Handcrafted wooden crosses and ministry tools
for the Body of Christ
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith;
and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.
Ephesians 2:8


Frequently Asked Questions

We're glad you asked ...
ABOUT HOLDINGCROSS.COM 

HOW CAN I FIND YOU?

We no longer have a "brick and mortar" store. When "rent" increased 200% over five years, we decided that was not good stewardship. Some ask why we don't sell on Amazon or Ebay. The processing / shipping / handling "fees" are more than the rent we used to pay. God has put it on our heart to make The HoldingCross available to Christians to give Him the glory and to be personally responsible for the stewardship of the work of our hands. It's not about "selling". It is about ministering. We are a  faith-based family INTERNET business and can personally help you over the phone or by email.  


HOW DO I KNOW WHAT KIND OF WOOD MY CROSS IS MADE FROM?

Your HoldingCross™ came with a tag attached to it.  On the inside of the tag, on the right-side, you will see a paragraph containing the name of the wood, where it can be found in the world and some descriptive information about the wood.

WHAT DOES IT DO?

The work of Christ on the cross is sufficient and there is nothing needed to be added or taken away.  The HoldingCross™ is a reminder of whose we are and what He did for each and every one of us. The HoldingCross™ doesn't do anything by itself.  It's just a piece of wood. It is, however, a reminder of what we are called to do ... be in prayer ... at all times.

DO YOU OFFER DISCOUNTS FOR LARGER ORDERS?

One of our built-in discounts that we offer regularly is with our MinistryPacks.  They have either five or ten HoldingCross™ prepackaged for you and offered at a discounted price from the individual HoldingCross™  prices. 

We often have churches, individuals and organizations asking for many HoldingCross™.  We offer various discount programs beginning at 50 HoldingCross™™.  If you are interested in a "larger" order, we would be glad to share our discount structure with you as it relates to your particular need.

 
WHY IS IT SO ODDLY SHAPED?

The HoldingCross™ design and shape is meant to feel comfortable when cradled in the palm of your hand.  Our hands are not symmetrical and neither is The HoldingCross™.  Whether grasping tightly or just resting in your hand, The HoldingCross™ feels like it was custom-made just for you!

DO YOU MAKE SMALLER HOLDINGCROSSES FOR CHILDREN?

Yes, we can upon request.  However, there is a reason we don't carry them as a stock item. Let us explain.  The HoldingCross™ is meant to be a lifetime gift. It is meant to be from one hand to another. It was created as a tool to reach out to another in a special way.  Scripture says that "when I was a child, I did childish things ...".  We think it more meaningful for a mother or a grandfather to give a special HoldingCross™ to a child so that they can grow spiritually and physically as they become an adult. The cross they were given decades previously can still be used in daily prayer and be even handed down to the next generation.  What a blessing to have a HoldingCross throughout their childhood, teen and adult years.

We make smaller HoldingCrosses on request, usually when it is obvious that the child will not be getting much older. Usually when the child is in critical care and The HoldingCross™ that fits a small hand for a period of time is appropriate. 

I JUST RECEIVED 2 HOLDINGCROSSES OF THE SAME WOOD AND THEY ARE DIFFERENT .. WHY?

The diversity of the boards of wood we use is similar to the diversity of people.  Each one being unique and one-of-a-kind.  We deliberately try to pick out the unique features of the board for each and every cross so they are different … just like you and me.  A Purpleheart wood board can vary in color from a pale lavender to a rich deep purple.  A Pecan board can be a creamy straw color or a deeper earth tone.  Think of it like this .. there are no two boards identical.

DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING AS HARD AS BODARK?

Yes!  Bodark, also known as Osage Orange, isn't nearly as hard as some of the other woods we use. The hardness scale from the Flooring Institute measured Bodark at 2040.  Goncalo Alves measured 2160.  Cocobolo measured 2720.  Ipe measured 3060.  Desert Ironwood measured 4300.  The hardest wood known to man is Palo Santo at 4500.  By the way, Hard Maple was measured at 1450 and White Oak at 1360.

HOW DO I MAINTAIN THE WONDERFUL FINISH ON MY CROSS?

Each HoldingCross™ is sanded, sanded, sanded and buffed so your maintenance is minimal.  In holding your cross regularly, the oils of your hand is all that you need to keep your HoldingCross™ beautiful.  There is a woodworking term that is hardly used anymore.  It describes the natural aging of the color and beauty of the wood.  The word is patina.  Your individual HoldingCross™ will develop a natural patina unique to you and your particular cross.  Sometimes, people want to buff the HoldingCross™ by hand to clean and restore some of the natural luster. A furniture paste wax like you would use for fine furniture will work just fine.   

OH NO!  I’VE JUST BEEN GIVEN ANOTHER HOLDINGCROSS!  NOW WHAT?
We have an abundant God.  Part of the ministry of The HoldingCross™ is the sharing with others.  This is a great way to reach out to someone in need, in crisis, in joy but always in love.  As the Lord leads you, consider ordering another HoldingCross™ or two.  Also, take a look at the MinistryPacks to help with having some extras on hand.  

I'M A RETAILER WITH A GIFT SHOP. DO YOU HAVE A WHOLESALE PROGRAM?

We do have a Wholesale Program (WP).  This program is intended to service the Retail and Not-for Profit (NFP) accounts that want to utilize the benefits of a larger discount by having larger orders. The Wholesale Distributor Program page has an inquiry form for you to submit to get further information.

 

I LOVE MY HOLDINGCROSS.  CAN I MAKE THEM TOO? 

We are blessed that you, too, would like to make The HoldingCross™, however, our design, logo, name, tags, etc are protected under the US Trademark and Copyright laws.  The Lord inspired us for this work and it is our only source of income. We have many programs for churches and ministries that wish to partner with us for a HoldingCross ministry.

Due to U.S. Copyright Law, we cannot permit others to use our Logo, reproduce our products or copy our design without a license or permission.  Please see the conditions for use page on this website if you have any additional questions regarding this.

I HAVE FOUND OTHER COMPANIES OFFERING WOODEN "HAND CROSSES" OR "PRAYER CROSSES" OR "COMFORT CROSSES".  WHAT MAKES YOURS DIFFERENT?

First of all, if any cross you can hold in your hand helps to remind you to pray more, praise the Lord! 

We created this specific design in 2001 and have been making then in our woodworking shop in Texas ever since. There are others making crosses for people to hold now. You may find them made of wood or a resin casting or even painted with bright colors. Their story is different and their cross is different.  Several retail establishments and catalog companies offer crosses imported from China or Indonesia or Syria or Jordan or Lebanon that have been cut, sanded and finished to be mass produced with "cheap" labor. Still, The HoldingCross™ that we manufacture feels different than anything else we've found.  Our specific asymmetrical design was inspired as we began hand crafting them two decades ago in 2001.  The quality of our work is noticeably different.  The size and shape of The HoldingCross™ is uniquely ours. The sides are smooth to the touch. The edges are gently rounded. The natural beauty of real wood is obvious. 

It may not be important to you, but The HoldingCross™  is hand crafted in our family operated woodworking shop in Texas. They are all MADE IN THE USA. The people making The HoldingCross™ along side of us are brothers and sisters in Christ that have been customers of ours that wanted to help us minister to the Body of Christ and have joined our family work. 

You can purchase a wooden cross that is less expensive than ours - that is certainly a choice you have. Products imported to the USA generally have a lower cost of labor to manufacture and pay no US personal property or income taxes. We employ US citizens and pay fair wages for the work. The HoldingCross™ price may be higher than other commercially available crosses for the hand because there is more hand work done on The HoldingCross™ before it is given to your loved one.  We pray the value is in the giving not necessarily in the purchase alone. Our purpose in making and distributing The HoldingCross™ is to glorify Him by ministering to others in His name.  The HoldingCross™ is a gift of Love from one hand to anotherTM.

How do I know the cross I'm buying is The HoldingCross™ and made by you?

If it says on the package or StoryCard that it is made in Texas, it comes from our workshop.  If it says on the package that it is The HoldingCross™, it comes from our workshop. If it has The HoldingCross™ Story talking about how The Lord gave us this work to do, through the Hospice Ministry of Carol and Jack, then you have found The HoldingCross™. This design and work is our story, life and family ministry.

IS THE HoldingCross™ SIMILAR TO THE CLINGING CROSS?

The Clinging Cross is a wonderful design from an artist named Jane Davis. Her original design was made of clay and, over time, has become mass produced out of a resin material and painted to look like wood. Her product, like many other hand crosses on the market, are manufactured in China.  Many find comfort using this cross. 

Our HoldingCross™ is made of natural wood and is not mass produced. We touch every single HoldingCross™ during the process of making it ready for ministry and use.  They are prayed for and prepared specifically for your hand. We don't use any petroleum-based products on the wood. The finish is the natural wood that has been sanded and buffed. We make all of The HoldingCross™ in our woodworking shop in Frisco, Texas.

Why Wood?
 
There are so many variables to using wood as the basis for the work and ministry we do. The world has en-cultured us to expect everything to be uniform and to be consistent. Plastics and resins and “man made” materials abound. Retail Stores and the web are full of various cross designs made of plastics, resins, iron, stone, precious metals  and even some made of wood.  They are painted, glued, stapled,  sprayed, dipped, baked, hammered and sewn.  Some of the materials used are difficult to identify what they are!

We’ve chosen a different point of view.

Jesus, our Savior, died on an imperfect cross made of wood. The” Perfection of the Ages” hung on an old rugged cross. The nails were rusted. The wood was warped. The blood was precious. The price was beyond cost.

We make The HoldingCross™  out of natural wood. The wood is imperfect. So are we. Not every imperfection in our work is covered over. In fact, we generally will struggle to decide about letting a piece go through our “quality control” process because we are led by the spirit to believe that someone will be blessed knowing that this piece is imperfect just like they are.

Jesus died on the cross to make that which was imperfect (you and me), acceptable to The Father. The work we do isn’t perfect. His was!

We work with natural wood as a reminder that He was a carpenter. He worked with wood. He cut, shaped, carved, sanded and made pieces of wood that would bless others.

Why wood?

Because Jesus did his best work with wood.


WHAT IS YOUR DENOMINATION, IF YOU DON'T MIND ME ASKING?

We understand that denomination ties are important to many folks.  However, we believe it's best to focus on our common beliefs in Jesus along with His Saving Grace rather than denomination differences. We worship and fellowship at a congregation near our home, when we are home.  When on the road, we fellowship at various Christian churches of various denominations. We hold the Apostles' Creed and Nicene Creed as our fundamental statements of faith.

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We are truly blessed to minister to the body of Christ in this way. If you have any questions about our work or ministry, please use the contact us page and write us a note.

Blessings,
Jack & Carol Scott

 
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