Disaster Relief
Central Church of Christ and Tide 4 Christ know about disasters—our facilities were completely destroyed by the Tuscaloosa tornado of April 27, 2011. The incredible generosity and kindness of those in our community and around the country inspired us to be committed to supporting those who have suffered similar misfortunes. With the support of Central, Tide 4 Christ has purchased a trailer and crucial supplies that allow us to travel around the southeast to work after natural disasters. In the past few years Tide 4 Christ has spent time working after disasters in La Place, LA; Hattiesburg, MS; Tupelo, MS; Athens, AL; and at home in Tuscaloosa. Our group stands ready to support those in need whenever the need arises.
Service & Missions
Tide 4 Christ is dedicated to serving others. Throughout the year, a variety of service project opportunities are offered that care for our community, support our sponsoring congregation, and reach out to the campus of The University of Alabama. Students have the opportunity to tutor elementary school children, assist with Central events, teach Sunday school classes, visit shut-ins, build wheelchair ramps, and advertise the group to their classmates. In the past few years many members of Tide 4 Christ have traveled with Central mission groups to Costa Rica and Perú on extended mission trips, as well. Every year, students in Tide for Christ have the opportunity to grow closer to one another and the Lord through service to others in the church, in the community, and around the world.
2024 Winter Trip
In December 2024, our group was blessed with an opportunity to visit the Orlando area and serve with missions there. T4C spent one day with the Mount Dora Children’s Home and Christian School providing services to enhance their cosmetic landscape of the beautiful campus and support external work for the organization. Additionally, we also supported Central Florida Bible Camp in projects that upgraded their physical environment. See pictures below!
2024 Costa Rica Mission Trip – by Joleigh Bonds
Hello, my name is Joleigh Bonds and I attended the 2024 Costa Rica mission. As a group, we hosted a VBS for the local kids around the city of La Fortuna, Costa Rica, which even has an active volcano right next door! Our main topic we taught was “What would Jesus do.” It’s incredibly important to teach these little ones what Jesus did for us and how we can respond to him. To host our camp, a prosperous local was kind enough to lend us a property with all the proper tools, which of course included a soccer field. Kids from churches all around Costa Rica drove in, some as far as 10 hours away, to learn about Jesus. With the funding from Central, we were able to teach the truth of Jesus to over 100 kids, as well as give them free housing and full stomachs for a solid three days. Our local missionary and brother in Christ, Marcelo Mũnoz, told us that for many of these kids, this camp was the highlight of their year. Many go hungry and crave the education we so often take for granted. Through Central we achieved this, along with providing countless supplies and funds for even more developments. Brother Rolando at the La Fortuna Church of Christ told us months later that they were hosting a VBS every month to keep the kids engaged and learning about God every day. These kids are the future of our world and the future of the church. Praise God that these efforts are continuing to be fruitful!
2025 Costa Rica Mission Trip – by Joleigh Bonds
My name is Joleigh Bonds and I also attended the 2025 Costa Rica mission. Brother Rolando of the La Fortuna Church of Christ requested we come back and touch more kids lives at our earliest convenience, so of course we said yes! Rolando is an elder of the Church of Christ as well as the owner of the Eden Chocolate Farm, which is precisely where we hosted our VBS. It was truly inspiring seeing all our Christian family in Costa Rica make preparations for us to be there, praise God for their kindness!
This year we focused on more specific topics such as “being wise in your youth”. Many of the kids we recognized again and had so much fulfillment reconnecting with them. It fills your heart to hear these “chicas y chicos” sing out with all their might and love each other as family like we all should. They were again taken care of and fed with some amazing authentic Costa Rican food and got plenty of exercise and knowledge with our classes and games. Of course, they kept all our supplies we brought with us to stock their church for their next monthly VBS. It is such a privilege to hold these little children’s hands and teach them of Jesus in all the ways kids know best: crafts, games, and song! Cooling off our long days’ work in the Eden farm’s creek always reminded us of God’s beauty and infinite blessings to gather in a place of safety to teach others about Jesus. Pura Vida!
2025 Peru Mission Trip – by Tipphawan Patterson
From August 2nd through the 9th, I had the privilege of going on a mission trip to Trujillo, Peru. The trip was led by Don Bridges, Babs, “Big Don,” Marcello, Cindy, and Wayne, and also included Grant, Andrew, Ronan, and Adriana. Each of these beautiful, Christ-filled hearts was part of this journey.
To my knowledge, the church Iglesia de Cristo was built just a few years prior. Our mission was to see the progress of the church, help in any way we could, and share God’s word along with His everlasting love.
To accomplish this, we had VBS planned, along with thoughtfully prepared devotionals on Luke 15, followed by crafts and games. In a short amount of time, we built relationships that will last a lifetime.
Meeting all the amazing people at Iglesia de Cristo truly humbled me. The love within that church was full of Christ. Their compassion and kindness made me think, “This is a love I could never deserve.” But that is exactly what God’s love is. it’s a love we cannot earn or lose, for His love is unconditional. And we are called to love our neighbors in the same way.
The women of the church cooked for everyone every day, despite the challenges. The children came to learn, even from great distances. The church continues to grow, despite socioeconomic hardships. That is God’s love in action.
The impact of this mission trip was immense. The pure hearts of the children were a touching reminder that we, too, must have hearts like theirs. I could see them engaged in the devotionals and crafts, and I pray that we reached their hearts with the knowledge of God.
As I got to know the children, they impacted my life and strengthened my faith in God. Now I know that wherever I go, I will always have a brother or sister in Christ.
Before this trip, I prayed for God to humble me in ways I didn’t know I needed and that is exactly what He did. I will be forever grateful for this experience, and my heart will always be in Peru.
