CHESTERFIELD, NJ, (BRN) – Fellowship CrossPoint Church in Chesterfield, New Jersey, hosted a churchwide barbecue for its members on Sept. 8. This event was intended to bring their community together, whether that included long time members, church leaders or newcomers.

The event lasted for two and a half hours and consisted of three different serving stations, where people came, gathered and enjoyed food. They served things such as hamburgers, hot dogs, pasta salad, various drinks and a multitude of desserts. 

Fellowship CrossPoint highly values communing together and reaching its community, a core value that is dear to the church’s roots as it formerly started out of a rebirth merger.

CrossPoint is unique in the fact that it was planted initially in Trenton by current senior pastor, Dr. Brennan Coughlin, and his wife, but through a rebirth merger the church joined with another congregation that was dissipating. This church gave their property to CrossPoint and it has been located in Howell Township ever since.

Church member Beth Giobbie has been a part of CrossPoint for four years now and loves the community that she is surrounded with. 

“I haven’t really been in a church like this before, where they’re really family,” said Giobbie.

The church hosts this barbecue event four times a year, and they attract many new faces each and every time. 

The church’s mission statement says, “We exist to connect people to the love of Jesus and help them live on gospel mission,” and they try to promote this ideology through their hardwork and dedication to the church.

Dr. Coughlin is very passionate about the church and the members within it. 

“When you plant a church, it’s like your baby, so it’s really cool to see it grow in a way it can employ, not just me, but other people on staff,” said Coughlin

He continued: “It’s like a proud parent seeing their kid thrive.”

Coughlin does everything in his power to help his church thrive and support other people in turn. 

Events, like this barbecue, encourage people to mingle with one another and meet individuals they may have never met otherwise.

Church attendee Liam Gonzalez understands how events like the barbecue can help bring their church community together.

“We want to be known and to know others,” said Gonzalez. 

“And at these events I can get to know others in a way that is different than otherwise, and I can be known.”