Cross Makers extend blessings through handmade crosses

By Renee Schuller
Care Ministry Specialist

“So I'll cherish the old rugged cross, till my trophies at last I lay down; I will cling to the old rugged cross, and exchange it some day for a crown.”

~ “The Old Rugged Cross”

As Christians, we cherish the cross. Not as if the cross itself is anything, but in that it reminds us of Jesus who loved us so much that He was willingly nailed to the cross of Calvary.

When we hold a cross, we can prayerfully lay down the sorrows and griefs that we bear in this life, put them at Jesus’ merciful feet, and be comforted in knowing that we are not alone.

The Cross Makers of Seward, Neb., have made it their mission to extend blessings to others through handmade wooden crosses. They are specially designed to be held in the palm of the hand and grasped with the fingers. What started in one man’s garage has become a thriving workshop full of buzzing equipment and the smell of cedar. To date, they have made almost 176,000 crosses.

Each cross begins with wood planks that often come from donated logs that are sawn at a local sawmill. A local manufacturing plant planes the wood planks and cuts them into smaller pieces. A volunteer at the local senior center uses a plastic template to draw the outline on the wood. At the workshop, a group of more than a dozen volunteers, mostly retired men and women, use the skills God has given them to turn an ordinary piece of wood into a beautiful and comforting cross.

“I feel like we’re giving back to people,” said Cross Makers Chairman Bob Kropf.

They cut out, route, sand, polish, stamp, and finish each cross. Each one is dipped twice in polyurethane to make it extra smooth and shiny. The crosses come with a symbol imprinted on it such as a heart, cross, or dog paw.

They offer crosses for a variety of special occasions, such as Baptisms, confirmations, and graduations. They can imprint them with mom, dad, vet, a ribbon, and logos representing professions such as military personnel, nurses, police, and firefighters. The imprints can be colored. They can also create a one-of-a-kind cross with a specific logo or symbol. They even make memorial crosses with a small picture of the deceased loved one in the center.

Each cross comes with a card with the verse John 3:16 as a reminder of the blessing and love of Christ that each cross represents.

The ministry is largely supported by proceeds from the sale of the crosses to individuals or groups who give them away as part of their ministry. This cross is also used through the Care Ministry at Worship Anew in the care packages and in the Grief Ministry mailings.

All the volunteers are blessed to serve the Lord in this way. They enjoy the work. It gives them something to do and a sense of purpose in their retirement, but they will say the best part is knowing that others are blessed and comforted by the fruits of their labor.

“It is rewarding for me,” said Bill Morse, who manages communications for the organization. “I hope that I am doing God’s work here.”

To learn more about their ministry, visit www.thecrossmakers.etsy.com.

“Recently a member of our congregation died of complications from a stroke. He had received a care package from you prior to his stroke. The entire time he was hospitalized, he had the pocket cross in his hand and clung to it. ‘I’m clinging to the cross of Jesus,’ he said. His wife included in his medical orders to the hospital staff that the cross should never be removed from his hand. Our pastor included this in his funeral service saying, ‘Until his final breath, he clung to the cross of Christ.’ Thank you and your team for all that you do.”

~ A Care Package Sender