CARE MINISTRY
“Whatsoever you do unto one of the least of these my brothers, you do also unto me”
Matthew 25:36
The Soldiers of the Cross have the mentality that the only way to win a battle, is to be on the offensive, and that’s exactly what this ministry has been doing since 2000. While every church needs to offer a “Benevolence” ministry to offer help to those when it’s needed and requested, we believe that Jesus meant what he said when we were told to go out “into the highways and hedges” seeking the lost. Since 2004, the goal of the Soldiers of the Cross has been to expand its borders and seek new avenues to reach those with a need.
Since 2000, the team has went into the inner city of Birmingham every Thursday equipped with food, personal items, and hope ready to give any and all of it to those in need. Since this ministry began, dozens have come to know Christ and as of 2008, more than 70,000 meals have been served.
In 2002, the church began its Satellite Service at the Bankhead Towers, a facility that houses the elderly and disabled. On the last Sunday morning of each month at 8 AM a service is held for its inhabitants where upwards of 50 people per Sunday have come to join in worship.
In 2004, the SOTC began its “Can Do” drive, where the goal was to invite families from the area to the church the weekend prior to Thanksgiving, and minister to them in song and in the Word, before sending them away with a box containing all the items to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving meal, including a turkey. As a result of that initial effort, hundreds of families have been ministered to since 2004.
In 2007, the “Supplies 4 Success” school supply campaign began. Children who needed assistance with basic school supplies come to the church and enjoy a “Kids Krusade” type atmosphere before receiving their new backpack full of supplies.
We are excited to see where the Lord leads us in the future as we know that more opportunities and avenues of ministry will open. Like the song says, “We are soldiers, in the army, and we’re marching, claiming victory. We will not give up, we will not turn around, we are soldiers marching Heaven bound.”
