewhat empty for a few years didn't feel like the direction we wanted.
Do you have any unanswered questions? Fill out this form and we will reach out to you!
