For Sunday, May 15, 2011
Fourth Sunday of Easter

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 Event
9:45 am – Baptism of Whitney Ellen Regan
9:45 am – New Member Orientation in Fellowship Hall, led by Ben Remmert
12:30 pm – Congregational Meeting
2:00 pm – Women of Peace Creating Chrismons

A Message from Pastor Galen
This Sunday, May 15th, is called "Good Shepherd Sunday." Our gospel story is from the 10th chapter of John. Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd." The good shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out to pasture. The good shepherd protects his sheep and will not run away in times of danger. On Sunday we will explore our relationship to our Risen Lord. We will uplift the "good shepherding" character of Christians and of the church. Who are those among us who lead us, and guide us, and protect us? We give thanks, especially for parents who are "good shepherds" for their children. For your personal devotions in preparation for Sunday, read Psalm 23.

Pastoral Care
Pauline Baker – Jacinto City Healthcare Center
Judy Roese - Tuscany Village Rehab Center
La Verne Wolff – Cornerstone

New Member Orientation
If you have been visiting Peace Lutheran and are interested in becoming a member, you are invited to attend a New Member Orientation led by Pastor Galen on Monday, May 9th at 7:00 pm, and led by Ben Remmert on Sunday, May 15th at 9:45 am in the Fellowship Hall. At this orientation you will have the opportunity to learn about who we are, what we do and what we are asking you to do with us here at Peace Lutheran. Then on Sunday, May 15th at the 11:00 am service we will receive new members. Please call Judy Griffin in the church office (281) 487-1635, or e-mail her at jgriffin@welcometopeace.com if you will be attending the orientations.

Congregational Meeting: May 15
Please mark your calendars and make a special effort to attend an important congregational meeting on Sunday immediately following the 11:00 worship service. Election of 2012 Council officers will be held at this meeting.

Wednesday Morning Bible Study
Pastor Galen is leading a Bible Study on Wednesday mornings from 10:00-11:00 am in the 2nd floor conference room. This study will continue throughout the summer, every Wednesday. We hope that you will plan to join us.

We begin our time together with a thematic Bible study of Sabbath, and how Jesus’ ministry was for the redemption of all God’s children and creation. The study will lead us to Jesus’ inaugural sermon at Nazareth (Luke 4:14-21), and then to the way Jesus carried out his purpose. We will ask the important question for the church, and in particular this congregation: How do we carry on Jesus’ redemptive purpose in our own time and place?

Our primary translation will be the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), but feel free to bring your own Bible.

Treasurer’s Report
General Operating Fund deposits for April 2011:

4-3-11 $11,351.50
4-10-11 $8,008.50
4-17-11 $9,702.50
4-24-11 $9,793.50

General Operating Fund deposits for May 2011:

5-1-11 $7,810.50
*5-8-11 $6,604.50


*Note: the May 8th General Operating deposit of $6,604 does not include the 9:45a service income.

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

In January, we received 80% of our income goal.
In February, we received 90% of our income goal.
In March, we received 91% of our income goal.
In April, we received 95% of our income goal.

April’s YTD Preliminary Financial Numbers:

Actual Income $154,844 Estimated Income $176,667
Actual Expenses $179,365 Budgeted Expenses $176,667

At the end of April, we have a deficit of ($24,521).
From The Youth Director
School is almost out… Finals are done for our college students. Our seniors are counting the days until graduation. And our youth are completing TAKS. For some of our youth and families, this is a time of celebration. For others, this is a time of grief as there are regrets that our youth and families may have had over the years. Whatever the case, this is a time to reflect from the year, what were your highs? What were your lows? But more importantly, take this time to reflect on how God has worked through your life and how God has shown God’s self to you.

God Bless,
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 pm where we will roller skate together 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.

Easter Pictures
It’s been a couple of weeks and we just wanted to see if we could get a copy of your Easter pictures from the Easter Egg Hunt that we had here at Peace Lutheran Church. If you could send your copies of your pictures to Ben Remmert at benr@welcometopeace.com, we would greatly appreciate it.

Sr. High Milestone- Rated R: May 22
(DATE CHANGE!) Becoming 17, youth are becoming ready for the responsibilities associated with becoming an adult. They are learning about colleges, scholarships, work, the world, and where their place is in the world. So where does the church fit in? So this milestone is about preparing our 17-18 year olds for the world outside of high school. This milestone is to help them grow as Christian leaders in the world. We will have our classroom instruction on May 22nd at 9:45 am and our worship blessing at 11 am. For more questions, please contact Ben Remmert.

Children & Family Kick Off at the Wave Pool on June 11th From 6:30 PM – 10:30 PM
What better way to kick off summer for our children and youth than going to the Little Cedar Bayou Wave pool where we will rent out the pool for us to use as we celebrate our time together remembering our baptism. This is for our elementary students, so be on the look out for more information as this event! For more information, please contact Ben Remmert.

High School Graduate Recognition: June 5
It’s about that time of the year where our seniors are about to take the big walk across the stage to receive their diploma. It’s an important milestone for our senior high students and we want to recognize them here at Peace on June 5th at our 11:00 am worship and a lunch.

Do you have a child or relative who is a member here at Peace Lutheran and is graduating from High School? Please call the church office or email Ben with the information so that they can be honored at our High School Recognition Sunday on June 5th. Any questions, contact Ben.



Camp Hope & VBS Mentors and Volunteers Sign Ups
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 and VBS Donations
It’s just around the corner and we are in the beginning process of collecting supplies for these important summer ministries. If you feel so called to, we are asking for supplies such as markers, crayons, paper, scissors, rules, and other classroom supplies to help our staff have a great Camp Hope and VBS. If you have items, please place them under the narthex table in the purple container. For more questions, 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 includes 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 25-29th. Registration forms can be found in the church office or the Camp Hope bulletin board in the narthex. Turn in applications in staff office mailbox marked Camp Hope. For more information, please contact Ben Remmert or Camp Manager Jessica Gaul!

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.

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. PLEASE SIGN UP AND PAY BY MAY 29. If you have any more questions, please contact Ben Remmert.

The New Sr. High Lutheran Youth Organization (LYO): The Zone
Youth that 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. This is a one year commitment from June to June. For more information, please contact Ben Remmert.

Youth Anti-Prom Celebration: May 28th
Because you demanded it, we are going to have our end of the year celebration 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 whom 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. We will have a formal dinner and a time to celebrate at Main Event. 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 (elementary through Jr. High) 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.

Disciple Project 2011- June 26-30. Camp Staff Turn In Forms by May 15th
A cross-cultural, cross-generational Leadership School for people in 8th grade through adults. Our Camp Hope staff will be going to TLU where we will be trained to work our Camp Hope staff and what it means to be a servant leader. However, if you are a senior high youth and are not working Camp Hope this summer, there are other different learning tracks that you can register for such as Art Ministries, Music Ministries, Sport Ministries, Friends and Amigos track, and several others. Please make sure that you turn in your registration form and medical forms by SUNDAY. For more information, please contact Ben Remmert.

2011 ELCA Video Contest-Due By June 30th
We are invited by our synod office to submit a video to reflect: "What does it mean to live Lutheran?" The winning congregation could win a $3,000 ministry grant, and individuals could win a $1,500 cash prize. There are also prizes for the most popular congregation and individual video entry. A selection of the videos will be shown at 2011 ELCA Church-wide Assembly this August. Entries will be accepted May 17 to June 30. You can vote for your favorite videos beginning May 17 until July 15. Enter the contest and share your faith story with the rest of the church! For more information go to www.livinglutheran.com/contest and contact Ben Remmert.

Upcoming 50+ Bus Trip
On May 27th we will be going to the Pasadena Little Theater performance of “Getting Sara Married” (comedy). We’ll leave Peace parking lot at 7:00 pm. If you signed up to go to this play, please give your money to Carol, Virginia or Judy by May 15th or you’ll lose your place.

On June 15th we’re going to the Tomball Museum which includes the Griffin House, a country doctor’s office, farm museum, Trinity Lutheran Church (built in 1905), Henry Theis House, school house, Oil Camp House, and more. Cost is $3-$4, plus $3 for the bus. Lunch will be at a local restaurant to be announced later. We will leave Peace Lutheran parking lot at 8:30 am.

On June 11 & August 20 reserve your spot as we travel to the Houston Astros Baseball Games. Game time is 6:05 pm, so departure times will be announced later so stay tuned to the weekly emails for this information. Cost is $7.00/person.

On July 20 we will go on a 1-3/4 hour, 17 mile narrated tour around Galveston Island on the Galveston Sightseeing Train. Cost of the tour is $9-10 plus $3 for the bus. After the tour we’ll ride the Bolivar Ferry and have lunch at the Stingaree Restaurant. Bus will leave Peace parking lot at 8:30 a.m.

If you are interested in going with us on any of these trips, please call Carol (281) 481-5202, Virginia (281) 487-4961 or Judy (281) 470-0407 to get your name on the list for these trips.