God first brought me to Crosswalk back in 1999. I was a quiet young man who was bad at holding a conversation and angry at a world which didn't seem to accept me. Worse, I had no purpose in life. But I was also aware of those traits, and acknowledged them as barriers to a fulfilled life so I wanted to change. Religion seemed to be the best way to affect change. I was interested in Christianity (though not yet a Christian) and had been church shopping for a bit. I visited a few other churches but was generally unimpressed by what I had found. When I visited Crosswalk there was one thing which set it apart for me: the people. A quick scan of the crowd revealed a diversity I hadn't seen at other churches. People from different races and age groups accepted each other and actually spent time together (which seemed like a rarity at the time.) I also noticed as I watched people interact, that they actually wanted to be there. I was brought up in a church which felt like people were there out of obligation rather than choice (it was a Catholic church). Crosswalk was a group of people who wanted to be with God and with each other - they were engaged. By the end of the first service I was hooked, this was not just a church, this was a community. A community of people with a genuine heart for God and each other where people were connected.
