CrossWalk 2024 Recap: Running the Race Together
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
-Hebrews 12:1-2
The verse above is one of the verses we looked at in our Bible study groups at Crosswalk this year. And to me, this verse really captures the heart of Crosswalk. For anyone wondering, Crosswalk is a weeklong Bible camp for middle school and high school students throughout New England, taking place at Nichols College. Youth pastors, leaders, and parents take a week off to chaperone these students - 30 congregations being represented! - and give them a chance to learn the Bible and worship the Lord with other believers.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses”
At Crosswalk campers, chaperones, and staff are brought together by one goal: we love Jesus! The rest of the year the majority of us are surrounded by unbelievers… people who don’t understand the most important thing in our lives. It can be very lonely. Many of the 9th and 10th graders in my Bible study expressed this feeling of isolation. For one week a year, these students get to be surrounded by other believers…they get to share and sympathize with each other, they reinforce old friendships and create new ones. They get to spend extra time with their youth leaders, being encouraged and built up by them. They get to be taught and equipped in Bible studies led by CW staff every morning. They are seen and heard and loved unequivocally.
“Let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race set before us”
The past couple of years at Crosswalk I have seen a rush of students confessing their sins. It is honestly incredible. They might be sharing this with their Bible study group, or they’re coming up for prayer during the evening worship service, or they’re sharing with their youth group. I have prayed for many students as they have sobbed, confessing their sin, begging God to forgive them and strengthen them as they strive to live as He calls them to live. This year we had 19 students publicly state that they have recommitted their lives to living fully for Christ. It is a sweet time of repentance and joy at the realization that “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.”
Part of this race is to “make disciples of all nations”. This is something that Crosswalk takes seriously, raising funds every year for Quest, a youth leadership development opportunity for students in their junior year where they get sent to different locations around the world to share their testimonies and spread the Gospel. This year students raised $4,366.17! During our missions night, students spent time writing hundreds of Christmas cards to refugee and displaced children that will be sent to the Middle East this winter. There was a prevalent heart of care and compassion, even from the youngest students.
“Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Every night 275 students, 75 chaperones, and 27 staff sat in the gym together to worship the Lord, led by CW staff and alum. Then we sat under the preaching and teaching of the camp pastor, Tommy Moore, who attended Crosswalk as a middle school and high school student himself! Between Bible study every morning and a sermon every evening, it’s a lot of Bible. And it is the most important part of Crosswalk. Giving these students the opportunity to hear the Word of the Lord and the powerful truth of the Gospel is the reason we put in this work each and every year. It is why chaperones use up their vacation time, it is the reason staff powers through little sleep to perform silly skits and plan fun games. These students (and chaperones and staff) need to be reminded of the costly love of Jesus and some have ears to hear and a soft heart to accept that love for the first time! This year we had 13 first-time decisions to accept this gift of grace and commit their lives to follow Christ, praise the Lord!
We talked a lot about how following Jesus is our race. We run and we keep on running, even when we fall. We run, knowing at the finish line Christ is waiting for us with open arms. We run, always looking to Jesus. We run because Jesus ran first and He ran because of His great love for us. Jesus is our prize at the end, but we were Jesus’s prize! He ran the hardest race of all for our sake. How amazing is that?!
Brothers and sisters, I pray you would be encouraged as you read this. God is here in New England and He is working. He is not distant. He is not silent. He is with us. Hallelujah!
Kaitlyn Moore lives near Amherst, MA and serves at MERCYhouse. She is a pastor’s wife and serves on the children’s ministry team.
