CrossInGs
C h u r c h o f t h e H o ly C r o s s
Sharing the
Transforming
Power of
God’s Love
June 2015
Holy Cross welcomes
the Rev. Denise Trogdon
Rector’s Message
Wish your
friends
Happy
Birthday!
Thank you all for the very warm welcome I
have received in my first two weeks at Holy
Cross. It is wonderful to finally be serving as
your rector, and I know together we will grow
and flourish. It has been a long period of transition, and I imagine you are ready for things
to settle. I am looking forward to meeting with
each of the ministries to get to know you and
hear all about the wonderful work happening
here at Holy Cross. In these first few months,
we will learn about each other and begin to
set our goals and priorities to best utilize our
resources for God’s work in the world. Several
families have graciously offered to open their
homes and host dinners this summer so that
in a small group setting, we can begin to get
to know one another personally. I encourage
you to sign up. I hope to meet each one of you!
July
Thomas Brown
Natalie Rubeiz
Jay Carroll
Benjamin Kosich
Ann Sibold
Jordan Gehley
Caitlin Burgess
Evan Parker
Susan Irick-Hacker
Andrew Hubbard
Summer is a wonderful time to slow our pace,
take a deep breath and reflect upon where we
are as a parish. I don’t realize how busy things
are until there is a moment to breathe, and I
wonder why life has to be so hectic. What creates this internal and external pressure for us
to do more, achieve more, acquire more? An
unrelenting, frenetic pace only leads to anxiety and spiritual exhaustion. Perhaps it is not
so much about things that need to be done,
but our search for meaning and worth. To be
refreshed and inspired, we need to quiet ourselves, to hear what God has in store for us.
Inspire means to breathe in, to be filled with
the Spirit, the breath of life. If we do not exhale,
how then can we take in new life, new breath,
and new energy?
Emily Burke
Elizabeth Torla
Maggie Wise
Oliver Sheth
Daniel Carstens
Zack Haines
Andy Hoskins
If your name is
missing here, please
contact the office at
703.698.6991 or office@
holycrossepiscopal.org
Let us turn our focus inward for a moment to
hear the voice of God that says we are enough,
we are beloved and blessed, and it will become
water for thirsty souls. These words come from
a deep reservoir God wants to offer us and
from which we may serve others. If your well
is running dry, instead of trying to do one more
thing, take a moment to breathe and listen for
the voice that calls you deeper, to a true place
of rest.
I look forward to our journey together, to build
community, to hear God’s call for us and to live
into all that God plans for us.
“Every time you listen with great attentiveness
to the voice that calls you the Beloved, you will
discover within yourself a desire to hear that
voice longer and more deeply. It is like discovering a well in the desert. Once you have
touched wet ground, you want to dig deeper.”
Henri J. Nouwen, Life of the Beloved
$
Financial Snapshot as of 5/30/15
Pledging units for 2015. . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Total pledged . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $331,425
Total budgeted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $313,589
Pledges over budget . . . . . . . . . . . . $17,836
Pledges needed to cover annual
budget (balanced budget) . . . . . . . $356,530
Pledges short . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $25,105
Church of the Holy Cross
YTD pledge collections . . . . . . . . . $150,465
YTD budgeted collections . . . . . . . $130,662
YTD overage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $19,803
2
• June 2015
What it all means:
We budgeted for 2015 with the expectation
that we would need to dip into our reserves.
A number of parishioners chose to increase
their pledges to help reduce that amount. At
this point, we still project that our expenses will
exceed our revenue, but by a smaller amount
than originally anticipated.
Parishioners may adjust their pledges at any
time during the course of the year, or make
one-time donations any time.
Church of the Holy Cross
Y o u t h s u n d ay
June 2015 •
3
community
Welcome Denise!
The Rev. Denise Trogdon celebrated her first Sunday at Holy Cross on
June 14, which also happened to be Youth Sunday (see pictures on
previous page). Following the service, we enjoyed an ice cream social
on the front porch. It was a joyful day all around!
Dear Holy Cross Family,
Church of the Holy Cross
Thank you very much for the lovely gifts of an oil stock and a pyx so that I
might start my ministry with these shiny, new tools of the trade. I will think of
you, my parish family, when I use them. Thank you also for years of continued
support, friendship and love. There is a reason that I did not return to my
previous home parish after serving as your Interim Director of Christian
Education—YOU! You all are the reason I made Holy Cross my home, and
you all are the people who recognized and nurtured my call to the priesthood,
and then you all sent me forward. Thank you for being who you are—
a loving and giving branch of the Body of Christ.
Peace and Blessings,
The Rev. Jamie S. Samilio
4
• June 2015
The Rev. Jamie
Samilio
On June 6, The Rt. Rev. Shannon Johnston
ordained Jamie Samilio and seven other
candidates to the Diaconate as transitional
Deacons.
The service was held at the Falls Church
Episcopal, and many Holy Cross parishioners
were in attendance to support Jamie and
represent the congregation.
It was a beautiful day, full of joy and laughter.
Jamie was supprounded by friends, and by
one account, was floating several inches off
the floor by the end of the day.
Congratulations, Jamie. Many blessings to you
in your new ministry.
June 2015 •
Church of the Holy Cross
O God, most merciful Father, we praise you for sending your Son Jesus Christ,
who took on himself the form of a servant, and humbled himself,
becoming obedient even to death on the cross. We praise you that you have highly exalted him,
and made him Lord of all; and that, through him, we know that whoever would be great
must be servant of all. We praise you for the many ministries in your Church,
and for calling this your servant to the order of deacons.
5
Diocese of Virginia
The Rt. Rev. Shannon
Johnston
The Rt. Rev. Susan E. Goff
The Rt. Rev. Edwin F. “Ted”
Gulick Jr.
Holy Cross Clergy
The Rev. Denise Trogdon
Rector
The Rev. Robert A Becker
The Rev. Jamie Samilio
Deacon
Staff
Sonya Marsden
Director of Children, Youth,
and Family Ministry
Sophia Morreale
Interim Director
of Music Ministries
Maude Hales
Director of
Communications
Lori Poli
Finance Manager
Megan Hoskins
Parish Administrator
Les Bennett
Sexton
Charo Guzman
Housekeeper
Raul Guzman
Housekeeper
Vestry
Angie Purdy
Senior Warden
Ron Parnell
Junior Warden
Richard Adams
Karen Baker
Gregg Burgess
Cary Casey
Rob Davidson
Patty Gallatin
Tom Lennertz
Keith Loken
Laurel McGinley
Glynne Reeves-Haines
Addie Hayes Youth Liaison
Doug Strait Treasurer
Kate Achelpohl Register
Church of the Holy Cross
6
• June 2015
community
Meet Brianna Elder
Brianna, our preacher on Youth Sunday, just
graduated from George C. Marshall High
School. She has been coming to Holy Cross for
15 years, since she was 3.
Until then, her summer plans currently include
sight seeing with her best friend who’s visiting
from Italy. The rest of the summer will consist
of dorm shopping, and going to Tanzania in
August.
She has participated in youth group and served
as a senior acolyte. She has participated in the
Dungannon mission trip three times, and this
summer will go on her second trip to Tanzania
with Holy Cross.
About her free time, Brianna says, “There
hasn’t been much free time for me during senior year, but I do love a good reality TV show,
and when football season rolls around, find me
glued to the couch to watch the Patriots play.”
Brianna recently bought her first car—a
Hyundai Elantra in light blue, so that was
super exciting.
She will be attending Elon University in the
fall with a major in International Studies with
a regional concentration in the Middle East.
Children’s Choir
Makes a Joyful
Noise
The Children’s Choir ended the program year
by singing in church on May 31, and then
having a party. Under the direction of Claudia
Tielking, the choir had a fun-filled year and
provided a shot of joy to the services in
which they participated. The children thanked
Claudia with a tote bag decorated with music
notes made from their fingerprints, a cheerful
reminder of the happiness that music brings
to life.
Stewardship
Taking Us Out to
the Ball Game
In 2009, a parishioner decided to organize a
trip to the baseball game, to see the Washington Nationals. David Robinson, a long-time
member of Holy Cross, contacted the Nationals
to arrange a group discount, and put the word
out to the congregation. The first year, about
40 parishioners and some friends attended
the game. The next year, more people joined
in, and the group grew to more than 50,
earning us recognition on the Nationals Park
Jumbotron.
have built and continue to maintain a tradition
of fellowship that is truly open to all, and that
allows us to show the world what fun Episcopalians are!
In the years since, we have had groups of more
than 100 share an evening of baseball—and
some times rain and wind—enjoying America’s favorite pastime in the company of Holy
Cross friends.
Dave Kerrins chose to continue the tradition
when David passed away, recognizing that it
had become a beloved event that many in the
congregation looked forward to each spring.
Dave has done the legwork for the last three
years to make sure we keep our great seats
in the left field bleachers, and that we honor
David’s desire for fellowship and fun.
This year, Dave moved the date from April to
June, hoping to catch some better weather.
Not only was the evening beautiful, but we also
had the pleasure of watching Max Scherzer
pitch a no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates,
coming within one out of a perfect game!
It’s easy to get involved!
with 30 minutes a week,
you can:
Lead Gospel time for the kids
Manage the gift card program
with 30 minutes a month, you can:
Make coffee for coffee hour
Make sandwiches for the homeless
Take pictures of events
with 30 minutes a year,
you can:
Make an Advent Wreath
Buy a gift for the Angel Tree
Help with the African Team
ministry sale
To find out more about any of
these, talk to a vestry member.
30
June 2015 •
Church of the Holy Cross
In giving some of their time, David and Dave
7
Service
Chapel Renovation
Eagle Scout candidate Matthew Hoskins took
on a project to renovate our outdoor chapel. He
and a team of volunteers rebuilt the altar and
refinished the benches and cross. We look forward to using the updated space in the coming
months.
Church of the Holy Cross
8
• June 2015
learning
Scholars Program
Holy Cross Scholars completed its second year
with a recognition ceremony at both services
on June 21. In the past two years, the program
has offered parish members (adults and senior
youth) presentations on 34 topics (each given
at least twice) in the areas of Anglicanism, Old
Testament, New Testament and early Christian history, comparative religion, and spiritual
practices. Participants are recognized as Holy
Cross Scholars (for attending 3 of 4 presentations in any one area), Holy Cross Master
Scholars (for achieving that level of attendance
in three different areas), and Magisters (for
preparing and making a presentation). This
year, we also recognized our first Holy Cross
Lifetime Scholars, those who reached Master
Scholar status for each year. In another milestone, the program this year gained its first
Holy Cross Scholar among our youth.
2015 Scholar Awards
Kate Achelpohl
Magister
Richard Adams
Holy Cross Scholar
Nick Bruner
Holy Cross Scholar
Mary Hinkle
Lifetime Scholar, Magister
Wade Hinkle
Lifetime Scholar, Magister
John Hoskins
Holy Cross Scholar
Matthew Hoskins
Holy Cross Scholar
Susan Hurt
Lifetime Scholar
David Kerrins
Holy Cross Scholar
Yuri Kerrins
Holy Cross Scholar
Phil Long
Holy Cross Scholar, Magister
Jane Moseley
Jennifer Santley, Mary Hinkle, Wade Hinkle, Susan Hurt, Chris Schaeffer, Matthew
Hoskins, Peggy Schmidt, and John Hoskins were among those recognized for their
participation in the Holy Cross Scholars program.
Holy Cross Scholar
Jennifer Santley
Magister
Chris Schaeffer
Master Scholar
Peggy Schmidt
Holy Cross Scholar
Carol Tsou
Lifetime Scholar
Not-Quite-the-Usual Beach Reading
Looking for something a little more meaty
than the typical vacation read this summer?
Try one of these recommendations from Wade
and Mary Hinkle, books used as sources in
recent Holy Cross Scholars presentations.
They are all available on either Amazon.com or
Abebooks.com.
those that aren’t Judaism, Christianity, or Islam. Most are vestiges of the great ancient
civilizations of the region, including Persia,
Babylon, and Egypt.
John Among the Gospels: The Relationship in Twentieth-Century Research.
D. Moody Smith. 1992. Biblical scholars of the
19th century tended to focus on the differences between John’s Gospel and the Synoptic Gospels. Smith guides the reader through
more recent scholarly developments, which
stress what John’s Gospel shares with the
others, particularly Mark.
Church of the Holy Cross
Heaven: A History. Colleen McDannell and
Bernhard Lang. 2nd edition. 1988. This book
does far more than trace the history of Christian thought about the afterlife; it also recounts
the theological developments and social trends
that underlie changes in popular and scholarly
views of the afterlife. Accessible to the general
reader and thoroughly researched and footnoted for those who want to dig deeper.
Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms: Journeys
Into the Disappearing Religions of the
Middle East. Gerard Russell. 2014. This book
explores minority Middle Eastern religions:
June 2015 •
9
learning
Reading Ahead
Scripture readings for the coming weeks
from the Revised Common Lectionary
July 5 • 6 Pentecost
Ezekiel 2:1-5
Psalm 123
2 Corinthians 12:2-10
Mark 6:1-13
July 12 • 7 Pentecost
Amos 7:7-15
Psalm 85:8-13
Ephesians 1:3-14
Mark 6:14-29
Biblelympics
The children of the parish in grades 3 through
5 were invited to participate in a “Biblelympics,” memorizing selected Bible passages and
reciting them for their Sunday School teachers
and class.
memorizing all the passages. They were presented with medals and personal Bibles in recognition of their accomplishments.
The passages they memorized were
There were five passages chosen by the Rev.
Bob Becker, and cumulative awards were given
for each level of the competition.
Psalm 23
Psalm 1
Psalm 100
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Matthew 5:1-9
Two young Holy Crossers, Micah Bruner and
Catherine Hoskins, achieved the highest level,
Be sure to congratulate Micah and Catherine
when you see them.
July 19 • 8 Pentecost
Jeremiah 23:1-6
Psalm 23
Ephesians 2:11-22
Mark 6:30-34, 53-56
July 26 • 9 Pentecost
2 Kings 4:42-44
Psalm 145: 10-19
Ephesians 3:14-21
John 6:1-21
Church of the Holy Cross
Sunday School teachers and helpers Pam Nicholson, Richard Adams, Darlene Parker, Evan Parker, Susan Irick-Hacker, Lee Bruner,
Megan Hoskins, Cassie Rosado, Elizabeth Spinney, Nancy Colfax, and John Straub were recognized on May 31 for their work sharing
our faith with the children of the congregation.
10
• June 2015
Pa r i s h R e t r e a t
The parish retreat provided an opportunity for fun, reflection, and
relaxation. The weather was beautiful, great for hiking and walking the
labyrinth during the day and stargazing at night. The group went on
a “hey!” ride, made marbled paper, walked the Stations of the Cross on
a hike, and enjoyed s’mores around a campfire.
Church of the Holy Cross
Please plan to join us next June. The more the merrier!
June 2015 •
11
Mark Your Calendar
Upcoming Events
S unday, July 5
Welcome Dinner for Denise
6:00 p.m.
Monday, July 6
Office Closed
in observance of Independence Day Holiday
Wednesday, July 7
Finance Committee Meeting
7 p.m. in the Upper Room
S aturday, July 11
Vestry Retreat
9:00-4:00 in the Parish Hall
S unday, July 12
Congregational Meeting
9:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary
Come hear a mid-year update from the Vestry
and discuss the fall service schedule. We will
meet between the services so that everyone
can attend.
Welcome Dinner for Denise
5:00 p.m.
T uesday, July 14
Worship Support Meeting
7:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall
Wednesday, July 1 5
Vestry Meeting
7 p.m. in the Parish Hall
T hursday, July 16
Grill and Chill
6:00 p.m. on the church lawn
Bring something to put on the grill and a
lawn chair as we just relax and enjoy each
other’s company and the summer.
S aturday, July 18
Art and Soul Painting Party
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall
Join us to explore your inner artist and
make a housewarming gift for a family transitioning into housing from homelessness.
Bring your own beverages and spend some
time painting—everything you need to
create a painting is provided—including some
guidance. The suggested donation is $25 per
person. Please email Jamie Samilio at info@
art-n-soul.net to register.
appreciated. We will work until the supplies
run out.
S unday, J uly, 19
J uly 25 - A ugust 1
Tanzania Mission Trip Fundraising
Breakfast
9:00 a.m. in the Parish Hall
Come share the Tanzania mission experience
by having breakfast with the mission team.
You will hear stories of past trips and plans for
this year, while enjoying a typical Tanzanian
breakfast. Tickets are $20 per family, but your
generosity will be greatly appreciated!
Dungannon Mission Trip
Please pray for our missioners and those they
are serving during this week.
Parish Lunch Line
11:00 a.m. in the Kitchen
Come spend a few minutes making sandwiches for our neighbors in need. Donations
of lunch meat, cheese and bread are most
Welcome Dinner for Denise
6:00 p.m.
Sunday, J uly 26
Outreach Committee Meeting
11:00 a.m. in the Bell Room
Welcome Dinner for Denise
5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, J uly 29
Pasta and Play Night
6:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall
Come for a casual spaghetti dinner and
games. No need to RSVP. Just stop in
if you can.
Summer Fun for Everyone!
Grill and Chill Thursday, July 16
We’re going to fire up the grill in the back yard and relax
on what we hope will be a nice summer evening. There’s
no agenda, just a chance to cook out and visit—and some
playground time for the kids. The grill will be hot at 6:00, so
bring something to throw on, a side or beverage to share, and
a camp chair or blanket to sit on. All are welcome, so bring
some friends. No need to RSVP. If you can’t make it, mark your
calendar for Tuesday, August 18 when we will do it again!
Pasta and Play Night
Join us for a simple spaghetti dinner and games at 6:00
p.m. Bring a salad, bread, or dessert to share, and your
favorite board game. We’ll have games for everyone
from preschoolers to OWLs. Come try out a quiet or
crazy game, or just watch and learn. No need to RSVP,
just show up ready for fun!
Wednesday, July 29
Church of the Holy Cross + 2455 Gallows Road, Dunn Loring VA 22027 • 703.698.6991