Our Mission
As a missional congregation, we celebrate Christ's presence, invite people into a growing relationship with Jesus and equip them to serve in a broken world.

All are welcome at Desert Cross! We believe Jesus meets you where you are, and we hope to do the same. We are an open, inclusive faith community focused on local and global mission beyond our walls. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we embrace grace. We are formed by worship and God's word which sends us to live out our faith in daily life. At church, at home, and everywhere in between, we believe we are called to follow the Great Commandment of Jesus to love God and love our neighbors. Our hope is to share a presence of peace, hope, and justice in our community and world.

Our History

Desert Cross has been serving the East Valley since 1984 in Tempe and developed a mission start with a second campus in Gilbert in 2008. We are a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Desert Cross has always had a heart for mission, and we are continually seeking new ways to love and serve God, our community, and our world. Our vision for the future is to find new ways to continue this faith journey together Sharing, Loving, and Serving in the name of Christ.