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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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I always love when Mother's Day falls on the fourth Sunday of Easter. It's "Good Shepherd Sunday," and
every year, we hear a portion of what Jesus tells us about what it means for him to be a shepherd to we
who like sheep have gone astray. We read the 23 rd Psalm and sing lovely hymns based on it, we read from John 10, and hear about Jesus' care for his flock that leads him to give up his own life that we might have life and have it abundantly. It's a beautiful day in the church year. There's just one problem, Church: I don't really know the first thing about sheep or shepherds.
The truth is, I have no experience with sheep. Sure, I know what I've been told over the years, what I've been taught in Sunday School and seminary. I saw shepherds on a trip to Israel, some of them just children as they cared for their sheep. I could read a book, try a Google search, ask Siri, or even talk with someone who has kept sheep. But still, I have a sense that I'd fall short of understanding just what it means for Jesus to be the Good Shepherd.
So what a gift that on the same day we speak of Christ as Shepherd, we also come together to honor the task of mothering. It's not a liturgical day, so to speak, but we learn so much from our mothers. You see, I don't know what it's like to lead a sheep out to pasture, but I've witnessed the miracle of a mother feeding her child from her own body, and I've experienced the joys and challenges of trying to convince a little one to eat. I don't know what it's like to have a sheep wander off, but I've sat with mother's whose children were taken from them, and I know the terror of turning around and not seeing your
child where you expected to. I don't know what it is to put my body between a predator and my prey, but I am honored to know women who have made unspeakable sacrifice for the good of their child, and I know the instinct that leads a parent to defend their child no matter the cost to themselves.
I'm not a mother. But I have been so blessed to have amazing mothers in my life set an example for me about what God's love looks like in action: my own mother, Ryan's mother, and so many faithful women who have participated in the task of mothering. On this Good Shepherd Sunday, I don't know what it looks like to care for sheep; but I know God's love through the witness of those women who have yearned for motherhood and been met with loss, who have embraced the calling to bear children with both joy and fear, who have welcomed children and new parents alike into a place of safety and understanding, who have cared for the children of others as though they were their own, and who have
made sacrifice upon sacrifice for the sake of a child who may never fully understand the cost of
unconditional love. Having seen God's love made manifest in the act of mothering, may we also love like that.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Will
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Family Campout
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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 Saturday, May 18 at 7 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
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Meeting on Pastoral Intern
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Last week we sent out a communication about the possibility of calling a pastoral intern for the upcoming 2019-2020 academic year. Specifically, this intern would be Stephanie Stark, a daughter of St. Martin's. The letter outlined how long of a road it has been to reach this point and you can read it here. We will be holding a congregational meeting after service on May 19 for all to receive information, ask questions, and then vote on this decision. Make sure you don't miss this important meeting.
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Directory update
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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.
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Family Promise week
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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. Look out for sign-up sheets in the Narthex over the next few weeks!
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Lutherhill Day Camp registration
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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. 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.
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Mid-Year Congregational Meeting
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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!
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Call for grubbers
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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.
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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.
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
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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.
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.
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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 May 24, at the house of Greg Carleton.
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 May 25 at the home of Denise Cope. 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:
May 20 - 9:30 a.m.
May 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.
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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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Book club
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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
June - "Still Life" - Louise Penny
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Thursday Women's Bible Study
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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.
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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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"'Jesus looked at him and loved him. 'One thing you lack,' he said. 'Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.' "
-
Mark 10:21
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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:
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
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Birthdays & Anniversaries
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Let's celebrate!
Birthdays
Holly H. May 8
Hannah S. May 9
Norma B. May 11
Donna C. May 11
Gavin G. May 13
Alice G. May 14
McKenna G. May 16
Owen H. May 21
Anniversaries
Bruce & Jenny S. May 10
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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.
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 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.
May 14 - Boy Scouts 148, 6 p.m.
May 14 - Church Council meeting, 6:30 p.m.
May 15 - Wednesday Bible Study, 1 p.m.
May 16 - Thursday Women's Bible Study, 9:30 a.m.
May 16 - Houston Area Parkinson's Tai Chi, 10 a.m.
May 16 - Beth El Shalom band practice, 6:30 p.m.
May 17 - Chelsea Rangel Piano Recital, 6 p.m.
May 18 - Beth El Shalom worship, 8 a.m.
May 18 - GCC Handbell practice, 2:30 p.m.
May 18 - Family Campout, 7 p.m.
May 19 - Choir practice, 8 a.m.
May 19 - Sunday Morning Worship, 9:30 a.m.
May 19 - Congregational Meeting, 10:45 a.m.
May 19 - Saint Paul Sunday Worship, 11:15 a.m.
May 19 - Roanne Gilmer piano recital, 3 p.m.
May 20 - LWR Quilting group, 9:30 a.m.
May 20 - Book club, 7 p.m.
May 21 - Boy Scouts 148, 6 p.m.
May 22 - Wednesday Bible Study, 1 p.m.
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.
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