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Much to be Thankful For
In this month of remembering our many blessings, Rob Bell in “Jesus Wants to Save Christians” offers many realities that we often take for granted in this land:
• 1 billion people in the world do not have access to clean water, while the average American uses 400 to 600 liters of water a day.
• Every 7 seconds, somewhere in the world a child under age 5 dies of hunger, while Americans throw away 14% of the food we purchase.
• 3–5 billion people in the world live on less than two American dollars a day.
• 40% of people in the world lack basic sanitation, while 49 million diapers are used and thrown away in America every day.
• 1.6 billion people in the world have no electricity.
• Nearly 1 billion people in the world cannot read or sign their name.
• Nearly 100 million children are denied basic education.
• By far, most people in the world do not own a car; 1/3 of American families own three cars.
• 1 in 7 children worldwide (158 million) has to go to work every day just to survive.
• Americans spend more annually on trash bags than nearly half of the world does on all goods.
Indeed, we have much to pray about, give humble thanks for, and be generous with!!!
~Pastor Randy
Operation Christmas Child
Kick off was Sunday, October 26th, and the filled boxes need to be returned to church by Sunday, November 23rd. Please be watching for any updates in the bulletin each week.
To find out more, see their website.
If you’d like to help with this project please see Pat Garlapo or e/mail her at: pgarlapo@msn.com
Shop with Scrip:
As our Christmas season is fast approaching, we are once again promoting the Great Lakes Scrip gift card program which is a wonderful and easy fundraiser that benefits our youth attending the 2016 Gathering in New Orleans.
As a reminder, this program offers gift cards to hundreds of local and national retailers. You purchase these gift cards at face value and a percentage of that value remains with Holy Cross. Since you will likely purchase several gift cards over the course of the Christmas season, what better way to do so AND help out our Holy Cross youth? You can encourage friends and families to participate as well. The more, the merrier!!
And I remind you that it’s not just about giving these cards as gifts but also using them for your every day purchases. Places like Home Depot, Walmart, Target, Kohl’s, etc., we shop at these stores daily — so why not purchase gift cards to them BEFORE you shop and raise some money, too?
Updated Family Order forms are on the table in the Narthex. We will be placing two orders between now and Christmas so take a look at the awesome retailers and order, order, order!! The first order is due on Sunday, November 2. The second order will be due Sunday, December 7. Please make checks payable to Holy Cross for the full face value of the cards you are ordering.
As always, I am happy to field any questions you have about this program. I can be reached at thewieperts@gmail.com or at 688-0864. We’ve already raised over $500 so let’s keep it going! Thanks very much.
~Andrea Wiepert ~ Holy Cross Youth Coordinator
Christmas Decorating Party
Join us on Sunday, November 23rd immediately following 11:00 worship as we decorate Holy Cross for Advent and Christmas. Pizza lunch will be provided. All ages welcome! Look for a sign-up sheet in the Narthex soon!
Holy Cross Joins the Joyful Response Program:
Tired of writing a check every Sunday? (Tired of having to pay for more blank checks?) Holy Cross is pleased to announce that we have joined the Lutheran Church Extension Society’s “Joyful Response” program. This automatic banking system enables Holy Cross members and friends to use electronic banking for their donations. The donor can select any amount for their donation, and have this done at whatever frequency the donor desires. This system even allows donors to designate their gift to established restricted funds, (e.g. Dream Fund or Building Fund, etc..). Best of all, the LCES does not take any fees or commissions for doing this. Please feel free to see any council member if you have questions. Enrollment forms are in the narthex, and for your privacy, completed forms should be returned to our Financial Secretary, Susan Brooks. Thanks for considering!
Christian Education Theme
Continue to pray for the Christian Education year and our theme: “LinktIn.” In First Corinthians 12:13 Paul declares, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.” Not only have we been “LinktIn” to Jesus in baptism, but we have been “LinktIn” to one another—the Body of Christ. We invite you to join one of our age-appropriate groups (Pre-K – Adult) on Sunday mornings as “LinktIn” we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Youth Christian Education
Join us in the Upper Room on Sundays at 9:30 for video series and relevant topics. Remember also to bring your tithe/offering with you as we continue to sponsor Godwin in Togo, Africa, through Compassion International. Just $32 every month provides Godwin with education, Christian instruction, medical and dietary needs. See you soon! Friends are always encouraged!
Adult Christian Education
Join us on Sunday mornings in the Holy Cross narthex (lobby) from 9:30 – 10:30 as we continue our study in Acts and listen to God speak into our hearts and lives. All are welcome and bring a friend!
Heritage Home
“The people were quiet while Jesus thanked His heavenly Father for the bread and fish.” “Jesus Feeds 5,000 People” is the Bible story for our November 23 visit, the Sunday before Thanksgiving. We will make placemats with stickers for the things we are thankful for and will sing “Thank God” and “God Bless America” as part of our worship.
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 Pastor Randy at pastorrandy8900@gmail.com and let me 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. In Jesus, Pastor Randy and Barb Wachtel (Parish Nurse)
Women’s Bible Study
The Women’s Bible Study Group meets every Tuesday morning from 9:30am to 11am in Krampitz Hall. We are in the second half of the study, THE STORY: THE BIBLE AS ONE CONTUINING STORY OF GOD AND HIS PEOPLE. About this study:God goes to great lengths to rescue lost and hurting people. That is what THE STORY is all about– the story of the Bible, God’s great love affair with humanity. Condensed into 31 accessible chapters, THE STORY sweeps you into the unfolding progression of Bible characters and events from Genesis to Revelation. Using the clear, accessible text of the NIV Bible, it allows the stories, poems, and teachings of the Bible to read like a novel. And like any good story, THE STORY is filled with intrigue, drama, conflict, romance, and redemption- and this story is true! (A study guide and DVD will help us in understanding each chapter.)
Scheduled meetings for November are the 4th: “The Birth of the King”, the 18th: “Jesus’ Ministry Begins” and the 25th: “No Ordinary Man”.
So ladies, the coffee pot is always on along with sweets to enjoy, so feel free to join us whenever you can. It’s always a great way to start your day, when you “dig” into God’s Word!
Habitat Buffalo
Thank you, Holy Cross, for your September benevolence gift of $140. Habitat puts faith and love into action as we hit the nail on the head until the house is built, and the family moves in.