April 7, 2003

Houston church lifts high the cross, draws people
___HOUSTON--An effort to lift high the cross of Christ has drawn scores of newcomers to a Houston Baptist church.
___Jersey Village Baptist Church sought a way to make itself known more readily to the community. Church leaders considered billboards, postcards, websites, radio and television ads.
___Ultimately, the church decided to erect on its property a 50-foot cross made of precast concrete. The cross stands at a new entrance to the church property off Highway 290.
___It immediately became a landmark in the area, reported Pastor Ed Hogan.
___In the year since the cross was erected, Sunday worship attendance has increased from 970 to 1,140 people. Sunday School attendance has grown from about 750 to nearly 1,000.
___Much of the growth can be attributed to the witness of the cross, Hogan said. Another factor, he said, is the addition of a 24,000 square foot preschool and children's building.
___Along with the growth, the church has added a third worship service.
___"When all is said and done, the cross has become an open door," Hogan reported. "Just a year ago, the church would have two or three first-time visiting families. That number has grown to 10 per week. For every visitor who fills out a card, seven say they found out about the church by the cross."
___On Ash Wednesday, the church hung a huge purple cloth over the cross. It will remain there until Easter Sunday as a symbol of the Lenten season.
___What's happened at Jersey Village, Hogan said, reminds him of a saying of Jesus recorded in the New Testament: "If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me."
___

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