A new ministry in Cropwell offers food for the spirit and the body.

“The Brook Besor is a Christian bookstore, a coffee shop and a music venue, but first we are a ministry,” said Tim Hendrix, who owns The Brook Besor.

The Brook Besor, which opened Dec. 2, is located on U.S. 231 across from Coosa Valley Elementary School in the old Harbor Lights restaurant building.

Hendrix said his wife, Linda, and son, Timothy, are both involved in the ministry. Timothy manages the store on a day-to-day basis.

“This was a vision the Lord gave me a year ago,” Tim said. “It was last January about this time during 21 days of prayer and fasting.”

Tim said the family participates in 21 days of prayer and fasting in January through Church of the Highlands in Irondale.

“The year before that during prayer and fasting, the Lord led me to a house in Leeds which was for sale,” he said. “That house is now Timothy House, a transition house for men in recovery that has been operating for about a-year-and-a-half now.”

Tim said he had passed this building many times with the “For Sale” sign.

“I thought I was being led to do another transitional house,” he said. “When I prayed about it, the response, that still, small voice, said ‘I want to plant my church there.’ I said, ‘Lord, I’ve never planted a church. I don’t know how to plant a church. I’m not a pastor.’”

Tim said although The Brook Besor is not a church, God brought a church there. Fellowship at The Brook began holding church Thursday night.

Linda said Fellowship at The Brook is a church for anyone and everyone.

“Our vision is that people who might not want to go to any other church might come here,” she said. “We will be serving those in recovery who are struggling with addiction issues.”

Linda said The Brook Besor is not a church and is not in competition with local churches.

“The Brook Besor partners with local churches,” she said. “We are closed Sunday and Monday, and don’t have a Sunday service. We are not competing with local churches; we just want to be an extension of the church and point people to the local churches. Through our name, The Brook Besor, it’s a place for those who thirst.”

Timothy said the name for the ministry came to him two years ago, when he was going through personal struggles.

“I read the story of the Brook Besor in 1 Samuel, where David comes back from fighting for King Saul to find his home burned and everything he had gone,” he said. “He had 600 men with him, and everything they had was gone.”

Tim said after praying about it, David and his men went after the army who had ransacked and destroyed his home.

“On the way, at the Brook Besor, 200 of the 600 men couldn’t go on because they were too tired from the earlier fighting,” he said. “They waited at the brook while the others went on.”

Tim said when the 400 men who went on with David got back after successfully recovering their wives, children and possessions, they didn’t want to share any of the opposing army’s plunder with the 200 who had remained behind.

“David said those waiting at the brook would get the same share as those who had gone on,” he said.

Tim said at a low point in his life two years ago, he had to turn to complete trust in God.

“I had to let go of everything I knew and let Him take control; that’s when He gave me the name,” he said. “I didn’t know what it was for. I tried it as a name for a few other things, but it never stuck. A year ago, when God gave the vision to Dad and me to buy this building, I knew what the name was for.”

Linda said she had the vision for a Christian bookstore about six years ago.

“I was listening, just not listening well,” she said. “When we saw the building, I walked in here and said, ‘Here is the bookstore God was showing me.’”

The building, which had previously been a bar, was purchased in July.

“When we were renovating, people would just show up off the street and help for free,” Tim said. “One person built a wall we needed. Another one built us steps, and another guy installed glass for a living and helped us with that. God just kept sending people here to do things. Every time we needed something specific, someone would show up and help. God provided.”

The Brook Besor is open 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and closed Sunday and Monday. There is a youth night once a month, a movie night once a month and a major worship concert once a month.

The Brook Besor’s worship venue seats 200 and has a 35-foot stage and sound system. The February concert will feature Eric Lige, an international worship leader, and is free to attend.

“Some of the concerts are ticketed, and some are free,” Linda said.

Future concerts will feature Act of Congress and Leah Faith, national recording artists.

The building is available for weddings, corporate retreats, Bible study groups and more.

“We are not sure all the opportunities God will have for here,” she said. “We want to be a light on the hill for Pell City, a warm, safe environment for people. It’s not just a business – it’s a ministry. The ministry is what we have in our heart here.”

The Brook Besor has a prayer room and kid’s play room. The coffee shop is full-service with hot and iced coffees, lattes, blended frappes, hot chocolate, hot tea, sodas and more.

“We don’t prepare food here but we have an assortment of prepackaged muffins, cookies, chips – things that go with coffee,” she said.

The Brook Besor also offers free WiFi.

For more information call The Brook Besor at 205-492-8826.

Contact Elsie Hodnett at ehodnett@dailyhome.com.