Weely Email for April 12, Easter Sunday

Weekly Email for Easter Sunday, April 12^th

The tomb is empty! He is risen! Such news quickens our hearts with joy and calls us forth as messengers of new life. I hope you are planning the celebrate with the faithful this Sunday.  The title of my Easter sermon is “Who will move the Stone?”. I will be talking about the Easter message moves the stones of death from our lives. I hope you will be blessed by this Word.

Service times

6:45 Sunrise Communion Service outside weather permitting, David Booher will be sharing the message

7:30-8:30 Easter Breakfast

8:30, 9:45 and 11:00 Festival Communion with special music.

NO Sunday school, but we will have “Word for Children”  at 8:30, 9:45 and 11:00 services

Also don’t forget about our Maundy Thursday service at 7:00 and Good Friday at 7:00. Both are very powerful services.

April 19 we will have one service at 10:30 with Sunday School at 9:00. We will have our Pony Express Bar-b-Que following the service. Pony rides for children and other games will also be available.  We ask everyone to “dress western” for the day.

The Pony Express is a property outreach fundraiser to raise $100,000 for a new sign, new playground and audio visual enhancements to our sanctuary and narthex.

We will be passing saddlebags from home to home asking people to prayerfully consider how much they estimate they will give toward this appeal.  A member will drop off the saddlebag to your home and then you will pass the saddlebag to the next home on the list. If you can not reach that person, circle the name and go to the next address.  The addresses will be in your area.  We also see this is a great way for us to connect as a congregation.

See you Sunday!

Pastor Tart

For Sunday March 29

If you cannot attend this Sunday, you can still make an offering using our online service at  Contribute Online.   Thank you for your commitment to our mission and ministry.

 

Facebook invitation

Be sure to check out the Peace Lutheran Facebook. It’s a great way to stay in touch with your church friends and it’s a lot of fun.  You need a Facebook account to become a “friend of Peace”. Just do a search on Facebook and you will find us.

 

Sunday Events

This Sunday the title of my sermon is “Greeks (not geeks ha ha) at the Door”. The story from John is a group of Greeks wanting to see Jesus at the festival of the Passover. This scene is very startling because the Greeks at the time were enemies of the Jews. They had been responsible for the desecration of their temple during a long reign of terror.  Why did they want to come and would they be accepted?  Jesus then goes into his great words about a single grain being planted in the soil so that it might bear much fruit. By going to the cross and buried in death on the cross, his love and his great compassion for the world bears the fruit of the beloved community where all are accepted  and where all can come to the party.  We at Peace are the fruit of the death of Cross and we gather to be the community where all can know of his great love.

 

We will also be celebrating the baptism of the daughter of David and Donna Greif,  Erin Michelle,  at the 9:45 service.  She is also the granddaughter of Jerry and Mavis Greif.  Mavis’ brother, Rev. Danny Koenig, will do the baptism. At the 11:00 service we will welcome David & Regina Hayek and Rebecca & Katelyn Turner into the family of Peace.

Last Wednesday Lent Service

11:45am – Lunch, 12:30pm - Worship

6:00pm – Soup Supper, 7:00pm - Worship

We have one more Wednesday Lent service, so this is your last chance if you haven’t attended any. We have had good attendance and the food has been great. Thanks to all who have brought soups and stews.  If you would like to bring a pot of soup for Wednesday night, contact Jennifer Sanders or the church office. 

 

Pony Express Fundraiser, April 19 at 10:30 Sunday School at 9:00, Bar-b-que Roundup Afterward (Be sure to dress in western wear on the 19^th!)

Pony Express Fundraiser and Bar-b-que cookoff is going well. We still would like to have a few more teams. Please stop by and sign up on the board.  We are going to have pony rides for the children and other games for both adults and youth.

 

The saddlebags will be passed from home to home and we ask people to give prayerful consideration to give an estimate of what they will give to the property outreach fundraiser for a playground, new sign, and technology for the sanctuary and narthex. Please pass the bag to the next person on the list in the bag and if they are not home make a note and pass it to the next person. We have 36 routes made up of people in your surrounding area.

 

April 19 Bar-b-que tickets

We are asking people to buy a ticket so that we can estimate how many are coming. The cost is $5.00 for adults,  $3.00 for children under 13 and free for those under 5.  Tickets are in the narthex and we are using the honor system. Just put your money in the box and pick up your tickets. You can also call the church office.

 

Holy Week Services

Palm Sunday – Sunday of the Passion, April 5

            8:30, 9:45, 11:00 am  Procession of palms at all three services. We will also have congregation reading of the passion according to Mark.

 

No Wednesday Seder Meal

 

Maundy Thursday, April 9  12:30 and 7:00pm  Both services have communion. Foot washing will be at the 7:00 service only. Stripping of the altar will be at both services. Spirit of Peace will serve the music ministry at the 7:00pm service.

 

Good Friday, April 10

7:00pm Special Tenebrae service with a combined choir of La Porte Methodist and Peace. They have prepared some wonderful music from Handel’s Messiah. We will also have special musicians.

 

Easter  Saturday, April 11

            10am Easter Egg hunt and flowering of the cross. Have children bring flowers.

 

Easter Sunday, April 12 No Sunday School, but we will have the Word for Children Program at 8:30, 9:45 and 11:00 services

            6:45am Easter Sunrise Service outdoors with communion

            7:30-8:30 Easter Breakfast

            8:30 Easter Festival Service

            9:45 Easter Festival Service

            11:00 Easter Festival Service

 

Pastoral Care Notes 

●Congratulations to Lyndall and Tracey Baker and their families on the birth of Kaylee on March 25. She weighed 7.8oz.  Proud grandmother is Gwen Taylor.

●Congratulations to Andy and Natalie Blair and Trenton and their families on the birth of Nathaniel on March 18. Proud grandparents are Robert and Joann Blair.

●Sympathy to the family of Louis Nicholson, husband of Ann Nicholson, who passed away on March 18^th. A memorial service will be held on Monday, March 30^th at 7:00 pm here at Peace. 

See you Sunday!

Pastor Tart

 

30 Hour Famine Today

Our Sr. Hi Youth will be fasting for 30 hours straight and participating in a Lock-In at Kinsmen Lutheran Church tonight and tomorrow to raise awareness for World Hunger. Please keep them in your prayers and ask them to tell their stories on Sunday morning! It’s not too late to give money to help fight World Hunger. Thank you for all your support!

 

HOLY WEEK HELP

With our Holy Week services soon upon us we are in desperate need of people to help as readers, ushers, crucifers and acolytes. Please stop by the sign up in the narthex to participate.

 

MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY UPDATE

We are in the process of updating our membership information and would like your help. Please stop by the table in the narthex and check to make sure that your family information is correct. If you have moved or changed your phone number you can also call Lin Peterson.

 

EASTER LILIES

If you would like to donate a lily to be used for our Easter services, please be sure to write your name on the sign-up sheet in the narthex. Lilies should be brought to the church during Holy Week, and can be taken home following the 11:00 worship service on Easter Sunday.

 

CHORAL LENTEN CANTATA

Our Peace Lutheran Sanctuary Choir is combining with the choir of La Porte United Methodist to present a Lenten Cantata at both churches. We will be singing the Passion portion of Handel’s “Messiah” with organ, string quartet and soloists from our choirs. On Palm Sunday evening, April 5^th, we will present the cantata at First United Methodist of La Porte (time to be determined). On Good Friday, April 10^th, we will present the cantata at Peace Lutheran as part of our Tenebrae service at 7:00 p.m. Mark your calendar now to experience this moving music and worship during Holy Week.

 

50+ BUS TRIP

On April 2^nd, we're going to Old Town Spring for a day of shopping and fun.  Bus will leave Peace parking lot at 9:00 a.m.  Call Sharon, 281-489-9790, or Virginia, 281-487-4961 if you would like to go on this trip.

 

THE PRAYER GROUP IS NOW ACCEPTING CROSSES

These crosses will be used to adorn the walls of our chapel. Crosses may be given in memory of a special someone. They may be given because they have a special story. They may be given because they are different, interesting, or unique. Crosses can be made from all kinds of materials, shapes and sizes. Please write a brief history, story or special meaning about the crosses and place them on the altar in the chapel. If you have questions please contact Ruth Petty or Carolyn Calley.

 

Gnome Removal Services

Visit our official Blog!

weekly email for Sunday March 15

Weekly email for Sunday, March 15, 3rd Sunday in Lent,

I continue to encourage you to join my Facebook as a friend of Peace. This has been a lot of fun and makes our community even stronger. You will need a Facebook account to join.

Sunday’s Sermon and Events                          

This Sunday we will be reading together the cleanings of the temple by Jesus in the Gospel of John.  This story functions a means to understand how Jesus replaces the old temple with himself and how he know becomes the meeting ground for God. We know God through the cross and its power to redeem.  The title of my sermon is “Zeal for the House” and I will be preaching about how Jesus great passion for God’s vision of the people of God propelled him to Golgotha.

We will be presenting a scout, “God and Me” award to Colin and Travis Rhodes at the beginning of the 9:45 service. If you have a scout, you might want to consider having him work toward this recognition. See me for more details.

Our Lenten services are going well and the soups have been wonderful. We are half way through so if you are planning to attend at least one, your time is running out. The times are 12:30 and 7:00 with soup meals beforehand.

Pony Express Fundraiser, April 19 (one worship at 10:30, SS at 9:00)

This Sunday we will be kicking off publicity for our Pony Express Property Improvement Fundraiser.  On Sunday, April 19 at 10:30am we will begin this fundraiser with one worship service and a Bar-B-Que cook off and “Round Up” with games and activities (including Pony Rides for the kids) for the whole family.  The fundraiser hopes to collect $100,000 to improve our property by:

1.    Constructing a safe and fenced playground for children (We have already raised about $12,000 for this project. Estimated cost is $30,000)

2.    Constructing a LED Sign for Fairmont Parkway that will advertise our activities and ministries to the community (Estimated cost is $50,000)

3.    Purchasing pull down screens, projectors and LCD Panels for our sanctuary and narthex. (Estimated cost is $20,000)

We will collect estimate of giving cards from everyone by passing a saddle bag from home to home. No money will be collected with the bag, but we encourage everyone to give prayerful consideration to how much they estimate they will give to this special fund.  Inside your route’s bag will be a special envelope with your name on it and an estimate of giving card with return envelope for you to seal and place in the saddle bag.  These saddle bags will eventually make their way back to Peace.  If you would like to make a one time donation, please return your envelope with the donation inside to the church.

 

On the “Round Up” Sunday, April 19, we will begin passing these bags. As always the success of this mission outreach depends on the participation of everyone. Please choose one or more of the following ministries:

1.    Pray for God’s Spirit to move in our hearts with faith, generosity, joy, enthusiasm and unity for sharing the Gospel through giving to these projects (No pessimism or discouragements).

2.    Sign up to be one of the Bar-B-Que cook off teams in the narthex. We are asking that you cook your favorite Bar-B-Que dish either at your home or here on church grounds for the April 19 meal and round up. We will have special prizes and recognitions. We want each team to have a name. We would like to have at least 15 teams.

3.    Offer to be a “station agent” that monitors the movement of the saddle bags on a predetermined route. You do not have to carry the bag from home to home, only insure that the bag does not get stuck in one place. We will have special training to help you. You will not have to ask anyone for money. We need 30 to 40 of these agents.

4.  Offer to help decorate, set up, or clean up on Round Up Sunday. We would like to have at least 10 people to help with this effort.

Education Ministry Workshop, Saturday, March 14, 9:00am at Peace                                                                                

This workshop is for everyone interested in growing the education ministry at Peace. We will spend the morning working on our current Sunday School Program, Vacation Bible School Plans, Confirmation and other items. Everyone is welcome! We will be done by 12:00 noon.

Return a Visit Team Ministry and Sponsors for new members

The Evangelism team see the need to insure that our visitors feel welcome in our community and that new members have someone to befriend them as they join our congregation. We will have a special orientation and training in the return a visit ministry on Sunday, March 22 at 3:00. Call Elly Wells or the church office if you are interested. This ministry is a lot of fun.

Hurricane Ike Cleanup, From our Synod

We are looking at offering a training for lay people who could be team leaders on work projects.
Congregations who are interested in helping out for the long-haul might want
to consider having a team leader trained in project management...it would go
a long way to help us multiply our capacity. If they are interested, they
can let Volunteer Houston know when the register for the work day. Register
with Volunteer Houston (www.volunteerhouston.org) There will be specific
tabs for "Volunteer First". Follow the directions from there. Each
congregation can register as a group, but it would be very helpful to know
approximately how many are planning on coming. You can expect to be doing
roofing, sheet rocking, or other types of repair labor.   Please call Carol
Flores, Lutheran Social Services Disaster Response 281-687-7121,
carol.flores@lsss.org, www.lsss.org <http://www.lsss.org/>

Prayer Concerns:

For our congregation to soon collect enough funds to pay our benevolence commitment to the synod. We are currently $2500 behind in our commitment.

For our Pony Express Outreach Appeal the unity and joy will fill our hearts as we seek to grow our congregation

For our Education ministry as they meet this Saturday that they will find wisdom in leading the disciplining of our members

For the police officer wounded in the line of duty last week that he will find healing

For our Lenten journey that we will be renewed in the great gift and identity of baptism.

 

For Sunday March 8

Peace Facebook

Be sure to check out Peace Lutheran’s Facebook. I am posting pictures and regular updates about what is happening in the congregation. It’s kind of fun and you can control the amount of information you want to share.  You need to have a Facebook account to become a “Friend of Peace”.  Facebook is a great way to feel connected to your church friends during the week. As time passes I can see this becoming a wonderful way to build our community and reach out to others.  We can do a lot with it.

To find our Facebook go to Facebook and search Peace Lutheran.  I am posting pictures and videos that make it personal.

Sermon Title and Theme

I will be preaching about “Taking up the Cross” and what redemptive suffering for others means. I want to lift up how suffering for others is a great sign of Christ’s church.  When we lose our life for others, we gain it.

Daylight Savings Time

This Sunday is daylight saving time Sunday and everyone needs to move their clocks forward one hour.

Saturday Ministry Events

This Saturday we will be having a Men’s Brotherhood breakfast at 7:30 at Peace and a Lay Ministry Workshop at 9:00. The workshop is about growing and supporting Lay Ministry at Peace.

Education Ministry Workshop, Saturday, March 14, 9:00am at Peace

This workshop is for everyone interested in growing the education ministry at Peace. We will spend the morning working on our current Sunday School Program, Vacation Bible School Plans, Confirmation and other items. Everyone is welcome! We will be done by 12:00 noon.

Pony Express Fundraiser, April 19

This Sunday we will be kicking off publicity for our Pony Express Property Improvement Fund raiser.  On Sunday, April 19 at 10:30am we will begin this fundraiser with one worship service and a Bar-B-Que cook off and “Round Up” with games and activities for the whole family.  The fundraiser hopes to collect $100,000 to improve our property by:

1. Constructing a safe and fenced playground for neighborhood children (We have already raised about $12,000 for this project. Estimated cost is $30,000)
2. Constructing a LED Sign for Fairmont Parkway that will advertise our activities and ministries to the community (Estimated cost is $50,000)
3. Purchasing pull down screens, projectors and LCD Panels for our sanctuary and narthex. (Estimated cost is $20,000)

We will collect estimate of giving cards from everyone by passing a saddle bag from home to home. No money will be collected with the bag, but we encourage everyone to give prayerful consideration to how much they estimate they will give to this special fund.  Inside your route’s bag will be a special envelope with your name on it and an estimate of giving card with return envelope for you to seal and place in the saddle bag.  These saddle bags will eventually make their way back to Peace.  If you would like to make a one time donation, please return your envelope with the donation inside to the church.

On the “Round Up” Sunday, April 19, we will begin passing these bags.

As always the success of this mission outreach depends on the participation of everyone. Please choose one or more of the following ministries:

1. Pray for God’s Spirit to move in our hearts with faith, generosity, joy, enthusiasm and unity for sharing the Gospel through giving to these projects (no pessimism or discouragements).
2. Sign up to be one of the Bar-B-Que cook off teams in the narthex. We are asking that you cook your favorite Bar-B-Que dish either at your home or here on church grounds for the April 19 meal and round up. We will have special prizes and recognitions. We want each team to have a name. We would like to have at least 15 teams.
3. Offer to be a “station agent” that monitors the movement of the saddle bags on a predetermined route. You do not have to carry the bag from home to home, only insure that the bag does not get stuck in one place. We will have special training to help you. You will not have to ask anyone for money. We need 30 to 40 of these agents.
4. Offer to help decorate, set up, or clean up on Round Up Sunday. We would like to have at least 10 people to help with this effort.

 

March 1, First Sunday in Lent

We invite you to become a friend of Peace on the Peace Facebook webpage. Facebook is an online social networking site that helps communities of friends stay connected on an on-going basis. The cost is free. Facebook is a lot fun and you will enjoy the connections. You will need a Facebook account to join.  Go to http://facebook.com for more information and search Facebook for Peace Lutheran Church, Pasadena Texas. We look forward to you joining.

 Our Lenten Journey has begun with the imposition of ashes this week. I am moved by placing this mark of death and mortality on so many people. Yet our mortality is reality and by facing it, we become more open to the power of the cross and empty tomb.  This is only the first step and we will end up with Peter and disciples peering into the empty tomb in amazement.

This Sunday my sermon title is “Tigers, Lions and Bears” and I will be preaching about the power of temptations and evil that prowls around us.  Yet we know that Grace and Faith are more powerful and that Jesus fights by our side with weapons of the Spirit.  I hope that you will be blessed by it.

This Sunday is Pasadena Community Ministries Food Collection Sunday and we ask people to bring a canned food item to share with the hungry. The collection center is by the kitchen.

Our Wednesday Lenten lunches and service will begin this next Wednesday at 11:45 for the lunch and 12:30 for the service.  Our evening soup supper begins at 6:00 and the service is at 7:00.  I will be preaching on Martin Luther’s catechism. This Wednesday we will begin with the 10 commandments.  We will be distributing free pocket catechisms to all who attend.  I am hoping that the series will re-root us in our Lutheran identity.

On Saturday March 7 we have Lay Leadership Workshop to work on identifying, supporting and recruiting lay leadership at Peace. As will all of our workshops, this is an open workshop and we invite you to come and participate. The time is from 9:00am-12:00. Our church lives and thrives on the leadership of our members.

 

Pastoral Care Notes:

We extend our sympathy to Mark Beinvenu and Susan Chappell and their families on the loss of their father, Warren. His service will be Tuesday at 12:00 at St. Hyacinth Catholic Church in Deer Park.  

Prayer Intercessions for this week:

For our Lenten Journey to continue to grow our church in the power of the Spirit and enthusiasm for reaching out to others by inviting them to the Gospel

For our Lay Ministry Workshop that we will find new and exciting ways to call people into leadership in our congregation and give encouragement to those who serve.

Thanks for a safe construction of our new roof and guidance as we continue to repair and improve our property.

For our Pony Express Sunday Leadership and that this appeal will awaken generous support for outreach to our community.

For our national church:

March 1   First Sunday in Lent

Holy God, we give you thanks for the witness of Christians in Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Andorra, Monaco and San Marino.  Grant renewal and strength to the churches in these countries, that the Gospel might reach those who have not yet heard the words of our Lord.

March 2   Thank God for the pastors and people of St.  Peter Lutheran Church, Marble Falls, Texas, and Shepherd of the Hills, Austin, Texas.  They are sharing their pastors, people and resources to start a new congregation -- Spirit in the Hills -- in a growing area west of Austin.  Pastor Danielle Casey and Pastor Heidi Schwerdtfeger-Jones are the developers.

 

March 3   Thank God for Claudia Bergmann and Scott Moore, who serve the congregation of St. Andreas-Nicolai-Petri in Lutherstadt Eisleben, Germany, where Martin Luther was baptized and where he preached his last sermons.  May Claudia's and Scott's ministry help strengthen the church.

 

March 4   Let us pray for Pastor Jensen Seyenkulo and Pastor David Muench as they continue to work with the Inter-Lutheran Committee on Health and Wellness.  May this ministry help the church and its leaders live health lives.

 

March 5   We pray for Pastor James Foster and the people of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Holland, Mich., as they construct a new facility.  May their church building and faith community be built with Christ as their cornerstone.

 

March 6   Pray for the 10 young ELCA members who are serving in the United Kingdom this year through the ELCA Young Adults in Global Mission program, including Kandisa Skaff, Tyler Moe-Slepica and Jacqueline St. Pierre.

 

March 7   Ask the Holy Spirit to guide newly-appointed mission developers Newman Chu-Sheng Chiu, Torrance, Cal.; the Rev. Kristina Johnson, Greensboro, N.C.; Nadia Bolz-Weber, Denver, Colo.; the Rev. Benjamin Ingelson, Channahan, Ill.; Andres Leone, West Columbia, S.C.; Doris Ng, Richmond, Cal.; and the Rev. Mark Borseth, Harvest, Ala.

for Feb 22

Weekly email for Sunday February 22, Transfiguration Sunday

We end our Epiphany Season this Sunday with a bang as we remember and ponder the meaning of Jesus “Mountain Top” experience when he was ‘transfigured’ before the eyes of 4 of his disciples. This story functions as a foreshadowing of the resurrection and the identity of Jesus as the Son of God to whom we should listen.

My sermon title is “Good to Go” and will I will be talking about how our religious encounters with Jesus become the motivation for us to witness and serve in the world. God does not just encounter us in the great moments when God’s presence and goodness are in bright evidence, but in the challenges of daily walking with Christ.  Listening to Jesus is hearing his call to serve others in the real world.

We will be celebrating the baptism of Thadin Lewis Sanders this Sunday at the 8:30 service. His parents, Kenny and Jennifer, and their families are very excited about this great event.

I am glad to announce that the confirmation class at their bake sale raised $844.00 for Lutheran World Relief. With matching funds this total will go to $1600 for serving those in need throughout the world. They want to thank all who contributed and gave to their cause. They will now begin the work of choosing which LWR projects they want to support.

For fun we will have a “Fat Tuesday” pancake and sausage/ham dinner of Feb 24 from 6:00-8:00pm. The choir will be providing the entertainment. We will have a free will offering to help pay for our special musicians on Easter and Good Friday services.  The cost for these musicians could be as high as $800.00. (It’s a popular Sunday for hiring special music)

On Wednesday will begin our Lenten journey with two Ash Wednesday Services at 12:30 and 7:00. Communion and the opportunity for the imposition of ashes will be at both services.

Our Lenten services will continue at each Wednesday until the week before Holy Week. I will be preaching and teaching about Luther’s catechism and we will be distributing pocket catechisms.  I encourage you to keep one in your Bible as a way of understanding the Gospel contained in its pages.

We will have soups available before each service, 12:30 and 7:00. Be sure to come for the fellowship.

I am adding “Ministry and Mission Prayer Intercessions”  to my weekly email as a way to draw us into conversation with God about the mission and ministry of Peace. This came out of our Stewardship Workshop yesterday. These intercessions are not personal in nature but call upon God to engage us in mission and ministry in our congregation and with the wider church.

“Ministry and Mission Prayer Intercessions”  

We pray for……

• Generous hearts as we seek to collect enough offering to support our synod and national church. (Currently we are withholding support until offerings increase)
• Our Lenten Journey that it will call us all back to the great Gospel of the cross of Jesus and that faith and love will increase.
• Our confirmation class as they grow in faith and love and we give thanks for the parents and families who are so faithful in supporting them.
• God’s guidance for Pastor Timothy Pan and Pastor Newman Chiu in Los Angeles, who are reaching out to the Mandarin-speaking populations in their communities in two new mission starts.
• For our Bishop Rinehart and the synod staff as they seek to guide and support the ministries of our congregations.
• For New Life Lutheran in Pearland as they meet this Sunday to discern their ministry and mission.

 

Pastoral Care Notes:

Hospitalized and Released: Sammy Jorgenson,  Jason Elliott, David Beck

Hospitalized:

 Warren Bienvenu  Bayshore

Louis Nicholson at Bayshore

 

Finally, a little humor…………..

 

Hymn #365

A minister was completing a temperance sermon. With great emphasis he said, 'If I had all the beer in the world, I'd take it and pour it into the river.' 

With even greater emphasis he said, 'And if I had
All the wine in the world, I'd take it and pour it into the river.'

And then finally, shaking his fist in the air, he
Said, 'And if I had all the whiskey in the world,
I'd take it and pour it into the river.'

Sermon complete, he sat down.

The song leader stood very cautiously and announced
With a smile, nearly laughing, 'For our closing song,
Let us sing Hymn #365, 'Shall We Gather at the River.