A teenager dressed as a clown twists a balloon into a heart
for excited children as puppets perform a musical routine a few feet away.
Another teenager carefully paints colorful designs on a childs
cheek. A young man offers cups of cold water – free – to adults walking
along the sidewalk.
A teenager dressed as a clown twists a balloon into a heart
for excited children as puppets perform a musical routine a few feet away.
Another teenager carefully paints colorful designs on a childs
cheek. A young man offers cups of cold water – free – to adults walking
along the sidewalk.
These and numerous other acts of kindness have been duplicated
throughout the state of Louisiana since March 2002 by Acteens and Youth on Mission
groups participating in a year-long celebration of Jesus Christs life
and ministry called Crosswalk.
Crosswalk is a statewide awareness and ministry project that
encourages youth to become involved in the Great Commission. The project is
sponsored by the Southern Baptist Womans Missionary Union and is symbolized
by a six-foot-tall cross, emblazoned with the words “Acteens Crosswalk.”
The cross is passed from church to church, association to association,
throughout the year. During the week that a churchs group has the cross,
they are challenged to study Luke 9:23 as well as to conduct a missions project
in their community.
In Louisiana, Acteens groups took advantage of the fondness
for summertime fairs and festivals to conduct many different kinds of servant
evangelism projects, reported Janie Wise, Mission Friends/GA/Acteens ministry
associate for the Louisiana Baptist Convention.
Cups of cold water, face-painting, crafts, puppets and fishing
booths are just a few ways youth demonstrated Jesus love.
“We have been really excited about what its meant
to our state and how the youth have responded,” Wise said.
“Our goal was to involve as many Acteens in ministry as
possible.”
Louisiana youth have taken their Crosswalk responsibilities
seriously, she added. Indeed, they have been organized and very much “in
charge” during the various ministry projects, Wise noted.
The state leader also said she wants churches to know that
having Acteens and Youth on Mission or Challenger groups in a church is an excellent
way to instill a missions lifestyle in their youth.
While many churches are sponsoring missions trips and projects,
these organizations help teenagers build a biblical foundation for ongoing missions
and missions work around the world.
The Crosswalk concept was born in Florida in 1996, when a group
of teenage leaders had a dream to encourage Acteens to be radically involved
in the Great Commission. To make the challenge more visible, they decided to
design a large cross to pass from Acteens group to Acteens group.
Realizing that their dream could impact the entire country,
they decided to pass the cross and the challenge to Kentucky Acteens in 1998.
The cross then traveled to Mississippi and to Louisiana. A second cross is passing
through Wyoming this year.
The recently-concluded cross experience had positive benefits
for adults as well as youth in Louisiana, Wise emphasized.
“The adults in these churches have been telling me that having the cross
in their area has been truly meaningful,” she said. “Theyre
sometimes not aware of what the youth are doing and this shows them all the
service theyre providing.” (BP)