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

Jesus Walks on Water - Ward and Hughes, 1886 CC-BY-SA-4.0
In This Issue
Pastor's corner
Saint Paul joint services
Directory update
School supply drive
Family Promise week
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
Pastor Will
Email: pastor
@stmartinslc.org

Office Manager
Parker Grimsby
Email: officemanager
@stmartinslc.org

Council President
Andy Strom
Email: council
@stmartinslc.org

Choir Director
Alvin Johnson
Email: choirdirector
@stmartinslc.org

Church Musician
Jenny Salyers
Email: churchmusician
@stmartinslc.org

Staff Tech
Amber Nichols
Email: stafftech
@stmartinslc.org
July 25, 2018
Pastor's Corner
"It's my turn, Daddy!" I've been hearing those words a lot lately. As Ryan continues to grow and learn she is looking for opportunities to assert her independence. That tends to mean that when opening or closing doors, reading books, or singing songs, I will hear those four words. And it seems to me that there are two driving forces behind those words. One is excitement over being big enough to do the things she's watched others do. The other is a fear that opportunities to participate are limited. Yes, doors can be reopened, songs can be replayed, books can be reread, but this time is important. It's her turn.

We live in a world that operates on scarcity. Special deals are limited to the first number of callers, the
sale of the year will only last this weekend, and some items are only made in a limited quantity. Even with those things that can and will be replenished, somehow it seems important to be the first to have that upgrade or experience. It's my turn.

But God doesn't operate on scarcity. Whether it's water turned into wine, bread and fish multiplied, or grace extended for sin, God offers all these things in abundance. Not just enough. Abundance. More than we could possibly use. Our benediction this summer has been borrowing from Paul's assertion that our God "is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine." When God is involved, the only limits are what we are willing to be open to. 

These next two Sundays, we'll be coming together in joint worship with Saint Paul Presbyterian Church as we welcome them to share our space. But it's more than sharing space, because we already share a common faith and a common mission. To be sure, there will be adjustments, and perhaps from time to time we'll even experience tension. But one thing we will not have is scarcity. Because God has called us together into this good work, our God is in the business of abundance. We have been called to this mission; it's our turn. May we rejoice in God's abundance, and together, share it with the world.

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

Beginning Aug. 12 we will resume our normal worship schedule at 9:30 a.m., with Sunday School around 11:15 a.m. Saint Paul will hold their Sunday School at 9:30 a.m., with their Sunday morning service at 11:15 a.m. In between the services we will have fellowship together. We hope you are looking forward this connection!

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. 

School supply drive
Help local children

Inspired by Lutherhill's 2018 "Daily Bread Project," which has campers making drawstring backpacks to send to Ethiopia, St. Martin's will be hosting a school supply drive for local students. We will be accepting new school supplies in a labeled bin in the Narthex until Aug. 19. Examples of supplies needed include pens, pencils, glue sticks, spiral notebooks, child-safe scissors, highlighters, erasers, and binders. 

Family Promise week
Our next week of Family Promise is scheduled for  Sept. 2 - Sept. 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, 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.

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, Aug. 6 @ 9:30 a.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 8 @ 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
magic_ribbons_book.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 Aug. 20  at 7 p.m.



Book picks by the month:
August - "Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules"
by Catherine Sundburg

September - "A Spool of Thread" by Anne Tyler
 
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.

 
August 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 25 - Aug. 7
July 25 - Isaiah 37-39; Psalm 76
July 26 - Isaiah 40-43
July 27 - Isaiah 44-48
July 28 - 2 Kings 18:9-18:37; Psalms 46, 80, 135
July 29 - Isaiah 49-53
July 30 - Isaiah 54-58
July 31 - Isaiah 59-63
Aug. 1 - Isaiah 64-66
Aug. 2  - 2 Kings 20-21
Aug. 3 - 2 Chronicles 32-33
Aug. 4  - Nahum
Aug. 5 - 2 Kings 22-23; 2 Chronicles 34-35
Aug. 6 - Zephaniah 1-3
Aug. 7 - Jeremiah 1-3

Stewardship Thought of the Week
big-bills-money.jpg
 
"Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality."

 - Romans 12:13

 
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
yellow-bday-cake.jpg Let's celebrate!
 
Birthdays
Tracy C.                    July 28
Maggie A.                  Aug. 1
Berdene B.                Aug. 5


Anniversaries
Alan & Jonika S.                  Aug. 6

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 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.
July 31 - Boy Scouts 148, 6 p.m.
Aug. 1 - Pastor Will's Bible Study, 1 p.m.
Aug. 1 - Cub Scouts, 6 p.m.
Aug. 1 - Outreach Team meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Aug. 2 - Thursday Women's Bible Study, 9:30 a.m.
Aug. 2 - Houston Area Parkinson's Tai Chi, 10 a.m.
Aug. 4 - Bible in a Year Bible Study, 4 p.m.
Aug. 5 - Choir Practice, 8 a.m.
Aug. 5 - Saint Paul Meet & Greet, 9:30 a.m.
Aug. 5 - Sunday Morning Worship, 10 a.m.
Aug. 6 - Quilting Group, 9:30 a.m.
Aug. 6 - Boy Scout Troop 148 board, 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 7 - Boy Scouts 148, 6 p.m.
Aug. 8 - Pastor Will's Bible Study, 1 p.m.
Aug. 8 - Quilting group, 7 p.m.
Aug. 9 - Thursday Women's Bible Study, 9:30 a.m.
Aug. 9 - Houston Area Parkinson's Tai Chi, 10 a.m.
Aug. 11 - Bible in a Year Bible Study, 4 p.m.
Aug. 12 - Choir Practice, 8 a.m.
Aug. 12 - Sunday Morning Worship, 9:30 a.m.