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Personalizing Your Cross: Church Members Decorate With Designs, Pictures

Posted on: Sunday, 16 April 2006, 06:00 CDT

By Teri Maddox, Belleville News-Democrat, Ill.

Apr. 16--EDWARDSVILLE -- One of the 5-foot-tall wooden crosses is covered with colorful stones. A verse from Psalms reads, "He alone is my rock and my salvation."

Another cross is lined with yellow tennis balls. It's labeled "King of the Court."

More than 100 members of Newsong Fellowship in Edwardsville got creative this month by decorating crosses for Easter.

Ryan and Jaime Quayle decoupaged on photographs of good times with their son, Gabe, 3. They even included ultrasound images of their unborn daughter.

"We try to keep Christ at the center of our family," said Ryan, 30, of Troy.

Newsong is a nondenominational Christian church formed nine months ago by former members of a Baptist congregation. More than 400 people attend Sunday services each week in the gymnasium at Liberty Middle School on Goshen Road.

Pastor Dave Romoser and associate pastor Chris White are seminary graduates, but they don't use the title "reverend" to avoid an impression of superiority.

"We're like family," White said. "People walk in the door, and they're greeted with open arms and big smiles."

Romoser's wife, Shelly, leads a "creative team" that came up with the idea of recruiting volunteer carpenters to make crosses and asking church members to decorate them for Easter.

The crosses were displayed along a stage in the Liberty Middle School gymnasium on April 2 and last Sunday. They will make their final appearance at Easter services at 8:15 a.m. and 10 a.m. today.

Some families stuck with traditional themes for crosses. Christa Guilbeault and her mother, Brenda Brooks, attached white flowers and draped on a purple sash.

"We chose white flowers for the purity of Jesus' life," said Guilbeault, 35, of Edwardsville. "And purple is the signature color for the Lent season."

Guilbeault's two youngest children, Taylor, 8, and Brandon, 7, made miniature crosses and used Floam (foam that hardens) to spell out "Jesus Loves Me."

Members of the church's Celebrate Recovery LifeGroup wrote hurts, habits and hang-ups on pieces of pastel-colored paper and nailed them to a cross.

The Romosers, who grew up in missionary families, pasted on photographs of people from all over the world to send the message that God loves everyone.

Church administrator Tim Giltner, his wife, Krystal, and his youngest daughter, Megan, 14, decorated a cross with drumsticks, patriotic accessories and photographs of Krystal running and Megan demonstrating karate moves.

"It represents the blessings that God has given to me and my family," said Giltner, 47, of Edwardsville. "I play drums for the church (band). My wife is a marathon runner, and my daughter is in karate.

"We put red, white and blue ribbons and American flags on the cross because we feel that living in this country is a blessing God has provided to us."

The public is invited to attend Newsong Fellowship services at 10 a.m. each Sunday. The church has an office in Glen Carbon, near Wal-Mart. For more information, call 288-3025.

Contact reporter Teri Maddox at tmaddox@bnd.com or 345-7822, ext. 26.

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Copyright (c) 2006, Belleville News-Democrat, Ill.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: Belleville News-Democrat (Belleville, Ill.)

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