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Holy Cross Lutheran ChurchNEWSLETTER |
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Advent and Christmas Sunday, Nov. 28, 10 AM Worship Sunday, Dec. 19, 10 AM Worship with an offering from our
4:30 PM - Family Candlelight Service 7:30 PM - Festival Candlelight Service 10:30PM - Pre-service Recital with Michael Burkhardt and friends 11 PM - Festival Candlelight Service Sunday, Dec. 26, 10 AM Worship Advent by Candlelight Holy Cross and Faith Lutheran Church will join together in the Fellowship Hall for this annual celebration of Advent. All members and guests will enjoy a delightful evening of appetizers (new this year), desserts, fellowship and music of the season. Detroit Handbell Ensemble will provide our musical entertainment. Hostesses are needed for the tables. Each hostess decorates a table with her own table decorations, centerpiece, candles, linens and dishes. An appetizer and dessert will be provided for all to share. Sign ups will continue through Sunday, December 5th. Thank you for the support and care shown by so many during Barb's mother's illness and death. We experienced God's love and comfort through the prayer shawl, cards, notes, and prayers. – Barb Peterson, Melissa Brunsvold and family
Advent Spirituality We had a book in our bathroom for years called “Fabulous Fallacies,” by Tad Taleja. On the cover it said, “Everybody knows that George Washington was the first president of the United States, that Thomas Edison invented the electric light, and that St. Patrick was Irish. Everybody also knows that blood is red, that the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776, and everybody is wrong.” The book includes more than 300 popular beliefs that are not true. I don’t remember what happened to that book. (Maybe we donated it to the W/ELCA book and bake sale and it’s in your bathroom now!) But I’m always reminded of another fabulous fallacy that everyone believes this time of year: that the church’s season of Advent is a time to prepare for Christmas. Believe it or not, that’s not true either! “Officially,” Advent is a time to prepare for the coming of Christ and the three different ways he comes to us, in the past, present, and future: his coming as a baby in the flesh (incarnation); his coming to us now as the crucified and risen Christ who meets us in Word and Sacrament in the community gathered in his name; and his coming again at the end of time. The church year doesn’t start with Advent because Christmas is coming. The church year starts with Advent to remind us why Jesus was born in the first place. In the midst of secular holiday celebrations, and in the midst of Christmas celebrations that take place in the church during the month of December, I plan to compartmentalize: to create some space in my life to observe Advent. That may be as simple as lighting an Advent wreath as I engage in Advent-focused morning devotions. Advent is about learning to wait. It is about not having to know exactly what is coming tomorrow, only that whatever it is, God will bring good out of it – eventually (Romans 8:28). There’s a “pay-off” to Advent practice. Whenever times of uncertainty and waiting greet me on life’s journey, I say to myself, “I know how to do this. I practiced this during Advent.” It’s funny how observing a season of preparation would, in the long run, end up preparing me.
Faithfully,
Pastor Dana Runestad Exercising the Muscle of Faith Through Giving November 14, 2010 was Commitment Sunday. Thank you to those who prayerfully exercised your muscle of faith when you completed and offered your commitment card. It is exciting to see what God will do in the life of our church through your generous giving of time, money, and self. For those of you who have not yet turned in your commitment card: It’s not too late! Please take a prayerful moment and consider the Estimate of Giving Card. One side is dedicated to your dollars and the other to your time and your selves. May your giving be… Faithful---our giving is faithful when we let go, in love and trust, and respond to what God has already given us. Grateful---when we are grateful, we are centered in God and not ourselves. Expectant---our giving is expectant because we have a faithful, gracious God who gives us hope. So we do not lose heart. Regular and Proportionate---giving regularly means we do not give randomly, and giving proportionately means not giving an arbitrary amount. Regular and proportional giving are faith practices that teach us to trust that God provides for us. We trust that what remains after returning our first fruits to God will be enough to sustain us. Holy Cross offers electronic giving which helps keep your giving Faithful, Grateful, Expectant, Regular, and Proportionate. Whether you give electronically, through the SimplyGiving program, or traditionally through weekly offering placed in the plate, God will bless you and your gifts. We are becoming a church with people who are exercising their muscle of faith through giving. Thank you! Barb Peterson, on behalf of the Stewardship Team |
The Pastor's Pen
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Christmas Boutique
Christmas Boutique Vendor & Craft Fair Saturday, Dec. 4th from 10AM - 4PM All your favorite vendors under one roof! $1 admission includes ticket for door prize drawing Lunch available for purchase Spread the word! Invite your friends to join you! FIRST NOTICE Sunday, February Feb. 20, 2011 A light lunch will be served. We need someone to prepare soup, salad and rolls (or meal of your choice). Please contact Kathy Weaver to volunteer. Showcase Display for Advent and Christmas This year, we will feature churches from YOUR collections. If you have a church that you would be willing to share, please leave it in the library by the table to the left of the door. Please leave your name on the box. Thank you! Franklin High School Choir Concert at Christ the King On Wednesday, December 8th at 11:30am, we will be hosting the Franklin H.S. choir for a little concert of Christmas music. A luncheon will be held afterward. There is no cost for this but there will be an opportunity for a free-will offering at the luncheon. Please contact Christ the King at 734-421-0749 by December 6 so that we can fully prepare for the masses o' folks.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Many hands made the 2010 Book and Bake Sale a success this year – those who moved books from the Livonia library to the White House and then to the Fellowship Hall; those who unpacked and sorted books; those who baked all of the wonderful goodies offered to the patrons; and those who helped place and retrieve the street signs. Special thanks go to Michelle Long for her assistance with the sign on the church grounds, Pam LeDuc for placing advertising with outlets that reach our patrons and Barb Lewis for her generous guidance. We raised $1,130 this year that will, along with a Thrivent match of approximately $280, be sent to Lutheran Social Services of Michigan Foster Care Division in loving memory of Marge Faraday. Gail Cebelak Begins Internship for Licensed Ministry As many of you know, Gail Cebelak wears many hats. Gail is a long-time member of Holy Cross and has played in the bell choir for years. Since 2007 she has also been on our staff serving as the Operations Manager – a job which in itself requires her to wear many hats. But recently you have noticed her wearing yet another one. You have seen her teaching, helping to lead worship, or even preaching and, a couple of times, in my absence, the Bishop has authorized her to preside at Holy Communion. What’s that about? Gail does not do these things as a function of her position as Operations Manager. For the past two years Gail has been participating in the Southeast Michigan Synod’s Licensed Ministry Academy, leading to authorization by the Bishop for service within the Southeast Michigan as a Licensed Minister. Authorization is for one year and may be renewed upon evaluation. The office of Licensed Minister, according to synod documents, extends and supports the work of congregations. Primarily, the Licensed Minister is involved in the mission and outreach of the church as it serves the needs of the community and strengthens the faith and lives of the baptized. Licensed Ministers may fill a number of roles such as teacher, evangelist, youth worker, parish administrator, and so forth. In addition, when a congregation does not have the services of a pastor, the Licensed Minister may be authorized by the Bishop to preach and preside at Holy Communion. Preparation for this licensing includes two years of course work (on Saturday mornings) and a nine month internship. Gail has just completed her course work and now begins her internship, though you have already seen her “trying out” what she has been learning how to do in each of her classes. Goals for Gail’s internship include more practice at preaching and leading worship, enhancing leadership skills working with small groups, increasing Biblical and Theological knowledge, improving her ability to work with youth, gaining experience in pastoral care work, and continuing with classes and retreats offered by the Licensed Ministry program. So be ready to receive her in these roles in the months to come. A support/feedback group will also be organized for Gail. Let Pastor Dana know if you would like to serve in this way. The most important considerations in the training are that students comprehend the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and are able to articulate this good news. This is essential because the gospel is the center of the church’s life and shapes its people into a community. Gail has experienced tremendous growth in understanding during these past two years in the program. Donna Matteis has taken many of these classes as well, though her service in the Holy Land keeps her from completing the program right now. I encourage you to explore taking these classes. Auditing the classes is also an option should you not wish to work toward licensing. Learn more by visiting the Synod website at www.metrodetroitelca.org and click on Licensed Ministry in the list on the left. Spending time in training like this goes a long way toward fulfilling our vision at Holy Cross to become a community of faith where people are inspired and equipped for a journey of living lives centered in Christ. --PD
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