September 2018 Thank you for a Blessed First Year of Ministry at Holy Cross! Reflection on goals for the first year of Ministry at Holy Cross by Pastor Jim Jobst Brothers and Sisters in Christ, How has Jesus been messing with you and me this past year? You might be a little tired of hearing that, especially if you joined us for the two topical Christian studies by Greg and Susan Finke that we ve been reading since February. But we are building upon the foundation of the prophets and the apostles with Jesus in the lead helping us all Join Him on His Mission! As we hear the Word of God weekly proclaimed and read it in our quiet times, the foundation first of all is from the Living Word who is Jesus. Second, let me say this before I get too long winded about outreach; it has been and continues to be a blessing and joy to share with you in the ministry of the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus. During my interview of May 2017 before being extended the Call to be Pastor at Holy Cross, I learned about the needs of the congregation from the leadership. What the most profound need discussed to me was that the congregation needed to build relationships in Christ among one another as well as to build relationships out to the local community. This was music to my ears and continues to be so. Therefore, we continue to focus in the start of my second year of ministry at Holy Cross with continuing the journey together that will grow and deepen our Christian friendships and then to, Join Jesus on His Mission. Part of that journey has been Strategic planning. In the past year of working with leadership and our congregational members we continue to lift-up Word and Sacrament ministry as well as using Strategic planning to meet the goal of building relationships inside our church family and outside in the community. As we journey together in this process it helps us hear and listen to what the Lord is doing in our lives at Holy Cross, listening to our members, as well as learning and listening to our community s needs. It s been exciting for me to get to know our members here, to visit as many as possible in home or family events and to continue to reach out to our new families and individuals joining us on the mission of Christ s Gospel. (John 3:16-17, and Matthew 28:16-20). Continues on page 6 ~Ladies Saved to Serve Event ~ Ladies, young and old, are invited to come together to tie Fleece blankets for cancer patients through Phil s Friends as well as to assemble Witness Bracelets to be used throughout the world by MOST, wherever language barriers may hinder sharing the Gospel. Join us at Mount Hope Lutheran, Bloomington Saturday, September 29 th 9:30 am Registration ~ 10:00 am Saved to Serve Event Lunch to follow Pastor Fran Green, Mount Hope s newly installed pastor will bless us with a Saved to Serve Bible talk. Tickets can be purchased from Vicki Case or Pat Harvey. LIFE EVENT Carver Lifelines is sponsoring a life event Saturday, September 29 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Christ Victorious, Chaska. The theme is Living FAITHfully in this Culture of Death and speakers are Revs. Lucas Woodford & Fred Hinz.
Page 2 September 2018 FREE PRISON MINISTRY COURSE STARTS SEPT. 11 The Minnesota South District of The Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod and the Concordia University St. Paul, Department of Criminal Justice offer this course: An Introduction to Correctional Ministry This course is free! No prerequisites are involved. Lay people, pastors, and leaders from all denominations are welcome (Course credit is also possible, but for a fee.) Jim Seemann, Ph.D. will provide a general overview of strategies to help those who are incarcerated as they find reconciliation and redemption within the context of the Christian Gospel, and to mentor and provide support for those who come to faith. A diverse group of preachers, which are sure to challenge and to provide fresh perspectives to this age-old problem. The course text will be supplied for free. Online learning is also available. Classes will meet for six Tuesday nights from 7:00-9:00 p.m. in Luther Hall Classroom 111 starting on September 11. Interested? R.S.V.P. seemann@csp.edu Sept.2, 2018 Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost Theme: THE HOLY PLAN Be wrapped in the Holy armor of God to Fight the Devil s Schemes! Text: Ephesians 6: 10-20 Sept. 9, 2018 Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost & Rally Day Theme: The Lord is My Shepherd Text: Psalm 23:1 Sept. 16, 2018 Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost Theme: The Lord is My Shepherd I Shall not Text: September Sermons want. Psalm 23: 1a Sept. 23, 2018 Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost Theme: The Lord is my Shepherd He leads Me in Paths of Righteousness Text: Psalm 23:3 Sept. 30, 2018 Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost Theme: The Lord is My Shepherd He Restores my Soul! Text: Psalm 23:3 Celebrate Rally Day Sunday, September 9 8:15 am Traditional Worship 9:15 am Light Breakfast 9:45 am Adult Bible Study and Sunday School Activity 11:00 am Contemporary Worship Sunday Schedule 8:15 AM Traditional Worship 9:45 AM Christian Education Hour 11:00 AM Contemporary Worship
Page 3 September 2018 The Lutheran Hour The Lutheran Hour can be heard each Sunday on WCCO (830 AM) at 6:05 am. And it can be streamed online too, www.lhm.org. Check-out LHM s daily devotions too. September 2 "Eager to Preach the Good News" Guest Speaker: Dr. Oswald Hoffmann In a classic message from 1968, Dr. Oswald Hoffmann says, "The Good News (of Christ) is really good; good enough to believe, good enough to trust." (Romans 1:14-17) September 9 "The Changeless Christ for a Changing World" Guest Speaker: Dr. Walter A. Maier In a classic message first heard in 1937, Dr. Walter A. Maier tells how Christ comes to us in our world of change and decay with a message of unchanging hope. (Hebrews 13:8) September 16 "The Mystery of God" Guest Speaker: Dr. Oswald Hoffmann The undeniable hiddenness of God becomes the openness of God when you see His Son, Jesus Christ. (Isaiah 55:6-9) September 23 "Come, Lord Jesus" Guest Speaker: Rev. Dr. Dale A. Meyer In a classic message from 1998, Dr. Dale Meyer explains how a common table prayer reminds us of our dependence upon God and His gifts. (Exodus 16) MISSION FEST Mission Fest is planned for October 27th. A planning committee is needed. If anyone is interested, please contact Diane Mullenbach 952-212-3404. All ideas are welcome. We're hoping to meet many of our new neighbors and share what's happening in the Mission field. Of course, the meal and silent auction are also in the plan. If you are willing to apply for Thrivent Action Team money, please also contact Diane if you have any questions about that. September 30 "Cut Off-for Us" Guest Speaker: Dr. Lawrence R. Rast Jr. Sin is serious because it cuts us off from God. Guest speaker Dr. Lawrence Rast says Jesus was cut off from God, in our place. (Mark 9:38-50)
Page 4 September 2018 Stewardship Ministry It s September, and everything is in full swing again: back to school and back to church attendance after vacations and weekends away. And since everything is back into full swing, it s a perfect time to get back to basics, back to the foundation. At the end of the first of his chapters on the virtue of faith in Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis provides a helpful reminder, by way of analogy, for the foundation of stewardship. He wrote: Every faculty you have, your power of thinking or of moving your limbs from moment to moment, is given you by God. If you devoted every moment of your whole life exclusively to His service you could not give Him anything that was not in a sense His own already. So then, when we talk of a man doing anything for God or giving anything to God, I will tell you what it is really like. It is like a small child going to its father and saying, Daddy, give me six pence to buy you a birthday present. Of course, the father does, and he is pleased with the child s present. It is all very nice and proper, but only an idiot would think that the father is six-pence to the good on the transaction. When a man has made these two discoveries God can really get to work. It is after this that real life begins. (128 129). This is the first thing we are given to confess about stewardship, and it has to do with ownership. God owns everything, and we are simply managers stewards acting on His behalf. This is true not only of all that we have in this life (Deuteronomy 8:17 18), but also all that we are in this life (1 Corinthians 6:20). The rest flows from here. Since we are stewards, or managers, of what belongs to God, entrusted to make use of it according to His will, there is an expectation of responsibility and accountability. For the Lord said, Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more (Luke 12:48b). And from this comes blessing and reward: Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master (Matthew 25:21). We have everything we need to support this body and life from our God s fatherly divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in us. We have everything we need for our spiritual life also from His merciful hands. On account of the sacrifice of His Son, our Lord Jesus, through the preaching of the gospel and the administration of the sacraments, we have the forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and everlasting salvation delivered to us with absolute certainty that it is ours not as stewards but as sons (Galatians 4:1 7). Let us then, as His own sons, press all that He gives to us into the service of His church and to His glory. LCMS Stewardship Ministry - September 2018 Newsletter
Page 5 September 2018 Understanding and Caring for Persons Affected by Depression, Anxiety and other Mental Health Problems Where? This FREE PRESENTATION will be at Glory of Christ Lutheran 4040 County Rd. 101 Plymouth, MN 55447. Church office: 763-478-6031 Website: www.gloryofchrist.org When? Sunday September 30th, 2018 from 12:30pm- 3:30pm. All materials provided. Light refreshments will be served. To learn more and to register visit www.gloryofchrist/events. Walk-ins welcome. Why? One-in-five persons in any given year will experience a mental illness, causing distress to the person and to the person s family members, caregivers, loved ones and friends. The distress can be compounded and confounded by confusion, anxiety and guilt about what it means to have a mental illness. Simply put, many worry that mental illness is an indication that God no longer loves them. Churches therefore must arm themselves with rudimentary knowledge, an appropriate attitude, and interpersonal skills to help persons with mental illness and those that love them. Who? Dr. Stephen Saunders is Professor of Psychology at Marquette University (Milwaukee WI) and author of the two volume book, "A Christian Understanding of Mental Illness" (Northwestern Publishing House). He is a longstanding member of Our Father's Lutheran Church in Greenfield WI and a speaker for Doxology. He has published over 100 articles and chapters on the treatment of mental illness, stigma associated with mental illness, and on the intersection between religious faith and mental health care. BIBLE BOOKENDERS Will meet October 22 at 7 pm. We will be reading Return to Me by Lynn Austin. MEN S BIBLE STUDY - Men please join us for our Bible Study, Tuesday mornings at 7:00 am followed by breakfast. A Different Way to Give to Holy Cross The Joyful Response Electronic Offering Program through Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) provides Holy Cross members a way to: Give offerings consistently. Never worry about forgetting their offering at home. Fulfill their stewardship promises. Share their financial blessings efficiently and predictably. Give while on summer vacation or wintering out of state. Pick up a form located in the tract rack in the entry and learn more about this easy to use program. Completed forms should be given to Jim Anderson. The electronic donation program is free to use! For those currently enrolled with Joyful Response and feeling the need to put something in the offering plate as it passes each Sunday you are invited to place the preprinted offering donation cards or your offering envelope in the offering plate. The preprinted cards are located on the corner counter in the church entry. If you use your empty offering envelope simply write Joyful Response or Electronic Donation on the front. You can change your offering amount at any time. Contact Jim Anderson at 952-374-9462 if you have questions, want to enroll or change your current giving amount.
Page 6 September 2018 Continued from page 1 The mission needs planning and unity of heart and the Lord s Spirit, thus, Dr. Phil Johnson was invited last Fall to begin this process of strategic planning from our MN. South District resources. We also began, as I mentioned before, in February the Joining Jesus on His Mission, Discipleship and Outreach materials from Rev. Greg Finke and His wife Susan to keep building relationships in Christ as well as being part of our journey using missional small groups as the discipleship process Jesus used with His disciples. With these two resources, Strategic Planning, and Joining Jesus on His Mission we have the start of a foundation of Biblical Discipleship. For more information if you were not able to participate in either opportunity please contact Pastor Jim Jobst for a home visit to see the blessings that are beginning to germinate with missional discipleship support groups. Also, we really want you to be part of our Strategic Planning Saturday, September 22 at Holy Cross. Details follow in the next paragraph. WE NEED YOU! Saturday, September 22, from 8:15 AM 12 Noon. Congregational Strategic Planning! Dr. Phil Johnson from the MN. South District will continue with his third session (he met with us also in Jan. 2018 and last Fall) presenting and helping us finalize our mission statement (to Seek, Share, and Serve Our Savior ) and what it means in developing ministry targets and actions plans with Goals and S.M.A.R.T Objectives. Last September we began understanding what strategic planning is with Dr. Phil. In January we worked on our core values and mission statement and discussing that it may be possible to incorporate the previous mission statement: To Seek, Share, and Serve our Savior, into a working model that helps us keep ministry focused on Gospel proclamation for our neighbors and for our church family at Holy Cross. It s an opportunity for fellowship before we start planning. If you are able please bring fruit, rolls, or other easy breakfast items to share during our morning. TENTATIVE SCHEDULE Saturday, Sept. 22, Strategic Planning - Tentative Schedule 8:15 am - Fellowship Breakfast (sign-up to bring items for breakfast) 8:45 am - Devotions & Opening Prayer (Pastor Jim Jobst) 9:00 am - Session 1 (Dr. Phil Johnson) 9:50 am - Break 10:00 am - Session 2 (Dr. Phil Johnson) 10:50 am - Break 11:00 am - Session 3 (Dr. Phil Johnson) 11:50 am - Thank you and closing prayer (Pastor Jim Jobst) WE NEED YOU! Financial Peace University What if you could be debt-free with an emergency fund of 3 6 months of expenses saved, all while investing for retirement and planning for your family s future? If you re interested in learning more about the class, talk to Jimmy or go to fpu.com/1069574. Sign up now if you need a kit so it arrives in time for the first class in two weeks on Sunday, September 16 @ 6:30pm. Ways to become Involved at Holy Cross Choir Lector Coffee Server Usher Board Member Bible Study Sunday School Handbell Choir LWML Men s Bible Study Bible Bookenders Small Group Bible Study Mission Fest Community Fest And so much more Please contact the church office for more information or visit the church website at www.holycrosspl.com