holy cross lutheran holy cross messenger · 2020-02-28 · worship with holy communion march 4, 11,...

Dear Friends in Christ, Under the theme, You Are Not Alone, the Best Practices for Ministry Conference met in February in Phoenix, AZ. Judy and I attended along with 2,500 church workers and ministry leaders of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod for this time of renewed purpose, refreshment in Jesus, reconnection with

friends and colleagues, and reenergized confidence in His plans. I was able to attend Greg Finke’s breakout session “Smelling Salts for Lead-ership” and confer with him about Holy Cross’ ongoing process of Joining Jesus on His Mission and Joining Jesus Show Me How. Joining Jesus with the five practices continues to be the most wonderful way to connect people to Jesus and to build relationships for the sake of His kingdom. Closer to home, I encourage you to experience the CNH District Missions Conference on Saturday, March 21. The theme is Good News People. The conference will be held at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Livermore from 9:30 am to 3:30 PM. The deadline to register is March 12 at www.cnh-lcms.org. Eyes on Jesus is our Wednesday Lent theme. Please set aside the time for

fellowship and a meal at 6:00 pm and then worship at 7:00 pm. The theme

verse is from Hebrew 12:2:

O come, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our

faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising

the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

When the characters in the Passion narrative look at Jesus, what do they

see? In most cases, people misunderstood who He is and what He was doing.

In some cases, by faith, people recognized Him aright. Our Lenten series this

year, based on the Gospel according to St. Mark, will examine how the vari-

ous people around Jesus viewed Him—and how we should view Him. We

will “fix our eyes” on what Jesus has done to save us from our sins by His

holy, precious blood and innocent sufferings and death, and celebrate what

God sees on account of His work: our justification for His sake.

May Jesus bless you as we join Him for 40 days as He goes to the cross as our Savior and join Him on His mission in our daily lives. In Christ’s service, Pastor Koschmann

Volume 56 Issue 03 March 2020

Holy Cross Messenger

Holy Cross Lutheran

Church

15885 Los Gatos-

Almaden Road

Los Gatos, CA 95032

408-356-3525

www.holycrosslosgatos.com

Inside This Issue

Youth Ministry 2

Children Center News 3

Save the Date 4

Easter Schedule 5

A Season of Hope 6

VBS 7

Men’s Breakfast 7

Staff Directory 8

Soul Prayer 9

Mission Bowl-A-thon 10

Mission News 11

Family News 19

Forget Me Not Prayers 20

March Birthdays & Ann. 21

March Calendar 22

http://www.cnh-lcms.org

http://www.cnh-lcms.org

Woolies will be celebrating the Christmas season with a lunch at

Effie’s Restaurant after church on Sunday Dec. 13 at 1:00. Please

bring any completed items for Next Door Solutions. Call Elli

for more information at 408-354-5825.

that the song was translated by Mary Byrne, and it was 1912 before it was versi-fied. Today, the exalted words and Godward vision of the song are loved by be-lievers just as they were hundreds of years ago by the Irish believers. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, Robert Robinson (1757) Robert Robinson was what you would call an “unruly child.” At only eight years old his father died, and he was raised by his loving mother. In spite of Robert’s intellectual giftedness, he had a penchant for mischief. Robert’s mother sent him off for an apprenticeship when he was only 14, but once he got out of the home his life got worse. Instead of working and learning, Robert chose drinking, gam-bling, and carousing with the wrong crowd. Caught up in his reckless life, Robert and his friends decided to go to an evangelist meeting one night just to heckle the preacher, George Whitfield. Sitting in that meeting however, Robert felt as if the preacher’s words were meant for him alone. He couldn’t shake the feeling that God wanted him to surrender his life and serve him. When he was twenty, Robin-son gave his life to God and entered the Christian ministry. At the age of 22, he wrote the song “Come Thou Fount,” for his church’s Pentecost celebration. It was written as his own spiritual story — a story of pursuing pleasure and joy, and only experiencing it when “Jesus sought me.” Millions of believers can relate to Robinson’s testimony — “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,” and the glorious testi-mony, “O to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be!” A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, Martin Luther (c. 1528) It is fitting that this hymn, known as “The Battle Hymn of the Reformation,” speaks of fortresses, strategy, ancient foes, and winning the battle. In Martin Lu-ther’s time, it was an all-out battle for the faith. Martin Luther was a bulldog of a defender, going head-to-head with the established church and her officials. He didn’t flinch when challenging the Catholic Church’s departure from the true faith. Even Luther, however, had his bouts of depression. He penned the words to the song around 1527 as a paraphrase of Psalm 46. At times of discouragement, Luther would sometimes turn to his young friend Melanchton, saying, “Let’s sing the Forty-sixth Psalm. He would pull out his lute, and strum the chords of this triumphant song. “A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing.” As the Protestant reformation rolled on, believers often experienced the sting of persecu-tion and even death. In their final moments, many were known to sing that inspir-ing stanza, “Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also; the body they may kill; God’s truth abideth still; his kingdom is forever.” How Great Thou Art, Carl Gustav Boberg (1885)

It’s a prayer, a plea, and a declaration of God’s infinite greatness. This song was

written by Carl Gustav Boberg, a 26-year old pastor in Sweden. As the story

goes, Boberg was caught in a thunderstorm one Sunday afternoon after church.

From his perch in the mountains, Boberg watched as the storm swept in with a

bolt of lightning and massive clap of thunder. The storm hurtled through the

meadows and grain fields, reverberating across the countryside with

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The children and youth of Holy Cross continue learning about God and His love. In Confirmation, we recently finished a 10-week study of the 10 Com-mandments. The students were tested at the end, to make sure they had a good grasp of God’s commands. To relieve some of the pressure, we let them know the test would be a “pre-test,” so if they did not do well, they would have an-other chance to take it. They passed with flying colors and had no need for a retest! Now they will move onto studying the 2nd Article of the Apostles’

Creed. The Confirmation group will also enjoy a day retreat at Mt Cross on March 7. The youth will par-ticipate in challenge courses and bond closer together. The children in Sunday School also keep growing in their knowledge. The older elementary group just finished an in-depth study of Noah’s Ark and the flood. When you see them around church on Sunday morning, ask them to share with you what they have learned. The preschool and younger elementary group has been studying major Bible stories from the Old Testament. They are currently looking at Mo-ses and the 10 Commandments. Each Sunday, the kids bring offerings to gather for a designated cause. Right now, they are gathering funds to support Heifer International. Each night around the world, 821 million people go to bed hungry. Heifer International provides animals to families in need, giving them a hand up as it is like giving them a small business, providing wool, milk, eggs and more. This increases their access to food, medicine, and school and gives them a sustainable livelihood. The kids will get to pick which animals Heifer International gives to families in need around the world, using the funds we send them. The kids seemed very interested in this cause, so it will be exciting to watch their offerings grow each week. They have already set the goal to raise $120 to send a sheep, plus $20 to send ducks. If they can raise enough, they would also love to have $150 to send an alpaca. The next Kidz Night Out hosted by Holy Cross will be Saturday, March 21. We need many helpers in a variety of areas to make this night a success. Children will get to enjoy electives of crafts, science, active games, and board games. Please let me know if you are able to join us. You will have a fantastic time. Together in His service, Betsy Burnham, DCE

The Menon Saturday September 7


A SPECIAL INVITATION FROM THE HOLY CROSS LUTHERAN CHILDREN’S CENTER Would you like a chance to meet new people and have great conversations while taking a night off of cooking and dish washing? Maybe you’re looking for an opportunity to be inspired by seeing a facet of Holy Cross Lutheran Church’s ministry that most of us church members only hear about. Perhaps you have merely been craving a delicious chicken burrito with everything on it or would like to try out a carnitas bowl. You are invited to join the Children’s Center families and staff at our annual spring fundraiser! Here’s all the information you’ll need:

Come join the fun, encourage others, experience good cheer, have a great dinner with friends old and new and support the Holy Cross Lutheran Children’s Center!


Holy Cross Lutheran Church Los Gatos,

California

A Place to Belong and Grow in Christ

2020 “SAVE THE DATE” EVENTS

MARCH 4,11,18,25 WEDNESDAY LENTEN SUPPERS & SERVICES

MARCH 21 SATURDAY CNH DIST. MISSION CONF.

MARCH 21 SATURDAY KIDZ NIGHT OUT

APRIL 1 WEDNESDAY LAST LENTEN SUPPER/SERVICE

APRIL 4 SATURDAY CHURCH CLEAN-UP DAY

APRIL 9 THURSDAY MAUNDY THURSDAY

APRIL 10 FRIDAY GOOD FRIDAY

APRIL 12 SUNDAY EASTER

APRIL 25 SATURDAY RESPITE EVENT

APRIL 26 SUNDAY PROFESSION OF FAITH

APRIL 26 SUNDAY BOWL-A-THON FOR MISSIONS

MAY 3 SUNDAY CONFIRMATION SUNDAY

MAY 16 SATURDAY YARD SALE FOR MISSIONS

JUNE 1-5 MON-FRI PRESCHOOL VBS

JUNE 7-12 SUN-FRI JONI & FRIENDS RETREAT

JUNE 14 SUNDAY CHILDREN CENTER SUNDAY

JULY 5-10 SUN-FRI JONI & FRIENDS RETREAT

JULY 20-24, 27-31 MON-FRI VBS

JULY 26-AUG 2 MON-FRI YOUTH MISSION TRIP SAN DIEGO

JULY 30– AUGUST 11 THURSDAY CZECH MISSION TRIP



Midweek Lenten Services

Lenten Suppers, Wednesday, 5:45 PM March 4, 11, 18, 25 & April 1st

Wednesday Lenten Services, 7 PM Worship with Holy Communion March 4, 11, 18, 25 & April 1st

Palm Sunday Worship, April 5th

9:30 AM with Holy Communion

Kidz of the Kingdom, Youth Classes, & Adult Bible Class 10:45 AM

Maundy Thursday, April 9th

7 PM with Holy Communion

Good Friday, April 10th

12 Noon & 7 PM Tenebrae service

Easter Sunday, April 12th

7 AM Sunrise, 9 AM & 10:30 AM Worship with Holy Communion

8 -11 AM Easter Breakfast 10:15 AM Children’s Easter Egg Hunt

While we are nearly full to capacity during the school year, we compete with all the other camps during the summer, so spread the word!


PRESCHOOL VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL—

Dates: June 1-5, 2020 Hours: 9:15-11:30 Ages: 3 through those entering

kindergarten in fall

This year’s VBS will look at Jesus as our Savior. Because of His great love for

us, God, our heavenly Father, sent His Son Jesus, the Savior, into the world for

one purpose - to redeem His people and save them from the power of sin and death. For that rea-

son, Jesus was born, He died and He rose again that we might have new life and live in glory with

God forever. During this week we will see the glory of God in JESUS and come to know Him as

the Christ, our Savior, our God, our Lord, and our Teacher. Join us and see JESUS, the SAVIOR.

ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE SCHOOL VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL—Y’SHUA

Dates: Session 1—July 20-24, 2020 Session 2—July 27-31, 2020

Hours: 8:45-12:30 Ages: Children entering 1st grade through those entering 8th grade

This year’s VBS will look at Y’shua, which means Savior, and is the Hebrew word for Jesus. Because

of His great love for us, God, our heavenly Father, sent His Son Jesus, the Savior, into the world for

one purpose – to redeem His people and save them from the power of sin and death. For that rea-

son, Jesus was born, He died and He rose again that we might have new life and live in glory with

God forever. During this week we will see the glory of God in Y’SHUA, and come to know Him as

the Christ, our Savior, our God, our Lord, and our Teacher. Join us and see JESUS, Y’SHUA, the

SAVIOR.

Please contact Karen Heinitz at [email protected] or (408)268-1235 if you have any ques-tions, would be willing to help, or need more information regarding this program. Registra-tion forms are available in the church office. The cost of the program is a donation of $40/child. Additional forms are available on the website: www.holycrosslosgatos.com.

The Men’s breakfast will be held on Saturday, March 7th at 8.00 am in the Celebration Center. You are invited to this opportunity for Christian fellowship at Holy Cross. The Men’s Breakfast has been going strong at Holy Cross for many years now - we will have hot food for your enjoyment. No one leaves hungry!!! Our study will be focused on the book of 1 Peter based on a study guide from Vision Video – we will explore the third session: Christ Suffered - Leaving an Example (2:11-3:7) - We will stand out and be rejected by the world because of our Christ-like behavior in all areas of our lives. Our group is fun, informal and we have discussions on a wide range of subjects. What do you have for breakfast on Saturday mornings? Please invite a friend or neighbor to join us and be part this dynamic group. An RSVP IS ENCOURAGED SO THAT WE CAN HAVE AN GOOD COUNT FOR FOOD Contact Richard Lambie: Office 551-2122 cell 408-499-2693

Staff Directory


Rev. Andrew Koschmann

408-356-3525 x104

[email protected]

Betsy Burnham, DCE 408-356-3525 x 105

[email protected]

Andy Meyer, Business Administrator 408-356-3525 x 102

[email protected]

Linda Lutz, Parish Administrator 408-356-3525 x101

[email protected]

Cynthia Fehrenbach, Children’s Center Director 408-356-6828

[email protected]

Eileen Arellano, Communications Coordinator

408-813-0747

[email protected]

Gail Fern, Publications Assistant 408-356-3525 x106

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]






Soul Prayer

Noon on Wednesdays

The Objective: To pray for those who have stepped away from faith in Jesus and the church and the unbaptized that God would bring them to Jesus and His church. The Plan: Every Wednesday of each month beginning around Noon, take some time to pray wher-ever you are for people on your heart who are unbaptized or who have stepped away from the faith and the church. There will also be a monthly opportunity to pray on the second Wednesday of each month in the Holy Cross Sanctuary at noon following the Wednesday Bible Class. Individuals will spread out in the Sanctu-ary for prayer. In both settings, there is no set time length. Pray as long as God leads you and you have time available. Prayer Starters (you fill in the name):

I pray for my family member or friend

who was brought up in the faith and ….

I pray for my grandchild or great grandchild who has not been baptized yet….

I pray for others of all ages who are unbaptized….

I pray for an opening for a spiritual conversation with ….

Biblical context:

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them.

Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And

when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neigh-

bors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ Luke 15:3-7 (NIV)


Mission Bowl-a-thon is Coming Again – Sunday, April 26th

The annual Missions Bowl-a-thon (our major fund-raiser for Holy Cross Mission projects and for support of Joni & Friends Family Retreats at Mission Springs) is coming soon - on Sunday, April 26th, starting at 3PM. We will have reserved lanes again at Homestead Bowl (20990 Homestead Rd, Cuperti-no) for this great congregation fellowship event. We again expect about 35 bowlers (novices, kids, youth, and “mature folks all welcomed”), - everyone has a great time as we support Missions.

Signups and opportunities to sponsor your bowlers will be outside church most Sundays starting in

February. Thanks for participating (we bowl for fun, not ultra high scores) and donating (by sponsoring as many bowlers as you can) to help with Mission outreach near and far and in-between.

Our goal this year is to have at least 25 bowlers and sponsorships that raise at least $4000 to help

with up-coming Mission projects, including the Czech Republic English Camp for youth. The Lord has opened so many opportunities for us; pray that we can all participate as “senders”, “helpers”, and “goers”. There’s time to get out there and practice so you can roll a “Strike for Missions” again this year.


FAMILY NEWS DEATHS: God’s comfort and peace for: Audrey Cooper at the loss of her sister on Jan. 18th BIRTHS: A prayer of thanksgiving for the healthy birth of Noah Patrick Butcher born on February 17th, in-fant son of Jaime and Jeremy Butcher, proud big sister is Emilee and big brother is Evan. BAPTISMS: On Sunday, March 1st we welcomed into the family of God Yancey Alexander Gordon and his sons, Zachary Joseph Gordon and Carson Benjamin Gor-don through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. Joining this joyous occasion was wife and mother Shannon Rene Gordon. If ever you have some special news regarding anyone in our church family, please let the secretaries know in the church office, 356-3525.

Linda Lutz

Parish Administrator


Members who are Shut-ins:

Marvelle Krenz

Nancy Meyer

Pastor Matt Sullivan

Those Serving Our Country:

Aaron

Lindze Bare

Jeremy Binz

Scott Brose

Clayton & Michael Carroll

Rob Fincher

Chloe Griffith

Michael Horne

Adam Madewell

Kyle Mattox

Eric Siler

Josh Siler

\


Forget Me Not Prayer List

Family and Friends Needing Prayer:

(Requesting party is in parenthesis)

Art Larson

Brandon Philp (Joan Eckert)

Christine (Pam Peterson)

Claudia (Joan Eckert)

Dennis (Mike Fehrenbach)

Elli Anderson

George Lutz

Ginger (Cynthia Fehrenbach)

Gloria Gray (Joan Eckert)

Helen Raboubi

Iver (Fehrenbach’s)

Jennifer (Children’s Center)

Jessica Newton (Kristi Ramey)

Leann Martin

Patti ((Kathy Spenhoff)

Sieglinde Fehrenbach

Sonja & Dan Bunnell

Teresa (Fehrenbach)

Vince (Rich Mirto)

March Birthdays 1 Roy Caraves 6 Kai Maeda 8 Mateo Marina John Stratton 10 Joseph Bollentino Luke Burnham Lydia Burnham Jamie Butcher 12 Steve Hemminger 14 Roy Bolhorst 15 Karen Heinitz 17 Susan Howard 26 Pat Donovan Andy Meyer 27 Natalie Cornelison Matthew Westrick 29 Saundra Lambie Ryan Sills 30 Pamela Petersen Sally Urso 31 Brad Loos April Birthdays 2 Kennedy Berry Matthew Fehrenbach 3 Arielle Hom Mary Martin Rachel Renken 4 Marvelle Krenz 5 Evelyn Caraves March Anniversaries 3 Michael & Betsy Burnham – 2 yrs. 14 Riley & Susan Howard – 28 yrs. 27 Nathan & Alaina Sills - 10 yr.


holy cross lutheran holy cross messenger · 2020-02-28 · worship with holy communion march 4, 11,...

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