Serving Ministries

Sharing our Spiritual Gifts

“Now you are the body of Christ, and individually members of it.” -I Corinthians 11:27

Dear ECC Friends,

In his First Letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul uses the image of the Body to describe the people of God. The Church, he says, is a body; and each person—each member—plays a vital role in the functioning of the body. Every member is alive. Every member is qualified to serve. Every member has purposes to fulfill. Every member matters. Our life, centered around Christ and strengthened and sustained by the Spirit, is a life lived together, trusting in one another, in which we are invited to serve as we are called.

Below you will find a list of various ministries that are part of Church of the Cross. We invite one another to spend time with this list, and then consider how we are each called to serve, according to our passions and our gifts.

And if you feel a call to a ministry not listed here, let us know; for our great desire is to support you in how God is calling you to service.

Thank you, and we bid you God’s grace and peace.

Faithfully,
The Stewardship Team of the ECC

If you have further questions, please feel free to be in touch at 512-695-2803 or [email protected].

To sign up to serve with the ECC, please follow this link.

Administrative Support Ministries:

Facilities Team: The Facilities Team does occasional minor facilities work and clean-up at the worship space.

Faith in Action Team: The Faith in Action Team oversees our disbursal of offerings to godly groups doing good work in the local community and the world, and also helps organize ministries of service engaged in by the ECC community.

Finance Team: The Finance Team supports our Treasurer in the financial administration of the Church of the Cross and review monthly financial statements before they are sent to the Bishop’s Committee for approval.

Publicity Team: The Publicity Team helps get the word out about the ECC and share our story.

Stewardship Team: The Stewardship Team helps the people of the ECC grow in the practice of using and sharing faithfully the gifts God has given us.
Ministries of Caring:

The Care Team: The Care Team stands at the ready to provide tangible acts of care for community members in need.

The Prayer Team: The Prayer Team holds in daily prayer the prayer requests put forward by members of the congregation and others.

Children’s Ministries:

Children’s Chapel Shepherds: Sunday School Shepherds assist the Church of the Cross Minister of Children’s Formation in Children’s Chapel.

Occasional Children’s Ministries: The ECC regularly has occasional ministries with children outside of Sunday morning (for example, Parents’ Night Out; Trunk or Treat), and we welcome all called to help make these ministries possible!

All who serve in Children’s Ministries will be certified in the Safeguarding Ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas.

Fellowship Ministries:

Common Threads: Common Threads is a group who meet weekly for fellowship and to knit and do other sorts of handwork. Gatherings begin with sharing a meal. Please bring something to share! All are welcome and you don’t have to know how to knit!

Community Suppers: Community Suppers are gatherings of eight to twelve people in which we share a meal, conversation, and fellowship. Two sets of Community Suppers will take place during the remainder of the year, in September and October and in November and December. Let us know you’d like to be part of a Community Supper by contacting Jesse Johnson, our Office Administrator, at [email protected].

Men’s Morning Fellowship: The Men’s Morning Fellowship meets on Fridays from 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM at Hat Creek Burger on 620 in Lakes for breakfast, fellowship, dwelling in the scriptures, and prayer.

Ministries of Service:

Literacy Partners: Literacy Partners is a ministry of Education Connection that helps elementary schoolchildren read on grade level by the end of third grade. Literacy Partners read once a week with two students for fifteen minutes each. In so doing, they help a child to become a better reader. To register as a Literacy Partners, please go to https://www.education-connection.org/.

Mission Pilgrimage to India: With our friends at Orphan Outreach, we will again be making a mission journey to India in the summer of 2025.

Sponsorship of a Child through Orphan Outreach: Sponsorship of a child through Orphan Outreach is a way we continue to serve our friends at Gan Sabra and Dar-Ul-Fazl in India. Sponsorship is a powerful and personal way to care for an orphaned or vulnerable child, so we invite you to come along and share in this ministry. To sponsor a child, please go to www.orphanoutreach.org and click on the “sponsor a child” link.

Mobile Loaves and Fishes: Church of the Cross takes out a Mobile Loaves and Fishes truck on the first Tuesday of every month. Meet at the Warehouse Building at Lake Hills Church at 5:30 PM.

Other Ministries of Service: Church of the Cross also regularly serves with El Buen Samaritano, Florence’s Comfort House, Foster Village, and Partners in Hope. Please keep an eye open these occasional opportunities to serve and bring grace and comfort.

Sunday Morning Ministries:

Children’s Chapel Shepherds: Children’s Ministry Shepherds assist Mary Allen, our Minister of Children’s Formation, in our Sunday morning Children’s Ministries. Children’s Ministry Shepherds are scheduled on an as-needed basis, and youth are invited to serve as Children’s Ministry Shepherds. All Shepherds are to be certified in the Safeguarding Ministries of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas prior to serving.

Altar Guild: The Altar Guild prepares the altar for worship, and cares for the linens between services. Altar Guild members serve in teams and serve approximately twice a month.

Greeting and Ushering: Greeters and ushers are ministers of hospitality. Greeters greet everyone walking through the doors warmly and with a smile and distribute bulletins. Greeters also serve as ushers and gather in and present the offering in worship. Two greeters and ushers are scheduled for every service and serve approximately once a month. Entire households, including the kids, are invited to serve as Greeters and Ushers!

Reading/Leading Prayers/Chalicing: Readers, Prayer Leaders, and Chalicers read the scripture reading in worship, lead the prayers, and administer a chalice. Two are scheduled for every service and serve approximately once a month.

Bread Providers: Bread Providers provide a loaf of white or wheat bread for communion. Bread Providers serve approximately once every six weeks.

Refreshment Providers: Refreshment Providers are ministers of hospitality and help the community to enjoy fellowship after worship by providing treats for after the service. Refreshment providers serve approximately once a month.

Projections Minister: Projections Ministers operate the slides projected for worship and facilitate the live Facebook feed of the worship service. Projections Ministers serve approximately once a month.

Flower Providers: Flower Providers provide fresh flowers to adorn the front of the worship space.

With the exception of the Altar Guild, all the above ministries are self-scheduled through Sign-Up Genius. The Altar Guild is self-scheduled through a calendar in the church kitchen.