CONNECTIONS MONTHLY FEBRUARY 2014 A PUBLICATION OF SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS LUTHERAN CHURCH. New Adult Faith Forma on Classes pg. 5

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1 MONTHLY CONNECTIONS A PUBLICATION OF SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS LUTHERAN CHURCH FEBRUARY 2014 In this issue: ORANGE is HERE! pg. 3 New Adult Faith Forma on Classes pg. 5 1

2 Shepherd of the Hills LIVING OUT LOUD Faithfully! Pastor Tom Grevlos Care Minister Norb Firnhaber Director of Music Kevin McClure Financial Officer Trixi Spinelli Director of Organiza on & Communica on Amy Ruedas Communica on & Connec ons Ministry Specialist Karen Flint Family & Women s Ministry Specialist Jeanne Grevlos Interim Youth Ministry Specialist Nicholas Der en Bu erfly Preschool Director Karon Miller Hammond Campus Superintendent Fred Schleede Organist Vernon Moeller Monthly Connec ons Amy Ruedas, Editor and Design Karen Flint, Copy Editor Kathy Gerhardt, Copy Editor Camp Seeking Orange Photos by: Chloe Harms Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church 3525 Bee Cave Road Aus n, TX Observa ons from the Deck by Pastor Tom Grevlos No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out, and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved. (Ma hew 9:16 17) A church member sent me an insigh ul and disturbing ar cle about Kodak. The company that brought you that Kodak moment is now a hollow shell, a memory of a day before the advent of digital technology. The irony? Digital photography was invented by someone from Kodak. The company neglected the technology, relying on the old wine and the Kodak moment is a sad tale of missed opportunity leading to disrupted lives and communi es that relied on the company for jobs. We shake our heads in dismay over companies like Kodak, Borders Books, and others that have become a corporate memory, but should we not fear the same fate for our church? If we are complacent with the way things are and close ourselves to new wine for new wineskins because it is different or we have always done it this way, we too will become a nice church memory. Predictability and security in the methodology rather than the message is sinful. Lost moments are lost opportuni es leading to an inability to reach the lost for Christ and the sake of the world. The worst decision is to opt for the Kodak moment and do nothing. Doing ministry in today s world takes commitment, focus, and openness to taste the new wine. It may mean that we need to unlearn church in some areas so that we are not just pouring new wine into old wineskins causing the skins to burst. It can be messy, frustra ng, and even discouraging at mes, but faith is about perseverance and never giving up because there is so much at stake! I liked the tle of a book I read called Sacred Cows Make Gourmet Burgers because when we over focus on methodology it crowds our new ideas about communica ng the same message that Jesus Christ is the hope of the world. In these next few months the Council leadership, the Church staff and I will be working together, stomping on grapes for a taste of new wine! We will be taking our vision of Living Out Loud and build a plan for how this might look. We will then engage in conversa on with the congrega on and rely on us all for the implementa on and financial support to make this plan a reality to pour the new wine into new wineskins. Sound fun and exci ng? It will be but it promises to be a bit messy because no change and no decisions are perfect. As someone once said, God does not expect us to be perfect, but honest. Our honesty in the process will be our unifying commitment to the message of Jesus Christ with an open heart to how we can best communicate the message in our community and the world. Inside this issue: I look forward to our partnership in the gospel and I am excited to see where the wind of the Spirit blows in 2014 and beyond. It s a great day to be the Church! May we taste the new wine from new wineskins that Jesus freely offers. There is much at stake. Peace in Christ, PT Youth Ministry 4 Council Corner 6 Finance Focus 7 Ministry Moments 8 9 February Calendar 11 2

3 SUNDAY WORSHIP TIMES Sunday Traditional Service 8:15 AM Camp Seeking Orange Total Family Sunday School 9:15 AM Adult Sunday School 9:30 AM Sunday Blended Service 10:45 AM UP High @Rowley - Launch Wednesday afternoons more details #TBA - Boundary Waters Canoe Adventure #BWCA July 10-19th - Eagle Pass: Beyond Service (see article on page 4) Any questions or to sign up for these YOUTH events: Contact Nick Dertien at or nick@shephills.org Middle School - Confirmation June 15-20th - Special Guest #Drummer Emmanuel Kaghondi February 9th Lights! Camera! Ac on! And so CAMP SEEKING ORANGE began! LOTS of ac vity, food, people, hustle and bustle, guitar, singing, beach balls and Kermit. Yes, Kermit the Frog! As I was leaving our building on the day of our kick off, I ran into a mom who had a ended with her children. In talking about our gathering, she made an interes ng comment. She had heard one of her children share his image of God. She didn t know that s how her child saw God. It just wasn t a conversa on that had come up in her home, but now it would. Camp Seeking Orange is about bringing our children to Jesus as Jesus asks us to do. But how we do that is paramount! We can bring children to Jesus in our home, in the car, around the dinner table, on our way to soccer prac ce. It can be as easy as asking a ques on, Who do you think God is? or How do you know God loves you? It s a way of faith intersec ng with daily life in the midst of daily ac vi es. It s about being inten onal. It s about living our highest belief and showing our children we can instead of expec ng them to show us. As adults, we find courage through each other. We cheer each other on in a world that screams everything else is more important. Our kids are watching and can pre y quickly sum up what ma ers to us. Each Sunday is our Launchpad giving families the building blocks of faith; and easy, safe ways to incorporate those into family me. So hop the bus, get to Camp Seeking Orange. Connect with old friends, make some new ones. Isn t that what we tell our children to do all the me? The ques on becomes, as parents, will we show them how it s done? Ques ons? Contact Jeanne Grevlos, Family Ministry Specialist at jeanne@shephills.org or

4 The first weekend of spring break the high school youth will once again travel to Eagle Pass to worship, pray, learn and listen at our sister congrega on Iglesia Luterana San Lucas. In the past this trip has been called service or mission. We will go beyond those defini ons. What our Lord asks of us most is to love and share our love with our neighbors. As we travel under the banner of his name, sharing love will be the most important aspect of the trip. Pastor Paul Bailie of Iglesia Luterana San Lucas has expressed interest in having assistance with two projects during our visit. The first being a liturgical art project that they would use during worship. We would prepare and par ally complete a piece before traveling to Eagle Pass. A second project would be to Eagle Pass: Beyond Youth take video footage of the stories of Iglesia Luterana San Lucas during our visit and complete the video back in Aus n. This would assist them in telling their story and mission as their current video is in need of upda ng. I believe both of these projects will be valuable contribu ons to Igleisa Luterana San Lucas and would tap into the crea ve energy of our youth ministry. We will leave Eagle Pass Sunday evening and spend the night and next day in San Antonio. When: March 7 th to March 10 th Who: High School Get to know Iglesia Luterana San Lucas!! h ps:// Below are two recent Facebook posts by Pastor Paul Bailie: January 19 A full church day today. Misa hermosa hoy. Canciones fuertes, sermon sobre Corintios, y la presentación de una niña bonita. Gracias a Dios. Beautiful worship today. Strong singing, sermon on Corinthians, and the presentation of a beautiful little girl. Thanks be to God. January 13 Thanks to Seminarian Amanda Ullrich for preaching yesterday at Iglesia Luterana San Lucas! This weekend was the 18th year that her home congregation, Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Austin, has visited San Lucas. It is inspiring to see that San Lucas has been a place of community and cross-cultural learning for so long. Vintage Friends January Field Trip to the Moody Theater 4

5 Based on the profound book, Seven Principles for Making Your Marriage Work Pr. Tom will be leading a Valen ne s Weekend learning event to help support and strengthen marriages. All couples welcome, no ma er how long you have been married or if you are married at all. John Go man, author of this best selling book, provides amazing insights based on years of experience as a marriage counselor. We will have great conversa ons about these insights that will lead to conversa ons for you as couples. All are welcome! We will be mee ng in the Youth Room upstairs. *Childcare available in church nursery upon request. Marriage Seminar Growing in Holy Love Saturday, February 15 th 9:00-11:00am SOUL CAFÉ begins Monday, February 3 rd, 7:00 p.m. What is it? A workshop led by Steve Larson and Pr. Tom to move us to a deeper and wider faith and life. Who is it for? Open to anyone. Meet in the Youth Room Why are we doing this? Because the integration of our faith into everyday life leads to self-understanding, greater contentment, and improved relationships. What does it cost? Just your time and participation. Do I need to sign up? It would help us if you let Pr. Tom know at tom@shephills.org...but, also feel free to show up. *Childcare available upon request Pastor Norb will lead a study of the Gospel of Matthew on Tuesdays in February beginning February 4 at 11:00am in the library. In this four-part study we shall share the birth narratives, the miracles in Galilee and parts of the Sermon on the Mount, the details around giving sight to the blind - and as we prepare for Lent, we shall look at the suffering, death and resurrection story as Matthew presents it. Saturday, February 1, 2014 at Immanuel Lutheran Church 500 Immanuel Rd., Pflugerville, TX LIVING WITH CHANGE AND LOSS Change and loss come in everyone's life. Seniors' lives can be especially prone to difficult losses and many kinds of changes. Senior Fest keynote speaker and workshops will offer ways of dealing with those changes and losses in a posi ve, hopeful way. Pastor Norb and his wife Geanie will also be leading workshops for this event. Registra on Fee: $35.00 includes catered lunch. Call Immanuel Lutheran Church to register

6 Council Corner 2014 New Council Member Bios Dabney Gomes Dabney and her two sons, Walt (9) and Ansel (7), joined the church in 2011 a er moving to Aus n from Raleigh, N.C. A er spending 4 years as a stay at home mom, she has recently returned to work with her husband in their architectural firm Gomes + Staub, which they started in Dabney is currently serving her third and final year on the Bu erfly Chris an Preschool Board of Directors and is also a member of the Associate Pastor Call Commi ee Church Council President: Vice President: Secretary: Norma Smith Jan Burnight Steve Schulz Dabney Gomes Dana Der en Jordan Sco Carole Morgan Tom Lueders Gary Davis Mark Nogalski Jerry McDonald Bobby McQuiston Bobby McQuiston Bobby and his wife, Margaret, are both na ve Aus nites, have Donna Herschleb Recording Secretary lived in Rollingwood since building their house in 1976, and have been members of Shepherd of the Hills since Both their son, Michael, and daughter, Michelle, were married here at the church, and their four grandchildren were bap zed here. Through the years, Bobby has served on the council, as a confirma on youth mentor, musician, as an usher, and has par cipated in mul ple Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP) weekends. Bobby worked as an administrator in the Office of Sponsored Projects at The University of Texas at Aus n for 27 ½ years and is now enjoying re rement with Margaret and his family. Jerry McDonald Jerry McDonald grew up Lutheran and was bap zed and confirmed in the church. He and his family have been members of SOTH since He works as a financial advisor for Wells Fargo Advisors. His family consists of his wife, Anne and daughters, Amanda and Sarah. They have a home in Bee Cave. Jerry feels it is important to be ac ve in the church and is honored to serve on the church council. CALL COMMITTEE UPDATE for Associate Pastor Watch for details as the Call team has made an unanimous recommenda on for the Church Council to extend a Call. A Special Congrega onal Mee ng and Vote is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 16 th at the beginning of both worship services so as not to interfere with our Learning hour. Pending Council ac on and congrega onal approval, start date will be later this spring because of the candidate s ministry obliga ons. More communica ons forthcoming. Special Thanks to our outstanding Call Commi ee Team: Dabney Gomes, Rebecca Guengerich, Mark Tate, Lauren Paulson, Rebecca Kodak, Steve Larson, Channing Brock, Alison Cannon, and Pastor Tom March Newsle er Deadline: The deadline to submit items for the MARCH Monthly Connec ons newsle er is Wednesday, March 19 at 12pm. Prospec ve Member Class If you are interested in becoming a member of Shepherd of the Hills, our next Prospec ve Member Class will be held on February 9 th at 12:15 with new members received on the following Sunday, February 16 th. Please Karen Flint at Karen@shephills.org if you plan to a end the class or if you need more informa on. Lunch will be provided. Child Care provided upon request. 6

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8 1 Sunday, February Ministry Moments 2 BCPS Preschool Registra on Dates for the school year February 4 Currently enrolled children February 5 Siblings of currently enrolled children and church member children February 6 Open to new community families Bu erfly Sunday coming in March! Don t miss the beau ful expression of God s love on this weekend flowing through the voices and faces of our Bu erfly children! 3 Vintage Friends: February 20 Docent led tour of Blanton Museum's exhibit of Ancient Andes Coastal socie es, "Between Mountains and Seas: Arts of Ancient Andes" Cost for museum tour is $2/person. Tour begins at 10:30. Bus will depart SOTH at 10:00am. Lunch at a nearby restaurant. Sign up in the Narthex. February 2, 2014 Bring your non-perishable food donations to church by Feb. 2. Our goal is to collect 2,000 items! (tuna, salmon, chili, stew, soup, pastas are requested items) Wear your favorite sports team jersey or t-shirt to church on February 2 in support of Souper Bowl of Caring. 4 C.A.R.E. MOMS on the horizon! College Age Requires Encouragement Hey Moms of College Age Youth: We know how important college years are full of new experiences, emo ons, challenges, adventures, along with living apart from home and most o en, a faith community. How can we let our kids in college know they are loved by God NO MATTER WHAT? What an important message to tangibly send our kids who find themselves being evaluated by grades, projects, athle cs, and social groups. Let s get together as moms put together a fun and meaningful package from Shepherd of the Hills a few mes a year to remind them they are never out of thought, always close in heart to us and God! At the same me let s connect with each other as we stay connected with our kids. Watch for more details in the next few weeks. Contact: Jeanne Grevlos jeanne@shephills.org Carmen Schulz cadams.schulz@earthlink.net 8

9 5 February Ministry Moments MAKE A DIFFERENCE GALA Contact Barb Hampton ( ) to sponsor and/or attend this event to benefit New Life Children s Center. Brazos Hall is located at 204 East 4th Street, Deadline to sign up is February 7, Bonhoeffer Club and Book Study on Cost of Discipleship A once a month conversa on about Bonhoeffer, his challenging words, and his call to discipleship today! February gathering on Thursday, Feb. 20 th, 7:00 p.m. in the library. We will begin with a documentary about this remarkable man. All are welcome! *Childcare available upon request God of Love: A Guide to the Heart of Judaism, Chris anity and Islam by Mirabai Starr, who will visit Aus n for the first me in May. Rebecca Guengerich, on behalf of Eremos, will facilitate the book study that focuses our a en on on the heartbeat of these faith expressions, reminding us that loving kindness is the highest expression of these faiths. Class dates are Monday evenings, Feb. 17, 24, March 3, 10 and 17 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at SOTH Library. Your investment is $50 + the cost of the book, purchased on your own. 7 9 Sign up Today at All are welcome, including friends of all faith tradi ons. 8 This year's walk will take place on Sunday, March 23, 2014 at Camp Mabry. Confirma on youth and families will be par cipa ng and everyone is invited to join in! For more informa on, please contact Lory Dona at All are invited to the annual Quil ng Bee on Saturday, February 15 th from 9:00AM 12:00 noon. The only skill needed is how to e a square knot. Please join us for fellowship and refreshments as we work on quilts for Lutheran World Relief. Each year we donate quilts. Your help will be appreciated as we con nue this important ministry. 9

10 Focus on Benevolence Thank you for your generous giving in 2013! Through your generosity we were able to distribute $143,546 for our benevolent causes. We met 100% of our commitments and then some! Please see the 2013 Annual Reports for details. In 2014, the Benevolence Commi ee has selected 11 organiza ons to receive $33,650 in addi on to the ELCA offering and the Refugee Family. We will provide informa on about each organiza on monthly in this newsle er, in the Weekly Connec ons and , on the community news bulle n board and narthex monitor. Please watch for details and informa on how you can become involved with our partners in Chris an ministry globally, na onally and in our own backyard. We would love to see more personal connec ons. Our 2014 benevolence gi s will be shared with the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church s Bread for All Food Pantry, Capital Area Food Bank, Caritas of Aus n, Charis Ministry of Grace in Hai, ELCA Synod of the Southwest, Feed My People, the Guatemala church, Lutheran Campus Ministry at UT Aus n, Lutheran World Relief, Mission Partners (the Lutheran churches in Eagle Pass, TX and Piedras Negras, Mexico) and New Life Children s Center in Canyon Lake, TX. February Benevolence Focus We will kick off our first program through the Souper Bowl of Caring on February 2 with a canned food drive to benefit Bread for All Prince of Peace Food Pantry and a special offering shared with Bread for All and Feed My People. Also in February, in addi on to suppor ng the annual fundraiser Gala for New Life Children s Center on February 15, we will collect items for their Point Store. Good behavior earns the par cipants at New Life Children s Center points and they use these points to purchase personal treats. Please place donated items in the wooden bin in the Narthex during February. Thank you! Please call Rhoda Burke at to confirm if items are acceptable to be donated to the Point Store. Some Suggested Dona on Items for Point Store at New Life Children s Center: Watches Stretchy bracelets or Necklaces with breakable chains (no leather or wire) Lip gloss (NO other make up items) and Hair products (including African American like Ampro) Slippers (cute, funny), Flip Flops and Ankle length socks Sports Bra and Underwear Decora ve Bed Pillows and Small colorful bedside rugs for their rooms Board & Card games, S ckers, Sta onery, Postage Stamps, Journals (no metal spine) Individual size chips, snacks and candy (12 oz. soda in plas c bo les ONLY no can/glass) NO NOs anything with metal or sharp edges, glass, porcelain, ceramics or any items that the girls can inten onally break and use to cut or hurt themselves. A Message From our Mission Partners, San Lucas Lutheran Church in Eagle Pass: Pastor Paul informed us that due to various challenges San Lucas decided not to buy Shoes for Christmas this year. (If you like to read his le er, please contact Linda Roesle or Trixi Spinelli). Since there is a great need for food, Shepherd of the Hills directed the Shoes for Christmas funds to the food pantry. We thank you very much for your understanding. 10

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12 Photos by CHLOE HARMS 12