Teens race through ‘alien abduction’ corn maze at faith-based murder mystery event

Screams and laughter echoed over a cornfield outside Cadiz on the night of Oct. 18 as more than 100 sixth- through 12th-graders raced through a maze trying to solve a staged murder.

This was the fourth annual Murder Mystery outreach event hosted by Crossroads Farm – The Mine. The evening featured a concert, a spiritual message and a corn maze mystery challenge.

The Mine is the third branch of Crossroads Farm, a cooperative rural youth ministry that partners with local churches to reach teens in small towns. Murder Mystery is its largest annual outreach event, and across all three Crossroads Farm branches nearly 600 students attended this year’s events.

ALLISSA, a Christian rock band based in Pittsburgh, opened the night with a high-energy, hourlong concert in an old barn.

Scarlett Buchanan, a junior from Bloomingdale, shared her testimony about her faith. Luke Marshall, ministry director of The Mine, challenged students to decide whether they would follow Jesus. Organizers said more than five students made that commitment.

The tone shifted when Carrie Olson, administrative director of The Mine, announced that someone had been abducted by aliens. A video skit framed the scene as a mock news broadcast of an alien invasion before students took off into a three-mile themed corn maze. In groups of five to 10, they searched eight clue sites, from a makeshift Area 51 with slamming doors to an alien autopsy table and a space cafe, all staffed by volunteers in costume. The team with the correct solution in the fastest time earned “Alien Invasion” hats. Students met costumed characters, detoured down wrong turns and tackled surprise challenges.

The night closed with a bonfire, hot chocolate, apple cider and doughnuts.

More than 60 volunteers from area churches helped make the event possible. Organizers said Crossroads Farm is grateful for a community that invests in its teens.

Crossroads Farm hosts a weekly youth program from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sundays for students in grades six through 12, featuring games, popcorn, music and faith-based lessons.

For more information, visit crossroadsfarm.org, call 517-283-3982 or find Crossroads Farm on Facebook and Instagram at @crossroadsfarmthemine.