A Publication of the Holy Cross
The Cross
October 2017
Articles and News
  Stewardship by David Hutchinson  
Summer seems to have fled suddenly, and here it is fall. Football, and falling leaves, and harvest, and stewardship. Yes, stewardship. That term church people like to use that seems to mean “open up your wallet again”. 
I would like to talk briefly about what stewardship means to me, and how I have come to view it completely differently than I did before. I used to believe that this whole stewardship thing was all about raising dollars for the church. A worthy cause to be sure. But Robyn and I have discovered that stewardship has as many (if not more) benefits for the giver as for the receiver.
It allows us to look outside ourselves, it allows us to acknowledge that the resource is not ours in the first place, and it allows us to direct where some of this transitory resource will be used. It becomes a blessing to us as givers and to the recipient as receivers. 
Having said this I am not the most elegant of writers and so have obtained permission to share some portions of another, more elegant expression regarding some principles of generosity. This is taken from a blog by Jen Pollack Michel, and is used with permission.

5 principles of generosity
“I’m afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small.”
C.S. Lewis,  Mere Christianity 
Stewardship time is upon us, “which, if we’re honest, seems a bit like a benevolent afterthought” wedged between summer vacations and coming holiday season plans. “But I suppose that’s often what generosity looks like in a consumer culture: we give of our leftovers, not of our first fruits. We give after we have satisfied our desires. And seeing that marketing makes material desire the hunger that can’t be sated, we give far too little, if anything at all. Most of us would admit that we don’t give in the way the Bible talks about giving: with the qualities of eagerness and self-sacrifice and joy.”
“Being a part of our church’s capital campaign has sent me back to the Scriptures, looking to learn more about what it looks like to give in ways that reflect a life surrendered fully to Jesus—the ultimate Giver. And here are some principles I found in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 that I hope will be helpful for you—not just for this season, but ultimately, for developing a lifestyle of radical generosity.”
1.      “First, generosity is evidence of God’s grace at work in us .”
“We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia.” 2 Cor. 8:1
“Paul is talking about a group of believers, who have given radically. The Macedonians have gladly contributed to the funds Paul is collecting to relieve those suffering from famine in the church of Judea.”
“Yet the generosity of the Macedonians was not to be credited to their unusual altruism. They weren’t more philanthropic than the average church. Their generosity was evidence that they were enjoying the grace of God, which is to say: they were growing more and more in the humility of realizing how little they deserved from God and yet how much they had been given. If they had been given so much, what could they not spare?”
“God’s grace, if it’s active in our lives, will make us generous, and a stingy Christian should wonder if he is a Christian at all.”
2.     “Generosity is powered by strange math.”
“Their abundance of joy and extreme poverty [speaking here of the Macedonians] have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.” 2 Cor. 8:2”
“The Macedonians didn’t give from surplus: they gave from lack. They trusted that God would supply what was needed for their generosity. And this is surely a generosity too few of us have known. We give when months are fat. We withhold when months are lean. But the Macedonians demonstrate that kingdom giving doesn’t depend on the books.”
“If you want to give, pledge to do it, and watch God provide.”
3.      “God’s grace makes generosity, not just a duty, but a delight.”
“They begged us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints.” 2 Cor. 8:4
“No one needed to cajole the Macedonians to give a financial gift. They didn’t need a slideshow set to music. They didn’t need a pastor thundering from the pulpit. They treated the invitation to give as a privilege. They begged to open their wallets. They wanted to participate in whatever God was doing around the world. (It’s interesting to note that their giving wasn’t to their own church, but to another church far away.)”
“God’s people want to give. Arm-twisting is not required.”
4.     "Generosity is worship.”
“They gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.” 2 Cor. 8:5”
“To give your money is, in effect, to give yourself to the Lord. Every dollar, every donation: they give voice to your praise, to your thanksgiving, to your humbled awe at having been adopted by the richest Father into the wealthiest family. We give because God, through the giving of Jesus Christ, has given to us.”
“We worship, not simply with our songs and our service, but our surrendered treasures.”
5.     “Generosity will produce thanksgiving.”
“For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.” 2 Cor. 9:12”
“Financial gifts can meet important needs: in our churches, in our cities, in the world. And that God would use us to meet needs is, in itself, an incredible grace. But, we should always remember that generosity in the kingdom of God isn’t wholly pragmatic. It’s not simply that the world has needs to be met and that God has need of our dollars. Our generosity is meant to inspire a liturgy of thanksgiving to God: a gift received is always an opportunity to give thanks to the great Giver.”
“Give, not to be thanked, but in order that God might be.”
Whatever you give this season, this year, and in your lifetime, may it always be a source of renewing joy in your own life and ongoing thanksgiving to your God, who gave his Son Jesus as a first fruits offering (cf. 1 Cor. 15:23).
By David Hutchinson and edited comments by Jen Pollack Michel, used with permission
See www.jenpollackmichel.com/ for the complete article.

Welcome to our Episcopal Service Corps member, Patrick Kelly!
Patrick is from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in south central North Dakota. This is his first time ever in Seattle and he’s happy to be here. According to Patrick, “It’s been a long journey to get here, but I truly feel that this is where God has called me to be”. 
On September 17 th our High School Youth Group headed to St. Mark’s Cathedral to meet and greet Patrick and to witness Patrick’s and his fellow members’ commissioning. The Corps consists of six young people living in community at Leffler House on the grounds of St. Mark’s Cathedral. Other members’ jobs include Mission to Seafarers, Youth Leadership at St. Margaret’s in Bellevue, & Ministry and Marketing at St. Mark’s Cathedral.
We have great plans for Patrick. Please be sure to introduce yourself at coffee hour or sign up to be a Wednesday Night “Drop-In” assistant once a month.
St. Francis Day
Join us on Sunday, October 1  at 8:00am or 10:00am for the blessing of animals. Bring your pet, stuffed animal or even a picture of your pet. We bless them all!
   The Picnic was a huge success!
Thank you to all volunteers!








Megan Grabow & Steven Abbott were confirmed by the Bishop on Holy Cross Day
The Farm
Nothing short of a miracle. This sweet corn never got watered. Not one single time in over 70 days. It's not a great field of corn, but it will feed the hungry. Rain coming Sunday to plump it up.







It's no fluke that a crew of volunteers was here to lend hands, hearts and ears to help with the harvest. Jim shows the Fluke team how to eat carrots fresh outta the ground, hand to mouth. (Some bunny must have told this crew we like ham too!) Lunch at the Food Bank Farm comes with a complimentary side of veggies--and fun! Come join us!
Super Seniors!
                       Holy Cross Super Seniors Celebrate Summer
                                By Melissa Holmes
 
It was the Never-Ending-Summer of 2017 as Holy Cross Super
Seniors celebrated with our annual picnic on Thurs. Sept. 8 th
at Sonja and John White’s cottage on picturesque Lake Bosworth
near Granite Falls. Pleasant temperatures the serenity of the setting
made it especially memorable. We enjoyed relaxing with conversation
and fellowship during lunch preparations. 
 
Lunch included delicious barbequed salmon and hot dogs expertly grilled
by Chef Carol VanderVeen who was assisted by Marty Smith. Seniors
brought a selection of tasty treats: appetizers, salads, and homemade
desserts. The food was delectable down to the last bite.
 
We were treated to the “long road home” as Fr. Jim stopped to let us
explore the Holy Cross Food Bank Farm (at Chinook Farms) in Snohomish. 
We got samples of tomatoes, green beans and squash to take home. Across
the road we stopped at Bob’s Corn & Pumpkin Farm Country Store to buy fresh
corn on the cob, sweet corn puffs, honey, Kettle Corn, and whatever we
couldn’t resist. Their big “Fall Family Fun Season”* starts soon with the Corn
Maze, hayrides, and pumpkin patch. Located at 10917 Elliott Road, Snohomish,
WA 98296, you can contact them at Bob’s Corn & Pumpkin Farm website or call #360-668-2506. *I named it that. MH
 
We give Sonja and John a big “thank-you” for hosting this gathering
again this year. And many thanks to Fr. Jim for patiently driving the van. 
Faith Formation
Sunday School Changes and Blessings to come!
Beginning October 8 th our Sunday school classes will join the service for the entire Liturgy of the Table. The past few summers the children were exposed briefly to the Liturgy of the Word   exiting after the Bible readings. Our new schedule will expose them to the beauty and richness of the Holy Eucharist which is central to our faith. As we begin this new plan, the students will be studying the service in small increments to add to their understanding. They will sometimes be assigned to listen for or recognize a specific part of the service. We will keep this light and fun and expect typical child-like wonder and exuberance. 
The Children of Holy Cross are not the “future” of the church; they are full members of this  Body of Christ. I am grateful to Holy Cross for its loving, patient and welcoming nature to one and all, old and small and I ask you to help welcome our dear younger members. Watch with me to see how God will bless their time with us.
It would be wise for parents to sit in the same vicinity each week to make it easy for their children to find them as they enter at the Exchange of the Peace. AND, I really encourage parents to sit up front so kids can see what’s happening! This helps keep them engaged. Please help yourself to resources at the Children’s Table in the Narthex and the green booklets in the pews.
Middle School Youth Curriculum
In addition to regular Sunday meetings where they continue their studies on Fundamental Theology, this group will meet twice a month on Friday evenings to view the Harry Potter series of movies. This will provide a perfect segue into an in-depth study during the second semester of the last Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows , which has explicitly Christian themes. Our carefully chosen curriculum, The Deathly Hallows, To Die Is Gain: Good and Evil in the World of Harry Potter , includes mighty comparisons to Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. I am very excited about this year’s curriculum and grateful to our dedicated Youth Leaders.
Camp Huston- All Youth Retreat
Return your registration forms –– God time , Great food, great fun, and RELAXATION. It’s a great weekend to be a Human BEING, not a Human DOING. Mark it on your calendar and be there. Depart Friday evening at 5 PM, return to Holy Cross Sunday by 11 AM. All youth grades 6-12 are invited.
“Everything has already been given. What we need is to
live into it.”  Thomas Merton
HYC and JYC
High School Youth Conference (HYC)
Grades 9-12 from all over the diocese. These weekend conferences include faith formation and exploration, fun, and fellowship, through contemporary music, worship, small group conversations, games, workshops and special activities. The conference runs Friday evening through midday Sunday. Themes and activities for conferences are selected and planned by the youth council.
Upcoming Retreats:
January 5-7, 2018, Winter HYC at Camp Berachah, Black Mountain Camp in Auburn, approximately $90-$115
April 6-8, 2018, Spring HYC at St. James in Kent, $35
September 28-30, Fall HYC 2018 at St. Paul’s in Bellingham, $35

J unior High/Middle School Youth Conference (JYC)
Faith-based fun for youth in grades 6-9. Join us as we navigate the  turning-into-teenager years . With lots of community-building games and activities, this is the place to find friends who will be with you through it all. Youth come together from all over Western Washington to share in music, worship, faith formation and fun. Friday evening through midday Sunday. Themes and activities are selected and planned by the youth council.
Upcoming Retreats: 
November 17-19, 2017, Fall JYC at St. Margaret’s in Bellevue. $35
May 4-6, 2018, Spring JYC at St. Andrew’s in Port Angeles. $35
November 16-18, 2018, Fall JYC, location TBD. $35
Safeguarding God’s Children
The Diocese of Olympia takes its responsibility for the safety of our people seriously. The Safe Church program teaches how to identify and prevent abuse within the church community, and is conducted several times per year, free of charge. The training consists of three sessions: Safeguarding God’s Children, Safeguarding God’s People and a new Anti-Racism program.
All clergy members, diocesan team members, and people in leadership (Vestry and Bishop Committee Members), all people who work directly with children, all Eucharistic Visitors and all paid staff in our congregations are required to take the appropriate training(s). Any other interested parishioners are encouraged to participate in training sessions. Certificates are valid for five years and then re-training is required.
For any questions or concerns, please contact the April Caballero, Executive Assistant to the Bishop & the Canon to the Ordinary, at  acaballero@ecww.org .

Upcoming Trainings
Safeguarding God's Children   St. John, Kirkland      October 13, 12:00pm
Safeguarding God's Children     St. Benedict, Lacey   October 14, 9:00am
  
Halloween Candy Tithe Idea
Gather your kids and discuss how God asks us to give Him the first 10% of what we are given. Have your child count her candy and, for a very young child, put the first piece of every ten aside. Modify the exercise to match your child’s math skills.
Discuss ways that your children can give the candy “back to God”. They might give it to someone who was unable to trick or treat due to illness, take it to a local food bank or send it to our troops serving abroad.
"If we can get the children to start thinking in terms of abundance, of sharing joyfully what they have with others, of recognizing God's overflowing blessings on all of us, then we will have taken a big step in teaching them one of the basic tenets of the Christian faith."




Publication and Social Media Opt Out Form 
Classroom activities and church events are often photographed. Last names are never published with the photos. If you prefer that your child’s photo is never published, please   sign and return the Opt Out form to the Holy Cross office.
Complete and return the form ONLY if you DO NOT give permission for your child’s photograph to appear in Holy Cross Publications including but not limited to:
The Cross (Holy Cross monthly newsletter.)
Holy Cross website
Social Media sites such as Face Book.
And Diocese of Olympia Publications including but not limited to:
           ECWW website
           Online Newsletters
The Form is found on our website: http://www.holycrossredmond.org/
 Book Club ~ Tuesday, October 10 @ 7:00pm
   Cindy Holeman will be hosting this month as we read
The Sound of Gravel by Ruth Wariner.  
The thirty-ninth of her father’s forty-two children, Ruth Wariner grew up in polygamist community on a farm in rural Mexico., an excommunicated sect of the Mormon church. In The Sound of Gravel , she offers an unforgettable portrait of the violence that threatened her community, her family’s fierce sense of loyalty, and her own unshakeable belief in the possibility of a better life. An intimate, gripping tale of triumph and courage, The Sound of Gravel is a heart-stopping true story. Cindy will have beverages and dessert and we’d love to have you join us. Book Club is a good way to get to know other women in the church….even if you haven’t finished the book for a particular month. Cindy’s in the directory…give her a call to let her know your coming and she can give you directions. Hope to see you then.   
BOOK CLUB READS FOR 2017-18
DATE   BOOK                                                      HOST

9/12/16  Hero of the Empire by Candice Millard  Dianne Commo
10/10/16 The Sound of Gravel by Ruth Wariner  Cindy Holeman
11/14/16 A Girl Who Wrote in Silk by Kelly Estes  ( NEED A HOSTESS)

12/12/16   Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance    Tina Paul

1/01/18 HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
1/09/18  Lucky Boy by Shanthi Sekaran Holy Cross- Melissa will organize group effort
2/20/18  The Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles  Holy Cross
*This is 3rd Tuesday due to Mardi Gras—(Dianne will organize group effort)
3/13/18  Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger  Melissa, Marilyn & Vicki
4/10/18  Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead Sue Crossley
5/08/18 Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly Mary Shifton (probably)
6/12/18 Left open for a book still to be discovered…. Laurel
or a classic we want to read again.

7/10/18 Potluck BOOK SELECTION IDEA—TRY FOR JUNE. Submit book ideas ONE WEEK before May meeting…..then vote ONLINE by each member ranking their favorites.
Advantage: We could read one more book and everyone gets an equal vote in selection. What do you think?

OTHER BOOKS RECOMMENDED in no particular order.
A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute
The Falls by Joyce Carol Oates
The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish
The Bad Ass Librarians of Timbuktu by Joshua Hammer
Belgravia by Julian Fellows of Downton Abbey fame
A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley from the movie Lion
The Summer before the War by Helen Simonson (WWI)
A Book of American Martyrs by Joyce Carol Oates
The Paris Architect by Charles Balfour (WWII)
Dinner Groups are back in October!
  Come & join your fellow Holy Cross members.
(couples or singles)
Once a month meal & great fellowship!
Sign up in the Narthex. 
Blood Drive - October 24th 1:00pm - 7:00pm
Meadowbrook Church will be hosting the next Redmond Interfaith Blood Drives. 
This is an outreach ministry that’s helping to meet the community need of 1000 donors/day to supply the many hospitals in the area of all the types of blood. While donors generously give an hour to save someone they don’t know, it also feels good to know “it will be there” if one of our family members needs it! With the recent disasters in Texas, Florida, and the Caribbean, our Bloodworks NW has been able to send needed blood products to those in greater need. YOU CAN GIVE, TOO! (tech break 3-4pm). 
RSVP for an appointment: wilde_jaz@yahoo.com or just walk-in! 
Meadowbrook Church
17944 NE 65th St.
Redmond, WA 98052 
    Women's A.M. Bible Study
Come join us on Tuesday mornings starting @ 9:30am.
Daniel, Seeking a Heart Like His. A DVD study with Beth Moore.
Questions: Contact Pam Stanton-Wyman -  pamstwy@gmail.com
 
Green Elephant Plant Swap ~ November 4
Rain or shine, Pacific Northwest gardeners gather to exchange and share plants, seeds, cuttings and gardenalia with all.
Whether you feel the budget crunch or just want to grow your own delicious healthy food, the vegi-swap is offered so we can exchange and share vegetable seeds and plant starts for our own Beat-the-Economy Victory Gardens. It’s too late for bare root plants but potted trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals and tropicals are most welcome. If you are interested in growing your own food, you are not alone.
Swappers are free to come and go as they please. Most of the deals are sealed by 11:30 am. Arrive at 10 am for the best selection.
Tailgating Encouraged. The format for the trade is like a tailgate party. Traders exchange expert gardening information as well as plant materials. In two hours all the deals are sealed. We have plenty of new parking .
Free Stuff. Many gardeners generously share plants from the abundance of their gardens—An excellent way to begin your garden. Also an excellent way to thin out that giant patch of shasta daisies, etc. There is always a pile of plants free for the sharing at the swap.
What if I have nothing to trade? Cookies and chocolate work like money at the Green Elephant!
Launch of Every Veteran’s Fellowship
Every Veteran’s Fellowship at St John’s Kirkland. This is a group of veterans and those who care about
veterans that has agreed to meet twice a month on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday evenings at 7:00pm starting on October 10. We are looking for members of your congregation to join the ministry to all veterans here on the Eastside that is focused on bringing Christ’s love and healing to those who suffer from moral injury as a result of their military service. Please contact me with any questions.
 
In brief here are the commitments those interested in participating will need to make in order to make this an effective ministry:
 
·        Provide a safe space for veterans, family members of veterans, and those who care about
veterans who are suffering from moral injury to openly work on healing with complete
confidentiality
·        Agree to meet twice a month for an hour (90 minutes max depending upon number of attendees)    
·        Provide coffee and water for those attending and occasionally cookies or some other sweet.
·        Agree to keep a prayer list of those who desire our prayers and pray for them regularly.
Deacon Brian Wright
Missioner for Veteran’s Ministry
                                                   deacon@stjohnskirkland.org
All Souls' Day ~ White Dove Release
In honor of all those we love & miss, white homing pigeons” will be released on All Souls’ Day after the 10am service on November 5th .
We will read the submitted names necrology of those who have died and then symbolically set them free to the rush of the wings. If you wish to contribute to the Dove Release, may we suggest a donation of $10.00 which includes as many names as you wish to list. We invite you to submit the names (please print) that you wish to have read on All Souls Day. See the Messenger or you may email your list of names to the office at Publisher@holycrossredmond.org . Please make checks payable to Holy Cross & write “Dove Release” on the memo line; if paying with cash, please include your list of names.
May We Pray For You?
Contact Karen Smith to be placed on the Holy Cross Prayer Chain.