The mission of Church of the Cross extends well beyond the walls of the building and takes the form of many different community ministries.

Stitches of Love is a shawl-knitting ministry whose purpose is to serve the community by knitting shawls for people going through an illness, a death, a divorce, or some other traumatic experience.  As they knit, prayers are offered for the recipient of the shawl.  Stitches of Love meets every Tuesday evening at the church at 7:00 p.m.

Food, clothing, and money are generously donated monthly to one of the five Dayton area Community Centers supported by the United Methodist Church. A "Second Helping" offering is received each Sunday which goes to a Community Center. Our "Missions Collection Center" is located in the hallway outside the church parlor.

Habitat for Humanity is an organization which builds new houses and rehabilitates older houses, making them available, interest free, to low income families. Habitat has affiliates throughout the world providing homes for people who would otherwise not be able to afford them. People from Church of the Cross have been involved locally in everything from providing prayer support and lunches to sanding floors and shingling roofs.

World missionary support is an area to which Church of the Cross is earnestly committed. A portion of our Sunday offering goes to the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries, which establishes new churches and helps poor people all across the world. Specific missions are adopted for more direct support as the Spirit moves us.

We are currently establishing a partner relationship with a Hungarian Evangelical Fellowship congregation in the Kispest district of Budapest.  It is our hope that this "sister church" relationship will be mutually beneficial as a cultural exchange. 

slide show unavailableVolunteers in Mission -- The Missions Work Area has organized several trips into the interior of Mexico. During an exploration trip, a number of sites were visited including small churches in the San Pablo District of the Iglesia Metodista de Mexico and mission work among the Los Pames Indians. Church of the Cross desires to encourage the Mexican Methodists in their work. Our first Mission Work Trip to Mexico was made in February, 2002, and was for the purpose of updating a local parsonage near Tampico. More work was done there in 2003, and in 2004 we joined with our friends from Tampico to work on a church in Valles, Mexico. We returned to Valles in 2006 to work on building a new parsonage.

This year 25 of us represented Church of the Cross on an educational mission trip to Jordan and Israel.  We all came back feeling spiritually enriched, with a deeper appreciation of what makes the Holy Land holy.  For lots of pictures, click here.

St. Paul Luncheons are hot lunches provided for Dayton’s needy at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. Area congregations provide the food and people to serve it on a rotating basis. Church of the Cross provides this service about four times per year.

United Methodist Women is a group who are united by their common interest and support of missions throughout the world. Their particular focus is mission with women and children. At Church of the Cross, the UMW carries out its purpose through small groups called circles. Circles meet monthly to study, worship, work and fellowship together. Once each quarter the entire unit meets for a special program. Times of the meetings vary to accommodate women at home and women employed outside the home. Any woman who is interested in the mission of the church is invited to join a circle. Circle meeting times are as follows:

Mary-Elizabeth Circle, 1st Tuesday, 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Susanna Circle, 1st Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.- 9:15 p.m.
Ruth Circle, 2nd Wednesday, 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Sarah Circle, 1st Thursday, 10:30 a.m.

Stephen Ministry is one-on-one care giving to people experiencing difficult times in their lives such as unemployment, divorce, death of loved one, or loneliness. Stephen Ministers offer a listening ear and supportive shoulder during these times of need. Stephen Ministers are required to complete a 50-hour intensive training course before being assigned to a care receiver.

Our United Methodist Youth Fellowship participate in a variety of missions, from "walks" for specific charities to "adopting" needy families at Christmastime. Each summer the Middle School and High School youth groups participate in separate, week-long mission trips somewhere in the United States.  In years past, they have served in Chicago, Cincinnati, Boston, rural Appalachia, South Dakota, and Pittsburgh.


World of Love Learning Center and Infant Care is a daycare / pre-school outreach program of Church of the Cross. It began in 1967 as a pre-school program which operated two and a half hours each weekday. Today it is in operation from 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. It includes both daycare and pre-school programs for children ages 6 weeks to fourth grade and serves over 100 families. A highlight of the children’s week is a chapel session each week with the pastor where they learn of God’s love for them. For more information, see our WOL page.