We welcome the opportunity to invest in this commitment and your upcoming marriage. It is our desire as a church to equip couples for a marriage that will be a life-long commitment and covenant before God. In order to do that we have set up some specific guidelines listed below.
Contact Hannah Mattson with questions at hannah@ccmonline.org
Note: Please read this entire page very carefully.
Requirements to Be Married at Crossroads Church or by One of Our Pastors
- Must be a current and active partner of Crossroads Church and Ministries (CCM).
- All marriages held at Crossroads Church are officiated by one of our Crossroads pastors. The bride and groom will meet with the pastors performing the ceremony (this may or may not be Pastor Scott or Pastor Clare) to discuss wedding plans and details of the questionnaires. Crossroads Church will reserve the right to refuse to officiate a ceremony at the pastor’s discretion. In addition, the pastoral staff of Crossroads has determined the following qualifications, based on Biblical truths:
- Bride and groom must individually confess a personal commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. CCM will not marry unbelievers, or join an unbeliever to a believer in marriage (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). God’s Word is clear about spiritual compatibility between marriage partners.
- Bride and groom must abstain from physical intimacy or living together. Sex is a gift from God. He is the one who created it! Therefore, we must follow God’s directions alone regarding our sexuality. The Bible gives us clear instructions for sex within the parameters of the marriage relationship (2 Corinthians 6:3) God’s Word also gives us clear warnings and consequences when sex is used outside of the marriage. While many of those who come to Crossroads Church and Ministries are honoring God through abstaining from sexual intimacy, there are many who do not fall into this category. Couples who are physically intimate or are living together are asked to move apart and covenant with CCM to abstain from their sexual relationship until their wedding day. We would like the opportunity to encourage you to make this commitment with us, understanding that this is God’s best for your marriage relationship. A copy of that covenant is attached.
- Either the bride or groom is required to be a partner in good standing at Crossroads Church and Ministries. Either the bride or the groom is required to have completed Experience Crossroads and be set in as a partner of CCM. Further, to be a partner in good standing, the bride or groom must tithe and be actively involved in a ministry of Crossroads Church and Ministries.
- Bride and groom must complete the recommended pre-marital curriculum. The officiating pastors will recommend a pre-marital curriculum. It may be Saving Your Marriage Before it Starts, or another guide for the bride and groom to use. The curriculum takes 6-8 weeks to complete. After completion, a meeting with the officiating pastors will be set up to help with areas of conflict and areas of strength that surfaced during the readings. Our pastors are also available for help anytime during the pre-marital process.
The cost of any pre-martial curriculum used by the officiating pastors is the responsibility of the couple. Some subjects include marital roles and responsibilities; skills for communicating and resolving conflicts; realistic management of finances; your sexual relationship; your family of origin; and much more! - Weddings must be scheduled a minimum of 6 months prior to the wedding date. The deadline for turning in your forms is 6 months before your wedding.
Our pastoral staff is available for weddings not held at CCM. You do, however, have to complete the process, including the forms, as required. The Service Coordinator and Clergy Fees will still apply. Videography and sound equipment are not available for ceremonies not held at CCM.
How to Begin the Process
- Complete the Wedding Request Form*.
- Upon completion, our Weddings Director will get in touch with you to gather additional information specific to your wedding.
- Please plan for 2-3 weeks to complete forms and allow our staff time to process them.
- *If your ceremony is not local to the Calhoun County, MI area we will need to discuss whether or not it is possible to accommodate that with the pastors who will be officiating your wedding.
- When processing is complete, we will inform you of the following information.
- Confirmation of the date
- Facility availability
- How to obtain the required books
- When you will meet with the officiating pastors
Typical Timeline
- 6-12 months prior – Bride/Groom contact the church office and forms are sent to Bride/Groom
- 6 months prior – Forms are returned to the church office
- 2-4 weeks later – Confirmation call to Bride/Groom
- 2-3 months prior – 1st meeting with officiating pastors
- 8 weeks prior – Ceremony template sent to Bride/Groom
- 6 weeks prior – Meet with Wedding Coordinator to discuss the ceremony, technical information, fees, etc.
- 1 month prior – Final meeting with officiating pastors – required books should be completed by this time
- 2 weeks prior – Final meeting with Wedding Coordinator to finalize ceremony plans. Fees are collected at this time.
Cost
We will answer specific questions about our available facilities and the associated costs once you have returned the completed forms. Prices for the facility and related costs will range from $400 to $600 (facility fees are waived for tithing partners). Specific costs are listed below.
- Facility Fee – $450*
- Cleaning – $50
- Sound/Lighting – $100
- Videography – $200
- Wedding Coordinator – $100 (includes 2 meetings, rehearsal and ceremony)
- Clergy Fee – $200 (includes 2 meetings, rehearsal and ceremony)
*Waived for tithing partners
Questions?
If you have any questions please contact our Weddings Director. We’ll be happy to discuss all the details with you.
May God richly bless you individually, and as a couple, as you embark on this exciting journey together!
“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no man separate.” – Mark 10:7-9 (NIV)