A Letter From Our Pastors

PRAYER SCHEDULE

Prayer Points

• Pray for their kids to continue to grow in the Lord.

• Pray for their marriage and that Jay and Carissa will grow closer together through many trying times.

• Pray for their business that they run as part of their visa platform.

• Pray that they are able to receive the visas they need for themselves and their teammate

• Pray that they are able to use their business platform to share the Gospel and create lasting relationships that lead to salvations.

• Pray for the church that they attend (and the churches in their country) - that they would not be fearful of reaching out and sharing to those that are outside of their church walls.

• Pray for Jay and Carissa as they cast vision, teach evangelism, and help lead within the church.

• Pray that local believers will catch the vision and join in to see the unreached come to know Christ.

Southeast Asia

Twenty years ago, the B family was commissioned by Cross Church to bring the gospel to two unreached and unengaged Buddhist hill tribes in Southeast Asia. By God’s grace, some individuals from these tribes have come to faith in Jesus and are now boldly sharing their testimonies with friends and neighbors. A few are even now in heaven, a part of the great multitude worshipping around the throne.

Remarkably, one believer from the D people group has recently completed a translation of the New Testament into the D language and we are excited to see how God will use it to impact generations. Many in the T and D villages remain resistant to the gospel. Some who show interest hesitate to publicly profess Christ due to fear of persecution. Political instability has also made access to these villages difficult. Still, God is at work. He is softening hearts, sending laborers into the harvest, and nurturing seeds that have been planted. Even in the face of adversity, the light of Christ continues to shine in these remote places.

Prayer Points

• Pray that God would renew the B family day by day to reflect his glory in an increasingly difficult country.

• Pray for the B family’s son as he makes a transition to his freshman year of college and living in the US for the first time.

• Praise the Lord for Miss Oo’s father’s salvation! Pray for Miss Oo, her father, and other believers to not grow weary or lose heart as they share the gospel among their own people. 

• Ask the Lord of the Harvest to send more workers into this challenging harvest field. 

• Pray for mission partners “Marshall and Elizabeth” as their family prepares for a possible move to K-Town within the next year. Pray the Lord would open the right doors in his perfect timing and help them remain faithful and obedient throughout the process.

NEW MEXICO

Higher Ground Baptist Church in Farmington, New Mexico was planted in 2018 and is led by Pastor Josh Valdez. Their outreach focuses on the Navajo (27%) and Hispanic (25%) populations of the area. This region is highly influenced by Navajo spirituality and customs. Many in the community are unfamiliar with the gospel and there is a desperate need for them to know the truth of God’s love through the sacrifice of Jesus. Pastor Valdez is native to this area and is passionate to see his community transformed by the gospel. For the past four years, Cross Church has sent leaders and students to evangelize and teach Bible studies during spring break. We have been able to witness the fruit of our efforts as some have joined community events that connect them with the church body.

This year Jane was born into the Valdez family, and Val has returned to work as a nurse on the Navajo reservation. The church is growing! Several new people have formally joined. Mature Christians, new believers, and inquirers have come. They continue to send a group to a pastorless church on the reservation in Arizona once per month to fill the pulpit. 

Prayer Points

• Pray for wisdom, unity, and faithfulness as our church begins the two-year process of educating and training elders and deacons.

• Pray that God would raise up qualified, godly leaders who will shepherd and serve the church well.

• Pray for our monthly ministry teams serving at Navajo Bible Church in Fort Defiance, AZ, that their ministry would bear fruit and encourage the local church.

• Pray for our Fall outreach at Mesa Mobile Home Park, that the Lord would prepare hearts to hear the Gospel and provide opportunities for meaningful connections.

• Pray that all our outreach efforts would lead people to Christ and help build lasting relationships within the community.

Portugal

We are grateful for how God is working in Northern Portugal. Since 2022, we have gathered with believers in Carvalhos, and in 2024, the Lord provided a dedicated space for our church plant, where we recently celebrated our first Lord’s Supper. We are also encouraged by A and M, a family who fled persecution in Iran and continue to boldly share the Gospel across countries, seeing many come to faith and be baptized. As our four children begin another school year, we are praying for their spiritual growth and witness. We are thankful for your prayers as we seek to strengthen the local church, disciple believers, and make Christ known.

Prayer Points

• Pray for the Carvalhos congregation to grow in God’s Word, for healthy leaders to develop, and for wisdom as the church moves toward greater autonomy.

• Pray for A and M as Jacob leads them through doctrinal studies, that they would grow in their understanding of Scripture and be strengthened in their faith.

• Pray for A and M’s daughter to thrive in her new school and for their family to find support and community.

• Pray for their cross-country ministry, that the Gospel would continue to spread and many more would come to faith in Christ.

• Pray for our four children to “test everything and hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21), shining Christ’s light in their classrooms and communities.

• Pray for our boys’ salvation and our girls’ continued sanctification, and for wisdom as we disciple them as a family.

utah

Josh Gardner is the Lead Planter and Pastor of Salt City Church in Utah. Originally from DFW, he and his wife, Rachel, moved to Utah in 2019 and welcomed their daughter, Lucy, in 2025. Josh holds a Master of Theological Studies from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and has over a decade of ministry experience.

Discipleship and Evangelism: Salt City Church equips believers to share the gospel with their LDS neighbors through loving relationships, honest conversations, and biblical truth.

Discipleship at Salt City Church: The church seeks to help people know God personally, grow in His Word, follow Jesus, and make disciples.

Prayer Points

• Pray for people in Davis County, Utah, to come to know Jesus and follow Him.

• Pray for disciples to grow in faith and disciple others in every area of life.

• Pray for effective gospel outreach in North Salt Lake and Woods Cross.

• Pray for Salt City Church to faithfully join in God’s work and advance His Kingdom.

India (MACK & DOTTIE) 

Gospel Harvesters International (GHI), under the leadership of Mack and Dottie Kearney, has just completed thirty-six years of planting churches, caring for orphans, and training young men and women for the gospel ministry in South India. The five-acre campus houses Harvesters Theological College and Seminary, The Father's Home Orphanage, and is also the church planting center for twelve pastors and evangelists and their wives. GHI now has over 120 Indian nationals who are giving leadership and support for this three-fold ministry that is supported in part by Cross Church.

Prayer Points

• Pray for Mack and Dottie as they pour out their lives giving leadership and encouragement.

• Pray for boldness and protection for the GHI pastors, evangelists, church families, lecturers and students as they share the gospel daily.

• Pray for the people of India to be illuminated by the gospel of light and to be freed from the power of Satan (Acts 26:18).                                                                                                                                                                               

• Pray for the GHI donor base to increase in order to support more than 120 people involved in this ministry.

• Pray for the safety of all Christians in India who are being persecuted by the radical Hindu government.

• Pray for over 150 house churches to grow in grace and flourish.   

INDIA (BOWERS)

After spending two months in the States, our family has returned to our field of service in the Middle East, and our children have settled into a new school rhythm. We are grateful for the continued prayers and support of Cross Church as we serve in the UAE and reach out to South Asian communities. Amid ongoing regional conflict and the challenges facing our communities, we are seeking opportunities to share the hope of Christ through disaster relief, community development, healthcare projects, and ministry in a local correctional institution. We also ask for prayer for our eldest son as he begins his first year at Baylor University and for us as parents as we support him from a distance.

PRAYER POINTS

• Pray for peace and resolution amid the ongoing conflict near the Strait, and for divine opportunities to share Christ’s truth and hope with those affected.

• Pray for Paul as he serves in flood relief and disaster recovery efforts in Nepal, and for our involvement in South Asian disaster relief, community development, and healthcare projects to strengthen Kingdom work.

• Pray for our eldest son as he begins university at Baylor, that he would find a Christ-centered community and continue growing in his personal faith. Pray for us as parents to support and encourage him from a distance.

• Pray for continued opportunities to serve in the local correctional institution, including Monica’s Bible teaching and the possibility of Paul providing gardening training for inmates.

• Pray for boldness to share God’s Word, favor with local authorities, and divine appointments that open doors for the Gospel throughout our ministry.

• Pray for our family as we settle back into life and ministry overseas, that the Lord would strengthen us and help us remain faithful in every season.

NAMB

The North American Mission Board (NAMB) exists to assist churches in being the hands and feet of Jesus by strengthening and resourcing active churches and planting new churches. They offer courses in strengthening your community, responding to a crisis, getting involved in foster care, fighting human trafficking, and caring for refugees. NAMB has developed evangelism training and tools and serves as a great resource for youth and young adult ministries. They are a catalyst for starting new churches and replanting old churches. They train and support chaplains in the medical and military field, and help to connect churches to mission opportunities in North America. Our church gives over $200,000 a year to the Southern Baptist Cooperative Program to support missions and theological education, with 22.79% of each dollar going directly to NAMB.

Prayer Points

• Pray for church planters to be called out to start new churches to reach the millions of unreached people in North America.

• Pray for the efforts of Send Relief, the human needs arm of both NAMB and IMB (International Mission Board), to meet the needs of those hurting around our nation and around the world.

IMB 

In 2024, International Mission Board (IMB) missionaries shared the gospel with over 1,600,000 people, leading to close to 145,000 new believers and 282,692 individuals being discipled. Cross Church partners with over 3,500 IMB missionaries worldwide by contributing to the Southern Baptist Cooperative Program. Because of your tithes and offerings to Cross Church last year, $200,000 was given to the Cooperative Program out of the operating budget, and $100,000 to Lottie Moon through Love Extended. A significant portion of this funding supports the salaries, healthcare, retirement, and education of missionary families, enabling them to focus on reaching people, rather than spending time fundraising. Your giving is essential to this important work.

Prayer Points

• Pray for IMB missionaries in challenging security situations to be protected and able to finish their task in each location.

• Pray that more and more of the unreached will hear the gospel as community outreach through the internet and social media joins the gospel conversation with the marketplace of ideas.