1. Art and Diseño

FEBRUARY 2015
FULLY ALIVE!
Fully Alive!
COMMUNICATING AND CELEBRATING THE MISSION AND MINISTRIES OF HOLY CROSS
HOW DO YOU GROW A CHURCH?
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
“THANK YOU”S
2
RCLS-PIZZA
RANCH
2
FEB MILITARY
OUTREACH
2
LIFETREE
3
LENT
SCHEDULE
4
POBLO
5
YOUTH NEWS
6
STEWARDSHIP
7
Every year about this time I receive numerous mailings promoting books, seminars, programs promising to show the
way to grow the church. They
are always tempting. Some offers may sit on my desk for a
while, but eventually most find
their way to the wastebasket.
That is not to say that these
types of things are a waste of
time and money. I am sure they
offer good ideas and specific
things that can be helpful in
growing the church. I know that
is true because over the years I
have read some of the books
and used some of the programs.
then those of us who were here
adopted a common purpose
based on a simple Scripture
verse that described the life of
the first church and first believers in Jesus, some of whom had
seen Jesus after he had risen
from the dead. Their life together as the church is described this
way: All the believers devoted
themselves to the apostles’
teaching, and to fellowship, and
to sharing in meals (including
the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. (Acts 2:42)
Today, we speak of our life together differently. We are a people who are focused on Helping
People Become Fully Alive in
Jesus! Our Biblical basis for that
remains the same. As we devote
ourselves to God’s Word, each
other, Worship and prayer we
become more fully alive in Jesus
and God then uses us to help
others do the same.
But, that brings to mind one
more W as I contemplate what
might be ahead for us in 2015.
Wondering! I am wondering
From this verse we concluded
what more the Lord might have
that our life together should be
for us to do together as His
characterized by the same things church in the coming year. I
– a devotion to God’s Word, to
trust He will show us as we conBut, the truth of the matter is
each other, to worship and to
tinue to devote ourselves to His
this. I can’t grow the church.
prayer. From there we adopted Word, each other, worship and
That is something God does.
a common purpose for our life
Yes, God uses me and you and
prayer. And, as He does I am
together.
trusting you will see how God
us together to grow His church.
But, that growth does not hapwants to continue to use you or
We would: www@holycross! The
pen through the latest creative
use you in a new way to help
three Ws did not stand for the
programs or high-tech systems.
grow His church. It is the reason
world wide web. They stood for:
It happens when people encounwe are here. Because purely by
Welcome, Worship and Witness!
ter the love and life of Jesus
God’s grace, we know that Jesus
This is how we would reach othChrist. Whether people realize it
is what everyone truly needs.
ers, our community and our
or not… believe it or not… Jesus
And, we are here to bring His life
world. And, to this day, we have
is exactly what they need and
and love into their lives. As we
done this and God has grown His
what they are looking for in life.
do? God will grow His church!
church.
Back in the 90s… Yes, way back
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his
power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all
generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:203:20-21)
FULLY ALIVE!
Page 2
THANK YOU FROM CHANNEL ONE!
We received the following from
Channel One in response to our
Thanksgiving Eve food offering:
Dear Holy Cross ,
On behalf of the entire Channel
One family, we wish you the
very happiest of holidays. Together we are feeding people
and changing lives! Thank you
for you generous donation of
234 pounds of food. Your efforts will allow Channel One to
provide enough food for 281
meals!
Our mission to feed people in
need is not possible without
your continued support. Together, we can end hunger in
Southeastern Minnesota and
Western Wisconsin. Visit our
website, like us on Facebook
and follow us on Twitter to
learn more about how you can
continue to make a difference
in our community.
Thank You
Karen Doering
www.helingfeedpeople.org
MILITARY OUTREACH FEBRUARY FOCUS: BJ HERMAN
LTC B.J. Herman has over 19
years of dedicated service in the
US Army. BJ joined the Army in
June of 1995; currently he is
serving our country in Afghanistan. BJ’s parents are Brad &
Jacque Herman. BJ wrote in one
of his emails home: “Being from
a military family myself, I know
how important it is for our men
and women serving our armed
forces to know there are family
and friends back home; no matter if they are stateside or
abroad, that are keeping them in
our hearts and minds. … Thank
you very much, and bless you
and the others for doing this.”
The Military Outreach Team will
have a collection box out during
the month of February for BJ
Herman. Care package preferences for BJ: Dove body wash,
moisturizing lotion, chapstick,
jerky, cashews, pretzels &
cheese snacks, popcorn, black
licorice, lemon drops, fruit
snacks, bicycling magazines,
and Western books. As always,
notes of thanks, encourage-
THANK YOU FROM MN ADULT/TEEN CHALLENGE!
We received the following from
Mr. Tom Truszinski – Center
Director of MN Adult/Teen Challenge of Rochester following the
visit of their Men’s Choir in December:
I want to thank you for allowing
us to present the ministry of
Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge. It was awesome to be
with you, to feel the love of your
people, and to see what God is
doing at Holy Cross Church.
What a wonderful experience!
We do not take lightly the opportunity to stand on your platform
and proclaim God’s amazing
grace. Thank you!
proclaim the freedom from addiction they found in
Christ.
Tom Truszinski
It was an honor to be part of the
experience and for our men to
RCLS PIZZA RANCH NIGHT – MON, FEBRUARY 16TH
Join RCLS on Monday, February
16, between 4:30-8 pm at the
Pizza Ranch in Stewartville for a
fundraising night to support the
7th/8th graders' class trip to
Washington D.C. this June.
A portion of the profits made
during those hours that night
will go towards their trip! Nothing else for you to do but just
show up to eat!
Remember...Pizza Ranch in
Stewartville (1580 2nd Ave
NW). Please mark your calendars. Thank you!
ment, Scripture, prayers, etc. are
always welcome. Thank you for
supporting our military members
through Holy Cross, shining the
love of Jesus to BJ and his buddies. Helping people become
fully alive in Jesus!
COMMUNICATING AND CELEBRATING THE MISSION AND MINISTRIES OF HOLY CROSS
Page 3
FULLY ALIVE!
Page 4
WEEKLY LENTEN FELLOWSHIP MEALS, LIFETREE CAFÉ!, MORE!
During the season of Lent this year we will gather for fellowship
meals and Lifetree Café! Everything will take place in the Parish Hall with the exception of Ash Wednesday’s time of worship. Here is the schedule:
•
•
•
•
•
•
ASH WEDNESDAY – February 18
• Chili Meal – 6:00 to 6:40 in the Parish Hall
(youth serve)
•
Worship with Holy Communion 6:45 – 7:30
in the Sanctuary (all)
FRIDAY FISH FRY – February 27
• Meal – 6:00 to 6:40
• Prayer & Praise – 6:40 – 6:55
• Lifetree Café – 7:00 to 8:00
WEDNESDAY – March 4
• Manicotti Meal 6:00 to 6:40 (youth and
confirmation serve)
• Prayer & Praise – 6:40 – 6:55
• Lifetree Café – 7:00 to 8:00
FRIDAY FISH FRY – March 13
• Meal – 6:00 to 6:40
• Prayer & Praise – 6:40 – 6:55
• Lifetree Café – 7:00 to 8:00
WEDNESDAY – March 18
• Taco Meal – 6:00 to 6:40
• Prayer & Praise – 6:40 – 6:55
• Lifetree Café – 7:00 to 8:00
FRIDAY FISH FRY – March 27
• Meal – 6:00 to 6:40
• Prayer & Praise – 6:40 – 6:55
• Lifetree Café – 7:00 to 8:00
Wednesdays Feb 25, March 11, March 25—
25—
• Regular Nightlife/Confirmation nights
• Supper 5:30-6:15
• Worship 6:30
All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the
Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.
(Acts 2:42)
COMMUNICATING AND CELEBRATING THE MISSION AND MINISTRIES OF HOLY CROSS
Page 5
PEOPLE OF THE BOOK LUTHERAN OUTREACH IN ROCHESTER!
The months of December and
January were very busy but exciting months for John and Mariam Gayed. They visited four
homes and had five different
dinners inviting people to their
home.
had the opportunity to meet with
a man who desperately needed
to talk to someone about his
family’s situation while one of
his sisters was a patient at
Mayo Clinic. Before Christmas,
John and Mariam met the man’s
mother and two of his sisters,
John and Mariam delivered gifts
visiting about the differences
for 82 children in 35 families
between the cultures of their
and met some new families
homeland and the US. They
through this outreach.
miss their homeland but wish to
Also, a few months ago John
stay here, as they appreciate
the freedom and openness of
the people.
The mother has invited Mariam
to visit her again. The family will
be here for three more months
before they return to their country. In the meantime, the man
continues to meet once a week
with Pastor PJ from Mt. Moriah,
Byron.
John, too, meets with the man
weekly. In one visit, religious
beliefs were discussed, so John
shared the huge differences
between Islam and Christianity
with the message of salvation.
Now, each time they meet, John
sows the seed a little more.
Please pray for this man and his
family that they see the real
light and receive Jesus as their
personal Savior.
If you are curious about what
POBLO is and does, call to
Always give
yourselves fully
to the work of
the Lord,
because you
know that your
labor in the Lord
is not in vain.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED AT POBLO!
(1 Corinthians
Wants & Needs...
•
Winter outerwear (hats,
gloves/mittens, scarves)
•
Gas cards
•
Drivers to transport families
to Redeemer for Sunday
services
•
Gift certificates for office
supplies (Walmart, Target,
Staples, Office Max, etc.)
•
Money for English as a Second Language books
•
Volunteers for child care
during Bible study (Mondays
at 4 pm)
Volunteers for our ESL classes – we now have about 55
students and are holding 15
classes a week. If you can
talk – you can teach!
Call (507) 258258-4155 to:
•
Volunteers to be receptionists!
•
•
With the expanding classes,
we are in need of more receptionists to be present in
the office. Consider giving 2
hours per week of your time!
•
Volunteers to help at the
sewing classes! 2 hours per
week on Wednesdays!
•
•
Help meet one of the above
needs.
-ORFind out more about
POBLO (a great way to do
this is to schedule a time to
observe our ESL classes and
sewing classes).
15:58)
FULLY ALIVE!
Page 6
CONNECTING AND STAYING CONNECTED TO THE BODY
Getting and staying connected at
a church can be challenging.
There are so many ways to get
involved it can be a little overwhelming and maybe even intimidating, be it volunteering or just
plugging into one of the many
adult, youth, or children’s ministry groups. As leaders, we try to
equip and enable these connections, but we can only do so
much. Let me just say that any
and all leaders and groups would
be happy to see you just show
up, or talk to them about it, give
marries or moves away, or you
no longer are attending Holy
Cross for whatever reason,
please drop us a note so we can
keep accurate records. This
It is also important for us to
helps us keep a finger on the
know what is going on in your
pulse of our congregation by
life. With the new privacy laws,
knowing whether to be conit is harder for us, for example, to
cerned when we don’t see you
find out when people are in the
for awhile.
hospital. When things change,
you need a visit from a Pastor, or If you would like to help the staff
something else, you can always or the Elders with member care,
please let Dan Johnson, Curt
contact the office at [email protected].
Boger, or either Pastor know.
them a call, or whatever it takes
to get you hooked up with the
Body of Christ in the most meaningful ways for you.
Also, when you move, a child
YOUTH WORKCAMP MISSION15: GREENWOOD, SC
We are planning only one trip in
2015, open to anyone in grade
6 or older for the current school
year.
Our destination will be Greenwood, South Carolina, departing
June 25 and returning July
5. This will be a "normal" workcamp featuring light home repair and construction, and
painting for people in need.
We have assembled a team of
around 20, but are still taking
new registrations! For details
or to register online, go to
holycrossyouth.org/
YouthTrips2015.htm
Located in the western part of
South Carolina, Greenwood is a
few hours’ drive from the coast
or the mountains. Named the
“Emerald City”, perhaps for its
green landscape, Greenwood is
home to advanced hospitals, a
major university, and high-end
corporations.
large and ever widening, and
the poverty level has crept into
25% of resident’s lives. Times
are definitely tough for many.
“By coming to
Greenwood, you
can bring hope
back into the
Past the nice buildings, you’ll
find the perfect blend of BBQ
and hospitality. You won’t have
to drive far to find the 11,400
acre Lake Greenwood or the old
fashioned drive-in movie theater. Friendliness abounds.
Despite being home to these
industries, Greenwood lost
many of the textile mills that
once employed thousands of
people. That, coupled with an
already troubled economy has
had a detrimental effect on
many of the people who call
Greenwood home. The gap between those who have resources and those who do not is
Those facts and statistics have
real faces. Seniors who cannot
do what needs to be done to
maintain a safe home. Families
that have to put basic needs
ahead of home maintenance.
lives of people
who have lost a
good bit in the
past, but who
retain a fighting
By coming to Greenwood, you
can bring hope back into the
lives of people who have lost a
good bit in the past, but who
retain a fighting spirit. You’ll
experience sincere southern
hospitality while ministering to
others who truly need your help.
spirit.”
Colorado Campers
2014
COMMUNICATING AND CELEBRATING THE MISSION AND MINISTRIES OF HOLY CROSS
Page 7
OUR 2014 FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP
To summarize 2014, we had
general fund gifts of $468,887
compared to $456,320 in
2013, for a 2.7% increase in
general offerings. Growth is
good, but we did fall short of
growth in expenses.
♦
sign project was paid down
♦
to $8,623 with designated
gifts.
♦
The LCEF loan was paid
down $9,445.
We supported Suresh with
$9,500 of designated gifts.
♦
While this sounds disappointing, there are some bright spots
to consider:
♦
fund gifts.
The loan on the $35,000
♦
We have kick-started the
We supported our youth
ministry. The youth fundraising exceeded prior year
for Workcamp and other
activities, plus we spent
$10,872 of budgeted general funds.
“God will generously provide
all you need. Then you will
always have everything you
need and plenty left over to
share with others.”
(2 Corinthians 9:8)
lighting project with
$2,500 in designated gifts.
We supported many in
desperate need through
$2,990 of Good Samaritan
RCLS NEWS
What an amazing year at Rochester Central Lutheran School!
rection.
Several security enhancements
There are currently 300 students have been implemented with
more planned. There will be
total enrolled, K-8 246, PS/PK
staged lockdown drills, both soft
54 (PK 32, PS 22) with 28 stulockdowns and intruder lockdents in 8th grade this year.
downs The school will also
The RCLS Board of Directors
begin locking the doors during
feels strongly that a vision is
school and Stepping Stones
needed for the future stability
(after school care) hours, from
and growth of the school. With
8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and then
the help of Holy Cross and the
again from 3:15 p.m. to 6:00
other Association churches, the
p.m.
Board is partnering with LCEF to
create just such a vision. The
Important and exciting technolointent of this partnership is that gy updates:
RCLS will arrive at missional
- The RCLS website received a
clarity that leads to ministry di-
much-needed update.
·- All faculty are now utilizing new
Lenovo laptops (the old laptops
are being refurbished to be used
with the SMART Boards).
- The increased number of
Chromebooks has been a blessing at all the grade levels.
While RCLS’s future is bright
indeed, there will be many challenges along the way. The Faculty and Board of Directors of
RCLS would appreciate your
prayers, as we strive to prepare
our children for tomorrow with a
Christ-centered education today.
RCLS BLUE & WHITE NIGHT!
Friday, April 24, 2015
Rochester Golf and Country Club
3100 Country Club Rd SW
Rochester, MN, 55902
Social Hour 6 pm // Cash Bar
Silent Auction // Live Auction
Dinner, Dessert Dash & Dancing!!
Tickets – $50/person.
$750/reserved table for 10.
Advanced tickets only.
Tickets go on sale March 14 at
the Spring Play or by contacting
the RCLS office at 507-2893267.
Auctioneer – Samantha Carlson
Master of Ceremonies – Rachel
Wick from KAAL TV
Music provided by Curt Queensland
Interested in making an item
donation (theme basket, sports
tickets, experience, host a dinner, babysitting, etc.)?
Please contact the RCLS office at
507-289-3267.
“What an
amazing year at
Rochester
Central Lutheran
School!”
SUNDAY
SUNDAY—
—FEB 22
SUNDAY
SUNDAY—
—MARCH 15
ASH WEDNESDAY
SUNDAY
SUNDAY—
—MARCH 8
SUNDAY
SUNDAY—
—MARCH 22
SUNDAY
SUNDAY—
—MARCH 1
What truths do the parables of Jesus teach us? Join your fellow
disciples on this Lenten journey and see what you discover!
“I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since
the creation of the world.” (Matthew 13:34-35)
Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not
say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what
was spoken through the prophet:
Non-Profit Org.
February Issue of Fully Alive!
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
Permit No. 264
Rochester MN 55901
HOLY CROSS LUTHERAN CHURCH
2703 9th Avenue NW
Rochester MN 55901
Phone: 507.289.1354
Fax: 507.289.4815
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.holycross-church.org