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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
Glenda Wilder
Email: council
@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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For a couple weeks now, Ryan has been excited about Valentine's Day. Every night before bed, she asks "Will tomorrow be Valentine's Day?" and I explain that it's coming soon, but not yet. For now, Ryan is excited about chocolate and all the extra things that have turned pink. For others, however, the focus of the day is love- sometimes celebrating the person we have, and other times lamenting the person we don't. And while Hallmark has made it into the beast it is today, perhaps it's not a bad thing to spend some time thinking about love.
When I do premarital counseling, I always remind couples that the Disney "happily ever after" isn't the way love works in the real world. Love isn't really about the feeling we get when we see that person; love is an action, an attitude, a commitment, and a way of being. And that's true of more than just romantic relationships. Whether it is a partner or a neighbor, love is the commitment to treat them with the same respect and dignity on days when we don't get the warm fuzzies from them as days when we do. To truly love our neighbor is to commit to showing the same regard for the person with whom we disagree most fiercely as we do for the person with whom we agree most fully. Love is a decision we make to be kind even to those who are unkind, to be merciful even to those who are unmerciful, to be forgiving even of those who do not seek forgiveness.
And John reminds us that "We love because God first loved us." God made the commitment to bless us before we blessed God's name. God chose to show us mercy even as we withheld it from each other. God made the ultimate sacrifice so that we would not have to. And so Jesus commands us to love in the same way we have been loved. Fiercely. Recklessly. Abundantly. Fully. We show our love for God when we act in love toward others.
Tomorrow, by all means, celebrate Valentine's Day as you like. Buy flowers or chocolate or dinner for someone special- even if that someone is yourself. But every day, commit to living in love. Every day, look for one new thing you can do to show the love of God through your life to someone else. Every day isn't Valentine's Day, but every day is a good day to share love.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Will
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A letter from Alvin Johnson
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"Pastor Will and the St. Martin's Family,
There are no better words than Paul's prayer for the Philippians to express the joy and thanks I have for serving and worshiping with you.
'I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the very first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ."
I thank you, I thank you, I thank you!
Your brother in Christ,
Alvin Johnson"
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New Member class
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Pastor Will will be holding a new member information class on Saturday Feb. 23, from 10-11 a.m. All are welcome to come for a time of conversation as we get to know St. Martin's and each other better. New members will be received on Sunday, March 3. For more information, feel free to contact Pastor Will at pastor@stmartinslc.org.
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AED/CPR course
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Get certified
St. Martin's recently purchased an AED (automatic external defibrillator). Before it is installed, we will be hosting an AED/CPR course led by CGM Academy on site at St. Martin's on Saturday, Mar. 2, from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. The course takes three hours and costs $50 per person, due upon your arrival to the class that day, and you receive your certification immediately upon finishing it. The class can only accommodate a certain amount of people, so if you are interested please RSVP at:
officemanager@stmartinslc.org
Also, if you are interested in this class but can't afford it there are a few scholarships available, please inquire at the above email.
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Ministry Team meeting
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A meeting for all Ministry Team leaders (team members and all interested in serving are welcome) will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Mar. 2 in the Adult Sunday School room. Please contact Glenda Wilder at
council@stmartinslc.org
if you have questions.
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Ash Wednesday
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Beginning of Lent
This year
Ash
Wednesday
is on Mar. 6. There will be a morning service at 10 a.m. as well as an evening service at 7 p.m. Before the evening service all are invited to share in a dinner beginning at 6 p.m. Please consider making time for this meaningful service.
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Lenten Wednesdays
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Time for reflection
Wednesdays during Lent Pastor Will
will hol
d
evening services. The services will be at 7 p.m., with a soup supper beforehand at 6 p.m. Sign-ups for the soup suppers will be in the Narthex. Mark your calendar for these times of fellowship and prayer.
March 13
March 20
March 27
April 3
April 10
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Pet food collection
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Help for furry friends
We are collecting donations of dog and cat food for Meals on Wheels' pet program until
Feb. 14. Please bring bags of dry puppy, kitten, adult dog, and adult cat food in bags of 20 lbs. or less, or any size of wet canned food, to the service area of the Narthex. For info or questions please contact Denise Cope at: 713.771.4841 or
gaycope@yahoo.com
.
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Cullinan Park picnic & hike
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The Youth & Family Team invites everyone out to a picnic and hike at Cullinan Park
(12414 Highway 6 S, Sugar Land, TX 77498)
after church on
Feb. 17. There will be a picnic followed by a hike to clean up the park. Wearing your St. Martin's shirt is encouraged. Hope to see you there!
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Easter Egg Hunt
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Youth events on Easter
On Easter Sunday,
April 21, after the breakfast the Youth & Family Team is planning an Easter Egg Hunt for the children, along with other family activities. There will be in need of volunteers, so if you are interested please contact Daniela Hammons at:
daniela.hammons@centerpointenergy.com.
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Becoming a RIC Congregation
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St. Martin's is looking into how to become a Reconciling in Christ Congregation. Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Congregations are Lutheran congregations who openly welcome and include those from the LGBT+ community, as certified by ReconcilingWorks: Lutherans for Full Participation. This requires going through a training session, called Building an Inclusive Church, and unfortunately there are not any scheduled near St. Martin's in the year of 2019. We are sending a St. Martin's member to attend a training in Santa Clara, CA, in February with the intent of bringing back info to St. Martin's on how we can host our own training for the community here, hopefully in May. We will let you know when we have more information. For now, you can read more about this organization and the training here: www.reconcilingworks.org
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Youth Sunday School
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Education for all ages
All Sunday School classes are after worship at
10:45 a.m. A Christian education gives a child a firm faith foundation for the rest of their lives. Consider allowing your child to stay after the worship service to engage more deeply in their faith with our seasoned Sunday School teachers. Listed below are the focuses of the upcoming classes.
PreK-Grade 5: Lessons from Jesus
Middle School/Confirmation:
Lutheran history & Catechism
High School: Echo the Story Bible Study
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Adult Sunday School
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Always learning
The Adult Sunday Forum is continuing with our study of Paul with a few special events mixed in for a change of pace. Come join the class every Sunday after service at
10:45 a.m.
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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
7 p.m. on Feb. 22, location TBA.
For more information please contact Leon Miura at:
lgmiura@comcast.net
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Bunko Babes
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Brunch & Bunko
All ladies of the church are welcome to join "Bunko Babes." This group usually 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 Feb. 23 at the home of Florida Kweekeh. 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 Lutheran World Relief quilting group is a great opportunity to support a great cause. The group produces quilts and blankets that are shipped around the world to help those in need through the Lutheran World Relief project. Novices are welcome! 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:
Feb. 18 - 9:30 a.m.
Feb. 20 - 7 p.m.
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Lutherhill Day Camp dates
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Week of fun
St. Martin's will again be hosting Lutherhill Day Camp this summer. Camp counselors and campers will be at the church
June 16 - June 21.
The camp is open to the community and all children ages kindergarten through eighth grade. It costs $85 for a single child and $80 for siblings. High school age students will be needed to volunteer at the camp. So mark your calendar and tell your friends! For more info contact Glenda Moya at: stmartinsdaycamps@gmail.com.
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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.
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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 group for book lovers. They meet once a month in the St. Martin's library to discuss that month's book pick. Their next meeting is Feb. 18 at 7 p.m.
Book picks by the month:
Feb. - "The Man in the High Castle" by Philip K. Dick
Mar. - "Educated" - Tara Westover
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Thursday Women's Bible Study
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The Thursday morning Ladies' Bible Study Group is a great group of ladies who enjoy studying the Bible, good refreshments, and the company of one another. They welcome visitors and new members. They meet
every Thursday from
9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. For more info call Jill Keller at: 713.557.0893.
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Lutherhill Golf Tournament
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Do you enjoy
golf
? Well here is a chance to support
Lutherhill
and play
golf
at the same time.
Lutherhill
's 18th annual
golf
tournament is coming upon Friday,
April 26
at Cypresswood
Golf
Club in Spring, TX.
The format of the tournament will be four person scramble, so you will need to grab some friends and register as a team of four. Registration and lunch will take place from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
that day, with the tournament starting at 1 p.m.
You can register online beforehand at
. Registration costs $140 per player and includes green fees, cart, practice balls, tournament gift, lunch, dinner, and drinks.
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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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Thrivent corner
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Thrivent is a unique kind of membership organization called a fraternal benefit society.
By definition, a fraternal benefit society is a not-for-profit organization that provides
insurance to its members and - this is key - has to carry out social, intellectual, educational, charitable, benevolent, moral, fraternal, patriotic or religious purposes for the benefit of its members and the public. So we don't simply sell insurance, and we don't simply do charitable work either. As a fraternal benefit society, we do both as we help Thrivent members on their wise with money journeys.
Strive to manage God's gifts wisely by putting your values and plans into practical
action. This can be anything from simple budgeting, to building insurance strategies, to
saving, investing, retirement planning, an annual giving plan and more. The best place
to start is answering the question, "Who or what is going to help me?" Contact for St. Martin's Members and our friends is Suzanne Kocurek Office Phone: 713-974-2843 Cell: 281-923-7623 or email:
suzanne.kocurek@thrivent.com
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Stewardship Thought of the Week
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"Command those who are rich in this present world ... to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life."
-
1 Timothy 6:17-19
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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
Sharon Pendley
Barbara Jacobs
Molly Jibrin
Victims & families of violence in our nation and the terrorist activity throughout the world.
Our sister synods in Peru and
the Central African Republic
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Birthdays & Anniversaries
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Let's celebrate!
Birthdays
Arlene P. Feb. 13
Conner H. Feb. 14
Walter L. Feb. 21
Fernando M. Feb. 21
Nancy R. Feb. 22
Mary Ann M. Feb. 23
Wendy A. Feb. 25
Florida K. Feb. 26
James R. Feb. 26
Anniversaries
David & Debbie S. Feb. 14
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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.
Feb. 10 - Feb. 17
-
Family Promise Week
Feb. 14
- Thursday Women's Bible Study, 9:30 a.m.
Feb. 14 - Houston Area Parkinson Tai Chi, 10 a.m.
Feb. 14 - Boy Scouts Arrowhead, 7 p.m.
Feb. 14 - Handbell Choir practice, 7 p.m.
Feb. 16 - Beth El Shalom worship, 8 a.m.
Feb. 17 - Choir practice, 8 a.m.
Feb. 17 - Sunday Morning Worship, 9:30 a.m.
Feb. 17 - Saint Paul Sunday Worship, 11:15 a.m.
Feb. 17 - Cullinan Park Picnic & Hike, 11:45 a.m.
Feb. 17 - Youth & Family Team meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 18 - LWR Quilting Group, 9:30 a.m.
Feb. 18 - Book discussion club, 7 p.m.
Feb. 19 - Classical Conversations, 9 a.m.
Feb. 19 - Boy Scouts 148, 6 p.m.
Feb. 20 - Beth El Shalom prayer time, 6 a.m.
Feb. 20 - Classical Conversations, 9 a.m.
Feb. 20 - Bible Study, 1 p.m.
Feb. 20 - Cub Scouts, 7 p.m.
Feb. 20 - LWR Quilting Group, 7 p.m.
Feb. 20 - Thursday Women's Bible Study, 9:30 a.m.
Feb. 20 - Houston Area Parkinson's Tai Chi, 10 a.m.
Feb. 20 - Beth El Shalom prayer time, 12 p.m.
Feb. 20 - Handbell Choir practice, 7 p.m.
Feb. 22 - Poker for Peace (off-site), 7 p.m.
Feb. 22 - Beth El Shalom worship, 8 a.m.
Feb. 22 - New Member Class, 10 a.m.
Feb. 22 - Bunko Babes (off-site), 11 a.m.
Feb. 24 - Choir practice, 8 a.m.
Feb. 24 - Sunday Morning Worship, 9:30 a.m.
Feb. 24 - Saint Paul Sunday Worship, 11:15 a.m.
Feb. 26 - Classical Conversations, 9 a.m.
Feb. 26 - Boy Scouts 148, 6 p.m.
Feb. 27 - Beth El Shalom prayer time, 6 a.m.
Feb. 27 - Classical Conversations, 9 a.m.
Feb. 27 - Bible Study, 1 p.m.
Feb. 28 - Thursday Women's Bible Study, 9:30 a.m.
Feb. 28 - Houston Area Parkinson's Tai Chi, 10 a.m.
Feb. 28 - Handbell Choir practice, 7 p.m.
Mar. 2 - Beth El Shalom worship, 8 a.m.
Mar. 2 - Ministry Team meeting, 10 a.m.
Mar. 2 - AED/CPR Course, 1 p.m.
Mar. 3 - Choir practice, 8 a.m.
Mar. 3 - Sunday Morning Worship, 9:30 a.m.
Mar. 3 - Saint Paul Sunday Worship, 11:15 a.m.
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