What is MOTC?
The Ministry of the Third Cross (MOTC) is a Christ-centered retreat ministry committed to walking alongside individuals on their journey toward restoration, healing, and renewal. Through weekend retreats, MOTC provides a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment where participants can encounter the transformative love of Jesus Christ through prayer, worship, reflection, fellowship, and personal testimony.
MOTC serves individuals who have experienced brokenness in many forms, including incarceration, addiction, trauma, grief, loss, and other life-altering circumstances. Our retreats create an opportunity to step away from the struggles of everyday life, reconnect with God, and discover a renewed sense of identity, hope, and purpose.
At the heart of MOTC is a simple but powerful truth: no one is beyond redemption, no story is too broken for God to restore, and no one has to walk their journey alone. We believe every person is deeply loved by God, worthy of grace, and called to a greater story.
Through faith, community, and the power of Christ, MOTC seeks to remind every participant that their past does not define them, their circumstances do not determine their future, and God is not finished writing their story.
Our Ministry in Action
The Ministry of the Third Cross (MOTC) creates Christ-centered spaces where men, women, and young adults can experience the healing, hope, and life-changing love of Jesus Christ.
Through weekend retreats, Bible studies, worship, fellowship, and continued support, we walk alongside individuals as they discover renewed faith, identity, purpose, and a deeper relationship with Christ. For many, a retreat becomes a turning point, one that inspires lasting transformation and a desire to bring hope back to their families and communities.
Since our founding, MOTC has hosted more than 300 retreats and counting, reaching thousands of individuals through meaningful experiences rooted in grace, healing, faith, and community.
Because we believe transformation continues beyond the retreat, we partner with churches, ministries, judges, re-entry programs, universities, counseling professionals, and community organizations to provide ongoing resources and support.
Every life has purpose. Every story can be restored. No one is beyond the reach of God’s grace.
Who We Serve
MOTC retreats welcome youth, men, and women who are currently involved in the criminal justice system, offering a safe and supportive environment where they can pause, reflect, and experience the hope and healing found through Jesus Christ.
Many of our retreats take place in Bexar County, where MOTC has developed meaningful partnerships with local judges, court officials, and justice professionals. Through these relationships, individuals under court supervision may be referred to a MOTC retreat as part of their community service or as an opportunity for personal and spiritual growth.
MOTC has also expanded its outreach to the Corpus Christi area, providing specialized retreats for individuals who have recently been released on parole from the Texas Department of Corrections. In addition, MOTC has brought its retreats directly into facilities operated by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD), creating opportunities for youth in custody to experience hope, encouragement, and the transforming love of Christ.
The Journey Continues
A MOTC retreat is more than a weekend; it can be the beginning of a new chapter.
Throughout the retreat, participants are surrounded by love, prayer, reflection, testimony, fellowship, and opportunities to encounter God in a personal way. Many leave with a renewed sense of hope, purpose, and belief that change is possible.
But the journey does not end when the weekend is over. MOTC encourages retreatants to remain connected and continue growing through:
Ongoing Mentorship – Building meaningful relationships with individuals who can provide encouragement, accountability, and spiritual support.
Monthly Reunions – Gathering with past retreatants for fellowship, worship, encouragement, and continued connection.
Serving on Future Retreat Teams – Giving former retreatants the opportunity to share their experiences, serve others, and become part of someone else’s journey toward restoration.
Through these continued connections, MOTC reminds every retreatant that their past does not define their future, transformation is possible, and no one has to walk their journey of faith alone.
