December 15, 2017

Dec Parent's Night Out

The December 'Parent's Night Out' was chock-a-block full with all kinds of fun things for the kids to do. Adult volunteers got the 11 youngsters ranging in age from 3-10 started with dinner together and then they got to show off their creativity by making gingerbread houses and decorating cookies. Luminaries needed to be assembled for the Christmas Eve services and this always being something our youth would do, this group did the same. In the twinkling of an eye this was done much to the amazement of the adults. We have talented youth!

Once the luminaries were done several different stations were set up ranging in choices from making Christmas Ornaments, playing games and even working with robots. As the evening, and the adults, began to wind down they watched a movie and snacked on popcorn until their parents came to pick them up.

Parent's Night Out occurs on the 3rd Wednesday of the month. Adult Parish members volunteer to watch and spend time with our kids so their parents can enjoy a date night. It's proving to be a very popular event. The kids enjoy fellowship together and the parents get some time on their own.

December 01, 2017

Children's Choir at Tryon Christmas Stroll

Our Children's Choir was invited to sing at the tree lighting ceremony during the annual Tryon Christmas Stroll and sing they did. They started with Away In A Manager and then finished with a sing-a-long version of We Wish You A Merry Christmas. The whole crowd joined in for that one including many, many Holy Cross members who came to support our Youth!

November 19, 2017

Blessing of Civil Ceremony of the Thompsons

On November 19, 2017 Father Robert held a Blessing of a Civil Ceremony during the our regular service. He blessed the Civil Ceremony of Anna & John Thompson. Anna and John are relatively new to Holy Cross but are beloved members and we were all delighted to share in this blessed event.

November 17, 2017

November Parent's Night Out

There is nothing like the sight of a healthy number of children in our pews and there is nothing these children like more than interacting and playing with each other! Our third 'Parents Night Out' provided a wonderful opportunity for the children to share a meal, engage in the various 'stations' offering crafts, games and reading, all the while being watched over by our team of volunteers. And what a wonderful, care-free opportunity for parents to have a 'date night,' knowing their precious ones are in excellent hands and thoroughly enjoying themselves!

There were both Thanksgiving and Christmas books on hand for the children to peruse, and they even made their very own advent wreaths while learning the significance of the candles.

To round out the evening, much popcorn was munched as they settled in to watch a movie. As always, a big Holy Cross THANK YOU goes out to the volunteers that made the evening possible. Parents Night Out is the third Friday of each month!

November 11, 2017

Pedaling Parishoners

Following the adage, 'There's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes,' a small group of dedicated moms (Sharol Ard and Katie Malone) and one dedicated Dad (Brad Fraedrich) bundled up and treated Holy Cross' youngest members, as well as their own, to an afternoon of exuberant biking near The Swamp Rabbit Trail in Traveler's Rest, SC.

Our pedaling parishioners deservedly rewarded their efforts during the chilly outing by visiting a cafe Katie had suggested, renowned for its delicious crepes. Not a bad way to refuel before spending another half-hour tackling the dirt hills of the Swamp Rabbit Trail, also proclaimed as the 'whoopie-do' hills by the kids. A great day of fellowship and fun!

November 04, 2017

Youth Thermal Belt Outreach Shopping Day

The children of Holy Cross were shining examples of being God's hands and feet upon this earth as they arrived early Saturday morning on November 4th (along with dedicated and patient moms and dads and volunteers) to purchase food for the needy to be donated to Thermal Belt Outreach.

Using the $500 they had earned through their very own Ice Cream Social, our enthusiastic youth first met in the McGavern Room for a brief Bible lesson about ministering to the poor, and then sat down with a budget and coupons to be used towards the day's excursion to the new Lidl grocery store in Spartanburg. What a great 'life lesson' this turned out to be: deciding exactly how much food they could purchase, how to use coupons in the most effective manner, and what might be the most useful type of food items to buy.

From Holy Cross our intrepid group descended upon Lidl, the children donning T-shirts emblazoned with the Episcopal shield drawn by Phoebe Aldrich that certainly turned more than a few curious heads. Here they divided up into small groups to tackle purchases in different parts of the store, with shopping carts in tow carrying both foods and an occasional participant!

Remaining responsible by keeping an eye on their budget, the children purchased $434 worth of food, and after all of this was loaded into the cars they headed back towards Tryon/Columbus as the last stop of the day was to deliver their goods to Thermal Belt Outreach. Normally closed on Saturday, director George Alley gave our kids a brief tour of the pantry, showing them how and why people in need come to collect food and toiletries. The children listened as George explained that need can come from all kinds of situations: poor health, death of a spouse, unemployment, or any number of reasons.

When the groceries were unloaded and checked in to be weighed, to everyone's delight, the grand total was 556 pounds!! What an enormous triumph from the smallest members of our church!

October 31, 2017

Halloween Stroll

Halloween Strolls are a much loved and participated in event in our area and Tryon's is no exception. The main street is closed off, stores remain open late and kids of all ages can trick or treat in a small town environment. This year several of our Holy Cross members young and old joined in the fun. All decked out in their best costumes.

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