By Kim Ousley

Jeremy Brewer, youth pastor at First Church of God in South Shore, Kentucky, wanted to find an event the youth could feel good about while sharing the love of Christ in creative fashion. The idea for a “Cross Walk” came from seeing it done on a grander scale by other churches in the past. Why not use a full-sized cross with wheels that the youth group could display around the neighborhood?

“Three years ago, we wanted an event for spring [with which we could] share the Easter message,” said Brewer. With the help of Brewer’s dad, a wooden cross with wheels on the bottom was built. “It’s about a one-mile walk around the neighborhood.”

Carrying the cross…

Brewer shared how the youth group started out three years ago with maybe 1 to 3 kids showing up at the scheduled times. Now, there’s about 30 teens and young adults attending. These teens shared the excitement of the love of Jesus and invited their friends to come be a part of it.

A booth was set up on the day before Easter in the parking lot of the church. Both youth and adults gathered there for a short devotional and prayer, and then set out to carry the burden of the cross on their own shoulders. As they walked past houses and businesses, people would take pictures and give them bottled water to drink. Some even sat outside in their lawn chairs to watch them go by.

He feels this non-verbal message symbolizes the love of Jesus who carried the cross and took on the sins of the people.

“We didn’t want them to see us, but see that’s what Jesus Christ did for us. This should be an everyday event (for us).”

Jeremy (left) speaks in conjunction with the Cross Walk.

This year, he added a crown of thorns, a hammer, and nails to be carried. He says we need to lay down our selfish ways and pick up the burden of sharing that cross with others.

Brewer also started a Bibles and Barbells class once a week in the newly remodeled youth lounge at the church. He explains that they gather to have a short devotion time then work out on the equipment donated to the youth lounge. He emphasizes how we need to work out both our physical and spiritual lives on a daily basis.

Brewer, now 26, grew up on the very same church he is now a youth pastor. He loves working with the youth and young adults in the church and in the small town where he grew up. He continues to dream of seeing many churches in his area come together for the cross walk in the future.

Kim Ousley serves as a freelance writer for Church of God Ministries.

Learn more about the Church of God at www.JesusIsTheSubject.org.