By Sharon Mager, BaptistLIFE Correspondent
ROSEDALE, Md.—The Crossover Baltimore team hosted a special celebration service at Freedom Church on June 24. Freedom Church’s praise team led music and the evening included videos and testimonies from church members who participated in the event, which took place primarily on June 7. 
Over 2,300 volunteers from 18 states, including 200 seminary students, served in 63 outreach activities in and around Baltimore. Thirty-two churches participated in the event and over 15,500 people were served. There were 226 known professions of faith and over 1,500 Gospel conversations.
While the numbers are impressive, Baltimore Baptist Association Director of Missions Bob Mackey said, “The ripple effects will go on for a very long time.”
Cindy Irizarry, Crossover Baltimore mobilization and logistics director, said there were many small “snapshots” that make up the beautiful portrait that was Crossover Baltimore.
“I was at a block party at Northeast Church. I was standing next to a woman who had raised her hand when the Gospel was presented. I turned around and said, ‘Are you raising your hand to accept the Lord?’ She said yes. We were standing shoulder to shoulder. For the Lord to allow me to see that, and then see them going to join Pastor Bill (Higgins) and see the prayer that took place was so phenomenal,” Irizarry said. The woman’s young son also made a profession of faith.
Sharon “Pinkee” Pinkerton was also at Northeast and said the response to the Gospel that afternoon gave her “cold chills.”
Pinkerton is a new believer and serving at Crossover was her first large missions outreach. “It was overwhelming. I’d do it again in a heartbeat!” Pinkerton said, tearing up.
Irizarry said working with the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia was also exciting. They provided a feeding unit that helped First Baptist Church of Brooklyn minister at their block party.
Another “snapshot” Irizarry saw was Jeremy Dickson, pastor of Infinity Church with a huge smile on his face as folks arrived at the church’s community fair, even while limping from a fall he took the night before.
Theresa Sassard said she was so touched to see seminary students washing cars at a free car wash alongside Mars Hill members, talking with car owners, sharing as the Holy Spirit led.
Isaac Moncada, pastor of Iglesia Bautista de Patterson Park, said 12 people received Christ at their outreach. “It was a great day for the Baltimore Baptist Association,” Moncada commented.
Kurt Wesolowski, pastor of Parkville Baptist Church, hosted 11 seminary students and a mission team from Hayes, Va.
“We had about 25 for the baseball clinic and 300 for the Family Fun Day,” Wesolowski said. The highlights of the event, Wesolowski said, included 10 people accepting Christ, many Gospel conversations, two people attending the church and increased VBS registration. “Many seeds were planted,” Wesolowski said.
In preparation for the ministry, churches were offered free evangelism training. Irizarry said she was thrilled to see church members using “EvangeCubes” to share the Gospel.
The Crossover team made a video that highlighted Baltimore Crossover activities, but made it in a way that it can be used to encourage others to be part of Crossover Columbus outreach next year.
Bob Mackey closed in prayer, thanking God for what He has done, praying that He “watered the seeds and produced a harvest a hundredfold!”
To see pictures from Crossover Baltimore see http://www.flickr.com/photos/bcmd/14258723420.