2nd Chance

Cross

Ministry

 
In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s Northeastern Minnesota’s main industry was lumber. Many of the local lakes were used as a way to transport logs to the mills. Some of the logs became water logged and sank to the bottom of the lake. After 100 years or more of sitting on the bottom of the lake, some of the logs have floated back to the surface. These logs are known as “Deadheads” because only one end of the log is visible and they are a great hazard to watercraft.

While living on the shores of Garden Lake, near Ely, Minnesota, Pastor Bill would occasionally spot one of these “Deadheads” while boating. He would pull the log to shore using his pontoon boat, to remove the danger to other boaters. Over a period of time, he had accumulated nine of these “Deadhead” logs. They laid on the shore of Garden Lake for over a year and then Pastor Bill hired a person with a portable sawmill to cut the logs into lumber. It took another 18 months for the lumber to thoroughly dry.

Being anxious to see the results of his labor, Pastor Bill asked a member of his congregation to finish plane a couple of the boards.   Pastor Bill was told that the wood was “useless” because it’s strength was gone. The congregant told Pastor Bill that the only use for this wood would be kindling in the fireplace.
One day, Pastor Bill received a spam e-mail from Dennis Adams in North   Carolina. Dennis and his wife, Joan, make small wooden crosses from scrap wood and offer them to churches for vacation bible school, and Sunday schools. Pastor Bill e-mailed Dennis and told him about the “Deadhead’ wood. Dennis was excited, to say the least. That launched the start of the “2nd Chance Crosses”.   Pastor Bill has sent Dennis almost 1,900 pounds of wood and he has sent Pastor Bill over 70,000 wooden crosses.
Pastor Bill produces a number of different 2nd Chance Crosses - a key chain, a key ring, a zipper pull, a penny cross, a "Cross in My Pocket", a youth necklace, a small adult necklace, and a large adult necklace with leather lanyard. Pastor Bill has also designed a "Travel Mercy" cross that hangs from the rear view mirror of your car.
2nd Chance Cross is the ministry of Pastor Bill and his wife, Sherry. These crosses have been sent around the world to Africa, New Zealand,   Central America, South America, Europe, as well as, our own United States. They have been given to immates of federal prison, people having serious surgery, orphans, children attending summer camp, the homeless, and people grieveing the loss of a loved one. There is no charge for these crosses, but donations are accepted to help the ministry.