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A Newsletter of Desert Cross Lutheran Church • August 2020
480-730-8600 [email protected] www.desertcross.org
Tempe Campus (Church Office)
8600 S. McClintock Dr. Tempe, AZ 85284
Gilbert Campus
3225 S. Lindsay Rd. #101 Gilbert, AZ 85297
Tempe // Saturday 5pm - Worship
Tempe // Sunday
8:00am - Traditional Worship 9:00am - Fellowship
9:30am - Contemporary Worship 10:30am - Education
Gilbert // Sunday 9:00am - Contemporary Worship
10:00am - Fellowship 10:15am - Education
As a missional congregation, we celebrate Christ’s presence,
invite people into a growing relationship with Jesus and equip them to serve in a broken world.
Are you in need of prayer? Send prayer requests to
[email protected] or fill out a prayer request form.
All newsletter submissions are due the 15th of the month prior to the month that an article is to be
advertised.
Rough Transitions Hope nonetheless. Hope despite. Hope regardless. Hope still. Hope where we had ceased to hope. Hope amid what threatens hope. Hope with those who feed our hope. Hope beyond what
we had hoped.
Hope that draws us past our limits. Hope that defies expectations. Hope that questions what we have known. Hope that makes a way where there is none. Hope that takes us past our fear. Hope that calls us into life. Hope that holds us beyond death. Hope that blesses those to come. © Jan Richardson.janrichardson.com
Desert Cross commenced this pandemic journey hanging on to hope. We looked for signs of hope 4 months ago and shared our pictures in online worship. We had no idea we would still be on COVID-19 time. We had no idea social justice issues would erupt. We had no idea it would become so politically divisive, tearing us apart, instead of bringing us “together.” Seeing suffering around us, near and far, makes us weary and discouraged. Soon, hope starts to dim.
I promise you that our commitment to hanging on to hope is stronger than ever! Rough Translations is based on Romans 4:18. Hope for us rises from the Apostle Paul’s exposition on Abraham’s impossible journey of faith as the basis of our present faith and hope. Abraham faced impossible odds, yet he continued to trust God. God’s promises came true! Jesus Christ is the solid rock on which our hope stands! We will be together once again. We can do hard things. Do not give up hope! Please read this verse out loud and say your name in the blank: Hoping against hope, _____________ believed. Be strengthened in faith,
Pastor Andrea
Hoping against hope, he believed.—Romans 4:18 Pastor Andrea Cain
Endowment
Scholarship The Endowment Committee is
accepting scholarship applications for the 2020-2021 academic year. New
applicants must submit a faith paper along with the application. Recurring
applicants must complete the application and provide a current
transcript. Scholarships are available only to members of Desert Cross
Lutheran Church. Undergraduate and graduate students are eligible for a maximum of four scholarships. Due to the pandemic, applications are being accepted through Monday,
August 1, 2020. Questions? Contact Glenn Tischaefer
at 920-539-1364.
Zinnias from my sister’s WI garden
2 DESERT CROSS LUTHERAN CHURCH August 2020
Church Office Remains Closed. We have staff members coming in to check the mail
and process the offerings. Staff is also checking e-mails and voicemails if you need to reach someone.
Pastor Andrea has been sharing progress and
information surrounding this decision in her weekly updates to the congregation. If you would like to read
any of those updates, they can be found on the website or by clicking here.
We’re getting the band back together! Angela Borchers, Stewardship Team
Hello from your Stewardship Team! We haven’t met for a few months, but we are now meeting via ZOOM! What a blessing technology is, I can’t imagine going through this pandemic and not being able to see the smiling faces of friends and family! If you have facetime, I encourage you to reach out and show your face, I also encourage each one of us to make a phone call to some-one in the church directory and just say, “how are you?” I miss seeing you! Connections are so important, espe-cially now. The Stewardship Team had exciting plans for the fall, including a ministry fair with a talent show! Well, that won’t happen, even if we could all get together in the fall, its just not enough time to pull it all together, so we will look forward to that in 2021! We are still meeting to find ways to serve one another and put together a fall campaign of giving and a commitment Sunday. Thank you all for sending in your weekly commitments, you are truly a congregation of generosity and compassion. The end of something is better than its beginning. Patience is better than pride. Ecclesiastes 7:8
Short-term Crisis Counseling Services
During this time of pandemic, Arizona has Crisis Counseling services available. You can Dial 2-1-1 within in the state of Arizona or 1-877-211-8661 from any-where to connect with a provider today. This service is also available in Spanish.
Hunger Jar Collection for Kyrene Resource Center
Collecting August 1 through 30 During the month of August, the Outreach Team in Tempe is doing a special Hunger Jar collection to support the needs of Kyrene Resource Center and their ministry. Kyrene Resource Center provides everything from back to school supplies, boxes of food, and new under garments, to blankets and jackets, diapers, and gifts at Christmas all to local families in need. If you would like to contribute to the Special Hunger Jar collection this month, please specify how much in a note sent along with offering that you mail in or a note (even email) if you are using online giving. We are work-ing on making a Hunger Jar option available with our online giving option on the website.
Readers for Online Worship Do you miss volunteering and participating in our weekly worship services? If so, we are
looking for individuals to record the weekly readings so that we can get more familiar faces in worship. If you are interested, please contact Pastor Andrea at [email protected]. She will send you instructions on how to record on your cell phone or tablet and submit the videos.
NEW! Desert Cross COVID Snack Ministry
COVID-19 has significantly impacted virtually every aspect of our life. The medical community has girded itself for this challenge and has become our new national heroes as they care for our neighbors by bring-ing hope and love to people who may be facing the worst days of their lives. Paul Gryniewics and Craig Shoemaker are leading this ministry of buying and delivering a trunkful of snacks and thank you notes to East Valley hospital ER rooms, ICUs, and COVID floors as a way to give them a little love back. These caregivers are stressed by the months of long, exhausting hours that never let up. By delivering a snack and “Thank you” from Desert Cross we let these caregivers know we care about them. If you would like to participate in this ministry, please contact Paul Gryniewics at [email protected] or Craig Shoemaker at [email protected]
High School Night Sundays at 7pm on Zoom
Usually a night of games and group discussion on “real life” topics, now the group is gathering weekly on Zoom. Contact Chad Diegle at [email protected] for meeting information.
Jr. High Night Wednesdays at 7pm on Zoom
Teens are invited to meet together for fun, fellowship, and to talk about life topics. Please contact Chad at [email protected] for the access information.
Kids Connect Sundays • 1pm-1:30pm • Meeting on Zoom!
Meeting August 2, 16, & 30
Kids Connect is meeting virtually! Kids in grades Kindergarten through 5th are invited to join Ms. Kristen for what is sure to be a bunch of fun! Friends are always
invited! Please contact Kristen to get the link to the meeting and if you need any help with accessing it.
Desert Cross
Faith Formation
Exploring Faith. Making Connections. Staying Connected to our Desert Cross Community. That’s our hope for our Desert Cross Faith Formation website. You can sign up to follow the website at www.dclcfaithformation.org. If you have any questions, contact Denise McClellan at [email protected].
We are still living through some uncertain times and we all need some Good News in our email. Each week
Desert Cross shares Modern Day Gospel Stories through our Stories of Joy blog. Sign up to follow our blog at storiesofjoy.org. If you have any questions, contact
Denise McClellan at [email protected] or 480-730-8600.
DESERT CROSS LUTHERAN CHURCH August 2020 3
Zoom, Chat, Pray Join Pastor Andrea & Pastor Doris on Mondays from 12pm to 12:30pm for a virtual gathering on Zoom. It is a time to come together and catch up and pray for each other as well as our community. Zoom Meeting ID: 852 0831 8816
Playlists coming September 1 Like everything else in our world these days, Education at Desert Cross will look very different for a while. We're following national and local health guidelines and limit-ing group gatherings. Obviously, that includes Worship and Education. So, how will we be Exploring Faith and Making Connections together . . . even while we're apart? By using Playlists! Your Education Team has been exploring a new way of learning using Playlists. What's a Playlist? A Playlist is a set of activities exploring a topic. The activities might include reading an article or scripture, listening to a podcast or sermon, watching a video or movie clip. The ideas are endless. Each month we'll debut three Playlists designed for Children, Youth, and Adults. All of us will explore the same topic, but the Playlists will be designed for each age group. You can work your way through the Playlists at your own pace throughout the month. We'll be posting the Playlists on our faith formation website, https://dclcfaithformation.org/. We'll also post a link to the Playlists on our church website, http://www.desertcross.org/home. We'll post our first Playlists on September 1. If you have any questions, contact Denise McClellan [email protected] Come along with us Exploring Faith and Making Connections! Pastor Andrea Daniel Decker Chad Diegle Shannon Fossett Michael Lottes Denise McClellan
4 DESERT CROSS LUTHERAN CHURCH August 2020
August Birthdays &
Milestone Anniversaries
Congratulations to all of our August birthdays and anniversaries. We wish you God’s blessings on your special day! For privacy reasons, Desert Cross does not publish the names and birthdays/anniversaries of our congregation online. The full list of birthdays and anniversaries is available by contacting Maegan Jennett at [email protected]. Thank you for understanding.
I-HELP Volunteers Needed I-HELP is in need of volunteers to help with Tuesday afternoon set up and Wednesday morning clean up and laundry drop off. Time commitment is approximately 2 hours for each day. The hours can be split among volunteers; one volunteer Tuesday and one Wednesday. If you have a few hours to spare for a great ministry, please call Glenn at 920-539-1364 or Claudia at 602-762-9014. Your help is greatly appreciated! *Please note that during this time, I-HELP has made other housing accommodations, but this ministry runs smoother when the year is scheduled out in advance with volunteers, so if there is a month that you are available, please contact Glenn or Claudia.
Food Collection at Kyrene Resource Center
Kyrene Resource Center is continuing to distribute food boxes for those in need five days a week from 9:30am to 1:30pm. We have the opportunity to assist the resource center with contributions of non-perishable food items. If you would like to drop off food items, you can take them to Kyrene Resource Center. It is located off of Elliot and Lakeshore at 1330 E. Dava Drive, near Kyrene de lid Ninos School.
Electronic Giving Consistent giving is important to the operation of the church during this pandemic and during our summer months. Thank you to everyone who continues to faithfully support the ministries of Desert Cross! We now have multiple options to make donating easier. You may have noticed the giving “button” on the bottom of our website Home Page. It has both a credit card option and an option to set up one time or re-occurring payments. This second option is similar to Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), which automatically deducts your pledge from a designated account of your choosing. If you are not currently using EFT but would like to, the Church can assist you in setting up an EFT. For more information, please contact Doug Bjotvedt at [email protected] or 480-730-8600.
SHARE! SHARE! SHARE! Don’t forget to share Desert Cross with your family, friends, and neighbors! Each week we are producing a Virtual Worship experience; Daily Prayers, Scripture Readings, and Devotions; posting modern day Gospel stories on our Stories of Joy blog; and contributing to our faith building community on our Faith Formation website. Our website has resources for Spiritual Practices, mental health, ways that you can help, and even mask information from the CDC. Desert Cross is here for the congregation, our community, and anyone that you think could benefit from all of our efforts. You can forward the emails that you receive from the church, share Facebook posts on your page, or pass along the links in a text message. God works in mysterious and wonder-ful ways and you can help share that good news each week by spreading all that Desert Cross is providing!
