About
Holy Cross Lutheran Church
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Worship - Life Together Receiving God’s Gifts
Our Lord speaks, and we listen. His Word bestows what it says. Faith that is born from what is heard acknowledges the gifts received with eager thankfulness and praise. Music is drawn in this thankfulness and praise, enlarging and elevating the adoration of our gracious giver God. Saying back to Him what He has said to us, we repeat what is most true and sure. Most true and sure is His name, which He put upon us with the water of our Baptism. We are His. This we acknowledge at the beginning of the Divine Service. Where His name is, there is He. Before Him we acknowledge that we are sinners, and we plead for forgiveness. His forgiveness is given us, and we, freed and forgiven, acclaim Him as our great and gracious God as we apply to ourselves the words He has used to make Himself known to us.
The rhythm of our worship is from Him to us, and then from us back to Him. He gives His gifts, and together we receive and extol them. We build one another up as we speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Our Lord gives us His body to eat and His blood to drink. Finally, His blessing moves us out into our calling, where His gifts have their fruition. How best to do this we may learn from His Word and from the way His Word has prompted His worship through the centuries. We are heirs of an astonishingly rich tradition. Each generation receives from those who went before and, in making that tradition of the Divine Service its own, adds what best may serve in its own day — the living heritage and something new.
(Excerpted from Introduction to Lutheran Worship)
Our Pastors
Senior Pastor - Rev. Jeremy Richert
Rev. Jeremy Richert was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada on April 25, 1986 and was raised on the family farm near Fisherville, Ontario.
He graduated in 2008 from Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in History. In September 2009 he entered seminary studies at Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary (CLTS), St Catharines, Ontario.
After completing two years of seminary study, he took an academic leave from CLTS and spent a year abroad studying at the Lutherische Theologische Hochschule (LThH), Oberursel, Germany. There he learned to speak some German and took the opportunity to visit many European cities. Upon returning from Germany he served his vicarage under Rev. Alex Klages at the dual parish of Trinity Lutheran Church, Winkler and Zion Lutheran Church, Morden, Manitoba.
Upon graduating from CLTS in May of 2014, Pastor Richert received his first call to serve the dual parish of St. John’s Lutheran Church, Magrath and St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Milk River, Alberta. He served there until taking up his duties as Pastor of Holy Cross on February 17, 2019 and now enjoys calling Dakota Dunes home.
Assistant Pastor - Rev. Dr. Michael Kumm
The Rev. Dr. Michael Kumm was installed as Assistant Pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Dakota Dunes, on Sunday, January 16, 2022. Pastor Kumm had served Holy Cross as her sole pastor from 2014-2018 when he retired.
Following graduation from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis in 1999, Dr. Kumm was called to serve Blessed Redeemer Lutheran Church in Brandon, SD, where he also served his vicarage. Between his service in Brandon and Dakota Dunes, he served parishes in Illinois, on the staff of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, interim general manager of KFUO Radio in St. Louis, as well as chairman of the International Lutheran Society of Wittenberg — a joint corporation of the LCMS and our partner Lutheran church in Germany. Dr. Kumm completed 13 years on the LCMS Board of Directors, having served 10 of those years as the chairman.
Dr. Kumm has completed Master of Divinity and Master of Arts degrees at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, and completed a Ph.D. degree in pastoral care and theology from Trinity Theological Seminary, Newburgh, Indiana. Pastor Kumm is a native of Sioux City, Iowa, where his father still resides. He has served in the U.S. Air Force, and the SD Air National Guard, held positions in city and state government, and served in the funeral industry.
He is married to Janet (Wessel) Kumm, and has four grown step-children, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Contact Us
Whether you’re looking to become a member or for more information about our church or programs. Let us know how we can best serve you in the form below and one of our staff members will follow up as soon as possible.
Holy Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church
149 Bison Trail
Dakota Dunes, SD 57049
Church Office: 605-232-9117
Preschool & Fax: 605-235-1688
Church Email: holycrossdakotadunes@gmail.com
Office Hours: Tuesday - Friday
9:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Service Schedule
You are invited to worship with us on Sunday mornings at 9:15 AM. We celebrate the Divine Service with Holy Communion at every Sunday service.
Holy Cross also offers a Monday evening Divine Service at 7:00 PM. This is a shortened version of the previous Sunday morning service without organ accompaniment, with the same sermon, and includes Holy Communion each week. The Monday Divine Service provides an alternate service time for people who are unable to make it to the Sunday morning service. The service is held year-round. If Dakota Valley School system cancels school for the day due to snow, etc., the Monday evening service will also be cancelled.
The Lutheran Service Book hymnal provides a rich variety of service orders and hymns for worship at Holy Cross. Worship and sermon themes follow the 3-year lectionary of the Church Year and its appointed Scripture readings.
Sunday Services
Divine Service: 9:15 AM
Fellowship Time: 10:15 AM
Adult Bible Class: 10:30 AM
Sunday School: 10:30 AM (During School Year)
Monday Services
Divine Service: 7:00 PM
(Without Organ Accompaniment)
Lent & Advent Midweek Services
Wednesday Service: 7:00 PM
Special Services Schedule
Advent & Lent Midweek
Wednesdays
7:00 PM
Thanksgiving Eve
Day Before Thanksgiving
7:00 PM
Christmas Eve Candlelight
5:00 PM and 7:00 PM
Christmas Day Divine Service
10:00 AM
Maundy Thursday
Thursday Before Easter
7:00 PM
Good Friday
Friday Before Easter
7:00 PM
Easter Divine Service
Easter Sunday
9:15 AM
Holy Communion
Holy Cross celebrates the Sacrament of Holy Communion each Sunday and Monday Divine Service. Out of Christian love and in faithfulness to our Lord, we practice closed communion. In the Lord’s Supper, the Risen Christ is at once the Giver and the Gift! By His promise, His very body and blood are really present in this sacrament and thereby we come into immediate contact with the exalted Christ! As we do, witness is also given to oneness in doctrine by those who receive the Sacrament together. Because those who eat and drink our Lord’s body and blood unworthily do so to their great harm and because Holy Communion is a confession of the faith which is confessed at this altar, any who are not yet instructed, are in doubt, or who belong to a different church body than the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod are asked to refrain from partaking of communion and to speak with the Pastor with any questions concerning this biblical and historic practice. All visitors from other LCMS congregations and other synods which share Altar and Pulpit Fellowship who desire to commune are kindly asked to speak with the Pastor before the Service.
For more information you may consult the tract Questions About Communion Attendance available in the Holy Cross Gathering Room.
Children in Worship
Often, guests and prospective members ask if children are welcome in the worship service. Of course, what they mean is, "My child is young and can sometimes be 'active'. Will this upset anyone in the church?" No! We love having children in worship, learning that it is a place for them to be and learning to participate in the worship service as they grow. The sounds of children in worship are the sounds of a growing church!
The article Children in Worship from the LCMS Department of Worship has great ideas for helping make worship a meaningful experience for children.
We do have a parents' room adjacent to the Sanctuary for those parents who need to step out with a child, and many people find that our large Gathering Room — with a wall of windows at the back of the Sanctuary — also works well for this purpose. Both the parents' room and Gathering Room have speakers so that you can hear the service while out with your children. We also have children's "quiet bags" available.
Get Involved
Adult Bible Class
For all ages high school on up.
Join us for an In-depth look at our lessons for the day. Sunday Mornings 10:30-11:30 year-round
Mid-Week Bible Class
Don’t have time on the weekends?
Join us for our mid-week Bible Class. You’ll love the study, the conversation and the learning. Wednesday Evenings 7:00 - 8:00 during the school year
Women In Mission
Holy Cross WIM is the women's group at Holy Cross, and a member organization of the LCMS Lutheran Women's Missionary League. WIM meetings are held quarterly to plan the year’s events and activities. All women are invited!
Women’s Bible Study
All women are invited to join us on the second Tuesday of the month at 10:00am during the school year. Please join us for Bible Study and some social time in the Gathering Room with fellow sisters in Christ.
Adult Information Classes
Adult Information Class will help you learn more about the teachings of the Lutheran Church. Although it prepares you for membership in the Lutheran Church, there is no prior obligation to join as a member at the end of the classes. That is a decision you can make upon completion of the class. Just let the Church Office know you are interested. Existing members are always welcome to join this course as well.
If you have a background in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and are looking to become a member of Holy Cross, email the Church Office to in quire about having your membership transferred.
Youth Ministry
Sunday School
For all children ages 3 and up. Encourage your children to come and learn of God’s love and beautiful creation
Sunday Mornings 10:30-11:30 during the school year
In Ephesians 6:4 the Lord urges parents regarding their children, "Bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." Sunday School is provided at Holy Cross to assist parents in fulfilling this important responsibility toward their children.
Sunday School is held during the school year, stopping for the summer on Memorial Day weekend and resuming with Rally Day on the Sunday after Labor Day.
Catechism Classes (Confirmation)
Proverbs 22:6 both urges and promises parents, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Midweek School and Confirmation Class is provided at Holy Cross to assist parents in fulfilling this important responsibility toward their children.
Classes are held during the school year, stopping for the summer about a week before school ends, and resuming about a week after school begins. Midweek class is on Wednesday evenings.
In addition to Catechism classes, as part of the Confirmation program the children, accompanied by their parents or guardians, faithfully attend worship services at Holy Cross and serve as acolytes/crucifiers.
For more information or if you wish to enroll your child in Catechism Class at Holy Cross, please call the Church Office at 605-232-9117, or email the Church Office at holycrossdakotadunes@gmail.com.
Youth Group
For middle school and high school students. We meet once a month during the school year for fun activities and mission projects
Vacation Bible School
Each year, Holy Cross holds Vacation Bible School program for members and non-members. It is usually held in the mornings during the first week of June. In addition to Bible lessons, activities include crafts, music, snacks, and recess. The focus is on outreach into the communities which our congregation serves, and VBS at Holy Cross is really a community event, with most of the children in attendance not members of Holy Cross. Check our News and Upcoming Events for more information and specific dates.
If you wish to enroll your child in Vacation Bible School at Holy Cross, or for more information, please call the church office at 605-232-9117 or email us at holycrossdakotadunes@gmail.com.
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