“Growing in Faith”

Non Profit Org
Holy Cross Lutheran Church, ELCA
410 North Arlington Avenue
Duluth, MN 55811
(218) 722-0132
www.holycrossduluth.org
“Growing in Faith”
U.S. Postage Paid
Permit #100
Duluth, MN
Return Service Requested
The Newsletter of Holy Cross Lutheran Church
Pastor
Mike DeKraai
722-0132 (Office)
525-3276 (Home)
341-1937 (Cell)
Sunday Worship:
8:30 a.m. ~
Traditional
10:45 a.m. ~
Contemporary
Holy Communion:
Communion is
celebrated on the
1st & 3rd Sundays
of the month.
Sunday School/
Youth Forum:
Every Sunday at
9:45 a.m.
Mark Your Calendars!
5th Annual Swedish Meatball Dinner and Silent Auction
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
How can you help?

Spread the word about this fundraiser!

Attend the dinner and invite your family, friends & neighbors to come!

Bid on some of the great items in the Silent Auction!

Sign up to help!

Donate an item or service to the Silent Auction!

Make a special donation to help defray the cost of the meal!
Tickets go on sale Sunday, October 5th!
Adult Education:
Thursdays
10:30 a.m. &
6:30 p.m.
Prayer Requests:
If you have a
prayer request,
please contact the
church office and
our prayer groups
will be notified.
**Change of
Address**:
Please notify the
church office of
any change in
address
(temporary or
permanent) as
soon as possible.
October 2014
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
I love September! I love the opportunity to work with the Confirmation students. Classes began on September
17th with the 6th and 7th graders. There are 14 students in all. I also get to work with 7 wonderful 3rd graders as we
prepare to give them their first Bibles. What an awesome opportunity to influence young disciples in the faith.
For the past year and a half, a committee has been hard at work updating the Holy Cross Constitution. Before the
project began I thought to myself that this would be a boring project. On the contrary it has been fascinating!
Some of our work has been to include in the constitution the updates required by the national church. We have
had many energetic conversations. At times we have consulted with board and committee chairs. We have done
our best to mold the constitution to fit our practices. We have also made some name changes so that we are more
like other churches in our language. This work has been a surprising joy!
I love this time of year because I get to see so many more of you! The cabins are being closed and people are
returning to their routines. The Swedish Meatball Dinner is coming up this month and preparations are already in
full swing as subcommittees meet to take care of all the details that go into making this congregational endeavor a
success. I believe that the greatest success for this dinner goes beyond the income generated by this event. The
fellowship that we enjoy as we work together is amazing. I know that this event is hard work. But you folks love
being together for the same purpose. As we get started, I want to thank you for helping out!
We welcome Dani Urness back as our interim youth director. She had an internship this summer which made it
impossible for her to continue. She is now back and our youth programs will continue. God is at work in our
young people. I am thankful for this congregation’s concern about the faith life of its children.
I get a magazine every month called Outreach. It is geared toward outreach and church evangelism. There was an
article in the September issue that caught my eye. It was called “The 10 Commandments of Guest-Friendly
Churches.” The author Thom Rainer gave the following as must do’s for congregations who want to grow their
congregations in mission and ministry to those who visit.
1. Thou shalt pray for people in the services whom you don’t recognize. They are likely guests who feel
uncomfortable and uncertain.
2. Thou shalt smile. You only have to do so for about an hour. Guests feel welcome when they see smiling
people. You can resume your somber expressions when you get home.
3. Thou shalt not sit on the ends of the rows. Move to the middle so guests don’t have to walk over you. You
will survive in your new precarious position.
4. Thou shalt not fill up the back rows first. Move to the front so guests don’t have to walk in front of everyone if they get there late.
5. Thou shalt have ushers to help seat the guests. Ushers should have clearly marked badges or shirts so that
the guests know who can help them.
6. Thou shalt offer assistance to guests. If someone looks like they don’t know where to go, then they probably don’t know where to go. Get out of your comfort zone and ask them if you can help.
7. Thou shalt not gather too long in your holy huddles. Sure, it’s ok to talk to fellow members, but don’t stay
there so long that you are not speaking to guests.
8. Thou shalt offer your seat to guests. I know that this move is a great sacrifice, but that family of four can’t fit
in the three empty seats next to you. Give it a try. You might actually feel good about your efforts.
9. Thou shalt not save seats. I know you want to have room for all of your friends and family, but do you know
how a guest feels when he or she sees the vacant seats next to you occupied by three hymnals, one Bible, two
coats and an umbrella? You might as well put a “do not trespass” sign on the seats.
10. Thou shalt greet someone you don’t know. Yes, it’s risky. They may actually be members you don’t know.
And you may get caught up in a 45 second conversation. You’ll be OK; I promise.
Well I pray that your lives are filled with the presence of God in every circumstance, great or small. Remember
that God has promised “to be with you always even to the close of the age”.
You are God’s beloved!
Pastor Mike
Youth Board Meeting will be held Wednesday, October 1 @ 5:30 pm in the Narthex. Parents are welcome to come!
Please join us October 5 for Sunday Night Supper at Sunset Restaurant on the corner of
Rice Lake and Martin Roads at 5:30 p.m. Please note the time change due to our participation in the CHUM worship service that night. All are welcome!!
Rachel Circle will NOT meet in October due to the Swedish Meatball Dinner. Anyone who
can help with the dinner, please sign up on the sheets posted on the bulletin board in the
Narthex. Your talents and your help are appreciated!! Questions? Call Becky at 727-1066.
Due to a conflict with the Annual Swedish Meatball Dinner and Silent Auction on Tuesday,
October 21, Naomi-Sarah Circle will meet on Tuesday, October 28, at 10:00 am in the
Narthex. New members are always welcome! Contact Patty Toivonen at 391-1038.
SOCK IT TO US!! The total for the 3rd week is 219 pairs of socks. Let’s keep the momentum
going!! Your thoughtfulness and acknowledgement of the Duluth homeless is soooo appreciated!!!
Essentia Health St. Mary's Hospice invites you to the Ninth Annual Hospice Celebration of
Life which will take place at 2 p.m., Sunday, October 12, 2014, at Lakeview Covenant
Church, 1001 Jean Duluth Road. Please join hospice families and friends as we remember
loved ones, honor their families, and thank caregivers.
Dementia? Alzheimers? Who? What? Can I help?
Join us Sunday evening on November 9th at 6:30 p.m. in the Narthex for coffee and a free
presentation on “The Many Faces and Phases of Dementia” presented by Renita Thornvold,
RN. This presentation is open to the public—bring a friend and enjoy an evening of important information, followed by a Q and A session and fellowship. For more info, contact Sue
Brisbin at 722-9745.
Shawn Stanich and the Kreager Family each won (1) ticket to the Swedish Meatball Dinner in our Rally Day Drawing. Rosie Adolphson won a dinner for (1) at our monthly Sunday Night Supper. The Congregational Life Board will get ahold of each of you. Congratulations!
Shiny Paper Drive: Please continue saving your Shiny Paper in the provided white paper
bags. These bags make sorting and delivery much easier. Drop off your Shiny Paper anytime in the green and yellow trash bin outside the lower lever door. There are pictures on
the bulletin board in Narthex. Take a look! YOU ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE!
$118,857.00
$121,567.00
($ 2,710.00)
Actual Expenses YTD
Budgeted Expenses YTD
Difference
Over the next several weeks we members of Holy Cross are going to be thinking about our walk with
Jesus, and especially about how our use of the financial resources God has entrusted to us is an important part of this walk. Through letters, bulletin inserts, temple talks, and sermons, we will strive to
grow closer to Jesus as we walk together.
The great poet Robert Frost once wrote, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less
traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” On our walk with Jesus, it is important that we
are on the correct road.
When it comes to financial stewardship, some people ask the question, “How much of my money does
the church need?” This question will send us down the wrong road. It is a question that Jesus never
encourages us to ask. It is a question that is based on several wrong assumptions.
Other people ask, “How generously does God call on me to respond to all the blessings God has showered upon me?” This question will send us down the correct road. When you think about your use of
the financial resources God has entrusted to you, it is important to remember that the resources you
have still belong to God and are placed in your care and management. It is also important to remember
that when Jesus talks about giving, he never talks about the need of the church to receive, he always
talks about the need of the giver to give as an expression of a sincere faith.
As we walk with Jesus over the next several weeks, be sure to be on the correct road. Think about all
God has entrusted to you. Think about your need to give as a part of your faith in Jesus. Ask yourself,
“How generously does God call on me to respond?”
Sincerely,
Stewardship and Finance Board
and
Rich Brisbin
Financial Overview
(As of August 31, 2014)
Actual Income YTD
Budgeted Income YTD
Difference
Dear member of Holy Cross,
Rich Brisbin
Treasurer
$124,650.00
$136,308.00
($ 11,658.00)
5th Annual Swedish Meatball Dinner and Silent Auction
Tuesday, October 21 from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Tickets are on sale on Sundays in between services
and in the church office during the week.
$10.00 - Adults
$5.00 - Kids (6-12)
Free - Kids (5 & under)
How can you help?
*Spread the word about this fundraiser!
*Attend the dinner and invite your family, friends & neighbors to come!
*Bid on some of the great items in the Silent Auction!
*Sign up to help! Sign up sheets are on the kiosk in the Narthex!
*Donate an item or service to the Silent Auction!
*Make a special donation to help defray the cost of the meal!
Contact Rich Brisbin with any questions
Food Shelf: Winter is coming. We have a cart in the Narthex for Food Shelf donations. Please
help if you can!
Worship Volunteers: The list of October Worship Volunteers is included in this newsletter. If
you can fill any of the vacancies, please contact Maureen Gunderson at 722-1803.
The Memorial and Gift Committee gratefully acknowledges gifts received in memory of
Lorraine Mell and Alice Behn.
***YOUTH NEWS***
First, we would like to welcome back Dani Urness as our Interim Youth Director.
October 12 is Youth Sunday.
Saturday, October 25, will be a family fun get together at the corn maze.
October 26 is Confirmation Sunday.
Also, we are beginning to collect items for “Operation Christmas Child”. It is a program that
sends shoeboxes full of gifts to those children who would otherwise not have any gifts. We
are accepting donations of school supplies, trail size personal hygiene items, washcloths and
small gifts. We will have a collections box in the Narthex and also a list posted by the Youth
Bulletin Board. The Youth will gather to pack shoeboxes in November.
Intercessory Prayer
We ask that you keep these folks in your prayers during the designated week. The list is only a
small part of the entire congregation. By the end of the year, we will have prayed for all of us!
October 5
October 12
Cal & Judy Peterson
Allen Timm
Rich, Ann, Jessica, Morgan & Kelsey Reckinger
Sue Urness
Mel & Sheila Rosholt
Jamie, Diane, Tyler & Anthony Walsh
Hazel Sedlacek
Mabel Westring
Shawn Stanich
Gina, Justin & Jamie Youngberg
October 19
October 26
Alicia & Alexa Anderssen
Barbara Dreher
Mike, Gina, Aurora & Anders Breidenbach
Everett Erickson
Barb Carlson
Beverly Green
Barbara Cummings
Gary & Marcia Hagen
Marty & Shelly Herman