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The Light

"I am the light of the world."
John 8:12

I love how a cross shines out from all sides of the setting sun over the ocean. The light radiates in all directions across the sky, the water, the beach, and through the atmosphere. Just like the light of Christ covers us from all directions radiating faith, hope, and love. Christ is present in all things. Remember this at all times. St. John tells us that the darkness cannot overcome the light. The Apostle Paul reminds us that the cross of Christ crosses over the earth. Every time you see the sun at dusk, remember Jesus’ promise, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”


Amen,

Pastor Andrea

Dementia Support Presentation: Christian Caring in Action

📅 Sunday, September 20th

🕢 10:45am

📍 Tempe Fellowship Hall

Join us on Sunday, September 20th at 10:45am in the Tempe Fellowship Hall for a special presentation by Hospice of the Valley. A guest speaker will share valuable insights on how we can support families living with a dementia diagnosis.

This session is for anyone who wants to offer meaningful, compassionate, Christian care to individuals and families navigating the daily challenges of dementia. All are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Questions? Please contact our Parish Nurse, Denise Viker, at dviker@desertcross.org.

Women4Women Packing Party! 📦

WHEN: Wednesday, October 14th at 9:00am

WHERE: Tempe Community Center Adult Classroom

WHAT: Come and join in the conversation and laughter while assembling these necessary supplies for distribution by the volunteers of Women4Women!

Wise Guys

Mondays @ 9:00am – 10:00am

Tempe Campus Fellowship Hall

Do you miss gathering at the coffee pot at work and sharing a few minutes with friends? To talk about the big game, to tell a story, to share a sweet treat?

Join us for Wise Guys! Think of it as your weekly coffee break! We're a group of retired guys who come together on Monday mornings and chat about our hobbies, our families, our lives, our sorrows, our joys, whatever is on our minds. It's a relaxed atmosphere for spending time with old and new friends. 

We've just started gathering again after our summer break, so come join us! We hope to see you there! For more information, contact Glenn Tischaefer at 920-539-1364.

Gifted to Serve, Together in Faith

We’re gearing up for our Fall Stewardship Campaign and look forward to celebrating the incredible generosity of our Desert Cross community!

Upcoming Worship Service Events:

• 📸 October 10th & 11th: Enjoy a slideshow during worship featuring photos from last year’s Family Reunion Potluck Photo Booth.
• 💙 October 25th: Commitment Sunday. Worship service will be followed by a special Snack & Chat hosted by the Stewardship Team.

We can’t wait to celebrate all that we’re able to accomplish together through the generosity of our congregation!

Mission Moment: The Children's Home Project

TEMPE – Saturday, September 19th & Sunday, September 20th

Jenny Kast from The Children's Home Project in Honduras will be joining us for a Mission Moment at our worship services (see dates above).

Jenny will be sharing a bit about the home, the community, and the kids who benefit from the project.

Hunger Jar Offerings September 12/13 & September 19/20 will benefit The Children's Home Project.

Annual Jacket & Blanket Drive

September is the month set aside for collecting jackets for children of all ages and sizes, as well as blankets of any size.

**NEW special request for children-sized shoes as well**

Donations will be given to the Kyrene Resource Center to support children in need within the Kyrene School District.

Please place the items in the Narthex at the Tempe campus. Items donated at the Gilbert campus will be picked up for your convenience.

If you have any questions, please contact Sue Eberle at soosancarol@gmail.com.

Gilbert Refresh Fundraising Update

We have some wonderful news to share: together, we have raised $76,000 for our Refresh project!

When we began this effort, our goal was to raise $55,000 (that will be matched by the capital expense fund) to help make the improvements we had envisioned for the Gilbert campus. Because of your incredible generosity, we have not only reached that goal, we have exceeded it by $21,000.

So, at this point, we are not asking for any additional gifts toward the Refresh project. Thank you to everyone who contributed, encouraged others, and helped make this possible. This is a wonderful example of what can happen when we come together as a congregation.

One note of caution: the original project estimates were made more than a year ago, and construction and material costs can change. While we added some overages as part of the costs of the project, we will have a clearer picture of the actual expenses as we receive bids and begin construction. For that reason, we want to be careful about declaring that we have a specific amount of money “left over” until we know the final project costs. But for today, we simply want to celebrate. We reached our goal and then some!

Thank you for your generosity, your trust, and your willingness to invest in the future of our congregation. We are grateful for what you have made possible together. We hope to start construction in the very near future. We will continue to keep the congregation updated on our progress.  

Youth Group Meetings

Next Meeting: Sunday, September 20th at 5:00pm

The Youth Group, grades 6-12, meets on Sundays from 5:00pm – 6:00pm. We will meet in Room 104 at the Gilbert Campus.

If you have any questions, please email Tessa Faust at tfaust@desertcross.org.

Holiday Craft Festival — Calling All Vendors! 🎄

📅 Saturday, November 14th

🕢 9:00am – 3:00pm

📍 Desert Cross Gilbert Campus

Are you a local crafter, artist, maker, or small business looking for a place to showcase your work? Desert Cross is hosting a Holiday Craft Festival at our Gilbert Campus on Saturday, November 14th, from 9:00am – 3:00pm, and we’re inviting vendors to participate!

Vendor spaces are $25 for a 6-foot table or $50 for a 10'×10' booth, with all proceeds supporting House of Refuge.

To register, please email the church office at info@desertcross.org with your business/vendor information, and we will get you taken care of!

Not a vendor? Please stop on by for a day of community fellowship, shopping, and festive fun as we support local makers and a great cause! Questions? Email the church office or Vicki English at victoriacollins123@gmail.com.

Mercy & Compassion Merging for Hunger Justice

Save the Date! The ELCA Grand Canyon Synod Hunger Leaders Network invites you to join their September meeting for an engaging conversation focused on hunger justice.

📅 Tuesday, September 29, 2026

🕕 6:00pm – 7:00pm (AZ Time)

📍 via Zoom – Meeting ID: 874 3817 1116

Featured guests include Bishop Deborah Hutterer (Grand Canyon Synod), Bishop Jeff Johnson (Sierra Pacific Synod), Milt Liu (President & CEO of St. Mary’s Foodbank), and The Rev. Steve Holm, Ret.

All are welcome! The Hunger Leaders Network meets on the last Tuesday of each month.

Swing & the Silver Screen 🎶

📅 Thursday, October 29th

🕢 11:00am – 12:00pm

📍 First Baptist Church of Sun Lakes

Join Carolyn Perkins and the Tremble Clefs, a community choir for people living with Parkinson’s disease, for a fun-filled concert featuring favorite songs from the movies and Halloween favorites like Ghostbusters! Swing & the Silver Screen will take place Thursday, October 29th, from 11:00am – 12:00pm at First Baptist Church of Sun Lakes. This community event is open to all and will raise funds to help cover shipping costs for Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts, which provide children around the world with gifts, school supplies, and hygiene items. Come enjoy an hour of music, singing, and plenty of audience participation while supporting a wonderful cause!

MS Bike Ride 2026

Art Krzyzewski is riding in his 34th consecutive Multiple Sclerosis bike ride on November 8th and 9th.

You can donate online at Bike MS Arizona 2026's website by clicking the button below. You can pay through Venmo, Apple Pay, PayPal, e-checks, or credit card.

Art will be at the Tempe site every Saturday and Sunday until the bike ride. He can take pledges and donations then, or you can contact him at krzyarty@cox.net or 602-292-0663.

Email your own recipe to Vicki at victoriacollins123@gmail.com

Crockpot Loaded Potato Soup

Submitted by: Glenda Friesth

Ingredients:

30 oz frozen shredded hashbrowns

32 oz chicken broth

One can cream of chicken soup

One cup of sliced baby carrots

6 oz cubed ham, or less (optional)

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

8 oz whipped cream cheese

Topping: one cup shredded cheese, one cup sliced green onion tops

Instructions:

1. Put all ingredients into a crockpot (except for the cream cheese).
   
   
2. Cook on low for 5 hours.
   
   
3. One hour before serving, add the cream cheese.
   
   
4. Stir every 15 minutes until melted and blended.

In this space, you will find the musical offerings for the upcoming worship services. Please come and enjoy!

TEMPE CAMPUS

**There are currently no upcoming special music offerings.**

Please enjoy our blended traditional/contemporary service at 9:30am in person or on livestream!

GILBERT CAMPUS

SEPTEMBER 20th

Chancel Choir – 10,000 Reasons to Bless the Lord

SEPTEMBER 27th

Leanna Ihlefeld, violin – Great is Thy Faithfulness

"Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music..."

Psalm 95

A Warm Welcome to Joe Bunker! 🎶

I am excited to share that beginning this Sunday, September 6th, Joe Bunker will start serving as our new worship leader at the Gilbert campus!

Over the past several weeks, I have enjoyed getting to know Joe and learning more about his heart for worship and ministry. He is a great vocalist and pianist with experience leading worship, singing in choirs and harmony groups, and playing with worship bands. More than that, Joe genuinely loves God and wants to use his gifts to serve others.

Joe has already been doing his homework: watching our services, learning our music, and getting to know what makes worship at Desert Cross special. Of course, stepping into a new role and a new church family takes a little time, so this is where all of you come in! Please go out of your way to introduce yourself, encourage him, and give him a big, warm Desert Cross welcome as he settles in and begins calling Desert Cross his new church home.

Joe, we are grateful that God has brought you our way, and we are excited to begin this new season of ministry together. Welcome home!

– Joni Van Rossum

Director of Worship & Media Arts

If you are interested in having your child baptized, please reach out to Pastor Thadd at tbook@desertcross.org.

Do you have a news item, upcoming event, or ministry story you'd like to share? Please send the information to Wendy at wwilliams@desertcross.org. The deadline is TUESDAYS for same-week inclusions.