Behind the Ministry: Crossroads

Tina Ro has been attending Metro Church for 14 years and serving as Metro’s Director of Crossroads Children’s Fellowship for four years. Tina considers herself an educator at heart and believes the children’s ministry should be important to everyone.

“Children are literally our future. We are helping to raise the future generation, one that will continue to come through the doors of Metro long after we are gone. Our hope is to help foster a faith that will outlast all the doubts and fears that want to stifle it,” said Tina.

Something that might surprise people about Tina is that she prefers nonfiction (biographies, social science, history, etc.) over fiction.

When asked about her favorite Crossroads event, she responded, “Does it count to say Sunday worship? It’s a picture and reminder of the day-in, day-out journey of faith. Some days are hard, or some lessons don’t hit, but other days you feel God’s pleasure through each part of worship, and you get to see children grow year after year.”

Crossroads will be holding its annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at 2Loves Indoor Play Park (4700 Wissahickon Ave, Building M, Philadelphia, PA 19144—right across the hall from Metro East Falls). The event will begin at 2:00 PM, with parents and guardians asked to arrive for check-in and registration by 1:30 PM. All families, friends, and neighbors are welcome and can sign up here. Baskets for children will be provided. Please register to attend (one form per household). Parents and guardians are asked to supervise their children during this time. Please contact tina@metrophilly.org with any questions. We would love to see you there!

We asked Tina a few questions to gain some perspective on the purpose and characteristics of Crossroads at Metro.

Q: What made you personally come to Metro? What made you stay?

A: “I had just moved back home to Philly and was invited to be part of the launch team. Although I had been a Christian for most of my life, I never found a church that felt like a real, viable home where I could be nurtured. Once Metro started, I was going through a rough patch in my personal life, and seeing all these people come to life around me was a reminder of how real God was. For the first time, I had a place I could call ‘home.’ The renewal was palpable and infectious. How do you not buy into that?”

Q: Why is Crossroads an essential part of Sunday service?

A: “Proverbs 22:6 says, ‘Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old he will not depart from it.’ Our children are very much part of our body. They come into this world as sinners, and considering our program starts at age two, it’s one of the few fellowships where we can be pretty certain that we are composed of more nonbelievers than believers.

Our second guiding verse is Matthew 22:37: ‘Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”’ Every Sunday, our volunteers retell the story of the gospel through different narratives and snapshots in the Bible. We get a shaping hand in growing our children’s knowledge of the Word in a world that rejects it. We can’t make them believers—that’s the Holy Spirit’s job—but we can, alongside their parents, give them the tools that will help them to call upon Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.”

Q: What are some unique challenges children of this generation face today, and how does Crossroads address them?

A: “I think a huge challenge is that in a world that should be incredibly expansive, with all the technology and connection points at our fingertips, people are growing more insular and lonely. Your algorithms are catered to you. My friend’s Netflix queue has shows I have never seen in my life, while mine has Ken Burns documentaries. The idea of a ‘cultural norm’ or shared belief is getting more sparse. We are to ‘go and make disciples of all nations,’ even among people we disagree with, and we have a God who knows us better than we could ever know ourselves. Continuing to preach that there is one truth could be difficult if it weren’t true, but thank God that it is, and that Jesus has already won the war!

We want to raise a generation of children who know their Bible so they are fitted not with worldly armor, but with the armor of God. We want children who pray through their failures because they see the adults around them boast in their weaknesses. We also want to walk with parents (and volunteers who may one day be parents) so that wherever they are, they could feel equipped to lead their families in faith.”

Q: How have you seen Crossroads impact both children and their families?

A: “I know families are really grateful that they can worship while knowing they are sending their children to a safe space where they can trust our vetted volunteers. It’s also great to hear stories of parents memorizing verses alongside their children and helping them practice motions while listening to songs in the car. We have a liturgy similar to what our adult congregation experiences, and the children write (or draw) their confessions. They’re encouraged to talk to the Lord and talk with their families, and it is amazing to see how their confessions evolve, from drawings to more articulated sins, all while being reminded that they have been freed and forgiven thanks to Jesus!”

Q: What is your hope for the Crossroads Children’s Fellowship?

A: “My hope for Crossroads is that we might one day be one of the great children’s fellowships in the Greater Philadelphia area, not through flashy events (although those are great), but because of the consistent weekly journey we get to walk with these children. The idea that the babies being born right now could become Christians in Crossroads Children’s Fellowship, grow their faith in MetroNext Youth Fellowship, go to college and be part of Crosswalk College Fellowship, and become adults at Metro who eventually have children to start a new cycle is really beautiful.

To quote Stacy Kong’s poem, Generations:

Q: How can someone get involved in helping out with Crossroads, and what does commitment to the team look like?

A: “I think it should start with prayer and careful consideration. James 3 warns that those who teach will be judged more strictly. That being said, if you love working with children and are won to our mission, we hope to equip you and share in that heavy responsibility! This begins with a fairly extensive application process that includes references, interviews, and background clearances. You will then go through an orientation and join our quarterly meetings. While we are sensitive to the time commitment, we ask that volunteers serve at least three to five times per quarter to truly get to know our children and develop relationships with them. If all of that sounds good, email me at tina@metrophilly.org to get the process going! We’re always looking for faithful people.”