Parish News

Welcome & Worship Information

Welcome! 

Holy Cross is an Episcopal Church and Member of the Diocese of
Western North Carolina
(828) 963-4609

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COVID-19 Precautions Update
Masks are no longer required on our premises. Nevertheless, for the continuing health and protection of others, please consider wearing a mask, especially if you are unvaccinated. Thank you.

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Sunday Morning Worship Services:  
THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY CROSS
Spring & Summer Schedule

 

  • 9:00 a.m. - Holy Eucharist, Rite II at St. John's with music and hymnody 
  • 10:00 a.m. - Fellowship time on the lawn at St. John's
  • 11:00 a.m. - Holy Eucharist, Rite II, at Holy Cross with music and hymnody - This service is Live-Streamed via our YouTube Channel commencing at approximately 10:50 a.m. on Sunday Mornings
  • 12:00 p.m. - Fellowship time in Skiles Hall

The 11:00 a.m. service from Holy Cross is Live-Streamed via our YouTube Channel commencing at 10:50 am.
Click here  to view our Live Streamed and previously recorded services.
Click here to view & download this week's worship leaflet.

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Healing & Eucharist Services take place at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday evenings at Holy Cross.

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Weekday Worship Services offered via "Zoom":

Compline at 8:00 p.m. every Monday & Thursday - click  here  to join the Zoom meeting

The "Virtual Waiting Room" opens 15 minutes before each service begins.
(Meeting ID: 894 5800 3478)

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Online giving is now available - click here or click "Give Online" in the Navigation Bar at the top of the website.
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The Sacrament of Reconciliation: 
This Sacrament is offered at any time by appointment. Please contact the Rector directly at (828) 963-4609 ext. 22
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Further Information & Links:

To read recent sermons, visit the Sermons page.
The current Prayer List  is  here.
The Latest Sunday Worship Leaflet is here. 
The Current Holy Cross Newsletter is here.

 

 

This Sunday

Sunday, June 11 - 

The Second Sunday After Pentecost
  • 9:00 a.m. - Holy Eucharist, Rite II, at St. John's, with music and hymnody
  • 10:00 a.m. - Fellowship on the lawn at St. John's
  • 11:00 a.m. - Holy Eucharist, Rite II, at Holy Cross, with music and hymnody - This service is Live-Streamed via our YouTube Channel 
  • 12:00 p.m. - Fellowship time in Skiles Hall

We thank all those who will serve this Sunday:

  • Greeters/Oblationers: Ron & Nancy McInnes (9:00 a.m. at St. John's) and Randy McDonough & Karla Prudhomme (11:00 a.m. at Holy Cross) 
  • Ushers: Ron & Nancy McInnes (9:00 a.m. at St. John's) and Randy McDonough & Karla Prudhomme (11:00 a.m. at Holy Cross) 
  • Lector: Jane Blackburn (9:00 a.m. at St. John's) and Susan Poorman (11:00 a.m. at Holy Cross) 
  • Prayers of the People: Jane Blackburn (9:00 a.m. at St. John's) and Jan Skopecekusan Poorman (11:00 a.m. at Holy Cross) 
  • Chalice: Sis Kinney (9:00 a.m. at St. John's) and Dawn Harris & Andrea McDonough (11:00 a.m. at Holy Cross) 
  • Acolytes: Sis Kinney (9:00 a.m. at St. John's) and Randy McDonough (11:00 a.m. at Holy Cross) 
Next Sunday, June 18 - 

The Third Sunday After Pentecost
  • 9:00 a.m. - Holy Eucharist, Rite II, at St. John's, with music and hymnody
  • 10:00 a.m. - Fellowship on the lawn at St. John's
  • 11:00 a.m. - Holy Eucharist, Rite II, at Holy Cross, with music and hymnody - This service is Live-Streamed via our YouTube Channel 
  • 12:00 p.m. - Fellowship time in Skiles Hall

 

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News & Happenings

Summer Food Ministry

 
Summer Food Ministry is in full swing! We will be making four deliveries throughout June, July, and August to nine Valle Crucis School families in need of supplemental food while children are home for summer break. Please visit this link: volunteersignup.org/3YXJP  to sign up for packing tasks, delivery tasks, and donated foods. Items such as eggs, fresh broccoli, carrots, and boxes of low-sugar breakfast cereal are still available for sign-ups!

All items for the first delivery are due on the shelves in Skiles Hall no later than 5 pm Wednesday, June 7th. Thank you in advance for your participation. Without you, this ministry would not be possible.
Any questions? Contact Ann Gerber. Her cell phone number is in the directory.

 

Fourth of July Picnic

Ray Lutz and Pam Conover are hosting a community picnic at their home on July 4 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Their home is 2 miles from Holy Cross Church off Dutch Creek Road. The GPS address is 241 Old Crows Road, Banner Elk, NC. Hamburgers, hot dogs, and fried chicken from Daniel Boone Inn will be provided. Ron McInnes and Fr. Jim Reed will be cooking. Walter and Barbara Pitts will be providing corn on the cob on the spot.


There will be a sign up for those that want to help with a dessert and/or side dish or organization. Please bring your own beverage of choice and a lawn chair. A live band will be performing.
Please RSVP by June 30 for food planning purposes to Ray Lutz via email at lutzintl@aol.com.

 

St. John's Summer Concert Series Begins

On Sunday, June 4, the annual Singing in the Valle concert begins the 2023 summer series with the vocal and handbell choirs of Holy Cross Episcopal Church joined by singers from Banner Elk Presbyterian Church. The venerable choral and handbell ensembles will perform both individually and together as a combined group. The choir directors include Nina Allbert from Banner Elk Presbyterian Church and Elaine Kallestad from Holy Cross Episcopal Church in Valle Crucis. Organist David Soyars from the Banner Elk church will accompany the vocal artists.
 

Men's Night Out

Men's Night Out will gather again soon. Please check back for further details!

 

Coffee's On

We will join by Zoom again soon for a time of sharing, praying for each other, and celebrating the season of Easter. Join us from wherever and in which ever state you find yourself. Invite your friends. It’s easy to pour a cup of tea or coffee and click on the link below. Great women. Challenging topics. A trusting place.

Click to here  to join Coffee's On.

Meeting ID: 878 3876 2772

 

Turkey & Syria Earthquake Support

A devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck southeast Turkey and northern Syria in April 2023. The reported death toll is over 46,000 after thousands of buildings crumbled, burying civilians beneath the rubble. Read more about the earthquake and its impact by clicking here.  Please help us work with our local partners to provide relief and support. Make an urgent tax-deductible donation to Episcopal Relief & Development via their website at: https://www.episcopalrelief.org/ and follow the prompts, or Click Here to go directly to the donation page. Thank you.

Coffee Hour Hosts Needed

Coffee Hour is an important time of not only fellowship, but also a time to get to know our visitors and newcomers. This time after each worship is most successful when we have a little more than just coffee to serve. People tend to stay longer and interact more when there is food.

Hosting Coffee Hour means providing light refreshments and a non-coffee beverage. Teams of two volunteers work best. The sign-up sheet can be found on the kitchen serving window ledge in Skiles Hall. Please consider hosting after the upcoming services !

 

A Simple Gesture Continues

Food/Grocery Drive for the Hunger & Health Coalition

One in four children in the High Country are hungry. Along with other churches in the area, we have a simple way to meet this immediate need. Green recyclable grocery bags are available in Skiles Hall. Simply fill them with the items listed on the bag and return it to the Welcome Center area in Skiles Hall on the date listed on the bag.  Thank you!

 

Hospitality House Dinners

Holy Cross parishioners supply Hospitality House with dinners several times a month. This involves teams preparing a dinner for about 100 people.  Each team prepares 1 meal per year for the Hospitality House. Since Covid, some teams have been having the meals catered.  The Valle Crucis Conference Center will cater meals as will F.A.R.M. Cafe and area restaurants. At this time there is a need for more team members for this important mission.  There are funds available, if needed, to help sponsor this service.  If you would like to help, please call Suzie Long at 828-264-0685

 

Daughters of the King

Daughters of the King (DOK) meets weekly on Wednesday afternoons at 4:00 p.m. in Skiles Hall. The group invites any women of the church interested in finding out more about DOK to join them. Click here to learn more about DOK!

 

2022 Valle Country Fair

The 2022 Valle Country Fair took place on Saturday, October 15. The Mission & Outreach Commission at Holy Cross Episcopal Church determines, with the Vestry's approval, the outlay of the proceeds from the Valle Country Fair. Abou two-thirds of Fair proceeds are used for emergency calls to the church for such things as rent, utilities, car repairs, medical expenses, etc. The remaining funds go to local non-profit organizations who apply for our grants.

 

The 2022 grant amount, based upon proceeds from the Fair, was $25,000 and was awarded to the following recipients: 

 

Children's Council of Watauga County - Builds strong foundations for children's learning and development by strengthening familieis, the early childhood system, and the wider community.

Girls on the Run - Inspires girls to be joyful, healthy, and confident using a fun, experienced-based curriculum which creatively integrates running.

High Country Caregivers - Multi-pronged programs include community education, financial support for health-conscious youth activities and counselling support. They serve grandparents raising their grandchildren in Avery and Watauga Counties. 

LIFE House - Strives to meet the ongoing residential needs of adults with autism and related challenges, as well as serving as a community resource for people of different abilities and their families. They provide diverse social and recreational programming, including summer programs, life skills and vocational training, adaptive sports, support groups, and workshops. 

Mediation and Restorative Justice Center - Strives to reduce the physical, emotional, and financial harm caused by unresolved conflict, litigation, and incarceration by providing meditation, alternative sentencing and other restorative processes that increase the respect, peace, productivity, and safety in the communities served.

Mountain Alliance - Provides transformative experiences and support so that all High Country Teens have the opportunity to lead an empowered, adventurous and service-oriented life, regardless of means or background.

Reaching Avery Ministry - An ecumenical ministry devoted to helping low-income people in Avery County to improve their lives. They provide assistance with food, clothing, prescriptions, fuel, household necessities, emergency shelter and other needs as they relate to a person's ability to meet their basic needs, to be gainfully employed, or care for their family. 

Spirit Ride - Provides children with a wide array of diagnoses the opportunity to learn, grow, and strive to become their ideal selves through equine-related therapeutic and educational activities.

The Jason Project - Strives to provide healthy and rigorous outdoor excursions and challenges where at-risk youth can be encouraged and inspired to rise above their adversities and ecell mentally, spiritually, and in life.

Watauga Co. Schools Extended Learning Centers - Strives to promote the academic mission of Watauga County Schools while providing the working parents of our community a sanctuary of safety as well as intellectual, social, emotional, and physical well-being for their children.