NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–CrossSeekers, a collegiate discipleship movement already involving thousands of students across America, has a new team leader and a variety of new resources in production.
Scott Allen, a seven-year veteran of National Student Ministry (NSM) of LifeWay Christian Resources, the Southern Baptist entity which launched CrossSeekers last summer, took over the leadership role for the initiative July 27. He replaces Brad Gray who recently announced he will resign, effective Aug. 31, to complete his doctorate and serve as a teaching assistant at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.
“Brad has made an incredible contribution to Southern Baptist student ministry during his 12 years of service at National Student Ministry,” NSM director Bill Henry said. “His leadership in collegiate missions education and evangelism and his role as a key architect in the CrossSeekers movement will continue to positively impact student work for years to come.”
Henry said he is confident Allen is “well prepared and eager to provide leadership to CrossSeekers as students take it to the next level.”
More than 5,500 collegians across the country already have signed the six-point CrossSeekers Covenant, committing to a lifestyle of integrity, spiritual growth, an authentic and consistent witness, service, purity and Christlike relationships. Several thousand more are expected to attend the first “Celebration of the Covenant” Sept. 4-6 at the New Orleans Convention Center. A number of widely known Christian speakers and artists such as Anne Graham Lotz, Steven Curtis Chapman and Jars of Clay will be featured at the event.
“The covenant has always been the heart of this movement,” Allen said, “but as this large group of students gather together in New Orleans, I believe they will give the term ‘celebration’ a whole new meaning.”
While the majority of students attending the New Orleans event are expected to be from Louisiana and bordering states, student leaders from as far away as Virginia are making plans to attend.
Mark Reon, evangelism assistant for the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia, has chartered two 45-passenger buses to take students from his state to the celebration, and he’s raised funds to pay their conference fees and transportation costs. He’s even thinking about renting another 28-passenger vehicle for the trip.
“The lineup of speakers and artists that they have is first-rate. I didn’t want our students to miss out,” said Reon, who has opened up space on the buses to students recruited by the Baptist General Association of Virginia’s student ministry department. “I think we are eliminating the excuse some may want to use that it’s too far away. We do what we really want to do.”
In addition to the grassroots movement and celebration, the biblical message of CrossSeekers also will be spread through a variety of new materials being produced by NSM.
“We continually get calls, letters and e-mails from students and student leaders who are looking for Bible-based resources that help teach the principles outlined in the covenant,” Henry said. Five such resources are expected to be available for purchase at the Celebration of the Covenant in New Orleans:
1) “CrossSeekers: Discipleship Covenant for a New Generation,” by Henry and Richard Blackaby, includes Bible studies on the six covenant points brought to life in a practical, storytelling format. A copy of the book will be given to all those who register for the New Orleans event.
2) “CrossSeekers: Covenant Living, Leader’s Guide.” The definitive CrossSeekers resource, this booklet describes what the initiative is all about, how to involve students and how to incorporate it into existing on-campus or church-related ministries to collegians.
3) “CrossSeekers: Champions Handbook,” a handbook for students who choose to lead a CrossSeekers Covenant Group on their campus or in their church.
4) “Followology@Collegiate Ministry: Following Jesus in the Real World,” by Allen Jackson, an informal, interactive study that teaches students how to follow Christ in their daily lives.
5) “Transitions: Preparing for College,” compiled by Art Herron. Designed for high school juniors and seniors and their parents, this practical resource includes information about the admissions process, financial aid, loans and scholarships, lifestyle changes, spiritual development and more.
A CrossSeekers compact disc featuring several Christian artists and including the new CrossSeekers theme song by MercyMe also will be available at the event. In addition, the book, “CrossSeekers: Transparent Living, Living a Life of Integrity” by Rod Handley, chief operating officer of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, is scheduled for release in November 1998, and three other titles related to Christlike relationships, purity and spiritual growth are in development.
For more information about CrossSeekers or to register for the New Orleans celebration, call 1-888-CROSS98 or visit the initiative’s Internet site, www.crossseekers.org.
