Holy Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church

In 2004, our Statement of Vision was ratified that expresses how we see ourselves carrying out our mission.
VISION STATEMENT:  "Our vision is to be a congregation who invites people to spiritually grow with us through prayer and bible study; whose lives are transformed by the love of Jesus Christ and who are empowered by their God given gifts to compassionately witness to all people; and to become a congregation focused on ministry that is creative, confident, healing and attentive to a spiritually hungering world."

In 2007, we began to explore again the need to re-address our Mission and how to improve our present facilities. We have begun a process that will address both of these.

TURNING THE CHURCH INSIDE OUT:  In 2001, our congregation council began to study and implement ideas as to how to create a ministry that intentionally moves outwardly rather than inwardly. Continuing to provide facility space for two NA group meetings, recovery and scouts, we have brought worship to the Waterford Residence in Fairfield since early 2002, we continue to supply the Fairfield food pantry with goods and money, and provide scholarships for needy families that provides an education at our pre-school that they otherwise would not be able to do. We provide chapel for the pre-school children as a witness to the importance of worship and prayer for their spiritual growth. Our women's group is a leader in moving our ministry beyond our boundaries by their providing gifts and monies in several directions outside of our congregation as well as being represented on the state and local conference levels.

OUR CONGREGATION COUNCIL began the process of change in 1999 to give more emphasis on spiritual leadership. We usually meet twice a month that begins with prayer and bible study. One session is devoted to regular business. The second session is devoted to the study of being the church as a biblical witness and topics related to mission and vision. Our present emphasis within the congregation has to do with "what it means to be the church today."

The congregation has moved away from the usual committee and structure that gives emphasis to the church as an institution towards an emphasis on teams and groups that expresses the church as the organic body of Christ: each member is gifted by the Holy Spirit to explore and use their talents faithfully to the mission of our Lord. This, again, gives emphasis to our mission statement or direction we believe the Holy Spirit is moving us as a congregation today. This is a continual process.

HOLY CROSS EV. LUTHERAN CHURCH is a confessional, sacramental, a true evangelical church and ecumenical church whose ethics is grounded in the new commandment given in and through Jesus Christ.
CONFESSIONAL:  We believe and confess in the triune God, as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as expressed in the creeds of the church. This confession places emphasis on Jesus as the Son of God (the Incarnated One) who gave his life for us that we may be saved through this action - once and for all. Baptism joins us to Jesus' death and his resurrection by uniting us to his body which is the church. This is God's doing in and through the Holy Spirit. This is the "good news" that we call the Gospel. In other words, our confession is about what God has done and continues to do. It is not about what I do or what I must do to gain access to this Grace. It is not about "me"; what I can do or must do in order to get from God what "I" want. The emphasis here is on "me"; that is, what do I get out of this. Salvation is a gift from God. It is the gift of Grace. It is about what God has done and is doing for "me". The emphasis lies on trusting God's actions. What "I" do is in response to this.
SACRAMENTAL:  We believe that a sacrament is the means or vehicle which grants us forgiveness; that is we become one with God. Luther gave the criteria as being commanded by our Lord to do it, that it contains an earthly element (ties us to creation) and grants us forgiveness. BAPTISM (first sacrament) is the giving the gift of Grace or forgiveness "once and for all" and joins us to the body of Christ which is the church. Our sin or separation from God is overcome by what God has done and continues to do by Jesus the Christ through the Holy Spirit. We die to our old selfish "ego" and we rise to our new self which is "in" Christ. This becomes a daily exercise in REPENTENCE as our sinful "ego" is drowned each day and we rise to serve God in a new day. It is the life of the faithful that looks toward the last day when we die fully and are raised with Christ into the fullness of life yet to be. HOLY COMMUNION (second sacrament) is the baptized gathered in worship that commune with God in Jesus Christ and one another where "forgiveness" is offered and where the community of faith witnesses to their life in the crucified and risen Lord. It is also the biblical witness as participating with Jesus, present in this meal, as a foretaste of the feast yet to come. Communing with Jesus as his body, we await his coming again with joy for we shall see the fullness of the God of Love that was shown in Jesus. It gives us the freedom to be God's people today.
EVANGELICAL:  This is a term that Luther preferred to describe the Lutheran Church rather than the one by his name. He preferred the title "Evangelical Catholic Church". He believed the church to be universal and one which is what the term "catholic" means. It is the term "evangelical" that distinguished it from the "Roman Catholic Church" in order to describe where he saw the authority of the church. Evangelical means "messengers (angels") of Good News". For Luther, the authority for the church comes from the Gospel that is witnessed within scripture. We are Evangelical in that we witness to Jesus as Lord and Savior, as free gift to all who believe which is given to us by God through the Holy Spirit. Even though we give importance to the Bible as the witness to the Word of God, in particular, the Word who is Jesus Christ, we elevate the Gospel in Jesus Christ (which is what evangelical means) rather than the Bible as the infallible word of God. We judge all of scripture by the Gospel of Jesus.
ETHICS:  We believe that Jesus has brought us a new covenant (new testament) with God born on the cross and empowered by his resurrection and ascension. He is seen by the Gospels as greater than Moses. He is not just a great prophet and teacher. Jesus is the Son of God. Therefore, according to the Gospels, Jesus has fulfilled the ten commandments and laws of God. He delivers us from what the commandments and law could not do. He has lifted up the ethics  of "love" which he gives as a new commandment to his diciples in the upper room. He also promised his disciples that he would send the Holy Spirit to teach and lead them. At Pentecost in Acts, the spirit came, created the church, and moved the disciples out to confess in the gift of life promised in Jesus Christ. Therefore, commandments and laws are no longer written on tablets but are engraved with the hearts of those being saved through the gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus shows us a new ethics in the face of the legalist Pharisees. He shows us how to be less judgemental and more understanding and compassionate. We love because he first loved us and freed us from our "egos" and selfish interpretations of law in order that we may have the heart of Christ. We are to make disciples and judge people through the eyes of Jesus who healed the blind in faith of his day.

Bonhoeffer made the distinction between human love and spiritual love. Human love always has the "self" in mind even when our love has good intentions. In this way, I love even my spouse and family as long as my needs are met. When I cease to get what I want, my love shows it's selfish intent all along. Spiritual love is Christ at the center. As we love others, even our enemies, Christ stands between them and myself. I begin to see them through the eyes of Christ. I see them as God wants them to be; not so much as I want them to be. This love is best expressed in the commandment Jesus gave his disciples to love one another as he loved them. This was a marking of the true community of faith in Christ. Paul expresses this in his well known description on 1 Corinthians 13. It is a letter addressed to the church who are baptized "in" Christ. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus directs his church today, how we live with one another, with the world and with God.

                                                
ECUMENISM:  The church is one according to the creeds.  "We believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic church". One means that there is one church which is the Body of Christ with many expressions. Holy means that the church is God's creation and set aside to proclaim what God is doing as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Catholic means "universal". The church is global in it's interest caring for the poor and needy expressing God's justice and peace. Apostolic means following the teachings of the apostle's who are the disciples of Jesus and witnesses to his resurrection as described in the New Testament. We believe that the Lutheran expression of the faith is part of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church. Ephesians describes this with his seven "ones" to emphasis the unity of faith within the whole church of Jesus Christ.  "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and One God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all." Ephesians 4