VOLUME 9, ISSUE 2April 2011

Pastor’s Note 1Quarterly Statistics 2My Stewardship Story 2

Reflections from Scripture 2

Year-to-Date Giving Statement

It is the mission of the Stewardship Team to help people grow in faith as trustees of God’s generous gifts.

HHOLYOLY CCROSSROSS LLUTHERANUTHERAN CCHURCHHURCHStewardship Team Newsletter

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”– Matthew 6:21 –

Dave AndersonTom BarrRick CerkowniakMike DircksenAaron KvisteroAdam RoarkBruce SwanNolan Thompson

A MA MESSAGEESSAGE FROMFROM THETHE SSTEWARDSHIPTEWARDSHIP TTEAMEAMHoly Cross has always been a congregation of challenges, starting with Pastor Olson wearing out many pairs of shoes walking from door to door to start a mission congregation.From our mission congregation heritage, we continue to be blessed abundantly with the HolySpirit, community outreach, and many other ways to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Fromthe first day on Marion Road to now on Sertoma Avenue, Holy Cross has been challenged toprovide enough space “to nurture disciples of every generation.” The current building expansionwill enable us to add the badly needed space and the addition of Pastor Amy will help to fulfill our mission statement.This exciting time at Holy Cross has created some other challenges for us in making surewe can cover all of our obligations to OUR church, OUR community, and OUR worldwidechurch. In December, our Stewardship Team attempted to raise enough money to clear all ofour outstanding obligations. As members of the Stewardship Team, WE failed. Failed toenlighten and inspire you, as members and friends, to take ownership and support HolyCross. We needed to raise $48,000 in order to meet our year-end obligations, an average of$56.00 per giving unit. We have approximately 700 households (giving units) at Holy Cross.We fell dismally short — only raising a little over $12,000, a mere $17.14 per household. We left many bills unpaid at the end of the year and had to carry them over to 2011 — billswe had not counted on when we set up our budget for this year.WWHATHAT I ISS W WRONGRONG ?? We are not living up to our financial obligations. Our ‘Mission &Ministry’ budget is short by almost $21,000. The ‘Building Mortgage & Maintenance’ fundis at budget, as of February 16th. Ladies and Gentleman, this is a ‘barebones’ budget, and weare not giving enough to meet that. We have added a new Pastor, whom we so desperatelyneed to share the ministerial load with Pastor Tim. We are only sixty days away from the summer season when attendance and giving drop significantly. REMEMBER, we are already$21,000 behind budget, as stated earlier.Asking and pleading for increased giving has not worked. Wemust face reality:We have a lotof the same expenses that our homes have (mortgage, heat, garbage, water, maintenance) just to name a few. We take ownership in our personal homes, but what about our spiritual/church home? We have a dedicated, overworked, and under-paid staff plus numerous volunteers committed to the day-to-day operations of OUR church. What kind ofsupport are we showing them? What programs will suffer because of a lack of funding?Membership in Holy Cross Lutheran Church should mean we take ownership in the church.We pray that it does.OOURUR F FEAREAR is that this letter will never be read by those who do not take ownership in theirspiritual home or their obligation to support it. Without giving by all members (and friends),on a regular basis, WE cannot live up to our mission statement:

‘We are called by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, to nurture disciples of every generation,

by proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ!”The Stewardship Team needs your help to support Holy Cross. Our hope and prayer is thatthis letter will stir action in the form of regular sacrificial giving. Please prayerfully considerincreasing your giving.God has blessed us, how are we going to show our blessings through our stewardship?

In service with you through our Lord and Savior,The Stewardship Team

PPASTORASTOR AALANLAN SSTOREYTOREY (F(FEBRUARYEBRUARY 24, 2011)24, 2011)Preached during Luther Seminary chapel

—— Matthew 6:24Matthew 6:24––34 34 ——Do you see why we have an offering when we come to worship? We do

not have an offering to keep the lights on. We do not have an offering topay the pastor. We have an offering because God knows that it is the onething that can relocate our hearts. When we have an offering, we givepeople an opportunity to relocate their hearts. Where our treasure is,there is our heart.If Jesus had to print money, this is what he would print on it:

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other,

or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

— Matthew 6:24 —Submitted by Rick Cerkowniak, Stewardship Team

January — March 2011

Mission & MinistryIncome $ 147,047 Expenses $ 164,869 M&M Budget 2010

$ 171,427

ConsiderSimply Giving

(an automated way of giving)It’s free to you

and to the church.You may pick up

a form at the kiosk or enroll online

from the Holy Cross website using the “donate online” link

on the left side.

Out of town?Forget your offering?

Make it easy on yourself, and keep the ministries

of Holy Cross going.

BuildingMort. & Maint.

FundIncome $ 28,698 Expenses $ 25,092 B&M Budget 2010

$ 44,300 Mortgage Loan Balance

$ 807,238 CONSTRUCTION LOAN

BALANCEReceived $ 669,982

““FFAITHAITH IISS LL IKEIKE AA RRUBBERUBBER BBANDAND””By Adam Roark, Stewardship Team

I recently heard the saying, “Faith is like a rubber band; it works best when it’sstretched.” I thought about this momentarily and realized this was an excellent basisfor this article. As everyone is well aware, our congregation is filled with young families, much like my own. Thus, if you are like me, you are probably extremely busy,and you probably have similar expenses and time commitments. Financially, when allparties get their share of your financial pie, you may find it hard to find resources toallocate to the church. Time-wise, you probably find it hard to find ten minutes foryourself.

Recognizing that, I encourage you to remember that without the contributions of time and money, Holy Cross does not exist. The church could not pay its bills withoutcongregants’ financial contributions, and there wouldn’t be anyone to teach SundaySchool if individuals didn’t contribute their time to teaching. I understand it may seemhard to give to the church financially, but could you give your time? If you are not ableto give time, could you give financially? Could you do both?

In closing, I encourage you as a member of the congregation to prayerfully considerwhether or not you are “stretching your faith.” As someone who is not a seasoned professional at giving, I understand being apprehensive about giving when you feel youcannot afford it or have nothing to contribute. However, I encourage you to “stretchyour faith” and give your time and resources to Holy Cross and see how God works inyou and in the congregation at Holy Cross!

A simple choice; a generous responsewww.thrivent.com/community/outreach/giving/simplygiving/index.html

‘NOW IS THE TIME!’Received $ 261,974 Spent $ 248,285

Handle with extreme careHas the power to relocate your heart

Keep out of reach of the richTaking too much can result in an overdose

Regardless of the room temperature, it should not be stored up for too longWorks best when given away in the care of others

Consult your doctor, Matthew 6, if you desire for more persists beyond your needStop being obsessed with fashion, food, and finances

in the way that you are obsessed with fashion, food, and finances...Granted, Jesus also was obsessed with fashion, food, and finances

— but fashion for the naked, food for the hungry, and finances for the poor.