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Leawood Baptist Church uses crosses to raise awareness about violence

Each cross represents a 2016 murder victim
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More than 180 white crosses cover the lawn of Leawood Baptist Church.

Senior Pastor Adam Carter says each of the crosses represent a 2016 murder victim in Wyandotte, Johnson and Jackson counties.

“It just represents a life, and as believers in Jesus Christ, we believe that every life is precious,” Carter said.  “As you put that cross together and as we paint them, you're mindful of this is a lost life. This is a brother, a sister, a loved one and it's heartbreaking to do it.”

Carter says he wants to bring awareness to the issue, with the display on the busy State Line Road.

“There's a lot of people, families that are hurting that have lost a loved one, due to violence,” he said. “So it's an opportunity for our church to remember those folks and draw attention to the problem in our city.

Rosilyn Temple, who lost her son in 2011, says the community is suffering right now.

“Our communities have been broken in the worst way,” Temple said. “We got to wake up and stand up and be a community that love on.”

With each cross signifying a life lost, Temple says it’s an indescribable feeling.

“I will tell you as a mother, you don't get over this, you learn to live through it and by the grace of God, we're still standing,” she said. “ Couple of weeks ago, I wanted to give up and die, it was five years Thanksgiving Eve that my son has been murdered and it's still unsolved.”

Temple and other mothers who’ve lost children, place the names of the murder victims on handmade white crosses in front of the church.

She says hearing the news of the increase of homicides in the area is heartbreaking.

“I’ve never seen it this high, it had blown my mind,” she said. “I can just imagine how families feel to have lost, when we all have lost our children.”

Of the 188 crosses, 121 of them are from the Kansas City metro area alone, a number hitting an eight-year high.

“I'm begging my community,” Temple said. “And I begged y’all last year. This year again, y’all got to do something. Stop pointing fingers, it's us. Let's come together. Let’s collaborate.”

The crosses will be displayed until the end of this year.

On Wednesday, December 21 there will be a service of prayer for the victims’ families at the Leawood Baptist Church. The public is invited to attend and the service begins at 6 p.m.

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Rae Daniel can be reached at Rae.Daniel@KSHB.com.

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