Worship, Music, Bible Study

Updated June 9, 2021

Last summer, we met for about a month. It was good to see everyone, even masked and keeping distance. You remember what happened: infection rates rose in the state and on our island. We went back to an online-only service in August 2020. Today, vaccines have made a great different in public health and safety, but new cases in Hawai’i County are higher today than they were in August. According to the state Department of Health, about half of the county residents have had at least one vaccine dose. The recent outbreak at the Hawai’i Community Correctional Center demonstrates that COVID-19 is still here, still active, and still dangerous to those unvaccinated. So I simply do not know when we might gather for worship again. It is probably reasonably safe for vaccinated persons, but possibly not for their unvaccinated family and neighbors. Some among us will be vulnerable for the foreseeable future, and our compassion as Christians leads us to take thought and care for them. Until we discern the right time, we continue to lift our prayers in our homes and in our gardens, giving thanks to God for our lives and for the love we share.

• From The Pastor’s Corner, in the June 9, 2021 issue of The Messenger

In-Person Worship Service Suspended Again, Continues via YouTube

We have had to suspend in-person attendance at the Church of the Holy Cross for Sunday Worship Service at 10 AM as of August 9, 2020, due to increased risks associated with the corononavirus situation in the state.

We will continue to offer the Sunday Worship Service via live video stream over the Internet. The upcoming service will be linked from our website at www.holycrosshilo.com. If you are not able to “tune in” during the service time itself, the video will be archived and available to watch at any time.

The Messenger Newsletter

We have added additional issues to our bi-weekly publication schedule for The Messenger so that those without Internet access can still hear regularly from our church during this time of limited in-person communication. Our regular and Extra issues will lean toward providing prayers and devotional material that we hope it will aid your personal spiritual practice.

Music Ministry Continues via YouTube

Pastor Eric continues his weekly “Music from the Church of the Holy Cross.” He’ll sing one song from our sanctuary on YouTube live stream, usually on Wednesdays. Learn more at holycrosshilo.com, or check the YouTube channel directly at youtube.com/esandersonucc.

In addition, he will perform live one-hour concerts during our Community Sing times on the second and fourth Friday of each month at 6:00 pm.

Bible Study via Zoom teleconference

Pastor Eric also continues to lead Bible Study via Zoom video teleconference on Tuesday afternoons. If you are interested in joining us, please call or e-mail the church office to let us know the e-mail address to which we should send the connection information. We hope to resume in-person Bible Study soon; if you’ve participated in sessions prior to COVID19 cancellations, Pastor Eric is reaching out to see who is interesting in coming back.  If you have not previously attended Bible Study and would like to join a group, please call or email the church office to let us know what days and times would work for you.