This Sunday is Mother's Day, and like so many others, I'll be looking at ways to honor the women in my life who have played mothering roles. My own mother, my child's mother, and so many women who have walked alongside me in my life thus far, showing care and nurture, provision and protection.
Mother's Day is a wonderful opportunity not only to express our gratitude to our mothers or to honor
their memory, but also to reflect on what it means to mother. We give thanks for sisters and aunts and grandmothers who have stepped up to help raise a younger family member; we celebrate step-mothers, adoptive mothers, foster mothers, and mothers-in-law who welcome the children of others as their own; we grieve with those who have wrestled with infertility, pregnancy loss, separation from their children, or the death of a child; and we marvel at the wisdom shared with us by the faithful women who accompany us on life's journey.

On this Mother's Day, may we also take a moment to reflect on our Mothering God, who gave birth to
creation and formed each of us in the womb; who midwifed the deliverance of Israel and nurtured the
Church; who shelters us like a mother hen and defends us like a mother bear. May we remember our first Mother, the God who celebrates that which gives life and mourns that which causes death in all Her Children.

Beloved, as God's children, made in the image of our creating and mothering God, we are called to this holy task as well. Each of us has a role to play in bringing to birth God's vision for the Beloved
Community among us. Each of us has a role in the raising of the young, the young in faith, and the young at heart among us. Each of us has a role in the care of the community, the nurturing of her people, and their preparation to continue this mothering work outside our doors. The old adage says "it takes a village to raise a child." I thank God for those in this community who participate in the task of mothering, raising up the children of God to be strong and courageous, gentle and loving. May we celebrate those who live into the mothering image of God, and may we strive to do likewise.

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Will

Come join us

Are you interested in becoming a full-fledged St. Martin's member? We'd love to have you! Pastor Will is holding a Q&A here at the church for anyone who is interested in becoming a member on Saturday, May 12 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Come get to know your fellow new members and bring all your questions about St. Martin's, Lutheranism, and what it means to be a member. Refreshments will be available. New members will be inducted in service on Sunday, May 20. Please RSVP for the Q&A at: [email protected]

If you have a high school senior who will be graduating soon, please s end a short bio and the student's picture to:[email protected] by May 29. We'd like to honor our graduating seniors. 

The Youth & Family Team invites the youth of the church to help set up for St. Martin's next Family Promise week on the evening of Saturday, June 2 at 6 p.m.  Each quarter, St. Martin's hosts homeless families by turning its Sunday School classrooms into bedrooms. The youth will help get everything set up around the church for the incoming families, and then to celebrate they'll make ice cream sundaes. Ice cream and toppings will be provided. Don't miss this chance for service and sweets!

Our next week of Family Promise is scheduled for

June 3 - June 10 . 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, set up the rooms and do laundry. Please consider signing up for this very important ministry. Sign-up sheets will be located in the Narthex.

Summer fun

St. Martin's will be hosting Lutherhill Day Camp again this summer. Camp counselors and campers will be at the church July 16-20, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. each day.  The camp is open to the community and all children ages kindergarten through eighth grade. Registration is now open and space is limited. So mark your calendar and tell your friends! Turn the registration forms in to the church office with your payment to reserve your child's spot. At $75 for the week, it's the best day camp deal in Sugar Land. Also, high school volunteers are needed to help out during the week. If you have questions or have a high schooler who would like to volunteer, contact Glenda Moya at:  [email protected]

Registration Forms

Camp registration

Camp information

Camp photo release

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 fun. Their next meeting will be on the evening of  May 25,  location to be determined. Please contact Leon Miura for more information at  [email protected]

Bunko brunch

All ladies of the church are invited to join "Bunko Babes." This group normally 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  May 26,  location to be determined. For more information please contact Monika Miura at: [email protected]

This June the ELCA will be holding their youth gathering here in Houston. The 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering Houston Literacy Campaign will be part of that, an attempt to improve literacy in Houston by collecting and donating books for students in Pre-K through 6th grade. Our Youth & Family team will be collecting certain titles for this campaign via a bin in our library over the next few months. Other books off the larger list will be accepted but the books they are focusing on collecting are:

"Matilda" by Ronald Dahl

"Elephant and Piggie" (series) by Mo Willems

"Dog Man" (series) by Dav Pilkey

"Bad Kitty" (series) by Nick Bruel

"Amulet" (series) by Kazu Kibuisiji

Though our Lutheran World Relief kits and quilts have been sent off, the St. Martin's Quilting Group will be continuing on. It is a great opportunity to support your sewing hobby in great company. Even if you are a novice,  the quilts are relatively easy to construct if you can pin a safety pin, cut a square of fabric or run a straight seam. 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:

[email protected]  

Next meeting times:

Monday, May 21 @ 9:30 a.m.

Wednesday, May 23 @ 7 p.m.

Come and learn

Pastor Will is offering a few ongoing Bible Study opportunities this year.

Wednesdays at 1 p.m. come for an hour of text study as we examine the readings for the coming Sunday. 

Additionally, Pastor Will is inviting you to read the whole Bible in a year. There is an assigned reading for everyday and you can follow along with this calendar. This is not a challenge, but rather a chance for reflection and learning everyday. It's never too late to start and hop in on the most recent verses. Follow along with daily devotions on Facebook, or come for a weekly check in on Saturdays at 4 p.m. 

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. 

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.

Verlyn Scott

Pat Strom

David Reumont

 

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.