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Dear Holy Cross Family,

As you've been hearing during worship, the month of October has been a time for us to reflect on and pray over Jesus’ direction for Holy Cross. To support this process, our current sermon series, Rooted Reformation, has focused on the proposed Vision and Mission statements developed by our Board of Directors over the past several months.

You may remember that earlier this year, our congregation gathered for a Vision and Mission Retreat. At that retreat, we explored not only the need for a clear vision and mission but also sought to identify the unique personality and cultural identity of Holy Cross. As we discussed, vision describes the destination—what we hope to become. Mission describes what we do each day to move toward that vision. When clearly defined, these statements bring alignment, focus, and clarity to our ministry efforts, helping us move forward together. A shared vision and mission also allow us to strategically say “no” to some good things so we can say “yes” to what’s best for Holy Cross and our community.

God the Father has already given His Church a clear vision and mission in Scripture. His vision is the reign and rule of Jesus over all creation. His mission is to seek and save the lost through His Son, Jesus. And Jesus has graciously invited His Church—you and me—to join Him in that mission.

So why take time to define our local vision and mission? Because every congregation lives in a specific cultural context. A church in Togo, Africa will naturally pursue different strategies than one in Arlington, Texas. Our context shapes how we live out the Father’s mission locally. That’s why, while our statements must reflect the Father’s heart, they should also express how Holy Cross uniquely participates in that work here in North Texas.

Through our congregational survey, three themes consistently emerged: Holy Cross is marked by Friendliness, Hospitality, and Relationships. At the same time, our shared hope for the future centered around making disciples and reaching the lost. With those insights in mind, the Board of Directors prayerfully crafted the following Vision and Mission statements:

Proposed Vision
We envision Holy Cross as a growing, multigenerational community, rooted in Christ and grounded in Scripture, where everyone is empowered to follow Jesus, make disciples, and share His love with the world.

Proposed Mission
We want to help people love Jesus, grow in faith, and make a difference.

Both statements reflect the Father’s vision and mission—placing Jesus at the center and emphasizing our call to reach the lost. They also express the heart of Holy Cross: a community passionate about making disciples, welcoming others, and building meaningful relationships.

Please remember, these are proposals. As a church family, we want to move forward together in unity and shared purpose. You’ll have the opportunity to vote on these statements at our next Voters Assembly meeting in December. In the meantime, I encourage each of you to prayerfully consider these words and their potential impact on our ministry.

If adopted, one of the first visible changes will be updates to our logo and advertising, reflecting the new vision and mission in a way that’s unique to Holy Cross. Because hospitality is a defining strength of our congregation, you can also expect to see continued development in how we welcome guests on Sundays. Over time, we’ll intentionally build out new discipleship and evangelism opportunities to more effectively engage our Arlington community.

As we move forward, my prayer is that God would continue to guide us, unify us, and empower us for His mission. Let’s keep our eyes on Jesus, our hearts open to His leading, and our hands ready to serve. May Holy Cross be a place where Christ is known, lives are changed, and the love of God is shared with all.

In Christ,
Pastor Luke
Holy Cross Lutheran Church