ESL & CarePortal

ESL

We completed another year of ministry to our non-English speaking neighbors here in Grapevine. We had roughly 40 students who spoke many different languages take part in the program each Sunday afternoon. This endeavor is the ongoing reminder of our partnership with 121 Community Church and First Grapevine Church.   

CarePortal

Through CarePortal, our church connected with real-time needs in the community, often providing beds, furniture, and essentials that help keep families together and prevent children from entering foster care. Our CarePortal moving team has worked tirelessly this year to meet 41 requests, resulting in over $32,000 in economic impact.

Young Adults

CATC Young Adults exists to help young adults encounter Jesus. This past year was a season of change and transition for the young adults ministry, with many key leaders and members moving on to plant Renewal City Church. Amid this change, the ministry continued to grow, flourish, and accomplish its mission.

This year, we met every 2nd and 4th Thursday at a gathering called Breakpoint, where young adults meet for worship, teaching, and fellowship. We also hosted large group social events where we’ve seen young adults from outside of our church join us. A big accomplishment this year was the Young Adult Weekend, where 60 young adults came to worship, fellowship, and sit under teaching for an entire weekend. The Lord used it to unify us and give us momentum heading into the summer.

We’ve seen five young adults respond to Christ through baptism, 76 young adults faithfully serving at CATC, and many more connected to Life Groups. Over 215 individual young adults have participated in one of our gatherings this year, with our average attendance being around 60 people.

It’s been an incredible year, and we can’t wait to see all the Lord continues to do through this ministry.

Students

Over the past year we have seen the Lord work in many wonderful ways through our students, and we are thrilled to share those updates! This summer, 24 of our students and 7 adult leaders partnered with our church plant King’s Cross in Utah, serving in a heavily populated Mormon community. They helped run a VBS where children from both the church and the surrounding community came to hear the gospel and enjoy a week filled with fun. Our students also visited Temple Square in Salt Lake City, the global headquarters of the Mormon church, where they experienced firsthand a culture in desperate need of the true gospel. We pray that trips like these continue to grow our students’ compassion for the lost and their desire to see Jesus glorified among all people throughout the world.

We also had 45 students attend High School Camp and 55 students attend Middle School Camp, both centered on the theme Soli Deo Gloria, learning how the ultimate goal of their lives as Christians is to live for the glory of God. At these camps, students expressed faith in Jesus Christ for the first time, communicated desires to be baptized, and even shared their sense of calling to missions, all while building friendships and enjoying a variety of games and activities.

Since last August, our Sunday morning Life Groups have alternated weekly between Bible study in the Annex where students studied 1 Corinthians and 1 Peter, and lessons taught in the Student Center that provided a comprehensive overview of the biblical narrative. This structure has resulted in incredible growth, with an average attendance of over 100 students each Sunday morning. It has been a blessing to watch friendships form and grow while leaders within our church faithfully invest in these young lives and point them closer to Jesus.

Our Wednesday Midweek gatherings have also been a highlight, featuring teaching through 1 John, the Psalms, and discourses from the ministry of Jesus. Weekly attendance has averaged around 70 students with some evenings reaching into the 80s. This has truly been a remarkable season marked by students growing deeper in their faith, many responding in baptism, and the Lord continuing to bear fruit through this ministry.

Thank you for your prayers for these students and for the vital role you play in their lives!

Kids

For nine years, our ministry has walked through the Gospel Project on Sunday mornings. That means we have studied our way through the Bible three times, looking at the big picture of the gospel story and learning about the Christ connection throughout Scripture. In August of 2024, we made a carefully considered decision to switch to Hyfi curriculum, which is also by Lifeway. Hyfi teaches the truths of Scripture in a way that helps preschoolers and kids understand that their true identity is in Christ. It is tons of fun while remaining faithful to the Bible. Every lesson provides biblically sound content with a clear picture of Jesus and the gospel. Both kids and teachers are enjoying and learning from this new curriculum that is rich in Scripture and life application while remaining relevant to both church and unchurched children.

Preschool Playdates this year focused on the Fruit of the Spirit, and preschoolers had loads of fun with puzzles, games, books, crafts, and more, while mothers had the opportunity to visit with one another. We are looking forward to growing this monthly event and reaching even more families in our community.

Magnified! VBS encouraged our children to look closely at the details of God’s amazing world and magnify, or proclaim, His greatness. We learned that God made us, cares about us, loves us, forgives us, and is faithful to keep all His promises. Between the morning and evening VBS gatherings, we had 397 children attend at least once, with most attending every day. That’s 40 more kids than last year! We also had 90 visitors who had no prior connection to our church other than hearing about VBS and deciding to come. The VBS kids also raised $1,838.45 to send to Jivino Verde, our Compassion Center in Ecuador.

God has been moving in the hearts of our children to follow Jesus in baptism. Since our last annual conference, 16 children have been baptized, and every other month our Gospel and Baptism for Kids class has been well attended.

On August 17, Promotion Sunday, we opened several new classes so that between the two gathering times, we now have 12 nursery classes, 16 preschool classes, and 10 elementary classes. We regularly have more than 250 kids on Sunday mornings, and we look forward to that number growing in the new year. We need more covenant members to join the CATC Kids team so that we can continue to reach more children.

We are excited about the year ahead and deeply appreciate the church-wide support given to our Kids’ Ministry. To learn more about CATC Kids or to find information about joining our team, visit catc.church/kids

Foster Care and Adoption Advocates

“Our family has never felt so seen. We feel like we belong here.” – New Foster + Adopt Connect Family

At our Foster + Adopt Connect events, we served 46 families and 65 foster or adopted children, totaling 178 people. Each event was supported by 34 volunteers and 10 counselors who helped create a welcoming and supportive environment. Our wrap-around care team also responded to more than 21 urgent needs, delivering over 63 care packages or meals to celebrate adoptions, support families in crisis, and provide practical resources. This past year, we celebrated two new adoptions in our community.

We collaborated with the Kids Ministry team and dedicated volunteers to utilize The Nest, our multi-sensory room designed for children experiencing dysregulation or big behaviors, to support their needs and help them successfully reintegrate into group time. We also participated in a national cohort of churches working together to support vulnerable children in their communities. In addition, we were able to provide over $11,000 in camp scholarships for kids, middle schoolers, and high school students.

Trips

Taking a trip to serve a mission partner is such a powerful way for CATC members to see the gospel ministry that is taking place around the globe. In this past year, we sent teams to locations such as Japan, Ecuador and Utah.   

In the fall of last year, a small team of members traveled to Tokyo and Osaka in Japan to see the great work of a church-planting network in Japan. The trip was in many ways a vision trip in that many of the members have expressed interest in doing gospel ministry in Japan one day. It was incredibly encouraging to visit the churches that have been planted there but also striking to know how many more churches are needed in such an unreached nation like Japan. We are expectant to see how God leads and guides these trip members in the years to come. 

In March, a team traveled to Ecuador to visit the Compassion center that was launched in 2021 using funds raised from CATC and Dallas Chinese Bible Church. The project is an educational development center that coincides with a church plant. Over 250 children and their families are served through this center, and our team was truly inspired by the gospel intentionality of the project. Trip members were also able to meet and visit with their sponsored children. What a unique opportunity for all involved! We plan to send teams to this site for many years to come. 

Our students also shared in the trips action this year. They traveled to Farmington, UT to serve alongside our church plant, King’s Cross Church. KCC was planted in this town that is overwhelmingly Mormon. CATC students served to host a VBS program for the community. This type of activity is such a great way to engage Mormon families. The trip also served to give our students a deeper understanding of the need for the gospel in the heart of the Mormon culture of Utah. 

Trips like these enable us to serve our long-term partners AND give trip members a greater sense of how their lives might be used for the mission of God. We encourage you to consider going on a trip with us soon! 

Church Plants

We’re so excited by the news that 2 of our church plants have now merged with other churches in their areas and inherited their properties in the process. What an amazing display of God’s provision! Cross and Crown merged with Roanoke Baptist Church earlier this spring and is now in the midst of an encouraging capital campaign to renovate the aging facilities. Similarly, King’s Cross merged with Mountain Road Church in Farmington, UT and inherited their property.  

Our third church plant, Renewal City Church, is launching officially in September in Celina, TX. The Schutza family, among many others, have transplanted themselves into this fast-growing community to see the gospel proclaimed to all the newcomers calling Celina home.   

Finally, we are preparing to send out N&A Ortiz as our most recent church planters. They intend to see a church planted among an unengaged people group somewhere within the unreached part of the globe. An unengaged people group is defined as a group of people that share a language who have no Christian presence in their midst. N&A will labor to learn the language of this people group in order to share the gospel and plant a church of believers.   

God has been so kind to us to reveal and raise up church planters within our midst. Through these church plants, Church at the Cross’ reach is extended well beyond our immediate context of Grapevine, TX.  

Trafficking Survivor Advocates, Prison Pregnancy Advocates & New Life Advocates

Trafficking Survivor Advocates

This year, we celebrated five baptisms and three new believers through this ministry’s outreach and care. Each Sunday, survivors are welcomed into our services, with volunteers sitting alongside them to offer support and community. Our weekly sewing class equipped 13 women with foundational skills, from sewing on buttons to making pillowcases and tote bags, while building confidence and connection. In partnership with Valiant Hearts, volunteers hosted monthly birthday parties, supported club outreach, and helped deliver over 600 gifts to vulnerable women as a tangible expression of Christ’s love.

Prison Pregnancy Advocates

Prison Pregnancy Advocates is a ministry dedicated to bringing hope and healing to incarcerated pregnant and postpartum women. We walk alongside these women in their journey, offering love, truth, and a reminder that their story is not over. We celebrated one new believer and one baptism this year! Each week, we led in-person Bible studies for over 20 residents and their newborns, helping women grow in their faith and learn how to study Scripture on their own.

We also provided welcome gifts, including a Recovery Bible, for every new resident, offering encouragement and truth from the start of their journey.

New Life Advocates

In partnering with Human Coalition and Health for Her in Grapevine, our goal is to show compassion to pregnant mothers and their families. Volunteers cared for 22 Health for Her clinic staff this year by providing monthly gifts, encouragement, and prayer. Our Women’s Ministry also created special Valentine’s gifts that included handwritten notes and gift cards, reminders that their work is seen and deeply valued.

Training & Rooted

Training Classes

This last year we continued our efforts at equipping one another through our Training Classes on Wednesday evenings. The goal of these courses is to see followers of Jesus grow in core competencies of the Christian life. This strategic growth in faith and life helps us all walk confidently in the Lord’s strength wherever He calls us to walk.  

  We had well over 200 participants go through our training classes in the fall and also in the spring. We had a wide variety of in depth courses on: Prayer, 1 John, Ruth, Church History, Christian Doctrine, Cross-Cultural Evangelism, Parenting with a Global Vision, and Understanding Gen Z. The Training Classes coincided with our Kids and Students Midweek programs. This offered an environment of growth and community for the whole family and every generation of our church. We launch another round of exciting midweek Training Courses and opportunities this fall. If you haven’t already, we hope you’ll join us soon on a Wednesday night! 

Rooted

Another exciting environment was launched last year when CATC offered our Rooted course. Rooted is an intensive discipleship environment that seeks to guide sinners, sufferers and strugglers to the life changing power of Jesus and the gospel. We ran a small trial course last fall and then a full launch in the spring. We had close to 50 people go through this 12 week course. One attendee said, “Rooted was wonderful! I feel like I learned so much about myself and of God. I also remembered some truths that I knew but had a hard time applying to my life and heart. Rooted help guide me to do that very well in the gospel.” Rooted will be offered again this fall and will be on Wednesday evenings along with the rest of our midweek activities.

Care

At Church at The Cross, we believe that caring for one another is a core part of living out our faith in Jesus. Every one of us will face times when we need support, encouragement, and godly care. Over the past year, we’ve had many opportunities to extend care and have witnessed God working in powerful and encouraging ways. 

One of the most inspiring parts of the Care Ministry has been watching so many individuals take bold steps to serve and support others. Much of our care naturally begins within our Life Groups, which often hear about needs first and are quick to respond. These groups form a key foundation of care in our church community. Beyond this, we’re developing new ministry teams dedicated to caring for our church family like our senior adult care team and other care teams. 

Our vision for care at CATC is holistic. Whether someone is celebrating the birth of a new baby, facing a serious health issue, struggling financially, or seeking biblical guidance, our Care Ministry seeks to be a vessel God uses to serve, support, and lead people toward Jesus.

Men

CATC Men’s Ministry is devoted to providing a space for men to be strengthened in their faith and to thrive in their calling as men. At CATC, we want to see men grow to be strong and faithful servants in their homes, workplaces, and community. Over the last year, we have seen an increase in demand for environments that help men do just that. Our Men’s Breakfast averaged about 60 men on Friday mornings, coming together to connect and grow. We began the fall with a message focused on what it means to be a man of God.

With this high demand, we also increased our men’s activities. In February, 60 fathers and sons showed up for our first-ever Father-Son Football Classic on the fields of Covenant Christian Academy, where they bonded over healthy competition. In March, we held a Men’s Campout at Lake Godstone, where the guys enjoyed time outdoors fishing, hiking, and gathering around the fire to connect with one another. Later in the summer, we launched a Bible study through the book of Titus, exploring the foundations of godly manhood, and saw 40 men attend.

This coming fall, we are excited to launch our Men’s Bible Study as a Training Class on Wednesday nights, where we will study the book of Mark. The women will be studying the same book, which will provide great opportunities for discussion at home. If you have yet to come out to one of our men’s events, join us—you will find a group of men eager to walk alongside you.

Women

The Women’s Ministry at Church at the Cross exists to encourage and equip women in every season of life to encounter Jesus together. We gather to build one another up in the faith, grow in our love for God’s Word, and represent Christ in the places and relationships where He has placed us.

Over the past year, our theme was “Walking in Wisdom,” as we studied the book of James through three Gather events in August, December, and May. Each Gather brought women together for a meal, conversation, worship, and biblical teaching from women within our own church body.

This year also marked the launch of our Women’s Bible Class, part of CATC Training. In the fall, we studied Ruth, and in the spring, we walked through 1 John. Each study was designed to help women grow in confidence in reading, understanding, and applying Scripture through sound Bible study methods.

We also hosted two Women’s Serve Days, where women created care packages to support Life Task Force ministries, including foster and adoptive families, Care Portal recipients, and staff at Health for Her and Rescue Hill. We also wrote notes of encouragement to our missionaries serving around the world.

In August, we hosted our Sweeter than Honey Women’s Conference to launch this year’s theme: Delighting in God’s Word. More than 160 women gathered to study Psalm 119, hear from guest worship leader and speaker Caroline Cobb, and enjoy rich fellowship with one another.

During the summer, as Life Groups and Discipleship Groups paused, about 80 women participated in Summer Groups. These small groups met weekly for fellowship, prayer, and book discussions on topics such as evangelism, missions, humility, the Ten Commandments, and systematic theology.

We are incredibly thankful for the gifted and godly women who serve and lead within our church. We invite you to join us in the year ahead as we continue to encounter Jesus and build one another up in love.

Groups

At CATC we are a family that stands alongside one another. Time and time again in our Life Groups, we see the beauty of brothers and sisters supporting one another, encouraging one another, and growing together. We continue to add people to our groups, and many times unbelievers are exploring Christianity through them. Every semester we offer two rounds of Life Group Connect, and each round produces a new Life Group. Last year, we started three new Life Groups through Life Group Connect. We currently have 34 groups, but as we continually start new ones, we are in need of more leaders. If you have benefited from belonging to a Jesus-centered community and have a vision to help others do the same, we encourage you to reach out to Matt Lear to learn how you might lead a new group. Our leaders are disciplers who work hard to see their group grow in love for Jesus, and they receive regular care and support through our Life Group Coaches, who meet with leaders every semester in a cohort setting over a meal.

Discipleship Groups also continue to form out of relationships built in Life Groups. These are smaller groups of three to five people who meet regularly for Bible reading, accountability, and prayer. Last semester we developed a curriculum for Discipleship Groups, walking members through the book of 1 Peter. Anyone can start a Discipleship Group—simply invite a few friends and register for the new fall curriculum, which will walk through the book of Mark. This year, our Discipleship Group curriculum will align with the content being studied in our Men’s and Women’s Bible Studies.

Our life together is also an evangelistic event. When we put Jesus at the center of our community, we show the world His power to redeem broken people. Our desire is for groups to be a place where unbelievers encounter the love of Jesus. One of the ways we live this out is through Front Yard Festivals. Life Groups and Kids Ministry partner together each year to equip groups to host festivals in their neighborhoods, shining the light of Christ to their neighbors. This year, we saw 21 Front Yard Festivals take place throughout our community.

Prayer

God continues to move amongst us through the power of prayer. It has been beautiful to see our love for one another expressed through prayer. We receive prayer cards week after week with requests for our intercessors to pray over, and we are seeing more and more folks stepping forward for prayer at the end of our gatherings. Even some of our young children are requesting prayer utilizing prayer cards and our prayer partners. What a testament to how we have displayed dependency upon the Father and how we talk about prayer at CATC. Beyond Sunday mornings, our prayer partners are available to serve at Prayer and Songs and Women's Gather events. Weekly intercessors continue to diligently pray for our ministries, partners, and prayer requests submitted. Over the past year, our weekly intercessors have been praying in alignment with the Sending team’s Neighbors + Nations weekly prayer needs to lift up our local and global partners. Last summer, June 2024, we started a pre-service prayer group who faithfully gather for Pre-Service Prayer at 8:15 a.m. every Sunday. Much of the increase in folks stepping forward to receive prayer is an answer to the prayers of our Pre-Service prayer warriors who specifically pray for every element of our weekly gatherings. Throughout 2025, we also continue to feel the ripple effects from 48-hours of prayer and Awaken Conference from February.  

We encourage you to check out the Prayer Ministry page where we have several prayer resources, book recommendations, sermon series on prayer, ways to join a team, and a blog called "How to Pray for our Sunday Gatherings" with a downloadable easy-to-memorize prayer prompt guide (using the acronym PLEAD) specifically geared toward praying for our Sunday gatherings. Covenant members interested in exploring our Sunday Prayer Partner Team can contact Ginger Vassar for more information.  

We rejoice over all that God has done. We pray to continually see an increase in the prayerfulness of our people in the year to come. May we encounter Jesus as the Spirit is at work. May many stories be told among us of God’s answers to our prayers!  

As a church, we simply desire to pray, call on the Lord, and seek his face—to be a praying people. Keep asking, seeking, and knocking!

Baptisms

In obedience to the Great Commission, we are called as a church to make disciples and baptize them in the name of our Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As we help people and places encounter Jesus, our desire is to guide them to profess Christ as Savior and Lord through faith, repentance, and believer’s baptism. Since our last Member Conference, we have celebrated 45 baptisms—and to God be all the glory.

Alpha

The Alpha ministry at CATC exists to create a hospitable environment for non-Christians to encounter Jesus and to help catalyze an evangelistic culture at CATC.  In the Fall of 2024 and the Spring of 2025, we had about 144 unique participants in our Alpha semesters. From the previous two sessions among Alpha we have baptized 4 people and seen others connect to the community at CATC. In between sessions there is a book study led by some incredible leaders for skeptics and had about 10 nonbelievers participating. We have a large team of dedicated and faithful leaders. Over 20 people are able and eager to lead evangelistic small groups and another 15+ have served on our hospitality team. We look forward to seeing what this fall will bring as we work together to help people and places encounter Jesus.