On the weekend of April 26-28, 20 young people from Life Church in Rainbow City took on a challenge that many people would think was strange. The group decided to walk so that missionaries would not have to.
On Friday afternoon, the students started a journey that would raise not only awareness for missions but also to draw a little closer to Jesus in the process. Each student was challenged to raise a minimum of $100 to help the missionaries.
The students were able to reach this goal through business sponsors or personal pledges from family and friends, and 2013 marks the third year that the students have done this work. The first two years, students raised just over $15,000.
As of the end of the walk, they had in pledged sponsorship just over $7,000.
The student’s walking route consisted of nine miles on Friday, 22 miles on Saturday and two miles on Sunday, where the students ended the walk to the cheers of the adults at Life Church.
The significance of the 33 miles was to represent the number of years that Jesus lived on the earth.
The church wanted to not only identify itself as His followers, but also wanted to know just what it was like to carry a cross.
During this year’s walk, two young junior high girls carried the cross for a combined 11 miles. In addition, a young man in a wheel chair participated and carried the cross the last few feet up to the church entrance.
Life Church is amazed at what God has done in the church and in the lives of its teens.
This event has done something amazing and has sparked a lot of talk around the church and community.
If you would like more information about Life Church or see a list of those who supported the walk, visit www.lifechurchag.org.
Walk sponsors will be listed on the site’s front page on May 16.