“I’m an artist who makes metal crosses for inclusive churches.”

Steve Neff, of Lima, Ohio, arrived at Brecksville UMC with a resume and portfolio of his work last fall. Inside the folder were photos of some of the crosses he had created from recycled aluminum.

In his retirement, Steve’s hobby has become creating and donating these crosses to churches including Church Street UMC in Knoxville, Tennessee and Maple Grove UMC in Columbus. He has installed more than 40 crosses around Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Michigan.

When he asked if we would like one, too we thought that it would be a perfect addition to our outdoor worship space.

The 200 pound cross, cast from recycled tire rims, was installed on Tuesday, May 21. We learned that Steve creates an area to melt the aluminum, using a 55 gallon drum and clay. It takes a week to assemble this oven and a week to tear it down again. The finished cross is a beautiful silver brushed aluminum and stands 51 inches tall.

Bob Lundholm and Doug Holmes prepared an area for the cross installation and Jeff & Scott Hastings and Anthy Imes did the heavy lifting of helping Steve attach the cross to its marble base and move it into place. The cross was dedicated on Sunday, May 26 and is standing along the front sidewalk!

We are thankful for Steve and the ways that he is sharing his gifts with the world. Let’s lift up a prayer of thanks for him!