For Sunday, February 6, 2011

Fifth 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

Sunday's Sermon
My sermon title is "God's Great Proclamation" and is a follow up to last Sunday's "God's Great Community" sermon. I will be preaching about how at the heart of our community and my ministry at Peace has been the proclamation of Jesus Christ and him crucified. I hope you find it uplifting.

Other News................
Wednesday Bible study is suspended until further notice.

Thank You!
Words can not express the gratitude I have for this congregation and wonderful words of kindness shared with me in cards and conversations. I feel so appreciated. I want to again thank all of you for our time together and the work we have shared in proclaiming the Gospel. I wish you all of God's Blessings!

Pastoral Care Notes
Hospitalized:
Elly Wells: Released
Helen Shoppa: Patients
Tally and Daniella Perez Released
Gay Meyer: Released
Tiffany and Whitney Reagan: Clear Lake Regional

Congratulations to Tiffany, William, and family and friends on the birth of Whitney Ellen, Feb 1. She weighed 4lb 13oz. Also congratulations to Judy Speck and family on the birth of her great-grandson, Draven Murphy-Gomez who was born on January 27th.

Our condolences to Ernie McWilliams on the death of his brother-in-law, David Gray, on January 28th.

Dale Taggart continues his treatment for cancer.
Jason Elliott continues his treatment for cancer.

See you on Sunday!
Pastor Tart

From the Treasurer:
End of 2010 Preliminary Financial Numbers:

Actual Income $503,260 Estimated Income $555,000
Actual Expenses $552,622 Budgeted Expenses $555,000

Our actual income was 91% of our goal for the year.
Our actual expenses came in $2,378 less than our budgeted expenses.
We have an end of year deficit of ($49,361).

End of 2010 Preliminary Expense Breakdown:

                                              YTD Actual               YTD Budget                  Difference
Salaries                                   $239,035                  $270,005                      (30,970)
Admin                                     $41,757                    $32,547                        9,209
Mortgage                                $145,824                  $145,824                      0
Insurance                                $20,949                    $22,400                        (1,451)
Utilities                                   $39,421                     $36,900                       2,521
Property                                 $46,223                     $32,100                       14,123
Education                               $4,608                       $2,000                         2,608
Evangelism                             $0                              $250                            (250)
Parish Life                              $800                          $750                            50
Steward                                 $2,801                       $2,000                         801
Worship                                 $7,489                       $4,000                         3,489
Music                                    $0                               $500                           (500)
Youth                                    $685                          $600                             85

General Operating Fund deposits for January 2011.
1-2-11 $9,506
1-9-11 $6,726
1-16-11 $9,720

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

Total income for January so far is $25,952 which is $4,627 under our goal.

Call Committee Selected
The Church Council would like to take this time to thank all who stepped up and volunteered their services to be on the call committee. The response was phenominal. We had 7 positions to fill and 17 people felt the call to serve. Of those that stepped forward, the following people were chosen: Weldon Wilkerson, Ed Buskirk, Dawn Lambert, Bob Wells, Joann Hutton, Sandy Tillis and Ernie McWilliams.

I would ask all that we pray for these people, that first and foremost, God's will be done, that we not settle, but take the time to find the best match for Peace, and that this can be accomplished in a timely manner.

Thank you,
Mary King
Council President


Special Congregational Meeting
Please mark your calendars and plan 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.

From the Youth Director
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

Brotherhood Breakfast
All men of Peace and guests are invited to join us here at Peace Lutheran Church on Saturday, February 5th, for our monthly meeting. Breakfast is served at 8:00 am, followed by a devotional and business meeting. For more information call Weldon Wilkerson at (713) 941-1184.

Women of Peace General Meeting
Ladies, please invite a friend and plan to join us for our Valentines Party/General Meeting on February 13th at 3:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. We ask that you also bring a donation of a can of soup. Any question, please call Geri Warren.

February 6th is “Souper Bowl” Sunday!
Most people know that the Super Bowl is coming, but whether or not you like football, there’s a more important “bowl” going on. On Sunday the Souper Bowl is taking place across the country as churches donate dollars and non-perishable foods to fight against hunger. We are a part of this “Souper Bowl” too! All food and cash proceeds will go to the Pasadena Community Ministries as they continue to fight hunger and provide a vital ministry to our area. Help us tackle hunger! If you write a check, please make it payable to Peace (“Souper Bowl” in memo section.) Thank you for sharing and caring.

Lunch Bunch
Bring your family and join us for lunch on Sunday, February 20th from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at King’s BBQ, 1322 Underwood, Deer Park. For further information contact Owen King (281) 961-0802.

Sarah's House
Your items for Sarah's House may be placed in the baskets under the Parish Life table. They are in need of the following items:

Non-perishable food items, including
canned meats, tuna, spam etc
Cleaning products
Paper products
Feminine Hygiene products

Sarah's House provides shelter for women and their children who are in need. They are a non-profit organization and depend on donations from the community. They are not supported by Pasadena Ministries. Please prayerfully consider making a donation to Sarah's House.

Creative Hands Ministry
Please continue to save the used ink and toner cartridges. There is box provided on the WOP table in the narthex (also a basket under the table for large cartridges). The rebates we get back from recycling these help offset our cardstock, ink and paper expenses that the Creative Hands use for projects.

Lutheran World Relief Health Kits
65 School Kits were assembled by our Sunday School children during Sunday School. Our children also helped to collect supplies this fall. Many thanks to all for your help, and job well done.

Collection of Health Kits continues. Delivery for Kits and Quilts is scheduled for the Monday after Easter. If you need a list of items required for Health Kits, one is provided on the Women’s table in the narthex.

Just a reminder to save your cancelled stamps. Please place your stamps in the box on the Women’s table in the narthex.

Adult Games Night: February 11
Bring a friend, a snack to share and join us on Friday, February 11th at 7:00 pm for a night of games and fellowship. If you have any questions contact Ruth Meyer at (281) 479-5939.

LWR Fair Trade Coffee Project: Feb. 13
The midweek Bible Study group is a “partner” in the coffee business and sells coffee, tea and hot cocoa mix through the Lutheran World Relief Fair Trade Coffee Project. By using Fair Trade coffee and other products in our congregation and homes, we are helping farmers receive a fair price that covers their cost of production and guarantees them a living wage for their labors. Look for the table in the narthex next Sunday.

For Your Information
The following “thank you” from Pasadena Community Ministries was in their February/March 2011 newsletter: “Our thanks to Peace Lutheran for running off our newsletters and schedules. Though it’s every other month it’s about 200 newsletters and 75 schedules and they furnish all the paper! … We So appreciate you.”

A copy of PCM’s newsletter can be found on the table in the narthex.

Camp Hope Paid Staff Applications Are Out!
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. Its 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, Sr. High, or Jr. High, we have applications out for staff. For paid staff positions, applications are due on Feb. 27th. Camper Registrations (prek-6th grade) are on the table in the narthex.

Calling Sr. High And Young Adults: Need Help With Recycling Program
We have been picking up papers from residents from 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 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.

Sunday Refuge for Jr. & Sr. High @ 9:45 am- Sunday School ReVamp!
Are you ready for a new experience? Are you needing a time to be amongst people your age? With the new year, we at Peace are looking at our Sunday School program and we are wanting this time to be 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. Bring a friend!

Sr. High Dinner and A Movie: Feb. 18th @ 6 pm
Sign up by TODAY! As we have finished our services of Gnome Removal services, we are going to extend an olive branch to our gnome friends and go and see the movie Gnomeo and Juliet where we will meet here at Peace for fellowship, then go out and eat dinner together, and finally end our adventure at AMC to see the movie that is about our gnome friends. Sign Ups are on the youth and family bulletin board. Cost is going to be $15 for the movie and dinner. More questions? Contact Ben Remmert.

“Relationships” Milestone: February 6! @ & Feb. 13th at 11 am Worship
Relationships & Dating. In junior high, our students are beginning to understand the importance of relationships in our lives. This milestone is to help our youth understand relationships as God’s good gift, that we will regard our bodies as houses for the Holy Spirit, learn to communicate openly about important issues, and mark this as an important time of growth and maturity with education and affirmation. We will have our classroom instruction today at 9:45 am and our worship blessing on Feb. 13th at the 11:00 am service. For more information please contact Ben Remmert.

Sports Ministry Meeting- Coming Soon Softball!
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. 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 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 accomedate 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
Its 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 25th – 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 fed 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.

Spring Celebration: March 20, 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 was 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.