We believe that the Church is Jesus' church, His bride; and those in leadership are entrusted with a responsibility to care for and protect Jesus' church. While the Bible does not mandate a certain structure of leadership, we believe that it provides guiding principles that help create a healthy, sustainable, and God-glorifying church.
1. Elder/Pastor. We believe that some men are called to take on the role of elder/pastor/overseer. As we see in Acts 14:23, "And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed." These elders have a responsibility to ensure that the church remains faithful to God's word and they are called to live up to the requirements of 1 Timothy 3:1-7. We believe that as Paul assigned Elders in every church that he established, the expectations of the Elders are to Pastor the church and excercise oversight (1 Peter 5:2).
2. Deacon/Deaconess. We believe that both men and women are called to the role of deacon/deaconess. The term meaning servant, these are men and women who have been called by God to serve and lead in a distinct function as helpers of the Elders in their leadership of the church (Acts 6:1-6). We believe that Phoebe is an example of a deaconess in the early church and we interpret 1 Timothy 3:11 as describing qualifications for female deacons specifically.
3. Team Captains. At TCC we have Team Captains, people that use their gifts of leadership to lead specific functional teams in the church. These are the workhorses of ministry at TCC, the ones that make everything happen day in and day out. They are equipped and led by the Elder/Pastors who oversee their service and help equip them in their respective ministries.
4. Staff. There are some areas of service at TCC that require dedicated weekly attention. To these roles, as God deems us financially able, we obligate finances of the church. All Staff positions are part time and are seen as Team Captains in their respective areas of service.
5. Small Group Leaders. We currently have 5 small groups at TCC that meet throughout the week. The Small Group Leaders serve in a critical role in the church. It is in these groups where we believe the vast majority of disciple-making happens. These Small Group Leaders help create environments of learning, prayer, and service. Many of them rotate responsibility of fascilitating the weekly study. The Small Groups stay in step with the sermon series and bridge the Sunday messages each week. We see Small Groups as mini house churches inside the larger church that gathers each Sunday.
PASTORS/ELDERS
Jonathan Kassebaum: Lead Pastor/Elder
Jonathan and Melissa Kassebaum are high school sweethearts and have been in the military for 21 years. They have three daughters Kylie, Ava, and Juliet and have lived in Jacksonville for 8.5 years. He is in the Air National Guard and currently serves as the Lead Pastor at TCC. jonathan@tccjax.org
Brian Smith: Pastor/Elder
Brian and Kim Smith met while attending the University of Florida and got married shortly after Kim graduated her Masters program, in 2003. They have two loving boys, Michael, and Ben. Brian is a senior IT leader and Kim is an elementary teacher. They have been faithfully serving at TCC for many years.
Tim Crandall: Pastor/Elder
Tim is married to our Administrative Assistant, Jennifer, and has three grown children, Ben, Casey, and Sam. Tim was installed as a Pastor/Elder in August 2023.
STAFF
Jennifer Crandall: Administrative Assistant
Our Administrative Assistant Jennifer Crandall is married to her first love, Tim. They have three grown children Ben, Casey and Sam.
Larry Yancey: Worship Director
Larry and Jan Yancey have recently joined The Crossing Church family and Larry will be serving as the Worship Director.
TEAM CAPTAINS
Kayla Borgela: Youth Leader
Kayla and her husband Zach arrive at TCC in 2022 and jumped right in. God provided her at the just the right time with a passion for our youth. She leads the Youth Ministry along with Doug Rogalski, Kimberly Dudley, and Savannah O'Brien.
Tammy Bellinotti: Pre-K Kids Coordinator
Melissa Kassebaum: K-5th Kids Coordinator
Robert and Amy Strickler: Global Missions Team Captains
Robert and Amy Strickler have two daughters, Gabby and Emma. They have all spent considerable time down in Costa Rica and they have recently picked up the Global Missions Team and are excited to be partnering with 6:8 Ministries. Robert and Amy Strickler also lead one of our Small Groups.
Dave and Cynthia Knecht: Local Missions Team Captains
David runs his own business restoring classic cars and trucks and Cynthia is a paralegal. Their daughter Ashley serves on the Production team. As Team captains for Local Missions, they are looking forward to partnering with and supporting foster and adoptive families within our church and community.
Lawrence Davis: Discipleship Team Captain / Men's Ministry Leader
Lawrence and Priscilla have three grown daughters and have been a part of TCC since 2020. Lawrence helps lead Bible studies, discipleship training, and helps provide oversight of our Men's Ministry at TCC. He and his wife Priscilla also lead on of our small groups.
Liz Zurn: Ladies Ministry Leader
Liz leads up the Ladies Ministry at TCC. She is married to Jason and has three kids, Jack, Chance, and Scarlett. She been involved with various Women’s Ministries including MOPS, MomsNext, and Beauty from Ashes. She was a private chef but now homeschools her two younger children. She has a passion for connecting women to uplift and equip one another and bringing together communities.
Bonnie Klingbeil: Ladies Group Leader
Bonnie leads up our Thursday morning ladies group and helps out Liz on Ladies Ministry functions.
Kevin and Erin O'Brien: Facilities Team Leader
Kevin and Erin moved to Jacksonville in 2021 and have four children. Savannah, Jack, Amanda, and Emma. They lead up the facilities team and help ensure supplies stay stocked for day-to-day operations.
Host Team Captain
Vacant.
Communications Director
Vacant.
SMALL GROUP LEADERS
Lawrence and Priscilla Davis
Tuesday Nights (Twice a Month)
Robert and Amy Strickler
Tuesday Nights (Every Week)
Gene and Rebecca Klingbeil
Thursday Nights (Every Week)
Gene and Rebecca Klingbeil have been faithfully attending TCC for many years. Gene is a firefighter and Rebecca is a nurse anesthetist. They have 4 kids and somehow find time to serve at TCC.
Dave and Stephanie Ashwell
Tuesday Nights (Every Week)
Dave and Stephanie Ashwell began dating at the University of North Florida in 2003, were married in 2007 and have a daughter, Autumn, who was born in 2010. Stephanie was an elementary school teacher in Jacksonville before transitioning home to raise their daughter. Since then, she has started her own photography business which she still runs today. Dave works in leadership for Fidelity Investments. The Ashwells have been attending TCC since 2018 and lead one of our small groups.
Bill and Dana Merritt
Tuesday Nights (Every Week)
Bill and Dana Merritt have been married for almost 20 years and have 2 adult children. Bill also assists with running the sound board at the church and enjoys hunting and fishing. They have been attending TCC since 2015 and lead one of our small groups.
Bryan and Janel Gros
Sunday After Church (Twice a Month)