Crossroads has been around for over 20 years, but we're excited to enter a new chapter in a new neighborhood. Join us any Sunday at 10am at McPherson Elementary School in Ravenswood.
Welcome to
Crossroads Church
Plan your visit to Crossroads
Our Beliefs
Plan a visit
2003
OUR HISTORY
A group of friends on the north side was regularly meeting to study the Bible together. They began to work toward a vision of a Lutheran church in their neighborhood.
2005
Pastor Mike accepted the call to be Crossroads' first pastor. He and his wife, Mika, moved to Chicago and began sharing the gospel with all kinds of people.
2018
Crossroads reached its peak attendance as they rented Courtenay Elementary's auditorium in Uptown. So many lives were blessed by the gospel!
2023
Pastor Mike took a call to a church near Seattle. Crossroads membership had been shrinking since covid, and it was time to restart the ministry.
2025
Pastor Jake was called to Crossroads as part of the restart effort. Crossroads is excited to have a fresh start sharing the same gospel at our new Ravenswood location!
There are a few different groups under the title Lutheran: As a part of the Wisconsin Synod, we subscribe to the Book of Concord as recorded in 1580. The WELS formed in 1857 and has grown steadily since. As a church body, all 1,200 individual congregations come together to support global evangelism, compassion, and mission efforts at a scale no single entity could accomplish alone. We also participate in a unified ministerial education system that prepares pastors and teachers for full-time service in our churches and schools.
OUR CHURCH AFFILIATION
What does it mean to be a Lutheran church?
We believe that justification comes through faith alone. We understand that this faith isn't something we achieve through our own efforts or decisions—it's a precious gift from God that enables us to trust in Christ's perfect sacrifice. Through faith, we receive Christ's righteousness and stand justified before God. This faith isn't dormant but living and active in our daily lives, producing good works not as a path to salvation, but as a grateful response to God's amazing grace.
Faith Alone
We believe that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God and the only infallible rule and authority for Christian faith and life. We hold that the Holy Scriptures are clear, sufficient, and authoritative, revealing everything we need to know for salvation. We submit to Scripture's authority over all else. Through the Bible, God speaks directly to our hearts today, guiding us in truth and teaching us His will for our lives.
Scripture Alone
More About Our Beliefs
We believe that salvation is entirely God's gift to us—undeserved and unearned. We recognize that God's grace is His unmerited favor toward sinners, demonstrated most perfectly when He sent His Son to die for us while we were still sinners. We cannot contribute to our salvation through good works, religious ceremonies, or moral living. From beginning to end, our salvation is the work of God's grace alone.
Grace Alone
We believe that Jesus Christ is the sole mediator between God and humanity. We confess that salvation is found in no one else—Christ alone lived the perfect life we could never live and died the death we deserved. His substitutionary sacrifice on the cross fully satisfied God's justice. Through Christ alone, we have access to the Father. His resurrection confirms His victory over sin, death, and the devil, guaranteeing our salvation and eternal life.
Christ Alone
More questions? Try Foundations.
If you have spiritual questions or aren't sold on the Christian faith, this class is for you. You owe it to yourself to explore the world's oldest and most popular religion with Pastor Jake tailoring the discussion to your interests and curiosities.
Inquire
I'm Pastor Jake, and I'm privileged to serve as the pastor of Crossroads. My wife, Liz, and I moved here in 2025 and immediately wondered why we didn't move sooner. We were blessed with a wonderful baby boy, Jude, in 2026, and we love showing him around our new neighborhood.
I love Chicago, but I also know that Chicago can be a challenging place to live for many reasons. When things get tough, everyone needs to have a community that they can depend on. Crossroads seeks to be that community--and not just any community, but a truly Christian community. That means that no matter what's in your past, your present, or your future, you are welcome here. God does not withhold his grace and truth from anyone, so we don't withhold it either. As Crossroads's pastor, I get to see firsthand how our loving God transforms people's lives in amazing ways.
I hope you come and meet other Chicagoans depending on God's grace at Crossroads. You are always welcome to join us. In the meantime, I'd love to hear from you! Please reach out to me and we can set up a time to grab coffee.
MEET THE PASTOR
Jacob Borgwardt
Contact
Pastor Jake always keeps scripture as the central thesis of his sermons with applications for your life today.
SERMONS
Listen to Pastor's most recent sermon.
YouTube
We'd love to learn your name! Join us Sundays at 10am at McPherson Elementary School in Ravenswood.
Join us this week.
Plan your visit to Crossroads
