Holy Cross
Episcopal Church
Weekly E-blast
Our Mission:
“Making Christ Visible in
God’s Community”
Announcements & Upcoming events
Masks MUST be worn at ALL TIMES when in ANY Holy Cross building.
This is in effort to keep our community safe. The mask mandate is not up for discussion or available for any exceptions. If you are over the age of 5 a mask is REQUIRED. This will help us be able to continue to worship together in person. Thank you for your understanding. -Lori
Dear Disciples of Holy Cross:
On this coming Tuesday, December 7, your Vestry will meet to finalize our 2022 budget.
Currently, we have received pledges totaling just over $373,000. Our goal for 2022 is $560,000
Thus, we have received only 67% of what is needed in pledges in order to fulfill our budget needs for 2022.
If you have submitted a pledge for 2022 – Thank you!
If you have not yet submitted a pledge and are planning to, now is the time to act.
Please don’t let uncertainty cause a financial crisis here at Holy Cross.
God is in control in this place and will continue to use Holy Cross as a center for worship, training, mission and outreach, and pastoral care.
Remember you can pledge online by going to www.holycrossep.org and clicking on giving at the top of the website. You will see a line for making a pledge which you can click on and it will take you to where you can make your pledge for 2022.
Please contribute to our mutual ministry!
Blessings,
Mike
Long-Term Supply Clergy

I am pleased to announce that the Rev. Dr. Bill Lutz has agreed to serve as our supply clergy for the month of January. Following my departure, Bill will assist Erin with Sunday morning and Wednesday evening liturgies.

Bill and his wife, Heather, have been active here at Holy Cross for several years now, and Bill is familiar with our patterns of worship and with many of our parishioners. He has decades of experience serving as a priest and will be an asset in helping Holy Cross continue your ministry during this transitional time.

Please make Bill feel welcome as he takes on this new role.

Yours in Christ,
Mike

Calling all acolytes. We welcome acolytes back to the altar. Children, 4th grade and over, and all adult church members may participate. There is no upper age limitation.
Please contact Erin Rath, the Assistant Rector, at 9677470 or Marcia Jones at 864-238-9081 (call or text). Erin will return on the 21st of Dec.
NOTICE!

There will be NO 8 am service on December 26th, just at 10:30 am.
Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for? (Audience) Why should they care? (Benefit) What do I want them to do here? (Call-to-Action)

Create a great offer by adding words like "free" "personalized" "complimentary" or "customized." A sense of urgency often helps readers take an action, so think about inserting phrases like "for a limited time only" or "only 7 remaining!"
The office will be closed on the 27th and Jan 1st for the holidays!
Service of Renewal of Wedding Vows

Saturday Jan 1st at 11am
November at Holy Cross Academy
 
 Last month Holy Cross Academy hosted a Build-a-Bear workshop. Holy Cross children of all ages eagerly participated and were able to buy a bear to make and take home.
The 5k classroom enjoyed a fun field trip to Stewart Farm. Of course no November would be complete without a Thanksgiving feast, so one was served to all students and teachers.
 
Because visions of sugarplums have begun dancing in the children’s heads, this sweet Christmas tree now greets all as they arrive each day.
Advent Reading Materials 2021
Reading material to enrich your Advent will be available in the narthex this Sunday!
As in years past, seasonal reading materials were purchased using funds from the Children’s Ministry budget. Donations to offset this cost are encouraged but not required.
 
·       $1 offsets the cost of a pamphlet
·       $3 offsets the cost of a booklet
·       $6 offsets the cost of a bound book
·       $2 offsets the cost of mailing material to a shut-in
 
There’s a vase with a purple ribbon next to the material where donations can be left. Thank you in advance for your generosity!
This year at Holy Cross, we are collecting money for poinsettias with which to decorate the sanctuary for Christmas. You may give a poinsettia in memory of a loved one or in thanksgiving for blessings received. However, rather than expending all the funds on flowers and greenery, we are hoping to purchase an appropriate number of poinsettias for decoration and use the balance to purchase Food Lion cards to give to families in need here at Holy Cross and around the community. We will have a complete list of donors in our Christmas bulletin, but much of your funds will go to caring for those in need. Please help us “Make Christ Visible” this Christmas.
 
The deadline for ordering poinsettias is Sunday, December 20. The cost is $20. Order forms available from the secretary. Please turn your check and the order form in by that date. You may either drop them in the offering plate, give them to the church secretary, or put them in the secretary’s box in the vesting room. Please remember to mark your check on the memo line: Christmas Flowers.
The bulletin for every Sunday will be sent out via Eblast on Fridays.
Counseling service offered by
Holy Cross
We are proud to announce that Bobbie Godwin has agreed to offer counseling services to Holy Cross members for a reduced fee of only $50 per hour. Bobbie is a SC Licensed Professional Counselor and SC Licensed Addictions Counselor with over 20 years of experience.
You can schedule an appointment with Ms. Godwin by contacting her directly at 843-287-3760. Due to the current covid-19 pandemic, sessions will be held outside at our pavilion or in the Meeting Hall with masks and appropriate social distancing.
If you would like to submit anything for the weekly

announcements please email
[864-967-7470]  [secretary@holycrossep.org]  [holycrossep.org]