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

Bateman, Robert, 1836-1889. Pool of Bethesda, from Art in the Christian Tradition , a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.
In This Issue
Pastor's corner
Pastoral Intern Meeting
Directory update
Member farewell
Family Promise week
Lutherhill Day Camp
Mid-Year Meeting
Call for grubbers
Janitorial notebook
Youth Sunday School
Adult Sunday School
Poker for Peace
Bunko Babes
Quilting group
Book group
Bible Study opportunities
Women's Bible study
Pastor community hours
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
May 22, 2019
Pastor's Corner
Thursday is Ryan's graduation at her day care. To be honest, I didn't know that was a thing; I don't recall
having a graduation ceremony until I was finishing high school. But all the same, I'm excited to go and
see her celebrate this transition. She is done with preschool, and beginning in the fall, she will start Kindergarten at the elementary school.

Graduations are exciting times no matter what age you are. It's good to have rituals and celebrations to mark the end of a season. But it's also appropriate that we often refer to these ceremonies as "commencement." Because while our time with a school may be coming to an end, it is also the beginning of a new season, whether that may be a transition to kindergarten, college, or career.

I can't help but think of the Ascension as a sort of graduation, or perhaps more appropriately,
commencement. Forty days after the resurrection, the book of Acts tells us that Jesus was taken up into heaven while his disciples watched. His ministry is complete, his teachings are at an end, and though the angels promise that he will come again, until he does it seems that Jesus' work is over. But where Jesus'
work ends, ours begins. The Ascension takes place in chapter 1 of Acts; from that point on, it is the story of the Church stepping up to do the work of Kingdom, carrying on the mission of Jesus as our own. For 2000 years we have done this work, making disciples who make disciples for the sake of healing the world.

The question then, Beloved, is are you ready for the task that lies before you? Has your discipleship prepared you for what comes next? Has everything you have learned and seen and experienced prepared you not just to follow Christ but to lead others to him? I wonder how many of us would say yes. And then I remember how I felt wearing a cap and gown and preparing to leave school and enter the world. And I'm reminded that just because we graduate doesn't mean we stop learning. Just because our (formal) education comes to an end doesn't mean we stop growing in knowledge or faith. But like our Savior promise, we are doing a new thing, stepping boldly into a new stage in life as
followers who lead, as leaders who follow. And though we no longer see him among us, Jesus promises that we never do this new thing alone. May you trust that promise.

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Will

Intern approved
On Sunday May 19 the people of St. Martin's voted an overwhelming "yes" to accepting seminary intern, Stephanie Stark in September. These are exciting times for our church! As this is an ongoing process we will keep you up to date throughout the summer as we figure out the specifics of Stephanie's role at St. Martin's. If you would like to designate your offering to contribute to the hosting of Stephanie Stark  please make a note on your check or offering envelope to indicate the designation to "INTERN." 

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.

Member farewell
Celebrate a member

Stay after church on June 2 for a farewell reception for St. Martin's member Marcus Caceres in the Narthex. Marcus will be heading to boot camp for the US Coast Guard soon and it would mean a lot for his church family here at St. Martin's to give him a proper send off! There will be light refreshments available. 

Family Promise week
Help the homeless

Our next week of Family Promise is scheduled for June 2 - June 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, unlock the church, set up the rooms and do laundry. Please sign up in the Narthex if you can help!

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 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.

Janitorial notebook
We want to encourage every member of the church to take ownership of the space we worship in so we will be providing a way for everyone to give feedback about our janitorial services. In the coming weeks there will be a notebook on the Office Manager's desk to make note of anything  amiss that anyone sees. Please feel free to write in the notebook if you see something that could be improved as far as the janitorial services in the church go.

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.

There will be no Youth Sunday School classes on May 26. 

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. 

The class will be starting a new 5-week series of lessons from May 26 - June 23, focusing on the book "The Shack" by William P. Young. You won't want to miss this study of love, forgiveness, and connecting with God. Join the class every Sunday after worship in the Adult Sunday School room.


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 May 24, at the house of Greg Carleton.  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 May 25 at the home of Denise Cope. 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:
June 3 - 9:30 a.m.
June 5 - 7 p.m.

Book club
magic_stars_book.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 June 17  at 7 p.m. 




Book picks by the month:
June - "Still Life" by Louise Penny

July - "The Rooster Bar" by John Grisham

Aug. - "Call the Midwife" by Jennifer Worth

Sept. - "Original Sin" by P.D. James

Oct. - "A Gentleman in Moscow" by Amor Towles

Nov. - "The Paris Architect" by Charles Belfoure
 

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. 

Thursday Women's Bible Study

The Ladies' Bible Study group has started a new unit of study recently. 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.
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. 


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

 
"... For we will all stand before God's judgment seat ... So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God."

 - Romans 14:10, 12
 
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
Barbara Jacobs
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
Julianna M.                May 23
Chloe W.                    May 24
Debra G.                   May 26
Helga C.                    May 27
Denise C.                  May 27
Quyn W.                    May 27
Doyle B.                    May 28
Phyllis S.                   May 29
Alyssa M.                   June 6
Madeline S.                June 7


Anniversaries
Chris & Carrie O.                May 27
Kristin & James T.               May 30


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.
  

May 23 - Thursday Women's Bible Study, 9:30 a.m.
May 23 - Houston Area Parkinson's Tai Chi, 10 a.m.
May 23 - Beth El Shalom band practice, 6:30 p.m.
May 24 - Poker for Peace (off-site), 7 p.m.
May 25 - Beth El Shalom worship, 8 a.m.
May 25 - Bunko Babes (off-site), 11 a.m.
May 26 - Choir practice, 8 a.m.
May 26 - Sunday Morning Worship, 9:30 a.m.
May 26 - Saint Paul Sunday Worship, 11:15 a.m.
May 28 - Boy Scouts 148, 6 p.m.
May 29 - Wednesday Bible Study, 1 p.m.
May 30 - Thursday Women's Bible Study, 9:30 a.m.
May 30 - Houston Area Parkinson's Tai Chi, 10 a.m.
May 30 - Beth El Shalom band practice, 6:30 p.m.
June 1 - Beth El Shalom worship, 8 a.m.
June 2 - Choir practice, 8 a.m.
June 2 - Sunday Morning Worship, 9:30 a.m.
June 2 - Saint Paul Sunday Worship, 11:15 a.m.
June 3 - Quilting group, 9:30 a.m.
June 3 - Boy Scout 148 Board, 7:30 p.m.
June 4 - Boy Scouts 148, 6 p.m.
June 5 - Wednesday Bible Study, 1 p.m.
June 5 - Cub Scouts, 6 p.m.
June 5 - Outreach Team meeting, 6:30 p.m.
June 5 - Quilting group, 7 p.m.
June 6 - Thursday Women's Bible Study, 9:30 a.m.
June 6 - Houston Area Parkinson's Tai Chi, 10 a.m.
June 6 - Beth El Shalom band practice, 6:30 p.m.
June 6 - Boy Scouts Arrowhead, 7 p.m.
June 8 - Beth El Shalom worship, 8 a.m.
June 9 - Sunday Morning Worship, 9:30 a.m.
June 9 - Saint Paul Morning Worship, 11:15 a.m.
June 11 - Boy Scouts 148, 6 p.m.
June 11 - Church Council, 6:30 p.m.
June 12 - Wednesday Bible Study, 1 p.m.
June 13 - Thursday Women's Bible Study, 9:30 a.m.
June 13 - Houston Area Parkinson's Tai Chi, 10 a.m.
June 13 - Beth El Shalom band practice, 6:30 p.m.
June 13 - Boy Scouts Arrowhead, 7 p.m.
June 15 - Beth El Shalom worship, 8 a.m.
June 16 - Sunday Morning Worship, 9:30 a.m.
June 16 - Saint Paul Sunday Worship, 11:15 a.m.