You are welcome at Hutto Lutheran Church - regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, belief, income level or education. We invite you to be a part of this faith community.
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Click the above link to go to our website. The easiest way to connect to our worship and other happenings at Hutto Lutheran. |
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Our Mission
We are one body in Christ, sent in Faith to share God's Love, through Worship, Service, Fellowship and Witness.
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Click the above text to open the HLC Calendar for details of events
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Worship Link to live streaming
Join the live stream using the link below.
Holy Wondering Mid-week Advent Worship
Week 1
Be Still
Second Sunday of Advent
Paraments color: Blue
Scripture Readings for Sunday
At the heart of our Advent preparation stands John the Baptist, who calls us to repent and make a new beginning. As the darkness increases we turn toward the approaching light of Christ. For Christians he is the root of Jesse, the righteous judge who welcomes all, especially the poor and meek of the earth. We wait with hope for that day when the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and there will be no more hurt or destruction. From the Lord’s table we are sent in the spirit of John the Baptist to proclaim that in Christ the kingdom of God has come near.
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From the Pastor's Desk
Grace and peace to you brothers and sisters in Christ,
Have you ever had to wait before? Maybe you’ve found yourself at the grocery store wishing you’d picked a different checkout line. Maybe like me you’ve found yourself waiting on children or a spouse. Maybe you’ve been traveling and found yourself on a freeway that has become the world’s largest parking lot. There are whole rooms dedicated to waiting called “waiting rooms” – a place between arriving and making it to your intended appointment. Waiting is a part of life.
Then there are the harder types of waiting. Waiting for the return of health after you or someone you love contracts the flu. Waiting to hear back from an interview for a job you desperately want or need. Waiting the long nine months for the arrival of a baby - and all the joys and challenges that come with that arrival.
And the even harder types of waiting. Waiting to hear word of the safe arrival of a loved one traveling through a winter storm. Waiting for the results of a biopsy. Waiting for a loved one to get out of the operating room.
What is it about waiting that is so hard? There is a lot of uncertainty in the waiting. There are a lot of unknowns. When will the waiting end? What is there lurking on the other side of the wait? How will our lives be different? Rather than sit in the discomfort of the unknowns we do our best to escape. We sit in the waiting room and pull out our cell phone, checking texts, emails, news reports and facebook posts. We try and plow through it – filling up the empty space – instead of sitting and letting our minds flood with the “what ifs.”
I wonder what it must have been like for the Israelites. They did an awful lot of waiting. They waited 40 years in the wilderness for the promised land. Then they waited again in exile for a Messiah to come and free them from their oppression. You would think that nothing good could come of waiting. But it turns out that it was exactly in those moments of uncertainty and change that the Israelites grew closest to God. When life was going good in the land flowing with milk and honey, it was easy to not pay attention to God. But as they sat in those times of waiting, they spent a lot of time in the quiet, in the stillness, calling on God’s name, searching for God’s presence. It was in these hard times that they noticed that God was with them – providing water from a rock, and manna and quail to eat in the wilderness.
Maybe we aren’t living in land literally flowing with milk and honey, but we do live in a country flowing with privileges and resources, not to mention plenty of distractions. Life is busy in general, but around Christmas time it is that much busier with parties, shopping, and preparations. With so many things competing for our energy and space, it is easy to forget about God.
Last Sunday was the beginning of the church season of Advent. As we sit in this voluntary waiting room of advent, we are invited to put down our cell phones and the continuous stream of to dos and to allow our hearts to sit in the inbetween. We have a chance to quiet down enough to listen to the undercurrent of our hearts, and even more to listen to God. One of my favorite scripture verses, Psalm 46, says, “Be still and know that I am God.”
Just as the Israelites spent a lot of time in the quiet, in the stillness, calling on God’s name, searching for God’s presence, this advent, we are invited to do the same. And maybe we too will notice that God is with us – providing water from a rock, and manna and quail to eat in the wilderness. And in the midst of our grief, our chaos, our confusion at the end of the wait, we find hope in the promise of a God that has come to meet us, in the form of a baby lying in a manger. A gift that is certainly worth the wait.
God’s peace,
Pastor Amanda
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Prison Fellowship Angel Tree and Hutto Lutheran Outreach Committee are partnering this Advent Season to sponsor at least 20 children of incarcerated parents. When a child is sponsored, a gift is sent to the child from their parent. Click on the image to the right to go to the website to specify the state, county gender and age. There is also a link on our HLC Web Site. The cost for one sponsorship is $25.
Thus far as of Monday, the 28th HLC has 11 gifts of contribution. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.
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Children and Youth Worship Sign up We are the body of Christ, and everyone's gifts are important! Thank you to all children and youth who trained for worship leadership. Acolyting, ringing the bell, holding the communion basket and saying the dismissal (Go in peace serve the Lord) are all wonderful gifts to share. We need your help! Sign up to lead these and other worship leadership roles at the Hutto Lutheran Church Sign up Genius. If you missed the training let Pastor Amanda know and she can train you. You can sign up yourself by clicking here.
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Midweek Advent Worship: Holy Wondering
Who likes to wait?
Times of waiting, transition and uncertainty can feel disorienting and overwhelming, yet we trust that the Holy Spirit can move even and especially through these times turning our questions in the unknown into holy wonderings.
How might God be using this fallow time of winter to prepare the soil of our hearts and our congregation for the growth of what is to come?
You are invited into this time of holy wondering: to be still, to listen, to be curious and to be there.
November 30th: Be Still
December 7th: Listen
December 14th: Be Curious
December 21st: Be There
Advent Meal 6:15pm, Advent Worship 7:00pm
*sign up to help with meals in the Narthex
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Quilting Marathon December 4th after church 12-5 PM. Come for lunch and fellowship, cutting, ironing, matching, sewing, and quilting. Join us to learn about the Knot Perfect Quilters and try your hand at the different steps it takes to make a quilt.
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Tamales Sales have closed. If you have ordered tamales but haven't paid, please go here and select Tamales Sales or put a check in the offering plate and indicate 'Tamales' on the check. The pick-up time for tamales is Sunday, December 11th after the worship service.
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Transition process update
Thank you to those who have agreed to serve on the Hutto Lutheran Church Transition Team!
Jane Bolgen
Joe Cook
Randall Craig
Brenda Graham
Tami McCauley
Jeff Svoboda
Becky Zimmermann
The transition team will meet again Sunday, December 4th at 2:30. Please hold the team in prayer as they begin the journey of listening to the congregation, to the community and to the Holy Spirit in preparation for the next chapter at Hutto Lutheran Church.
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We will be having our Santa Lucia pageant on Sunday, the 11th after the worship service. Children and youth are invited to come at 9:30 before worship that day to prepare.
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Poinsettias will be decorating the church for the Advent season. We are planning to purchase 12. They can be purchased and will be available after the Christmas Eve service. We are still working on the cost. More information will be here when we get the Poinsettias. |
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Cub Scout Pack 912 Christmas Program: Hutto Lutheran is invited to attend the Cub Scouts Pack's Christmas Carol program. Sunday Dec 11 at 4 PM. They will have Christmas caroling and a fire pit set up for marshmallow roasting.
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Stringed Instruments: If you are a stringed instrument player (any level from beginner to pro), we are forming an ensemble to add to the worship experience at Hutto Lutheran Church. We will be meeting for short rehearsal sessions directly after worship on the second Sundays of the month. We will focus on familiar songs with just a few chords and easy strum patterns as we start the group, and you don’t need to be able to read music. We are looking for fellowship with others interested in making a joyful noise unto the Lord! (We have a few ukuleles to loan out if anyone wants to give it a try.)
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Breakfast with Santa & Feeding the 5,000 |
Feeding the 5,000 is returning Saturday, December 17th. Starting at 9 until 11 AM. Santa will be there to say HI to all the young and young at heart. Serving breakfast to anyone in the community. No requirements, all are welcome.
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Calling all Volunteers!
Volunteers needed both for kitchen and dining area. If interested, contact Cathy Bryant by phone or text 512-944-4929. Please contact by December 11th.
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Wine and the Word will not meet in December. Our next meeting will be January 11th.
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Coming Events
Dec 11 Santa Lucia
Dec 11 4 PM Cub Scouts Christmas
Dec 17 9 AM Feeding the 5,000 with Santa
April 14-16, 2023 Spring Congregational retreat at Camp Chrysalis
Click on the heading above to open a window of the current month's events. Or click on the 'Church Calendar' link at the top of this eLink.
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Portals of Prayer devotion booklets are available for pick up on the table in the gathering area on the way into worship.
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HLC Cemetery corner: Did you know that Hutto Lutheran Cemetery is often confused with Hutto Cemetery? Since they are both located on CR135, it's easy to understand why this happens. If you have the chance to visit our cemetery when the sun is setting, you will most likely see a beautiful sight from the gazebo. Looking to the west, there are no buildings to obstruct the view.
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Adult Education January
Ernie Schmeisser will be leading an adult study on addiction and recovery and the AA method of combating it.
We will have classes on the 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th.
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Adult Education: will be starting on the book 'When God Comes Down: An Advent Study for Adults'. We will study Dec 4th (Chapter 3), 11th and 18th. The books are here and available in the Sanctuary or contact Daniel Doty or Meg Jameson. The book is also available on Kindle.
When God Comes Down is a five-week study, providing one lesson for each week of Advent and one for Christmas. Each lesson includes a key Scripture, a brief reflection, discussion/reflection questions, a brief prayer, and a focus for the coming week. In this study, Harnish explores the meaning of the incarnation…God with us in human flesh.
Often our Advent/Christmas journey is focused on us – our memories, feelings, relationships and experiences. This study puts the focus on God’s action in Jesus Christ. It encourages participants to think more deeply in terms of the biblical, theological, and spiritual meaning of the Nativity and to apply it to their own lives.
The study looks at the stories of the primary biblical characters in the birth stories through whose lives the miracle of incarnation happened: Zechariah, Elizabeth, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus. Harnish also looks at a traditional character in nativity plays, one who is not mentioned in the Bible, the innkeeper. Through all these characters, he helps us claim for ourselves the reality of God's presence with us.
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Calling all Singers
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord! Enjoy singing? Whether you have been singing for years or would like to try choir for the first time, come join the Hutto Lutheran Church choir as we sing on Christmas Eve during the 4:30pm service. We will be practicing briefly directly after worship on December 4th and December 18th. Questions? Text Barbie Johnson 512-947-5618..
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Christmas Wreaths to benefit the General Fund |
Hutto Lutheran is again participating in the Mickman Brothers Gift It Forward fundraising event. Click on the icon to the right to go to the site. After going to the GiftItForward.com website, enter the code 'HUTTOLTX001' for the Fundraising Code and your name or leave blank in Referring Member. Each evergreen gift purchased at GiftItForward.com includes your personalized message, an EZ wreath hanger for each wreath ordered, attractive decorator gift box packaging, FedEx delivery within 48 states and a tree is planted in honor of the GiftItForward.com gift recipient. Best of all, $8 per item purchased goes to our General Fund when you use our fundraising code 'HUTTOLTX001'. If you have any questions, please contact Irene Hackbarth. Your gift will be delivered beginning the week of Thanksgiving and should be delivered no later than the 2nd week of December. Orders may be placed up until December 9th for delivery before Christmas.
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Christmas Eve Services Oh Come all Ye Faithful! Come and worship Christ the newborn King. Christmas Eve worship December 24th at 4:30pm and 7:30pm. Both services will be live streamed.
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Financial Status
The Financial Status of HLC thru the end of October follows:
Total budget $187,062
Total expenditures $173,643
Total income $154,782 for a
Income under expenses by $18,861
Income under budget by $32,279
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Children's and Youth Ministry
Children and youth are invited to participate in this years Santa Lucia program. Practice will be at 9:30am on December 11th with program following immediately after worship.
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Prayer List
Will you help us with keeping this list current and pertinent? Email the Office for updates or deletions from this list.
Stacie Welch; Lana Guckian, niece of Christina Pompa; Steve Robles Jr.; Tonya Cermeno; Weldon Zimmerman; Chris Harris; Tommie Barrera, mother of Catharena Rydell; Nathan Pompa, grandson of Dennis & Christina Pompa; Sherry Fincher; Linda Wahrmund; Kelly Wilkerson; Randa and Doug Nowotny, parents of Catherine Regan; Helmer Dahl; Benedicta Ilouno, adoptive mother of Storm Britten-Ilouno; Kathy Svoboda, her coworkers, those who's COVID-19 tests they are running; Fred Schmidt and family, co-worker of Dave Kinnaman; Jarvis Thormalen, Leslie Doty's grandfather; Anne Hinkle friend of Catherine Regan; Brett Leech, cousin of Pat Hayden; Lynda Herrin; Marvin Stromberg; Doug Nowotny, father of Catherine Regan; Roland Hernandez; Tyler Raisbeck friend of Heather Duewer; Debbie Cummins; Nolan Davis Sturm, great grandson of Iola Sturm; June Puckett, aunt of Bruce Duewer; Filemeno Hernandez, father of Roland Hernandez; Buddy Vanecek; Barb Kinnaman; John McGarvey, cousins father of Heather Duewer; Donald Shephard, father of Barbie Johnson; Darlene Rydell; David Lidell; Carol Conrad; Sean Quinlan, friend of Claudia Cook; Gwen Armintrout, sister-in-law of Jill Johnson
Seeking personal prayer?
Your request can get passed along to HLC's small confidential prayer team. In life's difficult times (we all have them), know that HLC is ready to lift you up in prayer.
Military Service
Grant Carter, Johnathan Davis, Brighten Miller, Kasey Taylor and James Fletcher.
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Worship Participants
Mid-week worship
Lector
Jill Johnson
Sunday Worship
Council Rep
Daniel Doty
Altar Guild
Rodney Westphal
Cantor
Leslie Doty
Lector
Jill Johnson
Assisting Minister
Jeff Svoboda
Communion Assistant
Jeff Svoboda
Children's Message
Jeff Svoboda
Altar Flowers
Thanksgiving Moment
Worship Volunteers
Munch 'n Mingle - provide snacks for before and after worship in the Narthex
Greeter - Welcome members and guests
Lector - Read the lessons for the day in worship.
Assisting Minister - One or two people to offer the prayers of intercession.
Communion Assistant - Assist with serving communion.
Altar Guild - Set up for and take down after communion.
Thanksgiving moment - One person to share briefly (two or three minutes) something they are grateful for.
Altar Flowers provide flowers for both sides of the altar.
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Celebrations for December |
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Birthdays
02 Eric Montoya
04 Jen David
12 Jack Dismukes
12 Michael Meacham
14 Tristan Almquist
16 David Lidewll
17 Simon Montoya
19 Violet Duewer
22 Bradley Sladek
23 Trudy Simon
24 Cora Holmstrom
24 Jackie McGary
26 Susanna Ullrich
29 Aubrie Stromberg
30 Cory Morrison
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Anniversaries
09 Lloyd & Glenda Mattingly
26 Mark & Sally Lyons
31 Jill Johnson
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Hutto Lutheran Church Council
Name & Ministry Team
You may send a person an email by clicking on the bold ministry team position
Executive Committee
Council Members
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Office Info
Pastor Amanda is looking forward to getting to know everyone at Hutto Lutheran. She plans to be in Hutto Mondays through Thursdays from 8:30 AM until 3:30 PM either at the church or out making visits. If you would like to visit with her and want to confirm she will be in the office or want to meet outside of those times, you can reach her by phone 512-636-9784 or by email pastor@huttolutheranchurch.org
Office Hours
Office hours are Tuesday to Thursday 9am - 1pm or by appointment.
Contact info
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