HOLY CROSS LUTHERAN CHURCH
307 Hawkins Avenue
Lake Ronkonkoma, NY  11779
631-588-9509
Rev. Claudia D. Raggie, Pastor

We celebrate 75 years of  ministry as Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Lake Ronkonkoma, NY.  Many years ago people in the area had a vision to plant a Lutheran church here in Lake Ronkonkoma, a bustling destination spot for "city folk" and a growing rural Long Island community.  Together with 98 people Holy Cross took shape;first in a small room in Liberty Hall on Ocean Ave., April 25, 1948.  Later it moved to its current location when a small wooden church building was erected in 1949.  As suburbia extended eastward on Long Island, the next iteration of Holy cross took shape.   Bricks were laid, the sanctuary expanded, the old parsonage was moved off the property, blacktop was poured, classrooms added, and the Fellowship Hall was created.  Next came the office wing and the expanded narthex.  Then the preschool came about as a way to serve the community.  The more recent innovations to the ministry came with our store being created, Crosswords & Gifts; a very significant expansion of our ministry into the community and beyond.  Then came the Rock Solid Vision Plan (R.S.V.P.) which had 4 phases.  The church family commitment to RSVP over many years allowed us to reconfigure the worship space (sanctuary) to be multi-functional for creative worship as well as meeting and classroom space (sorely needed).  The organ was moved down front from the balcony, which brought the choir down front so we could see them and engage with them in worship.  The altar area was reorganized to draw us together as a worshiping church family.  Medias was added to enhance the worship and educational experiences.  Holy Cross has also been important in serving the local community as we have opened our doors continually to special groups such as NA, AA, Soup Kitchen, Grief small groups, Alzheimer's Support Groups, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Blood drives and more.  Pastors have come and gone helping the shape the ministry.  People have come and gone, always singing, praying and serving.  Families have been shaped by this ministry.  People's lives have been changed.  All because God has been doing His work through this church family, using people to extend His grace, forgiveness and salvation to all who seek to know the glory of God.