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Holy Cross Lutheran ChurchNEWSLETTER |
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Parenting With Love & Logic Are you interested in some ideas and strategies for handling challenging situations with your children? Learn methods for managing control battles, using empathy instead of anger when kids cause problems, and logical consequences that teach long-lasting lessons. The sessions will include videos, discussion, and practice. A materials fee of $10 will cover the cost of the valuable workbook. Class fee is a donation, as you are able. Love & Logic Facilitator Peggy Schneider will lead the sessions. Peggy is a retired elementary school teacher and counselor. She has fifteen years experience sharing the Love & Logic principals with parents and teachers. The sessions will take place on Mondays, October 11, 18, 25, and Nov. 8 from 6:50 to 8 pm in the Conference Room. Please sign up by September 29 so we can order enough books. Invite your friends! Blessing of Pets Bring your cats, dogs, horses, gerbils, hamsters, bunnies, fish... (you get the idea). Make sure each of your furry friends is on a leash or in a crate.
…God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together… if one member is honored all rejoice together…I Corinthians 12:24b-26 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. –Galatians 6:2 Sometimes I think I live on trail mix. I keep little packets of it in my car and in my desk. When I haven’t taken time for a meal, downing one of those packets on the run gives me energy and is healthy to boot. Such was the case when I brought a packet of trail mix in with me before teaching Catechism class at Emmanuel last month. Before I had a chance to open the packet up, Julie, one of the confirmation mentors from Emmanuel, said, “Did you know we’re a nut free building? We have a member with a severe peanut allergy. You can take it outside and eat it, and then wash your hands when you come back in. The boy’s brother will be in class today.” Many think it’s crazy that one young boy could dictate the behavior of an entire church. It was certainly inconvenient for me. Yet I realize how severe the consequences can be for those with such health challenges. And I understand what it means for Christians to bear one another’s burdens. Emmanuel is helping to bear his burden by banning nuts from the building. And I was glad to put my trail mix back in my pocket and eat a cookie offered to me instead. In a similar vein, I once heard about someone who had a friend who was battling cancer. When her friend went through chemotherapy she lost all her hair. To help her friend bear that burden, as a sign of solidarity in suffering, she shaved her own head. In worship, we have alternated the place we receive communion to match the emphasis of the liturgical season. (This is my preference.) We have been kneeling at the altar rail during Advent and Lent, the more penitential seasons, as well as during the “green season” or “Time after Pentecost” when we focus on growing in faith. During the Easter season we have been standing to receive the bread and wine at the chancel steps as a sign of resurrection with Christ. On other festivals, like Christmas, Reformation, and Pentecost, we stand in part because more people attend worship those days and, practically speaking, receiving at the steps takes less time. But we haven’t been kneeling at the altar rail lately. Why is that? We haven’t received communion at the rail since Lent, even though the paraments (altar cloths) have been green. That is because so many among us are so challenged by climbing the stairs to get to the rail. Many of these folks have asked that we offer communion at the steps each Sunday. They are glad to at least come forward and approach the altar (a penitential act) as opposed to receiving communion in the pew. (Receiving in the pew is their only option when the rest of us receive kneeling at the rail.) During Lent we tried offering communion at the rail and at the steps, and it proved rather chaotic. Unfortunately, ours is the only ELCA altar rail in Livonia that requires climbing stairs in order to reach it. And that is such an irony because the rest of our building is completely accessible. For the indefinite future, receiving communion standing at the steps will be one way we bear one another’s burdens. You are invited to brainstorm alternative solutions to this challenge. One option that could work is to have those who would like to kneel at the altar rail sit on one side of the nave, and those who wish to receive at the steps sit on the other side. Clearly this option presents other complexities, particularly for first time visitors who “don’t know the rules.” Another possibility would be to remodel the chancel and install a rail at floor level across the lowest step. Then all could be at the rail and we could kneel or stand as we are able. Of course, anyone, always, after he or she receives at the steps, is more than welcome –and encouraged-- to go to the rail and kneel for a time of prayer. In the meantime, Dave Wheeker and Bob Ferrari Sr. have agreed to serve as a task force to explore options. Please share your wisdom with them or me. Until further notice, we will be bearing one another’s burdens and fulfilling the law of Christ by communing at the chancel steps. I realize this is contrary to a consumer culture where the customer is always right and we can, and do, always feel entitled to having it our own way. But we are the church. And we are in but not of the world. As God’s people who do God’s work, I know you will do this with glad and generous hearts!
Faithfully,
Pastor Dana Runestad |
The Pastor's Pen
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Save Your Books! The Holy Cross Women of the ELCA will sponsor the Seventh Annual Book and Bake Sale on November 5, 6 and 7, 2010. It will be open to the public from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm on Friday and Saturday and open to Holy Cross members and visitors on Sunday immediately following worship services until 12:00 pm. Your book donations are needed and welcomed; drop off information will be provided at a later date. May volunteers will be needed to move stored books from the White House, donate baked goods, sort books, assist with advertising and work during the sale days. Specific information for volunteer opportunities will be available in the Narthex. This year the beneficiary will be Lutheran Social Services of Michigan Foster Care Division, in memory of Marge Faraday. CROP Walk Help end the curse of hunger by gathering donations from family and friends to support the work of Church World Service. CROP Hunger Walks bring the whole community together in a common mission. The walk is 2 miles long and we will walk as a group. We will meet at 1:30pm at Rosedale Garden Presbyterian Church (on West Chicago, west of Merriman). Please bring your pledge envelopes and money you have raised. We will be done around 3:30pm and parents may pick up youth at that time if they are not joining us for the walk. For more information or a packet please talk with Pastor Dana or Rebecca. Congregation Council Adjusting Meeting Schedule Beginning in January, the Congregation Council “tried on” a new schedule of meetings to make our work more efficient and effective. The intent was to free everyone up for ministry rather than bogging down in meetings. The functions of the Council were split between “Governance” and “Programs”. The Governance Council (Congregation Officers plus liaisons from Property and Finance) deals with operational and oversight matters. The Program Council (all Council members) concentrates on ministry and programs through the familiar team, or committee, structure. Under the schedule, the two groups meet on alternating months and teams meet on a monthly rotation basis, roughly three times a year. As previously planned, the Governance Council reevaluated the new schedule at its September meeting. A summary of the discussion: The intent to reduce meeting time to free everyone up for ministry isn’t working well; communication is breaking down, folks are feeling disconnected and they don’t know when their teams are supposed to be meeting. The Governance Council needs to meet more regularly to avoid overstuffed agendas. The Program Council needs to meet more regularly to stay informed about what’s going on and to have better opportunities to “cross fertilize” and coordinate ministries. Based on the discussion, beginning in October the Council will adopt a new meeting schedule for six months and assess the effectiveness at the end of the period. 1. The Governance Council (officers plus liaisons for Property and Finance) will meet every month on the 3rd Thursday at 7 PM.
2. The Program Council (entire Congregation Council) will meet every month on the 4th Thursday at 7 PM.
a. We will meet together for 30 minutes to share current/upcoming activities within the program teams. The intent is to increase communication and lift up any synergy and opportunities for sharing among/between teams. b. Team leaders will be joined by their teams at 7:30 for team meetings as necessary. c. Teams will share written reports coming out of those meeting with the whole council (even if there is no news) EVERY month by the 2nd Thursday of the month. The new Program Council schedule replaces the previous 1st Thursday rotation of “Teams A, B & C”. 10/21 next Governance Council meeting Reformation Celebration Mark your calendars now so you don’t miss this day of celebration on Sunday, October 31, 2010. Yes, it is Reformation Sunday and yes, the talented Dr. Michael Burkhardt will be at the organ console, but that is not all. On that day, following the worship service, there will be a reception honoring the Lindholm and Moldwin families. We will be celebrating the 50 years of ordained ministry of the Rev. William G. Moldwin and the 52 years of ordained ministry of the Rev. William C. Lindholm. Both of these loyal pastors have served our congregation, our synod and our church-wide agencies with many years of faithful service. You are invited to be a part of this celebration by joining them at the reception. A short program will highlight their years of devoted ministry. As you may know, both of these pastors have established Endowment Funds at two of our ELCA seminaries to assist with the training of new clergy. The Lindholm Fund supports seminarians at Trinity Seminary in Columbus, Ohio; and the Moldwin Endowment supports seminarians at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago, Illinois. Our plan is to make a gift to each of these endowments on behalf of the entire Holy Cross congregation. We need your help to make this possible. Starting immediately, donations will be accepted so that a generous gift can be made to each of these endowments. Cash or checks (payable to Holy Cross) should be put in a pew envelope; include your name and the notation "Special Endowment Fund" on the envelope. On October 24th, we will divide up the funds collected and send one half to Trinity and the other half to Chicago. This gift will be acknowledged at the reception on Sunday, October 31, 2010. The first $1,000 donated will be matched by two anonymous donors, so if you act soon you can double your gift. Help us make this a joyous celebration for two of our former pastors! All Saints Sunday is November 7th We will be remembering loved ones who have died during the past year. Please turn in a picture to the office by Oct. 24 so they can be included in our “Communion of Saints” during our worship that day. 10/28 next Program Council meetingSEMI W/ELCA CONVENTION SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2010 Keynote speaker: Marie Tesch, Member of W/ELCA $40 Registration Fee includes meals and programming Registration forms can be found on the W/ELCA board. Adults Needed for The Gathering: December 27-30th We have a request from C.J. Clark to have some people from our churches help with security at the Gathering, which will be in Novi this year. The dates are Dec. 27-30. The need is for people to be at the doors in 3-hour shifts from lunch through lights out at 1AM. If you are willing and able to help, please contact the office for more information.
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