First Baptist Church

Cody, Wyoming
Pastor Jim Barrick
We had a special Friday evening service at the First Baptist Church in Cody, Wyoming. When we arrived at the church we enjoyed a delicious meal with Pastor and Mrs. Barrick, prepared by the church family. We had a great service, and Bro. Derrick preached from 1 Corinthians 4:10 on dying to self daily. It challenged us and reminded us that if we are not giving Christ our all, everything we do will be worthless. May the Lord help us to walk with him daily as we continue to minister to churches across the country.

Calvary Baptist Church

Casper, WY

Pastor Jeff Matney

Wednesday night we were allowed to sing for the midweek service of Calvary Baptist. It was a special night for many because it happened to be the night they were giving awards for their Awana program. We watched as each of the Cubbies, Sparks, and older Awana groups quoted scripture and sang songs that they had learned throughout the year. Many of the children won multiple awards and they seemed so pleased that their hard work was recognized. We were so encouraged by the involvement of the church members in the program and saw that they truly desired to help the kids know the Lord. We were happy to be a part of this important evening for all the children and parents involved in this great program. Thank you Pastor Matney and Calvary Baptist for all your hospitality and generosity.

Faith Baptist Church

Cheyenne, WY
Pastor Tommy Miller

Upon arriving in Cheyenne, we joined some families at the church for some fun and games. Tuesday morning we helped the Pastor and his family work on their new house. We cleaned, painted and Bro. Derrick helped tile some floor and build a railing off of the deck. We enjoyed doing some physical labor and getting to know Pastor Miller and his family better. The service on Tuesday night was a sweet meeting of God's people and the Lord blessed in a special way. We are so pleased with how the Lord is using our group and we give Him the glory for all He has given us the strength and opportunity to do.

Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park

Monday we traveled to the Rocky Mountain National Park. We spent most of the day driving up to the the top of a mountain, which was at 11,700 ft. elevation. It was an amazing sight, one that we will never forget. It brought to mind Isaiah 40, how these majestic mountains are small in comparison with our great God.

Faith Baptist Church

Longmont, CO
Pastor Rick Cross

Sunday night we were priveleged to be in a church that had never had a group from Crown. Bro. John Kokenzie calls this church home, but they were otherwise unfamiliar with the ministry of the school. We were warmly received by the Pastor and his people and we were honored to have the opportunity to represent the school to these people who had never had students come to their church. After the service, we were invited to go with the youth group to a fellowship at the house of a lovely couple in the church. We had some great food and fellowship with the teens and then enjoyed some good singing and testimonies. We would like to especially thank Mr. and Mrs. Kokenzie Sr. as well as Mr. and Mrs. Fast for allowing us to stay in their homes.

Elmwood Baptist Church

Brighton, CO
Pastor Gary Randall

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Elmwood Baptist Church this weekend. It was wonderful to be with Pastor Randall, who is a good friend of Pastor Sexton's and a supporter of Crown College. Mr. and Mrs. Randall were more than hospitable and were very helpful and encouraging to our group. We enjoyed talking with him about the ministry and the things of God.
Sunday morning, we were able to meet and talk with so many wonderful people in the church. Bro. Derrick preached a stirring sermon on standing for Christ, not only for this generation but for the next. This challenged the church family, as well as our own hearts. We were not only given the privilege of being involved in the regular morning service, but also in the spanish service. Bro. Derrick preached some in spanish, but mostly with an interpreter, and we even tried to sing a few songs in spanish. Elmwood Baptist is also home to Crown students C.J. Knutsen and Anna Pallaoro, who just returned from The Crown British Division. We want to thank the Randalls and Elmwood Baptist Church for all of your kind words, support, and prayers. We pray that the Lord will continue to bless you. It's great to see churches like yours, that are continuing to stand for Christ!

Mountain View Baptist Church

Denver, Colorado
Pastor David Thornberry

Friday we left the town of Colorado Springs, and made our way to Mountain View Baptist church. On our way there we stopped at Castle Rock, which is a large hill with a massive rock formation at the summit. We hiked to the top of the hill and when we arrived at the summit we all started looking for a not so steep cliff that we could climb. When we finally got to the top, we were amazed by the breathtaking view of the Colorado landscape.
We were greeted at the Mountain View Baptist Church by the pastor's wife and many of the church members who provided a great home cooked meal for us. The service was such a blessing; Pastor Thornberry involved the people in the service and he showed great interest in not only the college but also each of our lives. The Lord was definitely at work and used Bro. Derrick's message on our purpose in this life. The families of this church have a wonderful desire for the Lord and we were honored to be apart of their church. A special thank you to the Schuessler family for allowing us girls to stay in their home, even amidst such a busy weekend. Please pray for their seven year old daughter, Lydia who was taken to the
hospital with pnuemonia. May God bless this family with health and grace.

Verity Baptist Church

Colorado Springs, CO
Pastor Grover Casada

We continued through the state of Colorado to the beautiful mountains of Colorado Springs. It's an amazing place and we are so thankful that the Lord has given us the opportunity to enjoy His wonderful creation as we travel. Pastor Casada and his wife helped us get set up at the church and then took us out to a tasty lunch. In the afternoon we got to go see the "Garden of the Gods" near Pike's Peak.
There was a special evening service and many Pastor's from local churches were able to attend. We especially appreciate Bro. Cook preaching for the service and challenging us all through the powerful Word of God. It was great to speak to the young people that came from Cornerstone Baptist Church after the service as well. The evening was finished off with a delicious meal with the Casadas and the Cooks. We are so thankful for the time spent with these wonderful Christians in Colorado Springs.

Ellicot Baptist Church

Calhan, CO

Pastor John McKenzie

Upon arriving at Ellicot Baptist Church, the pastor and his wife were very helpful and got us settled in at the church. That night was their Christian school's graduation service. Some of the children that attended the school performed a program full of songs and verses. It was encouraging to see such a great work the Lord was doing at the school. It was a great blessing for us to sing and testify after the children finished their graduation program. Bro. Derrik preached on the subject "Who are You Living Your Life For" From Colossians 3:1-4. Following the service, the church provided fun, food, and fellowship in the gym celebrating the graduation. We played a game of volleyball while some played hide and seek with the younger children. We were able to meet many wonderful people who were interested in our school and what we stand for. Several were interested in learning more about the programs offered at Crown as well as the Seminary program. The Lord greatly blessed our stay at Ellicot Baptist Church.

Crown Southwest Norris Seminary

Ft. Worth, TXThe visit to attend the graduation at the Crown College Southwest was totally unexpected and exciting. We had a blast seeing old friends again (Mia Stanley, Sarah Rogers, Chase Whitten,John Langman, the Knickerbockers, and many more), and were thrilled to finally get to see the beautiful campus in Texas.

Monday evening we took part in the first service of the Independent Baptist Fellowship International. It was a special blessing getting to meet many great men of God, and a privilege getting to sit under their preaching. I wish everyone could hear the amazing sermon preached by Bro. Johnny Pope at the commencement ceremony. The Lord spoke to all our hearts through his sermon, giving us a greater desire to give all of ourselves to glorifying our Savior.

While we were there we got to spend some time with Pastor. He was an encouragement to our group, and speaking with him definitely raised our standards and expectations for this summer. I was so proud to be able to say that he is my pastor and the president of the college I attend. We enjoyed our stay, but we were eager to get back on the road so that we could put to practice the things we had learned. God mightily used our unexpected trip to Crown College Southwest.

Bethel Community Baptist Church

Fort Scott, KS

Pastor Greg Stine

It was such a pleasure to be in Bethel Church again with the Stine family. It was a special treat for Bri, who had visited for several days last year with a singing group. The Stines are a wonderful family who love their Lord and love the community God has given them to serve. Three of the Pastor's daughters have gone to Crown, and Sonda, who just graduated was married just a week before our arrival. Pastor Stine allowed us to sing many songs in the service and Bro. Derrick preached an encouraging message on the hope God has given us in the life we have. The people were so kind and welcoming to us and we thank them for their hospitality. We were treated wonderfully well with a fried chicken dinner after the service and were able to stay in the homes of some lovely folks from the church. Thank you Pastor and Mrs. Stine, Colette, Christa, Nonni and Monkey (Caleb) for being such gracious hosts. We wish we could have stayed longer. Also, congratulations to Justin and Sonda on their marriage! May God continue to bless Bethel Community and the Stine family for their faithfulness.

Grace Baptist Tabernacle

Fort Scott, KS

Pastor Paul Rooks

When we first arrived Pastor Rooks and his family took us on a tour of the historic town of Ft. Scott. We visited the first national cemetery, Fort Scott, and drove around looking at all the beautiful old mansions while Mrs. Rooks pointed out all the special points of interest. We really enjoyed the time that we spent with the Rooks family, relaxing, eating, and playing basketball and football. Our first Sunday morning service was held at Grace Baptist Tabernacle. We had the opportunity to sing several songs during the Sunday School and worship hour. The Lord gave us a good service and we were encouraged by the response of the people.

Greater Cumberland Baptist Church

Hopkinsville, KY
Pastor Ken Shaver

The Lord has given us some wonderful services this week and has blessed us greatly! We were able to spend two days with the Greater Cumberland Baptist Church and enjoyed it so much. The people were so kind and went out of their way to make us feel at home. We had a great service and were challenged by Pastor Shaver's message on prayer.

Thursday evening, we had the opportunity to join the church members as they went soul winning door to door. It was such a privilege to have a small part in the great ministry of this church. It is so exciting to see what God is doing through and in this church.

Thank you, Pastor and Mrs. Shaver for your hospitality to us, we are so thankful for all that you have done for us. We hope that the Lord will continue to use you to reach people in your area.

South Haven Christian School

Springfield, TN
Dr. Steve Blazer

Tuesday morning we had the opportunity to be in a chapel at South Haven Christian School. The chapel service went very well and we had a wonderful reception from the students. It was a great blessing to get to meet and talk to some of the students who are praying about coming to Crown this fall.
Afterwords, Bro. Blazer took us out to lunch with some of the students and we enjoyed getting to know them better. Thank you, Bro. Blazer for your hospitality and allowing us to come into your school.

Campbellsville Baptist Temple

Campbellsville, KY
Dr. B.C. Gillispie

We were very blessed to be able to have a special Monday night service at Brianne and Alaina's church. It was a very special time for them to be with their Pastor and church family. The people were so warm and generous and we would like to thank everyone for their love and prayers. We would also like to thank all of the ladies who helped with the fellowship after, we appreciated it so very much.

It was also a great encouragement that so many were able to support the Student Scholarship Fund on a regular basis. These gifts help so many students and we know every penny given is an investment in the Lord's work. Thank you Pastor for allowing us to sing and preach in your church, it was such a blessing to be with you.

Mount Pisgah Christian School

Oliver Springs, TN
Pastor Garvan Walls
Principal, Jonathan and Sarah Bradford


Hello to all and thank you for checking
on us through this blog. We hope you are encouraged by it and will continue to visit the site throughout the summer. We are so thankful for all your prayers and support whether you are friends from Crown, loved ones back home, or new friends we’ve met on the road. I hope you enjoy this chronicle of our adventures.
We were so excited to arrive at our very first meeting of the summer at Mt. Pisgah. We still haven’t figured everything out yet, but it was great just to get into the swing of it all. The kids were so fun and Bro. Derrick involved them into his message so well. He gave a great sermon on finding all you’re searching for in Christ. Bro. Bradford is a Crown graduate and he and his wife were very hospitable and we enjoyed our short stay.