A Trio of Crosses

Sunday marked the completion of three outdoor crosses...sure to grab anyones attention off Interstate 540. "It`s a day to rally around the statement we hope the crosses make in Northwest Arkansas... about all that God is doing here in our community," says Associate Pastor Drew Tucker. It was a day of worship and praise as hundreds of people showed up to see the completion of the churchs trio of crosses. The final two crosses were raised Sunday morning. The smallest cross is 145 feet, and the other two are 165 and 175 feet. Tucker and others say it`s about more than just finishing a project. "It`s really not about the building. We`re hoping this can be a spiritual oasis," says Tucker. Church member Scott Tyra says, "For our church and our community, its the lifeblood of everything we do, or else it`s just doing another great project." And Jordyn Daniels agrees. "The cross represents Jesus and the two thieves and one got saved... it means a lot to have these crosses, and it`s living proof." Of course-- there are some who say these crosses are not a necessity in the community. Amy Coatney says she believes theses crosses are "bogus." Derrick Coatney says, "They could have spent money on other things... needy families, helping kids in the neighborhood, shouldn`t have spent millions of dollars on that church down there." Even still... Tyra says he`s excited that people are talking about the crosses and he`s happy to be part of a vision that will hopefully make a difference in everyone`s lives. "In my workplace, co-workers are saying, ‘I see ya`ll have put up another cross. It creates conversation, dialogue, and it opens doors... We hope these crosses will have an impact on people for an eternity." In the fall the church will install lights on the crosses so they can be seen at night from the interstate, as well as an outdoor baptistery surrounded by a lake of about two and a half acres.