Crossroads Community Church is a partner church of D.O.V.E. Christian Fellowship International (DCFI) based out of Lititz, Pa. DCFI is a family of churches, currently in 15 countries and 5 continents around the world, who are committed to building the Kingdom of God through common values that link us together.

Spiritual Oversight from DOVE is first and foremost about relationship! DCFI defines giving oversight to a congregation, “as looking out for another’s best interests while providing spiritual protection in prayer and offering insights into the local leadership when invited.” Spiritual Oversight is not control of the local leadership or the vision, but rather coming along side the local church and supporting what God has placed in the heart of the primary vision carrier.

Specifically DCFI provides pastoral care to the senior leader and then to the eldership of the local church. They help to solve problems, walk through troubled situations as the church matures. They strive to protect the vision of the senior leader, and support the purpose for why the church exists. They provide an “outside court of appeals” for people within the church, when the local leadership is unable to resolve differences. Often someone that is connected to but not a part of a situation can bring a clearer perspective and be more objective than those who are in the center of the circumstances.

When a church or ministry becomes a partnered with DCFI this means accountability! The local leadership is asking spiritual overseers to speak into their lives from the foundation of relationship, shared values, and stated vision. While DCFI overseers concentrate most their focus on the senior leader, they maintain a relationship with the local board of elders, and finally are present within the congregation a limited number of times each year. If differences arise on the elder board, each member has the freedom to contact a DCFI overseer to process the direction of the church or discuss a certain decision that is being made. The overall goal of a DCFI overseer is to see the local church become a success in what the Lord has called them to accomplish!

Find out more about D.O.V.E. at www.dcfi.org