For Sunday, April 17, 2011 Sunday of the Passion/Palm Sunday 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. A Message from Pastor Galen This Sunday is Palm Sunday. We begin Holy Week following in the footsteps of Jesus as he made his way into Jerusalem. People welcomed him with shouts of praise, waving of palm branches. He was welcomed as a king. But this king came riding on a donkey, a symbol not of power, but humility. Soon the enemies of Jesus found a way to silence him, and then kill him. Our Palm Sunday worship service, that begins with joy, turns quickly to the Passion of Jesus. This Sunday is also called the Sunday of the Passion. In preparation for this day you might read Matthew 21:1-11, which is the story of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Then, read the full Passion Story, Matthew 26:14--27:66. Our Second Reading on Sunday will be from Philippians 2:5-11, which is the interpretive lens for the story of Jesus' death and resurrection. At the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Blessings, Pastor Galen Congratulations To… Stephanie & Rey Mendoza and Zach on the birth of Liliana Jean Mendoza on March 31st. Family Seder Meal: April 20th at 6:30 PM During Holy Week, where we will come together to celebrate a family friendly seder meal. After our meal, our Jr. High and Sr. High will perform their Easter production of The Case of the Empty Tomb. It’s going to be a time to come together for fellowship, come together in prayer, and come together to learn more about our shared Christian history. Please sign up by on Sunday so that we can have enough food for everyone. A sign up sheet is in the narthex or you can RSVP the church office. For more information, please contact Ben Remmert. Youth Garage Sale and Leftovers! To help raise funds for Camp Hope and summer ministries this summer, we are going to host a garage sale here at Peace on Saturday, April 16th from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall. All funds raised will be supplemented by the Nassau Bay Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. We will also be serving lunch and washing cars at the garage sale. On April 17th, we will have what is left of the garage sale items for the congregational members. For more information, please contact Ben Remmert. Volunteers Needed For Maundy Thursday Worship The Maundy Thursday evening worship service on April 21st will include the rite of foot washing. We will need 12 volunteers (children and adults) to participate. If you would be interested, please call Monica Clark at (281) 991-7151, or the church office. Sign-up sheets are also available on the servant’s bulletin board in the narthex. 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 on April 21st or 22nd, and can be taken home following the 11:00 worship service on Easter Sunday. Easter Breakfast on April 24th! Our Youth are going to be up early in the morning so that our congregation can enjoy a warm breakfast a church. From 7:15 am to 10:15 am, we will be flipping pancakes, pan frying sausage, and serving you. If you feel so moved, we are accepting donations for summer camp scholarships for Camp Hope and Lutherhill. Checks should be made out to Peace Lutheran Church, and write in the memo line “Scholarship - Camp Hope or Lutherhill.” Buck-A-Chick for ELCA World Hunger Relief This Easter, we are going to join congregations from across the nation by having a “Buck-a-Chick” sale. For one dollar, you can purchase and decorate a paper chick for yourself or in honor of a loved one and your gifts will help provide families living in poverty with chicks to provide a source of food and income. If you are going to write a check, please make your checks out to Peace Lutheran, with “Buck-a-Chick” in the memo line. Communion Instruction- April 17th at 1:00 PM We are just approaching our final class today where our kids will be baking their bread and also stomping on grapes! We have learned about what are sacraments, the origin of Holy Communion, what Lutherans believe Holy Communion stands for, and how we practice communion. Our children will receive their first communion on April 24th with their families. We will have another class in the fall. Please contact Ben Remmert for more questions. Easter Extravaganza 2011 on April 23 At 10:00 Am – 12:00 Pm It’s almost here. Our time together for our Easter Extravaganza where we will have our church wide Easter Egg Hunt for our 2 year olds to 5th graders. We’ll also decorate our flower cross for Easter Sunday worship, create Easter Baskets for our shut-ins, and come together for a light meal. It’s going to be a lot of fun and we hope that all of our children and families can make it out to this very memorable event. The hunt starts promptly at 10:20 am, so don’t be late. We would also like the kids to bring fresh flowers to help decorate the cross. If you would like to donate individually wrapped candy for the hunt, there will be a box in the narthex for your donations. Call Committee Notes of April 10, 2011 The Call Committee met today with all members present. We continued work on the Ministry Site Profile (MSP). We appreciate the input from the congregation on the Congregational Survey. This information will be very useful in helping us input information into the MSP form. Thought for the week: What are some ways to be a servant to those in your life? How do you think your actions will affect those around you? Thank you for your prayers and trust in us. Please feel free to contact any of us if you have questions or comments about the call process. God’s blessings, Peace Lutheran Call Committee Some Questions From Jesus… If you never felt pain, then how would you know that I am a healer? If you never had to pray, how would you know that I am a deliverer? If you never had a trial, how could you call yourself an overcomer? If you never felt sadness, how would you know that I am a comforter? If you never made a mistake, how would you know that I am a forgiver? If you knew all, how would you know that I will answer your questions? If you never were in trouble, how would you know that I will come to your rescue? If you never were broken, then how would you know that I can make you whole? If you never had a problem, then how would you know that I can solve them? If you never had any suffering, then how would you know what I went through? If you never went through the fire, then how would you become pure? If I gave you all things, then how would you appreciate them? If I never corrected you, how would you know that I love you? If you had all power, then how would you learn to depend on me? If I never corrected you, how would you know that I love you? If your life was perfect, then what would you need me for? Love, Jesus Your Prayers Are Needed—Be mindful to pray for: The Call Committee, Pastor Galen, Ben and the Youth & Family Ministry, and the pastor the Lord is preparing for Peace. The Call Committee Prayer Team wishes you a good and Godly day. Election of Church Council Officers Last year, PLC amended our constitution regarding the election cycle of Council positions to occur with terms starting September 1st each year to allow new Council Members an opportunity to be involved in the annual budget process for the term of their position. Council positions up for election this year are as follows: President, Treasurer, Personnel and Policy Chair, and two Member-at-Large positions. We will hold elections for these positions at a called Congregational Meeting to be held Sunday, May 15th, 2011, immediately following the 11:00am Worship Service. The Nominating Committee for 2011 is actively seeking candidates to serve in these two year positions. If you are interested or would like to nominate a qualified member of PLC, please contact the Nominating Committee by phone or fill out a form located on the table in the Narthex and drop it in the Church Council comment box. The Nominating Committee members are: Darla Haygood (281) 487-7173 Vernon Vanderford (713) 455-4975 Monica Clark (281) 991-7151 Carolyn Jones (713) 649-6954 Toni Bowman (281) 998-0230 Please contact the Committee by phone or fill out a form located on the table in the Narthex and drop it in the Church Council comment box. If you are nominating someone else in the congregation, please ask that person prior to submitting their name. We ask that all names be submitted by Sunday, May 8th, so that the names may be included on the ballot at the Congregational Meeting. Council members are eligible to serve two consecutive terms. Of the positions above, Mary King, our current President, has agreed to serve a second term. Additionally, Randy Shaw, Member-at-Large, has agreed to serve as well. The Nominating Committee has also recruited a member to head the Personnel and Policy Chair. Please prayerfully consider if God is calling you to serve Peace Lutheran in this ministry of church leadership. Girl’s Night Out: Friday, April 29th 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm April showers bring May flowers, that is what they say. But if all the showers turned to Buncos, we’d have quite a wonderful day. Join us as we celebrate Garden Bunco. Cost is $5.00; last names A-L bring desserts and last names M-Z bring main or side dishes. Mark Your Calendars Ladies!!! Join the Women of Peace on Sunday, May 15, 2011 from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm and bring a friend for a “Creating Chrismons” afternoon. We will have a light meal and spend time not only creating chrismons but having fellowship as well. What’s A Chrismon???? Chrismons are a type of Christmas tree decoration used in many churches and often in the homes of Christians. We use them to decorate trees during the Advent and Christmas season. The symbols used represent a variety of biblical and theological concepts that are comprised mostly of Christian symbols which represent the life and ministry of Jesus. Chrismons are white with gold decorations of beads, ribbon, glitter etc. This will be an ongoing project for the Women of Peace and we would love for you to join us! We will have more information/details to follow. From The Youth Director I want to thank everyone for your prayers and blessings as I was commissioned as an Associate in Ministry in Word and Service. As I was commissioned, our Bishop informed me that accepting this call is a call to be ready to die for Christ. Which got me to think, what does this mean for me? What does this mean for me who is blessed to be an American in this day and age? I really do not have an answer for you, but I know in my heart that Christ loves me and that I am called to help our youth and families here at Peace to know that Love that God has for all of us. I feel that this is a calling that we have as Christians and I hope that we all feel this way as we come together in our ministries together. Take care everyone and have a blessed holy week experience. God Bless, Ben Remmert Camp Hope & VBS Mentors and Volunteers Sign Ups We are coming closer to summer, as April is almost done. We are beginning our volunteer drive for those that would like to help out with Camp Hope and VBS this summer. There are many ways you can help: Games mentor, Crafts mentor, Small group leader mentor, or maybe you would like to help behind the scene of these two ministries. If you feel that you are called to help as a volunteer or mentor, please go to our Camp Hope and VBS signs in the narthex to sign up. We hope for these two ministries to be very successful, but only with your help. For more information, please contact Ben Remmert. Camp Hope Registration for Summer! Camp Hope this summer is themed as our own circus! Camp Hope is a ministry where our youth who are 5 years old through 5th grade are invited to our three week Day Camp. Expect an action packed day for school children which include Bible Stories, crafts, games (indoor & outdoor), songs, & more. Campers are cared for by trained High School and College age Small Group Leaders and Support Staff. Camp Hope is from July 11-15, July 18-22, July 25-29. So make sure to register now to get in on our early bird discounts by April 30th. Registration forms can be found in the church office or the Camp Hope bulletin board in the narthex. Turn in applications in staff office. For more information, please contact Ben Remmert or Camp Manager Jessica Gaul. The New Sr. High Lutheran Youth Organization (LYO): The Zone! Youth who are currently in 8th grade through 11th grade are invited to be part of our synod’s youth leadership team. This is an opportunity for our high school students to practice their faith in Jesus together while increasing their leadership skills, study scripture, and grow as disciples. We are going to be going to the synod Assembly in Galveston on May 20-21st to be part of the launching of this new LYO. If you can’t come, complete an LYP leadership Team Covenant to be connected to an action team. This is a one year commitment from June to June. For more information, please contact Ben Remmert. Jr. High, Sr. High, and Youth Group! Are you a youth and are searching for a community to belong to? Do you want to have fun with people your own age? Why not come and give youth group a try. 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 and Young Adults- Wednesdays at 7 pm- 8:30 pm Children and Families Trip to the Bible Museum on May 7th! With the help from our Brotherhood, we are going to go to the Bible Museum at Houston Baptist University. The museum has creative exhibits to help awaken and enhance an appreciation of the history, preservation, and influence of the most influential in individual lives and in the culture of civilizations. Cost is free to the museum, but there is a cost for lunch so bring $10 dollars. For more information, please contact Ben Remmert. A sign-up sheet is on the table in the narthex. 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 where you can 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! Lutherhill Summer 2011: Payments & Sign Ups! If you are planning on going to Lutherhill this summer, we need you to sign up as soon as possible. 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. Payment to Peace Lutheran Church by today! If you need a scholarship, please fill out a page. More questions? Contact Ben Remmert. Jr. High Pool Party on May 7th! What better way to kick off the end of confirmation classes than to have some fun in a pool. So on May 7th we are going to have a pool party to celebrate the confirmation year with good food, good fun, and good people and look forward to our summer. Please contact Ben Remmert if you have any other questions about this event. Youth Anti-Prom Lock-In: May 28-29th! Because you demanded it, we are going to have our end of the year lock-in for our Jr. High and Sr. High youth. This is a time where we are locked in the church to celebrate our school year and send off our senior high students who are about to go off to college. This is also a time to celebrate our ministry together as we have fellowship together, worship together, and pray together. For more information, please contact Ben Remmert. Family Roller Skating on May 14th! Bring out your disco fever as we take our children and youth out to the Skate World on May 14th at 12:00 pm where we will roller skate and have fun together. Cost will be $15 per person to cover cost of skates and using the facilities. This event is for our 3-5th graders! Be on the look out for more information as we come closer to the event. For more information, please contact Ben Remmert. VBS 2011- PandaMania – July 31 – August 5 It’s just around the corner! A wild celebration of God's unconditional love! At PandaMania VBS, kids will discover that God has a purpose and a plan for everyone and that he crafted each of us with his own loving hands. Make sure to check out our VBS board in the narthex for more up to date information as we move closer to our event! If you would like to register online, here is the link: https://www.groupvbspro.com/vbs/ez/welcometopeace. For more information, please contact Ben Remmert. Father/Son Fishing Trip- June 3rd-4th Fishing, what can bring a father and son together better? Our Brotherhood here would like to invite our fathers and son for the first weekend of June 3-4th to come over to fish, swap stories together, and learn what it means to be a Christian man. We are going to be meeting here at Peace Lutheran Church at 6:00 pm and head over to Lake Livingston. The event is over on June 4th right after lunch and we will return back to Peace Lutheran Church so we can go to church on Sunday. Cost will be a meal at a local restaurant ($10 per person) and a donation to Brotherhood to help cover costs for fishing and staying the night. More information, please contact Ben Remmert. A sign up sheet is on the table in the narthex. Sr. High Summer Adventure in Corpus Christi, TX For this summer, we are going to head down to Corpus Christi, TX from June 15th-18th where we will camp on the beach, go deep sea fishing, catch a hooks game, and so much more. While down in Corpus Christi, we are going to talk about what it means to be Lutheran in the South and how rich our Lutheran identity is in this time of age. Sign ups will be on the youth and family ministry board. Cost will be $150 which will cover transportation, room and board, and meals. If you have any more questions, please contact Ben Remmert. Deep Leadership Meeting: May 8th @ 2 PM Upstairs We will not have our meeting in April as it falls on Easter. Our leadership team is called “DEEP” because we are going to dive into our ministry together, head first. 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 discoveries that can help us grow in our ministry. This meeting will be about finalizing our ministries for the summer and discussions about the upcoming 2011-2012 year. So if you are interested in becoming a leader in our youth and family committee, please contact Ben Remmert. Krause Center Please remember to save your motel toiletries. We will need 60 plus shampoo, soaps, conditioners, and lotions. We are also collecting chapsticks, decks of cards, beanie baby-size stuffed toys, ladies’ size fun sport socks, men’s size sport socks, tooth brushes. We make up gift bags for the boys and girls with the items listed and they are well received. Sarah’s House Just a reminder, as we do our spring cleaning, don't forget Sarah's House. They are always in need of clothing for women and children. Shoes and hand bags also accepted. Clothing must be clean and in bags, which may be placed in the collection baskets under the Parish Life table. Please prayerfully consider making a donation. Upcoming 50+ Bus Trips On May 27th we have 16 tickets for the Pasadena Little Theater performance of “Getting Sara Married” (comedy). Tickets are $6 per person. Contact Carol Thacker (281) 481-5202 or Virginia Rodriguez (281) 487-4961 to purchase a ticket. Church Facility Keys If you have a key to the church but have not notified the Administrator yet, please be sure to stop by the church office as soon as possible and complete the form needed for insurance purposes. Thank you for your help. HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE APRIL 17, PALM SUNDAY 8:30 am Worship (Communion) 9:45 am Sunday School & Adult Bible Classes 9:45 am Worship (Communion) 11:00 am Worship (Communion) APRIL 20, WEDNESDAY 6:30 PM Seder Meal, followed by the Youth Group Easter play. (We will need a count for food, so please be sure to sign the sheet on the table in the narthex or call the church office by April 17th.) APRIL 21, MAUNDY THURSDAY 12:30 pm Worship with Holy Communion and Stripping of the Altar 7:00 pm Worship with Foot Washing, Holy Communion and Stripping of the Altar APRIL 22, GOOD FRIDAY 7:00 pm Tenebrae Service APRIL 23, EASTER EGG EXTRAVAGANZA 10:00 am Church wide Easter Egg Hunt for our 2 year olds to 5th graders. We’ll also decorate our flower cross for Easter Sunday worship (children are asked to bring fresh flowers), create Easter Baskets for our shut-ins, and enjoy a light meal. The hunt starts promptly at 10:20 am, so don’t be late. APRIL 24, EASTER SUNDAY 6:30 am Outdoor Easter Sunrise Service (No Communion) 7:15-10:15 am Easter Breakfast being cooked by the Youth of the Congregation 8:30 am Easter Service with Holy Communion. (Word for Children, led by Ben Remmert & Jamie Davis) 9:45 am Easter Service with Holy Communion. (Word for Children, led by Ben Remmert & Jamie Davis) (No Sunday School) 11:00 am Easter Service with Holy Communion. (Word for Children, led by Ben Remmert & Jamie Davis) May 1, Sunday after Easter ONLY ONE WORSHIP SERVICE AT 10:00 am (No Sunday School). Following the worship service we invite you to bring a favorite dish to share and join us for a pot luck lunch. A sign-up sheet for the lunch can be found on the table in the narthex.

For Sunday, April 10, 2011 Fifth Sunday In Lent 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 Milestone Ministries: Driver’s License Milestone for 9th & 10th graders. During the 9:45 Sunday School hour we will have a time of fun learning and celebration as our young people reach or approach the milestone of getting their drivers license. At the 11:00 service the students, as well as parents will be recognized, blessed and gifted. Blessing of the Quilts For Lutheran World Relief. At the 9:45 service we will have a blessing of the quilts that will be sent to Lutheran World Relief. The quilts are on display in the front of the sanctuary, and you’re invited to come up and look at them. A special thank you to our women who worked so hard all year in putting these 35 quilts together: Mabel Picha, Pat Chappelle, Elvera Sorrells, Walena Medlin, Pearl Stockum, Pam Cronan, Jeanene Konviska and Carol Young. LWR Fair Trade Coffee on Sale. 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 on Sunday. Ben Remmert’s Commissioning as an Associate In Ministry at 4:00 pm at Kinsmen Lutheran. Thank you for those that were at our congregational meeting on February 27th to vote and call Ben Remmert as our Associate in Ministry for youth and family ministries. Ben will be commissioned at Kinsmen Lutheran Church, 12100 Champion Forest Dr., Houston, this afternoon at 4:00 pm. Ben would like to extend an invitation to you to celebrate this important event in his life, as well as witness a special ceremony where he will be commissioned by the Bishop Mike Reinhart. A light reception will be held afterwards. A Message from Pastor Galen We have been singing the Taize song, "Wait for the Lord" at morning prayer each Wednesday during Lent. The music is contemplative and the words, simple: "Wait for the Lord, whose day is near. Wait for the Lord: be strong, take heart!" We are now coming to the Fifth Sunday in Lent, and for those who are keeping a Lenten discipline of prayer, worship, alms giving, or fasting, this week is like "Heartbreak Hill" in the Boston Marathon. The crowd shouts their encouragement to go for it; you're almost home! Waiting, at times, gets to be a burden. Let us pray for patients in waiting rooms. Our wait, in our Lenten journey, is for the proclamation of Easter. Let us not grow weary! Our First Reading for Sunday is the great vision of Ezekiel of God giving breath to dry bones. (Ezekiel 37:1-14) There are times, even in the life of a congregation, when the Spirit seems to be blowing somewhere else than here among us. The promise in this Scripture reading is that God's Spirit will be doing something new and powerful and creative also among us. And our Gospel for Sunday tells about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. (John 11:1-45) Here is a hint that we are drawing close to Easter. Our Lord also calls us to come out from the tombs in which we are bound, from the circumstances in which we are stuck and in which we find no life. And maybe we could add, where we are starting to stink! Come to church for a breath of fresh air! Come to church where there is a new Spirit blowing! Blessings! Pastor Galen Midweek Lenten Worship Our midweek Lenten theme this year will be a reflection on our life together as a congregation. The springboard for this reflection will be Dietrich Bonhoeffer's little book entitled Life Together. This classic in spiritual literature is still available in print if you want to read it on your own. Our Lenten reflections will not be a book study or strictly speaking a Bible study, so having the book and reading it will not be necessary. Pastor Galen will offer his reflections on the five chapters of Bonhoeffer's book. April 13: Confession and Communion. Dietrich Bonhoeffer is commemorated on our ELCA church calendar in remembrance of his resistance to Hitler and his death as a martyr in that cause on April 9, 1945. Bonhoeffer helped form the Confessing Church and headed its underground seminary. His well known books, The Cost of Discipleship and Life Together reflect his effort to establish a faith community that was faithful to the Gospel in the face of grave social injustice by the Nazis. Plan to join us on Wednesday for our final services at 12:30 pm and 7:00 pm. A soup lunch will be held at 11:45 am and our usual soup supper at 6:00 pm. Volunteers Needed For Maundy Thursday Worship The Maundy Thursday evening worship service on April 21st will include the rite of foot washing. We will need 12 volunteers (children and adults) to participate. If you would be interested, please call Monica Clark at (281) 991-7151, or the church office. Sign-up sheets are also available on the servant’s bulletin board in the narthex. 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 on April 21st or 22nd, and can be taken home following the 11:00 worship service on Easter Sunday. Youth Garage Sale and Carwash on April 16th! To help raise funds for Camp Hope and summer ministries this summer, we are going to host a garage sale here at Peace. All funds raised will be supplemented by the Nassau Bay Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. We will also be serving lunch and washing cars at the garage sale. So if you have items in your closet, attic, or garage that are collecting dust and just need a reason to donate, why not help our youth as they are preparing for our summer outreach ministries. If you plan on donating items, please plan to bring them over to Peace Lutheran Church and the items can be placed in classroom 101. For more information, please contact Ben Remmert. Call Committee Meeting Notes of April 3rd Meeting Members present: Darla Haygood; Mary King; Joann Hutton; Bob Wells; Ernie McWilliams, Ed Buskirk, Sandy Tillis, Weldon Wilkerson, Dawn Lambert. Ed’s devotion was based on Exodus 18:15-23. Let’s pray about information we are receiving from the congregation; for the Holy Spirit to help us discern the needs of the congregation. More importantly, let us focus on God’s needs for our congregation. The Congregation Survey form was made available to the congregation by a link in the weekly email, a write up in the Sunday bulletin with the link for the survey, and by paper copies. As of April 3, 2011, there have been 55 responses. The time for responses to the survey will be open through April 13, 2011. On Sunday, April 10, 2011, we will again have laptops set up in the fellowship hall for those who would like to complete the survey on-line. Also, paper copies will be available. MSP We have begun inputting information into the Ministry Site Profile (MSP). We need to compile results of the Congregational Survey to complete certain sections of the MSP. Upcoming Meetings of Call Committee There was discussion regarding the upcoming Call Committee meetings. We will meet at 12:30 p.m. on April 10, 2011, to accommodate committee members who are planning to attend Ben Remmert’s Commissioning as an Associate in Ministry. (Ben’s commissioning service will be at 4:00 p.m. on April 10th at Kinsmen Lutheran Church, 12100 Champion Forest Drive, Houston.) Our meeting on April 17, 2011 will be held at our regular time, 3:00-4:30 pm, and there will be no meeting on April 24, 2011 - Easter Sunday. Blessings, Peace Lutheran Call Committee Congregational Survey As we move forward in the call process it is important that we get input from the congregation to help match us with the best candidates to lead our congregation in our ministry. To do this we have created a survey to help develop a profile of the congregation. The congregational survey is now available on-line through April 13. Additionally, paper forms will be available during all three services on April 3rd and April 10th. For those members who do not have a computer but would still like to complete the survey online, the Call Committee will have computers set up in the fellowship hall during church services on April 3rd and April 10th. The time for responses to the survey will be open through April 13th. Please go to the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Peace_Lutheran to complete the survey online. Your response to this survey is very important in helping us identify the right pastoral candidate to lead the ministries of our congregation. Thank you, The Call Committee Election of Church Council Officers Last year, PLC amended our constitution regarding the election cycle of Council positions to occur with terms starting September 1st each year to allow new Council Members an opportunity to be involved in the annual budget process for the term of their position. Council positions up for election this year are as follows: President, Treasurer, Personnel and Policy Chair, and two Member-at-Large positions. We will hold elections for these positions at a called Congregational Meeting to be held Sunday, May 15th, 2011, immediately following the 11:00am Worship Service. The Nominating Committee for 2011 is actively seeking candidates to serve in these two year positions. If you are interested or would like to nominate a qualified member of PLC, please contact the Nominating Committee by phone or fill out a form located on the table in the Narthex and drop it in the Church Council comment box. The Nominating Committee members are: Darla Haygood (281) 487-7173 Vernon Vanderford (713) 455-4975 Monica Clark (281) 991-7151 Carolyn Jones (713) 649-6954 Toni Bowman (281) 998-0230 Please contact the Committee by phone or fill out a form located on the table in the Narthex and drop it in the Church Council comment box. If you are nominating someone else in the congregation, please ask that person prior to submitting their name. We ask that all names be submitted by Sunday, May 8th, so that the names may be included on the ballot at the Congregational Meeting. Council members are eligible to serve two consecutive terms. Of the positions above, Mary King, our current President, has agreed to serve a second term. Additionally, Randy Shaw, Member-at-Large, has agreed to serve as well. The Nominating Committee has also recruited a member to head the Personnel and Policy Chair. Please prayerfully consider if God is calling you to serve Peace Lutheran in this ministry of church leadership. Easter Breakfast on April 24th! Our Youth are going to be up early in the morning so that our congregation can enjoy a warm breakfast a church. From 7:15 am to 10:30 am, we will be flipping pancakes, pan frying sausage, and serving you. If you feel so moved, we are accepting donations for summer camp scholarships for Camp Hope and Lutherhill. Checks should be made out to Peace Lutheran Church, and write in the memo line “Scholarship - Camp Hope or Lutherhill.” Family Seder Meal on April 20th at 6:30 PM During Holy Week, we are going to celebrate our time together with a Seder Meal where we will come together to have a family friendly Seder Meal. After our meal, we will have our Jr. High and Sr. High perform their Easter production. It’s going to be a time to come together for fellowship, come together in prayer, and come together to learn more about our shared Christian history. Please sign up no later than April 17th so we can have enough food for everyone. A sign up sheet is in the narthex, or you can RSVP the church office. For more information, please contact Ben Remmert. May 1, Sunday After Easter ONLY ONE WORSHIP SERVICE AT 10:00 am (No Sunday School). Following the worship service we invite you to bring a favorite dish to share and join us for a pot luck lunch. A sign-up sheet for the lunch can be found on the table in the narthex. Sarah’s House Just a reminder, as we do our spring cleaning, don't forget Sarah's House. They are always in need of clothing for women and children. Shoes and hand bags also accepted. Clothing must be clean and in bags, which may be placed in the collection baskets under the Parish Life table. Please prayerfully consider making a donation. Creative Hands Ministry - Caring & Sharing Monday, April 11th, 9:30 am and 6:30 pm: Card Day. We will be making our Easter cards. And if there is any interest for more chicks for “ our Buck-A-Chick project, let me know so we can cut more and will have the painting supplies available. Please continue to save your used inks and toners. We use the rebates from the recycling program for our card stocks and papers and office goods for our carding, the materials for the journals and the blessings we are making for the women's retreat in September. Jany Krause Center Please remember to save your motel toiletries. We will need 60 plus shampoo, soaps, conditioners, and lotions. We are also collecting chapsticks, decks of cards, beanie baby-size stuffed toys, ladies’ size fun sport socks, men’s size sport socks, tooth brushes. We make up gift bags for the boys and girls with the items listed and they are well received. Pasadena Community Ministries We took a lot of food and some fresh veggies over to PCM last Tuesday, as well as some spring clothing. All was well received. We will make another delivery next Tuesday, the last before Easter. Please prayerfully consider a can or two of food or maybe a jar of jelly or box of cereal. Donations of food items can be placed in or on the cabinets in the hallway between the narthex and fellowship hall. Clothing can be placed under the large table in the narthex in the brown plastic container. Monetary donations are always welcome. Please make your check out to Peace Lutheran Church and write “PCM” in the memo section. As always, thank you for your generosity, and please remember this ministry in your prayers. From The Youth Director We are approaching Easter and a close to our Lent season. So have you taken the time of Lent to speak with God in reflection? I know the difficulty it is to find a time to reflect to God as bills come in, our taxes are due, and summer is just around the corner. Well it’s not too late to take this time to withdraw from the busy world and pray and reflect quietly. So take this time while we are still in Lent to learn more about God and yourself by praying a psalm or listening to music that calls you to God. I would also like to invite you in this time of Lent to come to our prayer station in the narthex and write a prayer on a sticky note and place it on the wooden cross. This is to symbolize how God takes our prayers and listens to our praises, concerns, and thanksgivings. There are also other Lent goodies that you can use to help make this time special for your friends and family. God Bless, Ben Remmert Buck-A-Chick: For ELCA World Hunger Relief This Easter, we are going to join congregations from across the nation by having a “Buck-a-Chick” sale. For one dollar, you can purchase and decorate a paper chick for yourself or in honor of a loved one and your gifts will help provide families living in poverty with chicks to provide a source of food and income. If you are going to write a check, please make your checks out to Peace Lutheran, with “Buck-a-Chick” in the memo line. Communion Instruction – April 10 & 17 We just had our first class and it was a great time learning about why we celebrate Holy Communion and the origin of this gift from God. All students ready for instruction in First Communion (we suggest 3rd grade- 5th grade) are invited to attend classes at 1:00 pm today and April 17th. We are continuing on the gifts that we receive from Holy Communion and the way that we celebrate communion here at the church. Our children will receive their first communion on April 24th with their families. Please contact Ben Remmert for more questions. Camp Hope Registration For Summer! This summer Camp Hope is themed as our own circus! Camp Hope is a ministry where our youth who are 5 years old through 5th grade are invited to our three week Day Camp. Expect an action packed day for school children which includes Bible stories, crafts, games, (indoor & outdoor), songs and more. Campers are cared for by trained High School and College age Small Group Leaders and Support Staff. Camp Hope is from July 11-15, July 18-22, July 25-29. So make sure to register now to get in on our early bird discounts by April 30th. Registration forms can be found on the table in the narthex. For more information, please contact Ben Remmert or Camp Manager Jessica Gaul. Youth Lent Focus: Becoming A Contagious Christian Lent is the time to focus our attention to the ministry of Jesus Christ. Our Wednesday night evenings are focused on how to equip our youth in relational evangelism by discovering your own style of communicating about Christ, how to build spiritual significant relationships, telling your own story, and having some fun doing so. For more information, please contact Ben Remmert. The New Sr. High Lutheran Youth Organization (LYO): The Zone! Youth who are currently in 8th grade through 11th grade are invited to be part of our synod’s youth leadership team. This is an opportunity for our high school students to practice their faith in Jesus together while increasing their leadership skills, study scripture, and grow as disciples. We are going to be going to the synod Assembly in Galveston on May 20-21st to be part of the launching of this new LYO. If you can’t come, complete an LYP leadership Team Covenant to be connected to an action team. This is a one year commitment from June to June. For more information, please contact Ben Remmert. Easter Extravaganza 2011 on April 23 At 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM It’s almost here. Our time together for our Easter Extravaganza where we will have our church wide Easter Egg Hunt for our 2 year olds to 5th graders. We’ll also decorate our flower cross for Easter Sunday worship, create Easter Baskets for our shut-ins, and come together for a light meal. It’s going to be a lot of fun and we hope that all of our children and families can make it out to this very memorable event. The hunt starts promptly at 10:20 am, so don’t be late. We would also like the kids to bring fresh flowers to help decorate the cross. If you would like to donate individually wrapped candy for the hunt, there will be a box in the narthex for your donations. Jr. High, Sr. High, and Youth Group! Are you a youth and are searching for a community to belong to? Do you want to have fun with people your own age? Why not come and give youth group a try. 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 and Young Adults- Wednesdays at 7 pm- 8:30 pm Children and Families Trip to the Bible Museum On May 7th! With the help from our Brotherhood, we are going to go to the Bible Museum at Houston Baptist University. The museum has creative exhibits to help awaken and enhance an appreciation of the history, preservation, and influence of the most influential in individual lives and in the culture of civilizations. Cost is free to the museum, but there is a cost for lunch so bring $10 dollars. For more information, please contact 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 where you can 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! Lutherhill Summer 2011 Payments & Sign Ups If you are planning on going to Lutherhill this summer, we need you to sign up as soon as possible. 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 for summer ministries by April 10th and payment to Peace Lutheran Church by April 17th. More questions? Contact Ben Remmert. Jr. High Pool Party on May 7th! What better way to kick off the end of confirmation classes than to have some fun in a pool. So on May 7th we are going to have a pool party to celebrate the confirmation year with good food, good fun, and good people and look forward to our summer. Please contact Ben Remmert if you have any other questions about this event. 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 am still committed to meeting all of our families here at Peace Lutheran. I have placed a sign-up sheet on our youth bulletin board for families to sign up on the day and time that 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 Anti-Prom Lock-In: May 28-29th! Because you demanded it, we are going to have our end of the year lock-in for our Jr. High and Sr. High youth. This is a time where we are locked in the church to celebrate our school year and send off our senior high students who are about to go off to college. This is also a time to celebrate our ministry together as we have fellowship together, worship together, and pray together. For more information, please contact Ben Remmert. Family Roller Skating On May 14th! Bring out your disco fever as we take our children and youth out to the roller rink on May 14th at 12:00 pm where we will roller skate and have fun together. Cost will be $15 per person to cover cost of skates and using the facilities. This event is for our 3-5th graders! Be on the lookout for more information as we come closer to the event. For more information, please contact Ben Remmert. VBS 2011- Pandamania – July 31 – August 5th It’s just around the corner! A wild celebration of God's unconditional love! At PandaMania VBS, kids will discover that God has a purpose and a plan for everyone and that he crafted each of us with his own loving hands. Make sure to check out our VBS board in the narthex for more up to date information as we move closer to our event! If you would like to register online, here is the link: https://www.groupvbspro.com/vbs/ez/welcometopeace. For more information, please contact Ben Remmert. Father/Son Fishing Trip- June 3rd-4th Fishing, what can bring a father and son together better? Our Brotherhood here would like to invite our fathers and son for the first weekend of June 3-4th to come over to fish, swap stories together, and learn what it means to be a Christian man. We are going to be meeting here at Peace Lutheran Church at 6:00 pm and head over to Lake Livingston. The event is over on June 4th right after lunch and we will return back to Peace Lutheran Church so we can go to church on Sunday. Cost will be a meal at a local restaurant ($10 per person) and a donation to Brotherhood to help cover costs for fishing and staying the night. More information, please contact Ben Remmert. Sr. High Summer Adventure In Corpus Christi, Tx For this summer, we are going to head down to Corpus Christi, TX from June 15th-18th where we will camp on the beach, go deep sea fishing, catch a hooks game, and so much more. While down in Corpus Christi, we are going to talk about what it means to be Lutheran in the South and how rich our Lutheran identity is in this time of age. Sign ups will be on the youth and family ministry board. Cost will be $150 which will cover transportation, room and board, and meals. If you have any more questions, please contact Ben Remmert. Deep Leadership Meeting: May 8th @ 2 Pm Upstairs We will not have our meeting in April as it falls on Easter. Our leadership team is called “DEEP” because we are going to dive into our ministry together, head first. 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 discoveries that can help us grow in our ministry. This meeting will be about finalizing our ministries for the summer and discussions about the upcoming 2011-2012 year. So if you are interested in becoming a leader in our youth and family committee, please contact Ben Remmert. Mark Your Calendars Ladies!!! Join the Women of Peace on Sunday, May 15, 2011 from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm and bring a friend for a “Creating Chrismons” afternoon. We will have a light meal and spend time not only creating chrismons but having fellowship as well. What’s A Chrismon???? Chrismons are a type of Christmas tree decoration used in many churches and often in the homes of Christians. We use them to decorate trees during the Advent and Christmas season. The symbols used represent a variety of biblical and theological concepts that are comprised mostly of Christian symbols which represent the life and ministry of Jesus. Chrismons are white with gold decorations of beads, ribbon, glitter etc. This will be an ongoing project for the Women of Peace and we would love for you to join us! We will have more information/details to follow. Upcoming 50+ Bus Trips On May 27th we have 16 tickets for the Pasadena Little Theater performance of “Getting Sara Married” (comedy). Tickets are $6 per person. Contact Carol Thacker (281) 481-5202 or Virginia Rodriguez (281) 487-4961 to purchase a ticket. HOLY WEEK AND EASTER SCHEDULE APRIL 17, PALM SUNDAY 8:30 am Worship (Communion) 9:45 am Sunday School & Adult Bible Classes 9:45 am Worship (Communion) 11:00 am Worship (Communion) APRIL 20, WEDNESDAY 6:30 PM Seder Meal, followed by the Youth Group Easter play. (We will need a count for food, so please be sure to sign the sheet on the table in the narthex or call the church office by April 17th.) APRIL 21, MAUNDY THURSDAY 12:30 pm Worship with Holy Communion and Stripping of the Altar 7:00 pm Worship with Foot Washing, Holy Communion and Stripping of the Altar APRIL 22, GOOD FRIDAY 7:00 pm Tenebrae Service APRIL 23, EASTER EGG EXTRAVAGANZA 10:00 am Church wide Easter Egg Hunt for our 2 year olds to 5th graders. We’ll also decorate our flower cross for Easter Sunday worship (children are asked to bring fresh flowers), create Easter Baskets for our shut-ins, and enjoy a light meal. The hunt starts promptly at 10:20 am, so don’t be late. APRIL 24, EASTER SUNDAY 6:30 am Outdoor Easter Sunrise Service with Holy Communion 7:15-10:30 am Easter Breakfast being cooked by the Youth of the Congregation 8:30 am Easter Service with Holy Communion. (Word for Children, led by Ben Remmert & Jamie Davis) 9:45 am Easter Service with Holy Communion. (Word for Children, led by Ben Remmert & Jamie Davis) (No Sunday School) 11:00 am Easter Service with Holy Communion. (Word for Children, led by Ben Remmert & Jamie Davis) MAY 1, SUNDAY AFTER EASTER ONLY ONE WORSHIP SERVICE AT 10:00 am (No Sunday School). Following the worship service we invite you to bring a favorite dish to share and join us for a pot luck lunch. A sign-up sheet for the lunch can be found on the table in the narthex.