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Email Us
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Pastor Will
Email: pastor
@stmartinslc.org
Office Manager
Parker Grimsby
Email: officemanager
@stmartinslc.org
Council President
Andy Strom
Email: council
@stmartinslc.org
Choir Director
Alvin Johnson
Email: choirdirector
@stmartinslc.org
Church Musician
Jenny Salyers
Email: churchmusician
@stmartinslc.org
Staff Tech
Amber Nichols
Email: stafftech
@stmartinslc.org
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Pastor's Corner
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Have you ever been so busy you forgot to eat? Sometimes I have those days where everything seems urgent and my attention is given to so many tasks that I don't really pay attention to whether I've eaten
or not. But when I do finally sit down to eat, I realize just how ravenously hungry I've been. Eating is
important; proper nourishment helps our bodies function so that we can attend to all the other tasks. But sometimes we all get caught up in what feels urgent, and we put aside the things that are
important.
John 6 is all about bread. For 71 verses, Jesus gives his attention to bread. And at the center of the chapter, Jesus says "I AM the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." You get the sense that maybe John the Evangelist thinks this whole bread thing is important. Perhaps because he knows how common it is for us to fill our days with the things that take our time, our energy, our life, and leave us hungry; and how much we often neglect to feast on the bread that gives life.
There's a lot happening right now, both at St. Martin's and in the community. In the busyness of these days, may we be intentional about setting aside some time to break bread. Maybe we step back from all the urgency of the moment to be present in those things that are important. And may you be filled with those things that give life, so that you may share that life with others.
Grace and Peace
Pastor Will
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House blessings of St. Martin's members
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All are invited
Last year Hurricane Harvey flooded the homes of several of St. Martin's members, including the Salyers family and the Gillar family, who live a few houses apart from each other. A lot of work was done to repair these homes back to the way they were. This Sunday,
Aug. 12, at 2 p.m. Pastor Will will be performing a house blessing on both the Salyers' house (
16310 Sapling Ridge Dr., Sugar Land 77498) and the Gillar's (
16302 Sapling Ridge Dr., Sugar Land 77498). Both families would like to invite all in the St. Martin's congregation to attend. They would appreciate your support after the last year of hardship.
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School supply drive
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Help local children
Inspired by Lutherhill's 2018 "Daily Bread Project," which has campers making drawstring backpacks to send to Ethiopia, St. Martin's will be hosting a school supply drive for local students. We will be accepting new school supplies in a labeled bin in the Narthex until
Aug. 19. Examples of supplies needed include pens, pencils, glue sticks, spiral notebooks, child-safe scissors, highlighters, erasers, and binders.
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Lenten offering update
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St. Martins' was able to share our Lenten offering of $500 with
Kairos Outside Houston, a local extension of
Kairos Prison Ministry International. The mission of
Kairos is to share the transforming love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ to impact the hearts and lives of the families of the incarcerated. St. Martin's member Robin Bruso has been active in this ministry for several years, and more recently, Pastor Will and Office Manager Parker Grimsby have participated in this ministry to the female relatives and friends of the incarcerated.
Thank you for giving generously.
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Family Promise week
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Our next week of Family Promise is scheduled for
Sept. 2 - Sept. 9
. Each quarter St. Martin's turns its Sunday School classrooms into bedrooms for local homeless families. We partner with Fort Bend Family Promise to provide food and shelter to these families that have hit hard times. Volunteers are needed to cook meals, welcome the families, set up the rooms and do laundry. Please consider signing up for this very important ministry. Sign-up sheets will be located in the Narthex.
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Online library catalog
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Get reading
St. Martin's online library catalog is up and running! Browse our collection from home then come after church to pick up your selection. There are so many opportunities to learn and grow at our little library. Check our catalog out at this link.
Eventually all St. Martin's members will have an online user profile so anyone can reserve a book from the comfort of their home. We will let you know when that system is set up.
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A message from the Strom family
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The Strom family thanks all the friends of St. Martin's for all the thoughts, prayers, and cards during Pat's recovery. The love shown by all has been uplifting throughout this process. We really feel like St. Martin's is part of our extended family and the encouragement has been a source of comfort for all of us.
May God continue to send his grace on everyone.
- Pat, Andy, Kristin, and James.
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Sunday School returns
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Education for all ages
All Sunday School classes return on Sunday,
Sept. 9, after worship at 10:45 a.m. T
here are classes for everyone, from preK to adulthood. Stay tuned in the coming weeks to see the plans for the upcoming fall classes.
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Choir returns
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The gift of voice
St. Martin's adult choir returns from their summer break and begins rehearsals again on
Sept. 9. They rehearse weekly before service on Sunday mornings. If you have any interest in joining the choir please contact Choir Director Alvin Johnson at
choirdirector@stmartinslc.org.
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Handbell Choir returns
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St. Martin's handbell choir returns from their summer break and begins rehearsals again on
Sept. 13
. They rehearse weekly on Thursdays at 7 p.m. and play a few times a year during Sunday worship. If you have any interest in joining the handbell choir please contact Handbell Choir Director David Moore at
dcmoore2@gmail.com.
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Poker for Peace
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Cards for fellowship
All men of the church are invited to join "Poker for Peace." This group normally meets at the house of one of their members the last Friday of the month for fellowship and cards. Their next meeting will be at
at 7 p.m. on Aug. 24, at the home of Michael Boutelle.
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Bunko Babes
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Bunko brunch
All ladies of the church are welcome to join "Bunko Babes." This group normally meets at the house of one of their members the last Saturday of each month to share brunch and have a little fun. Their next meeting will be at 11 a.m. on Aug. 25 at the home of Monika Miura.
For more information and to RSVP please contact Monika Miura at: mmiura1@comcast.net
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Quilting group
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The St. Martin's quilting group is a great opportunity to support your sewing hobby in great company. Even if you are a novice,
the quilts are relatively easy to construct if you can pin a safety pin, cut a square of fabric or run a straight seam. Quilting groups meet the first and third full weeks of the month on Monday mornings and Wednesday evenings to work on the quilts. If you have any questions please contact Jean Short at:
jean12short@comcast.net
Next meeting times:
Monday, Aug. 20 @ 9:30 a.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 22 @ 7 p.m.
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Bible Study opportunities
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Come and learn
Pastor Will facilitates a few Bible Studies throughout the week.
Wednesdays
at
1 p.m.
come for an hour of text study as we examine the readings for the coming Sunday.
Additionally, Pastor Will is inviting you to read the whole Bible in a year. There is an assigned reading for everyday and you can follow along with
this calendar. This is not a challenge, but rather a chance for reflection and learning everyday. It's never too late to start and hop in on the most recent verses. Follow along with daily devotions on
Facebook, or come for a weekly check in on
Saturdays at
4 p.m.
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Pastor community hours
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Meet outside of church
Every Friday Pastor Will holds office hours out in the community. Follow St. Martin's Facebook page to see where he'll be each Friday: here. Come out to talk or pray with Pastor Will and let God hold your worries for a while.
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Read a book
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St. Martin's book discussion group is a great way to take part in the joy of reading. Consider picking up a copy and joining in on the discussion. The group's next meeting is on
Aug. 20
at
7 p.m.
Book picks by the month:
August - "Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules"
by Catherine Sundburg
September - "A Spool of Thread" by Anne Tyler
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Thursday Women's Bible Study
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The Thursday morning Ladies' Bible Study Group will be starting a new unit of study at the beginning of September. We are a great group of ladies who enjoy studying the Bible, good refreshments, and the company of one another. We meet every Thursday from
9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. If you just want to try us out before you join, come any Thursday in August to sample the experience.
Upcoming Topics:
Aug. 9 -
Unjust Leaders
Aug. 16
-
The Widow and the Unjust Judge
Aug. 23
- Entering God's Kingdom
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Support Family Promise
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Donate for Family Promise
Do you enjoy a hot cup of coffee before starting your day? For as little as $3.50 a week, the price of hot beverage in the morning, you can join the Fort Bend Family Promise Coffee Club and be part of the caring community of people who are helping get homeless children and their families back to self-sufficiency.
You can join the club and support Family Promise at this link:
https://bit.ly/2JCo5sf
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Shop at Kroger & support St. Martin's
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If you shop at Kroger, you could help support St.Martin's financially. St. Martin's has enrolled in Kroger's Community Rewards Program and will receive a portion of all of your Kroger transaction if you sign up through their website.
1) First, you get a Kroger card. They are free and can be obtained at any Kroger location.
Sign up for a digital account on
www. kroger.com.
2) Go to your account summary on the website and scroll down to "Community Rewards" and select "Enroll Now" (or the "Edit" option if you've already enrolled with another organization).
3) Fill out the information, then you will be prompted to search for an organization. Search for "St. Martin's" and it should appear. Click "Enroll". From now on when you shop with your member card at Kroger you will be supporting St. Martin's.
Thank you for your support!
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Shop at Randalls
& support St. Martin's
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If you shop at Randalls, you could help support St. Martin's financially. St. Martin's is enrolled in Randalls' Good Neighbor program and will receive a portion of all of your Randalls' transactions if you sign up.
1) First, you need a Randalls card. You can sign up for these in any Randalls store.
2) Pick up a Randalls Good Neighbor form on the info table in the Narthex.
3) We have already filled out St. Martin's charity account number on the form, so you just have to fill in your personal information. Then, hand it in at any Randalls store and you will be part of the program.
Thank you for your support!
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Support St. Martin's when you shop
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If you purchase goods through Amazon.com, there's an easy way to donate to St. Martin's at the same time. Simply go to smile.amazon.com and choose St. Martin's Lutheran Church, Sugar Land, as your charity of choice. Amazon will donate a percentage of your purchase directly to St. Martin's. It's so easy!
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Listen to past sermons
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Did you
k
now you can listen t
o Pastor Will's previous sermons online? If you ever miss a Sunday or want to re-listen to a particular message you can find the last few week's worth of sermons on our
SoundCloud account here
. The account is typically updated every Thursday with the previous Sunday's message.
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August Bible in a Year Calendar
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Follow along with Pastor Will this year by reading a little bit of the Bible each day, in the order historians believe events would have taken place. The full calendar can be downloaded
here
. This is not a challenge, but rather a chance for reflection and learning everyday. It's never too late to start and hop in on the most recent verses. Check into
Facebook
each day for a daily devotional for the day's reading.
Readings for Aug. 8 - Aug. 21
Aug. 8 -
Jeremiah 4-6
Aug. 9
- Jeremiah 7-9
Aug. 10
- Jeremiah 10-13
Aug. 11
- Jeremiah 14-17
Aug. 12
- Jeremiah 18-22
Aug. 13
- Jeremiah 23-25
Aug. 14
- Jeremiah 26-29
Aug. 15
- Jeremiah 30-31
Aug. 16
- Jeremiah 32-34
Aug. 17
- Jeremiah 35-37
Aug. 18 -
Jeremiah 38-40; Psalms 74, 79
Aug. 19
- 2 Kings 24-25; 2 Chronicles 36
Aug. 20
- Habakkuk
Aug. 21
- Jeremiah 41-45
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Become a 72-Hour-Lutheran
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Be prepared.
Hurricane season is here again. The Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod encourages eveyone to become a "72-hour" Lutheran.
What is a
72-
hour
Lutheran? It's a person who happens to be
Lutheran and has enough supplies in their home to meet their households' needs for
72
hours. Being prepared to care for your own family, frees you to reach out and help others during a time of crisis.
Here's a checklist to help with your preparation:
- Discuss the type of hazards that could affect your family. Know your home's vulnerability to storm surge, flooding, and wind. Locate a safe room or the safest areas in your home for each hurricane hazard. In certain circumstances, the safest areas may not be your home but within your community.
- If necessary, determine an escape route from your home and designate places to meet. (Note: these should be measured in tens of miles, rather than hundreds of miles.) Have an out-of-state friend as a family contact so all your family members have a single point of contact.
- Make a plan now for what to do with your pets if you need to evacuate.
- Call the church and make sure that they have all your information.
- Create a disaster supply kit
- Proper identification
- Immunization records
- Medications
- Moisture wipes
- Flashlight/Batteries
- Radio - Battery operated and NOAA weather radio
- Telephones
- Full charged cell phone with extra battery
- A traditional (not cordless) telephone set
- Cash (with small bills)
- Extra keys
- Tools - keep a set with you during the storm
- Vehicle fuel tank (kept filled)
- Pet care items
- Stock up on non-perishable emergency supplies
- Juices
- Snack foods
- Foods for infants or the elderly
- Cooking tools
- Non-electric can opener
- Fuel
- Paper plates and plastic utensils
- First-aid kit
- Medicines
- Prescriptions
- Toiletries
- Hygiene items
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Stewardship Thought of the Week
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"Our citizenship is in heaven."
-
Philippians 3:20
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People Need Your Prayers
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Ephesians 6:18
"Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."
Please keep the
following people in prayer:
David Speer
Pat Strom
Al Warner
Herman Harms
Martha Gaskin
John Kokesh
Eva Lindstrom
Eric Moeller
Sylvia Whitt
Bonnie David
Victims & families of violence in our nation and the terrorist activity throughout the world.
Our sister synods in Peru and
the Central African Republic
For prayers contact: officemanager@stmartinslc.org.
For privacy's sake we do not list specific concerns.
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Birthdays & Anniversaries
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Let's celebrate!
Birthdays
Adrianna M. Aug. 10
Jean S. Aug. 12
Clint A. Aug. 13
Lucas Y. Aug. 13
Mary R. Aug. 15
Carl P. Aug. 21
Isabel S. Aug. 21
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St. Martin's Calendar
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What's happening at SMELC?
Want to know what's happening at St. Martin's? View the church calendar on our website. Click the Google calendar link and find out the who, what, when and where of any St. Martin's event.
Aug. 9
- Thursday Women's Bible Study, 9:30 a.m.
Aug. 9 - Houston Area Parkinson's Tai Chi, 10 a.m.
Aug. 11 - Bible in a Year Bible Study, 4 p.m.
Aug. 12
- Sunday Morning Worship, 9:30 a.m.
Aug. 12 -
Saint Paul Sunday Worship, 11:15 a.m.
Aug. 14 - Boy Scouts 148, 6 p.m.
Aug. 14 - Church Council, 6:30 p.m.
Aug. 15 - Pastor Will's Bible Study, 1 p.m.
Aug. 16 - Thursday Women's Bible Study, 9:30 a.m.
Aug. 16 - Houston Area Parkinson's Tai Chi, 10 a.m.
Aug. 18 - Bible in a Year Bible Study, 4 p.m.
Aug. 19 - Youth & Family Team meeting, 8:30 a.m.
Aug. 19 - Sunday Morning Worship, 9:30 a.m.
Aug. 19 - Saint Paul Sunday Worship, 11:15 a.m.
Aug. 20 - Quilting group, 9:30 a.m.
Aug. 20 - Book discussion group, 7 p.m.
Aug. 21 - Boy Scouts 148, 6 p.m.
Aug. 22 - Pastor Will's Bible Study, 1 p.m.
Aug. 22 - Quilting group, 7 p.m.
Aug. 23 - Thursday Women's Bible Study, 9:30 a.m.
Aug. 23 - Houston Area Parkinson's Tai Chi, 10 a.m.
Aug. 24 - Poker for Peace (off-site), 7 p.m.
Aug. 25 - Bunko Babes (off-site), 11 a.m.
Aug. 25 - Bible in a Year Bible Study, 4 p.m.
Aug. 26 - Sunday Morning Worship, 9:30 a.m.
Aug. 26 - Saint Paul Sunday Worship, 11:15 a.m.
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