CrossOver is a major evangelistic blitz within a targeted area, designed to reach out with God’s love to the unchurched.
ALEXANDRIA – CrossOver is a major evangelistic blitz within a targeted area, designed to reach out with God’s love to the unchurched. It involves pre-event prayer walking, fun-filled activities designed to draw families with children and teens, and pleasant conversation that at the nudging of the Holy Spirit can turn into evangelistic encounters, or that might just leave an unchurched person thinking about going to church.
“CrossOver is a great way for our churches in the Alexandria/Pineville area to work together in reaching out to their communities, and it’s a great way for people from across the state to get involved in relational evangelism,” said Keith Manuel, LBC evangelism associate. “We learned through Katrina and Rita, and again last year in Carey Association, that it strengthens us all when we work together to build God’s kingdom.”
Several events and activities have been planned by Chairman Kevin Roberts, associate pastor at Philadelphia Baptist Deville, and the rest of the CrossOver planning team working in conjunction with the Southern Baptist churches in Alexandria/Pineville and outlying communities.
Helpers are needed in each area of three major events and several block parties. Greeters, block party workers both at inner-city and suburban venues, go-fers, trash picker-uppers and other support staff are among those needed, as are people trained in ICE – Intentional Community Evangelism – and those interested in being trained for soul-winning evangelism.
People with specific skills – clowns, mimes, street magicians, balloon-animal artists and more also are needed.
“Maybe your gift is something that hasn’t yet been thought of,” Manuel said. “Give me a call. Let’s talk about it! One of the things we’re doing is providing an opportunity for people to use their skills for an evangelistic purpose, while having fun. If we’re having a good time, the people coming to these events are going to have a good time. Good fun and good food opens the door for the good news.”
J.P. Miles can attest to that. He’s director of missions in Carey Baptist Association. They requested churches across the state join Carey Association in a CrossOver in the association last year before the annual meeting – similar to what is done before the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention each June – because of needs bigger than the association could do on its own.
“We thought it would be a great emphasis for our association as a whole,” Miles said. “We had specific areas we wanted to target – the FEMA trailer park, Grand Lake, the Sulphur area, plus block parties. Our CrossOver was really several events within one.
“It was really a golden opportunity for us to have the help of people from all over the state,” the director of missions added. “As a result, we’re continuing efforts at the FEMA trailer park – about 400 families still live there. We have a Bible study going as a result of the prayer walking and Jesus film distribution in the Grand Lake area, and several of our Sulphur churches reaped the benefit of bringing in Team Impact. That brought a number of people into the churches.”
Planning is essential, Miles said. He commended the Alexandria/Pineville team on the work they’ve done.
“Don’t overdo in the sense of planning too many events,” Miles advised associations that might be thinking of conducting a CrossOver. “Ask, ‘Where do we need concentrated effort? What can we let go, this time?’ We had good response to CrossOver because what was done was a concentrated effort.”
CrossOver was a success in Carey Baptist Association because about 200 out-of-area volunteers and hundreds of local church members worked together wholeheartedly for one purpose, the growth of God’s kingdom, the director of missions said.
“A CrossOver event give you the opportunity to recognize how strong we are when we cooperate on an event,” Miles said. “In Sulphur there was really a partnership. I think it’s something that’s been lasting and beneficial to planning other things as well.”
LBC’s Manuel said this year’s CrossOver was following in Carey Association’s stead.
“We’re excited about this,” Manuel said. “With the planning Kevin [Roberts] and his team have done, and the synergy we’re seeing that already is a blessing from the Lord, all that’s missing from the picture is your involvement in it. Come and participate; come and join in what God is doing here, and you’ll be refreshed when you return to your home church – refreshed and excited about getting out into your community.”