For Sunday, February 20, 2011
Seventh Sunday after Epiphany

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.

Sunday's Events
Once again, we are pleased to welcome Pastor Don Cole as our guest pastor on Sunday.
The Call Committee will be installed.

Pastoral Care Notes
Hospitalized:
Helen Shoppa: Triumph, Clear Lake
Dale Taggart continues his treatment for cancer.
Jason Elliott continues his treatment for cancer.
Gay Meyer continues to recuperate at home.

Our Christian sympathy is extended to the family and friends of Betty Beken, mother of Katherine (David) Slater and Karen Dahse, who entered into God’s glory on February 12th. Her services were held here at Peace last Monday.

Treasurer’s Report
General Operating Fund deposits for February 2011.

2-6-11
$12,887.50
2-13-11
$8,182.50

To meet our budgeted income, we need $10,193 a week.

YTD actual income is at 87% of our estimated income.

General Operating Fund deposits for January 2011.

1-2-11
$9,205.50
1-9-11
$6,725.50
1-16-11
$9,719.50
1-23-11
$7,785.50
1-30-11
$6,497.50

For January, we received 78% of our income goal.

January’s Preliminary Financial Numbers:

Actual Income
$40,754
Estimated Income
$44,167
Actual Expenses
$39,283
Budgeted Expenses
$44,167

Our expenses were less than our income for January by $1,470.

Special Congregational Meeting: February 27
Please mark your calendars and make a special effort to attend a special congregational meeting on Sunday, February 27th at 12:30 pm. The purpose of this meeting is to extend a Call to our Youth Director, Ben Remmert, as an AiM for Youth & Family Ministries here at Peace.

We Have To Call Ben Again? What Does This Mean?
So some of you may wonder why do we have to vote on Ben Remmert again as our Director of Youth and Family Ministry? The answer is simple, because now I am called to ministry of Word and Service as an Associate in Ministry (AiM). Associates in Ministry are leaders who are commissioned for ministry to equip and enable others in their Christian lives. They are theologically trained lay ministers that specialize in service in congregations, provide leadership and support program ministries of the whole people of God and who possess a deep value to the church. They go through candidacy process that our ordained pastors go through to be leaders in our church and work hand in hand with our Word and Sacrament leaders.

So we are having a congregational meeting to vote to see if this is who you would want to help serve as your Dir. of Youth and Family Ministry. For now I am not only an individual theologically and academically trained for youth and family ministry, but I am called to serve in leadership in the whole Christian Church. So please come to our congregational meeting on Feb. 27th to vote if you want me to be your Associate in Ministry for your Youth and Family Ministries.

God Bless,
Ben Remmert

Call Committee Update
The first meeting of Peace Lutheran’s call committee was held Sunday, February 13, 2011, at 2:30 p.m.

Call committee members present: Sandy Tillis, Ed Buskirk, Weldon Wilkerson, Dawn Lambert, Joann Hutton, Ernie McWilliams, and Bob Wells (by teleconference). Also present were Pastor Don Carlson, Pastor Gary Morgan-Gohlke, Judy Griffin, Bernie Anderson, Darla Haygood and Mary King.

We are pleased to announce that Pastor Gary Morgan-Gohlke will be our Transition Coach.

The call process is just that - a process to find the right fit of our new pastor and our church. The call committee has been given a well prepared manual which provides the steps in accomplishing this.

Our first task is to develop our Ministry Site Profile (MSP). This call committee is committed to meeting each Sunday from 3:00 - 4:30 p.m., until we complete the process of calling our new pastor. We ask all people at Peace Lutheran Church to set aside time to pray for the Call Process and for the pastor who will eventually be provided for us by our Lord.

The call committee is also committed to keeping you informed throughout this transition. We will be communicating regularly with the congregation as to our progress during Sunday morning announcements, updates in the bulletin, newsletter, and emails, and through conversations with individual members. Please contact a member of the call committee anytime you have any questions or would like to find out more about the process.

Blessings to all,
Peace Lutheran Church Call Committee

Calling All Praying People of Peace
A special Prayer Group is in the organizational process. The purpose of this group will be to pray, not only for the Call Committee, but also for all ministries of Peace during the call process.

It’s short notice, but, we want to begin praying as a group ASAP, so we will have a Let’s-Get-Started Meeting Sunday, February 20 at 3:00 PM (the same time the Call Committee will be meeting). The specific location in the church is yet to be determined. There is a sign-up sheet on the table in the narthex, and we ask that you prayerfully consider participating in this important ministry. If you want to participate, but cannot make the meeting due to a prior commitment, sign up anyway, and someone will be in touch to update you on any decisions made by the group. Also, if you have any thoughts or ideas to make this prayer journey more meaningful, by all means, bring them to the meeting. Prayer is something we can all do--men and women, young and old, so join us as we lift our hearts to God in prayer.

Nursery Volunteers Needed (Please Read – Very Important)
Discussion has been held about the number of children one Nursery Attendant can have at one time per State of Texas guidelines. State guidelines dictate 6 children of varying ages per attendant.

With this being said Peace Lutheran Church is not in a financial position to hire a 2nd attendant to be on standby in the event this situation takes place. Therefore, I am asking for ONE volunteer per service to be on standby in the event we get into this situation. If the Volunteer will check in with the Nursery Attendant, Joanne Bowman, prior to the service and pick up a pager then she will page you if she is in need of assistance where she has more than 6 children at one time.

Also, to the parents whose children stay in the Nursery, it is important that you sign your child in at the time you are dropping them off and Joanne will give you a pager to carry during the Service. This is simply in the event of an emergency and/or situation with your child where she needs your assistance since she can not leave the other children unattended to come and locate you in the Sanctuary.

I hope each Member of Peace will prayerfully consider volunteering your services in the Nursery on an as needed basis.

From the Youth Director
This week, we celebrated Valentine’s Day. While Valentine’s Day is about appreciating the love ones in my life, it can be easy to sink into feelings of loneliness. Which can make people question about the relationship that we have with God, that with all our flaws and errors, why does God desire a relationship with us? We must always remember that God wants a relationship with us because that is who God is. God is just like a parent desiring relationship with his sons and daughters. God created us and is responsible for us; God loves us with a faithful and unfailing love that will endure forever. It is because of God’s love for us; we are accepted and called his children. Accept this love that God has for us with a grateful heart and love God in return. I hope this brings you closer to God; that God loves and cares for us all.
God Bless,
Ben Remmert
Sunday Refuge For Jr. & Sr. High @ 9:45 am!
Are you ready for a new experience? Are you needing a time to be amongst people your age? Why not come to a place of Refuge for you to explore your faith while having a blast doing it! This will not be your typical Sunday School class you have experienced in the past. There will be food, games and activities, and time to listen to the gospel in a new light with a message that reflects our world today. Bring a friend!

Calling Sr. High and Young Adults: Need Help With Recycling Program
For the past months, we have been picking up papers from residents of the Waterford Retirement Community in Deer Park. We collect these papers and put them in our receptacles which raises money for our youth and family programs, but also to help our environment. We need weekly pick-ups. This is not hard work, and it’s an amazing opportunity to reach out to The Waterford, raise money, and help serve God’s creation. You may even leave with cookies, candy, and other goodies.

WE NEED HELP, SR. HIGH AND YOUNG ADULTS, TO PICK UP THESE PAPERS. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, PLEASE CONTACT BEN REMMERT.

Saints of Faith Milestone: March 20th at 9:45 am and March 27th at 11 am Worship
We are given our time together as a gift of God’s creation. People are given the choices to do what they want with their time. Our Christian faith calls us to live the life of the servant, the life that Jesus Christ lived. But can we truly live this life style? For those that accept the call to live the life of the suffering servant and preach the good news of Jesus Christ to the community, these are saints. This is what we are going to ask of our third graders for this milestone celebration as they will be learning about the people that helped shape our Christian story and heritage and how we can continue to shape the Christian story. So be sure to mark your calendar for this important milestone. For more information, please contact Ben Remmert.

Camp Hope Paid Staff Applications- Due February 27
ONLY A FEW MORE WEEKS UNTIL THE DUE DATE! Camp Hope is an opportunity for our Jr. High and Sr. High to lead in a 3 week day camp where we teach the good news of Christ through games, worship, interactive story telling, snacks, crafts, expressive arts, and service. It’s an opportunity for Peace to be apart of one of the most successful outreach and youth leadership program our synod offers to our youth and families. If you are a young adult or Sr. High, we have applications out for staff. Camper Registrations (prek-6th grade) are on the table in the narthex.

Summer Lutherhill Rally Day!- February 27th!
We are going to have Matt Kindsvatter from Lutherhill to talk to us about Summer ministries. We are going to have some fun learning more about Lutherhill with some games, snacks, and fun. So please plan on coming to worship so Matt can talk about the ministries offered at Lutherhill. For the Sunday School class, we are going to have some fun playing some games, have a craft or two to create, and have a mini-day of Lutherhill for our Sunday School class. If you are planning on going to Lutherhill this summer, we need you to sign up as soon as possible. Spots are filling fast and we need a good head count so we can put down our deposit. Remember that if you are in 1st-5th grade, we are going to Lutherhill on August 7th-12th, 2011 and 6th-8th are going to Lutherhill on June 19th-24th. Sign Ups are on the youth and family bulletin board as soon as possible so we can hold your spot. More questions? Contact Ben Remmert.

Sports Ministry Meeting February 20!
Every third Sunday of the month at 2:00 pm, we will meet at Peace Lutheran for some time to come together and discuss about league opportunities in the area. I we are about to begin looking into spring leagues so this would be the time to come to join our new ministry or if you express an interest in this ministry. We have also had more expressed interest in the softball and bowling league so if you are interested or need more information, please contact Ben Remmert.

Parent Huddle Time and Deep Leadership Meeting: New Date, Feb. 27th @ 2 Pm!
We have changed the date and time of our meetings to help accommodate schedules, so we will plan to meet on the last Sunday of every month at 2 pm. Our leadership team is called “DEEP” because we are going to dive into our ministry together, head first. This is again a time for us to come together to gather and share the vision of Peace Lutheran’s ministry but also a time for our leaders to come together for devotion and have some discussions about passing on the faith to our youth. We are going to begin our times together discussing about the research done on the spiritual lives of American youth by Kendra Dean in Almost Christian. Kendra Dean has made some new discovers that can help us grow in our ministry. So if you are interested in becoming a leader in our youth and family committee, please contact Ben Remmert.

Family Meal Nights with the Youth Director!
Thank you for those families that have already talked to me about a time to meet, but for those that have not, there is still time! I have been here for 6 months and I am still committed to meeting all our families here at Peace Lutheran. I have placed a sign up sheet on our youth bulletin for families to sign up what day and time you would like to schedule a meal together where we can bond together as Brothers and Sisters in Christ. For more information, please contact Ben Remmert.

Youth Group Mall Scavenger Hunt!- Feb. 25th at 6 pm
What’s better than getting Jr. High and Sr. High together for some fun? Doing it in the mall! That’s right, we are going to have a Mall Scavenger Hunt! We are going to have some fun while learning more about American Christianity and how consumerism influences our views on how we proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ and we will finish our time together with a time of service to our community. We are going to eat at the mall food court so bring money for your meal!

Jr. High, Sr. High, and Youth Group: Oh My!
It’s the beginning of the year for 2011 and we want to start it off with a bang and with that we are going to try a new schedule which our youth have suggested. This is a time where we are going to build on our community through fellowship, prayer, devotion, and a meal together as a group. We are wanting this to be an engaging time for our youth so the more the better! Here is the schedule for our youth groups for 2011.
Jr. High- Sundays at 5 pm- 6pm
Sr. High- Sundays at 4 pm- 6 pm
Young Adults- Wednesdays at 7 pm-8:30 pm

Communion Instruction- April 3rd, April 10th, and April 17th at 1 pm
It’s coming up -- our spring class of Communion Instruction! All students ready for instruction in First Communion (we suggest 3rd grade- 5th grade) are invited to attend classes every Sunday at 1pm on April 3rd , April 10th, and April 17th we are going to learn more about how communion is our gift of God’s love and grace while learning how it helps us communicate our Christian message. Our children will receive their first communion on April 24th with their families. Please contact Ben Remmert for more questions.

Sr. High and Jr. High Hunger Famine Lock-In- March 25th- March 26th
We will be going over to Kinsmen Lutheran Church with other Lutheran congregations from March 25 – March 26! All Senior High and Junior High are invited as we will have activities for both grades and activities that are to engage them on their own level. We are going to learn more about world hunger and participate in a 30 Hour Famine to help raise money for Lutheran World Relief to help the world feed the world. It’s going to be a blast! Please bring $5 to help pay for dinner and breakfast. For more information, please contact Ben Remmert.

St. Patrick’s Day Celebration: March 20th, 2011, 12:30 pm-3:00 pm
It’s that time of the year again. Wear your green with pride, but it’s also a time of celebration of Saint Patrick. Who is the Saint that helped spread Christianity? We are going to spend the day celebrating the life of Saint Patrick with a church family picnic here at Peace Lutheran where we will play some games, eat some food, and enjoy our Christian community together. For more information, please contact Ben Remmert.

Lent Is Coming Up- Calling Our Jr./Sr. High Actors For An Easter Performance:
Its closer than you think. With such a successful Christmas Program, we are going to be putting together another production for our Easter service and we need some help! As of right now we are looking for Jr. High and Sr. High Students who would like to perform in a production that has to do with the Easter Message. If you are interested, please contact Ben Remmert for more information. We will have our production decision by the end of the month and begin rehearsals on March 7th.

Sarah’s House
During the month of March we will be collecting items in Jars: peanut butter, jelly, spaghetti sauce etc, and also canned soups. Sarah’s House is a shelter for women and their children who have fallen on hard times. They rehabilitate the women and get the children back in school. Please prayerfully consider donating one or two items. It would be greatly appreciated. Have a blessed day.

Lutheran World Relief Health Kits
Collection of Health Kits items continues. Delivery date for all kits and quilts is the Monday after Easter. If you need a list of Health Kit items please check the women’s table in the Narthex.

Please continue to save your cancelled stamps, this is an on going program and your participation has been overwhelming. Great job!

Blood Pressure Screening February 20
On the third Sunday of each month the Parish Nurses offer free blood pressure screening. They are available on Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the Library. This is for all ages – children, too!


Lunch Bunch
Bring your family and join us for lunch on Sunday from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at King’s BBQ, 1322 Underwood, Deer Park. For further information or restaurant suggestions for this group, please contact Owen King (281) 961-0802.