MenuBrothers of Harmony Concert: The third annual Brothers of Harmony concert will be at 2:00pm on Saturday June 8th at Holy Cross and Sunday June 9th at 3:00pm at Church of the Nativity in Buffalo. Tickets are $10, youth under 18 are free! Tickets available at the door or from Bill Cook or any of the Brothers of Harmony.
Chiavettas Dinner: Holy Cross will be sponsoring a Chiavettas BBQ fundraiser on Sunday June 9th, 2019 from 12:00 until 2:00 with the event proceeds will go to a local charity. Doug Hartley is coordinating the event and is looking for about 10 – 12 people to help out. While Chiavettas does all the cooking we need assistance to set up, package the meals, cashiers and clean up. Will will also need people to purchase tickets for meals and hopefully sell them as well. Ordering ahead of the date will ensure you receive a delicious hot meal on the day of the event. Order sheets will be available soon and placed in your mail box. Signup sheets to volunteer to help will be available Sunday. Please consider supporting this event. There will also be a bake sale, so all bakers and buyers are welcome! 🙂
July Criss Cross Deadline: Please submit any items for the Criss Cross no later than June 18th. Items may be left on the desk in the HCCC or emailed to holycrossclarence@gmail.com Thank you!
VBS REGISTRATION IS NOW LIVE!Our registration site is live! This is for participants AND volunteers. You can go to https://vbspro.events/p/events/holycrossclarenceroar2019 or click the link on the VBS page of Holy Cross’ website. VOLUNTEERS: There are jobs big and small. Check them out in the volunteer registration of our VBS site. If you are going into 6th grade or older, you can help! We need leaders to walk the kids from station to station, snack helpers, station helpers and many more. We also will need help on Friday at noon for our big end of VBS party! So, if you can’t be there the rest of the week, but can be there Friday, we want you. And we will need help on Sunday July 21st setting up and decorating. This is a great way to help if you can’t come during the week. Please sign up today! If you have questions, or are willing to help, please contact Katie Marzano via text at 270-3170 or Ruth Marzano at themarzanos@gmail.com. V
He-Brews: Our next meeting will be on June 20th at 7:30. We meet at local homes or restaurants and spend time in fellowship as we we continue to define how we can “together sow and grow” Christ’s kingdom. He-Brews is open to all men, young and old.
Service Project Opportunity: The Tuesday Morning Bible Class summer activity this year will be doing 3 service projects for Lutheran World Relief. LWR tackles global poverty by helping people adapt to the challenges that threaten their livelihoods and well-being. We are asking the congregation to help us collect supplies for (1) Personal Care Kits,(2) Fabric Kits and(3) Fleece Blankets ,which we will assemble and ship to LWR. The items needed for the first are available on fliers in the Narthex and we will have collection bins in the Narthex to place the items. We ask that all supplies for the first project: Personal Care Kits be in by June 16th. Information on the other projects is forthcoming.
A Huge Thank You!: Thank you to Jeff Allen, Scott Brooks, Dave Chalmers, Nancy & Francis Cote, Paul Donnelly, Sue & Joe Dudek, Christine Garlapo, George Shetler and Sue Tichy for your hard work on the Spring Cleanup on Saturday, May 11th. All the planned tasks were completed! Doug Garlapo- Building & Grounds Chair
Holy Land 2020 Trip: Have you ever considered taking a tour of the Holy Land? Seeing the stories of Scripture come to life as you walk in the footsteps of Jesus? In Israel, you can visit the sites of biblical importance and hear the stories of the Bible you’ve heard for so long. You can experience floating in the Dead Sea, looking out over Jerusalem from the Mt. of Olives, praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, visiting the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the Western Wall, Jericho, Masada, worshiping on the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus delivered His Sermon on the Mount, a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, standing on the battlefield where David fought Goliath, and sitting on the Jordan River where Jesus was baptized, just to name a few! A potential trip is being planned by Pastor Nickel for June of 2020 and you’re invited. If you are interested or would like to get more information, please contact Pastor Nickel with your contact information. An introductory meeting is scheduled for June 16, 2019 at 9:15 a.m. in the Holy Cross Christian Center Conference Room to give details regarding the trip and what to expect for those who are interested. Don’t miss your chance to experience the journey of a lifetime!
Attention Holy Cross Bakers: Please consider baking cookies, brownies, cupcakes, bar cookies or pies- to be packaged and sold at a Bake Sale to run during the June 9 Chicken Barbeque. Please bring items over to Krampitz Hall before 10:00 worship service. Thanks! Sue Tichy & Linda Cummings.
Cookie Bakers Needed: The luncheon at Greenfields is on Thursday, June 20th at 11am. We willcar pool from church at 10:30am for those you wish to attend. Cookie bakers, please have your sweets at the church kitchen before 10:30am that day. No need to plate them! Thank you. Linda Cummings.
Wednesday Evening Worship Services: Did you miss hearing God’s Word some Sunday because you were forced to work or out of town? St. Luke Lutheran Church (900 Maryvale, Cheektowaga) now has a Wednesday evening worship service beginning at 7:00 PM. (This replaces their Saturday evening service.) They have cordially invited all members of our Buffalo-North Circuit of congregations. It’s another chance to hear God’s Word and commune with fellow believers in Jesus Christ.
Hearts For the Homeless: As Hearts closes in on three decades of service to the community we look back at all we have to be thankful for. Your faithful support over the years has been instrumental in keeping this ministry in operation. On behalf of our clients, we want to say thank you. Countless lives have been changed, thousands of meals have been served, and immeasurable amounts of clothing, blankets, and personal care items have been distributed. The Mobile Soup Kitchen continues to be our first line of defense against hunger. This year we expanded our offerings by providing fresh items such as apples. More importantly our volunteers continue to build relationships with the chronic homeless and other clients-our fellow brothers and sisters, and those relationships give hope, and lead to lives being altered. New partnerships are building stronger neighborhoods and extending the ministry deeper into the community. God is opening doors and showing us where help is needed. We continue to walk in faith with Him and have announced our expansion in Riverside with the build-out of a food pantry and café, the Hearts Harvest Pantry & Café. This project is underway but we will need your prayers and support more than ever as we work towards our goal of opening this spring. The work we are doing and plans for future programs are made possible because of support from you. You play an important role in this ministry, whether that is giving financially, donating items into one of our red donation bins, or sharing our cause with others. On behalf of our staff, volunteers, and clients thank you.- Jill Carl
Lutheran “3-0” Radio: If you would like to help be a part of this ministry as a lay reader, sound or technical person or in any other capacity please see Pastor. Be sure to tune in to WXRL on Sunday June 9th at 9:00am to listen.
Holy Cross Communications: Each week, we send out Holy Cross info via email…this a great reminder of upcoming events and also prayer requests. If you would like to be added to this, please contact Laura Scarantine at scarantine@msn.comWebsite and Social Media Volunteers Needed:If you have a desire to help with the vision of Holy Cross and would like to volunteer to help with keeping our website updated please see Pastor Nickel.
Update from MinistryFocus: I just wanted to pass on a brief update on the activities of MinistryFocus, a Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod ministry that Holy Cross supports with our tithes. In January, a five-member grants panel convened and recommended awarding educational loan repayment assistance grants to 26 rostered church workers of the LCMS (roughly 50% of the applicants needing help). These workers hail from 16 different LCMS districts across the United States, and include 3 teachers and 23 pastors. This brings the total number of loan assistance grants awarded by MinistryFocus over the past few years to 86. The goal is to help these workers focus on ministry, so that faith is strengthened and more people come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. This assistance with the educational debt load of pastors and other church workers is empowering ministers to share the Gospel across our country, thanks to the support of individuals, the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, and congregations such as Holy Cross. In 2018 Holy Cross contributed $1,095 to MinistryFocus to help alleviate church workers’ educational debt load, which represented about 0.4% of our total titheable offerings and about 2.6% of our total benevolent tithing to share the Gospel and Christ’s mercy to others. This is almost enough to provide a half-year of loan assistance support for one pastor or church worker. Thank you for all you do to help share the good news of Jesus Christ outside the walls of Holy Cross through this ministry and others. We thank God for His grace and the generosity of His people! “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” – Romans 10:17 -Pastor Nickel
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.
Altar Guild News: Altar Flowers: A flower chart has been placed on an easel near the vestry door in the Narthex. Individuals/families are invited to sign up to provide flowers for placement on the altar. Please indicate if they are for a special occasion. Directions for providing the flowers, located in the green pocket on the flower chart board, walk you through the four easy steps; please take one when you sign up. Altar guild will provide the flowers for special church celebrations as indicated on the chart. If you are not going to take your flowers on Sunday please tell us so your flowers can be shared with one of our shut ins. Our next meeting will be Wednesday June 26th at 6:30pm.
Care-Ring Circle: To all the Care-Ringers who provide meals for those in need, Thank you! Until you have experienced the love and generosity from our Holy Cross family, you couldn’t know how much it is appreciated. If you are interested in volunteering to make a meal for those in need. Please contact Jo Corneck at 741-4311 to be added to the volunteer list or if you are in need of meals.
Wear n’ Share: Wear n’ Share is a volunteer run organization that is 100% funded by donations so Holy Cross’s support means a lot to keep the mission running. Since our inception 9 years ago Wear n’ Share has helped over 9,000 children through clothing donations. Your generosity will help Wear n’ Share to reach more families in need in our local area.
Women’s Bible Study Group:The Women’s Bible Study meets on Tuesdays, at 9:30am in the Holy Cross Christian Center (HCCC). New Members are always welcome! We begin our social time at 9:30am with a study begin time of 9:45- to conclude about 11am. Our summer schedule is June 25th, July 30th, and August 20th. We will have 3 summer Bible study sessions, facilitated by our DCE, Harry Grimes, on the Psalms of his choice or if you have a request, see him. We also volunteer to bring “goodies” from our kitchens to go with our coffee. Remember, it is always good to begin the day in God’s word!
Visitation Care: If you are or will be hospitalized or homebound and desire Christian care from the Holy Cross staff, please phone the church office at 634-2332 and/or email holycrossclarence@gmail.com to let us know. Please do not assume that we know your situation because for many reasons we often don’t. We will do our best to visit you, and if homebound, see that you receive communion.
Call for Young Adult Volunteers: Real. Present. God. is the theme of the 2019 LCMS Youth Gathering in Minneapolis. Thousands of young people and their leaders will gather from July 11-15, 2019 to study God’s Word, worship, and serve others.Not only is the Gathering the largest gathering of LCMS teens, it is also the largest gathering of young adults between the ages of 19-25. Young Adult Volunteers (YAVs) can be identified by their orange shirts and extreme enthusiasm at the Gathering. These 19 – 25 year olds play a huge role in making the Gathering a successful and memorable experience. They serve as role models and servant leaders while working in specific areas of the Gathering in the convention center, stadium, hotels and off-site servant events.An integral part of the Gathering is the community developed leading up to and during those five days. Young Adult Volunteers (YAVs) have the opportunity to serve, encourage and support adult and youth participants who will be present at the Gathering and the community of Minneapolis. Here are some of the highlights and expectations as you prayerfully consider applying to be a Young Adult Volunteer: A Young Adult Volunteer is a SERVANT LEADER at the Gathering. A Young Adult Volunteer puts in many LONG DAYS including early mornings and late nights.Young Adult Volunteers CONTRIBUTE to many areas of the Gathering including interactive learning centers, session hosts, servant events, mass events, and other areas of the Gathering. There will be LOTS OF WALKING each day! Being a Young Adult Volunteer is a COMMITMENT of mind, body, and spirit!Young Adult Volunteers need to be able to arrive in Minneapolis on July 9, 2019 by 5pm for training and stay until the conclusion of the Gathering July 15, 2019 (be available until 1pm). As a Young Adult Volunteer, expect to grow by connecting with other young adults, understanding God’s calling, and serving others. These are expressed through prayer, Bible study, work, and community building.The National Youth Gathering office is accepting applications NOW through December 31. For details, check out www.lcmsgathering.org/yav/ or talk to Pastor Nickel or Helen Grinstead.
LCMS Disaster Response: LCMS Disaster response is walking again alongside the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod’s Southeastern District and local congregations to bring effective relief and human care to those suffering from Hurricane Florence and the extensive flooding. Our congregations in the affected areas again will be focal points of Gospel-centered relief work over the months ahead. You and many others were incredibly compassionate and generous following Harvey, Irma, Maria and other disasters over the past year. If you wish to donate to relief efforts you may do so online at https://lcms.org/give/hurricane, by check to LCMS Southeastern District, 6315 Grovedale Drive, Alexandria VA 22310 or by credit card by calling the Southeastern District at 800-637-5723. (Mon-Fri 8 am – 4:30 pm).
He-Brews Handyman Service: The He-Brew guys are willing to lend you a hand. We would particularly like to help those who are unable to do the work themselves. If you want advice or help around the house or yard ask us. If we can’t help we probably have someone who can point you in the right direction. Call the church office (716) 634-2332 or email holycrossclarence@gmail.com and Lynda or the Pastor will contact us. A handyman will then get back to you to determine the best fit for your needs and when they can come help. There are certain jobs that may be beyond our scope but even if that’s the case we’ll be happy to advise you.
Mission Trip: Jeff Allan, Rachel Nickel, and Tom Marzano are working on this. Anyone interested in planning, participating or embarking, please see one of them. They met with First Trinity Lutheran Church about their upcoming mission trip to China. Our Palm Sunday dinner at Holy Cross netted $538.96 to purchase 180 Bibles for China. Stay tuned for more information!
National Youth Gathering July 10-15 in Minneapolis: All Holy Cross youth are strongly encouraged to participate in this fun fellowship event to grow in faith, service and worship with thousands of others their same age from across the country. On October 17th we registered 11 youth and 4 adults but If you want to go please contact Pastor ASAP as we have room for a couple more. For more information on the National Youth Gathering, see www.lcmsgathering.org or talk to Pastor Nickel or Rachel Nickel.