|
Email Us
|
|
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
|
|
|
|
Pastor's Corner
|
|
Over the past few days, the General Conference of the United Methodist Church met in a special session to discuss the denomination's stance on marriage and ordination for LGBTQ+ folks. Ultimately, the
conference approved the "Traditional Plan," which strengthens and enforces the ban on LGBTQ clergy and same gender marriage. My Facebook feed has been a flood of pain, anger, and fear as friends and colleagues discern what comes next, but one thing that is clear is that the decision made yesterday will have far reaching effects for the whole Church of Jesus Christ.
It has only been ten years since our own denomination had similar conversations, with the ELCA concluding that it is possible for people of faith to reach varying conclusions and leaving the ultimate decision to individual congregations. For some, the Social Statement on Human Sexuality went too far; for others, it did not go nearly far enough. The statement begins by reminding readers that when Jesus was asked what he considered the central command of the Torah, Jesus replied that It was to "Love the
Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength," and to "Love your neighbor as yourself."
The law is love. And the reckless, unrelenting, unfair love of God does not come with exceptions, boundaries, or conditions. And as followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to love each other just as we have been loved. In the year and a half that I have been blessed to serve as your pastor, it has been my experience that St. Martin's is a place that loves like Jesus; a place where "all are welcome" truly means
all. Let us never become complacent in that, Beloved, but instead always be looking for ways we can do it better.
I ask your prayers for our Methodist and LGBTQ siblings. But more than that, I ask your continued commitment to living a bold witness to reckless, inclusive love. I ask your continued commitment to making St. Martin's a place and a people that is safe, supportive, hopeful, and grace-filled for all. I ask your continued commitment to being the loving face of Christ for the world, and to seeking the face of Christ in every person you meet. And as we continue the work of building the Beloved Community
together, may you trust that God is guiding us every step of the way.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Will
|
|
AED/CPR course
|
|
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.
|
|
Ministry Team meeting
|
|
There is a Ministry Team meeting on March 2 at 10 a.m.! All Ministry Team leaders & participants are strongly encouraged to attend, and everyone is welcome! If you have a heart to volunteer at St. Martin's in any capacity this meeting can help you connect with the people who have like interests and abilities. It will help us get on the same page regarding effectively planning and communicating what's going on at St. Martin's. Please contact Glenda Wilder at council@stmartinslc.org if you have questions.
|
|
Ash Wednesday
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Lenten Wednesdays
|
|
|
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 27
April 3
April 10
The evening of Wednesday, March 20 coincides with the Jewish holiday of Purim, so we are taking the chance to join with Beth El Shalom and broaden our faith community by learning something new and celebrating with them. It is quite a festive Jewish holiday, so look forward for more details on it to come.
|
|
Message from Meals on Wheels
|
|
|
Recently we took a collection of pet food for Meals on Wheels and this week we received a letter from the local Meals on Wheels team:
"Dear Pastor Starkweather,
Many thanks to you and your congregation for the donation of pet food to our Meals on Wheels program.
The ERJCC has been serving meals to homebound seniors for over 30 years and we deliver a hot lunch to 300+ clients each day, Monday - Friday. It is from the generosity of community members and local congregations like yours that help support and maintain the additional needs of our seniors.
Thank you again!
Kari Stein and the Meals on Wheels team"
|
|
Recognition of service
|
|
|
Serving all
The Thursday Morning Ladies Bible study group recently studied about giving to "the
least of them". This prompted the need for action. The ladies collected a car-full of coats, toiletries, warm clothes, socks, and snacks to donate to Prodigal Son House, a local organization that feeds the homeless, provides job and drug counseling, and distributes articles to the homeless. Last Friday night at a chicken stew dinner, the donations were given out. Thank you, ladies!
|
|
Easter Egg Hunt
|
|
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.
|
|
Lutherhill Spring Retreat
|
|
Consider attending the Lutherhill
Spring
Family
Retreat
on the weekend of May 3 - May 5 in La Grange, Texas. It's a great opportunity to spend quality time with your
family
doing fun activities that appeal to all generations. The camp offers activities such as archery and a high ropes course as well as Bible studies for all ages. Pastor Will has been invited to be the speaker for the retreat.
It costs $80 for adults, $55 for youth (4-12 years old), and free for campers 3 and under. You can register
here.
|
|
Youth Sunday School
|
|
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
|
|
Adult Sunday School
|
|
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.
|
|
Poker for Peace
|
|
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 March 29, at the house of Mike Boutelle.
For more information please contact Leon Miura at:
lgmiura@comcast.net
|
|
Bunko Babes
|
|
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 March 30 at the home of Monika Miura. For more information and to RSVP please contact Monika Miura at:
mmiura1@comcast.net
|
|
Quilting group
|
|
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:
March 4 - 9:30 a.m.
|
|
Lutherhill Day Camp dates
|
|
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.
|
|
Bible Study opportunities
|
|
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.
|
|
Pastor community hours
|
|
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.
|
|
Read a book
|
|
|
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 March 18 at 7 p.m.
Book picks by the month:
March - "Educated" - Tara Westover
April - "Molokai" - Alan Brennert
|
|
Thursday Women's Bible Study
|
|
|
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.
Upcoming lessons:
Feb. 28: Submitting to God's Love from James
March 7: Submitting to God in Christ from Philippians
March 14: Devoting All to Christ from Philippians
|
|
Lutherhill Golf Tournament
|
|
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.
|
|
Support Family Promise
|
|
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
|
|
Shop at Kroger & support St. Martin's
|
|
|
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!
|
|
Shop at Randalls
& support St. Martin's
|
|
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!
|
|
Support St. Martin's when you shop
|
|
|
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!
|
|
Listen to past sermons
|
|
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.
|
|
Thrivent corner
|
|
|
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
|
|
Stewardship Thought of the Week
|
|
"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"
-
Matthew 7:11
|
|
People Need Your Prayers
|
|
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:
Norma Becker
Michael Hoaks
Annamarie DeYoung
Al Warner
Alice Griffin
Pat Strom
Jeff Wilson
Victims & families of violence in our nation and the terrorist activity throughout the world.
Our sister synods in Peru and
the Central African Republic
|
|
Birthdays & Anniversaries
|
|
Let's celebrate!
Birthdays
Mary P. March 2
Brody S. March 2
James T. March 2
Jenny S. March 6
Robin B. March 10
Daniela H. March 10
David R. March 12
Anniversaries
Rene & Jennifer P. March 12
|
|
St. Martin's Calendar
|
|
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. 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.
Mar. 4 - LWR Quilting Group, 9:30 a.m.
Mar. 4 - Boy Scout Troop 148 Board, 7:30 p.m.
Mar. 5 - Classical Conversations, 9 a.m.
Mar. 5 - Boy Scouts 148, 6 p.m.
Mar. 6 - Classical Conversations, 9 a.m.
Mar. 6 - Ash Wednesday Morning Service, 10 a.m.
Mar. 6 - Wednesday Bible Study, 1 p.m.
Mar. 6 - Cub Scouts, 6 p.m.
Mar. 6 - Lenten Soup Supper, 6 p.m.
Mar. 6 - Ash Wednesday Evening Service, 7 p.m.
Mar. 7 - Thursday Women's Bible Study, 9:30 a.m.
Mar. 7 - Houston Area Parkinson's Tai Chi, 10 a.m.
Mar. 7 - Boy Scouts Arrowhead, 7 p.m.
Mar. 7 - Handbell Choir Pracitce, 7 p.m.
Mar. 9 - Beth El Shalom worship, 8 a.m.
Mar. 10 - Choir practice, 8 a.m.
Mar. 10 - Sunday Morning Worship, 9:30 a.m.
Mar. 10 - Saint Paul Sunday Worship, 11:15 a.m.
Mar. 12 - Boy Scouts 148, 6 p.m.
Mar. 12 - Church Council, 6:30 p.m.
Mar. 13 - Wednesday Bible Study, 1 p.m.
Mar. 13 - Lenten Soup Supper, 6 p.m.
Mar. 13 - Lenten Evening Worship, 7 p.m.
Mar. 14 - Thursday Women's Bible Study, 9:30 a.m.
Mar. 14 - Houston Area Parkinson's Tai Chi, 10 a.m.
Mar. 14 - Boy Scouts Arrowhead, 7 p.m.
Mar. 14 - Handbell Choir practice, 7 p.m.
Mar. 16 - Beth El Shalom worship, 8 a.m.
Mar. 17 - Choir practice, 8 a.m.
Mar. 17 - Sunday Morning Worship, 9:30 a.m.
Mar. 17 - Saint Paul Sunday Worship, 11:15 a.m.
|
|
|
