CROSS OF CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH
24155 Griswold Road, South Lyon, MI 48178
248-437-8810
Fax: 248-437-708
www.crossofchristlutheran.org Email:
S E P T E M B E R, 2 0 1 6
Sunday Worship: 10 a.m.Holy Communion is celebrated on the 2nd, 4th, and 5th Sundays of the month.
Sunday School: 10 a.m. – 3 years old through fifth grade
Adult Bible Study: Sundays 9:00 a.m.
Youth Bible Study: 10 a.m. (1st & 3rd Sundays)
Dear Beloved Members and Friends,
I hope you and your family had a good and joyful summer.
We celebrate Labor Day during this month of September. We remember laborers and thank God for the good works they have done.
Work gives us opportunities to use our grace gifts and talents to serve God and people. Our work can burden us emotionally, mentally, and physically. With God’s help and strength we can do joyful work.
What do we gain by all the work at which we labor? That is an appropriate and timely question as we celebrate Labor Day. We gain income by our work. We use our income to buy food, drink, clothing, medicine, transportation and other necessities of life. Our Father in heaven answers the petition, “give us this day our daily bread” through our income. Our work gives us identity. When people ask me what I do, I often answer, “I am a Lutheran pastor.” When folks ask you what you do, how do you respond? We gain purpose in our work. God works through us and our work to bless and benefit people.
Jesus teaches us important lessons about work in His Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12: 15-21). Christ warns us to be on our guard against all kinds of greed. We can watch out that we do not use our income to buy things that we don’t need. Our lives do not consist in the number of our possessions. Our heirs may have to take time and spend money to get rid of our possessions. That process probably will not be much fun for them. If you were to die tonight, who would get what you have prepared for yourself? Our Lord teaches us to be rich toward God. We can be rich toward God by working for Him in our vocations. We can be rich toward God by giving Him cheerful, generous and thankful offerings during worship services. We worship God with our faithful and joyful offerings.
It was Solomon’s wise opinion that a person could do nothing better than to eat, drink, and find satisfaction in one’s work. Food, drink, and work are blessings from God. They are daily bread given to us by our heavenly Father. It is good to thank God when we eat food and drink beverages. It is good to thank our Lord before, during and after we work. It is good for us to find satisfaction in our work.
We can serve the Lord with gladness by our work. We can serve people with love through our work. Soldiers and sailors serve God and people by protecting us from attacks by terrorists and by foreign countries.
We can regard our labors as opportunities to serve our Lord and people. We can ask God to guide and help us to serve Him and others at work. Our heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers. All good works that we do are pleasing to God by faith in Jesus.
Our acts of service in the hands of God can raise a family, care for the sick, contribute to the welfare of a community, and care for the world. When you share God’s Word with your spouse and children, the Holy Spirit helps them to grow as disciples of Jesus. When we speak the Word of God to sick people, the Spirit can encourage them and build them up. When we pray for the physically afflicted, our Lord can give them physical healing in accord with His will. When we do works of service in our communities, we let our light shine for Jesus. When we send offerings to disaster relief and missions, God can work through these offerings to help people and support missionaries in their gospel and sacramental ministries.
God can work through us and our work to accomplish His will in our lives and in others’ lives. Whatever our vocations, let us work whole-heartedly for Jesus. We are serving our Lord at work, at church, at home, in our neighborhood, and in our community. By faith in Christ, we know that He will graciously give us our inheritance as a reward on the Last Day. We will receive our inheritance in heaven and will live in it forever.
May God bless you and your family during this month of September and always!
Sincerely Yours in Christ,
Pastor Terry Nelson
All are invited . . . .
Ice Cream Social
Sunday, September 11th
after worship
Our Annual ICE CREAM SOCIAL will be held on Sunday, September 11th, after our worship service. Hot dogs, veggies, and chips will be served, as well as Ice Cream with lots of toppings! A free-will donation will be received.
CONFIRMATION
Confirmation class for 7th and 8th grade students is held Wednesdays from 4:00-5:30pm during the school year. Classes will start again on Wednesday, September 14. If you would like your child to attend Confirmation instruction, speak with Pastor Nelson.
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
SUNDAY SCHOOL classes are held at 10 a.m. for children three years old through fifth grade. Children are dismissed to their classes from the worship service after the opening hymn. Classes resume on Sunday, September 11th.
YOUTH BIBLE STUDY for grades 6-12 will begin meeting for a new school year on Sunday, September 18. The Youth Bible Study typically meets the first and third Sundays of the month during the worship service. Young people are dismissed to their class after the opening hymn.
Youth activities are held throughout the year. Watch your bulletin and sign up board for more information.
SUNDAY ADULT BIBLE CLASS
Sunday mornings at 9 a.m., beginning September 11th:
Noah, The Man, The Ark, the Flood
Filmed on location mainly at the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky, this DVD Bible study examines the extraordinary story of Noah. Noah’s task is to build a seaworthy vessel large enough to hold “two of all living creatures.” The reason for this divine mandate: God is putting an end to all people, “for the earth is filled with violence because of them.” It ends with God blessing Noah and his family for their obedient faithfulness, making a covenant with them to never again destroy the earth by a flood. All are welcome to join us!
THANK YOU TO OUR 2016 VBS TEAM!
SPECIAL THANKS to our VBS Director, Bonnie Reichert, Ron Reichert, and our teachers and helpers for their works of faith before, during, and after VBS! Also, thank you to Janet Kaiser for teaching the Bible Lessons, Amy Deeds for coordinating VBS Snacks, Lisa Sterling for leading Music, and Shealyn & Onnalee Lach for leading Recreation. We also thank Carrie McShane, Angela Feldbauer, Marisa Qarana, Kelly Gaschler, Olivia Hindley, Emily Deeds, Kindsey Nelson, Beverly Beyer, Barbara Dorlac, Elena Wood, Patty Wadkins, Trevor Mitchell, Rob Hindley, Emily Olsen, Abbi & Amanda Hackbardt, Janelle Lach, Gary & Edda Albin, Adam & Betsy Reichert, and Louise Rucker. THANK YOU to Ettie Ann Hirth for all of her help with the potluck!
Our Vacation Bible School mission offering this year was given to the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod’s urban outreach initiative which provides VBS sports camps in the summer to children in Detroit and Pontiac, as well as other activities throughout the year.
CROSS OF CHRIST
CHRISTIAN PRESCHOOL
The preschool has a new look! Thank you to Kelli Hackbardt, Becky Kreipke, and Janelle Lach for painting the bright new colors.
We have new additions to our staff. We welcome Patty Wadkins, Kate Whitcher, and Colleen Munivez. We are happy Julie Mattison is returning, but Marci Wasilko has retired from aiding in the preschool after 13 years. God bless Marci and Mike as they begin a new adventure in their life, and Zach heads off to college. We are thankful and blessed to have Janelle Lach begin her 12th year of teaching preschool at Cross of Christ!
Following are the upcoming schedules for September:
Open House/Orientation Dates for Children Registered:
4’s am (M, W & F morning) Class: Monday, September 12, from 9:30am – 10:30am
4’s pm (M, W & F afternoon) Class: Monday, September 12, from 11:00am – Noon
3’s am (T & Th morning) Class: Tuesday, September 13, from 9:30am – 10:30am
3’s pm (T & Th afternoon) Class: Tuesday, September 13, from 11:00am – Noon
The First Days of School:
Wednesday, September 14 4 am Class 9:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Wednesday, September 14 4 pm Class 12:15 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
Thursday, September 15 3 am Class 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Thursday , September 15 3 pm Class 12:15 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.
We currently have limited openings in our afternoon 3 and 4 year old fall classes. We are a play-based program for three and four year olds with age-appropriate academics and kindergarten readiness. Call the office for more information.
Consider a gift to the Preschool Scholarship Fund to provide tuition help for families with need.
ADULT CHOIR
People of all voices are needed -(soprano, alto, tenor, and bass). If you enjoy singing praises to God, please prayerfully consider singing in the Choir. Speak with Pastor Nelson if interested. Our Choir plans on singing once a month at the 10 a.m. worship service. The first rehearsal will be held Sunday, September 25, after worship.
THANK YOU
. . .Thank you to Ron & Bonnie Reichert for planting and weeding in flower beds all summer
long. They look beautiful. Thank you to our Trustees for their faithful grass cutting:
Bill Hirth, Gary Albin, Charley Hall, Ron Reichert, and Brent Sterling!
. . .Thank you to Carole Bedard for opening her home to our congregation for good food and
fellowship in July. We thank the Board of Evangelism/Stewardship for assisting!
SERVICE OPPORTUNITY:
Looking for a fun and easy way to serve the Lord, and shepherd His little ones? Do you feel a calling from God to get more involved at our church? Then we have a great opportunity for you! The Cross of Christ Sunday School program is in need of teachers for the 2016-17 school year. Don't worry if you've never lead a group or taught a class - lessons are easy to follow and fun to teach. Worried that you have limited availability? Teachers rotate so everyone teaches a couple of times per month. Contact Pastor Nelson at 248-437-8810 for more details or if you have any questions. It is truly a blessing to share the Word of God and see it work in the hearts and minds of His little sheep. We hope that you will join us and share in that blessing!
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
NEW FUND:
Gifts are being received to begin saving for new furnace and air conditioning units for the church. All five units are 19 years old and have had repair issues. WE THANK all who have given so generously to the parsonage furnace/air conditioner. It was installed, is working great, and has been paid in full.
Fallen tree and bushes have been replaced with flowering ones near the preschool playground.
Any questions or suggestions, give me a call. . . . . Bonnie Reichert (248-349-1555)
LWML MITE BOXES
THANK YOU to all who participate in the Mite Box collection. Individual MITE BOXES are available on one of the tables as you enter the church. The purpose of the large mite box, also on the table, is to collect your mites when your individual box is full. This money is then sent to the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League who distributes it, along with other mites collected, to projects dedicated to spreading the Gospel around the world. If you prefer to leave your full mite box in the large one, please make sure your name is on it so we can return it to you. The box is yours to refill as often as you are able.
Dream Catchers
Grant Neiswinter has inspired and challenged us to save our “spare” change for the Cross of Christ Mercy Fund in our Dream Catcher containers. Take home a labeled can, available on the entryway table.
Thank you for your donations of non-perishable food items for Active Faith throughout the year. Donations are welcome in the box provided as you enter church. Our church has a monthly commitment of $250 to Active Faith. Your monetary donations are also invited.
Thank you for choosing Cross of Christ Lutheran Church or Preschool as your designation for CHOICE DOLLARS! If you have Thrivent products and would like to designate dollars, go to:
Thrivent.com/thriventchoice
Learn more about Thrivent products by calling 734-432-7777
AREA NEWS
You are invited to the following event:
The Body of Christ and the Public Square
/ Event to be held at the following time, date, and location: