Connection. Inside This Issue Champion Forest Dr. Houston, TX (P) (F) Inspiring Worship 2 5

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1 Connection W W W. K I N S M E N LU T H E R A N. O R G Champion Forest Dr. Houston, TX (P) (F) Inside This Issue Inspiring Worship 2 5 Experiencing Family 6 10 Sharing Grace Kinsmen Budget Update 14 Birthdays 15

2 2 Dear Brother s and Sisters in Christ, We will begin the Season of Lent on March 6, which is Ash Wednesday. Lent is the season of the church year that lasts for forty days. (This does not count Sundays because they are considered little Easters. ) During this time, we contemplate the costly sacrifice of Jesus on the cross before we journey on to the celebration Easter.We will end our Lenten journey with Jesus prayer in Luke 22:42 not my will but yours be done. So this year our Lenten theme is Surrender. Jesus surrendered any and all personal desires and gave himself over to God s will being done. This Lent, how might we, too, align our Safe Haven by Pastor Mark England In Martin Luther s Small Catechism, he explains that the Holy Spirit calls, gathers, and enlightens us through the church. Through the church s welcome, we experience Christ s welcome. While we want all to experience Christ s welcome through our congregation, we also want our congregation to be a safe place for children and youth. We use the Safe Haven Guidelines to help us create a safe environment where children and youth can grow and thrive. The Safe Haven Guidelines have been used and adapted by congregations of the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod for over a decade. The guidelines used by the Boy Scouts in America, the Girl Scouts in America, and the Episcopal Church influenced the creation of the Safe Haven Guidelines. Included in Safe Haven are guidelines for adult supervision, appropriate and inappropriate affection, physical safety, travel safety, Staff Updates Part of the Capital Campaign was to support a more robust Parish nurse role at Kinsmen. We now have two new part-time staff members who are taking away some of Lynnae Schatz responsibilities so that she can expand her Parish Nurse role. Lynn Schroeder is the Kitchen Coordinator. Colette Edwards is the Special Events Coordinator doing volunteer recruitment and hospitality ministries (as well as expanding the Wedding ministry, which is another Capital Campaign initiative). We also have a new Praise and Worship Leader. I m excited to introduce Steve Hale. Steve brings a wide variety of musical and leadership skills and experience which cross Pastor s word desires with God s desires. How might we surrender our will and align it more with God s will? In addition to the beginning of Lent, I have asked Pastor Mark to write about our Children and Youth Safety policy called Safe Haven. In light of recent stories in the news, the Church Council asked about the policies and practices in place here at Kinsmen to protect children and youth. I thought it was important for everyone to be aware of this and I encourage everyone to go through the training. Grace and Peace, Beth Warpmaeker Senior Pastor an action plan for accidents, reporting inappropriate behavior or abuse and other relevant topics. Leaders in our children and youth ministry are trained with these guidelines and then implement these guidelines in their ministry setting. We also use Protect My Ministry for background checks for the screening of leaders in children and youth ministry. You can find out more about this service here: protectmyministry.com Kinsmen Children s Academy has policies in place influenced by Minimum Standards for Child-Care Centers from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. We also have local policies about when and where doors are open and how groups are allowed to move within our space during the school day. Contact Sara Ray or Pastor Mark if you would like to learn more about our Safe Haven Guidelines and/or view the training video. a variety of disciplines and genres. His previous positions include those as Director of Music which have afforded him a wide variety of opportunities including conducting chancel, chamber and youth choirs, small ensembles, hand bell choir, contemporary worship bands and full orchestras. Steve's performance resume includes professional opera, musical theater, jazz and country bands. He's very excited to be part of the Kinsmen Lutheran team and looks forward to worshiping with church members. Please give Steve a warm welcome! Continued on page 3

3 NEW SERMON SERIES March 10 Lent 1 Surrender Control Luke 4:1-13 March 17 Lent 2 Surrender Fear Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18; Luke 13:31-35 March 24 Lent 3 Surrender Judgement Luke 13:1-9 March 31 Lent 4 Surrender Limits Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 April 7 Lent 5 Surrender Greed John 12:1-8 April 14 Palm Sunday Surrender Your Life Luke 19:28-40 Our sermon and group study theme during Lent this year is Surrender. Often people talk about what they are going to give up during Lent. There s a common practice among many Christians of fasting or not eating a particular food one enjoys during this 40-day period of time. At the heart of this practice is a desire to remember the sacrifice Jesus made for us when he died on the cross. But this year we will end our Lenten journey with Jesus prayer at the Garden of Gethsemane: not my will but yours be done. The definition of surrender is to give oneself over to something. Jesus surrendered any and all personal desires and gave himself over to God s will being done. This Lent, how might we, too, align our desires with God s desires. How might we surrender our will and align it more with God s will? Staff Update Continued Installation of Deacon Gonzalez Postponed Last but not least, Deacon Einstein Gonzalez is currently in Venezuela. As you may know, Einstein is from Venezuela, his family still lives there and the country is in chaos right now. Einstein received family news that required his immediate attention, so he has requested personal time off. For this reason, we are postponing his Installation until a later date. Please stay updated with the situation in Venezuela and keep him, his family, and the entire country in your prayers. 3

4 Easter lilies may be ordered from the Flower Committee. They cost $10 each and may be dedicated in honor or in memory of a loved one. You may order online at Orders are due by April 14 to be recognized in the Easter Sunday bulletin. 4

5 Mark your calendars for our next Abendmusik event! The Houston Youth Harp Ensemble was established in 2018 to offer school-age harp students in Houston the opportunity to further musical growth, facilitate personal development, and build an essential harp community. The Ensemble is actually comprised of two ensembles to serve beginner and more advanced students. Spring 2019 concerts feature a diverse array of music and styles from countries around the world. Houston Youth Harp Ensemble 5

6 Early Learning Registration now open! Lutherhill Summer Special discount for Kinsmen members! Register at kinsmenlutheran.org/early-learning l u t h e r h i l l O P P O R T U N I T I E S Lutherhill s Explore Retreat 1 st through 5 th graders March Calling all happy campers! Come out to the Hill to explore all that camp has to offer from the giant swing to archery, arts & crafts to campfire worship. This is a great opportunity for anyone who d like to take a trial run at camp for a full weekend retreat before coming out for a whole week in the summer! Schedule: Explore begins Friday evening with some silly games and an opening devotion. Saturday, we explore a day in the life of summer camp with morning worship, creative Bible study and an activity-filled afternoon. Sunday, we wrap up the weekend with community brunch and a sending worship. Cost is $75 and we will need some adults to travel with us! Contact Sara Ray if you and/or your child are interested. We are going to Lutherhill June 9-14 with our 1 st through 5 th graders. Kinsmen has reserved spots, so please use our code: kinsmen when you regsiter and then pay $100 deposit to Kinsmen and the balance to Lutherhill. Contact Sara (sray@kinsmenlutheran.org) with any questions and to let her know you registered! Camp Hope Registration coming this month - check your ! S a v e t h e D a t e J u ly 8-1 2, ,

7 Middle Lutherhill Youth in 6 th, 7 th, and 8 th grade are invited to join us at Lutherhill this summer from June Use code kinsmen to claim one of our initial guaranteed spots. Some spots have already been claimed. This week of Lutherhill sometimes sells out. Register at High School Youth Apply for Camp Hope Camp Hope is an opportunity for you to be challenged as you develop your leadership skills. Camp Hope is a place where God will work through you to be Good News in the lives of campers, parents, and fellow staff. Even if you are not sure of your plans for the summer, we invite you to interview for Camp Hope. If nothing else, this will be good practice for future job interviews. If you have questions about Camp Hope or want to set up an interview, contact rflores@kinsmenlutheran.org If you re not receiving the Tuesday or the Remind youth ministry text, please notify Pastor Mark at mengland@kinsmenlutheran.org Alpha begins Wednesday, March 20 at 7 PM at Swanny s Grill. explore life faith meaning Do you know anyone in your life that is a skeptic, a seeker, or spiritual but not religious? Do you know anyone who may want a place to discuss their doubts and questions about life and faith? Maybe you should invite them to try Alpha. As many of you have been experiencing through your small groups, Alpha is a series of videos and times of discussion that help unpack the Christian faith. Do you have a friend, co-worker, neighbor, relative or anyone in your life who might want to participate in these discussions? They can share whatever they want to share in these discussions or not share anything at all. mengland@kinsmenlutheran.org if you have any questions or if you plan to bring someone. 7

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9 ENDOWMENT NEWS May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 In a recent sermon, Pastor Beth talked about the importance and power of keeping an abundance mentality rather than a scarcity mentality. As someone who makes a living in sales, I am very familiar with the ups and downs that come with these mentalities. Early in my career when things would go well, it was easy to keep an abundance mentality, but I would become vulnerable to thinking that my success was solely of my own doing. Inevitably, that would be followed by a period where I would go into a slump and my confidence would wane, leading to scarcity thinking. What I ve learned over the years is that confidence is a fragile thing, but God s love for us is rock steady. If we trust in Him during both good times and bad, he will always provide us with exactly what we need. So if things are not going so well at the moment, keep trusting in Him and look for opportunities to take actions that reflect your faith in Him. Likewise, when things are going well, show God how much you appreciate His abundant gifts by sharing those gifts with others. It s bonus season for many working professionals and one way to express your faith and thankfulness is to apportion a gift to the Kinsmen Endowment Fund. The Endowment Fund enhances the financial stability of Kinsmen and provides security for the future. Your contributions earn income that is used to fund ministries in accordance with the fund s distribution policy and in keeping with donor intent. Craig Sutter 9

10 Direct Your 2018 Thrivent Choice Dollars by March 31 st Since 2010, over $370 million has been distributed to thousands of churches, schools, and other nonprofits through Thrivent Choice. Through this program, eligible members can recommend where Thrivent donates millions of charitable outreach dollars each year. We are excited to share, based on member recommendations, that Kinsmen has received many of these outreach dollars over the years. Thank You! Eligible Thrivent Financial members who have available Choice Dollars have until March 31, 2019, to direct them. Don t miss this opportunity to recommend that Thrivent Financial provide outreach funding to Kinsmen Lutheran Church. Go to Thrivent.com/thriventchoice to learn more. Or call and say Thrivent Choice after the prompt. Holy Land Trip Interest Meeting: March 3 at 12:15 PM Are you interested in traveling with Pastor Beth to meet our Lutheran brothers and sisters in the city of Bethlehem? Pastor Beth has led seven trips for seminary and church groups. Are you interested in visiting biblical and archaeological sites that will deepen your understanding of the Bible? Some unique features of this trip will be: Experiencing the 5 th Gospel The Land by visiting key sites from the Biblical narrative and learning about their history and current relevance. Forming a relationship with our mission partner in Bethlehem (Bright Stars of Bethlehem). Learning how Christians living in the West Bank foster hope. Engaging in the arts and culture focus as well as the health and wellness focus of the ministries of Christians in Bethlehem. Meeting and learning from Christian, Muslim and Jewish peacemakers. Come to the Interest meeting on March 3 at 12:15 OR contact Pastor Beth at bwarpmaeker@kinsmenlutheran.org if you are interested in this journey of faith, learning and relationship building. MARCH Menu Throughout the school year on Wednesday evenings, Kinsmen offers a hot meal that includes salad and dessert. The meals are served from 5:45-6:45 PM. The suggested donation is $5 for those 13 and over; $3 for those 4-years-old to 12-years-old and free for those 3 and under. Takeout meals are available. March 6 Salisbury Steak march 13 Tuscan Chicken march 20 Tacos march 27 Chicken Cordon Bleu 10

11 noisy March 9 & 10 offering As is our custom, the second weekend of the month we collect a Noisy Offering for a Mission Partner. This month s mission partner is Lutheran World Relief. Founded by Lutherans in the United States at the end of World War II, grounded in Lutheran theology and building on decades of experience, Lutheran World Relief (LWR) tackles global poverty by helping people adapt to the challenges that threaten their livelihoods and well-being. Working with people based on need, regardless of race, religion or nationality, LWR provides aid in emergencies and help families restore their lives. The goal is to help people build self sufficiency and create new community owned approaches to problem solving that will last long after our projects end. This includes partnering with communities to build and grow rural economies, breaking the cycle of poverty, so families and communities can thrive. Today, Lutheran World Relief operates in East and West Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East, helping some of the world s poorest communities build the resilience they need to thrive. Lutheran World Relief and Personal Care Kits In addition to the Noisy Offering, we will collect items for personal care kits for Lutheran World Relief throughout Lent March 6 April 14. Personal Care Kits provide much-needed self-care, critical germ fighting, basic hygiene tools to our brothers and sisters in need. These basic hygiene tools give our brothers and sisters a chance to regain dignity amidst situations of fear and uncertainty. In refugee camps and in the world s poorest communities, these few simple items can mean the difference between sickness and health, life and death. The items needed are: Bars of soap (4-6 ounces, any brand, in original wrapping); Bath Towels (light-weight, maximum 52 x27, dark color recommended) Toothbrushes (adult size, in original packaging) Combs Metal Nail Clippers Thank you for your extraordinary generosity. 11

12 Can you tie your shoes? How about iron? If you answered yes to either question, consider joining in the quilting bee for Lutheran World Relief on Saturday March 9 and/or Saturday March 23 from 9 AM noon in the gym. Come for an hour or stay for the day. Training is provided. When you make and send a Quilt, you are not only comforting someone you have never met, but providing an object that is useful in ways you probably never imagined. The ultimate purpose of a Quilt is to provide warmth, an essential need for people in every climate, and LWR tries to ensure top standards in fabrics and filler accordingly. In addition to being a cozy, clean new bed cover, it can be: a baby carrier, tied around a mother s back; a market display, spread on the ground and piled with vegetables; a sack for transporting those goods to market; a sunshade; Lutheran World Relief Quilting a shawl; and most importantly a constant reminder that someone, far away, cares a lot. If you have questions contact Connie Jackson, or Lynnae Schatz (lschatz@kinsmenlutheran.org) Blest be the ties that bind our hearts in Christian love! 12

13 TOOLBOX BASH GALA 2019 April 13 The Second Annual Golf For Hope Tournament will be held on Friday, April 12, 2019 at Gleannloch Pines Golf Club. A four person scramble, including lunch, golf, and appetizers along with raffle and silent auction will round out the day. Cost is $125 per player. Checks can be mailed to 1960 Hope Center, 744 Cypress Creek Parkway, Suite B, Houston, TX Please Jodie Leach at 1960hopecenter@gmail.com once you've mailed the registration or register online at: The Toolbox Bash annual gala benefits Habitat for Humanity Northwest Harris County. Each year, supporters gather for a formal reception where cocktails and hors-d'oeuvres are enjoyed while bidding on silent auction items. Guests will enjoy a three-course meal. At the conclusion of the event, guests are invited to enjoy live music. All proceeds are used to build affordable housing for families in our community. Event Details: The Omni Houston 4 Riverway Houston, TX PM - 9 PM Formal Attire Required Tickets & sponsorships may be purchased by mailing a check to PO Box Houston, TX

14 Glimpses grace KINSMEN BUDGET UPDATE - CHURCH ONLY Operating Highlights for January 2019 Budget Actual Variance Total Income 124, ,182 15,660 Total Expenses 123, ,210 6,157 Net 1,468 10,972 9,504 Year-to-date Total Income 124, ,182 15,660 Total Expense 123, ,210 6,157 Net 1,468 10,972 9,504 Giving Update Thankoffering Budget Actual Variance Month-to-Date 93,680 92,678 (1,002) GLIMPSES OF GRACE JANUARY 2019 GLIMPSES OF SHARING GRACE: CARE MINISTRY February 2019 Flower Delivery 76 Prayer Shawl 1 Noisy Offering Sleep in Heavenly Peace $ General Mission Support $8, Designated Mission Support $ KCA Scholarship $ Naomi/Campus Ministry $ JANUARY TOTAL $11, Y-T-D TOTAL $11, Year-to-Date 93,680 92,678 (1,002) Total Pledges 105 Against Pledge 86 Over Paid Pledge 1 Non-Pledged 121 Total Households Giving

15 Schmeisser, Tiffany 3/1 Stolz, Timothy Ian 3/1 England, Sheri 3/2 Gumm, Thomas 3/2 Gordon, Alexa 3/3 Liewer, Tom 3/3 Mc Anear, Melissa 3/3 Schmidt, Erik 3/3 Henze, Grace 3/4 Plata, Gloria 3/4 Pierce, Liz 3/5 Roth, Robert 3/5 Davis, Kimberly 3/6 Herwig, James 3/6 Jyrkama, Alison 3/6 Jyrkama, Noah 3/6 Liewer, Becky 3/6 Mc Intosh, Duncan 3/6 Morgan, Melissa 3/6 Peltier, Caroline 3/6 Pritchett, Ellen 3/6 Temple, Benjamin 3/6 Wangsmo, Michael 3/6 Delgado, LaDawn 3/7 Novacek, Angela 3/7 Anderson, Evan 3/9 Breedveld, James 3/10 Cook, Kellen 3/10 Funke, Dale 3/10 Lowe, Shelby 3/10 Snyder, Cliff 3/10 MARCH BIRTHDAYS * Molinaro, Lynn 3/12 Montalvo, Alexander 3/12 Smith, Donna 3/12 Toney, Colton 3/12 Clark, Carol 3/13 Woods, Kyle 3/13 Alderman, Emily 3/14 Henning, Brenda 3/14 Tennant, Judith 3/14 Wooden, Keeley 3/14 Adams, Connie 3/15 Gronwaldt, Robert 3/15 Hope, Colin 3/15 Lindblom, Anna 3/15 Beeskau, Jaqueline 3/16 Laing, Jill 3/16 Rogers, Carl 3/16 Grimes, Nikita 3/17 Benesh, Patricia 3/18 Hey, Barbara 3/18 Boller, Lauren 3/19 Simpson, Joshua 3/19 Sutter, Erin 3/19 Vincent, Stephanie 3/19 Raschke, Alan 3/20 Wall, Mason 3/20 Jacobi, Jane 3/21 Arias, Santiago 3/22 Awbrey, Vicki 3/22 Bayer, Brittany 3/22 Hurtado, Lukas 3/23 Mc Intosh, Stefanie 3/23 Mosqueda, Sarah 3/23 Wooden, Emma 3/23 Merkel, Grace 3/24 Nelsen, Eric 3/24 Oliver, Adrian 3/24 England, Kelly 3/25 Lester, Christian 3/25 Pearce, Cameron 3/26 Remmert, Ruby 3/26 Snyder, Dianna 3/26 Velotas, Rachel 3/26 Brown, Hunter 3/27 Rogers, Lena 3/27 Schmeisser, Brian 3/27 Stewart, Melissa 3/27 Collins, Margaret 3/28 Gillette, Matthew 3/28 Henning, David 3/28 Toney, Lantz 3/28 Jones, Daniel 3/29 Staff, Caleb 3/29 Cook, Michael 3/30 Delgado, Raymond 3/30 Hyun, Carol 3/30 Rueda, Tina 3/30 Best, Becky 3/31 Brinz, Linda 3/31 Sell, Jeffrey 3/31 *This list is compiled from church records. If your name is missing or the information listed above is incorrect, please notify the church office. (jhughes@kinsmenlutheran.org) 15

16 Worship Schedule: INFORMAL WORSHIP Saturdays 5:30 PM TRADITIONAL WORSHIP Sundays 8:15 & 11 AM CONTEMPORARY WORSHIP Sundays 9:30 AM COMMUNION OFFERED AT ALL SERVICES FELLOWSHIP BREAKFAST beginning at 9 AM Kinsmen Staff Reach a staff member directly by dialing , plus their extension Rev. Dr. Beth Warpmaeker, Senior Pastor bwarpmaeker@kinsmenlutheran.org Ext 118 Rev. Mark England, Youth & Family Ministry mengland@kinsmenlutheran.org Ext. 124 Einstein Gonzales, Spanish Ministry Developer egonzales@kinsmenlutheran.org Ext. 125 Lynnae Schatz, Director of Congregational Life lschatz@kinsmenlutheran.org Ext. 143 Sara Ray, Director of Children s Ministry & Outreach sray@kinsmenlutheran.org Ext. 117 Colette Edwards, Special Events Coordinator cedwards@kinsmenlutheran.org Ext. 111 Julie Hughes, Office Manager jhughes@kinsmenlutheran.org Ext. 110 Rose Poole, Communications Director communications@kinsmenlutheran.org Ext. 121 George Skirm, Director of Media gskirm@kinsmenlutheran.org Cody Miller, Young Adult Outreach cmiller@kinsmenlutheran.org Ext. 144 Irene Baasen, Accounting & Financial Reports ibaasen@kinsmenlutheran.org Ext. 114 Jane Jacobi, Payroll Clerk jjacobi@kinsmenlutheran.org Ext. 115 Kristen Schulze, Contemporary Worship Co-coordinator kschulze@kinsmenlutheran.org Lauren Rivera, Director of Children's Music lrivera@kinsmenlutheran.org Ext. 122 Joey Bansuelo, Alleluia Choir Director jbansuelo@kinsmenlutheran.org Ext. 122 Sherrie McMahon, Organist, Abendmusik smcmahon@kinsmenlutheran.org Ext. 122 Steve Hale, Praise and Worship Leader shale@kinsmenlutheran.org Lisa Yeager, KCA Preschool Director lyeager@kinsmenlutheran.org Ext. 123 Rudy Flores, Asst. Director for Before & After Care rflores@kinsmenlutheran.org Ext. 135 Ruben Aranda, Custodian Gonzalo Montes, Custodian Connection is a monthly publication of Kinsmen Lutheran Church. Deadline for submitting news is the 15 th day of each month or the previous church business day if the deadline falls on the weekend or on a church holiday. Articles are preferred electronically, but may be faxed or hand-delivered to a staff member. OFFICE HOURS Monday Thursday 9 AM 5 PM Friday 9 AM 12 PM CONTACT INFORMATION Phone FAX Membership Interested in learning more about Kinsmen? Contact Pastor Beth, Pastor Mark, or Lynnae Schatz (lschatz@kinsmenlutheran.org) for more information.