Better Together (6.13.26)
Hello CrossPointe Family!
On Sunday, March 8 I had the privilege of sharing an important and exciting development in our relationship with the leadership and congregation of Altamonte Chapel (click here to watch). In the days and weeks that have transpired, we have continued to pray through this opportunity and have had several helpful meetings and conversations with the leadership of Altamonte Chapel. We have also been able to receive questions from you all, the people of CrossPointe. The following is intended to give an update as to the most recent developments as well as help bring clarity around some questions that have been asked. For those of you who have asked questions, thank you for seeking clarity, as it helps the CrossPointe leadership know best how to communicate and care. We don’t pretend in anyway to be doing this perfectly, but we are trusting the Lord to lead us in these exciting and unchartered waters.
If you were there to hear the announcement on March 8, you may have noticed that there were things that may have felt a bit nebulous. Our intention was not and is not to withhold any information, but rather to try and communicate in a way that is honoring and sensitive to our friends from Altamonte Chapel.
While Altamonte Chapel initiated these talks, these are significant changes for them that are filled with both joy and loss. We are excited about what the Lord is doing through this partnership and also want our communication and the process to be relational rather than transactional. At the end of the day, we're not just talking about acquiring property but also taking on the care of a group of people who were here before us.
However, we also recognize that there are many details in a situation like this, and each one matters. And while no final decision has been made, enough clarity has emerged in our conversations that we felt it would be helpful to share more specifically what is being discussed and why we are excited about the possibility. So in the hope of bringing greater clarity, the following Questions & Responses have been crafted.
What is the backstory of Better Together?
For the past 5 years, CrossPointe has had the immense privilege of renting from Altamonte Chapel, giving us a space that has truly come to feel like home. A place where we can welcome others as Jesus has so graciously welcomed us.
But to speak of renting space doesn’t really capture the heart of what has been happening. We believe the Lord has been doing something unique from day one. Something far more than we could have asked or imagined. Part of this began during the lease negotiations in the fall of 2021, as Altamonte Chapel suddenly found itself without a pastor or even an interim preacher for each Sunday. This allowed CrossPointe the unique opportunity to provide liturgy and pulpit supply for the congregation that gathers each Sunday in the historic Altamonte Chapel.
Over time this became more than providing liturgical help and a weekly sermon. It became what Paul describes in 1 Thessalonians 2:8 — Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.
By God’s grace, relationships were cultivated.
By God’s grace, mission became shared.
By God’s grace, the gospel has gone forward.
And so, as Altamonte Chapel looked back and celebrated their faithful presence in this community over the past 140 years, they also began to sense that the Lord might be wanting to use them and the beautiful property and facilities in new ways.
It was at this point, in the latter part of 2025, that the board of Altamonte Chapel approached the leadership of CrossPointe to begin a discussion about what it might look like for us to think beyond the scope of our lease arrangement and to move toward a future that we believe is best described as BETTER TOGETHER.
What are the core components of Better Together?
As CrossPointe we have had the privilege of being invited into a conversation that centers around how we might join together to steward both the legacy and future of Altamonte Chapel’s beautiful property and even more beautiful people.
Though there are many details to figure out, what we are in the process of praying through and discerning is what it might look like for the congregation and worshiping life of Altamonte Chapel to come under the care of CrossPointe Church.
This care has three primary components…property stewardship, worshiping life, and congregational care.
Property Stewardship
In an act of generosity, that only the gospel of Jesus could fuel, the property and facilities of Altamonte Chapel would be gifted to CrossPointe to steward and to support the continued ministry and mission that Altamonte Chapel has faithfully carried forward for many generations. The shared hope in doing this is that it allows Altamonte Chapel’s legacy, people, and resources to continue serving the community through the ongoing ministry of CrossPointe Church.
We want to reiterate the heart behind this generosity is relational, not transactional. Though at some point we recognize that attorneys would be involved to provide an official contract, we are all doing our best to not make this contractual.
In a world that often operates with mergers and transactions, we want to operate to the best of our ability in a way that reflects two families coming together to further gospel impact for generations to come.
Altamonte Chapel has been unflinchingly committed to ensuring that this beautiful property and facilities continue to be used for church ministry purposes. We share in that desire and are putting a plan together that ensures this property continues to be used as a church space. We are all working intentionally and creatively to honor the legacy of Altamonte Chapel and these shared desires.
Worshiping Life & Congregational Care
As great as the property and facilities are, we know that the church is the people. And we want to honor and care for the beautiful people of Altamonte Chapel by continuing to have a Sunday service in the historic chapel as well as intentionally shepherding the folks who call Altamonte Chapel home.
The vision currently being discussed is for the people of Altamonte Chapel to come under the care and leadership of CrossPointe and for us to become one church with two worship services. In many ways, the Lord has made this more and more the reality over our last 5 years together, but this would be an official joining together of the two families.
Additionally, we hope that the Chapel service would not only continue, but also flourish, serving both longtime worshipers and new attendees who might be drawn to a more traditional expression of worship.
Has the decision to move forward already been made?
We want to be clear that at this point nothing is official or finalized. When we brought this to the CrossPointe congregation on March 8, 2026 it was with a heart to invite more people into praying for this unique opportunity. Though we are admittedly excited about the possibility, we want to operate with wisdom and a pace that reflects a heart surrendered to the Lord and his will.
What is the timeline?
As we continue to pray and discuss plans for moving forward together, the hope would be to reach clarity and, if the Lord continues to lead in this direction, have things in place by the end of 2026.
Would there be any financial cost to CrossPointe?
Through the generosity of Altamonte Chapel, there is no purchasing price for the property. Being able to write that sentence is a pretty remarkable testament to God’s kindness toward CrossPointe through the good folks of Altamonte Chapel.
Having said that, part of the discerning process is making sure that we feel comfortable being solely responsible for the ongoing expenses, maintenance, and upkeep of the property. Thankfully in God’s providence, our lease the past five years was structured in such a way that we had a below market value rental rate, but we were responsible for 2/3 of the property maintenance as well as 2/3 of the utilities. This has positioned us well for a minimal impact on our budget going forward.
Additionally, through your generosity, CrossPointe has been able to build up our savings these past few years to a point where we have approximately six months of operational expenses in reserves.
Over the next few months we will continue to seek wise counsel as it pertains to financial stewardship.
Would anything about CrossPointe change?
CrossPointe would continue to operate with the same mission of pointing our community to Jesus in all that we do. Included in this is our Sunday service at 10:30 am and our ministry plans and programming, which would remain the same.
One of the most tangible (and exciting) changes would be the growth of our CrossPointe family. We would count it as a great privilege and blessing to welcome in our brothers and sisters from Altamonte Chapel, to steward well their gospel legacy, and the beautiful property and facilities that we pray the Lord continues to use for generations to come.
What’s next?
Please pray for wisdom.
James 1:5 says If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
Please continue ask questions. You can email info@thisiscp.church
Join us for a combined worship service on Sunday, June 21 at 10:30 am in the sanctuary.
Keep an eye out on the app for updates on a Vision Night coming this fall and plan to join us.
Thank you for your partnership in the gospel! I am excited to see how Jesus will continue to build His church.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Jamie