CROSS OF CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH 24155 Griswold Road, South Lyon, MI 48178 248-437-8810 Fax: 248-437-7708 www.crossofchristlutheran.org Email: [email protected]Like us on FACEBOOK at: www.facebook.com/crossofchristsouthlyon M A Y , 2 0 1 9 Sunday Worship: 10 a.m. Holy Communion is celebrated on the 2 nd , 4 th , and 5 th Sundays of the month. Sunday School classes are held during the school year. 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. (1 st & 3 rd Sundays) (See photos in color on our posted online newsletter.) Dear Beloved Members and Friends, During this month of May, we remember and celebrate our risen Lord’s appearances to His disciples and ascension into heaven. Chris and I had the amazing opportunity to visit Israel, the Holy Land, February 23 - March 4, 2019. We saw and walked on the locations where our risen Christ appeared to His disciples and ascended into heaven. I want to continue to share with you some of my experiences and thoughts about this memorable trip.
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CROSS OF CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH24155 Griswold Road, South Lyon, MI 48178
248-437-8810Fax: 248-437-7708
www.crossofchristlutheran.org Email: [email protected] Like us on FACEBOOK at: www.facebook.com/crossofchristsouthlyon
M A Y , 2 0 1 9
Sunday Worship: 10 a.m.Holy Communion is celebrated on the 2nd, 4th, and 5th Sundays of the month.
Sunday School classes are held during the school year.Sunday School: 10 a.m. – 3 years old through fifth grade
(See photos in color on our posted online newsletter.) Dear Beloved Members and Friends,
During this month of May, we remember and celebrate our risen Lord’s appearances to His disciples and ascension into heaven. Chris and I had the amazing opportunity to visit Israel, the Holy Land, February 23 - March 4, 2019. We saw and walked on the locations where our risen Christ appeared to His disciples and ascended into heaven. I want to continue to share with you some of my experiences and thoughts about this memorable trip.
Boat on Sea of Galilee Church built over ruins of Peter’s house
On Tuesday, February 26, we took a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee from Tiberias to Capernaum. As we were riding, Professor Just preached a message on Jesus stilling a storm. I was glad that the sea was calm while we rode to Capernaum. One of the boat employees cast a fishing net in the water and did not catch any fish. We docked and got off the boat on the north end of the Sea of Galilee. We toured the ruins of Capernaum. We saw the ruins of the synagogue and Peter’s house. We walked around the church above Peter’s house. PASTOR’S LETTER Continued
Church of the Beautitudes A plaque of one of the Beautitudes
We toured the church on the Mount of Beatitudes. Professor Just read the Beatitudes and spoke a message about them. We are blessed in Jesus. We toured Tabgha, where Jesus fed the five thousand with five loaves of bread and two fish. We saw a church where our risen Christ provided His disciples with a miraculous catch of 153 fish. We went by the shore and splashed in the water of the Sea of Galilee.
We drove to Cana in Galilee. We toured a church on the site where Jesus changed water into wine at the wedding at Cana. We saw a water jar from the first century. That water jar could have been used by Jesus to provide miraculous wine for the people attending the wedding at Cana. Professor Just read John 2: 1-11, and led a wedding vow renewal ceremony for some of the married couples in our group.
Jerusalem JerusalemOn Friday, March 1, we drove to the top of the Mount of Olives and saw a panoramic view of Jerusalem. We visited the Church of the Ascension on the Mount of Olives where Jesus ascended into heaven. The ascended Christ is seated at His Father’s right hand in heaven. Jesus intercedes for us to His Father in heaven. Our Lord hears and answers our prayers in heaven. Jesus is preparing a place for us and for all believers in heaven.
PASTOR’S LETTER Continued
We visited Bethany where Jesus ate with Martha and Mary, and raised Lazarus from the dead. Professor Just read from John 11. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Jesus has ascended into heaven. Christ will come back in the same way His disciples saw Him go into heaven.
May our risen and ascended Lord bless you and your family during this month of May and always!
Sincerely Yours in the Ascended Christ,Pastor Terry Nelson
We welcome Becky GrossmannMissionary
Sunday, May 5, 2019Presentation after worshipJOIN US FOR COFFEE HOUR!
Becky Grossmann was first introduced to the work of Bible translation as a young girl when her mom encouraged her to pray for missionary friends in Bolivia and Papua New Guinea. Becky became passionate that all people needed to hear the Good News about Jesus, her best friend and Savior. Through this realization, God put it on her heart to follow the footsteps of these missionary friends and train to work with Bible translation projects. Becky has just returned from Liberia where she is currently involved with various translation projects for the Gola, Dan, and Maan people. Becky assists translators via innovative technologies such as internet communications and teleconferencing, with periodic in-person visits to Liberia. Hear about her interesting work on May 5th! (A donation basket will be available for her ministry.)CONFIRMATION SUNDAY
WE REJOICE with Lea Faust, Lexie Hackbardt, and Amelia Hindley, confirmed in our Lutheran Christian faith on Sunday, April 28. We pray our risen Lord bless and strengthen them to fulfill their Confirmation promises.
C H R I S T I A N E D U C A T I O N
“Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Proverbs 22:6
SUNDAY SCHOOL classes are held Sundays at 10 a.m. for children three years old through fifth grade during the school year. Children are dismissed to their classes from the worship service after the opening hymn.
A Year-End Sunday School party will be held on Sunday, May 19, during the Sunday School class time. This will be the final session for this school year. Hope all of your children can attend!
THANK YOU to all of our Sunday School teachers for their dedication to teaching the Word of God to our children: Rob & Diana Hindley, Becky Kreipke (Superintendent), Carrie McShane, Kindsey Nelson, Rae Nims, Lisa Sterling, and Lynda Whitcher. We thank Dom Eldridge for his faithful teaching of God’s Word to our Youth! Thank you also to Jeff Kreipke for his representation on the Church Council. YOUTH in grades 6-12 meet for Bible Study the first and third Sundays of the month during worship, September through May.
SUNDAY ADULT BIBLE CLASS
ADULT BIBLE STUDY is viewing a DVD Bible study, entitled Sent Forth by God’s Blessing. This study explores the history of the LCMS, beginning with Martin Luther and the Reformation. All are welcome to join in at any time.
CONFIRMATION instruction, for young people in 7th and 8th grades, is held weekly during the school year. They will resume classes again in the fall.
CROSS OF CHRISTCHRISTIAN PRESCHOOL
Registration for fall classes is under way. If you are new to our congregation and would like information about our preschool, please call the church office. We offer a Christian, play-based program for three and four year olds, with age appropriate academics and kindergarten readiness. There are presently openings for three and four year olds. Our school year will end with picnics on May 22 and 23.
Children going into Kindergarten, or 5 by November 1st, through going into Sixth grade are invited to register for Cross of Christ’s summer Vacation Bible School, which will be held July 29 – August 2, from 9 a.m. to noon. Registration forms will be available soon. A $15 materials fee is due at the time of registration. We are looking for volunteers to help escort children from one station to another. Contact Chris if you can help. The $15 fee is waived for the children of those adults who help out VBS week. This year’s theme is “ROAR- Life is wild, God is good!” The children will learn:
When life is unfair, God is good. When life is scary, God is good. When life changes, God is good. When life is sad, God is good. When life is good, God is good.
Many helpers will be needed to provide this outreach. Contact Chris at [email protected] or fill out the “Help Form” at end of newsletter.
WOMEN’S FELLOWSHIP
Our next meeting will be Thursday, May 2, at 10:30 a.m. All women are invited to join us! Lunch will follow at a local restaurant.
Continue to fill your Mite boxes. Our offerings are given to many LCMS approved organizations, making a difference throughout the world. Boxes are available on the entryway table.
HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS’ ALL NIGHT EVENTWomen’s Fellowship is collecting items for South Lyon East High School and South Lyon High School for graduating seniors’ all night events. Your items will be used to create baskets for each school and given as prizes. See list of items on hallway poster. Gift cards are also welcomed. Thank you!FUNERAL LUNCHEONS
THANK YOU to all who donated food and helped at our recent funeral luncheons. It is an important ministry which is provided because of your help! If you would like to be added to our “Helper” list, please contact Annie Nichols at 248-437-9599, [email protected], or call or email the church office.
Our society tells us to live for today. The words from a poster “Forget about the PAST; Don’t worry about the FUTURE; Live TODAY!” captures our society’s encouragement to live for the moment with gusto because there is no tomorrow. In contrast, we, as God’s people, are encouraged to live with an eternal perspective. The Apostle Paul encourages us to set our minds on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2). We are told that God “has put eternity into [our] hearts” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Through faith, we live our lives knowing that heaven is our true home. According to the writer of Hebrews, we are aliens and strangers on this earth (11:13). In Philippians 3:20, Paul tells us that we are citizens of heaven not earth.
In order for us to be citizens of heaven, aliens, strangers and pilgrims on this earth, we can’t allow the accumulation of things to distract us from our relationship with Jesus. As God’s people, we can have and enjoy comfortable homes and cars, but we need to be careful that we don’t become too attached to the blessings God gives us. We are to possess our possessions rather than let our possessions possess us. We must be on guard not to let anything demand so much of our time, energy, and money that the relationships we have with the Lord will suffer.
The words of Martin Luther encourage us to not become attached to the things of this world.Therefore we must use all these things upon earth in no other way than as a guest who travels through the land and comes to a hotel where he must lodge overnight. He takes only food and lodging from the host, and he says that the property of the host belongs to him. Just so should we also treat our temporal possessions, as if they were not ours, and enjoy only so much of them as we need to nourish the body and then help our neighbors with the balance. Thus the life of the Christian is only a lodging for the night, since we have here no continuing city, but must journey on to heaven, where the Father is.
With the same indifference to material things, Jesus sent out the 72 disciples into the harvest field (Luke 10:1-12). In their journey, they sort of resembled pilgrims. For pilgrims, material possessions are valuable only as they help their mission. A pilgrim will not want to carry a lot of things around because they would slow him down. A pilgrim chooses possessions rather carefully so as to be able to travel lightly. If he foolishly accumulates things, he will find it more difficult to reach his destination.
With God’s help, we can put our trust in the Lord and not in our possessions, and we can live as pilgrims here on earth, ever looking forward to the eternity God has placed in our hearts.
We thank Thrivent Financial for continued donations to our church and preschool through the Thrivent Choice Program. If you are a Thrivent policy holder and have not selected Cross of Christ Lutheran Church or Preschool as your designated choice, do so at Thrivent.com/thrivent choice. For information about Thrivent products, contact Brian Bower, our church representative, at:
“As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you.” Isaiah 66:13a
What a tribute to mothers that the “God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3) compares His comfort to that of a mother.
It is good to honor mothers and the vocation of motherhood as God does. We thank God for our mothers, and we thank our mothers for being “God’s “knitting room” and giving us life (Psalm 139:13). We thank them for teaching us about Jesus. We thank them for their comfort.
Martin Luther on the Vocation of Parent: (from the explanation of the 4 th Commandment in The Large Catechism) “Therefore you should be heartily glad and thank God that He has chosen you and made you worthy to do a work so precious and pleasing to Him. Only see that, although it be regarded as the most humble and despised, you esteem it great and precious, not on account of our worthiness, but because it is comprehended in, and controlled by, the jewel and sanctuary, namely, the Word and commandment of God.”
MEMORIALS
+ + In memory of Milton Heidt, gifts have been given by Lynn Powell and Karen Dozler.________________________________DONATIONS WELCOMED
BATHROOM Remodeling:Donations are being invited to offset the cost of sprucing up the church bathrooms with a fresh coat of paint, new faucets, etc. Thank you! ________________________________ALTAR FLOWERS
Thank you for signing up to purchase Altar Flowers in celebration of birthdays, anniversaries, and in memory of loved ones. The cost of a vase is $30 and may be taken home and enjoyed after worship. Sign up in the hallway near the kitchen. Dates are open and sign up is needed in the coming months.
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. Your monetary donations are also invited.
Active Faith 22nd ANNUAL GOLF OUTING, Monday, July 15, 2019, at Rolling Meadows Golf Course.___________________________________EMAIL ADDRESSES
If you’d like to be added to our email list, contact [email protected]. If you’d prefer to receive the newsletter via email, please indicate that. To check out upcoming events, go to our web site at www.crossofchristlutheran.org.The monthly calendar and newsletter are available each month online. ________________________________
Bruce Mach10 Ron Miller Christina Nelson11 Andrew Mattison14 Carol Hermann
Westin LeslieShari Stevenson
15 Chandler Lach18 Janet Gorman
Scott LanamLyne Nelson
19 Jeff Hantz21 Zachary Wasilko22 Carol Nelson23 Nicole Hermann25 Helen Perttunen27 Karen Neiswinter29 Shealyn Lach
Shelby MartinEvelyn Mayer
30 Blake Evans
MAY ANNIVERSARIES 10 Jim & Sue Zimmerman11 Charles & Amy Deeds21 Bill & Ettie Ann Hirth29 Alan & Janelle Lach
Tom & Kelli Cameron
Please inform the church office of any missing dates or errors
AREA NEWS
The Detroit Lutheran Fellowship young adult group is gathering at the Dakota Inn Rathskeller (17324 John R, Detroit) for an evening of German food and music on Ascension Day, Thursday, May 30, at 8:30 p.m. If you’re looking to meet some new Lutherans, come on out!
WHERE CAN CHILDREN experience Christian growth while swimming, canoeing, shooting archery, riding horses, and zip-lining? At Camp Concordia on a spring-fed chain of lakes in west Michigan! Don’t let your children miss the adventure, joy and wonder that a week at a Christian camp can bring. Camp changes kids! The week of June 16-21 is discounted at $300 especially for children going into grades 3-6, high school students may volunteer for 2 week sessions, or check out the family camp options! For more information, visit the camp’s website at:www.campconcordia.org or call the camp office at 616-754-3785.
Listen to Worldwide KFUO.org, your radio station for practical Lutheran talk, daily Bible and Confession studies, daily worship opportunities, and current issues from a Lutheran worldview. Programs are archived at KFUO.org for 24/7 on-demand listening. You can also find our programming wherever you get your podcasts! Have a question or comment? Find us @KFUOradio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
CAMP RESTORE-Detroit (CRD)There are opportunities for all ages to serve in VBS, an A2E sports camp, construction, and urban blight clean-up. Volunteers can stay overnight in dormitory-like housing for a fee, commute, work one or more days or all week. Register online at:michigandistrict.org/camprestore or contact [email protected].
