Cross of Christ Lutheran Church, ELCA

An ELCA congregation in Bellevue, WA

Worship God,
Grow in Faith,
Share the Gospel,
Serve Others,
Welcome All.
Thanks be to God!

January/February CrossCurrents

January 7, 2016
Kristie Walker
CrossCurrents

The CrossCurrents for January/February 2016 is now online! Click the link or click the thumbnails below to view.

Pastor’s Perspec,ve The name of the first month of the year, January, comes from Roman mythology. Janus was a god depicted with two faces – one that looked forward and one that looked backward – who was believed to watch over comings and goings. The one true living God does watch over our comings and our goings, our endings and our beginnings. The Psalmist writes, “The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this Eme on and forevermore.” New Year’s is a good Eme to remember this as we look both back and ahead. As I reflect on the year past, I have two overwhelming thoughts. First, how blessed we have been by God’s faithfulness. It’s been such a joy to watch the Lord at work in and through you by means of our many ministries. Cross of Christ is an acEve church, caring for one another, serving in our community and beyond, and growing in our calling as a missional congregaEon that desires to shares the gospel with our neighbors and our world.

UPCOMING ADULT FAITH FORMATION January 3-24 Ruth: A Study in Faithfulness January 31 Study Break February 7-28 Angels and Demons: Myths, Misconceptions and Biblical Meaning CAST CALL The cast call will be Tuesday, January12, at 7pm in the Library. Stewardship Play 2016! Please join Pastor Dave as he leads Adult Faith Formation in January and February. We meet in the Library between worship services, beginning at approximately 10:15 and ending at 10:55. Pastor Dave’s style is lively, fun, and approachable. You’ll enjoy this learning opportunity. Here’s the upcoming schedule:

Travel “This Lenten Road” This Year We are on a journey during our Mid-‐Week Lenten worship services this year, which begins on Ash Wednesday, February 10, as we travel several Biblical roads. Our series, “This Lenten Road” features interes8ng interviews of people and things encountered along the Road to Damascus, the Bethany Road, the Road to Jerusalem and others, along with reflec8ons to help us focus on Christ along the way. There will be two worship opportuni8es on Ash Wednesday, at noon and at 7 pm. Both will feature Imposi8on of Ashes and Holy Communion. Soup Suppers

Happy New Year! I could wax poetic about the significance of a new year, a time when people often make promises to themselves for changing their own behaviors that they might find less than desirable. For me, though, January 1st always brings to mind the old hymn that ends with “Rejoice, rejoice, with thanks embrace another year of grace!” Aside from hoping that you all experience significant amounts of grace in the New Year, I hope to actually SEE you all at a youth event! We have several coming up, so watch your email inboxes: the Souper Bowl of Caring food drive in January, a MLK Day service event, and a short YD retreat for you YDers. But the one I’m most excited about is in March--the Youth Quake weekend. Youth Quake is a national program that brings Lutheran middle and high school students together for a weekend of fun, music, and late-night hang-out time. The Red Lion Hotel in Olympia might never be the same after that… and you might not, either! Info on signing up for that is in your email inboxes; if you don’t see it there, email Kristie at youth@cofclc.net. Blessings to you all for another year of grace!-- Kristie

January 31 Next Reunion Sunday with Hymn Sing – In months with five Sundays, we gather together for one combined worship service and fellowship event. Like a faith family reunion, these Sundays are special >mes to reconnect, build new rela>onships, and praise the Lord in a unified voice. Following one combined worship service at 10 am, we’ll share some refreshments then re-‐gather in the Sanctuary for an old-‐fashioned Hymn Sing. We’ll sing some of favorite standards chosen in advance, but there will also be a >me for requests. So be looking through your hymnals and making plans to aGend this special Reunion Sunday .

Office Hours/Email Main Office Hours: Mon-Thurs 9:30am–2pm 425.746.7300 Main Office Email Office@COFCLC.NET Sunday Bulletin Announcements Office@COFCLC.NET Room & Schedule Requests Office@COFCLC.NET Newsletter Submissions CrossCurrents@COFCLC.NET Bulletin deadline: Wednesdays at noon Nest Newsletter deadline:February