DALLAS — Registration for Crossover Dallas is live.
Crossover, which will run from June 2-June 8, 2025, is the annual evangelistic emphasis preceding the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in the host city. Events such as block parties and personal witnessing opportunities have become ingrained in the outreach effort.
Churches and groups can register through the Crossover site, which is also available in Spanish.
Participation happens two ways. The first is hosting a Crossover event. Churches in the counties of Dallas, Denton, Collin, Hunt, Rockwall, Kaufman, Ellis, Johnson and Tarrant are eligible to host, in an effort to make an indelible mark on their community.
One option for hosting is partnering with students and faculty from Southern Baptist seminaries for door-to-door evangelism. Churches can also host a multi-day event such as Vacation Bible School or a block party outreach limited to one day. Another single-day event, Harvest Sunday, would take place June 8.
The second track for Crossover registrants is to serve at an event. Southern Baptists both in the target area and outside of it are welcome to serve with local churches.
The North American Mission Board will report the number of Gospel conversations, salvations, volunteers and other figures to messengers at the annual meeting. More than 185 people responded to the Gospel delivered by more than 1,469 volunteers during Crossover Indianapolis in June.
“We would like to encourage churches in that target area to host an event and individuals and groups, especially if you are already coming for the annual meeting, to serve alongside these host churches,” said JJ Washington, NAMB national director of Personal Evangelism who is overseeing Crossover’s planning.
Benefits for host churches include learning evangelism best practices and using the event as a catalyst for establishing an evangelistic culture in the congregation. Volunteers will gain experience in starting an evangelism movement in their own church as well as the experience of partnering with other Southern Baptists.
Washington said NAMB is working with leaders from the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention and Baptist General Convention of Texas as well as regional and state networks. Local Baptist associations – Dallas, Denton, Collin, Hunt, Kauf-Van, Ellis, SW Metroplex and Tarrant – have also featured prominently in Crossover’s planning.
“This is truly cooperation at its finest,” he noted.
Luis Antonio Gonzalez, Spanish pastor for Lamar Baptist Church in Arlington, is helping mobilize other Spanish-speaking churches in the area.
“We are providing resources and encouraging them to participate,” he said. “Our prayer is to develop an evangelistic culture in the churches and bring a fire to fulfill the Great Commission.”
First Baptist Garland, where Greg Ammons is pastor, will host a Harvest Sunday and door-to-door evangelism.
“We’re looking at having a block party as well,” said Ammons, who is also helping mobilize churches in the area. “JJ and [NAMB Vice President for Evangelism] Tim [Dowdy] led evangelism training last week. We had a good turnout and are now signing up churches for hosting.
“We’re hoping to see a lot of people come to Jesus, to plant a lot of seeds. We want to establish an evangelism culture.”
Published November 1, 2024