Our History 

In 1996, the Dover & Deal Methodist Circuit agreed to sponsor a 3 year outreach project as a Christian response to issues of social deprivation on the Buckland estate, Dover.  The project was launched in May 1997 with the opening of a shop premises as a ‘Drop-In’ for local people.  The project was called ‘Cross-Links’ and was headed up by a part-time Lay Worker. 

In 2000, the Diocese of Canterbury (Anglican), the London South East District (Methodist) and the Southern Synod (United Reformed Church) signed an ecumenical statement of intent and agreed to support the project initially for a further 3-5 years.  Each denomination agreed to resource a leadership team consisting of a Minister, Pastoral Worker and Youth Worker. 

In 2005, Cross-Links became a constituted organisation, the first stage of seeking charitable status.  It also became recognised by sponsoring denominations as a fresh expression of church. The established leadership team consists of a full-time Lay Minister (Team Leader), two part-time Pastoral Workers and two part-time Youth Workers.  This year also saw Cross-Links taking over the former Post Office next door to be used as a community day centre/café called ‘The Cross-Links Centre’. 

In 2006 it was agreed to move towards charitable company status with the aim of achieving this by June 2007. These changes will provide for a better degree of sustainability in the future in terms of employment liability and funding opportunities. With effect from October 2006 Cross-Links became know as ‘Cross-Links Dover in order to facilitate these organisational changes.

In January 2007 a Board of Trustees was formed and incorporation as a company limited by guarantee sought. Following incorporation, the Board will apply for charitable status. The Purposes shown below may undergo some minor changes and will be published on this website once finalised.

Our Purpose

The formal purpose of Cross-Links Dover as an expression of the Christian Faith is: 

a.   The promotion and provision of activities for the benefit of the public in the Dover District with a special focus on the Buckland estate, irrespective of personal circumstances or belief, working with the people themselves, statutory and voluntary organisations in a common effort to foster a greater sense of community in the neighbourhood. 

b.  The advancement of the Christian Faith in co-operation with other local churches for the benefit of the public; expressing this through worship, fellowship and practical action within the Dover District with a special focus on the Buckland estate. 

Our Vision

Our vision is for all local people to encounter God and to come to experience his love for them. 

Our Mission

We seek to communicate the Good News of Jesus Christ and bring God’s kingdom to the community through acts of love and kindness.

Our Values 

The Key Organisational Values held by Cross-Links Dover are: 

a.      Authenticity, Love & Respect – Showing authentic Christian love and respect towards all people        irrespective of their beliefs, circumstances or situation in a non-judgemental way.   

b.     Accountability & Integrity – Being appropriately accountable in all that we do and maintaining        integrity in the manner in which we conduct ourselves. 

The Key Christian Values held by Cross-Links Dover are: 

a.      Encountering God - To seek to encounter the fullness of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

b.     Love and kindness - To give and receive love and kindness in our relationship with God and others. 

c.      All Involved - For everyone to become involved; sharing, learning and growing as an integral part       of the local community.  Encouraging all to discover and pursue their gifts. 

d.     Evangelism (Reaching Out) - Sharing our faith through presence, action and word in order to draw      others to Christ. 

e.      Witness - Being totally committed to helping every Christian to develop as a witness, and to do it       seriously, continuously and strategically in very simple step-by-step ways.

Our Strategy 

Our strategy for the period 2006/7-2008/9 is to express our faith following the model of the early church with particular emphasis on: 

-        growing in and with the community through:

-        community day centre facility

-        regular activities and services

-       training and employment 

-        growing in the faith through:

-        worship and fellowship

-        nurture and discipleship

-        witness

-        sharing experiences with other churches and/or community groups 

Within our Strategy we will reflect the priorities of the Canterbury Diocese and Dover Deanery (Anglican); The South East District and Dover & Deal Circuit (Methodist) and the Southern Synod (United Reformed Church). 

Key Criteria 

We will approach and evaluate our work against these related criteria:

 -  dignity and respect, which is about valuing people for who they are.

 -  Engagement through acts of love and kindness reflecting our faith and values.

 -  purposeful change, which is about empowering and enabling positive transformation both in individuals and within the community.

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