MenuSaturday Fellowship Breakfast: Our next Saturday Fellowship Breakfast will be on January 12th and we will watch a video on (Worry) presented by Pastor Steven Furtick, 5 Ways To Fight Anxiety. Upcoming dates are Feb 9 – (Lutheran Love) ‘Joy:fully Lutheran’ – Rejoice. Pray. Give thanks, Mar 9 – (Discipleship) Pastor Britt Merrick, The Loving Presence of God , Apr 13 – (Your Gifts) THE BEAT by Allen Parr, Spiritual , and May 11 – (God Filled Heart) Pastor Steven Furtick, 3 Habits of a Healthy Heart. All breakfasts are at 9am and it is a great time to invite a friend. For more information contact Scott Brooks.
Gift Card Fundraiser: Thank you, Holy Cross, for your generosity. Our annual Great Lakes Scrip gift card fundraiser was a tremendous success. 23 families participated, purchasing 384 gift cards valued at $9260. Our net profit on this is $646 which will go toward our 2019 LCMS Youth Gathering fund. We are blessed indeed! Thank you -Andrea Wiepert
Adult Bible Study: LCMS President Matthew C. Harrison recently translated the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther’s “A Simple Way to Pray,” a brief, practical guide on prayer written for his barber and friend, Peter Beskendorf, in 1535. “Because there are so many unbiblical things said and written about prayer all about us, every Lutheran should have ‘A Simple Way to Pray’ and read it,” Harrison noted. “Luther’s little book on prayer will revolutionize your prayer life.” Join the Adult Bible Study group on January 6 & 13 and revolutionize your prayer life.
Mite Boxes: $77.81 from Mite Boxes was sent to LWML in December. Thank you to all who contributed!
Holy Cross Directory: Holy Cross 2019 Directory needs updated pictures. If you take a family picture this holiday season please send a copy to Wendy Shelton at wendy0208@yahoo.com or ask her to take the photo for you. Also, please inform her of any address/email/phone number changes. There is a draft copy to make changes to in the Narthex. We are hoping to distribute the directory in early 2019. Thank you.
K-Hall: Tradition Renewed Congregational Information Session: Krampitz Hall is being planned for remodel at the recommendation by of the Board of Elders and Church Council as one of the top 5 Visioning priorities for 2019.
We will have an information session in Krampitz Hall on Saturday January 19th from 9:00-11:00 am. Breakfast Pizza & Coffee will be served! Elder, Scott Brooks will review the overall design intent and Professional Interior Designer, Jen Koss will be on hand to answer any questions on the preliminary design Your input & agreement on the design is important to the success of this major Holy Cross initiative. K-hall is the last space in our buildings that has not had a major makeover. Come help the Building Committee refine the design. This is your chance to learn more about how the proposed design will help Holy Cross better utilize this renewed multi-function space. The reimagined air conditioned K-hall will facilitate large events like contemporary worship, fellowship dinners, church meetings, adult & youth activities such as movie nights, Scouts, MOPS and more; while also providing the flexibility for intimate needs surrounding outreach, coffee hour, small group ministry, Praise band, Choir practices and music performances, and outside guest speakers, etc. Please come help us put some of your design touches How does to transform K-hall into a renewed multipurpose space.
Acolyte Update: I will be taking on the duties of scheduling and coordinating training of new acolytes. Traditionally, Holy Cross has begun having children who have reached the third grade and higher level on their journey to Confirmation by having them acolyte. This is a beginning step toward serving our church and our Lord. Acolytes assist the pastor through their service in lighting and extinguishing candles, collecting the individual cups during communion, and other duties as necessary. They are important participants in worship and perform vital tasks and it is an important responsibility for our worship service. Serving our church in this ministry, helps instill a feeling of belonging to the community of believers in you as well as deepen your faith as you understand the service order and meaning. Most importantly, we hope you will enjoy serving as an acolyte as a spiritual experience. You are acting out your love of Christ by leading God’s people and serving God right at His table. In mid-January an update and training event will be scheduled for all current and new acolytes. At the update/training, a schedule and a list with phone numbers and email addresses for all acolyte parents will be provided. Please note your acolyte assignments for the upcoming months on your calendars; we won’t be calling with reminders! Each new acolyte will be paired with an experienced acolyte for several services, before being scheduled to serve alone. Please remember that this is a year-round ministry. You may be scheduled at ALL the services. We will do everything we can to accommodate your limits. If you find you cannot serve on one of your scheduled dates, please find a replacement or arrange a trade as soon as possible and notify me with the assignment change. This is the acolyte’s/parent’s responsibility. Some last minute cancellations are unavoidable, but every attempt should be made to minimize them. In addition to the formal service part of the update/training, each acolyte will be fitted for a robe and instructed on the proper care to keep the robes clean and presentable. Your parent’s and your cooperation in this effort is greatly appreciated and I will say thank you very much, in advance. Any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me: 716-510-8839 (call or text) or email to pgludwig@yahoo.com. Parents, please watch your email after January 5th for more information regarding the time and date of the training. Again, thank you for your assistance and cooperation.
-In His service, Pat Ludwig
Hearts for the Homeless News: We just received a check for $225 from Dash’s for “Hearts”. Thanks for your continuing support and to Judy Carey for tabulating the receipts. Looking for someone to help coordinate another collection for Hearts. Jill
Lutheranism 101: What make the Lutheran confession of the Christian faith unique? Why is Lutheran worship different than the church next door? If you’re a lifelong Lutheran looking to dig deeper, new to Lutheranism and want answers, or just curious about the Lutheran Church, this class is for you. Join us Wednesday evenings at 7:00 pm beginning January 16th, led by Pastor Nickel in the HCCC. Contact Pastor Nickel if interested (pastornickel.holycross@gmail.com).
2018 Year End Financial Giving Statements are available in your church mailbox: Please pick them up to save the church the cost of mailing them. Those not picked up by 1/13/19 will be mailed. Any questions contact Susan Brooks at 636-4858 or ssnebrooks@gmail.com. Thanks and Happy New Year!
“If donating by check please make sure you dated it 2019, any check dated January 2018 will not be accepted by the bank. Electronic banking would eliminate the check writing hassle. See Susan Brooks or the bulletin for how to sign up for electronic giving. Happy New Year 2019!
Pastor Nickel Vacation: Pastor Nickel will be on vacation December 31- January 9. In case of pastoral care emergencies during this time, please contact Rev. Phil Schultz of St. Luke Lutheran Church (747-3320) or a Holy Cross elder (Scott Brooks 949-1756, David Chalmers 759-7377, Francis Cote 568-1373 or Kurt Wozniak 957-8092).
Tuesday Bible Study Group: Our 9:30am Tuesday Bible Study has begun but there is room for you! We meet 3 Tuesday mornings per month in the HCCC and all are welcome. Contact the church office for more information. We will be taking a slight break for the holidays and will next meet on Tues January 15th. We hope you will join us!
DCE (Director of Christian Education):
If you are interested in working to developa recommendation for a DCE resource, please see Pastor Nickel or Wendy Shelton. As we think about the many ministries we have currently and those we want to explore, the DCE role could be an important resource.
50% OFF ON 2019 REGISTRATION FEE FOR LUTHERAN MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER WEEKENDS: Because we are celebrating 50 years of Worldwide Marriage Encounter, the 2019 registration fee will be $50 instead of $100, so don’t postpone your attendance any longer–take advantage of this opportunity! Also new this year, because couples have told us that they would prefer to know the costs and pay ahead, prices for the lodging for 2 nights and 5 meals for each of you will be posted on the website and payable upon registering. Those fees can be refunded up to approximately a month before the event should conflicts arise, and financial assistance is available for those in need. Some Weekends fill quickly, so don’t delay, SIGN UP TODAY to avoid being on a waiting list.
Your marriage relationship is one of the things in life that provides the greatest potential for happiness. Resolve to make 2019 the year you attend a Lutheran Marriage Encounter Weekend to learn how to maximize the joy and intimacy that God intends for your marriage. The 2019 Weekends are: * April 5-7, 2019 at the lovely, warm and inviting Country Inn and Suites just off of Highway 99 in a very quiet area of State College, PA * April 26-28, 2019 at Heritage Hotel Lancaster, a newly-renovated hotel, home of the unique, treehouse-inspired restaurant, “Loxley’s” in Lancaster, PA * October 11-13, 2019 at the spacious, modern decor rooms at the Hyatt Place Pittsburgh/Cranberry in Cranberry Township, PA * November 1-3, 2019 at the award-winning Hampton Inn Berkshires beautifully situated on the edge of a nature preserve in Lenox, MA See the website: www.GodLovesMarriage.org for the pricing for each Weekend, and sign up today using your credit card or by marking the option to mail a check. For questions, or if you would like a brochure mailed to you, please contact Northeast US Directors of Lutheran Marriage Encounter, Fred & Julie Schamber, at 724-325-3166 or fjschamber@comcast.net.