On December 30, 2013 at the conclusion of the Cross Conference hundreds of students stood up to indicate their commitment to return home and tell their churches that they desire to be sent as missionaries across the globe.

A Holy Moment
Thabiti Anyabwile used the term “holy moment” in a prayer afterwards and that’s a fitting phrase for this event.  It was indeed a holy moment.

But not an ecstatic one.  Not a manipulative one.  When students stood up they didn’t cue the music or turn down the lights.  The preacher, David Platt, wasn’t shouting at full volume to whip people into a frenzy. The end of Cross presented a sober moment for students to reflect on the call to proclaim the gospel globally.  Those who sensed an internal call simply made a public declaration that they would seek external confirmation through the elders of their local church.

Then, in a beautiful moment of Christian solidarity, those who hadn’t stood laid hands on those who did and prayed over them.  They implored the Lord to bless these young men and women who had chosen to obey the command to make disciples of all nations.  But it didn’t end there.

Goers and Senders
Throughout the conference each of the speakers emphasized the fact that all Christians are either “goers” or “senders”.  A “goer” is a missionary who chooses to cross a culture, learn another language, and proclaim Christ where He has never been preached.  A “sender” is one who supports a goer in his or her ministry.  Senders may support missionaries through financial contributions, prayer, and loving support.  Every Christian has a role to play in missions.

Volumes could be written about what the Lord did throughout the week of the Cross Conference.  But the culmination of the event was the obedient response of the students who chose to “write a blank check to God” to use their lives in any way He sees fit.  The attendees will never comprehensively know the impact of the decisions made on this wintry night in Louisville.  But Jesus commanded believers to pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send workers (Mt. 9:38), and He answered that prayer at Cross.

Cosmic Ripples of Salvation
A pebble thrown into a still pond creates ripples that eventually spread from shore to shore. Time will surely show that Cross Conference 2013 was a holy moment that began to produce cosmic ripples of salvation for people of every nation to the ends of the earth.

Hear messages from Cross here.