For 21st Sunday after Pentecost


October 17, 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

Sunday's Sermon
This Sunday we will hear Jesus tell the story about the widow who refused to give up in her seeking of justice. Jesus tells this story so that we should not lose heart. The title of my sermon is "Keep Going, Keep Trying" and will be about perseverance. To read more about it go to http://www.textweek.com/yearc/properc24.htm

We will also be celebrating St. Luke’s Sunday and appreciating those who serve in healing ministries. We will involve them in the service and have a special prayer. We will also be thanking our St. Luke's ministers and their ministry of anointing. Dan Ward will be sharing a special talk about this contribution to the "stone soup" at Peace.

Stone Soup Appeal
On October 24th, we will celebrate “Stone Soup” Sunday. Each family unit should have a packet with an estimate of giving card that can be turned in for 2011 Estimate of Giving. We have also included a “Wish Stone”. Make this your “Wish Stone” – what do you wish you could give to Peace Lutheran? How much time do you wish you could share with Peace in worship, learning, prayer, and service? If you could, how much financially would you like to give? Let’s see what we can do by building our own “Stone Soup”! No names will be written on the stones.

Also on Stone Soup Sunday, Oct 24, we will be making stone soup in the kitchen. Everyone is asked to bring a little something to go in the pots….vegetable, meat or starch, as part of their worship that day. We will have someone there to organize everything. We will then enjoy our soup in a meal after the 11:00 service.

Once upon a time, somewhere in post-war Eastern Europe, there was a great famine in which people jealously hoarded whatever food they could find, hiding it even from their friends and neighbors. One day a wandering soldier came into a village and began asking questions as if he planned to stay for the night.

"There's not a bite to eat in the whole province," he was told. "Better keep moving on." "Oh, I have everything I need," he said. "In fact, I was thinking of making some stone soup to share with all of you." He pulled an iron cauldron from his wagon, filled it with water, and built a fire under it. Then, with great ceremony, he drew an ordinary-looking stone from a velvet bag and dropped it into the water.

By now, hearing the rumor of food, most of the villagers had come to the square or watched from their windows. As the soldier sniffed the "broth" and licked his lips in anticipation, hunger began to overcome their skepticism.

"Ahh," the soldier said to himself rather loudly, "I do like a tasty stone soup. Of course, stone soup with cabbage -- that's hard to beat."

Soon a villager approached hesitantly, holding a cabbage he'd retrieved from its hiding place, and added it to the pot. "Capital!" cried the soldier. "You know, I once had stone soup with cabbage and a bit of salt beef as well, and it was fit for a king." The village butcher managed to find some salt beef . . . and so it went, through potatoes, onions, carrots, mushrooms, and so on, until there was indeed a delicious meal for all. The villagers offered the soldier a great deal of money for the magic stone, but he refused to sell and traveled on the next day.

The moral is that by working together, with everyone contributing what they can, a greater good is achieved.

Is the “Stone Soup” story just an old fable or can we use it at Peace Lutheran to guide our actions for 2011? As we journey into the coming year, we are faced with a lot of hurdles – a weak economy, declining membership, and stressful schedules. Sometimes, it seems like we take one step forward, but two steps back. What can anyone do to build and grow our Mission at Peace Lutheran Church?

The “Stone Soup” story shows us what can be accomplished with the combined efforts of “a village.” With the contributions of the village, no one went hungry; the people all came together to create a bounty “fit for a King.”

How do we create a “Bounty”? We all know the “King” – Jesus Christ has blessed us time and again with faith, friendship, love, and joy.

In October we will be exploring opportunities to build and grow our faith, express our love for each other and our community, and increase our joy in the gifts that we are freely given. During this month long journey, please prayerfully consider what God is calling Peace Lutheran Church to do in 2011, and please pray about what God may be calling you to give our faith family – not just financially, but also in terms of your time and your talents.

Our journey will continue to revisit the Stone Soup Story as we look at different ingredients that we can give to our “soup.” As we look at these areas, we ask you to consider adding your own “stone” – of Faith, of Love, of Joy. These “stones” are included in your packet, and these stones will be added to our “Stone Soup Story” board. We are asking each person to write about some act of faith, love or joy that can bless our community. For instance, the joy of singing in worship or the love of bringing food to our food collection, or the faith in praying for those who are grieving. The more specific the better. What is your gift that you would like to bring?

If you cannot attend on the 24th or other Sundays you can mail in your stone, drop it by the office or bring it on the first Sundays in November.

Other News..................

Journeying Faithfully Together: Human Sexuality and the ELCA
It has been a year since our church voted to allow a congregation to call a minister who is in a same sex publicly accountable relationship. I know that people in our congregation and community have some lingering resentments because of this decision and think that the ELCA is losing a moral compass. I have heard this and I totally respect a person's right to have and share their feelings, opinions and thoughts. I don't think someone else has to be wrong in order for me to be right. I, however, hope and pray that our community will stay focused not on laws of conduct, but on the bigger question of how we might lift the burdens of others and invite them to live lives of dignity and grace. Say what you will about this decision, but it is obvious to me that allowing such ministers is lifting a burden off those who for many years struggled with accepting who they are and loving who they want. The decision is allowing congregations that dearly love their minister the freedom for him or her to serve them with the good gifts of the Gospel.

I am very saddened by those who seek to disassociate over this decision or any policy or social statement of the church. I think such a decision to separate or not support helps no one to grow. Thus, on Tuesdays at 7:00 pm I invite all who struggle with this issue to come to Peace and join in weekly study of human sexuality that will include study of homosexuality and the ELCA policy. The approach to such issues is not polarization, but study, prayer, reflection and open minded dialog.

We have about 10 of us who are meeting in the upstairs conference room.

We have completed the study of sexuality and now are embarking on a six week study of homosexuality.

Journeying Faithfully Together: Part Two, The Church and Homosexuality

Thank you’s
We thank David Wiederhold for his sharing of his powerful story last Sunday.

Wednesday Morning Bible Study
The Wednesday Bible Study group meets at 10:00 am. We have begun our study of Galatians. Bring your Bible and join the fun.

Pastoral Care Notes
Janet Stepp: Released
Bill Cook: Memorial Hermann Burn Unit
Dale Taggart continues his treatment for cancer
Jason Elliott continues his treatment for cancer.

Sympathy to the Walena Medlin and family on the loss of her sister-in-law, Nita Upton on October 10, and to Ann Nicholson and family on the death of her brother, Ray Hassell, on October 11.

Congratulations to Devon Kresse & Jeremy Franklin on the birth of their son, Jeremyah Clark Franklin, who was born on October 11th. Grandparents are Steve & Angie Kresse. Great-grandfather is Clark Hackler.

See you on Sunday!
Pastor Tart

General Operating Fund deposits for September 26th:
9-05-10 $10,895.50
9-12-10 $6,381.50
9-19-10 $7,411.50
9-26-10 $9,322.90

To meet our budgeted income, we need $10,673 a week.

Overview of actual vs. estimated income for 2010:

                                      Actual                        Estimated
January                           $44,549                    $53,365 (five Sundays)
February                         $41,879                    $42,692
March                             $41,563                    $42,692
April                               $42,518                    $42,692
May                               $45,594                    $53,365 (five Sundays)
June                               $36,092                    $42,692
July                                $33,586                    $42,692
August                           $42,457                    $53,365 (five Sundays)
September                     $34,486                    $42,692
October
November
December

Designated deposits for January 3rd through September 26th:

Adult Education $70
Building Fund (Mortgage)$13,952
Building Maintenance $200
Building Rental Fee $50
Capital Repairs (A/C) $100
Fair Trade Coffee $575
Good Samaritan $128
Habitat for Humanity $1,340
Haiti Relief Fund $1,390
Labyrinth $852.25
Loose Offering $6,607.17
Lutherhill Camp Registration $170
Memorial Fund $5,371
Office Supplies $30
Parish Life (free-will offering 4th July) $220
Pasadena Community Ministries $4,217.70
Pasadena Faith in Action $130
Pastor Discretionary Fund $250
Pony Express $660
Ruth Petty Kitchen Fund$1,490
Sheet Music $1,020
Souper Bowl $454.70
Sound System $7,005
Sunday School $357.07
Telephone Refund $174.40
TX/LA Gulf Coast Synod$5,800
Vacation Bible School$518
Wedding Deposit $550
World Hunger $170
Youth Expense/Confirmation$701.32
Youth Education/Concert$464
Youth Mission Trip $30

September Preliminary Financial Numbers:
Actual Income $370,091 Estimated Income $416,250
Actual Expenses $413,240 Budgeted Expenses $416,250

Income vs. Expense ($43,149) deficit

YTD Expense Breakdown:
                                     YTD Actual                         YTD Budget
Salaries                         $177,744                             $202,504
Administrative                $32,502                              $24,410
Mortgage                       $110,424                            $110,424
Insurance                       $16,928                              $16,800
Utilities                           $30,669                              $27,675
Property                         $31,470                              $24,075
Education                         $3,058                                $1,500
Parish Life                           $642                                   $563
Stewardship                      $1,961                               $1,500
Worship                            $6,541                               $3,000
Music                                  ($15)                                  $375
Youth                                $1,278                              $1,125

From the Director of Youth & Family Ministry
I just wanted to thank everyone here at Peace for sponsoring me for the CROP Walk. Together we raised $375 to help continue the ministry done at Pasadena Community Ministry. We had 125 walkers from over 20 different Christian congregations come together to help raise money to help fight hunger in our community and the world. Again, I cannot thank God enough for your generosity and your help! It’s a very exciting time here at Peace as our Stone Soup is brewing with your stones! Continue your discernment on how you can add to our Peace Lutheran community!

In case you did not hear, we also have a youth ministry newsletter which highlights our ministries going on here at Peace, Jr. and Sr. High Students of the Month, and our mission together. Our October edition is fresh off the press! If you would like a copy, they are on the table in the narthex and soon will be online on our website!

God Bless,
Ben Remmert, Dir. of Youth and Family Ministry

“10 Commandments” Milestone Worship Recognition Sunday at 11 am Worship
Last week I met with our first and second graders and we talked about how to make reading the Bible an exciting time to spend with our parents and family. We also discussed how the 10 Commandments are very important in our lives and we even made our own stone tablets! On Sunday we will recognize our families and offer them a reminder of their milestone at our 11:00 service, and our first graders will be presented with their first Bible. Here are the names of our youth we are uplifting today:

Charlie Beck, Braedon Bigott, Tatum Black Jr., Kyle Gregory, Ariana Gonzales, Justin Higgins, Adrienne Lambert, Matthew Loredo, Nagham Mashraqi, Bethaney Pettit, John Rydlund, Kyla Scott, Savannah Swick, Ben Tillis, Kayelyn Turner, and Haley Wilkerson.

If there any corrections, please contact Ben Remmert.

Young Adult Chillin’ Date Change After Oct. 31:
Calling all young adults ages 18-21! Do you need a time where you can leave your worries from school and work to relax, sit, get some great food, and have a great time for fellowship? Then you should come to our “Chillin” events where we meet at Peace Lutheran Church at 7:30 pm where we have time to catch up on the week and decide together as a group on the activity for the night with a light devotional. Check out our church bulletin, youth board, or our facebook page for more information!

Sr. High and Jr. High Youth Group Date Change for Sr. High Youth Group After Oct. 31!
We are going to change the date of our Sr. High Youth Group because the week is busy for our youth who are in sports, academic clubs, or just need the Wednesday night to spend time with the family. For Jr. High youth group, we will continue to meet at Peace Lutheran Church at 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm right before Confirmation, but Sr. High will meet on Sunday at 3:00 pm-4:30 pm at Peace Lutheran after October 31. For Sr. High, I encourage you to bring an item that we can snack on as we do our fellowship together. There will be more announcements and information on the youth board, church bulletin, and our facebook page!

Next Sports Ministry Meeting- Sunday at 2:00 pm!
Every third Sunday of the Month at 2:00 PM, we will meet at Peace Lutheran for some time to come together to play. For October, we will continue to play some softball in the field behind our church. We are hoping to make this a new ministry here at Peace so please if you are interested or curious about events happening in our community, please sign-up in the Narthex with your contact information or contact Ben Remmert.

Event Change! Sr. High- Boardwalk October 30th, 5:00 pm
We have changed our event because of the lack of interest in Haunted House Tours, so we are going to meet at Peace at 5:00 pm to go on the Kemah Boardwalk for dinner, rides, and walk around. We will stay on the board walk until 8:00 pm and we will ride back to Peace Lutheran. Cost will be $40 for dinner and rides that you decide which you want to do. For more information please contact Ben Remmert.

Next Parent Huddle Time and Deep Leadership Meeting: October 21st, 5:30 pm & 7:00 pm
You asked for it so here it is! It’s a time where our parents can meet with the youth director and share how our ministry together is going. Every Third Thursday of the month, I am asking for parents and youth to come together where we can share together. This is also a time where we discuss future events. We are also developing our Youth and Family Leadership Team “DEEP” where we are going to dive into our ministry together, head first. We had our first huddle in September and had great discussions. This huddle, we will continue our discussions of the Christmas Pageant, Confirmation, and Sr. High Summer Trip. There will also be a time for us to come together in devotion where we explore our faith together. I would love to have our parents and youth at these meetings so we can build further on our community together!

Jr. Hi Gathering at Lutherhill!: Nov. 19-21 We Need an Adult Sponsor!
As a teen, challenges are constant. It’s not always easy to remember that you have a firm foundation in God and His Word. Lutherhill is here to show how God’s wisdom and power and love and grace are guiding and protecting you. Lutherhill is opening its doors to all our Jr. High students in our synod to come for the weekend to worship, meet new people all over Texas/Louisiana, small group discussions, open mic night, an ultimate frisbee tournament and so much more. The cost of the event is $160 which includes registration, meals for the weekend, and transportation there. Sign ups are in the Narthex and youth bulletin board. More questions? Contact Ben Remmert.

Reformation Day: Oct. 31 12:30 pm-3:00 pm WE NEED SOME HELP IN PREPARING!
It’s that time of the year! This year at Peace Lutheran Church we are going to celebrate this important Lutheran holiday with a good old fashion Underground Lutheran Gathering where our children are going to to try and find the reformers around church to find clues to the location of the Lutheran gathering. But be careful as you may run into someone that does not want you to meet with the Reformers. At the end of our large group activity, we are going to close in a camp style worship together. Our Jr. High and Sr. High are invited to trick or treat at 2:00 pm for canned food for the Pasadena Community Ministry. It’s going to be a lot of fun and we are asking our youth to wear your Halloween costumes to church. Lunch will be provided! So come one come all!

Family Movie Night Devotions: November 6th at 7:00 pm and December 4th at 7:00 pm: Family Event for All Ages Of Kids!
With the release of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader coming out on December 10th, we are going to host two nights of C.S. Lewis movies! On November 6th we will play The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe where we will have movie snacks and together watch this movie together. Afterwards we will have fun activities focusing on Thanksgiving and fellowship to talk about what are the Christian elements in this movie. On December 4th, we will place Prince Caspian where we will have a time together to talk about the themes of what we saw in the film and also fellowship learning how to wrap Christmas presents and other Christmas celebrations and games. So if you are interested, please sign up at the narthex. More questions, please contact Ben Remmert.

Lutherhill Upper Elementary (3rd-6th Graders) Advent Retreat: December 10-11
Join the conspiracy as we head to Lutherhill Camp as we get back to the basics and take a deeper look at how a crying baby in a manger changed the world. Jesus’ birth can still change the world. Advent conspiracy will re-focus us on worshipping fully, spending less, giving more and loving all. We will meet here at Peace at 6:00 pm and depart back to Peace at 3:00 pm. Lots of fun and activities include: worship, fellowship, giant swing, making cookies, canoeing, campfires & s’mores. Cost is $50 per person. Please sign up in the narthex or the youth bulletin board if you’re interested. More questions, please contact Ben Remmert.

More Sunday School Teachers Needed!
We are having a wonderful time together with our Sunday School program as we are learning more about how we are to activate our Christian faith through Spark curriculum! But we need more help! We NEED 3 more Sunday School teachers, as a few had to step down. Please take some time to really consider this ministry. One of the most influential people in the lives of our youth are our teachers! I know we have many talented people in Peace that will only make our Sunday School program better, so if you are interested, please contact Julie Shaw, Jennifer Sanders, or Ben Remmert.

Blood Pressure Screening on Sunday
Our free monthly blood pressure screening will be held on Sunday from 9:00 am to 11:00 am in the Library. This is for all ages. Children too!

Lunch Bunch
Parish Life Committee invites you to bring your family and join us for lunch at Mamacita’s Mexican Restaurant located at 7325 Spencer Highway, Pasadena, on October 24th from 11:00 am until after 1:00 pm. A sign-up sheet is located on the Parish Life bulletin board in the back of the narthex. Any questions, please contact Owen King at (281) 961-0803.

Calling All Ringers
We are starting the handbell choir once again, and will need 11 people in order to get started. We are a unique bunch in that we play beautiful music but you do not have to read music in order to participate. The music is color coded and counted in 3s in 4s. We will play one Sunday a month. If you are interested in trying out for the handbell choir, please add your name, phone number, and email address to the sign up sheet on the table in the narthex.

Dawn Lambert
Handbell Choir Director

50+ Bus Trip
Our next trip is to Galveston to see the Elissa and then to the Strand on November 23rd. Afterwards we’ll drive around Galveston to see the carved trees. The bus will leave at 9:00 am from the Peace Lutheran parking lot. Cost is $7.00 plus lunch money plus Program donation ($3.00). Wear good walking shoes and appropriate attire. For more information or to register for this trip, please call Virginia (281) 487-4961 or Judy (281) 470-0407. 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.

Annual Thanksgiving Dinner
On Sunday, November 14th we will join together and give thanks for all we have, and we hope that you will plan to bring your family and a dish to share and join us. We will have two seatings. Our first seating will be at 11:00 am and the second seating will follow the 11:00 service. Sign up sheets for items can be found on the table in the narthex.

Adult Confirmation Class
Pastor Tart is leading an adult confirmation class on October 20 and 27 from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. This is for all adults wishing to go through the rite of confirmation and the laying on of hands, or simply a refresher class. Any questions, please call Pastor Tart.

An Evening of Norwegian Genealogy
Blaine Hedberg, Executive Director and Naeseth Chair for Research and Publication for the Norwegian American Genealogical Center [NAGC] and Naeseth Library, will be visiting Texas in late October of this year. Blaine will be speaking at the Bay Area Genealogical Society (BAGS) on Friday, October 29.

The Society meets at the University Baptist Church at 16106 Middlebrook Drive, Clear Lake City (.4 miles off of Bay Area Blvd). Visitors are welcome. Meeting starts at 6:30 in the evening for coffee and socializing. For more information on BAGS or the program check our website at http://www.TxBayAreaGen.org, email president@TxBayAreaGen.org or call Jeanine 281-334-6100 or Tina Chatham at 281-479-6455.