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• Spotlight on Homebound Visitation Ministry

By Alice Beverly

“In as much as you did it to the least of these my brethren you have done it to me.”  Matthew 25: 40

What is Homebound Visitation?

Under the direction and guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Homebound Visitation Ministry is well and active here at Holy Cross. God has raised up caring people who have committed to calling on our homebound approximately once a month. Our homebound consist of those people who, due to age, illness, or lack of transportation, are no longer able to attend church on a regular basis. These calls are in addition to calls from the Board of Lay Ministry who take the Lord’s Supper to them.

How Did We Start?

At an intercessory prayer meeting in July of 2016 concern was raised regarding the elderly and ill members who were a part of our membership but in some cases overlooked. This concern was put before the Lord in prayer. It was at this prayer meeting that the Holy Spirit touched Lorrie Faunce and me. It was like He lifted us out of this meeting and gave us a very, very sensitive heart for the homebound. Lorrie and I talked immediately after the meeting and we knew without a doubt that we were called to this ministry.  We were excited but overwhelmed. Our immediate agreement was that we would do this in God’s power, in God’s way, completely under His direction. We visited with Pastor Doug, and he stated that he had been concerned about the homebound and gave us his blessing. Lorrie and I were amazed and excited about what God was doing. He raised up visitors beyond our expectations. We were expecting the ministry to take a while to get going, but that isn’t what God wanted. It happened and it happened quickly. It’s been an exciting journey. At one point in time there were 25 visitors!

 

Blessings Upon Blessings

At one time I was privileged to visit a lady who had recently become a widow. We bonded very quickly as I was recently widowed also. We could feel for each other and shed a lot of tears together. We became very close and she looked forward to my visits. She read her scripture, so we were able to talk freely about God and pray. We were truly sisters-in-Christ. I was able to minister to her until her death, and I grieved for her. (This is probably the hardest part of the ministry.)

I was also privileged to visit another lady. It took a while for the visits to be comfortable. She did not want to talk about God but would let me pray with her when I left. Our friendship grew and I shared my faith with her. When I was leaving, after several months of visits, she would say, “I love you; come back.”  Shortly before she died she wanted me to say the 23^rd Psalm with her. I grieved for her also.

There are many more reports of beautiful times and visits. This ministry is very rewarding and I would certainly urge anyone to whom God has given the gift of love, encouraging, serving, mercy or contributing to the needs of others to spend some time in this ministry. You will be blessed.

One Visitor’s Experience

By Renee Williams

“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”  1 Corinthians 12:27

Sometimes the body of Christ is lonely and feeling disconnected because they are unable to attend church. Our homebound members are that part of the body. Their hearts are connected, yet they desire a warm smile, a listening ear, a reassuring hug, a sweet reminder that God loves them and we love them too!

It is a joy and an honor to be a part of the Visitation Team and visit with our special homebound members. A few years ago I joined this wonderful ministry thinking I could help someone feel the love and connection of our congregation. However,

“I receive more blessings than I imagined.”

When they open their door, I receive the biggest smile and a hug or two. I have the privilege to hear their life stories, to become part of their family and to know we are connected together through the love of our wonderful Father in heaven.

Please remember these sweet members in your prayers. They feel the love of our church body when we take time to visit and connect once again. Perhaps you want to help make a difference and connect with our homebound members too. Lorrie Faunce and Alice Beverly, would love to get you connected.

By: Christine Berglund

TRADITION. Does the word bring to mind things such as old, stifling, stuffy, or outdated? Or does it give you a feeling of familiarity, history, memory, or connection? It probably depends on the context. Sometimes we think of something traditional in a negative light. Where’s the progress and change and movement forward? Why are they stuck in the past?

When it comes to the holidays; however, many traditions are beloved rituals of the church or family. Traditions can give us a sense of where we have come from and remind us of the meaning of people and things who have gone before us. The Christmas season brings many important traditions for our Holy Cross family.

The Giving Tree. Holy Cross members have been faithfully supporting a giving tree that provides help at the holidays for approximately 25 years. In the late ‘90s, we began by supporting a ministry of Prison Fellowship called Angel Tree. Church members bought Christmas gifts for children who had a parent in prison. For the past 20 years or so, we have been providing gifts for mentally challenged adults and for needy children in our neighborhood schools. Many families have their children pick a tag for a similarly aged child and go together to shop for the perfect gift. Holy Cross has a beautiful tradition of giving.

Caroling. In years past, members gathered in Hiller Hall to enjoy a warm bowl of chili and then boarded trailers for a hayride through the neighboring streets singing songs of Christmas and spreading joy. The details have changed, but the tradition lives on as members now gather at Winslow Court on an evening in December to bring blessings and joy to the residents there.

The Christmas Program. What is Christmas without a church pageant? Whether it was halos made of garland for the miniature angel choir or the boys dressed in robes to portray shepherds, Holy Cross kids have been telling the story of Jesus’ birth for the past 50 years. Again, the details have sometimes changed from the familiar Bethlehem and stable setting to a Falafel House to a story set in a modern mall department store or at Jingle Bell Beach in recent years. However it is set, the tradition of sharing the miraculous and saving story of Jesus’ birth binds us together and gives us hope.

The Decorations. Trees have come and gone here at Holy Cross. We used to have one giant tree that could only be decorated with tall ladders and careful balance. We had a singles home group that took on the task of decorating for several years. They’d have a potluck meal and then spend a few hours fluffing bows, stringing lights, and discreetly duct taping broken branches. Currently, we have four trees that the staff and other volunteers decorate one morning at the start of Advent.

Though the trees may be different now, some of the special decorations remain. One member shared the story behind the cross-stitched Chrismons that adorn two of the trees in the sanctuary. When Tom Mroch was the pastor here, his wife faithfully served the church behind the scenes with her seemingly boundless energy. When she and her husband arrived at Holy Cross, she was concerned about the somewhat motley collection of ornaments she found. She conducted research on traditional symbols of the church and learned about Chrismons.

Chrismons are Christmas decorations with Christian symbols on them to remind us that Christmas is the celebration of Jesus’ birth.

The word Chrismon comes from the combination of Christ and monogram (meaning symbol). The decorations are traditionally white and gold because white is the liturgical color for Christmas and symbolizes Jesus’ purity and perfection while gold symbolizes His majesty and glory. The ornaments on our trees were a special project made by Holy Cross families. Mrs. Mroch made up cross stitch craft kits with instructions that each family took home to work on and then return. One of our members recalls the special bonding that happened as every family member took turns adding stitches (though they had never cross-stitched before!) and the pride of adding their ornament to the tree to be displayed for years to come. The project brought families and members of the church together then and knowing the story behind the ornaments that we still hang, can unite us with the people from that time and our history in general.

The most important tradition of Christmas, of course, is our celebration of the baby Jesus born in a manger, sent to save us from our sins. As we once again gather to sing “Silent Night” by candlelight on Christmas Eve, may you remember and be comforted by our shared faith, history, and hope.

By: DCE Payton DeVencenty

Hey Holy Cross!

I am sure you are astounded, as I am, that the holiday season is here once again. Thanksgiving and Christmas are holidays I am not sure I am ready for this year, but like it or not, they are coming in fast.

For many years now, Service Ministries have been most clearly represented at this time of year because of our heavy emphasis on providing food, gifts, and community to those in need as winter rolls in.

“Just think about how last year, in our 2018 Thanksgiving Baskets drive, we were able to provide 200 meals to families in need!”

There are quite a few wonderful ways to get involved around the church right now, from serving in our Thanksgiving Baskets ministry on November 23rd to providing gifts for kiddos who aren’t fortunate to have gifts this Christmas. Lyn Hente, a member at Holy Cross, has been so moved to head up the Thanksgiving Baskets Ministry for over five years, and has seen many families be cared for through the simple act of assembling baskets and handing them out on one November Saturday a year. But what about opportunities which aren’t a one-off event? What about service which is more than returning a (thankfully received) gift?

I am beyond blessed to have been called to the position of Director of Service Ministries here at Holy Cross, and it is my hope that more of us begin or continue to serve together as these holiday months approach.

“Yet, it is easy to allow a time of the year to dictate our service, considering there is a nearly 50% jump in volunteerism nationally around the holidays.”

So this year I ask you to consider jumping in with us in aiding people during the holiday season, and seek to find a place where you can join myself and others in serving year-round. Please begin to pray and work with me towards developing ministries which are more than a time of the year.

“Ministries which Jesus’ Spirit moves and works through every day as He directs us.”

By: David Wickert

Every Tuesday, all of our staff gather for a meeting that begins with prayers and then a devotion. Recently, a staff member decided to write his own devotion that we would love to share with you all.

Renowned science fiction author Philip K. Dick once described reality as “that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.” Perhaps then, it could be more simply stated that reality or truth is what remains while delusions or lies are what pass away.

An early version of myself once thought the man, the face, of Quaker Oats was Benjamin Franklin. This of course was false. In fact, looking back, it was quite ridiculous to think a group of humble Quakers would choose a notorious womanizer and face of the hundred dollar bill to be the face of their company.

The man you see here is actually William Penn, Quaker and founder of the Pennsylvania colony. While I fully admit this example is absurd, to me, it highlights the fallibility of the human mind in its ability to perceive truth. Don’t believe me? Here are some things you might believe that are actually false:

“Jiffy” peanut butter doesn’t exist, it’s “Jif.”

The Monopoly man (Pennybags) doesn’t have a monocle.

“Life was like (not is like) a box of chocolates” is the actual quote from Forrest Gump.

Fruit in Froot Loops is spelled with two “o’s.”

Curious George doesn’t have a tail.

Mickey Mouse doesn’t wear suspenders.

Maybe you knew all of these already, but I’m sure at some point you’ve believed something that turned out to be wrong. The mind is an imperfect vessel at perceiving truth.

If you’ve ever been to a wedding, you’ve probably heard a reading from 1 Corinthians 13. Paul begins by telling us about abilities of prophecy, speaking in tongues, and knowledge and how they are nothing without love. He then proceeds to tell all the things love is, blah, blah, blah boring. BUT he then mentions how love endures all things. Then comes my favorite part, verses 8-12:

^“Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”

This juxtaposition, between that which endures (faith, hope, and LOVE) and that which does not (prophecies, tongues, and knowledge), provides a brief insight into the temporal or imperfect aspects of our natures. Perhaps even more profoundly, in verse 12, comes the idea that the world as we perceive it is deluded. For now we see in a mirror dimly. Our capacities for perceiving reality as it truly is, is bound by our own imperfection.

[This message is brought to you by team total depravity, ha!]

So, perhaps the postmodernists have it right, we as only humans are incapable of discerning the whole truth. However, just because we are incapable does not mean absolute truth does not exist. The Truth divinely encounters us here in this place, in this Word (law and gospel), in these sacraments, and through His Spirit. Just as the Perfect encountered Paul on the road to Damascus. The partial (the lies and delusions) literally fell like scales from his eyes.

So for me, and I hope for you, churchgoing is not a Christian obligation, status move, or purely a social event. Rather, it is an opportunity to encounter the Perfect. It is a chance to shed the partial, the lies, and the delusions permeating our lives and world, those competing for control of our internal narrative. Here within this church, these imperfect bodies and minds will never be closer to the truth as we wait for the partial to pass away.

By: Christie Hampton

Here at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, we have moved from starting a social media account to the challenge of actually being effective in how we use it. So why?

“What is the purpose of using social media in the first place?”

For us at Holy Cross, social media is used to share God’s love, devotions, stories, images, and upcoming events.

According to Pew Research Center, nearly two-thirds of all adults are active on social media, and the average person is on social media 116 minutes a day (Social Media Today, “How Much Time Do People Spend on Social Media?” Nov. 28, 2018). The average person who attends Church attends eight to ten times a year.

“How are we as Christians engaging people during the 167 hours of the week outside of church service?”

Besides just informing social media users of opportunities, we share stories of people who have been impacted by the Holy Spirit. We want to engage our audience, giving opportunities for us to share hope, love, and encouragement. This strategy is hard work, but it’s worth it.

How blessed that we have the greatest message to communicate! As the Media and Website Coordinator here at Holy Cross, I’m so at peace knowing that it’s not my job to grow followers or likes on our page. God never put that in my job description. He has given many blessings of watching Him do the work on our social media platforms. Families who are home sick or traveling are able to join us Live on Facebook Sunday morning for the sermon. Many new members first learn about us online, and others receive encouragement and reminders of God’s truth during the week.

Our challenge as a church is to ask ourselves how we can use our social media pages to glorify God, build one another up, and have others see Him instead of us.

“Lord, please help people worship beyond Sunday to engage, connect, and grow in relationship with you.”

By: Pastor Doug

For quite some time there has been discussion about renewing the building at Holy Cross. We’ve seen a few designs, wrote a few articles in the newsletter, and heard individuals talk about it.

“But, what’s happening? What can we expect in the near future?”

Before we answer those questions we need to remember that nearly ten years ago, faithful members of Holy Cross worked hard and recommended a plan for renewing our facility. Let’s talk for a moment about that original plan. Imagine this space expanded to the parking lot and rising two stories. The original plan was to build a room that would replace the Fireside room, create a dedicated music room, youth room and offices on both the first and second floors. But that was not all we planned with this original design.

Our greatest need for renewal has been our education wing. The original plan was to tear down this building and rebuild a new structure that would better serve our ability to encourage children and adults to be nourished by God. Now let’s step outside the west doors again. Imagine a large, new fellowship hall with a room bigger than Hiller Hall but serving much the same purpose. The food pantry would have moved to this structure, a new kitchen would have been built and the space could have served for many different activities for the entire congregation.

A voters meeting adopted this plan, but also adopted a resolution that we would first pay off our existing mortgage before moving forward with renewing our facility. We put the building plan on hold and worked faithfully to achieve that goal. In December of 2017 we burned the mortgage, revisited our building plan, then realized that we faced a Mt Everest challenge.

How were we going to pay for it? Phases had been built into the plan, but the problem was escalating costs. And we began to realize that we would probably never accomplish what we set out to do. So, we took a deep breath and asked ourselves one simple question – Why?

“Why do we need to renew our present facility?”

Holy Cross is made up of amazing people. I’m honored to be a part of this community. We’ve grown together, cried together, rejoiced together. Let me share with you one of the greatest qualities of Holy Cross. 

“This is a congregation that cares about children.”

Right now members of Holy Cross sponsor nearly 100 children in Honduras through Compassion International. When other churches would have closed their preschool because of dwindling attendance, we voted to keep it open and now it’s thriving with a waiting list. When other churches have given up on Vacation Bible School ours is still going strong.

We, the community of Holy Cross, believe that God is calling us to encourage those who hunger to be nourished by him. We are a hungry lot, craving for our souls to be nourished by something more than things. What is driving our need for facility renewal is our call to feed these souls with God’s grace. Let me say that again because it is so important. The reason we’re looking at doing something with this building is because God has laid a burden on us to feed people with Christ’s love and compassion.

Let me take that thought a little deeper.

Though what we will present to you in the coming days will benefit all age groups at Holy Cross, it will help children the most. Think about the world these children are growing up in, a world of depression, loss of hope, and fear. You and I know that Jesus loves children. He wants to cradle them in his arms, bring them to a place of rest and hope, and most importantly he desires that they impact this world with his love.

“Can we do this in our present facility?”

Absolutely, in fact that is what we are doing. It’s not a question of can we do this with the structure that we have, but can we do it better and with more children and adults than we presently do? That answer is also yes. 

As many of you know, I have two grandsons who are an important part of my life. I have a limited time to influence them, especially in their walk with Christ. There are many of us at Holy Cross who are in the same boat, caring for, praying for, and even crying over our grandchildren.

“We want a place where they can be fed by God.”

Many of our new members at Holy Cross have children and are looking for a place where these children can grow in their relationship with God. They want us as a community to join them in raising their children with hope rooted in God’s mercy.

And dream with me for a moment about those in the greater Colorado Springs community who don’t know Christ and their children.

“Don’t we want them to know the hope we have in Christ?”

The new facility renewal plan that we will present to you will be a structure that better equips all of us as witnesses for Jesus Christ.

Here is what you can expect over the next few months. We will produce videos that cover the purpose of the floor plan, how we will renew our current facility, and how we will pay for this project. You will be given a chance to give feedback to members of the building committee, feedback that is extremely important. You will also be given the chance to vote on the plan including financing and fundraising.

The core leadership team of the building committee is already at work. Jeff and Lorrie Faunce and Rob Lowe are leading the charge. They are keeping this project in their prayers and working to build a team that will lead this effort. I’m privileged to work with them.

Won’t you join us in praying for the future of Holy Cross?

“God is faithful. He will lead us forward.”

By: Marcy Serby

When I was a child my father was an alcoholic, so things were rather chaotic in my home. We didn’t experience much love or kindness. God was certainly never a part of our young lives. My brothers and I loved Sunday mornings though, because on Sundays our family did something fun like bowling or putter golf. My Lutheran friend Christi didn’t get to do anything fun because she had to go to church – every Sunday!

When I was 8 or 9 years old Christi brought me to Vacation Bible School at her church. I cannot tell you one thing that we talked about, one craft we made, or one song that we sang; but I remember feeling “different” and “safe” when I was with this group of Christians, and I remember loving to hear stories about Jesus. I was so disappointed when the week was over because VBS was like a flashlight in my dark world.

“I was the kid VBS was made for.”

Fall came and Christi invited me to Pioneer Girls at her church on Wednesday nights. Yes, over 50 years ago a Lutheran church had Wednesday night programs. I guess some things never change. I was excited to hear the Bible stories and again felt different when I was at church.

Fast forward another year or two, and I asked my parents if they would drive me to church on Sundays. They enrolled me in a Sunday School at a church I had never been to, and I went to church and Sunday School by myself. They never walked inside that church.

Vacation Bible School and Pioneer Clubs played a major role in introducing me to Jesus – and for that I will forever be grateful. I will also always be grateful to Christi, whose initials are on the Ripple Effect banner in our sanctuary. 

“I am a life that was changed by the grace of God through prayer, VBS and Pioneer Clubs; and I am so thankful there were people to shine their light on Jesus so I could see Him.”