Reaches out to support officers

In light of the recent attacks against law enforcement across the nation, members of Crossway Ministries Church delivered care packages and prayed over local police officers on Thursday night.

Members of the local church gathered at the Andalusia Police Department right before the evening shift change to pray for the officers and give them their gifts.

“There’s been so many attacks on the police officers and so much opposition against them that we just wanted to show our support for them,” Church Member Terri Davis said.

According to reports, there have been eight officers killed in the line of duty in the last month.

Crossway Ministries Church Pastor Derrick Stewart said at the start of the summer, the church decided that it wanted to do something to give back to the law enforcement community.

“We wanted to start letting our public servants know that our church is praying for them and that we appreciate what they do in light of what’s going on nationwide,” Stewart said.

Stewart said the church will also be giving out care packages and pray for other public agencies in the county, including the sheriff’s office and fire department, among others.

Stewart said for a month, the announcement about this venture was made to the congregation, urging members to make a love offering to help pay for the care packages.

“We started announcing it on Aug. 16, and took up well over $300 to purchase the care packages,” he said. “Others have given more since then. We won’t know how much until next week.”

Stewart said the whole basis of what the church is doing is being servants to the community.

“When you are a part of a church, you don’t stay within its four walls,” he said. “You go out to all of the world to proclaim the gospel to everybody, and come and serve others for a change.

“That’s what being a Christian is all about; service to others,” he said.