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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
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
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Pastor's Corner
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Never Forget. I've seen those words a lot lately, especially as yesterday was September 11. There are those days in history when those of us who were alive to experience them can remember every detail. Pearl Harbor. The assassination of President Kennedy. The Challenger explosion. 9/11. I can only speak to the last of those, but I can remember it clearly. I was in second period Spanish class when the news broke. The rest of the day was spent crowding around televisions in each classroom, waiting for more information, crying, praying, worrying, and hoping. I remember the smoke, remember the horror of watching the second plane strike the tower, remember watching them fall. I also remember the heroism of first responders. Of passengers aboard flight 93. I remember seeing the lines to give blood. I remember the way people came together to grieve, to seek comfort, and to support one another.
It's important that we remember. It's also important why we remember. When Moses is preparing the people to enter the Promised Land he commands the people to remember that they had been slaves in Egypt, but God brought them out and sustained them in the wilderness. They are to remember so that future generations will not only know the story of their salvation, but so that they might extend the same grace to others they meet who are in need. Likewise, as Jesus gives bread and wine to his disciples, he commands them to "do this in remembrance of me," not only remembering the sacrificial love that Jesus had for us but emulating that same sacrificial love in our interactions with others.
Never Forget. It is right that we should remember these life altering days. But not for the sake of holding on to fear, pain, or grief. Rather, let us remember the best of humanity that rises up time and again to speak life in the face of death and hope in the face of despair. Let us remember the love that sustained us through our darkest days so that we might show love to others who still suffer. May you remember who has delivered us through dark days, Beloved, and remembering, may your life be a witness to the grace, peace, and hope found in God.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Will
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"God's Work. Our Hands." Update
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As you probably already know, this past Sunday was "God's Work. Our Hands." Sunday. We had a
wonderful response to the Grace Bags project, and thanks to your donations of supplies and time, we
put together over a hundred bags to be handed out to people in need. I'm grateful to our office
manager, Parker Grimsby, for spearheading this project, and to all who gave of their time and treasures
to make this such a success.
I'm also happy to share that your efforts have already changed lives. On Tuesday of this week, two
members of the community stopped into the office expressing a need. They were hesitant to ask for
help, but expressed that they had been experiencing financial hardship. Because of the abundant giving
of this congregation, Parker and I were able to put together some extra bags to meet some of their
needs. They left this office overwhelmed with gratitude, their days changed by your generosity.
Thank you for doing God's Work with your hands. Thank you for being the Body of Christ in this place.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Will
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Directory update
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Stay up to date
St. Martin's pictorial directory has been updated and the September 2018 edition is out. You can download the digital copy here or stop by the office to pick up a paper copy. Thank you to Glenda Wilder for all the hard work she does on our directory! If you have any corrections, please email her at: gmwilder@gmail.com
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Meal Train for Sharon Pendley
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Provide a meal
St. Martin's member Sharon Pendley had hip replacement surgery on Monday. Sharon and her husband would appreciate dinners in this time of recovery. If you can provide a meal, please check this meal train link to sign up for an upcoming evening: https://mealtrain.com/8drrl8. Check the link for all the details. Keep Sharon in your prayers for a speedy recovery. Thank you to member Marti Pattinson for putting this meal train together!
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Rideshare Buddies
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Do you have extra space in your car? Would you be interested in helping your nearby St. Martin's members get to church on Sunday morning when they can't make it due to car trouble, illness, or injury? If you would like to provide rides to members in your area, please let Charlotte Hoaks know at: charhoaks@aol.com. She is planning to compile a list of members who can be contacted for rides to worship service that will eventually be included in our directory.
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Handbell Choir returns
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St. Martin's handbell choir returns from their summer break and begins rehearsals again on
Sept. 13
. They rehearse weekly on Thursdays at 7 p.m. and play a few times a year during Sunday worship. If you have any interest in joining the handbell choir please contact Handbell Choir Director David Moore at
dcmoore2@gmail.com
Novices are welcome!
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Youth Sunday School returns
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Education for all ages
Sunday School is back! All Sunday School classes return on
Sunday, Sept. 16, 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.
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 returns
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A Study of Paul
Come join the Adult Sunday School class this fall as we explore the background and writings of the Apostle Paul. The class will be a combination of an audio course, classroom lectures and scripture readings. By the time we are finished with our study we will have read aloud all of Paul's writings and have a deeper understanding of one of the most influential figures in the history of Christianity.
Topics for the coming weeks:
Sept. 16 - An Apostle Admired and Despised
Sept. 23 - How Should We Read Paul?
Sept. 30 - Paul's Life and Letters
Oct. 7 - The Acts of Paul
This Sunday we will consider the following questions:
What makes Paul the most important, most controversial, and least understood figure in earliest Christianity?
Why does he have so many intense supporters and detractors?
How should we understand his distinctive experience, the issues he faced, his way of thinking, and how all these affected the Christian religion?
Please join us as we begin what promises to be a lively and interesting study!
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Oktoberfest
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Save the date
St. Martin's will be holding its annual Oktoberfest on
Saturday, Oct. 27.
There will be food, music, children's activities, trunk or treat, and a dessert and basket auction. Bring your family and friends to this event full of food and fun!
If you have anything to donate for the silent auction please contact Pat Walters at:
jpwalters6@att.net. Donations are due on
Oct. 21. Tickets for the raffle will go on sale starting on
Sept. 30.
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Trunk or Treat
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Sign up for fun
St. Martin's will be holding its annual trunk-or-treat during Oktoberfest, Oct. 27. Sign up to decorate your trunk and pass out candy for the costumed kids who will be trick-or-treating in the parking lot. A magnificent trophy and bragging rights for a year goes to the person or family with the best decorations. To sign up please contact Daniela Hammons at: daniela.hammons@centerpointenergy.com.
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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
at 7 p.m. on Sept. 28 at the home of Chris Woessner.
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Bunko Babes
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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 one of the last Saturdays of each month to share brunch and have a little fun. Their next meeting will be at 11 a.m. on Sept. 22 at the home of Marti Pattinson.
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 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, Sept. 17 @ 9:30 a.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 19 @ 7 p.m.
The quilting group is asking for donations of fabric, so if you have any fabric you won't be using please bring it to one of their meetings or give it to Jean Short on Sunday mornings.
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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.
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.
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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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Read a book
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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. They meet once a month in St. Martin's library. The group's next meeting is on
Sept. 17
at
7 p.m.
Book picks by the month:
September - "A Spool of Blue Thread"
by Anne Tyler
October - "The Woman in the Window"
by A.J. Finn
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Thursday Women's Bible Study
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The Thursday morning Ladies' Bible Study Group is a great group of ladies who enjoy studying the Bible, good refreshments, and the company of one another. They welcome visitors and new members. They meet
every Thursday from
9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
They just started a new study on the book of Genesis. This month they will be focusing on the creation story, the importance of family, and man's fall from grace. Now is a great time to join in!
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Online library catalog
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Explore our library
St. Martin's online library catalog is up and running! Browse our collection from home then come after church to pick up your selection. There are so many opportunities to learn and grow at our little library. Check our catalog out
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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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September Bible in a Year Calendar
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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 Sept. 12 - Sept. 25
Sept. 12 -
Ezekiel 46-48
Sept. 13
- Joel
Sept. 14
- Daniel 1-3
Sept. 15
- Daniel 4-6
Sept. 16
- Daniel 7-9
Sept. 17
- Daniel 10-12
Sept. 18
- Ezra 1-3
Sept. 19
- Ezra 4-6; 137
Sept. 20
- Haggai
Sept. 21
- Zechariah 1-7
Sept. 22
- Zechariah 8-14
Sept. 23
- Esther 1-5
Sept. 24
- Esther 6-10
Sept. 25
- Ezra 7-10
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Become a 72-Hour-Lutheran
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Be prepared.
Hurricane season is here again. The Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod encourages eveyone to become a "72-hour" Lutheran.
What is a
72-
hour
Lutheran? It's a person who happens to be
Lutheran and has enough supplies in their home to meet their households' needs for
72
hours. Being prepared to care for your own family, frees you to reach out and help others during a time of crisis.
Here's a checklist to help with your preparation:
- Discuss the type of hazards that could affect your family. Know your home's vulnerability to storm surge, flooding, and wind. Locate a safe room or the safest areas in your home for each hurricane hazard. In certain circumstances, the safest areas may not be your home but within your community.
- If necessary, determine an escape route from your home and designate places to meet. (Note: these should be measured in tens of miles, rather than hundreds of miles.) Have an out-of-state friend as a family contact so all your family members have a single point of contact.
- Make a plan now for what to do with your pets if you need to evacuate.
- Call the church and make sure that they have all your information.
- Create a disaster supply kit
- Proper identification
- Immunization records
- Medications
- Moisture wipes
- Flashlight/Batteries
- Radio - Battery operated and NOAA weather radio
- Telephones
- Full charged cell phone with extra battery
- A traditional (not cordless) telephone set
- Cash (with small bills)
- Extra keys
- Tools - keep a set with you during the storm
- Vehicle fuel tank (kept filled)
- Pet care items
- Stock up on non-perishable emergency supplies
- Juices
- Snack foods
- Foods for infants or the elderly
- Cooking tools
- Non-electric can opener
- Fuel
- Paper plates and plastic utensils
- First-aid kit
- Medicines
- Prescriptions
- Toiletries
- Hygiene items
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Stewardship Thought of the Week
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"'Produce fruit in keeping with repentance ...' ... 'What should we do then?' the crowd asked. John answered, 'The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.' "
-
Luke 3:8a, 10-11
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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:
David Speer
Pat Strom
Al Warner
Herman Harms
Martha Gaskin
John Kokesh
Eva Lindstrom
Eric Moeller
Sylvia Whitt
Bonnie David
Sharon Pendley
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.
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Birthdays & Anniversaries
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Let's celebrate!
Birthdays
Gay A. Sept. 12 Emma L. Sept. 12
Rose L. Sept. 12
Rande G. Sept. 12
Chris W. Sept. 14
Nathaniel H. Sept. 22 Don P. Sept. 25
Anniversaries
Scott & Mary S. Sept. 16
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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.
Sept. 13
- Thursday Women's Bible Study, 9:30 a.m.
Sept. 13 - Houston Area Parkinson Tai Chi, 10 a.m.
Sept. 13 - Handbell Choir practice, 7 p.m.
Sept. 15 - Bible in a Year Bible Study, 4 p.m.
Sept. 16 - Choir practice, 8 a.m.
Sept. 16 - Sunday Morning Worship, 9:30 a.m.
Sept. 16 - Saint Paul Sunday Worship, 11:15 a.m.
Sept. 17 - Quilting group, 9:30 a.m.
Sept. 17 - Book discussion group, 7 p.m.
Sept. 18 - Classical Conversations, 9 a.m.
Sept. 18 - Boy Scouts 148, 6 p.m.
Sept. 19 - Classical Conversations, 9 a.m.
Sept. 19 - Pastor Will's Bible Study, 1 p.m.
Sept. 19 - Quilting group, 7 p.m.
Sept. 20 - Thursday Women's Bible Study, 9:30 a.m.
Sept. 20 - Houston Area Parkinson Tai Chi, 10 a.m.
Sept. 20 - Handbell Choir practice, 7 p.m.
Sept. 22 - Bunko Babes (off-site), 11 a.m.
Sept. 22 - Bible in a Year Bible Study, 4 p.m.
Sept. 23 - Choir practice, 8 a.m.
Sept. 23 - Sunday Morning Worship, 9:30 a.m.
Sept. 23 - Saint Paul Sunday Worship, 11:15 a.m.
Sept. 25 - Classical Conversations, 9 a.m.
Sept. 25 - Boy Scouts 148, 6 p.m.
Sept. 26 - Classical Conversations, 9 a.m.
Sept. 26 - Pastor Will's Bible Study, 1 p.m.
Sept. 27 - Thursday Women's Bible Study, 9:30 a.m.
Sept. 27 - Houston Area Parkinson's Tai Chi, 10 a.m.
Sept. 27 - Handbell Choir practice, 7 p.m.
Sept. 28 - Poker for Peace (off-site), 7 p.m.
Sept. 29 - Bible in a Year Bible Study, 4 p.m.
Sept. 30 - Choir practice, 8 a.m.
Sept. 30 - Sunday Morning Worship, 9:30 a.m.
Sept. 30 - Saint Paul Sunday Worship, 11:15 a.m.
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