Cross Lutheran Church

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Cross Lutheran Church

• A History of a Church with a Mission that Changed

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Cross Lutheran Church

• December 9,1917, 13 charter members convened to
  form a new congregation. Released from First
  Lutheran Church
• Name The Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church,
  U.A.C. of Omaha, Nebraska
• September 29, 1918 Cornerstone laid
• March 1, 1919 Building completed
• First Pastor Titus Lang
• Services in German and in English A mission in
  the middle of a German community in Omaha
• Congregation numbered 21 voters, 137 communicants
  and 210 souls
• By 1929, 299 communicants and 407 souls

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Cross Lutheran School

• Original school at present location existed
  before church.
• With 13 charter members, called teacher and
  pastor
• Present school building was constructed and
  dedicated on January 4, 1931 at a cost of 45,000
• 1929 school attended by 145 students and 3
  teachers

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Cross Lutheran School

• School sent former students throughout Nebraska
  and United States
• Mission of Cross Church was school and Christian
  Education
• In 1991, established first Lutheran High School
  in Omaha
• First graduating class was in 1995

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Cross Lutheran Church

• Cultural change in South Omaha arrival of
  Hispanic population
• Church membership declined
• Financial crisis to support school
• New painful decisions made to Mission of the
  Kingdom
• School was closed in Spring, 2000 and staff
  dismissed
• School building sold in Fall, 2002

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Cross Lutheran Church

• A Congregation in mourning on death of mission.
• To close or not to close, tis that is the
  question
• In November 2004, District Missions Board
  proposed to bring Hispanic worker from Lexington,
  Abel Valenezuela
• Without clear mandate, desire was to start
  mission work. Did street visitation, started up
  English as Second Language classes.
• Abel returned to Lexington in June, 2005

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Cross Lutheran Church

• When God closes a door, He opens a new window of
  opportunity
• Cross has location in heart of Latino mission
  field. Harvest is ripe, workers are few
• Few elderly members unable to start new direction
• Beautiful Savior has members, mission passion,
  and plan but no place to plant new church
• The new Dating phase between Cross and
  Beautiful Savior has begun
• Cross has given commitment to use Church and
  available finances to support a new Hispanic
  mission

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Cross Lutheran Church

• A History of a Church with a Mission that Changed