This group is for men of faith to come together throughout the year to share their faith and thoughts about topics that are challenging. We support one another through our personal journeys. All are welcome.

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During the month of November we will be discussing miscellaneous topics using articles and videos. Starting November 28, we will read and discuss Incarnation: Rediscovering the Significance of Christmas by best-selling author Adam Hamilton. The four-week study examines the names of Christ used by the gospel writers, exploring the historical and personal significance of his birth. Order your book on Amazon at amazon.com/dp/B0859LMTM8

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Starting on January 9, we will be looking at a 6 part Bible study on the Sermon on the Mount (also offered as a class on Tuesday nights. Please see the Sermon on the Mount description below for the book needed.)

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Please contact Steve Oelschlager at steve@holycrosschurch.org or Pastor Bob at pastorbob@holycrosschurch.org with any questions.

​Grounded in Grace is an opportunity for women of faith to connect together in fun, fellowship, and learning.

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Back by popular demand! Join us as we gather as a community in the new year to stretch our body and our spirits into the presence of God. This will once again be offered in person or online. In person will be limited to 15 participants and unlimited online participation. Free will donation with a suggested cost of $10/person. Please register by emailing myblueskyyoga@gmail.com. Event will be held at Blue Sky Yoga (700 First Street, Libertyville) and hosted by Angie Miller. A Zoom link will be provided via email by Angie prior to January 8.

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Questions? Email Pastor Bob at pastorbob@holycrosschurch.org

Crossroads High School Youth Group:

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The Crossroads High School Youth Group gets together for nights of community and fun. Along with all the games, we also take some time out each evening to share God's grace in our lives, as well as to discuss a new idea relevant to high school teenagers.

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Learn more about the Crossroads High School Youth Group here.

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The Crossroads High School Youth Group is directed by Sarah Grayer (sarahgrayer@holycrosschurch.org).

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The Parent Connection:

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The Parent Connection is designed for parents of 9th – 12th grade youth and includes:

- Building relationships with other Holy Cross parents

- Discussing best and “not so best” practices related to our teenagers

- Sharing insights from topics based small group conversations 

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Learn more about The Parent Connection here.

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The Holy Cross Book Club usually meets on the fourth Tuesday evening of each month from January through November. Some months may be different due to holidays. We read various genres, including fiction, biography/memoir, nonfiction, mystery, cultural, historical and we include a classic each year. Consider joining the group, if just for a book or two.

This month we will discuss The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict. Hedy Kiesler (Lamarr) is lucky. Her beauty leads to a starring role in a controversial film and marriage to a powerful Austrian arms dealer, allowing her to evade Nazi persecution despite her Jewish heritage. But Hedy is also intelligent. At lavish Vienna dinner parties, she overhears the Third Reich's plans. One night in 1937, desperate to escape her controlling husband and the rise of the Nazis, she disguises herself and flees her husband's castle. Our discussion host for the evening is Jeri Powers. If you have any questions, please email Felicia Brandt at felicia.s.brandt@gmail.com

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View the 2021 reading list here: 2021 Book Club Selections

This fall we group with the Deep Blue kids program we have been utilizing these last few years, as they grow into their virtual curriculum Celebrate Wonder. Celebrate Wonder offers online Sunday School and will be available most Sunday mornings via Zoom. These meetings are open to all students age 3 through 5th grade, and are hosted by Mrs. Mack and other adult or youth helpers. Each session begins with conversation and peer engagement facilitated by Mrs. Mack, followed by music with Mrs. Mack. After this part of the session, a video is shared featuring the Bible story of the day, videos of the story, and a teacher teaching the lesson. The session conclude with Mrs. Mack bringing the children together for final comments and prayer. These virtual sessions last 30 to 40 minutes.

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December 20 - Joyous News

December 27 & January 3 - No Sunday School: Winter Break

January 10 - The Magi

January 17 - Jesus' Baptism

January 24 - Calling the Disciples

January 31 - Showing Love

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If you miss a virtual session, the lesson video portion will be available to view for a week on the Holy Cross Sunday School Google Classroom. If you haven’t joined the classroom yet, you can do so at the following link:

bit.ly/sundayschoolGC     Classroom code: ksnvyua

The group will meet on the first Tuesday of each month for the first six months of 2021. It will continue to rely on the Zoom meeting platform to come together virtually. This provides a time for individuals to check in with one another and provide support, prayer and conversation. The hope is to bring clarity as each person composes a life of faith.

For February, March and possibly April we will be using the book “Love Is the Way” by Bishop Michael Curry. Please order your copy of the book and read the first four chapters (pages 1-94) for February.

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Contact Pastor Bob with any questions at PastorBob@holycrosschurch.org

There will be no retreat in January this year due to the pandemic. We hope to plan a day to be together with retreat-like activities in the spring. Reminder, that each month an average of two electives are expected to be completed. These can be done independently or as a part of a larger learning class. Keep watching for updates of the next electives offered for the month. Please RSVP for these electives online through Church Community Builder.

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January 12 from 7 - 8 pm: Crochet & Prayer Shawl with Jessica Brown Zoom link

January 24 from 7 - 8 pm: Dreamers of the Bible with Terry Berger Zoom link

January 26 from 7 - 8 pm: Witchcraft and Wizardry of the Bible with John Villani Zoom link

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Don’t forget, an independent learning elective is always an option. New! Confirmation DVD lending library. We are developing a lending library with common elective DVDs. Added this month is the Luther (2003) movie. Contact the church office to make arrangements for pick up.

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Confirmation Electives Course Catalog

Confirmation Electives Matrix

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Questions? Contact PastorBob@holycrosschurch.org

Each Gospel has a signature story. For Luke, it’s the synagogue sermon in chapter 4. For Mark, it’s the double healing of the blind man in chapter 8, which precedes Peter’s confession. For John, it’s the prologue, “In the beginning was the Word.” For Matthew, the signature story is “the Sermon on the Mount” in chapters 5-7. The “Sermon on the Mount” is the presentation of Jesus as a new Moses who interprets the Torah, who offers wisdom sayings on how to live the way God wants, and, who provides practical instruction. This work is more than just the beatitudes. When we go deeper into understanding Jesus’ Jewish context and Jewish message, we are able to make more sense of Jesus’ teaching. Jesus’ teaching reminds us that the kingdom of heaven is already available to us and manifested when we live into God’s will on earth.

Please join us! DVD support material will be provided by Amy-Jill Levine, the University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School and College of Arts and Sciences. A participant’s book will be needed, which can be purchased through Amazon or other booksellers for direct delivery to you. Details are as follows: Title: Sermon on the Mount...A Beginner's Guide to the Kingdom of Heaven, Author: Amy-Jill Levine, Publisher: Abingdon Press, ISBN-13: 978-1-5018-9989-8, amazon.com/dp/B0859M58ZL

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Session One: January 12 - Jesus’ statements about blessedness

Session Two: January 19 - Jesus’ views on the Torah & the Prophets

Session Three: January 26 - Jesus’ thoughts about appropriate, expressions & practices of faith

Session Four: February 2 - The Lord’s Prayer impacting reconciliation & societal concerns

Session Five: February 9 - Our attitudes and reimagining our life in terms of Jesus’ teachings

Session Six: February 16 - The narrow path of living into “the kingdom of heaven” now

PARTNER EVENT FROM OUR SAVIOUR'S LUTHERAN CHURCH

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In this video series Author Paul Young invites the audience to join him on an adventure into the power of story and the themes, metaphors and theology that shaped his phenomenal best-seller, “The Shack.” He also introduces the concept of understanding the relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is the key to understanding God’s desire for relationship with us. Discuss this well-known book and movie with member Lois Nelson.

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If you haven't seen the movie, you can view it for free on YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=HQCmcpdz4UU

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Please register at the link above.

PARTNER EVENT FROM OUR SAVIOUR'S LUTHERAN CHURCH

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In Barbara Brown Taylor’s book, “Learning to Walk in the Dark,” the author asks us to put aside our fears and anxieties and to look at all the ways God teaches us “in the dark .” She argues that we need to move away from our “solar spirituality” and ease our way into appreciating “lunar spirituality.” Darkness gets a bad rap in our “light” focused world. Get and read Brown’s book and join Jim Valentine , in these dark winter months, for a four part series exploring the positive aspects of “the dark side.”

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Please register at the link above.

PARTNER EVENT FROM OUR SAVIOUR'S LUTHERAN CHURCH

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We may be in for a long hard winter, so give yourself something interesting to look forward to: participating weekly in a fascinating and challenging book discussion about all the different ways Christians and Jews interpret our powerful and beautiful scriptures. This 13-week study of a book by Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler will take us right up to Easter. Led by member Dr. Char Heeg, we will explore how so many different communities—including our own!—have used the Bible to help get ourselves through tough and dangerous times. The book is
available at Barnes and Noble, on Amazon, and also comes in a Kindle format.

There are 13 chapters, so participants should read the preface and chapter 1 for the first session, and then one chapter per week. You must register to receive the Zoom link.

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Please register at the link above.

PARTNER EVENT FROM OUR SAVIOUR'S LUTHERAN CHURCH

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In this class we will read biblical texts about privilege and social class in the Bible.

With Professor Klaus-Peter Adam from LSTC, we will pose the question: How would we describe race relations in the US and how do biblical texts, sociological and ethical studies help us to think about race relations? We will listen to voices from gangland Chicago in studies that describe the reality in a Chicago West Side neighborhood, for instance, Laurence Ralph, "Renegade Dreams. Living through injury in Gangland Chicago." We will also study how ethicists construct “whiteness” in Christian ethics, for instance, Mary E. Hobgood, "Dismantling Privilege. An Ethics of Accountability." Finally, we will consider how to pray with and for people in gangland Chicago.

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Please register at the link above.