MenuLenten Devotions & Lenten Services
Midweek Lenten Devotions begin on Ash Wednesday (Feb. 10) at noon in the Sanctuary (with imposition of ashes) and continue on Wednesdays at noon in the HCCC conference room through March 16.
Evening Lenten services will be held at Holy Cross at 7:30pm on Ash Wednesday and on March 2, and will be at our sister LCMS congregations in the area (see below) on other Wednesday evenings throughout Lent. The theme for these services is “The Parables of Lent”.
Wednesday, February 17: 6:00 pm Soup Supper, and 7:30 pm Lenten Service @ St. Luke, 900 Maryvale Dr., Cheektowaga
Wednesday, February 24: 6:00 pm Soup Supper, and 7:30 pm Lenten Service @ St. John’s Lutheran, 67 Litchfield Ave., Depew
Wednesday, March 2: 6:00 pm Soup Supper, and 7:30 pm Lenten Worship, here @ Holy Cross
Special Voters Meeting: February 28th at Noon
We would like to have a special voter’s meeting on Sunday, February 28th, following the second service to discuss an exciting opportunity for Holy Cross and its Christian Education program. If you remember, the congregation approved $8K in 2016 for personnel expenses to help our Youth Program. During our investigation into filling this position, we contacted Camp Pioneer to see if they had any leads. And as it turned out, they were looking for a partner in hosting a Director of Christian Education (DCE) Intern during the “off season” in 2016 and 2017. They are in the process of recruiting a DCE Intern from Concordia Chicago, and this presents us with an opportunity to work with them and share this resource. Although the expense for 2016 has been approved and is not in question, this opportunity would have us committed to a 2017 expense that hasn’t been reviewed and approved by the Voters, so we would like your input and consensus on how to proceed. Besides the business purpose of this meeting, we would like to explain in greater detail what a DCE Intern is, what they would do, how they could help Holy Cross’s Education and Youth programs, and how we would be expected to help them be successful. Please make every effort to attend this brief but focused meeting. In the meantime, please feel free to contact any Council member for more information. Thanks and hope to see you there.
Dash’s Receipt Program
Last Adult Inquirers Class
Pastor Nickel is teaching the last Adult Inquirers session this Wednesday (Feb. 3) on the Lord’s Prayer. Here is a link to a video on the Lord’s Prayer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
HeBrews
HeBrews is not a drinking club. Don’t be misled! True, it started as a brewing get-together learning to make beer. But we have evolved by much.
It is intended to be a social and Bible study group for men interested in understanding the word of God. It provides a place for men to discuss understanding of God’s Word as well as opportunities for service to church and the community. At every meeting we collect money for a Compassion child or the youth gathering, food items for the food pantry, or support of other missions.
There is still an interest in tasting beer, as well as wine; there are those who drink coffee; there are those who drink soda or water. The only spirit you will come across at a HeBrews event is the Spirit of God.
We meet on the 3rd Thursday of each month, usually at 7:30 pm; at a member home or at a local restaurant. We do not stay out late as all but a few have to work in the morning. A typical gathering starts with fellowship followed by a Christian video presentation (often from Right-Now Media) and discussion.
All are welcome — including neighbors and friends, to come and see serious support given to fellow members and a willingness to help others and our church. He-Brews is open to all men, young and old.
Our February gathering will be at NYBP located at 6933 S. Transit Road, in Lockport (just past Niagara Produce) on Thursday, February 18th @ 7:30pm. Come join us!
Women’s Bible Study Group
The Women’s Bible Study Group meets Tuesdays (except for the 2nd Tuesday of the month) in the conference room of HCCC. We like to begin our social time at 9:30am with a study begin time of 9:45- around 11am. We are lay led, as participants volunteer each week to facilitate a particular lesson. We also volunteer to bring “goodies” from our kitchens to go with our coffee.
In January, we began a 10 week study called: SERVICE: Ministry with Heart and Hands by R. Paul Stevens. These studies explore Biblical examples of service in many spheres of life that were motivated by imagination, passion, faith, hope and love. You will discover that whoever you are, you are a full-time servant of Jesus Christ.
Continuing on in February, on the 2nd, our lesson is about “Serving with Heart and Hands”—Bezalel and Dorcas with text from Exodus 35 and Acts 9.
“Edifying Others Through the Arts” is the lesson for February 16th. It is about David with the text from 2 Samuel 6.
We end February, the 23rd, with a lesson on “Helping Friends Find Strength in God”. It is about Jonathan, with texts from 1 Samuel 17, 18, 20 and 23.
We invite women of all ages to join us for an in-depth study hour with lots of sharing and fellowship. The coffee pot is on and we always have sweet treats to accompany it! So join us anytime you can!
Holy Cross Mission Managers & Liaisons
Adult Bible Study Mission Managers: Ken & Beth Handley
Altar Guild Mission Managers: Karen Langiewicz and Ann Craig
AV Team Mission Manager: Scott Brooks
Beautification Mission Manager: Lindsay Gugliuzza
Boy Scout Troop: Doug Hartley (Holy Cross’s Charter Organization Representative)
Care-Ring Circle Mission Manager: Doreen Borschel
Church Choir Mission Manager: Bill Cook
Clarence Community Food Pantry Liaison: Nancy Herdic
Coffee Hour Mission Manager: Sue Fay Allen
College Youth Ministry Mission Manager: Wendy Shelton
Evangelism Mission Manager: Open
Family Breakfast Mission Manager: Dave Chalmers
Habitat for Humanity Liaison: Jill Carl
Hearts for the Homeless Liaisons: Jill Carl and Pat Garlapo,
He-Brew Mission Manager: Bob Corneck
High School Youth Group Mission Managers: Dave Chalmers and Ken Grek
IT Manager: Francis Cote
Junior Youth Group Mission Managers: Peter and Amy Olsen
Kitchen Managers: Linda Ponivas & Ellie Stevenson
LCES Delegates: Russ Ponivas and Bob Hamp
Librarian Mission Manager: Open
New Member Coordinator Mission Manager: Wendy Shelton
Parish Nursing Mission Manager: Barbara Wachtel
Praise Band Leaders: Lindsay Gugliuzza & David Shelton
Scheduler Mission Manager: Paul Donnelly
Social Media/Website Mission Manager: Katie Chalmers
Spiritual Care: Jo Corneck
Sunday School Mission Manager: Patricia Ludwig and Linda Cummings
Vacation Bible School Mission Managers: Cory Shelton and Courtney Stefanik
Volunteer Coordinator Mission Manager: Nancy Cote
Women’s Bible Study Mission Manager: Linda Cummings
Visitation Care
If you are or will be hospitalized or homebound and desire Christian care from the Holy Cross staff, please phone the church office at 634-2332 and/or email holycrossclarence@gmail.com
to let us know. Please do not assume that we know your situation because for many reasons we often don’t. We will do our best to visit you, and if homebound, see that you receive communion.
Heritage House
Sunday, February 28, at 10 a.m. is Holy Cross’ monthly visit to the Heritage Home at 8300 Sheridan Drive, the day before the leap year date. Our Bible story will be “Zacchaeus meets Jesus,” Luke 19:1-10. And we will talk about Jesus love for all people, including each of us, and sing praises to Him, our Lord and Savior. Prayer, a simple craft, and lots of interaction makes up the rest of the 45-minute time we are there. Join us between the worship services.
Operation Christmas Child Update
Operation Christmas Child Shoe boxes are simple gifts that in so many cases make an eternal impact. Because of the bountiful blessings of God, through the generous donations of Holy Cross Lutheran Church and other Churches in Erie and Niagara counties, we collected 21,844 shoe boxes this year, or an increase of over 15% from our 2014 total. Praise Him! To put this into context, we would fill every seat in the First Niagara Center with a child and a shoe box, and still have over 3,000 more standing in the middle of the arena. Talk about making an impact! Thanks again Holy Cross for making this a blessed Christmas for children throughout the world! Thank you to our Operation Christmas Child Mission Manager: Connie Donnelly
“Food for the Poor” Sunday
For many years God’s faithful people at Holy Cross have helped the poor in countless ways, both locally and non-locally. Please join us on Sunday, February 14, 2016 to hear guest preacher Rev. Gary Bauch speak about a ministry providing direct relief to the poor in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Rev. Bauch will share his personal witness about Food For The Poor’s mission to care for the destitute as a means of living out the Gospel mandate to love one another.
Rev. Bauch currently lives in the Rochester, NY area. He graduated Concordia Theological Seminary (Fort Wayne, IN) and was ordained a pastor in The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod in 1987. Rev. Bauch served congregations in Gary, IN; New Kensington, PA; West Henrietta, NY; and Hamlin, NY. He also served as chaplain in the Veterans Administration, Monroe County Hospital and Unity Health System. Pastor Bauch is married to Jean, and they have 3 sons, two daughters-in-law, and 4 grandchildren. Please join me in welcoming Pastor Bauch. – Pastor Nickel
Three-In-One Impact Drive
On Sunday January 31st we met at Holy Cross and assembled the care packages with the collected supplies. We then went down to Hearts for the Homeless for a tour and discussion. Thank you to all of the youth and adult volunteers.
For those that are interested in volunteering one evening with the Mobile Soup Kitchen, please let us know and we will be scheduling that separately. The mobile soup kitchen (RV) goes out every Tuesday through Saturday nights. Peter and Amy Olsen
LWML News
Thanks to everyone who faithfully fills up the mite boxes with change. These boxes are in the Narthex. It doesn’t take long to fill up a box with spare change. I will collect them again in March or April.
If you fill them before then, just drop them in my mailbox. Announcements from LWML are posted in Krampitz Hall.
Thank you, Nancy Herdic