Conviction

Worlds Crossing is driven by the conviction that the mission of the gospel is happening through the movement of disciples in a globalized world.  Since the first chapter of Acts, the church is meant to equip and send disciples of Jesus to the ends of the earth.  Today, globalization has led to the spread of people to urban centers around the globe due to wars, famines, economic instability, job opportunities, humanitarian work, government assignments, education, wanderlust, etc, etc.  We believe that God has determined the times and places where every person lives so that they would know Him (Acts 17:27-28).  Therefore, churches in global cities must have a vision for the nations in their neighborhoods and be equipped for evangelism and discipleship of those nations.

A church in a global city with a “glocal” theological vision is poised for equipping and sending the nations to the nations. Therefore, we believe that a “thick” theology of church and mission is essential to fuel discipleship and church planting. Worlds Crossing rests on the conviction that the worship of God is primarily informed by the Scriptures, for in them man finds the revealed God who alone is worthy to be worshipped.

Strategy

Our People Group focus: Data shows that the world population living away from their home country or culture is roughly equal to the fifth-most populous country in the world. They are not a people group defined by location, language, or culture. They are populating cities around the world and shaping those cities into multi-lingual, multi-cultural, global cities.

Strategically, English is a powerful tool to reach across cultures with the gospel. So, we are focused on English-language churches in non-English-speaking global cities that have a vision to reach the nations, including their host nation. Therefore, the English-speaking churches of the United States have a unique opportunity to reach the nations through strategic partnerships with these International English-language Churches.

Worlds Crossing sees partnerships between American churches and International Churches as crucial for spreading the gospel, making disciples, and planting churches. Therefore, our philosophy is to support the efforts of these churches by:

1. Promoting more healthy English-language churches in global cities through articles, videos, and presentations.

2. Raising funds for projects that will provide churches with sustainability for multiplication.

3. Recruit, train, send, and care for missionaries who would plant churches, pastor, and/or serve these churches.

Statement of Faith

I. The Word of God

We believe that the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired, inerrant, infallible, and sufficient Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:20–21). Scripture alone is the supreme and final authority for all faith and practice. It reveals the character of God, the person and work of Christ, and the way of salvation. All ministry, doctrine, and church practice must be measured and governed by the Word of God.

II. The Triune God

We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—equal in essence, power, and glory, yet distinct in their relations and roles (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14). God is the Creator, Sustainer, and Sovereign Ruler over all things and works all things according to the counsel of His will (Ephesians 1:11).

III. The Gospel and Salvation

We believe that all people are created in God’s image but are fallen and separated from Him by sin (Genesis 1:26–27; Romans 3:23). Salvation is the gracious work of God alone through the person and finished work of Jesus Christ—His perfect life, substitutionary death, and bodily resurrection (Ephesians 2:8–9; 1 Corinthians 15:3–4).  Sinners are justified by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. The regenerated believer is united to Christ, indwelt by the Spirit, and called to live in joyful obedience, holiness, and perseverance (Romans 8:1–17; Philippians 2:12–13).

IV. The Church

We believe that the local church is God’s chosen means for the spread of the gospel and the building up of His people (Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 3:10). The universal church consists of all believers in every age, but it is expressed visibly through local congregations that gather for worship, discipleship, fellowship, and mission.

A strengthening church is one that is pursuing health. Worlds Crossing sees the following markers as characteristics that every healthy church pursues (9Marks):

• The expositional preaching of Scripture;

• The practice of biblical theology that is grounded in the text of Scripture, seeing the gospel narrative throughout and culminating with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and his final return.

• Seeing the mission of Christ advance through a biblical understanding of conversion and the practice of evangelism;

• Practicing a biblical understanding of church membership;

• Exercising biblical church discipline;

• Teaching and practicing a concern for discipleship and spiritual growth,

• Structured according to biblical church leadership that consists of deacons and a plurality of qualified male elders.

Such churches are autonomous yet cooperative, practicing a form of congregationalism under the leadership of elders and the authority of Scripture. They aim to display the character of God through faithful teaching, loving community, and gospel witness in their cities.

V. The Ordinances

We believe that Christ instituted two ordinances for His church: baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26).

• Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water as a public profession of faith, symbolizing union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 6:3–4).

• The Lord’s Supper is a regular, corporate act of remembrance and proclamation of Christ’s atoning death, anticipating His return.

VI. The Christian Life and Mission

We believe that every believer is called to live for the glory of God, walking in the power of the Holy Spirit and displaying the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23). Christ commissions His church to make disciples of all nations by proclaiming the gospel and teaching obedience to all He has commanded (Matthew 28:18–20). Because the church is central to God’s mission, Worlds Crossing partners with, strengthens, and multiplies local churches that are confessionally aligned, missionally focused, and committed to reproducing faithful congregations in global cities.

VII. Marriage, Family, and Gender

We believe that God created humanity male and female, equal in dignity and worth but distinct in role and function (Genesis 1:27; 2:24; Ephesians 5:22–33). Marriage is a covenantal union between one man and one woman for life, given as a picture of Christ’s relationship with His church. We affirm the biblical pattern of male eldership in the leadership of the local church and male headship in the home, practiced with humility, love, and sacrificial service.

VIII. The Return of Christ and the Final Judgment

We believe in the personal, visible, and glorious return of Jesus Christ to judge the living and the dead (Acts 1:11; 2 Timothy 4:1). The righteous will enter eternal joy in the presence of God, and the wicked will face eternal separation and judgment. This hope compels the church to persevere in faith, holiness, and mission.

IX. Our Cooperation and Context

We affirm that each local church operates within a unique global city context—shaped by the languages, cultures, and histories of its people. While methods of ministry may vary, the message and authority of Scripture remain supreme and unchanging. Our cooperation is founded on shared confessional commitments and a common goal: to see healthy, gospel-preaching churches planted and strengthened among diverse people in global cities.

X. Summary

Worlds Crossing, Inc. exists to serve the church by advancing the gospel through the church. We believe the Scriptures are the sufficient foundation for all faith and practice. We believe that the church is Jesus' visible representation of his work in the world today and will be united to him at the marriage of the Lamb (Matt 16:18; Rev 19:6-9); that the church is God’s primary plan for disciple-making; and that every healthy church, under the authority of Christ, should seek to reproduce itself for the glory of God among all peoples.