AMERICA AT THE CROSSROADS

More than 100 area residents heeded a call to a Christian life Sunday at the opening night of the Heartland For Christ Crusade at Cape Girardeau's Show Me Center.

Evangelist Lowell Lundstrom of Sisseton, S.D., gave the call to the 1,500 to 1,800 who hear his message for the evening, "America at the Crossroads."

Drawing from world events and the O.J. Simpson murder trial, Lundstrom related how America has fallen into sin. He interspersed stories and humor with his message that Jesus Christ is the savior of all.

As he closed his message, he asked whether Americans will seek secular or religious ways to find happiness and success in their lives.

Mike Woelk, pastor of Livingway Foursquare Church, said he was very pleased with the opening night.

"I think we found a nice bunch to work with us," Woelk said about Lundstrom and his band and singers. "They work hard, they're humble and they have talent," the pastor said.

Woelk said Lundstrom's group were living a low-budget life during their stay in Cape Girardeau. He said the group is here to serve the community and "we need that in Cape."

The pastor said the opening night was "just the beginning" of a week filled with inspiration and prayer.

"We're looking for a change in town for the better," Woelk said.

Pastor Mark Carbaugh of Christian Faith Fellowship said he had a few folks from his church at the crusade's opening Sunday.

"I think the crusade will grow and increase every night," Carbaugh said.

The pastor said he's particularly pleased at the spirit of cooperation among the various churches who worked together to plan the crusade. About 50 Cape Girardeau-area churches are co-sponsoring the crusade.

"We have a lot of different names, but we're all one body," Carbaugh said.

Lundstrom said he tries "to create a wonderful, fun event that will give people hope." He said he wants it to be like a Kenny Rogers concert with a lesson from Billy Graham.

Lundstrom's approach to preaching is very Bible-centered. On Sunday, he often quoted from the Apostle Paul, relating the early-day evangelist's messages to today's society.

Margie Casteel, 62 and a Cape Girardeau resident for three years, said she knew what Sunday evening was going to be like.

"I felt that I would be moved by the songs, prayers and the message," she said.

Casteel, who attends the New Plymouth Community Center that meets in the Drury Lodge, remembers her grandmother telling her about the impact that evangelist Billy Sunday had on Cape Girardeau during a 1926 crusade.

Tonight's crusade begins at 7:30 p.m. There is no admission charge.

Tonight's theme will be "Seven Signs of the End Times." Lundstrom said he has just returned from the Holy Land and will relate what he learned there to Biblical prophecies of the apocalypse.