Alabama’s Crossover 2004 has already set records in the state, and there’s still a month to go.
This year’s event has almost 50 activities scheduled, the largest number so far, and will use new publicity techniques for the activities as well as new methods for sharing the gospel.
Crossover — the evangelism push that has preceded the Alabama Baptist State Convention annual meeting for the past five years — will focus on the Montgomery area, the setting of this year’s meeting.
“This will be the largest number of events in five years of doing Crossover,” said Teman Knight, associate in the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions’ (SBOM) office of evangelism.
And three associations — Montgomery, Elmore and Autauga — are taking the lead with the Crossover activities, he noted.
Beginning the last Saturday in August, Baptists in the three associations, began holding block parties, revivals and other events.
“It’s been dynamite,” said Neal Hughes, this year’s chairman of the Crossover committee and senior pastor of Hope Community Church, Montgomery.
“All three associations have done a yeoman’s job in contributing time and effort and money,” he said.
Because of the “Intentional Evangelism” theme of the annual meeting, Knight said Crossover Montgomery has three goals:
1. That every church in Montgomery, Elmore and Autauga associations would have some level of intentional evangelism during Crossover.
2. That every church would baptize at least one person during Crossover.
3. That at least three new churches — one in each association — would be started or reinforced during Crossover.
Knight said the churches are well on their way to the first two goals. In the first three block parties held, 48 people accepted Jesus as their Savior.
As for the third goal, Knight said three churches have been identified.
In Elmore Association, the newly formed Journey Church held its first service Aug. 15 and hosted the first block party of Crossover, which was the training block party.
In Autauga Association, the SBOM is working with a new church start, with a goal to hold its first service before the annual meeting.
In Montgomery Association, Morningview Baptist Church is working with Bell Road Baptist Church, trying to rejuvenate that congregation.
Knight said Crossover 2004 also is seeing some unusual twists on the usual Crossover events.
–One in three block parties is being geared toward the area’s Hispanic population, with services and songs in the Spanish language.
–Several churches are incorporating Crossover into their fall festivals at Halloween.
–And two concerts are also being held in conjunction with Crossover.
Eclectic Baptist Church is hosting the group Audio Adrenaline at Lake Martin and Coosada Baptist Church is hosting Kevin Derryberry.
Crossover is employing a new publicity technique as well, Knight said.
Beginning Oct. 15, billboards went up around Montgomery, urging people to visit the Web site, www.crossover2004.com.
Knight said the site has a listing of events, times and places, as well as links to an Internet presentation of the gospel.
“There are a lot of ways to express … ‘we love you in Jesus,’” Hughes noted.
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