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In the movie, “Facing The Gi-
ants,” there is a part of the film
where the coach tells his football
players, “Your attitude is the
aroma of your heart. If your atti-
tude stinks, it means that your
heart’s not right.” Our attitude is
a reflection of what is inside of
us. When our attitude isn’t right
that means something else isn’t
right as well. We can’t control a
lot of what happens in life but we
can control our attitude. For
better or worse, our attitude is a
reflection of our heart.
In Philippians 2 Paul says “Your
attitude should be the same as
that of Christ Jesus: Who, being
in very nature God, did not con-
sider equality with God some-
thing to be grasped, but made
himself nothing, taking the very
nature of a servant, being made
in human likeness. And being
found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself and became
obedient to death—even death
on a cross!” And I’ve had trouble
sometimes when they got my
order wrong at a restaurant con-
trolling my attitude. It definitely
puts things in perspective when
you look at Jesus’ attitude and
circumstances. How do you
even quantify that? How would
your attitude be if you become
an ant?
As we approach Thanksgiving,
it’s a great time to check our-
selves and evaluate our attitude
to see how thankful, gracious,
and pleasant we have been. So
this next month we will not only
talk about how important it is for
us to steward our attitude, but
we will also talk about how to try
and change our attitude to be
the same as Christ Jesus. With
the right attitude you will be
filled with more joy, able to ac-
complish more, and you will have
peace regardless of your circum-
stances.
Charles Swindoll said that he is
convinced that life is 10% what
happens to him and 90% how he
reacts to it. That doesn’t mean
that you deny your reality if less
than favorable circumstances
present themselves. It simply
means that you don’t let those
circumstances define you and
you may ignore them, change
them, or overcome them and,
most importantly, bring them to
God. Rain doesn’t bother a
duck, because the duck is built
to deflect it, thus the expression
“water off a duck’s back”. As
followers of Christ, we don’t let
adverse circumstances bother
us, because we are built to over-
come them. As we study this
month about having a better
attitude, come and learn how to
ignore, change, and overcome
any negative circumstances in
your life.
Pastor Jeff
O U R A T T I T U D E I S A R E F L E C T I O N O F O U R H E A R T
N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 8 F U L L Y A L I V E !
Fully Alive! I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :
A D V E N T W O R S H I P
S C H E D U L E
2
S P E C I A L C O N -G R E G A T I O N A L
M E E T I N G
2
G I V I N G T R E E 3
T H E I S A I A H P R O J E C T
U P D A T E
3
N A T I O N A L Y O U T H
G A T H E R I N G
4
Y O U T H G A R D E N 4
WO R K C A M P M I S S I O N 2 0 1 9
S E T
5
I S A I A H P R O J E C T
W O R K S H O P S
6
C OMM U N I C A T I N G A N D C E L E B R A T I N G T H E M I S S I O N A N D M I N I S T R I E S O F H O L Y C R O S S
Hope, love, joy, and peace
sound wonderful, but do you
believe they are possibilities for
you? These gifts might seem
really out of reach. You feel all
the hurt, the disappointments,
and the struggles that you’ve
dealt with throughout the year,
but the story of Christmas is all
about experiencing the unex-
pected.
Family of Christ Lutheran Church Family of Christ Lutheran Church Family of Christ Lutheran Church Family of Christ Lutheran Church
invites you to four Worship Gath-invites you to four Worship Gath-invites you to four Worship Gath-invites you to four Worship Gath-
erings on Wednesdays erings on Wednesdays erings on Wednesdays erings on Wednesdays
during the season of Ad-during the season of Ad-during the season of Ad-during the season of Ad-
vent.vent.vent.vent. These evenings will be
held in Holy Cross’ Parish Hall
on Nov. 28, Dec. 5, 12, and 19.
The schedule for the evenings
will include:
5:30 – 6:00p - Meal
6:00 – 6:45p – Worship
7:00 – 8:00p – Breakouts for
Youth, Young Adults,
Confirmation (possible Adult
breakouts TBD)
Page 2 F U L L Y A L I V E !
R E A D Y F O R T H E U N E X P E C T E D ?
We are pleased to welcome
Pastor Jeff Niederstadt and his
family to our congregation!
Pastor Jeff is head pastor at
Family of Christ, a sister con-
gregation in Rochester, and
will take over preaching and
Bible Study at Holy Cross on
Sundays. He will also extend
his work with the Confirmation
classes of both congregations,
which have been combined for
the past year.
We are also grateful for the
people of Family of Christ and
their decision to move their
worship time to Saturday even-
ing in order for this to occur.
At the same time, they have
chosen to begin their Saturday
evening services in the Parish
Hall at Holy Cross. Please
extend the warm hand of fel-
lowship to these brothers and
sisters as you see them. While
each congregation will retain
its individual mission and iden-
tity, people are welcome to
join the other in worship as it
best fits their schedule.
As noted above, we are also
entering the Call process, in-
cluding establishing a Call
Team at Holy Cross to manage
the activities required to evalu-
ate and recommend to the
congregation a name (or
names) to consider for our
next pastor. The Executive
Council is charged with this
duty and expects to identify
members of the Team by the
start of November.
V A C A N C Y U P D A T E
S P E C I A L C O N G R E G A T I O N A L M E E T I N G
On November 4, at 6:00 pm in
the Parish Hall, a special congre-
gational meeting per our Bylaws
Article VIII, Section 1(b) will be
held to share with you an over-
view of the Call process. A rep-
resentative from the District
and/or Circuit will be present to
lay out the steps leading to a
Divine Call, and the roles of vari-
ous parties. A vote may be taken
regarding certain aspects of the
process.
We’d like to make this also a
time of fellowship, and invite you
to bring an appetizer or dessert.
Drinks, plates and silverware will
be provided. Help with setup and
takedown will also be appreciat-
ed.
We look forward to seeing you
on November 4!
For more information, go to www.familyofchristrochs.com
Pastor Jeff & Michelle Niederstadt & family
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord
is on me,
because the Lord has
anointed me
to proclaim good news to the
poor.
He has sent me to bind up the
brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the
captives
and release from darkness
for the prisoners.
Isaiah 61:1
As communicated previously,
the Isaiah Project is the process
of updating the long-range plan
for Holy Cross, with a key initial
outcome being the clarification
of our vision for the ministry
here. “Who We Are” and “Who
We are Called to Be” have be-
come the key focus of activities
in recent weeks.
To reiterate the steps we’ve
taken: Our work initially fo-
cused on preparing a Current
State Assessment, which many
of you participated in via our
Seeking Wisdom survey and
Focus Groups. This step also
included gathering information
on the community and state of
the church and attitudes toward
religion in our nation. This led
us to identify our top Strengths,
Weaknesses, Opportunities,
and Threats (SWOT), which we
then brought to bear on the
questions, “Who are we called
to be” in ministry at Holy
Cross?” and “How do we pic-
ture our future?” The culmina-
tion of work included a final
workshop to identify objectives,
strategies, and actions to take
us toward this future.
The information from this work
is important not only to guide
our daily work, but also to help
us identify the type of pastoral
leader we should call. It may
also provide ideas to consider
regarding how we organize our
ministries as we attempt to
impact others with the Gospel
message.
Details have been shared in
venues such as the Town Hall
on October 21, and will contin-
ue to be provided via another
Town Hall in November and
other means. Feel free to let
Mark Matthias, Carole Cochran,
Roger Lindahl, or Jo Dean know
if you have questions or input to
the process. God bless his
people at Holy Cross as we
seek to carry out our mission,
“Helping People Become Fully
Alive in Jesus!”
T H E I S A I A H P R O J E C T U P D A T E
See pages 6 and
7 for more on
the Isaiah
Project
Workshops
Page 3 C O MM U N I C A T I N G A N D C E L E B R A T I N G T H E M I S S I O N A N D M I N I S T R I E S O F H O L Y C R O S S
Each Christmas season at Holy
Cross, our Missions & Evange-
lism Board sponsors a Giving
Tree. The tree will be set up
after Thanksgiving in our front
entrance and decorated with
gift tags. Each tag represents a
gift that is needed and will be
given to someone who truly
needs to know and experience
God’s love for them at Christ-
mas. The way it works is this:
1) Select one or more gift tags
from the tree. 2) Purchase your
selected gift(s). 3) Bring your
gift(s) either wrapped or un-
wrapped WITH the gift tag on
the gift. 4) Place it under the
Giving Tree or in the designated
gift box. 5) Say a prayer for the
person who will receive your
gift.
It’s that simple! This year our
gifts of love will go to:
• Residents at the Rochester
Women’s Shelter
• Residents at MN Adult/Teen
Challenge
• Holy Cross Good Samaritan
Fund which provides emer-
gency support for members
and others in times of critical
need.
God bless you as you give!
T H E G I V I N G T R E E C O M I N G S O O N ! !
S C H A U D E R ’ S N E W A D D R E S S
Pastor Steve and Jane Schauder
N2665 Rustic Drive
Clintonville, WI 54929
Held every 3 years since 1980,
the LCMS Youth Gathering
provides thousands of youth
and adults the opportunity to
come together as a community
of God’s people to learn more
about Jesus Christ, the Chris-
tian faith and their Lutheran
identity. The next Gathering
will be held on July 11July 11July 11July 11----15, 15, 15, 15,
2019 in Minneapolis, MN2019 in Minneapolis, MN2019 in Minneapolis, MN2019 in Minneapolis, MN.
During the five days of the
Gathering, youth spend time
together in God’s word, wor-
ship, service, and fellowship
with others from across the
synod. This event is organized
by LCMS Youth Ministry in
Saint Louis, MO.
In 2019, Holy Cross will be
joining forces with Family of
Christ to provide youth an op-
portunity to attend! Youth
currently in grade 8 or older,
but not yet 20 years old by the
time of the gathering may at-
tend.
We currently have 9 youth and
2 adults signed up to go! We
could possibly fit in a couple
more; talk to Curt Boger or
Pastor Jeff if you are interest-
ed. Your cost is $150 plus
fundraising work. Current
Grade 8 up to age 19 are wel-
come.
We have all bills paid from
Workcamp Mission ‘18!
Gross income from the garden
and apiary this calendar year
now exceeds $7000. It has
been a very good year, but we
are not done!
Hundreds of pounds of honey
remain, plus potatoes, onions,
jams, squash, and pie pump-
kins.
Proceeds now will go toward
2019 gathering and mission
trips.
If you would like some bottled
honey or jam to give away as
gifts, let Curt know and we can
package without a price tag.
The new tractor is a huge bless-
ing, thanks for all your dona-
tions to make that possible!
N A T I O N A L Y O U T H G A T H E R I N G — M I N N E A P O L I S !
F R U I T S O F T H E S P I R I T Y O U T H G A R D E N
P R E T E E N S 4 5 6
As part of Kidz Alive, our group
for 456 has been having some
great attendance and good
times. We have been digging in
to the life of Jesus and learning
a lot about each other. And
eating.
Connect with us in the Parish
Hall after worship, where we
gather before heading back to
the Youth Café area.
Mariah Tweed, a young woman
who has been actively involved
in our Young Adult Ministry
group has been joining us as a
leader, and she is great!
See you on a Sunday soon!
- Curt and Mariah. And
Sometimes Kenzie.
A preteen
ministry is a
space where
emerging
adolescents can
be the no-longer-
a-kid-yet-not-
quite-a-teen that
they are.
Page 4 F U L L Y A L I V E !
Dates and destination for the
2019 mission trip have been
set!
After sending out surveys to
collect available dates, June 13-
23 were selected based on most
availability and most favored
location.
Where
Chattanooga, like many commu-nities, is primed for a makeover. Many small homes owned by long-term residents need a face-life of paint, porch repairs, and
access via ramps so that resi-dents can enjoy their home safe-
ly.
Our Partner
Our partner is a faith-based organization centered right in the neighborhood you will serve. As a long-time anchor in the community, we are helping them meet their goal of stepping up service to folks with home repair needs. Now they can continue to expand this program with an influx of volunteers and continue to positively impact homeowners
into the future.
Registration is now open! Go to the Holy Cross web site and click on Minis-tries/Youth/Workcamp 19, then click the big
Register Button.
Open to anyone currently in grade 8 or older; in fact, we could use several new
adults to join the team!
WO R K C A M P M I S S I O N 2 0 1 9 S E T — C H A T T A N O O G A , T N
W O R K C A M P M I S S I O N 1 8
In 2018, we joined together with
youth from Family of Christ Lu-
theran and Plainview Church of
Christ to serve in Hurricane-
affected areas of Houston Tex-
as. Here are some thoughts from
one of our team members.
Page 5 C O MM U N I C A T I N G A N D C E L E B R A T I N G T H E M I S S I O N A N D M I N I S T R I E S O F H O L Y C R O S S
Mission 18 Team in Texas
I S A I A H P R O J E C T W O R K S H O P S I N P I C T U R E S
Page 6 F U L L Y A L I V E !
Workshop I: Current State Assessment Workshop I: Current State Assessment Workshop I: Current State Assessment Workshop I: Current State Assessment (September 29) What do we know about ourselves and the environment around us?
Tim Heroff presented
Rochester Community
information, projec-
tions, and some
national research.
Mark Matthias facilitated the Workshop
SWOT Analysis Work: Listing Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats
From compiled results: staff, executive council, all church survey, small focus groups, and external research.
Sharing Results
Defining, Comparing, and Reflecting
Therefore, do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:17
O U R F I N A N C I A L S T E W A R D S H I P
Workshop II: Casting the Vision (October 13) Who is Holy Cross called to be? How do we picture our future?
Page 7 C O MM U N I C A T I N G A N D C E L E B R A T I N G T H E M I S S I O N A N D M I N I S T R I E S O F H O L Y C R O S S
Mark encouraged us to get creative, to draw our vision of who we see Holy Cross is and where do we want to be.
Our Vision: “How big should it be? It’s not about us (think outside our walls). It must inspire action.”
We are a People of Grace. We are grounded in the Word. We do Life Together in Christ.
We value partnerships in Mission and Ministry. Come as you are.
November Issue of Fully Alive!
2703 9th Avenue NW
Rochester MN 55901
Phone: 507.289.1354
Fax: 507.289.4815
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.holycross-church.org
H O L Y C R O S S L U T H E R A N C H U R C H
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
Permit No. 264
Rochester MN 55901
Come gather for a Special Worship Service of Thanksgiving!Come gather for a Special Worship Service of Thanksgiving!Come gather for a Special Worship Service of Thanksgiving!Come gather for a Special Worship Service of Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 21, at 6:30 pm.
Please bring an offering of non-perishable food items to help feed the hungry of our community (last year we gave nearly 50
bags of groceries to Channel One). If you not be able to attend worship that evening you may bring your food offering on
Sunday, November 18.
What can I offer the Lord for all He has done for me?
I will bring a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord! (Psalm 116)