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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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Greetings from Minnesota! I'm writing this article from Internship Supervisor Training at Luther Seminary. As we began, we discussed our "Internship Toolbox" - the talents, experiences, curiosities, and learnings we bring with us, as well as the resources provided for us. We've talked timelines and checklists and evaluations, and all of those are important things. But the bulk of our training will deal with those personal, individual tools we bring; our strengths and challenges, our wonderings and discoveries. Because that's where learning and growth and development happen- not in the paperwork and the format, but the intersection between our lived experience and God's heart for our future.
We all have a toolbox. Not just interns and committee members and supervisors, but every one of us has talents and experiences, curiosities and learnings. Your life has been preparing you for the work God is calling you to. The Apostle Paul writes to the Ephesian church that "the gifts [God] gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry for building up the body of Christ." Some of those "gifts" or "callings" may seem intimidating, but the truth is you're already doing many of these things. Apostles are those who go out to others, prophets are those who tell the truth about God and the world, evangelists are those who share good news, and pastors are those who care for others. You are equipped for these good works. You have these tools.
The question, Beloved, is what are we building with these tools? How will you use the gifts and skills and talents of your life to make our church, our community, our world a better place? What building projects might God be calling you to in your homes, schools, and workplaces?
The Spirit has equipped you for every good work, Beloved. Make you take up your tools and be open to the work to which God is calling you.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Will
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Lutherhill donations needed
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Lutherhill Day Camp will be next week
June 17-21.
Thank you to those that have contributed or signed up to provide snacks, lunches, and dinners for the week. We are still in need of snacks for Friday as well as any donations for the pizza on Friday. Ideas for snacks could include, but not limited to: granola bars, fruit, cookies, cheese sticks, pudding cups, chips, etc. We try to stay away from anything that may contain peanut butter as that is a common allergy. If you are unable to go out and purchase, a donation can be made and I can go and purchase the snacks on your behalf. Bring your donations on Sunday.
Thank you for the continuous support of our Lutherhill Day Camp over the years.
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Thanks from Kairos
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We received a letter from Kairos Prison Ministry to thank St. Martin's for our Lenten offerings:
"Dear St. Martin's Church,
On behalf of Kairos Outside Houston I want to thank you for your very generous $1,150.00 donation. We are so grateful. Without generous people like yourself we could not continue this ministry.
We are also very grateful to have Pastor Will on our team. He brings his talents, compassion and calmness to our community.
May God Bless St. Martin's abundantly for their generosity and support.
Renee McGahn
KO Houston Council"
According to its website, Kairos Prison Ministry is a Christian program, although no religious affiliation is necessary to be a Guest. Kairos Outside offers a comfortable, non-judging retreat for women to support each other as they journey through the incarceration of a friend or relative.
The Kairos Outside Weekend is a 2 ½ day program based on a series of talks by volunteers designed to address the pain of enduring separation from the one inside and the judgment of others from their community. Guests hear the talks in small family groups.
The program is interspersed with music, prayer, and and fun activities. Thanks to your generous gifts St. Martin's was able to support this important ministry.
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Thank you for Family Promise Week
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St. Martin's Community,
Thank you all for your continued support of Fort Bend Family Promise. Thanks to the many wonderful volunteers, we just completed a successful host week. We had four lovely families (15 guests) stay with us for a week. As they were leaving on Sunday morning, the guests asked me to thank you all for the hospitality and the great food. So, to everyone involved in any aspect of making this week a success - those of you who make financial donations, those of you who set up or took down, those who cooked dinner, opened the church, served as evening host, stayed overnight, or helped wash all the laundry - a huge thank you! We can't do this ministry without all of you!
St. Martin's Coordinators, Chris & Carrie O'Sullivan, Berdene Bethel
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Confirmation 2019
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Congratulations to our 2019 Confirmands, Emma & Rose Lindquist, Adrianna Moya, and Taylor Hinton. They were confirmed last Sunday, June 9, and we are very proud. Also, thank you to Carl Peters for making beautiful handmade gifts for them.
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Houston Tidelanders performance
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The Houston Tidelanders Chorus and Quartets
are putting on a show that will benefit Fort Bend Family Promise on June 22 at 2 p.m. The show will be at Christ Church Sugar Land (3300 Austin Parkway 77479). Come out and enjoy the 4-part barbershop harmony of the
Tidelanders
while supporting the work Fort Bend Family Promise does in helping local homeless families. Tickets to the show are $20 and include popcorn and soft drinks. Contact Carrie O'Sullivan to buy tickets at: chrisosullivan@sbcglobal.net
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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. Mark your calendars! We hope to see you there!
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Intern approved
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On the way
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."
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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 June 28, at the house of Chris Woessner.
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 June 29 at the home of Barbara Sobkowiak. For more information and to RSVP please contact Monika Miura at:
mmiura1@comcast.net
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Ongoing projects
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Many ways to serve
Along with our Grace Bags project we have a few other ongoing service projects you may not know about. Our members collect pill bottles, stamps, and can tops for various projects. There are drawer boxes to drop these off in the front of the library at any time. For more information on these collection projects you can contact Denise Cope at:
gaycope@yahoo.com.
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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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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:
June 17 - 9:30 a.m.
June 19 - 7 p.m.
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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. The June meeting has been canceled. Next meeting will be July 15 at 7 p.m.
Book picks by the month:
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
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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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Thursday Ladies' Bible Study
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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.
On Thursday, June 20, the Ladies' Bible Study will be going out to lunch at Aling's Chinese Bistro at 11 a.m. This will be in lieu of their regular meeting that day.
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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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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
Also, if you eat at Fish City Grill in Sugar Land Town Center on
Tuesday, July 2, 15% of your meal cost will be donated to Fort Bend Family Promise.
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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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"... God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment."
-
1 Timothy 6:17c
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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
Gene Farris
Mitzi Thornton
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
Julia W. June 16
Alpha W. June 16
Brandy G. June 18
Chris M. June 18
Cle E. June 24
Anniversaries
Rene & Amanda G. June 14
Millie & Doyle B. June 25
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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.
June 13
- Thursday Ladies' 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.
June 17 - 21 - Lutherhill Day Camp
June 17 - LWR Quilting Group, 9:30 a.m.
June 18 - Boy Scout 148, 6 p.m.
June 19 - Wednesday Bible Study, 1 p.m.
June 19 - LWR Quilting Group, 7 p.m.
June 20
- Houston Area Parkinson Tai Chi, 10 a.m.
June 20 - Beth El Shalom band practice, 6:30 p.m.
June 22 - Beth El Shalom worship, 8 a.m.
June 23 - Sunday Morning Worship, 9:30 a.m.
June 23 - Saint Paul Sunday Worship, 11:15 a.m.
June 25 - Boy Scouts 148, 6 p.m.
June 26 - Wednesday Bible Study, 1 p.m.
June 27 - Thursday Women's Bible Study, 9:30 a.m.
June 27 - Houston Area Parkinson's Tai Chi, 10 a.m.
June 27 - Beth El Shalom band practice, 6:30 p.m.
June 28 - Poker for Peace (off-site), 7 p.m.
June 29 - Beth El Shalom worship, 8 a.m.
June 29 - Bunko Babes (off-site), 11 a.m.
June 30 - Sunday Morning Worship, 9:30 a.m.
June 30 - Saint Paul Sunday Worship, 11:15 a.m.
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