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Pastor's Report

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Deacon Report
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Membership Report

Financial Report

Empowered by His Spirit

As I look back over this past year at CrossWinds Church, I continue to be amazed at the faithfulness of God as well as being grateful for the privilege of serving as your Pastor.

Our theme for 2025-26 was Empowered by His Spirit, based on the words of Jesus in Acts 1:8:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

We began the year with the reminder that God has not called us to accomplish His work in our own strength. He has given us His Holy Spirit to empower us to be His witnesses in Our Worlds: those places where we live, work, and play. Throughout the year we have continued to ask what it looks like to be a church that is not simply busy doing “church stuff,” but is, in fact, a group of people who are listening to the Holy Spirit, using the gifts God has given them, and boldly representing Jesus to the people around them.

And once again, God has been faithful! Our Ministry Directors will share many of the highlights from their individual ministries in the pages of this Annual Report. Allow me to share just a few highlights from my own experience…

Preaching & Teaching

One of my greatest privileges as your Pastor continues to be opening God’s Word with you each Sunday Morning.

This past year we continued our journey through the Gospel of Matthew in our ongoing series, “His Kingdom Come!” It still amazes me how relevant the words and ministry of Jesus are to the world in which we live today.

During Advent, we stepped away from Matthew for our Christmas series, “Christmas: From Promise to Praise!”, tracing the story of Christmas and celebrating the faithfulness of our God who always keeps His promises!

In April we spent a short time focusing on Easter and the significance of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

This summer we launched our current series, “ESSENTIAL: Women Who Shaped God’s Story.” Through this series we’ve been looking at some of the women God used throughout Scripture and how ESSENTIAL they have been, (AND continue to be!) to His story and His mission!

I continue to be thankful for the opportunity to preach and teach God’s Word. After all these years, I still love what I get to do!

Our Staff Team

This past year has been a year of consistency and growing closer together as a team.

I am so thankful for our Office Staff: Charlie Painter, Thomas Sperschneider, Maya Benishek, Lori Painter, and Trenton Benishek; as well as our Extended Staff: Damon Bagley, Dennis Fast, Christian Newman, and Dwight Bither. Every one of these individuals bring unique gifts, personalities, passions and perspectives to our Staff Team. More importantly, we continue to grow closer together in our shared vision for CrossWinds Church.

This year our Annual Staff Retreat was held in Big Bear, and it was a GREAT few days of planning, prayer, conversation, laughter and just enjoying being together. We have also continued to enjoy regular “Staff Fun Days” with our Office Staff. Sometimes you just need to get out of the office, eat some good food, laugh together and be reminded that ministry is supposed to be FUN too! I genuinely love our Staff Team and consider it a privilege to serve alongside them.

Pastoral Ministry

Of course, a lot of what I do throughout the year never makes it onto a ministry calendar or Annual Report. I call those things the day-to-day privilege of just “being a Pastor”: counseling someone who is walking through a difficult season; sitting with a family at the hospital; preparing for a wedding; walking with a family through the loss of someone they love; preparing a funeral or memorial service; meeting someone for lunch or coffee; praying with someone who is hurting; and celebrating when God does something incredible in a person’s life.

And, of course, there are the meetings…sometimes LOTS of meetings! But through it all, I am reminded of what a privilege it is to be involved in people's lives. Jackie and I never take that privilege for granted.

One of the GREAT joys of our week continues to be leading our Life Group alongside Richard & Sheri Dahlquist and Martin & Lanie Gauss. We love our Life Group! We laugh together, study God’s Word together, pray together, and walk through life together. There have been many times when Jackie and I have walked away from Life Group realizing that WE probably needed that night more than anyone else in the room!

This past year has also brought some challenging moments for us as a church family. We have had to walk through some difficult issues involving members of our church as well as former Staff. Those situations are never easy, and because they involve real people and real relationships, they require a great deal of prayer, wisdom, grace and, at times, difficult decisions. I obviously won't go into the details here, but I do want to say how grateful I am for our Elders and Staff who have faithfully walked through these situations together, seeking to honor God, remain faithful to His Word, and protect the health and unity of our church family. Even in these difficult situations our God continues to be faithful!

That’s what I love about our Church: We don't just attend church together…we do LIFE together!

Ministry Beyond CrossWinds

God has also continued to give me opportunities to serve beyond the walls of CrossWinds Church. I continue to serve with United Indian Missions (UIM International) as President of the U.S. Council. This past year, I have also had the opportunity of serving as the Chairman of the International Board. UIM has been a significant part of my life and ministry (as well as the Missions Ministry of CrossWinds) for many years, and I am grateful for the opportunity to help support and encourage the work that God is doing among Native and Indigenous people throughout North America and around the world.

I also continue to serve with EFCA West as the Regional Catalyst for the Inland Empire. I often describe this role as being a “Pastor to Pastors.” Pastoral ministry can sometimes be a lonely calling. Pastors spend a lot of time caring for other people, but sometimes there aren't many people asking how the Pastor himself is doing! Through my role with EFCA West, I have the privilege of connecting with Pastors throughout the Inland Empire: encouraging them; listening to them; praying with them; and helping them connect with one another and with the EFCA West Staff.

I am thankful that CrossWinds allows and encourages me to serve the larger Church Body in these ways.

Finally…A Year to Be RENEWED!

Over the past few years, God has been taking us on a journey.

In 2023-24, our theme was Equipped for Service.

In 2024-25, we focused on Unity.

This past year, we asked God to Empower us by His Spirit.

And now, as we look toward 2026-27, our theme is…RENEWED! The Apostle Paul encourages us in Romans 12:2 with this command:

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

There is something about the word “renewal” that excites me. Let’s be honest: we all get tired. We get distracted. We fall into routines. Sometimes we find ourselves simply going through the motions…even spiritually.

But God is in the business of making all things new!

So, this coming year, we want to ask God to RENEW us! To renew our minds. Renew our passion for Him. Renew our love for His Word. Renew our relationships. Renew our sense of mission. And renew our desire to take the Good News of Jesus into Our Worlds! We don't want to simply keep doing what we've always done because we've always done it; we want God to TRANSFORM us, to RENEW us!

As you read through the pages of this Annual Report, I hope you will celebrate what God has done in and through CrossWinds Church this past year. But I also hope you'll look forward with anticipation to what He is going to do next.

Get ready, CrossWinds…It’s time to be RENEWED!

Enjoy the Annual Report!

Pastor Willie

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A year ago, Greg Davis was completing his second term as Elder, and we want to thank him for his faithful service. He stepped down for a break in March, at which time the Elders voted for me to serve as Chairman for the coming year. Continuing to serve as Elders are Tom Munro, Rick Streeter, and Pastor Willie Behrends.

Shepherding Through Difficult Matters

This year, the Elders and the church have had to walk through difficult matters involving church discipline. While we do not want to shy away from necessary confrontation, our desire is always restoration, with the hope of seeing a brother or sister brought to repentance.

Membership and Spiritual Growth

One of the privileges and responsibilities of the Elders is to interview those who express interest in Church Membership. This year, we interviewed new member candidates, and the church welcomed sixteen new members to CrossWinds Church.

Even more importantly, the church continues to grow spiritually and go into our worlds with the Gospel.

Ministry Faithfulness

As we think about going into our worlds, the Elders want to thank the Street Ministry volunteers for faithfully serving our community, meeting needs, and sharing the Gospel.

We also want to thank our Ministry Leaders and Life Group Leaders. Your faithfulness makes these ministries possible. Please know that we pray for you regularly, and we encourage you to let us know how we can pray for you.

Gratitude for God’s Provision

God is faithful. We have been blessed with a new playground, and improvements in that area continue. The Elders want to thank everyone who has helped with this project over the past year.

Ongoing Church Projects and Service

We also want to thank everyone who has given time and effort toward the patio project, which is now showing visible progress.

In addition, we are grateful to the Deacons and their volunteers, whose faithful work this year has helped keep the church functioning well.

Looking Ahead in Unity and Renewal

As a church, we continue to seek unity. We desire to be empowered by the Holy Spirit, knowing that our ministry is not carried out in our own strength.

We ask the Lord to continue renewing us: to keep our faith fresh; to help us see what He is doing; and to give us the desire to join Him in His work.

• If you are tired, God can renew your strength.
• If you are struggling, God can renew your heart.
• As God calls us to be set apart, He can renew our minds.

The Elders pray this for the church as we move forward together.

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We serve such a faithful God who meets all our needs and who directs our steps. The Lord’s hand has been so clear in Ministry and Leadership Development.

This year God answered a prayer request that we’ve been praying about for two years! Our Women’s Ministry has been without a leader for a long time. We left the position open trusting that God would bring the right person in the right time. After a lot of prayer and discussion, Ronaele Wolf accepted the role of the Director of Women’s Ministry in March 2026. She has a passion for helping women build their lives upon God’s Word and she has been very intentional to keep that at the forefront of her planning. She is also heavily focusing on developing female leaders so they can use their gifts to serve the Body of Christ. (She was the previous Director of Ministry and Leadership Development after all!) We are so excited about the growth and Renewed energy we are seeing in the women here at CrossWinds. Check out her annual report for all the details!

We are also so excited about our three new Deacons: Gary Davenport, Martin Gauss, and Preston Tant. They now make up a team of six Deacons who are working hard to make sure the physical needs of the ministries are met in the facilities. Their work in the kitchen this year has been particularly encouraging. (If you haven’t seen it, you should go check it out!)

This year we also had the opportunity to provide some Growth Classes to help the congregation GROW in specific areas. In the beginning of the ministry year, Rick Wolf, the Director of S.C.W.A.T., hosted a class that focused on how we can improve safety and security by being aware of our surroundings. This was a great class full of important and immediately applicable information.

This Summer we started a marriage series called “The Art of Marriage” that is being facilitated by Dan & Christy Templin and Roger & April Warren. We had 20 couples sign up for the class! It is exciting to see so many people wanting to invest in their marriages. At the end of the Summer, in August, Tanya Carcamo will be teaching a class on how to facilitate small groups. This will be such a great resource for every leader and teacher because small groups are a part of almost every ministry!

At the Staff level, we’ve been working to create, clarify, simplify, and document CrossWinds’ policies and procedures in the form of a Policies and Procedures Manual. This has been an in-progress project for many years. We are very excited to share that ministry leadership will have access to the CrossWinds’ Policies and Procedures Manual at the start of the 2026 – 2027 ministry year. We pray that this is a helpful resource to all the ministries at CrossWinds.

At the last Ministry Leadership Meeting of the year, we announced the new theme of Renewed. We asked the Ministry Leaders to pray about what Renewal could look like in their ministry in the upcoming year, which is a HUGE ask. For some ministries it may look like a Renewed passion for what they are already doing or a Renewed vision for what the ministry can be and do, or Renewed might even look like starting over, starting from scratch and trying something completely new! Whatever it looks like we are excited to walk alongside the different ministries and help them accomplish CrossWinds’ ultimate mission to Grow and Go! Be on the lookout for all our ministries at the Ministry Fair on September 6th as we kick off the year of renewal!

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Rick Arias, Director

Martha Ulmer, Treasurer

2025-2026

This year we had the honor of welcoming two new families to our supported missionaries: Jerry & Grace Pasiliao who are serving in downtown Los Angeles with the Church of Renewal (CoR,LA); and Jeff & Sonja Stewart serving in Vernon, France with La Vigne Missions. These families are no strangers to CrossWinds and are either ‘home grown’ here or have family connections. We continue to be blessed with being able to support individuals who have grown up at CrossWinds or served here in some capacity. Recently we were privileged to sponsor a ‘Secret Church’ event involving six hours of Bible study and prayer for the persecuted church in Nepal under the leadership of Jared Templin. The Missions Committee includes Martha Ulmer, Treasurer, Lorena Fast, Melissa Bither, Janet Templin-Severns, Jared Templin and Rick and Tina Arias. Together, we have hosted missionaries passing through on their own missionary journeys, stationed all over the world including the recent visits of the Pavoni family from Portugal and the Pattisons who currently serve in Texas. Operation Christmas Child continued to be successful with an all-time high number of shoebox-filled gift boxes sent overseas to needy children.

2026-2027

We hope to host another Secret church event in 2027 and will be updating our ‘Missions Wall’ in the church hallway as our list of missionaries is growing and becoming RENEWED. The Missions Committee will continue to accept long and short-term missions applications as we pray for renewed faith to share the Good News of Christ to all creation. We look forward to serving the Lord with you in 2027 because…

GOD’S HEART IS FOR THE WORLD!

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Life Groups continue to be essential to what we do at CrossWinds. At these meetings, our Church dives deep into community to Grow with Jesus and Go to our Worlds. It’s so encouraging hearing from our Life Group Leaders about the new people getting plugged into community at their Life Groups, people inviting their friends and family to their groups, before ever attending a Sunday morning service, and the real discipleship happening throughout the week. We currently have eight Life Groups spanning all walks of life.

Some Life Groups are in their retirement stage, and others are fresh out of high school, and others are everywhere in between. Whatever stage of life you are in, there is a Life Group for you. I’m excited for our Small Group Leader Training coming up on August 15th which will be great training for anyone currently leading a Life Group or interested in doing so one day. I’m looking forward to our theme of Renewal for the upcoming year and how God is going to work in our Life Groups to continue to Grow and Go.

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Once upon a time, there was a Director of Children’s Ministry, Miss Lori. She was so very blessed to have many Team Volunteers in her ministry! Her Volunteers consisted of Teachers, Helpers, Check-In and Snack Ladies. The Volunteer Prayer Time was a great way to start the Sunday Morning. Joining us, for Kids Min Prayer Time, were the Volunteers who served that day as well as Volunteers who supported Kids Min, taking ownership of the ministry they serve.

Kids Min Worship Time had brought out some way-in-the-future Worship Team members. You could see them in action on 5th Sundays in Big Church – Family Sunday.

Our Snack Time had brought out some future Prayer Warriors!

But there was something missing in her ministry. A really fun Backyard! BUT GOD...!!!

Through a generous donation, CrossWinds was able to hire a contractor (Kleen Play) to build a PLAYGROUND complete with a Play Structure, Spinner, Swings, new sand, benches and fencing. (Fun Fact: the playground contractor donated back to us the amount they would have tithed to their own church from their profit.) Kids Min was also able to partner with our very own SCWAT Ministry to provide privacy panels, which completely surrounded our “Backyard” for an extra measure of security.

Palm Sunday was our official Open House where we were able to celebrate, with our entire church family, the HUGE blessing of a safe and (really) fun play area. And the following Sunday, the Easter Egg Hunt was epic!

BUT the story did not end there.

A young man at CrossWinds decided to bless his church family with a shade structure, two more benches, and beautiful plants for the Playground Area. This donation is to get him to Eagle Scout! What an accomplishment and our church received this blessing!

As our story maps out the 2025-2026 year, we recognize that it isn’t THE END. It’s just the beginning of what God is going to do in our 2026-2027 year.

With Christ, we all live HAPPILY EVER AFTER

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This year we used the Church’s theme of “Empowered by the Holy Spirit” to plan our studies and focus for Young Adults. We opened in the Fall with the series “Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit” by Francis Chan. We dug deep into not only who the Holy Spirit is theologically but also how He moves in our lives practically and relationally. In Winter and Spring we did a lightning fast study through the book of Acts we titled “Acts of the Holy Spirit”, focusing on how the Holy Spirit moved in the early Church, and how He continues to move in the Church today. We are closing the ministry year at the Wolf’s for our summer series of sharing Testimonies. Rick Arias, Chairman of the Missions Committee, came and taught us how to share our testimonies. Every week we had young adults share their testimonies, along with special guests.

Outside the usual Friday night, we had some great opportunities for ministry. We had a great showing at the Ministry Fair with our lemonade stand where people flocked to get a cold glass of lemonade and learn more about the ministry. We also sold many copies of our first ever yearbook! One of our Young Adults, Jared Templin, worked with the Young Adults and Missions Committee to put on a Church-wide event called Secret Church. We dug deep into the life of Elijah while learning about the persecuted Church in Nepal. With the help of Sebastian Siojo and others in the Worship Team, we had two Worship Nights. At these dedicated nights of worship, we sang praise to our Lord, prayed, and had reading of Scripture.

A major part of the Young Adult ministry is building community and friendships that may last a season or a lifetime. After every break we open a new season with a fellowship night filled with fun, games, and time to get to know each other better. Young Adults love to party (in a Christian way of course), so we party often with events like Friendsgiving, Christmas Party, A Home Alone Movie Night, and a Super Bowl Party. In lieu of an annual retreat, we have been going on camping trips these last two years. This year we rented a camper made the long drive to Northern California for a Redwood Camping Trip. Huge shoutout to Taylor Dantuma for planning and basically doing everything for these trips! We also met up with TerraNova Church’s Young Adults for a (somewhat heated) Kickball Game. We have also been blessed by all the unofficial events the young adults at CrossWinds have put on including movie marathons, games nights, and various other outings.

We are so blessed by this ministry and how God is working in the Young Adults in CrossWinds. This is a ministry involving individuals going through major life transitions. This year we had engagements, marriages, babies being born, and people coming to Christ. We also have people moving on to Life Groups, moving away, and going into the mission field. As the ministry is in constant transition with people moving on and new people coming in, we are planning for a Renewed vision for Young Adults in 2026-2027 and look forward to what God has next!

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As I reflect on the past year, I’ve come to a not-so-profound realization: without God, our ministries are nothing more than impossible endeavors. I am so thankful for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Our prayers for our students was that each of them would discover that life is not meant to be lived by our own strength but through the power of the Holy Spirit. Let me tell you, God is faithful!

Despite a few challenges we faced this year, including behavior that was not christ-like between students. We continued to see God work in the lives of our students and many of them made big strides in their walk with Him.

We saw about 15 new students come through our door, and 5 of those students have become regular attendees and the others join periodically. We also welcomed Jeremiah Willadsen as a new leader this year. I am so grateful that we’ve had the opportunity to share Jesus with each of them.

I wanted to highlight a few of the series we’ve gone through. We had “Empowered” where we looked at men and women in the Bible who were filled with the Holy Spirit. Next, we had a “What and Why?” Series which challenged students to understand not only what Christians believe but why those beliefs matter. We also started a separate Bible study in the Book of James where the students are learning how to study the Bible.

Student Ministries went well beyond just meeting once a week, we were able to provide opportunities for students to build lasting relationships, dive deeper in their walk with Christ, and have biblical community. To name just a few, we partnered with neighboring ministries to do a winter camp with nearly 100 students in attendance! We had regular events throughout the year such as: a Christmas party, Battle of the Sexes, and created intentional spaces through guy hang- outs and girl hang-outs. To close this awesome year, we are hoping to close it with a bang, as we do our local mission week, serving the surrounding communities in practical ways and and hosting a citywide Youth Worship Night where we can unite with other groups to come and praise our Lord! We look forward to what God has in store this next year.

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The Brotherhood Pantry continues to provide much needed nonperishable food and hygiene items for our church family who may need a little extra assistance from time to time. Additionally, our church family members and local community friends, who can donate, have done so very generously over the years (Acts 2:42-47).

Those who are on site at the church during the week have been especially helpful with our “First Fruits” donation advertising (Exodus 23:16-19) and managing the contents for us - Thomas Sperschneider and Maya Benishek. This year, in particular, we have received periodic giving from our benevolent congregation – including a variety of ethnic foods - which has continued to enable us to provide foods to our church family in times of need. We are thrilled that God has empowered The Brotherhood Pantry to carry on its mission and continue to assist those in need. We look forward to the renewal of our commitment to do the Lord’s will through the Brotherhood Pantry.

CrossWinds Brotherhood Pantry Donations • On the first Sunday of each month: “First Fruits Sunday” - Exodus 23:16-19 • Please donate unexpired canned/sealed non-perishable food and hygiene items to our CWC Brotherhood Pantry First Fruits Donation Basket. - Thank you!

Our cabinet storage for the CWC Brotherhood Pantry is located in room 4 along with our rolling donation basket and “First Fruits Sunday Supply” shelf that we roll out on the first Sunday of each month to make this always accessible ministry more visible to our church family. The Brotherhood Pantry contents may be obtained as needed on Sundays, and during the week as well by checking in with Thomas, our church Office Manager.

CrossWinds Brotherhood Pantry • Is your budget a little tight this month? • In need of a little help with filling your kitchen and/or bathroom cupboards? • Do you or your neighbor need a few items for dinner? If so – please take what you need from our CWC Brotherhood Pantry located in room 4. • Bags are clipped on the rolling shelf or at the bottom of the cabinet for you to use. • The CrossWinds Church family is happy to share God’s love and provision with you!

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What an incredible year it has been at the Cornerstone Café! Beyond serving great coffee, our mission has always been to create a welcoming, efficient space for community, connection, and conversation. Thanks to our dedicated team and church family, this year brought exciting growth, fresh upgrades, and lots of shared moments.

Last year, we focused heavily on improving our craft, our equipment, and the overall cafe environment this year:

• Fall: I attended Coffee Fest in Los Angeles with my wife Rachel, who works professionally in craft coffee, gaining valuable industry insights on operations, hospitality, and how to effectively run a thriving cafe space.
• Winter: We invested in quality by purchasing and installing a brand-new coffee grinder, ensuring a fresher, more consistent brew for every cup.
• Spring: We tackled acoustics by adding noise-managing panels to the walls, creating a more comfortable atmosphere for conversation. We also upgraded our Point-of-Sale (POS) system to make ordering smoother and faster.

Every drink served represents an opportunity for connection. Here is a look at our reach and growth as of June 30:

• 1,300+ Total drinks and pastries sold
• 6 First-time guests warmly welcomed into our space
• 4 Incredible new volunteers onboarded to our café team

As we step into the next year, we are focused on continuing to elevate the Cornerstone Café experience. Upcoming goals include:

• Enhanced Sound Comfort: Adding more noise-managing features to keep the café a great place for connections.
• Workflow Efficiency: Implementing practical, behind-the-counter improvements to help our volunteers serve you better and faster.
• Visual Refresh: Introducing aesthetic improvements to make the space even more inviting and warm.
• Simplified Communications: Migrate to a centralized platform (Teams) as well as utilizing Breeze for team scheduling.

A Huge Thank You! To our amazing volunteers who give their time each week, and to everyone who stops by for a drink—thank you for making the Cornerstone Café a place for connections. We can't wait to serve you in the year ahead!

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March 2026, I stepped in as Director of Women’s Ministry. It’s been a great time seeking the Lord to develop a New Women’s Ministry Leadership team. Laura Nader leads Ladies Bible Study. Koleen Medina leads Events and Publishing. Linda Munro leads The Prayer Team. Ruby Rowden Co-Leads Events and Leadership Pathway. I, Ronaele Wolf, lead the Leadership Team, Leadership Pathway and continue to develop ministry and leaders that meet our values, mission and vision for the Women’s Ministry at CrossWinds.

Starting Out! Our first event focused on Living as a New Creation. A fun Fashion Show promoting, putting off the old and putting on the new. 2 Corinthians 5:17. We have tackled BYOBF (Bring Your Own Bible and Food) topics, while learning inductive study techniques. Our Mission is, that every woman would know Jesus personally, mature in their walk with Him and reach those God has brought into our lives, all the while having some fun!

In the Works! We have many ideas and continue to pray about which ones are most effective for our Mission. December 5th, we have a Christmas event planned. There is an early spring Paint night in the works and the beginnings of a One-Day Conference. There are many opportunities to build community and grow spiritually through Ladies Bible Study, Mamas + Grace and Life Groups that are already on the calendar. Other activities are being planned, and we welcome your ideas to add to the mix. Leadership Pathway is on the calendar and will be a Beta program. I welcome you to join me in this endeavor. Sign up and see what God is doing to develop our Women for Leadership!

Future planning: I’m seeking to develop other areas on the Leadership Team. I would love to see a Missions Leader plus a Care Team Leader. We hope to connect with and work alongside our local Women’s Health Clinic as well as develop other Mission opportunities along with BABR. The Care Team would manage the Meal Train, visitation for the sick, housebound and follow up on specific needs among our women. Other leadership opportunities will be added as we see God leading us there.

Mamas + Grace (the official name), meets the second Saturday of each month. This group of moms with ‘littles’ finds community, encouragement and spiritual growth through a time of study, crafting, eating together and prayer times. The ministry is growing and the childcare needs are multiplying. As we invite moms to be encouraged, we also invite others to serve as Childcare workers. This is a group that if you’re in a life stage ahead of these new moms, you’re welcome to join them and be a mentor in the motherhood journey. Please contact our amazing leaders, Alyssa Medina and Maya Benishek, for more information.

Ladies Bible Study, led by Laura Nader, recently finished a study of the Book of Acts. Around 50 ladies attended, including some who are new to CrossWinds. We enjoyed wonderful fellowship as we worked together to study God’s Word and gained strong encouragement from the stories of the early followers of Jesus and how the Holy Spirit worked in their lives. Plan to join us for a study of the Book of Psalms starting September 9th. All ladies are welcome! We meet both Tuesday nights and Wednesday mornings.

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Our First Service Worship Team blends their voices in song as we lead our people in joyful praise of our God through singing hymns of the faith during the Traditional Hymn Service and online. The Worship Team provides thematic support for each Sunday’s messages, as well as Holiday themes.

We have a faithful, dedicated team of Melissa Bither, Becky Smith, Lorena Fast, Millie Trujillo, Robin Davenport, Gary Davenport, and Pastor Willie Behrends that minister each week, and we are grateful for each person.

We are especially grateful for Jackie Behrends and Jan McCamly on Piano.

The Tech Team continues to create amazing projection screens for us and cues them up, enhancing our worship experience as well as creating and syncing the words for those on stage on the rear wall. Additional thanks to the Tech Crew for balancing and enhancing the sound projection for those in the audience.

We are thankful for the faithfulness and dedication of those involved as we seek to lead our congregation to a meaningful and fulfilling time of worship each Sunday.

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Ministry Milestones

Looking back on this past year, I can’t help but smile at everything God has done in our worship ministry. It’s amazing to see how much can happen when we simply say “yes” to Him and faithfully keep moving forward. One of the biggest milestones was finally completing our worship room. From the painting and decorating to God providing the tile at no cost, every piece came together as a reminder that He truly provides for His people. More than finishing a room, we created a place where our team can gather, grow, pray, laugh, rehearse, and prepare our hearts before leading others into worship.

Leadership Growth

This year also stretched me as a leader. God taught me that having difficult conversations isn’t something to fear, but an opportunity to love people well. Some of the hardest moments became some of the most rewarding because they opened the door to deeper relationships, greater trust, and a stronger, healthier team.

Team Growth and Development

One of my greatest joys this year has been watching our worship family grow closer together. Through our worship workshops, vocal workshops, and team gatherings, we’ve become more than people who simply sing and play music together—we’ve become a family. Communication has improved, friendships have deepened, and our unity both spiritually and musically has grown tremendously.

We also introduced several new tools to help strengthen the ministry, including our Song Sharing Box, additional resources within our worship ministry app, and our weekly Sunday Set Lists to help everyone stay connected and prepared. We celebrated the completion of our third worship album, “Jesus: The Reason We Sing”, welcomed new musicians and vocalists to the team, and had the privilege of serving alongside guest musicians during several special events. Seeing everything come together during our Christmas concert was such a rewarding moment and a beautiful reminder that when everyone serves with one heart and one purpose, God is glorified.

Looking Ahead:

As we enter this new year with the theme Renewed, my heart is full of expectation. I don’t just want us to sing new songs—I want God to renew our hearts. I pray He renews our passion for worship, renews our love for one another, renews our commitment to serve with excellence and humility, and renews our vision for what He wants to do through this ministry.

I truly believe the Lord is still writing our story, and I can’t wait to see where He leads us next. I’m incredibly thankful for ever person who serves so faithfully, and I’m excited to continue growing together as we pursue Jesus with everything we have. If this past year has taught me anything, it’s that God is never finished with us. He’s always renewing, always growing, and always inviting us into something greater—and I can’t wait to see what this next chapter holds. Above all, I am deeply grateful for the privilege of serving alongside this team and witnessing God’s faithfulness in every step of the journey. God is good, all the time, and all the time….

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Worship Production has had a good year. We added Ken and Ana Alford to the team and they have jumped in with both feet and are doing their jobs admirably.

As we have been working with Damon (our church tech guy), we have been noticing that some of our software subscriptions can be combined, allowing us to save some money on licensing. We look forward to making more efficiency changes in the coming year. We will also be looking into some new technologies to replace our current practices, but most of those changes will be behind the scenes and will go mostly unnoticed.

We have ended our year in the black, financially.

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The Deacons had a crazy year! We started as 3. Richard, Jon and I (Phil) thought we were Dutch - plugging holes constantly at CrossWinds!

September through December 2025, we were able to complete 16 total repairs and projects. They were a mix of electrical, plumbing and some safety items. Our God is faithful and provided 3 candidates. In February, our membership approved the addition of Martin Gauss, Preston Tant, and Gary Davenport to the Deacon Ministry, and we are grateful.

As with all water holding devices, the remainder of the year did not disappoint! Since March, the Deacons have removed a couple of trees that were falling in the parking lot, completed several project items including installing casters on the kitchen racks to aid in cleaning the floors. We added electricity so we could relocate the freezer and refrigerator to allow for easier access. We also removed the dishwasher to make a spot for the incoming new ice maker.

One recent big item was a leak in the water pipe next to the men’s room. You may have noticed the plastic covering the hole! Anyway, we are getting that repaired as well.

In total, since January, we have addressed 13 items of various severity. Included in those items was the preventive maintenance on our HVAC units - one PM in November and one in May. Also, we have contracted with a company to clean the carpets in November in preparation for the Christmas season and again in March in preparation for the Easter celebration!

All in all - a busy time to be sure!

Beginning with the new fiscal year on September 1, Richard Dahlquist will be assuming the duties of Head Deacon. I will still be on the Deacon Council; I will be helping with organizing and expanding our Clik-Maint software program.

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The Street Ministry team continues to grow. We have several new team members. The team members are outreach driven and have a passion for what we do. Some of the team has had health and life struggles this year that have prevented them from coming out to the streets at various times. We miss them and look forward to when they can join us again. The team is like a family and are there for each other.

Street Ministry is an outreach driven ministry that has also supported other ministries at CrossWinds, in outreach events this year. We sponsored 5 men to attend Men's Retreat in September. We sponsored 5 women to attend Women's Retreat in March.

The ministry provided hoodies to several residents at Manzanita Assisted Senior Living who were in need. Many of the people did not have any warm clothes. They were very grateful to receive them.

Street Ministry continues to do what the Bible tells us in Matthew 25:35-36. We pray for, feed, and clothe the people. Most importantly we share the Gospel with them. We have been blessed to lead several people to Christ on the streets of Moreno Valley. That is why we do what we do.

It takes many hands for this ministry to operate. We have behind the scenes people who purchase items and prepare snack bags. We also have someone who purchases items and prepares hygiene bags.

Thank you for your prayers and donations. We really appreciate it. You are making a difference.

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Strategic CrossWinds Advisory Team (SCWAT) is the face of safety and security for the campus of CrossWinds Church Moreno Valley. Our team consists of the following individuals: Rick Wolf, Rick Streeter, Tim Wiseman, Aloysius Torres, Nick Kelly, and Casey Medina. You may recognize us by the shirts we wear that tell you who we are. 😊

It has been an eventful year to date. The state of California has not been gentle nor discreet in their assault on the Church universal. Between California Penal Code 26230 and Senate Bill 1454, the church has been assailed with new laws that limit the ability to protect itself from those that would cause harm to the physical body as well as the property we sit on. We are doing what we can to stay aware of those new laws, how they affect us, threat levels that could betray us, and the like.

On Sunday, February 15th, at approximately 10:15 in the morning, our team noticed a sedan pulling south on the dirt road extension parallel to the flood canal to the east of the property. We maintain a drone for the purpose of prevention and observation. The team placed the drone into action and flew to the southeast corner of our property to observe the vehicle and its inhabitants. What transpired was two occupants that left the vehicle and set up a tripod near their vehicle and soon mounted what appeared to be a rifle with scope onto the tripod. They were observed aiming toward the west bound 60 freeway traffic and then towards the southeast rear quadrant of CrossWinds Church.

Immediately, a call was placed to 9-1-1 dispatch, and eight sheriff units and a helicopter were dispatched. Subsequently, the vehicle was stopped upon their attempt to exit the property. The investigation concluded that the firearm in question was an airsoft rifle and that they were simply “hunting rabbits and squirrels”. When we realized there was no immediate danger to the church, a decision was made along with Children’s Ministry to maintain existing control and not permit children onto the playground.

We also made the decision to not lockdown the facility as we had “eyes in the sky” of the event, and police soon had control over the situation. However, what this did was to bring us into an understanding that this could easily have been a practice run to check on how a small, rural church would respond in the event of a potential active assault.

As a result, we have begun discussions with Staff, Elders, and Deacons to facilitate an active secure lockdown mechanism for the kid’s wing, nursery, and worship center. We have begun implementing an electro-magnetic locking system, as a test, in the nursery area. Instead of the Barracuda Bars, our hope is that by the “flip of a switch”, our church will have an additional layer of security from those that would wish to breach our doors.

Everyday, we get emails stating the level of threat that the church is vulnerable to. Threats from those on the outside with religious or philosophical differences, Christian belief hatred, etc. With the antisemitism, the war in Iran, contrary ideologies, and misguided/evil concepts on the rise, we wish to be cognizant of every possible action that could be used against the church. The threats that we see in our mailings also include those from within the church body. So many in trusted, leadership roles, having to step down due to their physical, emotional, and/or sexual assault on others within their congregation. They are “wolves in sheep’s clothing”. They walk about in broad daylight under the guise of God as they practice evil. With this, God is Sovereign and His ways beyond finding out. We encourage you with “see something, say something”. Always be vigilant, practice situational awareness, love others, behave wisely!

Please continue to bear with us as we navigate new laws and consider best practices. As I often state, safety is necessary but not necessarily convenient. Our team is grateful for the support and prayer we receive from you all.

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It has been quite a year for our intrepid technology team. We climbed ladders into mysterious attics, discovered equipment tucked away in places no explorer should ever enter alone, escaped crashing computers, dodged the darts of security updates, and barely outran the giant rolling boulder of end-of-life hardware—not bad for a Friday afternoon. 

Along the way, we uncovered aging network relics sharing space with a water heater, cables that seemed to disappear into walls without ever reaching their destination, and internet connections that ranged from painfully slow to completely mythical. To survive the trek, we acquired a new equipment rack, cleared years of stored props and obsolete technology from the prop room and outdoor storage bins, and began creating a safer, more organized home for the systems that support CrossWinds. We also tamed our Sunday streaming challenges, upgraded staff computers and the Quad, refreshed the Café iPad, reviewed Software as a Service expenses, and developed better processes for moving files from old computers to new ones without losing the digital equivalant of a sacred artifact.

The expedition also expanded well beyond physical cables and gear. More than 50 staff members, leaders, and volunteers were added to Microsoft Teams, giving ministries a shared basecamp to communicate, collaborate, and share vital information. Computers are being kept current with security updates, staff are being encouraged to lock their screens when stepping away from their desks, and stronger individual sign-in practices are gradually replacing the shared-password booby traps of the past.

The map for our next chapter is already taking shape. We will continue improving the cable infrastructure so campus communication is faster and more reliable, strengthen wireless coverage across campus, develop business continuity and disaster recovery plans, and work alongside ministries to explore how technology and AI can support their mission. There may still be a few deep ravines to swing across and surprises hidden around the next corner, but we are entering the new year with sharper tools, a clearer map, and far fewer rolling boulders.

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It is with a great deal of excitement that I bring this Annual Report to the congregation at CrossWinds Church regarding this past year’s events and accomplishments. The team I have assembled to plan and implement our Men’s activities and events is made up of some of the best Men of God I have had the pleasure to serve with, these include:

• Charlie Painter – Asst. to the Director of Men’s Ministry
• Daniel Valdes – Team Member
• Chris Johnson – Team Member
• Peter Bither – Team Member
• Pastor Willie Behrends – Advisory Team Member

It is with great appreciation that I recognize their input, effort, and commitment to serve. Without these men we would not be having the awesome Men’s Retreat Being planned for October 16 - 18 this year. All of the “guys” put forth a great deal of effort to put together all of the materials and making arrangements to make this year’s retreat a huge success. The theme for this year’s retreat is “Discipleship”, it is based on Matt 28:18-28. We will be developing the program in line with the past three years’ themes that have focused on our growth in Christ and application of God’s Word to our everyday walk with Him. With the warnings that Jesus gave in Matthew 24 being evident before our very eyes, it is absolutely necessary for Christian men to be clothed in the “Armor of God” to effectively pursue the call of God to lead our families through the hazards and snares of the “enemy” to a fruitful and victorious Christian life. Though plans are well underway for our 2026 Men’s Retreat, we ask you to join us in Prayer, asking God to lead us in our thoughts and efforts as He guides the Men’s “Posse” to produce the most spiritually effectual program for our 2026 Retreat.

Additional events we have enjoyed so far this year. One was focused on our “conversation” among Brothers. We have another Men’s Breakfast coming up on August 1st at the Church. Look for sign up table in the Lobby, coming soon.

Our Saturday morning Men’s Bible Study has been attended by anywhere from 8 to 18 men. June 21st, we finished our journey through the Book of Zechariah. We are currently considering “The Truth Project”, as our next project for our Saturday Morning theme. We are currently in chapter 5 in the Book of Daniel in the Tuesday evening Men’s study, led by Chris Johnson

Since Chris Johnson took over the Tuesday evening Men’s Bible Study, he has led our group through Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians, and the letter James wrote to the Church. We are currently going through Daniel. Chris’s Q&A style for Tuesday’s study moved me to change from an academic style to an interactive format, the participation has been exciting.

As the Men’s Ministry Director, I am truly Blessed to see God moving on men’s hearts to become actively involved in the lives of the men at CWCMV. Taking the gifts and talents God has given them and investing them in “The Kingdom”.

The Men’s Ministry team meets in monthly “skull-sessions” (“brainstorming” for those 50 and under). Our collective desire is to find ways to include ALL the men at CWCMV in fellowship, worship and most importantly, helping them come to know and Love Christ on a deeper more intimate level. By the way, all Men’s Ministry activities are open to all men 18 and older.

Mission Statement: To provide a place for men at CWCMV to connect with and encourage one another. To develop friendships in Christ that open doors of accountability and discipleship, helping one another stay on the path, following Jesus…. all the way Home.

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This past year has been a season of transitions, modernization, and renewal for the CrossWinds Church office. From re-launching a foundational digital platform to navigating a return to full-time in-office presence, the administrative engine of our church has focused on one primary goal: creating seamless, reliable pathways for our congregation to connect with God and each other.

Fall: We successfully migrated and launched our brand-new custom church mobile app alongside a new digital giving platform. This massive undertaking has simplified generosity and centralized communication for our church family. Damon approved the purchase of a new MacBook for me. This upgrade was a game changer, providing the processing power and reliability needed to manage heavy digital and administrative tasks.

Winter: We formally introduced the Sunday Preview—a weekly, video teaser of Sunday’s upcoming message shared across Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. This has significantly boosted our online presence and prepares our church community’s hearts for worship mid-week.

Spring: I Transitioned back into the church office full-time. This season marked a new personal chapter, as I began welcoming my 1.5-year-old son, Jackson, into the office with me for parts of the day. Balancing office duties while raising the next generation in the halls of the church has been a challange, absolute joy and a testament to our staff’s family culture.

Summer: Completely overhauled two primary digital touch points — the weekly email bulletin — making it cleaner and more scannable. Refreshed the Sunday morning announcement slides to ensure visual clarity, modern aesthetics, and a cohesive look.

Administering the day-to-day details of God's House is a profound privilege. I am deeply grateful to our leadership, our volunteers, and my church family for a year of immense grace, growth, and forward momentum.

The best is yet to come!

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Through the sale of SCRIP Gift Cards, we have been able to provide extra support to ministries at CrossWinds. Did you ask what kind of cards we have? Well, that’s a good question. We have VISA Gift Cards, Retail Stores, Gas Stations, Fast Food and Sit-Down Restaurants. A great selection!

How SCRIP works: You purchase a Gift Card (example Old Navy) for $100. RaiseRight charges us $86 for the card. You spend $100 and CrossWinds gets $14 rebate.

Each retailer offers a different percentage for their cards. It adds up – especially when we all join in to purchase Gift Cards for everyday use or for gifts.

There are a few ways to purchase / order cards: You can purchase cards in the church office during business hours. We take cash and checks only. You can see me in Kids Min with an order – written down please. Also, you can go online; create an account; join our organization (CrossWinds Church); order your cards; pay through your debit/credit card or pay with check or cash when you pick them up at the office. The benefit of online ordering is the selection is much greater than what we normally carry in the office. When you order online, delivery will be at the church office. If you order online, please order by Sunday evening and it will be included in the Monday order.

www.raiseright.com
CrossWinds Church SCRIP Account Enrollment Code
25E33F4815489

Thank you for supporting SCRIP!

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Members Added in 2025-2026

Members Removed in 2025-2026

Total Members August 2025 to August 2026: 187

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What a roller coaster of a year it has been! From the previous year we decreased our budget by roughly $30,000. We did so because the previous year’s budget was far too ambitious and giving has slowed in the last couple of years, or I should say giving to the General Fund. The 2025-2026 budget was more realistic and I’m excited to say at the time of writing this, that we are projected to be above budget by $30 for the whole year, you can’t get much more precise that that for a $560,000 budget! With that said, General Giving is up by 3% from last year, which is great, but expected. Where we have been uniquely blessed is in our Designated Giving, which is up from the previous year by $120,000! With this we were able to completely renovate the playground with a new play structure, toys, security panels, and benches, creating a much nicerenvironment for our kids and families. Total giving has increased by over $140,000 from last year! What a blessing it is to have such faithful and generous givers here at CrossWinds! As we look forward to the next year of Renewal, we are increasing this year’s budget by 2%. Many ministries are receiving funding consistently from designated giving and do not need an increase in the budget. This is great, but please give your tithes and offerings to the General Fund to support the entire mission of CrossWinds Church, and with your “above and beyond” bless a ministry with what God has entrusted to you. Thank you for your faithful giving to the advancement of His Kingdom, and I look forward to what God has planned for the faithful stewardship of our giving.

Giving Totals | 2025-2026
(as of July 12, 2026)

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