By: Gail Neal

One of my favorite Bible verses is in Micah 6:8:

He has told you, O man, what is good;

    and what does the Lord require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness,

    and to walk humbly with your God?

As a member of Lutheran Women’s Missionary League at Holy Cross I am learning more and more the importance of living this way and the impact that a group of women who love the Lord can have in bringing it about in each other’s lives and to those who are in need.

Lutheran Women in Mission is a part of the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod. Although I grew up in an LCA (Lutheran Church in America) church, I discovered very young that I wanted to be involved in missions in some way. I even studied missions in seminary and looked for a way to serve the Lord with an eye towards missions.

Most of my life my “mission” has been to students:  junior high, high school, and college. However, I have had the opportunity to take some mission trips and to discover how God is working in other cultures and is using those who love Him to reach others.

This is happening in LWML at Holy Cross.

As I am involved with Sarah Circle, the women’s board, and serving with the women of Holy Cross, I see Micah 6:8 being lived out. Let me begin by seeing this in the last phrase “and to walk humbly with your God.” The first goal that I see being lived out in LWML at Holy Cross is to meet our need to know God more and to be closer to Him in our own personal walk. This is encouraged in our circle Bible studies, in our yearly themes, in our devotions that we have together and in our fellowship. In order to walk humbly with God, we need to know Him and His Word and to allow Him to fill us with His humility.

“To love kindness” is lived out as we serve the members of Holy Cross, our community and our world. LWML at Holy Cross works diligently to raise money and to serve with various missions. We are a part of the larger LWML which raises money to support various ministries across the globe. We help with these missions through our collection of “mites” which goes to the national and district LWML service projects. However, we are also serving in our own community and church. We are actively involved in helping the Pregnancy Care Center, Orphan Grain Train, and other local and state missions. We assist with our own church pantry and help others who need prayer and service. Personally, I have had LWML sisters bring me food when I was ill and I know I am prayed for!

Finally, “to do justice.”  To me, this is what it is all about. The reason LWML exists is because there is so much injustice in our world. By sharing the Truth of Christ with each other and through missions, we are helping those in need and bringing some peace, joy, hope and light to dark places.

I believe that God has called me to serve Him and I have found many opportunities in LWML. All women of Holy Cross are a part of LWML and can serve (and be served) as much as they choose to be involved.

Finally, I will share the LWML Pledge which summarizes all that we do and why we do it: 

“In fervent gratitude for the Savior’s dying love and His blood-bought gift of redemption, we

dedicate ourselves to Him with all that we are and have; and in obedience to His call for

workers in the harvest fields, we pledge Him our willing service wherever and whenever He

has need of us.”

By: Lizz Massey

Trust.

As I look back at my internship at Holy Cross, that’s a word that comes to mind. Even before starting my internship, God called me to trust him, moving out of the teaching ministry to becoming a DCE. I moved to Texas in July 2020, not knowing anyone or how I would be able to survive and God provided me with a place to live and jobs to sustain me. He placed me with a fantastic group of classmates and professors that helped me grow in the ministry and outside of my comfort zone.

When I first heard that Holy Cross was looking for a Kids Ministries Intern while I was at Concordia Texas in March 2021, I never imagined coming to Colorado. Normally, an intern would not get placed with a congregation that would not have a senior pastor, but, trusting in God, I was placed at Holy Cross.

And I have loved every minute of it!

As I reflect back on my internship, it was very eventful! I started with VBS, recruited volunteers, managed Sunday School and Pioneer Clubs, and planned and executed Fall Festival, a Reformation Party, and Easter Encounter. I also got the joy of getting to know so many of you, but especially the kids and families of Holy Cross.

When I stopped teaching, one of my focuses was slowing down, listening to God’s voice, and trusting that His plan was exactly what He wanted me to do. Through listening and trusting God, I have found myself grow in so many different ways: professionally, personally, and spiritually.

As I now continue my work as Director of Kids and Middle School Ministries, I am excited to continue to get to know each family that comes to Holy Cross and invest in the faith life of all who come into our doors, trusting in God’s plan for both Holy Cross and myself.  

“Have your parents ever told you not to do something and curiosity got the better of you and you did it anyway? Did that thing have consequences?” Ethan Waters, a junior, asks some thought-provoking questions during the children’s message on Sunday August 14.

Ethan reminded us all that, “We are not very good listeners to our parents, teachers, and God. Remember that God created us for a purpose. He wants us to listen to His plan. Even though His plan may include treacheries, at the end of the journey, there will be a great reward because you listened to Him.”

Our students who went to the youth gathering and middle school mission trip this summer, led worship on August 14. DCE Dan Hampton shared that, “We do these trips each year to get our students outside of their normal comfort zones to see what God wants us to learn. We get to be the hands and feet of Christ, and we are challenged to see something in a new light.”

Youth Gathering – In All Things

The theme of this year’s Gathering, “In All Things,” was based on Colossians 1:15–20. “In [Christ] all things hold together. … For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” It was Christ that unified the Gathering’s thousands of attendees.

Each of the three main conference days, held in Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center, began with Bible studies and featured dozens of sessions for youth and adults throughout the day.

Matt, a sophomore, shared with the congregation and online viewers about the big impact the Youth Gathering had on him, “Knowing that there are more than 20,000 people that share your faith with you. It’s not just here. It’s in 11 other countries too.”

One of Anastasia’s favorite games at the gathering included clothes pins. She shared, “We wrote Bible verses, encouraging words, and nice things on the clothes pins and clipped people’s backpacks without them knowing, so it was a surprise for them later.”

Showing Christ’s love in Houston, Kansas, and Indiana

• CLICK HERE to see a video of our student’s summer!

Over the three full days of the Gathering, more than 4,500 participants were deployed across Houston to serve at various locations. Holy Cross’s student group was chosen to serve by building a trail from apartments and an assisted living facility to Resurrection Lutheran Church.

Christie Hampton, an adult leader serving on the trip shared, “When we arrived to our trail building spot, our students jumped into action to help with no hesitation. It was fantastic to see students realize they can do more together.”

Middle School students were able to share Christ’s love a week later starting in Wichita, Kansas! They were able to help ministries by sorting clothes, cleaning, moving classroom furniture, as well as landscaping and painting at a Women’s Counseling Center.

Next, they headed to Evansville, IN, to DCE Dan’s Lutheran School growing up, staying at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and School. The school just finished a remodel, so students were able to help clean up all the construction dust and put school furniture and materials back in the classroom, with Tony Shull (one of our Holy Cross youth from the 70s and current Evansville Lutheran School Principal) as their point person. The teachers were so thankful that we were there to help, especially with school starting in two weeks. They also helped at the local food pantry distributing food to over 150 families!

Middle School students ended their trip with a visit to the Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter which gave them an interactive experience into God’s Word. Remembering that we are called to live out God’s truth. Knowing our Creator is mighty!

DCE Dan Hampton prays that even though these youth are just middle and high schoolers, they see how God is with them each day. And because God is with them, they can see what they can really do in their community and world.

By: Christine Berglund

We are all familiar with miracles in the Bible. God miraculously feeds his people in Exodus with manna and quail for 40 YEARS. In 1 Kings, Elijah is fed bread and meat brought to him by ravens each morning and evening. In Matthew, Jesus miraculously feeds more than 5000 people with just five loaves of bread and two fish, and then there are 12 baskets of leftovers! God takes care of people’s need for food and water in miraculous ways throughout the Bible. We expect miracles in the Bible.

Does God still perform miracles? Do we still expect miracles today? Does God provide for his people’s basic needs for food and water? If you ask the volunteers in the Holy Cross food pantry, they will give you an emphatic “Yes!”

As March was coming to a close, many food pantry volunteers realized that our pantry was heading for a food supply crisis in April. Most of the food we give out in our food pantry comes from a local organization called Care and Share, but Care and Share has been struggling to get inventory. Donations are down at this time of year, and they had notified us that they would not be able to supply any meat for the entire month of April and many of their other staples have been out of stock as well. The volunteers recommended that we use some of the funds in the food pantry account to shop in order to supplement the groceries received from Care and Share. They couldn’t imagine turning patrons away or having only minimal items to offer. At the same time, we informed the congregation of the shortages to see if people would be willing to donate some of the most-needed items.

“This is when the miracles began to happen!”

God’s word tells us in Matthew 6:31, “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’”

We are grateful to receive hot dogs from Wal-Mart as we are unable to get meat from Care and Share this month.

It is our priority in the food pantry to be good stewards of the money we have, so we were trying to figure out where we could shop to get the most food for our money. One volunteer was literally awakened from sleep early one morning with the clear thought that we should reach out to a specific Neighborhood Wal-Mart that we usually work with to get supplies for our Thanksgiving Baskets. They have always been very helpful in ordering supplies in bulk for us, so we don’t have to go to stores all over town to get enough canned vegetables, for example. We also wanted to be considerate of their other shoppers by not cleaning them out of particular products that others may need. Lyn met with some Wal-Mart employees and shared our grocery wish list, and they promised to see what they could do. On April Fool’s Day, we were blown away with blessings when Lyn went to pick up our order. The employees at Wal-Mart were able to get many of the things on our list along with some bonus items, and when it was time to pay, they would NOT accept payment. They said it was their donation to our food pantry! When the food was weighed and inventoried, it was 550 pounds with a value of about $800. They gave us canned tomatoes, canned fruits, canned soups, and hot dogs! I wouldn’t normally get too excited about packages of hot dogs, but we are out of meat. Did God wake Lyn up and give her the vision to call that particular Wal-Mart? We believe so.

The Curves donations filled more than one truck bed!

There were more miracles to come on April Fool’s Day! In the afternoon, we received a voice message from a Curves gym. The owner said that her Curves location does a food drive every March and they had just finished it and wanted to see when someone from Holy Cross could come and pick it up. I was in awe at how God answers prayers! This Curves location has donated before, but they had forgotten to let us know they were doing it again this year. When we picked up their donation last week, it felt like Christmas. Every box was stuffed with an assortment of items that had been donated, so we never knew what treasures we were going to find in each box. Wouldn’t you know it? The donations matched our needs almost perfectly – spaghetti and pasta sauce, tuna, cereal, canned vegetables, chili, and so much more! They donated over 1500 pounds of food! Not only that, but they had also collected monetary donations from their patrons that added up to almost $700!

Every box was filled with an assortment of just what we needed!

Yes, God is still in the business of performing miracles! And it was no April Fool’s Day joke! He used the minds, hearts, and hands of some faithful volunteers in the food pantry, some kind souls at Wal-Mart, and many generous patrons from a gym to take care of his people and to supply their needs.

Philippians 4:19 promises, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

The shelves are full (for now)!

Honestly, we know that God is always answering prayers and performing miracles at Holy Cross. Many of our members and friends are regularly responding to our requests for food, money, and many other items for ministries all year long, and we thank God for you. Thank you for allowing God to use you and your blessings to bless others.

By: Christie Hampton

What book have you read that has powerfully impacted your life? Did you share this book with friends and relatives? Were you moved to sacrifice something? Did this book comfort you? Would you say this book is the BEST STORY ever written?

You may be a big reader like my husband Dan who reads everything he can or you may be more like me and would rather pick up a paintbrush during free time. In the Holy Cross Kids Hallway upstairs, you might have seen a mural underway that I’ve been working on and wondered… What inspired this project?

“The mural is my way of putting a paintbrush to the BEST STORY ever written, the Bible.”

The Bible tells a story that causes people to focus outward beyond themselves and to share with friends and relatives. My prayer is that the mural will cultivate faith-based conversations with kids and between families and teachers.

Many kids have been through the Holy Cross hallways and classrooms learning about God’s story over the years, and they have now grown up and moved on but still call Holy Cross home. As these kids have grown into adulthood, many have chosen to go into ministry in other states and the world, sharing about the BEST STORY with others.

“As a youth at Holy Cross, I was hungry to learn God’s Word. I was so blessed to be surrounded by many adults who painted a picture of God’s love through their teaching, encouragement, and presence. Now I get to ‘pay it forward’ and share the gospel with others! I could talk on and on about my great experience at Holy Cross!” – Jennifer Bierdeman Probst, Director & Preschool teacher at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church and Preschool

“Holy Cross Lutheran Church continues to have a huge impact on my life! When my family joined Holy Cross in the early ’70s, the ministry staff of Pastor Hiller, Pastor Theis, Parish Worker Carla Sproul, DCE Margaret Hinchey and numerous members and Sunday School teachers, all watered and cultivated the seed of faith planted in me by the Holy Spirit. Today, after nearly 40 years in Lutheran School ministry, I too, have had the privilege of watering and cultivating many of God’s called children and families. Never underestimate the power of God’s plan as he uses YOU to help grow His disciples!”  – Tony Shull, Evansville Lutheran School Principal

“I was born and raised at Holy Cross and have greatly appreciated the deep roots of faith that was connected to the congregation. I found that through my time of attending both Sunday and Wednesday children’s ministry and youth ministry, I interacted with volunteers and adults who made a profound impact on my life. Little things can make a profound impact through Christ. One memory to share is in 6th grade, for a school project, I shadowed Pastor Doug and he walked me through his sermon preparation and this was the first time I saw a Greek Bible. I was amazed by how he just translated the verses right then and there. Now I am continuing my Ministry development by attending Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. I have been blessed by Holy Cross and the ministry it provided to me and my family.” – Jeremiah Bauer, SMP at Concordia Seminary, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church

These comments are just a few of many showing Holy Cross members’ huge impact in a couple of kids’ life stories, which in turn would have an impact on so many others, including my own life!

“Jennifer, the first commenter above, is a youth leader I had through middle school years in Lilburn, Georgia.”

I was impacted by her love and care and, in turn, have worked with youth for over 12 years at two different churches. It is amazing to learn that my youth leader experienced the BEST STORY at Holy Cross so many years ago, and now I am here at Holy Cross praying that I am sharing God’s story and impacting the life stories of future generations.

“Each week another piece of the mural of God’s story is added based on what the kids are learning from the Bible.”

So this week, God’s temple will be added as they are learning about Solomon. When the kids walk up to their classrooms, it’s great to watch conversations with them and their parents and teachers, as they share about the BEST STORY ever written by God.

“And to know YOU are a part of that ongoing STORY as well.”

By: Nora Brooks

The Prayer Ministry has been blessed by donations of prayer blankets and squares made by members of the congregation. These blankets and squares are intended for people to take whenever they or someone they know needs prayers and comfort for a medical or emotional need. Now some of these blankets have been at the ministry center for quite a while. People have seemed reluctant to take advantage of them for some reason.  Simply having them displayed in Hiller Hall or outside the sanctuary was not enticing people to take them.

“I’m not really a fan of Halloween, but somehow felt I was being called to volunteer at the Fall Festival this year.”

I was only slightly surprised when the decision was made to bring out the prayer quilts and squares before the festival started. It turned out to be a blessing to many.  I have to admit, I enjoyed the evening. Talking with friends, seeing the costumes, and happy faces of the kids.

It was interesting to see the reactions when people were asked if they had a prayer need. Some jumped at the chance to share their need while others recoiled at the question. To those who recoiled, the reply was simply that no need was a blessing.

“A couple of groups stand out in particular.”

One lady said she had an immediate need for herself. She chose a blanket, wrapped it around her legs and smiled. She said she was cold (she was wearing shorts) and the blanket felt good.

A group of 3 teenaged girls were admiring the prayer squares displayed by the candy bucket. I told them they were to be put in a pocket, purse, or backpack and then pulled out and rubbed when they felt stressed or anxious. I showed them the cross on the square and said they could say a prayer while they rubbed the square. Then they all looked the squares over and carefully selected one for themselves. They each gave me a relieved smile. I knew we had connected emotionally and they would consider praying when they felt stressed or anxious.

A couple of groups of young male teens briefly discussed and wrote down needs without taking blankets. They seemed relieved that someone would listen to them seriously, be thinking of them and offering prayers. It was very touching. These kids are so vulnerable and just want to be valued. I felt like the spirit was working through me to reach them (and it was working).

Several groups who wanted blankets for loved ones stayed and talked quite a while. I think they were so grateful to have someone ask if they needed prayers. I doubt they would have ever mentioned their need or asked for a blanket on their own. It is difficult to know how to help people sometimes. But then, really, we just need to listen and let the Holy Spirit guide us. Right?

Would you like to pray for those in our community as well? Here are the prayer needs shared without the specific name of the person listed. God knows when you pray.

• Terminal Cancer
• Knee and Hip Rehab
• Death of Parents
• Pain
• Loss of Spouse
• Heart & Peace in Jesus
• Kidney Disease
• Loss of Job
• Need to Know Jesus
• 2 months old, RSV
• Sickness
• To See Kids

By: Richelle Milner

I never planned to teach preschool. I love to teach adults about God’s love and have led adult Bible studies for years. I was not looking to teach young children, but God has his own plans for us! When God called me to teach at Holy Cross Lutheran School, I really did not know how it was going to go! However, I knew without a doubt that God wanted me there, and I stopped questioning God long ago.

I learned a great deal during my first year of teaching at Holy Cross.

“I had no idea that most of the children who attend school here do not have any home church.”

Many of them have never been to church at all and would not know who Jesus is if they did not go to school here. What a joy and privilege it is to share Christ with the next generation!

It is wonderful to watch a child’s face change at their first moment of understanding. When they figure out how to add together numbers or put together sounds and read their first word, the look of pride, amazement, and joy is incredible! At the same time, we teach these kids how to interact with their world through…

• • Science
  • Social studies
  • Art
  • Social-emotional development.

Yet nothing has made teaching at the school more rewarding than getting to share Jesus and the fullness of His love with my students.

“They’ve never heard the stories from the Bible that we who have attended church all our lives tend to take for granted.”

They don’t need to analyze every little detail; they just listen and believe as each truth about God is revealed. It is good to return to that simple solid foundation of the gospel.

When we arrived at Holy Week last school year, the children were familiar with Jesus and knew Him as their loving friend.

“I was not prepared for the level of their emotion when I walked them through the crucifixion of Christ. I had to reveal what happened next immediately.”

The power and elation of His resurrection was reflected in their faces as we celebrated the truth of what God did for each one of them. What God did for each one of us.

They understood, they believed, and we celebrated God’s victory over sin and death for the rest of the school year. I will always thank God for allowing me to experience His love and care through the eyes of His precious children. I look forward to doing it again with each new group of students for as long as God calls me to teach at Holy Cross.