CROSSROADS. Back to the Future HOLY CROSS LUTHERAN CHURCH NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2011

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1 HOLY CROSS LUTHERAN CHURCH NEWSLETTER CROSSROADS JANUARY 2011 Services of Worship 9:30 am Back to the Future As we look ahead to 2011, there is much to be thankful for, and much to be hopeful for. I am especially grateful for each of you, my partners in mission and ministry, for the tireless number of hours you have worked to make more visible the kingdom of God in the midst of our local community and abroad. I am thankful for your creativity and collaboration in providing tangible ways for others to know and experience the love and grace of God. As we look ahead, we look back to a year that, although marked with economic challenges, both individually and collectively, was one of the most remarkable and significant years in our ministry to date. We took a bold step ahead into our future by remembering 50 years of our past. Even amid financially discomfort we found the time and energy to celebrate and, for lack of a better term, smile at all that God has done in, at, and through Holy Cross these last 50 years. What has come and gone before us now is not so much a distant memory, something that we only see as what was ; rather, what has come before is inextricably bound up in our collective What If. The very successful 50/50 Campaign of 2010 that set out to help us start anew with our feet firmly planted on the ground, and our eyes to the future, was a significant part of our What If conversation. What if we could de-ice the wings of the plane at Holy Cross? What if we could go above and beyond just de-icing the wings of the plane, and actually dare to fly it? It would be easy enough to just pad our checking account, take a deep breath, and rest easy, but this is not what God is calling us to. God is calling us to the wild unknown of the future where he resides, and where he has promised his grace will already be waiting. We are not called to timidity any more than we are called to avoid risk and failure. The church cannot afford to be rich in anxiety and poor in faith. If this is the path that we choose, we will not be on it for very long. For all the reasons we put forth to describe why folks do or do not come to be part of our church, the primary reason is their perception that the church is not about important things; that it is not concerned with issues that ultimately matter. And so long as the church measures its success by the ABCs Attendance, Buildings, and Cash rather than its MRI Mission, Relationships, and Incarnational living (meeting folks right where they re at) then we will always be playing catch up to a culture who s already content to move on and away from the church, not because it failed to entertain them, but because it failed to be relevant to and in their life. I don t want that to happen on my watch. So as we move forward into this new and exciting year, we do so with hopes and dreams in motion, like: The sharing and implementation of a Strategic Plan to help us clarify our mission and better understand our part to play in God s vision for the world; Transformational Worship that strives for authentic experiences of God by taking into account the diversity of emotion and intellect present at every worship gathering; A Ministry for Men that meets regularly to encourage, empower, and equip one another in prayer, study, fellowship, and service; A grassroots Small Group Ministry project targeted for young families with children, but that will grow into multiple groups by years end; (continued on page 2)

2 Page 2 Volume 50, 1 Issue (continued from front page) The renovation of our Worship Space, including upgrades to our audio/video capabilities, as well as the reconfiguring of our current seating arrangement; Hosting the Resurrection Dance Theatre of Haiti from April 22-25, as we continue to stand in solidarity with our sisters and brothers in the wake of the January 12, 2010 earthquake; Supporting both in word and deed our senior high students who will embark on another life-changing mission trip; Giving the gift of our time as we prepare for another amazing week of VBS, where 150 kids will spend a week on our campus learning about the love and grace of Jesus, and his presence in their life; Developing a ministry that helps guests, visitors, new members, and old members alike, explore their giftedness for ministry, and that walks alongside them as they grow and mature in their faith. As we say hello to these new hopes and dreams, we also say goodbye to a ministry that has used our parish hall space since early Open Heart Kitchen, the ministry that began here at Holy Cross in the 1990s, returns to Asbury Methodist in the first part of It is my sincere prayer that we will continue to find ways, both financial and personal, that speak of our love and support for OHK. Though OHK will no longer be here physically, we must do everything in our power to help ensure its success. Thank you, all of you, for your continued support of the mission and ministry of Holy Cross. Moving forward into our 51st year, I pray that we will not be tight-fisted with our resources, financial or spiritual. I pray that we will not be afraid to take risks for the gospel, knowing that our work is blessed by God in that we serve for the sake of the world. I pray that we will never become complacent in reaching out to the least of these. I pray that we will not make decisions that embellish our faith while forfeiting our children s. I pray that an ethic of fear and anxiety will not be ratified in the absence of perfectly clear answers and solutions to our deepest spiritual and social problems. Finally, I pray that whatever we do, we do it with a spirit of joy and excitement, knowing that God is with us and the tomb is still empty. Living and thriving in the love and grace of God, Pastor John Men s Ministry Join other men for a Men s Breakfast on Saturday, January 22 from 7:30 9:00 am. We ll meet in the fellowship hall for some good food, fellowship, and great conversation. For you guys who have sons you d like to bring along, we d be happy to have them. Questions? Contact Bryan Hahn (mrhahn42@comcast.net) or Randy Trump (tlctrump@sbcglobal.net)

3 Page 3 Haiti 2010 Reporting from Jacmel, Haiti. Verbo Jean-Julien, HTF Partnership Development Director Haiti December 10, 2010 SPOT LIGHT ON HAITI On January 12, 2010, a 7.0 Earthquake hit Haiti, and killed over 300,000 people. The disaster left more than 2 million Haitians without shelter. Hurricanes, divisive politics, the posturing of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and the recent presidential election crises have put Haiti back 20 years. Many countries have given and promised aid to Haiti in the name of international community. As important as funds are from the international community, the conversation on how to allocate those funds has happened largely with little Haitian input. This has thwarted the energy and dreams of Haitians for their country. The block in progress is seen quite visibly in the barrage of refugee camps scattered throughout Port-au-Prince, Petit Goave, Leogane and Jacmel. Post-earthquake, Haiti now has more than 10,000 NGOs, only 7% of which state that their ultimate goal is to help Haitians become self-sufficient and self-sustaining. The other 93% of NGOs can only remain in Haiti if the situation in Haiti is stagnant (i.e., the perpetuation of refugee fields). The job of those NGOs is to receive money from their government to feed thousands of people living in the tents every day. While shelter is vitally important, refugee fields represent the new normal for Haitians. Where mounds of trash resided before, now tons of broken concrete lie in wait, for machinery that will likely never come to remove it. The history of Haiti is that when disaster strikes, Haiti actually goes backwards. The new normal is a downgrade from life before. The Cholera outbreak in Asia in 1817 is now spreading throughout Haiti in late 2010, because of the lack of infrastructure, the education system, and lack of individual hygiene. Since October 2010, 98.5% of people infected came from poor areas, and because of a lack of understanding about cholera and the value of proper hygiene needed to fend off the disease. The poor do not have access to drinkable water. They are used to getting water from the springs and rivers where cholera is now showing up. Somewhere in Jeremie (in a location called Chambellan), people living there think cholera is not real. Many NGOs try to educate the population about the spread of cholera, especially those who were made even more vulnerable because of the earthquake. The Haitian Timoun Foundation is now mobilizing all students in schools throughout the south of Haiti, Jacmel and Cayes-Jacmel in particular, to help them and their families better understand cholera and how it is spread. This also includes educating teachers who stand the best chance at helping children convey vital information to their friends and families about cholera. HTF wants to help them change their mentality, conception and behavior to avoid cholera in their family, their community and their country. HTF is also working to ensure that future outbreaks will have the necessary personnel to address the issue, by training individuals in research, project prioritization, project planning, project management, and project execution. In the meantime, providing access to clean water and educating people in individual hygiene are the most pressing issues in Haiti as related to the outbreak of cholera. On Nov 28th, in the afternoon, Haiti was very hot, and there were a lot of demonstrations. I was expecting this situation. Right now, the demonstrations have come down. We have actual political debates on the radio and TV, and people are waiting for the second run of elections on Jan 16th. The second run of elections will not be as volatile as the first. Right after the second run, preparations will be made for the presidential inauguration on Feb 7, I don t know what the future has in store for us, but I know that Holy Cross and the Haitian Timoun Foundation will be there for us no matter what. Remembering you fondly, Verbo Jean-Julien HTF Partnership Development Director -Haiti

4 Page 4 Volume 50, 1 Issue President s message The holidays are behind us and as we march into a new year let us be resolved to live even closer to our Christian faith. It is difficult to face the new year with optimism. There is so much violence in the world. There is so much need. And even here in America where abundance abounds people are struggling to survive. There seems no end in sight for the recession and the ever climbing national debt. So how can we remain positive? We must look beyond a troubled world and see the hope that Christ brings to each and every one of us. As a congregation we must continue to reach out to others and to take the stretch and help those less fortunate. If we live our faith we can go into the new year without fear and we can know that there is an abundance in God s love. On February 13th we will hold our annual meeting. This is where we can come together to set our agenda for the next year. Let us gather with determination and optimism and hope for the future of Holy Cross. Let us reach out to one another and celebrate who we are as a congregation. After 50 years we are still in tact. We are still strong and we still have much to do. Let s accept the challenges ahead and with Christ s help let us move toward another 50 years. In Christ, Sally SAVE THE DATE: February 13, 2011 Holy Cross Annual Congregational Meeting Holy Cross Book Club January 11 we will meet to discuss Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. For our discussion in February we will read Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. You are invited to join us the 2nd Tuesday of every month at 10:00 am in the Music Room HC Lutheran School News Happy New Year! May this coming year bring you blessings, health, happiness, and peace. We were very pleased to welcome all of our families to our Christmas performances last month. The children were very excited and proud to share all their hard work with their families. The children enjoyed celebrating Jesus birthday, with a special cake and singing Happy Birthday to Him. During December the Godly Play story focused on Advent. This lesson helps the children to anticipate the mystery of Christmas. We move toward Bethlehem and arrive at the birth of Jesus and the lighting of the Christ Candle. Advent was also reinforced in the classroom with advent wreaths. Registration for our is quickly approaching. Please give us a call or stop by the school to see our program. Currently enrolled students have priority registration which is on a first come first serve basis and will take place on February 22nd and 23rd. Alumni registration is also on a first come first serve basis and takes place on February 28th & March 1. Open registration is by lottery and will take place on March 3rd. Many of you are used to hearing about our annual Ice Cream Social at this time of year. This year the event will take place on March 20th. Our Ice Cream Social is one of our biggest fundraisers. We are seeking donations from business and families for our raffle. If you would like to donate an item to our fundraiser please contact the school office. We hope you will mark your calendars for this fun event and will join us in the festivities. Happy New Year! Jenifer Montgomery

5 Page CAMPAIGN: Our campaign has ended with the end of our 50th Anniversary Year. I will have the specific figures for you sometime in January and will include them in the February newsletter. At this time, we believe we will have received over $40,000 by the end of December. We also believe that we will have accomplished the key goal in this effort. We will go into our next decade with a positive bank balance!!!! Most of the congregation has participated both directly and through the fundraisers. Thank you all for your donations and participation! The Committee members responsible for the effort deserve a great big pat on the back. Diane Bellucci, Lois Cornell, Ruth Harder, Donna Pontau, Max Schell and Ken Trautwein are thanked for their work. Also, Jo Johnson deserves our appreciation for her ex-officio suggestions and guidance. Ken Trautwein, Chair CRAFTY LADIES Are you looking for something to do on Tuesday mornings? Crafty Ladies will be holding their first meeting of the year on Tuesday, January 18, at 9:30 a.m. in the music room. We will be meeting on the first and third Tuesdays during the spring months. After a summer break, we will resume meeting weekly until our bazaar in November. We welcome any ladies of the congregation, even if you can only attend the meetings occasionally. Stop in for a cup of coffee and maybe share an idea for our next bazaar. We hope to see you on Jan. 18. Holy Cross Lutheran Church Financial Report for November 2010 Ministry Spending Plan Category Receipts Expenses/Outgo Current Operating (salaries, facilities, debt reduction Current Operating YTD (salaries, facilities, debt reduction) Benevolence (Miscellaneous ie. World Hunger, HCLS, etc) Mission Support, Month (Synod and ELCA Church wide Ministries) $32,930 $20,257 $277,694 $289,804 $1,649 $1,649 $1,020 $1,020 These are the areas that we are NOT meeting our financial needs or Goals. Will you help? We started our year with a $3254 balance in Current Operating. So, we have a negative balance of $8,302 in our combined Current Operating and Debt Reduction account. We are meeting our Budget for Haiti, and Open Heart Kitchen. THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS!

6 Page 6 Volume 50, 1 Issue AMONG family & friends Please keep Holy Cross informed about births, deaths, weddings, graduations, hospitalizations, or a special recognition in your household by calling the church office at In Memoriam Bob Fleming, friend of Marilyn Carstensen Carlton Furnberg Jeff Groth, friend of Marilyn Carstensen Mother of Sue Kennedy, friend of Lita Schaffer Mary, sister of neighbor of Carole Thorngate Military Deployment Shaun Tighe-Barrios, USA friend of Marcia Sizemore, Iraq Members in Our Prayers Becky Gann Jeff Mapes Gary Potter Bill Bormolini Friends & Family in Our Prayers Jan Attaway, former member, sister of Donna Mapes Bob Henderson, former member Arlene Dwyer, mother of Barbara Bell David, friend of Barbara Bell Cheryl Wright, daughter of Bonnye Burns Nathan Pool, son of the friend of Jan Wolery Karen Brink, former member Darus Chelaru, friend of Barbara Bell The following members represent you on the Council: President: Sally Trautwein Vice President: Alan Brooks Secretary: Joyce Correia Treasurer: Audrey Sato Financial Secretary: Ken Trautwein Donna Pontau, Paula Alm, Kathy Scarbrough, Lois Cornell, Bill Miller, Pat Cheney, and James Cheney (Youth representative) Strategic Planning Team Members: Mike Bennett, Pat Cheney, Lois Cornell, Joan Hottinger, and Randy Trump

7 Page 7 INcelebration JANUARY Birthdays 2 Tonja Everett 4 Jeanette Kuneli Garrett Mantach Emma Lou Yalon 7 Bill Miller 8 Mitzi Kuhn Bob Simmermaker Kristin Tompkins Gail Wilcox 9 Katie Mollon 11 Lita Schaffer Pete Timmer 12 Carol Hurson Ted Midtaune 15 Cliff Olsen 16 Bryan Billy, Jr. Jon Winter 19 Mona Furnberg 22 Justin Coutts Mary Taber 23 Michael Hasaka 24 Leona Bingaman 26 Judy Bird Harriett Olivotti Wyatt Jr., Doug 29 Brian Estabrook JANUARY Anniversaries Bonnye & Jim Burns 1/24/1960 Birth Celebration Karlie Faye Phillips born Nov. 30 Volunteers Needed for the Livermore Homeless Refuge The Tri-Valley s two homeless shelters do not provide housing to single men. As a result, last year, five local churches, including Holy Cross, began collaborating to form the Livermore Homeless Refuge that targeted single homeless men. The mission of the Livermore Homeless Refuge is to provide a clean, dry, warm and safe refuge for people who need a place to stay, regardless of race, creed, color, gender, or religion. If the weather forecast is for rain or temperatures below 45 degrees, the refuge will be open for homeless guests to spend the night. Last year, the Refuge rotated among three churches and was open from January through the end of April. This year the Refuge began opening November 1 and plans to remain open on cold or rainy nights through April if volunteers can be found to staff the Refuge. Two types of volunteers are needed: Hospitality 5:00pm - 8:00pm or 6:00am - 8:00am Night Host 5:30pm - 10:00pm, or 10:00pm - 3am, or 3:00am - 7:00am Training is provided for each job. If you are interested, please call Wes Stark at (925) or Dolores Olness at

8 The Ministers: The people of Holy Cross Senior Pastor: John Preston Bost Office Manager: Kate Valley Director of Music: Susan Peterson HCLSchool Director: Jenifer Montgomery Organist: Susan Peterson Crossroads Production: Cheri Brewster Custodian: Daniel Pierson CROSSROADS Deadline: Please submit articles for next month s issue by January 15, Saturday. Cheri Brewster at brewsterdesign@sbcglobal.net or bring to the Church office. Remember to send your change of address or to admin@holycrosslivermore.org or call Mocho Street, Livermore, CA Phone: FAX: