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

Pymonenko, Mykola. Waiting for the Blessing, from Art in the Christian Tradition , a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.
In This Issue
Pastor's corner
St. Paul joint services
Pastor Will at Youth Gathering
Directory update
Summer fun at SMLC
Register for day camp
Donate food for day camp
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
Bible in a Year
Stewardship thought
Prayer list
Birthdays & anniversaries
Calendar
Quick Links
Email Us
July 11, 2018
Pastor's Corner
As many of you know, this is Ryan's first week living in Texas. On Monday, she was excited to go to school, but when it came time for me to leave, she was...less excited. On Tuesday, she found every possible excuse to try not to go to school. She was tired, she was hungry, she was sick, she was scared, she was sad, she was mad. Eventually, we made it to school, but she certainly wasn't happy about it! This morning, Ryan put up less of a fight. She got ready for school and got in the car, but she still wasn't particularly pleased when it came time for me to drop her off and head in to work. I know this is normal with a big transition, and I'm quite certain we'll have more hard days before we have good ones. But the
more we keep at it, the better it's going to go. We'll keep doing what is necessary, even when it isn't
what we want.

The truth is, Beloved, we all face transitions like that. We all experience change- sometimes change we choose and sometimes change we don't- and then we have to deal with it. And I can think of times I've made excuses to avoid it: I'm tired, I'm sick, I'm scared, I'm angry. But until we resolve to do what is necessary, it just remains uncomfortable.

What changes are happening in your life right now? Have you been looking for excuses? What are the
necessary things to which God is calling you? In this time after Pentecost, as we focus on discipleship, we are reminded that the Christian life is not about our comfort, but about God's calling. Wherever God is calling you, may you trust in the promise that you are not alone in the changes and chances of life, but Christ is with you always. And may you be bold to do what is necessary, as we work together for the building up of the Beloved Community.

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Will
Saint Paul joint services
Upcoming special services

St. Martin's will soon be sharing its space with Saint Paul Presbyterian Church while they wait for their new facility to be built.  In order to welcome the congregation of Saint Paul Presbyterian, and their Pastor John Hirling, there will be two special upcoming joint services.
We are happy to announce that together we have decided on dates that will work for both congregations! Join us on the mornings of July 29 and Aug. 5 to welcome Saint Paul to St. Martin's.

July 29  - First  Sunday  together with an ELCA service presided by Pastor Will and assisted by Pastor John.

Aug. 5  - Second  Sunday  together with a Presbyterian service presided by Pastor John and assisted by Pastor Will.

These services will follow a special schedule:
 
9:30 a.m. - Meet & Greet
10 a.m. - Worship
After worship - Fellowship

Pastor Will at ELCA Youth Gathering

Pastor Will at the 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering



Pastor Will was featured as a speaker at the 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering here in Houston the weekend of June 28-July 1. He told his story to an audience of 31,000, and you can watch a recording of it on YouTube via the link above. It is a great message and we are so glad he was able to share it with so many. 

Directory update

It's time to update the St. Martin's pictorial directory! Please send any changes, additions, deletions or your favorite new photo to gmwilder@gmail.com for the next electronic edition of our member directory! Deadline is July 31

Summer fun at St. Martin's
Sunday school is on summer break, but there are still plenty of reasons to stay after church! This summer there will be Bible trivia and coffee houses on rotating weeks hosted after service. Come test your Bible knowledge at Bible trivia hosted by St. Martin's members. At the coffee houses prepare to share your gifts whether it be a musical performance, a poetry or short story reading, a display of your art, or anything in between! There will be sign-ups for coffee house acts in the Narthex. Listed below are the dates for the upcoming events:

 

Bible Trivia

July 15, July 29

 

Coffee House

 July 22

 

Register now for day camp
Summer fun

This is your last chance!
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:  stmartinsdaycamps@gmail.com

Registration Forms

Donate food for day camp
Snacks & dinner

St. Martin's will host Lutherhill Day Camp Monday, July 16 through Friday, July 20. Volunteers are needed to help provide lunches and dinners for the camp counselors from La Grange as well as snacks for the children attending the camp. Gift cards to local restaurants are appreciated, but offering in-home hospitality to these teenage counselors who are away from home provides an exceptional experience. They'll need four days of lunches (for six people), five days of dinners (for four people), and five days of snacks for 50 kids. If you can help with any of the food needs for this week, please sign up in the Narthex or contact Glenda Moya at: stmartinsdaycamps@gmail.com.  

 


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 July 27, 
at the home of Chuck Staskus.
To RSVP please contact Leon Miura at:

Bunko Babes
Bunko brunch

All ladies of the church are welcome 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 at 11 a.m. on July 28 at the home of Monika Miura .  To RSVP and for more information please contact Monika Miura at: mmiura1@comcast.net

Quilting group 
The St. Martin's quilting group 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:  jean12short@comcast.net  

Next meeting times:
Monday, July 16 @ 9:30 a.m.
Wednesday, July 18 @ 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. 

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. 

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. 


Read a book
vintage_book_and_tea.jpg
St. Martin's book discussion group is a great way to take part in the joy of reading. Consider picking up a copy and joining in on the discussion. The group's next meeting is on July 16  at 7 p.m.



Book picks by the month:
July - "Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore"
by Matthew Sullivan

August - "Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules"
by Catherine Sundburg
 
Thursday Women's Bible Study
This group of dynamic women meet every Thursday at  9:30 a.m.  for Bible study and fellowship. They'd love to have you! The will be on break for the month of July and will reconvene on Aug. 2. 

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.

 
July Bible in a Year Calendar
Follow along with Pastor Will this year by reading a little bit of the Bible each day, in the order historians believe events would have taken place. The full calendar can be downloaded here . 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. Check into Facebook each day for a daily devotional for the day's reading. 

Readings for July 11-July 24
July 11: Amos 1-5
July 12: Amos 6-9
July 13: 2 Chronicles 27; Isaiah 9-12
July 14: Micah
July 15: 2 Chronicles 28; 2 Kings 16-17
July 16: Isaiah 13-17
July 17: Isaiah 18-22
July 18: Isaiah 23-27
July 19 : 2 Kings 18:1-8; 2 Chronicles 29-31;
Psalm 48
July 20: Hosea 1-7
July 21: Hosea 8-14
July 22: Isaiah 28-30
July 23: Isaiah 31-34
July 24: Isaiah 35-36

Stewardship Thought of the Week

 
" The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep."

 - Ecclesiastes 5:12

 
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: 

David Speer
Pat Strom
Al Warner
Herman Harms
Dean Mullen
Martha Gaskin
John Kokesh
Eva Lindstrom
Eric Moeller
Sylvia Whitt
Bonnie David
Mike & Melanie Padilla
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
green-blue-balloons.jpg Let's celebrate!
 
Birthdays
Ryan G.                         July 14
Cooper S.                      July 14
Jim W.                           July 19
Glenda M.                      July 21
Charlotte G.                   July 23
Scott S.                         July 23
Jill K.                             July 24


Anniversaries
Clint & Wendy A.                 July 14
Jason & Scheffie L.              July 20
Dawn & Roy W.                   July 22

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.
  

July 11 - Pastor Will's Bible Study, 1 p.m.
July 12 - Houston Area Parkinson's Tai Chi, 10 a.m.
July 14 - Bible in a Year Bible Study, 4 p.m.
July 15 - Choir practice, 8 a.m.
July 15 - Sunday morning worship, 9:30 a.m.
July 15 - Bible trivia, 10:45 a.m.
July 16 - Quilting group, 9:30 a.m.
July 16 - Book discussion group, 7 p.m.
July 17  - Boy Scouts 148, 6 p.m.
July 18 - Pastor Will's Bible Study, 1 p.m.
July 18 - Quilting group, 7 p.m.
July 19 - Houston Area Parkinson's Tai Chi, 10 a.m.
July 21 - Bible in a Year Bible Study, 4 p.m.
July 22 - Choir practice, 8 a.m.
July 22 - Sunday morning worship, 9:30 a.m.
July 22 - Coffee House, 10:45 a.m.
July 24 - Boy Scouts 148, 6 p.m.
July 25 - Pastor Will's Bible Study, 1 p.m.
July 26 - Houston Area Parkinson's Tai Chi, 10 a.m.
July 27 - Poker for Peace (off-site), 7 p.m.
July 28 - Bunko Babes (off-site), 11 a.m.
July 28 - Bible in a Year Bible Study, 4 p.m.
July 29 - Choir practice, 8 a.m.
July 29 - Saint Paul Meet & Greet, 9:30 a.m.
July 29 - Sunday Morning Worship, 10 a.m.
July 29 - Bible Trivia, 11:15 a.m.