May 2026 – Digital Newsletter

Click HERE to download full printable PDF

Contents

• From the Pastor
• Saint of the Month
• Graduate Recognition
• Yard Sale
• VBS 2026
• Holy Cross Fellowship Upcoming Events
• Giving Service to the Lord
• Church Council Minutes

Our Risen Good Shepherd
As I write this, we are approaching the fourth Sunday in Easter, Good Shepherd Sunday. One of my few memories of church before coming to faith at age 25 is my grandfather’s great love for Good Shepherd Sunday. I was too young to remember much of what he said, but when he took me to church one Sunday (just me; my brothers stayed home, which made it extra-special), as we waited for the service to begin, he pointed up from the dark oak pews to a stained glass window of Jesus carrying a lamb across his shoulders. From memory, he told me the parable of the lost sheep and explained to me that Jesus was the Good Shepherd, who would come looking for that one stray no matter the danger to Himself. Then, also from memory, he recited Psalm 23.
The look of contentment and hope that filled his face as he intoned the closing lines of that Psalm, “and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever,” made an impression on me that is still with me today. While he told me the parable, his eyes were fixed intently upon me, making sure that I understood its import for me personally, but as he recited the Psalm, his eyes drifted up toward that stained glass window and remained fixed there, on the image of his Savior. While it may be a trick of the elapse of more than four decades, in my memory it also seems like his face was transfigured by the morning sun shining through those colored panes, the soft glow of a far-off heaven reflected dimly on his wrinkled cheeks and shining eyes.
I conducted my grandfather’s funeral liturgy in 2004… His faith has now become sight, his wrinkles smoothed, his eyes shining with the unmitigated glory of our risen Good Shepherd. As middle age crests and new pains both physical and emotional afflict, I am forever grateful for the hope he shared with me that morning, the hope that even I, poor wandering sinner that I am, may be carried home on the Good Shepherd’s shoulders.
Christ is risen… He is risen, indeed!

Like St. Paul, Lutherans refer to all those in Christ as “saints,” and we look to the great ones as role models in the faith.

This month we are remembering St. Sophia and her three daughters Pisti (Faith), Elpida (Hope), and Agape (Love) on Friday, May 15th. Sophia, whose name means wisdom, named her daughters after the three theological virtues, training them up to be devoted to Christ. Soon after their birth, Sophia was widowed. St. Sophia and her three daughters lived during the reign of Emperor Hadrian, who was against the spread of the Christian faith. The four of them were summoned to the emperor because of their belief in God. They were questioned by the emperor of their faith, among other things, Sophia truthfully answered him. After this, Sophia told her children to not turn from God, but to be willing to die for Him, knowing it will bring them to Him, and if they did, she would be very proud of them.
Sophia and her daughters were sent to Palladia, where the emperor told them if they turned from God and worshiped Artemis, he would adopt them, giving them status and riches. One by one he asked Faith, age twelve, Hope, age ten, and Love, age nine, to worship Artemis. Each of them refused. Emperor Hadrian had them stripped, beaten, thrown in the fire, and beheaded, trying to make them turn from God, failing each time, making them martyrs. They knew that their death would bring them to communion with God and were not afraid, but sung as they were tortured. After their deaths, St. Sophia stayed by their tombs and prayed for three days, until she died there and was buried with them.
As we read this, let us remember Romans 8:31-37, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

We would like to publish the names of our 2026 high school and college graduates in the June edition of our Crosswords newsletter, recognize and pray for them during worship services on Sunday, May 31.

If someone in your family is graduating, please complete a form found in the Social Hall at the Sign-Up Station or contact the church office by phone or email and provide the information below by May 17.

Information to Provide:
Graduate’s Name
Parent’s Names
School
Honors/Degrees/Accomplishments
Future Plans

JULY 20-24, 2026
6:00-8:00pm

For anyone who would like to help plan and run VBS. (It’s not too late to sign up!)

Items to be discussed:

1. Assigning volunteers
2. Planning of curriculum
3. Formulating lists of needed
   supplies
4. Discussing schedules and
   registration procedures
5. Decorations
6. Advertising

People are needed to help with: Advertising, Craft preparation, Set-up, Registration, Storytelling, Music, Crafts, Games, Guides (to take children to stations), Computer Tech, Nurse/First Aid, Nursery Attendant, Dinner preparation and serving

Please continue to pray for Vacation Bible School, for all staff members and helpers, and for the children. Pray that the people whom God is calling to participate in VBS will enthusiastically say “Yes, I choose…” to follow Him!

COMPLETE Church Council Minutes are posted on the bulletin board in the Narthex. Attachments are filed in the church office with the originals.
The meeting minutes summarized here are pending Council approval at next month’s meeting.
Meeting Highlights for April 8, 2026

Ten members present.
Absent: Tim Kryman
GUESTS: Pastor Jenkins
Review of Reports:
Secretary’s Report – Social Hour Host list to be reviewed and updated by Council. New AED pads are needed as current pads are expired. Ordered one set of new pads per Council President.
Treasurer’s Report – Category Overview provided, month by month. Some explanation given by Lois about why general online giving is different between Category Overview and Income Statement. Lois explained that the amounts take longer to go into the Income Statement, so the numbers are not the same.
Pastor’s Report – Lenten suppers, Holy Week, and Easter services were well-attended and seemed to be well-responded to. There was a good, cooperative spirit to the execution and participation in all these complex services. The final session of Matt Kay’s workshop on Life-to-Life Evangelism will be scheduled for an evening in May. I found the presentation of Rabbi Mark Shulman a bit disappointing; he did not present on the topic we had discussed and some of his information was in error. Still, it stirred up conversations. The March 25 Jews for Jesus workshop was well-received and they are looking forward to future participation with our congregation, suggesting some other non-Lenten presentations. The new arrangement of the Narthex furnishings by Andy Zaso and myself without the involvement of more ministry leaders was a procedural mistake for which I apologize; a more involved process would have allowed more people to register opinions and consequently have more ownership of the final result. Despite that, I hope that a few weeks with the current setup will give us some concrete data to evaluate to help make our space serve our mission more effectively. The first organizational/training meeting of the congregational elders will be held April 30, 2026. During 2025 Pastor took his full allotment of 24 days’ vacation but only took 2 out of 4 Sundays allotted. Proposed 2026 Vacation Days are: 4/26/26, 5/22-5/29 for trip to Japan, and 6/8/26-6/14/26. Approved. The Society of the Holy Trinity has been forced to move its General Chapter Retreat from September to June because of a need to change host locations. General Chapter will take place from June 16-18. The pastor will be taking this time as continuing education.
Committee Reports:
Christian Education: See hard copy of minutes.
ERT: Executive Board to review procedures based on events from Easter Sunday & 911 protocol.
Prayer Team: Two requests for the month of March.
Social Ministry: See hard copy of report.
Spiritual Care Team: “Team members continue to send thinking of you cards, sympathy cards, and birthday cards. Barbara continues to do Home Communion.
Women of Abundance: See hard copy of minutes.
Other Committee Reports: Tom Kneisly reported the Co-op graduation will be May 7 and the first day of the ‘26-’27 school year will be Sept. 1, 2026.
Old Business: Church Directory- Pastor met with Steve and is reviewing proofs. Security cameras are installed and operational. African Children’s Choir is confirmed for 10/3/26. ChurchTrac update/website for 2026 to be done by Pastor. Potential upgrade due to number of users.
New Business: Burkholder repaired a faulty condenser on the split system in the Sanctuary. Parts were under warranty. Cost was $1,304.00. Costs were still significantly less if we had paid for the yearly maintenance agreement.

The next regular meeting is scheduled for
Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.