Area Church Raising Funds for Huge Cross Sculptures

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- Grace Community Church has unveiled a new fundraising campaign to finance two gigantic crosses to mark the entrances to Houston on IH-45. The planned crosses that could reach 200 feet and would dwarf the colossal Sam Houston statue in Huntsville (77 feet tall).

The two crosses would be constructed at Grace's new north campus just south of The Woodlands and it' south campus at Dixie Farm Road. The design plans include a "prayer center" building as the base with an openwork globe with a cross on top.

The campaign, titled "Marking Our City," recenlty launched with billboards showing a giant cross looming over the Houston skyline. The billboards announce a 150-foot cross is "coming soon." The Federal Aviation Administration could limit the heighth of the south campus cross to 150 feet because of it's proximity to Ellington Field.

The cost and construction timeline of the structures has not been announced and the final design plans will depend on the success of the fundraising efforts. In addition to the cross structures, the fundraising drive will also raise money for an American heritage museum at the north campus as well as the church's other charitable initiatives.