On a quiet night you can hear the tap tap tap as a man kneels at the cross and hammers a nail deep into its base. Only he and God know what that nail represents, and the prayer that has so intensely gone before.

There are hundreds if not thousands of nails hammered into the cross in various locations. Stainless steel bolt are a reminder of those who have journeyed home on the path to be with our Father in heaven.

History

The cross that stands at the top of Agape Farm near the lookout has had a long journey getting to its current and final resting area. The cross was originally built in 2012 by Brian Loizes and was used for our annual weekend gathering - AdventureFest which has become known as "the greatest salty meat, campfire cooking, Jesus praising weekend ever". We were a small group back then, only 43 strong.

In the early days we used to construct and transport the Cross back and forth each year to the festival from Pittsburgh to Raystown. We would also carry it to each location for speakers and preachers...sometimes walking it down the road through the campground to the church building near the park office (pictured below). We would get a lot of onlookers and passerby's who would ask about the cross.

This went on for three years before we finally decided that we needed a larger more private location. In 2014 we prayed as a group for a new larger location to hold AdventureFest, and we asked for a large farm with a barn and endless fields that would allow us to praise His name at all hours of the night. A place that would let us burn as many fires as we wanted, as big as we wanted. A place with no rangers to bother us in the middle of the night just because someone parked a tire on the grass. God answered our prayers and brought us to Agape Farm, maintained by the good people of Jesus Ministries. They welcomed us with open arms and have made it possible to host and grow AdventureFest. So, we planted the cross in April of 2016 after successfully hosting our first AdventureFest there and knowing that this was our home. This is where we could plant the cross. The people who planted the cross are; Matt Grand, Tom Fedesco, Cici Fedesco, Carissa Fedesco, Greg Nass, Shannon Nass, Naomi Nass, Charlotte Nass, and Sam Matteo.

If you have the chance to make it to the cross when you are at Adventurefest, Creation, or just visiting the area stop by and take a moment to pray, and also take in the beautiful view that surrounds the cross that was created by our Father.

Matthew 16:24-26 (ESV)Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?