December 2016 April 2017 Sunday Worship. Atascocita Lutheran Church. Lenten Soup and Sandwich Suppers

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1 Atascocita Lutheran Church December 2016 April 2017 Sunday Worship 9:30 am - Holy Communion with a mix of traditional and contemporary music 10:45 am Sunday School for All Lenten Soup and Sandwich Suppers Ash Wednesday falls on March 1 this year, and kicks off the first of our weekly soup and sandwich supper nights. For the next six Wednesday evenings (through April 5), join us for delicious homemade soup and sandwiches and spend some time visiting with your ALC family members. Supper will be served beginning at 6 p.m., prior to the brief Lenten service that begins at 7. We rely on volunteers to provide soup, sandwich fixings and dessert each week, so please sign-up in the fellowship hall as you are able. Joy Cook will be reaching out to groups, such as choir and Bunco, to ask if they can commit to volunteering for one of the weeks. This is a great opportunity to get to know one another better and we hope to see you each Wednesday! 1

2 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Romans 12:4-5 As the Lord entered the city of Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, we draw closer to God s last spoken word to us. Of course the Lord speaks to us through other means, but the words spoken on Holy week are among the final words we hear directly from our Lord s mouth. This matters deeply because the word of the Son is the word of forgiveness and absolution. The message is that God s judgment is not one of condemnation, but one of release. This word, spoken first at creation, now speaks a re-creating word. When Jesus entered into the city as the King, he entered for us and with us. We walk with him, and his victory over sin and death is our victory as well. This is the heart of Lent s message. By the time you receive this month s newsletter, we will soon be wrapping up our Wednesday evening Lenten services. First and foremost, much appreciation is expressed to the adults and the youth who took time out of their days to help with the soup suppers each of those evenings. Everything was wonderful and from an onlooker s perspective, all seemed to run smoothly. We hope next year will yield similar results. Of course we are also thankful for all who have been in attendance. We strive to provide a means of worship that varies from what you are accustomed to receiving on Sunday mornings, and hope that our series has been meaningful. I certainly encourage you join us, as the season concludes, for our Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services. The Easter message means that much more upon completing the entire Lenten journey. Pastor Timothy Holt 1st Communion Instruction: Sessions will be held on April 2 nd and April 9 th before worship at 8:30AM on these upcoming dates. Please make the effort to attend both occasions and parents are encouraged to be present. 2

3 How do the homeless do it? Students spend a night in cardboard homes Left: The Atascocita Lutheran Church team eagerly awaited the judges visit. From left, Jacob Keeseckes, Curtis Kimble, Scott Heinrich, Ember Benavidez, Kylie Main, Ailiyah Harris and Eva Leigh. This team from both Humble and Atascocita is having fun for a great cause. From left, Erica, Haley, Elaina, Cole and Isaac. By Bruce Olson Tribune Correspondent Saturday, March 4, turned into a cold and rainy night for over 178 Humble ISD middle- and high-school students when they met at Turner Stadium in Humble to spend the night in Cardboard City. They were there to raise funds to assist those who are homeless in the community. The students and about 50 volunteers and parents spent the night in their own cardboard shelters, constructed underneath the west-side stadium seating area to avoid the wet and cold conditions on the field. 3

4 This was the second annual Cardboard City event held at Turner Stadium. In previous years, similar, but smaller, events were conducted throughout the area at various churches coordinated through Humble Area Assistance Ministries and Family Promise of Lake Houston. Students were challenged to seek sponsorship donations from friends and family members. The more money they raised, the more cardboard they received to construct their cardboard shelters. Once constructed, the shelters were judged and prizes in various categories were awarded. Students heard testimonies from local families who have struggled with homelessness. They participated in games and activities to help them understand what homelessness is like in their community. They had the opportunity to experience what it is like to go through a soup kitchen line to receive their bagged dinners. Other activities included a live concert by two bands, No Rehearsal and ourselves + others. A video about homeless teens was shown and a midnight snack was provided before lights went out at midnight. In the morning, the event ended with the students dismantling Cardboard City, cleaning up and getting a breakfast to go at 6:30 a.m. Kap McWhorter, the event coordinator who is also a social action teacher and the district service learning coordinator, explained that the goal is to reframe the conversation about homelessness and to empower students to make a difference. The whole point of Cardboard City is to try to raise funds and awareness about the struggles homeless families are facing right here in our neighborhoods. We have 973 students in Humble ISD alone who have been identified as homeless, and we think we could have as many as three times that many who are struggling with housing insecurity every year, McWhorter said. The students were all excited. One group explained that they were able to donate $2,000. One student said, My mom posted on Facebook and our friends and family all sent in donations. McWhorter summed up the enthusiasm by the students for the event. These kids blow me away. We set the table for them. We give them an opportunity to respond and really introduce them to the needy and they will change everything, he said. Overall the event raised more than $12,200. All proceeds from the event will benefit homeless families through the work of Family Promise of Lake Houston and Humble Area Assistance Ministries. 4

5 ALC has always been a wonderful supporter of Family Promise, therefore I want to make sure the congregation knows of some upcoming opportunities to continue our support! Saturday, April 29th, will be the Chicks and Hogs BBQ Cook-off at Harley Davidson of Kingwood. If you like BBQ, auctions, food and fun, then you really need to check it out. Again this year, I have chance drawing tickets to win a 2017 GMC Canyon Pickup. The first 350 people to donate $100 to Family Promise will have the opportunity to win this vehicle and will receive two VIP wristbands to the event. Please see me if you'd like to donate and get a ticket or two! And as always, if you have any questions about Family Promise, wish to volunteer, or are interested in becoming a board member, please talk to Judy Cargill, Judy Johnson, or me. FAMILY PROMISE Our next rotation is coming up this month, April 9-15, Sign ups are in the Fellowship Hall. Please see how you can help us out by volunteering for dinner, overnight, or helping with groceries. Thank you as always for your support! The Judys BOOK CLUB Our next meeting will be Monday, April 10th at 7pm at the Church. We have chosen The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. Everyone is welcome to join us you do not need to be a member of ALC. Bring a friend. For more information contact Kaia Holt at kaiasue18@sbcglobal.net. EASTER FLOWERS Order forms are now available. The cost is $15.00 each. Please place order form along with your payment in the offering plate. Orders are due no later than April 9,

6 A Ministry of Atascocita Lutheran Church In an effort to reach families in our community and let them know about our program, the school board has implemented several coupons for half off the Fall 2017 Registration Fee. The New Family Coupon allows new families to receive the discount. Refer a New Family Coupon allows current families to receive the discount if they refer a new family that registers for the fall. Thank you for helping us get the word out about our wonderful program! For school information please visit our website at 6

7 Library Time with Mrs. Wallace 7

8 Join us this month for Sunday School where the children will continue to discover and explore God s love and the gift of giving to others. Important dates for April: April 15th - Easter Egg Hunt 10-11:30a.m. at ALC April 16th - Easter Day - there will be No Sunday School classes. Sunday School Hour is 10:45 11:45 a.m. Preschool ages 3-5 and potty trained, is located upstairs; turn right at the end of the hallway. Lower Elementary grades K-2, is located upstairs in the first classroom on the right. Upper Elementary - grades 3-5, is located in the cry room in the back of the Sanctuary. 8

9 DINERS 2017 SCHEDULE January (19 th ): Cracker Barrel in Kingwood Hwy. 59 N February (16 th ): Tai Li Chinese in Atascocita 7948 FM 1960 E March (16 th ): Saltgrass Steakhouse (in Humble near Home Depot) Hwy 69 N April (20 th ): Italiano s in Atascocita 8146 FM 1960 E May (18 th ): Cedar Landing in Huffman (just over bridge) E FM June (15 th ): Longhorn Steakhouse (Deerbrook Service Rd) Hwy July (20 th ): Iguana Joe s in Atascocita W Lake Houston Pkwy August (17 th ): Tin Roof B-B-Q in Atascocita (near Walmart) Town Center Blvd September (21 st ): Red Lobster in Humble (near Home Depot) Hwy 59 N October (19 th ): Outback Steakhouse in Humble 9753 FM 1960 W November (16 th ): Applebee s in Atascocita 6925 FM 1960 E :00 PM 9

10 April 10 Allen and Cathy DeWoody 22 Ted and Kacey Vuong April 1 Diane Trautman 4 Brandy Harris 4 Joe David Ortiz 7 Tanya Sorensen 8 Aria Nuezca 10 Pamela Augustowski 16 Eva Leigh 17 Jay Norman 19 Jennifer Muellner 20 George Mitchell 20 Bryanna Rudy 20 Logan Tieman Sign up in the narthex to give altar flowers. Our church florist will make a beautiful arrangement. Cost is $ Cheryl Howard 21 Sydney Kitts 24 Judy Johnson 25 Morgan Wiley 27 Ruth Schumacher 28 Daniel Galloway Monday - Thursday: 9-3 Friday: Closed Pastor Tim s Sabbath 30 Kylie Main 30 Travis Mitchell For emergencies, you can reach Pastor Tim at (832)

11 ATASCOCITA LUTHERAN CHURCH Our Vision: As a growing, diverse community of believers on a journey of faith, we seek to make Christ known through Sunday Worship 9:30 am - Holy Communion with a mix of traditional and contemporary music CHURCH STAFF Pastor Timothy Holt Senior Pastor t.holt@alutheranchurch.org Orin Nelson Music Director o.nelson@alutheranchurch.org Renee Wallace Chrysalis Director thechrysalisschool@yahoo.com Terry Callenius Office Manager t.callenius@alutheranchurch.org Jarod Hardy-Croskey Nursery Director ATASCOCITA LUTHERAN CHURCH 7927 FM 1960 East, Humble, Texas (281)