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Community Day crosses culture
Dianna L. Cagle, BR Assistant Managing Editor
May 04, 2010
4 MIN READ TIME

Community Day crosses culture

Community Day crosses culture
Dianna L. Cagle, BR Assistant Managing Editor
May 04, 2010

Volunteers in black

shirts greeted a slow but steady crowd at Cross Culture Church Community Day in

Raleigh at Leesville Road Middle School as part of the statewide Operation

Inasmuch April 24.

“It was a big success

for us,” said Clay Stevens, lead pastor. “We’re trying to show the love of

Jesus in a tangible way.”

Fear of rain must have

kept some people away when the event began, but soon the skies cleared and the

festivities picked up at the middle school field.

BR photo by Dianna L. Cagle

Children enjoy a sack race at Cross Culture Church’s Community Day April 24. The church was participating in Operation Inasmuch, a statewide effort to minister to neighbors. See photo gallery and video.

“When we’re doing

something like this it’s so reliant on the weather,” he said.

The church, which used

to meet at the middle school and now meets at Leesville Road High School, had

about 75 volunteers helping what eventually became about 600 visitors.

Average Sunday morning

worship attendance is between 150-175 for the church that launched in September

2008.

A bouncy house and

ponies drew the longest lines, but families seemed to enjoy the food, puppets

and arts and crafts as well. There were also three-leg and potato sack races.

Visitors were attracted

by road signs, word-of-mouth, the church’s web site and public service

announcements on local media.

Stevens said he was

“pleasantly surprised” at the turnout.

He arrived early with

his wife, Cindy, who is secretary of the Baptist State Convention board of

directors, to set up and stayed late to pack up.

He also served as a

gofer and greeter and brought breakfast for the volunteers.

“We want to be a church

that reaches out and crosses over culture,” Clay Stevens said.

“We want to be a true

reflection of our community. We want to be a culture built on the cross.”

Stevens stressed that

it’s “not about me.”

“It’s about Him being

glorified. We’re doing our best to see that develop.”

Part of outreach

Cross Culture had been

doing Love Your Neighbor days every quarter.

Stevens said projects

are done by small groups, and each group is responsible for putting together a

how-to guide once a project is complete.

That way, other small

groups can build on previous ideas.

Last September the

church partnered with the fire department for public safety day and did some of

the same activities as on this most recent Community Day.

Stevens wasn’t sure

about using puppets because they weren’t well received in September. But this

time children and their parents sat down on the ground to enjoy the show.

Celeste Winston and

Kristi McCown, who worked side-by-side at the popcorn station for most of the

day, were part of the church plant.

Stevens was pastor at

Bethesda Baptist Church in Durham for eight years and had always been

interested in North Raleigh.

He met with BSC church

planter consultants to discuss the possibility of a church plant in that area.

“It seemed like a good

place to start,” he said.

The long-range hope is

to plant churches along the I-540 ring around Raleigh.

“All that’s gotta come

in God’s timing,” he said. “We’re praying now which direction?”

Visit

www.crossculturelife.org.

Related stories

Inasmuch as you do for the least neighbors

Community Day crosses culture

VIDEO

OIAM volunteers return order and bring smiles

Photo gallery