Cape church continues to grow through serving others, developing new ministries

Friday, April 30, 2021 ~ Updated 9:47 PM

As the Apostolic Promise (TAP) Church in Cape Girardeau expands, so do its community outreach programs.

TAP Church is one of the area’s leading not-for-profit program facilitators, serving more than 800 people in Southeast Missouri each week by providing assistance to those dealing with addiction, hunger and homelessness, among other challenges.

Pastor Timothy Lee said the church recently purchased another location in Scott City at 309 E. Beech St., and renovations are almost complete on the TAP Church Food Pantry, located at 361 Country Club Dr. in Cape Girardeau.

TAP Church has experienced significant growth since 2003 when Lee and his wife, Kathy, took over leadership of the church. The couple has traveled to more than 33 states and 13 countries during their ministry.

“It used to be just one center, one ministry of preaching and taking care of people, but now it’s recovery groups, Spanish ministries, the food and clothing pantry, homeless assistance, sign language programs. It’s all these groups that you see forming, prospering and touching people in real ways,” Lee said. “It’s like our effect is multiplied 100 times over. Instead of preaching one service every week, there’s dozens of people out there helping others.”

Lee said the ministry has grown even larger over the past 10 years since moving into their location on Mount Auburn Road in Cape Girardeau, which opened the door for more community outreach efforts and programming.

“It’s so gratifying because as we continue to multiply, we can touch more people,” he said. “We have a bigger team to make it happen. It’s just neat to see people make progress and know that wouldn’t have been possible without the church involved in their life. That drives me, getting to see those stories live out over several years.”

When Mary and John Seiler approached Lee about starting the TAP Church Food Pantry back in 2015, Lee said it was hard to decline such a “needed and helpful ministry for the community.”

When they moved church operations from their former location, 361 Country Club Dr., Lee said they never dreamed one day they would buy their old church building to open a food and clothing pantry.

Lee said the entire upstairs of 361 Country Club Dr. will be a food pantry, and the downstairs will be a clothes pantry and eating area. In the future, Lee said he hopes the pantry will become a “warehouse” for those seeking help in the community.

“People are looking to do better and they’re struggling, so we can use the pantry as a resource to help them until they get on their feet,” he said. “That’s kind of the dream — for that whole building to become a center over the years, helping a lot of people.”

Lee said he knew he wanted to create something unique when he came to the church — an inclusive, tight-knit ministry that is dynamic and expressive, and focused on “spreading Christ’s love” to community members in need.

“Most people say the church feels like a family, and a lot of them get in and get used to it,” Lee said. “When people come here, they really do hunger for that, so they come here and feel that acceptance. It doesn’t matter what background they come from, what race they are or what their bank account looks like. None of that matters because we are here for them, we care about them, and we want people to know if they are struggling they can run to the church, and we will do whatever we can to help them.”

Services are held at 10 a.m. Sunday and 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Scott City location. At the Cape Girardeau location, services are held at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

TAP Church is accepting donations of canned goods, coolers, freezers, toilet paper, infant diapers, paper towels, toddler-sized pull-ups or monetary support.

To become involved in the ministry, contact Mary Seiler at 573-334-0745, visit tapchurch.org or join us at 750 N Mt Auburn in Cape.