Serving God. Loving All. Changing Lives.
St. Martin's Lutheran Church Newsletter

Loire, Gabriel, 1904-1996. Carrying the cross of Christ, from Art in the Christian Tradition , a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.
In This Issue
Pastor's corner
Lenten offering
Directory update
Guest preacher in May
Lutherhill Spring Retreat
Family Campout
Lutherhill Day Camp
Mid-Year Meeting
Call for grubbers
Youth Sunday School
Adult Sunday School
Poker for Peace
Bunko Babes
Quilting group
Bible Study opportunities
Pastor community hours
Book group
Women's Bible study
Support Family Promise
Shop at Kroger, support St. Martin's
Shop at Randalls, support St. Martin's
Amazon smile
Listen to past sermons
Thrivent corner
Stewardship thought
Prayer list
Birthdays & anniversaries
Calendar
Quick Links

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
April 24, 2019
Pastor's Corner
Yesterday I was at Target, and as I wandered the aisles, I noticed a team hard at work taking down the
Easter displays and preparing to change them out for the next seasonal sale. Retail apparently doesn't
pay attention to liturgical calendars, because just as Christmas is a season of 12 days, Easter is also a season, lasting fifty days until the day of Pentecost. And yet I will confess that, as a pastor, every year about this time, I find myself giving a sigh of relief that "we made it through Easter." Of course, I know that we have seven more Sundays in the Easter season ahead of us, but after the busyness of Holy
Week, it's always nice when things sort of get back to normal.

The disciples seem to have thought so too. John 21 tells how, at some point after the resurrection, the disciples decided to go fishing. It's more than hobby- they've decided to return to their old career; to get back to normal. Perhaps it had been a little while since their last Jesus sighting and they were starting to
think it was all in their heads. But then Jesus shows up on the beach, feeds them breakfast, and calls Peter to tend his flock. Easter changes everything. Once the tomb is found empty, there is no going back.

It's easy to get lost in the "normalcy" of everyday life. There are things that need to be done, and they don't wait for us. But what would happen if we looked up from time to time while we were fishing, or changing the displays, or tending to our daily routine? What might happen if we started really looking for Jesus on the shore, if we took a few minutes during breakfast or our morning coffee to step back from the busyness and just be with our risen Lord? How would our lives change if we committed to an
empty tomb kind of life, not just on Easter or on Sundays, but every day?

Christ is risen indeed, and there is no going back. We have seen the empty tomb, we have heard his call, and we know that his promise is sure. May we look for signs of the risen Christ in the midst of our "normalcy." And if we haven't seen him in a while, may we commit to being a sign of the risen Christ to those around us. Maybe as we live an empty tomb life, we will see the graves around us open up.

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Will

Lenten offering
This year St. Martin's is designated our Lenten offering to 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 years and Pastor Will has also served for them. Thank you for all your generous giving!

Directory update
Update your info

The next church directory is in the works. If you have any changes to your home address, email address, or phone numbers, or would like to change your picture, please let Council President Glenda Wilder know at: gmwilder@gmail.com. The deadline for changes is
May 30 so please review the last directory and let her know by then.

Pastor is out on May 5
Since he will be at the Lutherhill Spring Family Retreat Pastor Will will not be preaching on Sunday, May 5. In his stead Rev. Jen  Kindsvatter from Lutherhill will be preaching at St. Martin's. You can read more about the Lutherhill Spring Retreat below.

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.  

Family Campout
A night of fun

Each year St. Martin's Youth & Family Team organizes this opportunity to pitch a tent on the church grounds and spend the night. St. Martin's family campout is scheduled for Friday, May 18 at 6 p.m. The fun lasts all evening as we tell stories around the campfire, play games, eat s'mores, hike and generally connect. Breakfast is a shared affair, bright and early. 

For questions contact Shannon Gillar at:
shannongillar@hotmail.com

Lutherhill Day Camp registration
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. For more info contact Glenda Moya at: stmartinsdaycamps@gmail.com.

Registration is now open! If you would like to have your child attend Lutherhill Day Camp please fill out the following forms and return them to the church office.





Mid-Year Congregational Meeting
In our efforts to keep the communication channels open, the Council is inviting you to a mid-year Congregational meeting on Sunday, July 14 . Please note that this does not take the place of our annual meeting in January. The session will take place immediately following fellowship time and will be held in the adult Sunday School classroom. More details and an agenda to come before the meeting. Mark your calendars! We hope to see you there!

Call for grubbers
St. Martin's needs more people to help keep our grounds beautiful. Volunteers tend to our grounds by mowing and trimming on a regular basis. If you would like to help out please contact the office at: officemanager@stmartinslc.org.



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 April 26, at the house of Nate Hopkins.  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 April 27 at the home of Chrisy Woessner. 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:
May 6 - 9:30 a.m.
May 8 - 7 p.m.

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. 


Book club
books_opened_on_table.jpg
Join the St. Martin's book club to discuss a new book each month. They meet on the third Monday evening of each month to discuss that month's pick. Their next meeting is May 20  at 7 p.m. 

Book picks by the month:
May - "Rebecca" - Daphne du Maurier
 

Thursday Women's Bible Study

The Ladies' Bible Study group will be starting a new unit of study on Thursday, April 25. The new book is called "Discipleship and Mission." It has lessons taken from Matthew, Luke, and Romans. This is a group of ladies who meet every Thursday from 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. to have lively discussions and enjoy learning together. They always welcome new members and visitors. It is a great way to make friends and there's always tasty refreshments. If you have any questions call Jill Keller at: 713.557.0893.
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

 
"'Produce fruit in keeping with repentance ...' ... 'What should we do then?' the crowd asked. John answered, 'The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.' "

 - Luke 3:8a, 10-11
 
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
David Speer
Tom Janson
Kim Kenimer
Cle Edwards
Arlene Peters
Jim Walters
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.  
 
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Let's celebrate!
 
Birthdays
Irene C.                April 25
Kiara C.                April 28
Kristen C.             April 29
Meagan G.            April 30
Monika M.               May 2
Dawn W.                 May 2
Margaret G.            May 3
Gary L.                   May 4
Victoria C.               May 7
Daniel H.                 May 7


Anniversaries
Brandy G. & Holly H.                May 3
Andy & Pat S.                          May 4


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.
  

April 25 - Thursday Women's Bible Study, 9:30 a.m.
April 25 - Houston Area Parkinson's Tai Chi, 10 a.m.
April 25 - Handbell Choir practice, 7 p.m.
April 26 - Poker for Peace (off-site), 7 p.m.
April 27 - Beth El Shalom worship, 8 a.m.
April 27 - Bunko Babes (off-site), 11 a.m.
April 28 - Choir practice, 8 a.m.
April 28 - Youth & Family Team meeting, 9 a.m.
April 28 - Sunday Morning worship, 9:30 a.m.
April 28 - Saint Paul Sunday Worship, 11:15 a.m.
April 30 - Classical Conversations, 9 a.m.
April 30 - Boy Scouts 148, 6 p.m.
May 1 - Wednesday Bible Study, 1 p.m.
May 1 - Cub Scouts, 6 p.m.
May 1 - Outreach Team meeting, 6:30 p.m.
May 2 - Thursday Women's Bible Study, 9:30 a.m.
May 2 - Houston Area Parkinson's Tai Chi, 10 a.m.
May 2 - Boy Scouts Arrowhead, 7 p.m.
May 2 - Handbell Choir practice, 7 p.m.
May 4 - Beth El Shalom worship, 8 a.m.
May 5 - Choir practice, 8 a.m.
May 5 - Youth and Family meeting, 9 a.m.
May 5 - Sunday Morning worship, 9:30 a.m.
May 5 - Saint Paul Sunday worship, 11:15 a.m.
May 5 - Jenny Salyers' Piano Recital, 2 p.m.
May 6 - LWR Quilting Group, 9:30 a.m.
May 6 - Boy Scouts 148 Board, 7:30 p.m.
May 7 - Boy Scouts 148, 6 p.m.
May 8 - Wednesday Bible Study, 1 p.m.
May 8 - LWR Quilting Group, 7 p.m.
May 9 - Thursday Women's Bible Study, 9:30 a.m.
May 9 - Houston Area Parkinson's Tai Chi, 10 a.m.
May 9 - Boy Scouts Arrowhead, 7 p.m.
May 9 - Handbell Choir practice, 7 p.m.
May 11 - Beth El Shalom worship, 8 a.m.
May 12 - Choir practice, 8 a.m.
May 12 - Sunday Morning worship, 9:30 a.m.
May 12 - Saint Paul Sunday worship, 11:15 a.m.