Welcome to the Peace Community Blog: May 2010

Friday, May 28, 2010

For Trinity Sunday

May 30, 2010

For a list of upcoming activities go to http://www.mychurchevents.com/calendar/calendar.aspx?ci=G1K5L6N8L6I3N8

Be sure to check out our website http://welcometopeace.com

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.

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.

This Sundays Events
This Sunday is the festival Sunday of the Holy Trinity. The feast day began in response to growing heresy as the church grew in numbers in the 4th century. Church leaders began to see that without some kind of creed that states the foundational beliefs of the faith, the followers of Christ could easily lose their identity. The whole feast day is about staying true to our faith and not letting other religions and philosophies lead us astray.

Traditionally the church recites the Athanasian Creed on this Sunday, though few, including us, do. I share it with you here so that you can read it. The creed is very, shall we say, deep, but it offers us guidance on understanding how the trinity works in our lives.

Athanasian Creed
Whoever wants to be saved should above all cling to the catholic faith.

Whoever does not guard it whole and inviolable will doubtless perish eternally.

Now this is the catholic faith: We worship one God in trinity and the Trinity in unity, neither confusing the persons nor dividing the divine being.

For the Father is one person, the Son is another, and the Spirit is still another.

But the deity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is one, equal in glory, coeternal in majesty.

What the Father is, the Son is, and so is the Holy Spirit.

Uncreated is the Father; uncreated is the Son; uncreated is the Spirit.

The Father is infinite; the Son is infinite; the Holy Spirit is infinite.

Eternal is the Father; eternal is the Son; eternal is the Spirit: And yet there are not three eternal beings, but one who is eternal; as there are not three uncreated and unlimited beings, but one who is uncreated and unlimited.

Almighty is the Father; almighty is the Son; almighty is the Spirit: And yet there are not three almighty beings, but one who is almighty.

Thus the Father is God; the Son is God; the Holy Spirit is God: And yet there are not three gods, but one God.

Thus the Father is Lord; the Son is Lord; the Holy Spirit is Lord: And yet there are not three lords, but one Lord.

As Christian truth compels us to acknowledge each distinct person as God and Lord, so catholic religion forbids us to say that there are three gods or lords.

The Father was neither made nor created nor begotten; the Son was neither made nor created, but was alone begotten of the Father; the Spirit was neither made nor created, but is proceeding from the Father and the Son.

Thus there is one Father, not three fathers; one Son, not three sons; one Holy Spirit, not three spirits.

And in this Trinity, no one is before or after, greater or less than the other; but all three persons are in themselves, coeternal and coequal; and so we must worship the Trinity in unity and the one God in three persons.

Whoever wants to be saved should think thus about the Trinity.

It is necessary for eternal salvation that one also faithfully believe that our Lord Jesus Christ became flesh.

For this is the true faith that we believe and confess: That our Lord Jesus Christ, God's Son, is both God and man.

He is God, begotten before all worlds from the being of the Father, and he is man, born in the world from the being of his mother -- existing fully as God, and fully as man with a rational soul and a human body; equal to the Father in divinity, subordinate to the Father in humanity.

Although he is God and man, he is not divided, but is one Christ.

He is united because God has taken humanity into himself; he does not transform deity into humanity.

He is completely one in the unity of his person, without confusing his natures.

For as the rational soul and body are one person, so the one Christ is God and man.

He suffered death for our salvation. He descended into hell and rose again from the dead.

He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

At his coming all people shall rise bodily to give an account of their own deeds.

Those who have done good will enter eternal life, those who have done evil will enter eternal fire.

This is the catholic faith.

One cannot be saved without believing this firmly and faithfully.

Text prepared by the International Consultation on English Texts (ICET) and the English Language Liturgical Consultation (ELLC). Reproduced by permission.

The title of my sermon is "A Deeper Truth" and will be about how the Holy Spirit leads us always backward to the truth of God's revelation in Christ. When we struggle in life and deal with all of life's dramas, we have this trust that the Spirit is guiding us not away from the truth of Christ, but to a deeper understanding of God's grace for us and others. I hope that you will enjoy it.

This Sunday, Zachary Thomas Mendoza will be baptized at the 11:00 service. Zachary is the son of Ray & Stephanie Mendoza. We will also be celebrating the adult confirmation of Sam and Cindy Smith and Ray Mendoza. Dorothy Smith and Stephanie Mendoza will be affirming their baptisms. This will happen at the 11:00 service.

We will also be starting some liturgical changes this Sunday.
8:30: "Now the Feast and Celebration" service. We learned this one last year with many positive comments
9:45: Setting 3. This service is from the Lutheran Book of Worship and known well by the congregation
11:00: Setting 8 from ELW. This is a new liturgy for us to learn. We think you will really enjoy its upbeat music.

Finally we will, for the next 2 Sundays, do our annual "Blessing of the Travelers". This blessing is for all those who will be going on trips this summer. In the narthex there is a large map of the United States and pins to mark the different places members and friends of our community are traveling.

Midweek Bible Study, "Respecting Our Neighbor's Faith"
We will taking a summer break and be restarting in mid August.

Wedding Invitation
Kimberly Rohm and George Higgins want to invite the congregation to their wedding on Saturday May 29 at 3:00 pm at Peace. Reception will follow in the fellowship hall.

Fourth of July Church Picnic
This summer the 4th of July falls on a Sunday and we would like to see if there is any interest in attending a 5pm-dark event featuring chopped barbecue sandwiches, hot dogs, sides and ice cream. We will also have games for adults and children. We will end the evening by watching the fireworks from the Peace parking lot. We are beginning a sign up this Sunday in the narthex or you can email jgriffin@welcometopeace.com. This is open to all family and friends. We will have a free will offering to cover the costs. Please let us know if you are interested.

New Youth And Family Director
Ben Remmert will begin on June 1. We are all excited about his arrival and ministry.

Pastoral Care Notes
George and Kim who will be married on Saturday
Ashley Guerrero and Kenny Sundstrom who will be married on Sunday. Ashley is the daughter of Blaise and Jane Guerrero.
Jason Elliott continues his treatment for cancer.
Dale Taggert continues his treatment for cancer

Notes From The Treasurer
We thank everyone for their financial support for our mission and ministry! Without your generosity, we can not do what God is calling us to do.

General Operating Fund deposits for May 2nd through May 16th.

5-2-10 $13,266.50

5-9-10 $7,481.40

5-16-10 $9,889.50

The above amount for May 2nd includes 2 Simply Givings. The above amount for May 16th includes 2 Simply Givings.

To meet our budgeted income, we need $10,673 a week. For the three weeks in May, we have a total of $30,637.40 actual income. Our estimated income for this time period is $32,019. We are under our budgeted income by $1,381.60 for the third week in May.

Designated deposits for January 3rd through May 16th:

Adult Education $30

Building Maintenance $200

Building Rental Fee $50

Fair Trade Coffee $289

Good Samaritan $128

Habitat for Humanity $1340

Haiti Relief Fund $1,390

Labyrinth $250

Loose Offering $3,956.08

Lutherhill Camp Registration $170

Memorial Fund $5,131

Pasadena Community Ministries $2,342.34

Pasadena Faith in Action $130

Pony Express $580

Sheet Music $220

Souper Bowl $454.70

Sunday School $186.03

Telephone Refund $174.40

TX/La Gulf Coast Synod $2,400

Wedding Deposit $550

World Hunger $70

Youth Expense/Confirmation $384.67

Youth Mission Trip $30

See you Sunday!
Pastor Tart

Vacation Bible School
July 25-29 is VBS time at Peace. Food, fun and fellowship will be enjoyed by all ages. Invite a friend and come enjoy a HIGH SEAS ADVENTURE! Each night starts with a light meal at 6:00 pm and classes begin at 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. We hope to see a record attendance this year.

Crew leaders and all types of helpers are needed to make this another successful year. Anyone interested in volunteering can sign up on the VBS bulletin board or contact Jennifer Sanders at 281-993-5793 or Julie Shaw at 281-479-9828. Thanks in advance for your continued support of this program.

50+ Bus Trips
Mark your calendar for upcoming trips:
June 8 - Stark Museum, Orange, TX.
We will leave at 8:00am. Cost: $2.00 +Lunch +Program donation ($3.00) then to Beaumont to St. Anthony Cathedral (Free) if we have time.
June 19 - Astros ballgame, tickets-$6.00
July 12 - National Museum of Funeral History (they have added new exhibits since we were there) and lunch at the Potato Patch (which is a treat in itself - they throw rolls, muffins, etc. and you catch)
July 23 – Play: “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum”, tickets-$6.00

Watch the newsletters for more information. Call Virginia, 281-487-4961 or Judy, 281-470-0407 if you want to join us.

Remember: If you are signed up for a trip and won't be able to go, please call Virginia or Judy and let them know as we have people on waiting lists for our trips that would like to have your spot.

Bazaar Team
The Bazaar Team will be meeting Tuesday June 1st and the 15th at 10:00 am for crafts, fun and fellowship. Please plan to join us. Hope to see you there.

Sarah’s House
The Women's Board has voted to minister to an organization called Sarah's House. Sarah's House is a shelter for women in crisis and their children, and is located at 2210 Wichita, Pasadena, TX 77502. These women have lost their jobs and can't afford housing. Many have been sleeping in their cars. Please consider making a donation of any of the following items.

Non-perishable food items
Non-perishable food items for children
Cleaning products
Paper products
Feminine Hygiene products
Toys

Look for a box in the Narthex marked for Sarah's House for your donations.

Creative Hands Ministry
We will do 2 pumpkin classes: a day class on June 7th at 9:30 am and a night class on June 8th at 6:30 pm. The pumpkins will be for the bazaar. You may take both classes. There will be one pumpkin per person (2 if you attend both the day and night). Everything will be furnished. The fall pumpkins were one of our popular items at the last bazaar. They will be a different shape to add to your pumpkin patch.

Sign up so we will have a pumpkin and enough supplies reserved for you. A sign up sheet is on the table in the narthex. This will be the only times this class will be offered. ALL AGES ARE WELCOME.

Note: the above meeting times and days are off our regular schedule and due to the summer vacations will be the only meetings times we will have for June.

Please continue to save your used inks and toners. We used the vouchers for our paper products and various supplies for carding classes

Brotherhood Breakfast
All men of the congregation and guests are invited to join us on Saturday, June 5th at 8:00 am in the Fellowship Hall for our monthly breakfast and meeting. (Note the time change.) We hope that you will consider joining us for good fellowship and food. Any questions call Weldon Wilkerson or Art Wiederhold. We will not meet in July because of the holiday weekend.

June Lunch Bunch
Parish Life Lunch Bunch invites one and all to the Original Italian Pie Restaurant, 3915 Spencer Highway, Pasadena on June 27th from 11:00am to 1:30ish pm. If you are planning to go, please be sure to sign up on the sheet located on the Parish Life bulletin board in the narthex.
Owen King - Lunch Bunch Coordinator

Habitat for Humanity
As of the end of May the Habitat for Humanity house in Pasadena is progressing nicely. Peace Lutheran has sent 7 volunteers to help with the build on the weekends of May 1 and May 8. They helped with installation of Hurricane clips and the application of exterior sheath. Peace volunteers who have worked are Larry Fiedler, Dan and Nancy Ward, Carolyn Jones, Cindy Fitch, Steve Cumbie, and Ted Brenneman. The next scheduled day for Peace volunteers to work is May 29 when 6 workers are needed. I will be phoning to recruit workers. The weekend of May 15 Jany Reeves stepped up at the last minute to head providing lunch for the workers. The work day turned out to be a rainout so the lunch is on hold. Thanks to all who have worked.

Ted Brenneman
Peace Lutheran Habitat Champion.

Have a fun and safe Memorial Day weekend!

Friday, May 21, 2010

FOR PENTECOST SUNDAY

WEEK OF MAY 23, 2010

For a list of upcoming activities go to http://www.mychurchevents.com/calendar/calendar.aspx?ci=G1K5L6N8L6I3N8

Be sure to check out our website http://welcometopeace.com

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.

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.

This Sundays Events

This Sunday is the festival Sunday of Pentecost and we encourage everyone to wear red. The red symbolizes the fire of the Spirit that descended on the disciples to empower them to spread the news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to carry this Gospel to the world.

We will also be confirming 9 of our young people at the 11:00 service: Christopher “Andy” Canales, Elizabeth Craft, Sky Davis, Nichole Glazener, Chase Glowka, Austin Hagemeister, Jada Knott, Jessica Rydlund and Kyle Ural. We will be praying for the Spirit to guide and empower them. We will have a special slideshow presentation celebrating each one.

The title of my sermon is "Let Not Your Hearts Be Afraid".

Midweek Bible Study, "Respecting Our Neighbor's Faith"

We will have our last class before breaking for the summer this next week. We will resume in late August with the same study.

Worship Liturgy Changes Beginning May 30
8:30 "Now the Feast and Celebration" service. We learned this one last year with many positive comments
9:45: Setting 3. This service is from the Lutheran Book of Worship and known well by the congregation
11:00: Setting 8 from ELW. This is a new liturgy for us to learn. We think you will really enjoy its upbeat music.

The purpose of these changes is to keep our worship fresh and to honor all the different tastes for music and liturgy in our community. I remind everyone of the ethic of love that calls us to not just think of worship as something that pleases ourselves, but our neighbor. Besides Lutheran worship centers on the bath of our baptism, the welcome of all to the table of Christ and the word of God spoken and proclaimed. Music and liturgy are the means of Grace.

Wedding Invitation
Kimberly Rhone and George Higgins invite the congregation to their wedding on Saturday May 29 at 3:00pm at Peace.

Fourth of July Church Picnic

This summer the 4th of July falls on a Sunday. An idea is floating around to have a church picnic that afternoon that will end with watching the fireworks from the Peace parking lot and second floor of our education building. The picnic would have hotdogs and hamburgers, horseshoes, washers, board games, water-slides for children, and other entertainment. All the idea needs is leadership. If you would like to join someone in helping to organize and publicize this event contact the church office or email me (pastordavid@welcometopeace.com).

Pastoral Care Notes
Dale Taggart: Southeast Memorial Hermann
Jason Elliott continues his treatment for cancer

Notes from the Treasurer
We thank everyone for their financial support for our mission and ministry! Without our generosity, we can not do what God is calling us to do.

General Operating Fund deposits for May 2nd through May 9th.
5-2-10 $13,266.50
5-9-10 $7,481.40

The above amount for May 2nd includes 2 Simply Givings.

To meet our budgeted income, we need $10,673 a week. For the two weeks in May, we have a total of $20,747.90 actual income. Our estimated in come for this time period is $21,346. We are under our budgeted income by $598.10 for the two weeks in May.

Designated deposits for January 3rd through May 9th.
Adult Education $30
Building Maintenance $200
Building Rental Fee $50
Fair Trade Coffee $289
Good Samaritan $128
Habitat for Humanity $1340
Haiti Relief Fund $1,390
Labyrinth $250
Loose Offering $3,620.08
Lutherhill Camp Registration $170
Memorial Fund $4,996
Pasadena Community Ministries $2,342.34
Pasadena Faith in Action $130
Pony Express $580
Sheet Music $220
Souper Bowl $454.70
Sunday School $171.64
Telephone Refund $174.40
TX/La Gulf Coast Synod $2,400
Wedding Deposit $550
World Hunger $70
Youth Expense/Confirmation $368.42
Youth Mission Trip $30

See you Sunday!
Pastor Tart

Help Needed
We are in need of more volunteers to prepare communion on Sunday mornings at all three services. If you are interested please contact Monica Clark at (281) 991-7151. Training is available.

May Clothing Drive for PCM
For the month of May, the Creative Hands and the Girls Scouts are collecting play clothes, jeans, shorts, etc. for all ages. Pasadena Community Ministries is in desperate need of gently used baby and young children's clothing, as well as disposable diapers. Please fold and put these in the boxes under the table in the narthex. Please, no hangers as we are limited on space. We will deliver on June 7th. Let’s fill my van up!
Jany Reeves

Newsletter Articles Due
Articles for the June issue of The Messenger are due in the church office tomorrow. You can email your article to Judy Griffin at jgriffin@welcometopeace.com or place them in her mail box.

Peace Lutheran Prayer Group
Prayer is a very important part of our ministry here at Peace. On Tuesday nights at 7:00 pm, a group of our members gets together to pray for all those in need, and we would love to have you join us. If you are interested, please call Geri Warren at (281) 479-3875.

Senior Citizens’ Day
The next Senior Citizens Day is Wednesday, May 26th from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. If you like to play cards, Mexican Train dominoes and “42” or Skip-Bo, bring a potluck dish to share and a friend and join us!

Vacation Bible School
Save the date. July 25-29 is VBS time at Peace! Join us for a HIGH SEAS ADVENTURE with fellowship, food and fun for all while we learn of the many gifts God has provided for us. Teachers, crew leaders and all types of helpers will be needed to make this another successful year. We would also like to have at least two adult classes available and need volunteer teachers for this also. Anyone interested should look for the sign up sheets or contact Jennifer Sanders at 281-993-5793 or Julie Shaw at 281-479-9828. Planning meetings will begin soon.

Reception For David And Brenna
David & Brenna (soon to be) Booher will be married on June 5th. We invite you to come celebrate with them as they start their new life together. A reception will be held in the Fellowship Hall on Sunday, June 6th, at 1:00 pm. Light refreshments will be served.

50+ Bus Trips
Mark your calendar for upcoming trips:
June 8 - Stark Museum, Orange, TX.
We will leave at 8:00am. Cost: $2.00 +Lunch +Program donation ($3.00) then to Beaumont to St. Anthony Cathedral (Free) if we have time.

June 19 - Astros ballgame, tickets-$6.00

July 12 - National Museum of Funeral History (they have added new exhibits since we were there) and lunch at the Potato Patch (which is a treat in itself - they throw rolls, muffins, etc. and you catch)

July 23 – Play: “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum”, tickets-$6.00

Watch the newsletters for more information. Call Virginia, 281-487-4961 or Judy, 281-470-0407 if you want to join us.

Remember: If you are signed up for a trip and won't be able to go, please call Virginia or Judy and let them know as we have people on waiting lists for our trips that would like to have your spot.

Sarah’s House
The Women's Board has voted to minister to an organization called Sarah's House. Sarah's House is a shelter for women in crisis and their children, and are located at 2210 Wichita, Pasadena, TX 77502. These women have lost their jobs and can't afford housing. Many have been sleeping in their cars. Please consider making a donation of any of the following items.

Non-perishable food items
Non-perishable food item for children
Cleaning products
Paper products
Feminine Hygiene products
Toys
Look for a box in the Narthex marked for Sarah's House for your donations.

Hurricane Preparation
With the start of the 2010 hurricane season just a few weeks away and many hurricane season forecasters already predicting that this year’s storm season will be an active one, local emergency management officials are encouraging residents to begin to prepare.

To help them do exactly that, and to answer questions about preparations for any other emergency situation, the City of Pasadena, together with the Southeast Regional Local Emergency Planning Committee, will host a Community Safety Fair & Hurricane Workshop on Saturday, May 22 at the Pasadena Convention Center.

The free event, which will be held from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., will feature a special presentation about the hurricane season and how to prepare for it by Tim Heller, Chief Meteorologist for KTRK ABC-13. But the fair will also give residents tools and information about many other safety issues that are relevant year-round. There will be information on things like fire safety, crime prevention, swimming pool safety, child internet safety, sheltering in place and chemical release safety.

And although the goal of the event is to give the community some essential information to help in a variety of different crisis situations, the fair will not feel formal or overly educational; in fact, it was designed to be a day of fun for the whole family. As they mingle among the health and safety booths, guests can also enjoy free hot dogs and soft drinks, while supplies last. There will also be door prizes throughout the day and displays of fire trucks and other emergency equipment, including a JAWS of Life demonstration.

Everyone in the community is invited and encouraged to attend the event, which Pasadena’s deputy emergency management coordinator Jim McCrone said will help people learn how to prepare themselves, as well as their families and their property, for a number of different situations.

He compared emergency preparedness to car insurance, saying, “You hope for the best, and odds are slim that you’ll have to use it often. But if you do, you don’t want to be caught off-guard.”

Admission to the Community Safety Fair & Hurricane Workshop is free. The Pasadena Convention Center is located at 7902 Fairmont Parkway. For more information, contact (713) 475-5588

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Week of May 16

For 7th Sunday of Easter, week of May 9

This Sundays Events

This Sunday we will be hearing Jesus praying for unity in his followers. My sermon title is, "That they may be one" and I will be preaching about how the church's unity is grounded in not in being "like minded", but "like loved". We will always have differences of opinions in our community, but there are somethings that we don't disagree on-the Grace and Love of God for all people.

We will be baptizing Emmersyn Wright this Sunday at the 945 service. She is the daughter of David and Jody Wright. Congratulations to her family.

Also George Higgins will be affirming his Baptism this Sunday.

Also this Sunday we will be having a special memorial prayer for Maurine Fielder at the 11:00 service for those who were unable to attend her funeral in Hallettsville this Wednesday.

Inquirers Meeting, May 16.

We will have an gathering for everyone wishing to know more about Peace on Sunday, May 16 after the 11 service. Invite someone to attend!

Midweek Bible Study, "Respecting our Neighbor's Faith"

On Wednesday mornings I am leading the Wednesday Bible Study group with a overview study of the other denominations and religions. The study should continue well into May. Feel free to come on any Wednesday from 10-11:30. We always have a great time together. (Once a month we take a break for the Senior Fellowship Wednesday.)

Worship Liturgy Changes:

8:30 "Now the Feast and Celebration" service. We learned this one last year with many positive comments

9:45: Setting 3 This service is from the Lutheran Book of Worship and known well by the congregation

11:00: Setting 8 from ELW. This a new liturgy for us to learn. We think you will really enjoy its upbeat music.

The purpose of these changes is to keep our worship fresh and to honor all the different tastes for music and liturgy in our community. I remind everyone of the ethic of love that call us to not just think of worship as something that pleases ourselves, but our neighbor. Besides Lutheran worship centers on the bath of our baptism, the welcome of all to the table of Christ and the word of God spoken and proclaimed. Music and liturgy are the means of Grace.

Survey

We have posted the results of the survey in the narthex.

Wedding Invitation

Kimberly Rohm and George Higgins want to invite the congregtation to their wedding on Saturday May 29 at 3pm at Peace.

Fourth of July Church Picnic.

This summer the 4th of July falls on a Sunday. An idea is floating around to have a church picnic that afternoon that will end with watching the fireworks from the Peace parking lot and second floor of our education building. The picnic would have hotdogs and hamburgers, horseshoes, washers, board games, water-slides for children, and other entertainment. All the idea needs is leadership. If you would like to join someone in helping to organize and publicize this event contact the church office or email me (pastordavid@welcometopeace.com).

See you Sunday!

Pastor Tart

Thursday, May 6, 2010

weekly email for May 9

For 6th Sunday of Easter, week of May 9

This Sundays Events

We will be giving God thanks for our mothers this Sunday, both those living for those who now rest in God's wonderful glory. We honor their love and their sacrifices.

This Sunday we will be hearing the story from John's Gospel about a paralyzed man being healed. My sermon title is, "Up off the mat" and I will be preaching about how God's grace lifts us off the mat of those things that paralyze us.

We will be recognizing some of our high school graduates this Sunday and also next Sunday. We will present them blankets to remind them that the are always covered in the love of Christ and love of our community.

We will be selling fair trade coffee this Sunday. Be sure to stop by the table and support this ministry that provides fair prices directly to the growers.