We are a worshiping community where everyone matters, everyone is loved, and everyone belongs. Everyone!
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Dear Friends,
I am in awe of artists – I love their vision and creativity. One of our favorite ways to celebrate artists is to visit the Fiesta Arts Fair at the Southwest School of Art in downtown San Antonio. It is usually held the first weekend of Fiesta. The few hours we spend taking in the works of the artists are gentle reminders that we are called to co-create with God and brings us great joy and inspiration.
Over the years we have purchased clever works of art. One of my favorite purchases was a clever yard sign designed by Garden Deva in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It says, “Welcome Friends.” As soon as we brought the art home, it immediately went up in our front yard. Jeremy and I thought it was cute and clever. In addition, we wanted to make sure that our friends always know they are welcome in our house.
I want that for St. Nick’s. I wish we could put out a big yard sign in our front yard that says “Welcome Friends.” Or better yet, I hope that when people see our sign at the front of our property with our beautiful logo and approachable cross, it becomes synonymous with “Welcome Friends.” I whole-heartedly want us to be a place where neighbors, visitors, strangers are all welcomed in and accepted and loved as friends.
I want us to be the place where we notice the new person—the person you haven’t met or seen before—and make room for them to sit down beside us. I want us to be the place where we welcome a visitor and say, let me show you our space – where our bathrooms are, where the coffee and snacks are available, and where our children can play and pray. I want us to be the place where we introduce visitors to the folks we already know and help each other with opening doors, getting to cars, and with packages of food for the food pantry. I want us to be the place where people see the St. Nick’s sign and people say, “I didn’t expect it, but that church… those people… became my best friends.”
As I write this, I am reminded of Hebrews 13:1-2; “Keep loving each other like family. Don’t neglect to open your homes to guests, because by doing this some have been hosts to angels without knowing it.” This verse comes to mind because it reminds us of the hospitality of Abraham. Three angels appear to Abraham and Sarah, they treat the guests with reverence and prepare a meal. In return they are blessed by the visitors and their lives are changed. Angels come among us and change our lives forever. There is also the call to love each other like family. Some translations say to mutually love one another, others say to love like brothers and sisters, and this version from the Common English Bible, says to keep loving one another like family.
During his ministry, Jesus expanded the understanding of family. The Israelite family would have included blood relatives and servants, but in his teachings and interactions, Jesus expanded the notion of family. He acknowledged that physical connectedness as families exist, but we are also connected and made family through our spiritual connectedness.
Through Jesus, we become a spiritual family. The church is a spiritual family recognizing God as father, Jesus our brother, and all of us as brothers and sisters in Christ. The defining value or characteristic of our spiritual family is love. In John 13:34-35 Jesus says, “I give you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other. This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, when you love each other.”
When we welcome guests and visitors into our church home and into our lives, we are blessed abundantly. The blessing in welcoming is that strangers become friends. The blessing is that friends become family. The blessing is that God’s Kingdom is built and expanded by our acts of love and care for one another through coffee, snacks, showing each other around, talking to one another, praying together, praising together, laughing, and crying together.
It takes each member of a family to make the family work—it takes all of us to welcome each other, care for each other, and love one another. It is God’s expectation and call for us to take ownership in our family and reach out to one another with love and care. And when we do, just imagine how brilliant it will be when we hear people say, “I didn’t expect it, but that church… those people… became my best friends… No…they became my family!”
God’s Peace, Love, and Blessings,
Beth+
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Saturday, May 21st! The Hitmen 8.0 take the stage at Bulverde Community Park off Bulverde ln. There will be food to purchase from Texas Street Crepes, Benjies Munch, and La Paleta! Benjies Munch is awesome – one of our favs from San Antonio!
Come and join us for crafting with the kiddos, listening to music, and just having a general good time of being together.
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Teaming Up With Cake Llama |
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Thank you to everyone who shared peanut butter, jelly, and honey so that we could give out bags of homemade bread and supplies through Cake Llama’s Bread Program.
If you are interested in helping with this ministry, there are opportunities to learn how to cook bread, and future give-aways for our friends and neighbors in need of love and care.
Contact Rev. Beth at 214-213-0739 with questions and inquiries.
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Provisions Food Pantry (our neighbor right behind Vine in the Village) asked for help in the following way –
Due to supply chain issues, the San Antonio Food Bank and Provisions are in need of canned goods. They are in need of
Tuna
Canned Veggies
Canned Beans
Canned Tomato Products
Chili
Beef Stew
Peanut Butter
Jelly
They do not need dry goods currently. They do NOT need cereal, rice, beans, or mac and cheese.
Provisions accepts donations of food on Tuesdays, from 10 to 6, and Wednesdays & Thursdays, from 9 to 3.
There is also a donation bin at the HEB on Hwy 46 up by the business center—it's a big blue/gray tub with our logo on it.
You can also leave donations at St. Nick’s in the kitchen under the shelves by the sanctuary wall.
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Wednesday Dinner Church
Tonight!, 5:30-7:30pm
Join us tonight for salads and sandwiches, prayer, and fellowship. All are invited!
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Men's Lunch Group
Thursdays, 11:30am
Stop by a local eatery to pick up lunch or have some leftovers from Dinner Church and come to St. Nick's for Bible study and fellowship.
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Women's Bible Study
Thursdays, 1pm
Women's Bible Study via Zoom. We study and discuss the upcoming Sunday's Gospel reading.
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Sunday Worship
All are invited to worship with us.
8:30am - Outdoor Worship
9:30am - Indoor Worship
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Bible Journal Small Group
Mondays, 9:15am
Join us for a time of wondering about Scripture and creating together. This week we are studying Luke 15. Come and create beautiful conversation and art.
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Prayer Group
Wednesdays, 9:30am
Come pray in color with us! A time of prayer and contemplation through words and art on the page.
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Wednesday, May 4, 5:30-7:30pm
Bishop Reed will be joining us for a taco night and share a blessing for our sign.
We will also be able to hear from him on his hopes for our community on becoming a sustainable church and our path to becoming a mission.
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Family Outing to Wildseed Farms |
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RSVP to attend our family-friendly outing to Wildseed Farms near Fredericksburg on Saturday, May 14th. We'll meet at the St. Nick's parking lot for a 10:00 AM departure. Carpooling available as offered by fellow members of our community.
Enjoy the beautiful Hill Country, connect with other St. Nick's friends, hike the trails among the flowers, and help us pick which flowers to sow along our property line for future beauty! Bring your own lunch, but snacks are available to individual purchase. RSVP with the number of adults and/or children. All children must be accompanied by an adult. We'll return to St. Nick's by 4:00 pm.
Questions? Email or text Haley at 210-842-7741 or haleynbankey@gmail.com.
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Church Administration and Volunteer Information |
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Thank you to everyone who came out to help us rearrange and care for our space. And to the continued effort to improve our online ministries and live stream. We appreciate your time, your talent, your love, and your care for St. Nick’s! |
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Don’t forget that you can find St. Nick’s on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter. We have ministry offerings for all ages including reminders and thanksgivings of past events, invitations to upcoming events, learning opportunities, worship, and stations of the cross.
You can also like, follow, and share to help spread the love and joy found at St. Nick’s!
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We need your help to make Sundays more effective. We need people to sign up for reading, greeting, altar team set-up, tech help, and hospitality.
Use our easy online sign-up sheet to pick your dates between now and the end of summer. Serving once a month in an area of ministry is a gift to St. Nicholas and your brothers and sisters in faith.
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Our bishop, David Reed has shared a letter to the Diocese regarding upcoming transitions and changes.
Please take a few moments to read his letter on the diocesan blog at this link.
If you have any questions you can contact Rev. Beth at 214-213-0739.
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2265 Bulverde Rd.
Bulverde, TX 78163
Phone: 214-213-0739
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