Hebrews 10:23. devoted. Winter 2017 Vol. 8 Issue 2 St. Mark Lutheran Church & School

Transcription

1 Hebrews 10:23 devoted Winter 2017 Vol. 8 Issue 2 St. Mark Lutheran Church & School

2 2 hope in hard times pastor andy Lately, it seems as if there has been an extra measure of devastation and pain doled out upon the world. Just when it begins to feel like life is moving along smoothly, some kind of obstacle pops up. If it s not a natural disaster, it is pain caused by human hands. During these difficult times, we often look for a cause so we can better understand why such terrible things happen. We attempt to get a grip on this dark reality and the complication and fear it creates in our lives. Through it all, we must remember Who is in control. We have an amazing God whose love and compassion is unwavering in the hardship we are experiencing. He walks right beside us as we adjust to a new normal. Our God has consistently proven Himself faithful. We see this in Christ, who kept His promise, even to the point of death. Hebrews 10:23 says, Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. Let us rejoice in His faithfulness because His promises for us never change! Hang on tight to hope because His redemptive love endures forever! No matter what is happening around us, we are blessed to know that we will find perfect joy and peace with Him for all of eternity. St. Mark Lutheran Christmas Schedule Kids Advent Event - Family Movie Night pm Cars 3 Advent Worship - Our Coming Savior Blessed by His saving love, Pastor Andy 7 pm 7 pm 7 pm Wonderful Counselor Everlasting Father Prince of Peace St. Mark Christmas Caroling 3 3:30 pm St. Mark K-8th Grade - Christmas Concert 5 6:30 pm Christmas in the Park 10 Staff 5:30-7:30 pm at Spring Valley Village Park St. Mark Christmas Concert Andy Roettjer Lead Pastor Scott Heitshusen Associate Pastor of Outreach Dallas Lusk Principal Sheryl Seybold Early Childhood Education Director Gabriella Gonzalez Director of Admissions John Marrs Director of Music Ministry Susan DePue Office Manager Suzanne Thompson School Office New Year s Eve Worship Susan O Connor Church Office :30 & 11 am Worship Services Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship 11 am 2 pm 4 pm 6 pm Contemporary Service w/ Communion Traditional Service Family Service Traditional Service w/ Communion 8:30 & 11 am Worship Services

3 2 hope in hard times pastor andy Lately, it seems as if there has been an extra measure of devastation and pain doled out upon the world. Just when it begins to feel like life is moving along smoothly, some kind of obstacle pops up. If it s not a natural disaster, it is pain caused by human hands. During these difficult times, we often look for a cause so we can better understand why such terrible things happen. We attempt to get a grip on this dark reality and the complication and fear it creates in our lives. Through it all, we must remember Who is in control. We have an amazing God whose love and compassion is unwavering in the hardship we are experiencing. He walks right beside us as we adjust to a new normal. Our God has consistently proven Himself faithful. We see this in Christ, who kept His promise, even to the point of death. Hebrews 10:23 says, Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. Let us rejoice in His faithfulness because His promises for us never change! Hang on tight to hope because His redemptive love endures forever! No matter what is happening around us, we are blessed to know that we will find perfect joy and peace with Him for all of eternity. St. Mark Lutheran Christmas Schedule Kids Advent Event - Family Movie Night pm Cars 3 Advent Worship - Our Coming Savior Blessed by His saving love, Pastor Andy 7 pm 7 pm 7 pm Wonderful Counselor Everlasting Father Prince of Peace St. Mark Christmas Caroling 3 3:30 pm St. Mark K-8th Grade - Christmas Concert 5 6:30 pm Christmas in the Park 10 Staff 5:30-7:30 pm at Spring Valley Village Park St. Mark Christmas Concert Andy Roettjer Lead Pastor Scott Heitshusen Associate Pastor of Outreach Dallas Lusk Principal Sheryl Seybold Early Childhood Education Director Gabriella Gonzalez Director of Admissions John Marrs Director of Music Ministry Susan DePue Office Manager Suzanne Thompson School Office New Year s Eve Worship Susan O Connor Church Office :30 & 11 am Worship Services Christmas Eve Candlelight Worship 11 am 2 pm 4 pm 6 pm Contemporary Service w/ Communion Traditional Service Family Service Traditional Service w/ Communion 8:30 & 11 am Worship Services

4 4 keep the promise campaign building partners GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY On September 13, 2017 St. Mark Lutheran Church and School celebrated the groundbreaking of their new school building. It was a tremendous celebration with past and present pastors, principals, church members, and school families. The morning was a testament to the life-changing relationships that have been formed through our 68 years of ministry. On the day of our 500th reformation, October 31, the church and school were able to place two Bibles, signed by many staff members, church and school families, and students in the actual foundation of our new building. By God s grace we are constructing this new building and we have faith He will continue to bless our ministry in it. We continue to teach God s truth through His scriptures each and every day here and we are building on the firmest of foundations. n November and you will see the building pad site poured as well as the steel beam framework of our new building. We will continue to keep you posted on construction progress on social media and Sundays at church. To God be the Glory!

5 keep the promise: key dates 5 AN ADVENT CELEBRATION FOR KIDS! WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER PM // SML GYM Bring a blanket/folding chair (and a pillow or two!) and snuggle up to watch Cars 3 on our giant movie screen! ADMISSION: FREE MOVIE // PIZZA // POPCORN 2017 Disney

6 6 harvey: a call to serve pastor heitshusen Harvey: a Call to Serve Although the days of August 25 and following will not be of the scope and magnitude as the date that will live in infamy, for Houstonians and those surrounding, they most certainly will be ones which have left scars and piercings upon our individual and corporate psyches. Houstonians are used to hurricanes. We know what to expect. We know what to do. We know how to prepare. Under ordinary circumstances, hurricanes set us back for a bit and grant us some somewhat minor inconveniences. But Harvey was no ordinary hurricane. He was unlike anything anyone in collective memory had experienced. We ve seen the stats and pictures. We ve learned how to muck out, how to de-mold, how to lay sheetrock. We ve learned new routes to drive and how to extend (already long) drive times to accommodate them. We ve learned how to mourn the passing of the life we had worked so hard to build up and instead live our new normals. But we also witnessed countless acts of love, compassion, and sacrifice. I have witnessed countless acts of St. Mark folks helping out the needs of fellow others; both at St. Mark and beyond. I have seen homes offered - rent free - to help out strangers. I have seen what little free-time exists freely given to help move, muck, paint, transport, and more. I have seen tuition reduced or waived for a time to help folks get back on their feet. I have seen some of those most affected defer needed help because they want others who were affected more to receive the blessings and benefits. I have seen generosity shown to us by members as well as by people in Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Arizona, Louisiana, and more. I have received calls, s, letters, and texts of so many around our country lifting us in prayer and asking how else they can help. We have witnessed such incredible need and, through the Lord, great blessings! Most of the initial and immediate needs have now passed. Now many are awaiting judgements, checks, or news on what happens next. Some are still trying to figure out their next permanent living situation while trying to see how to pay for that in addition to a note on a previous place now uninhabitable. Some are trying to figure out how to get new appliances with credit cards already maxed out and savings tapped. Most of SML s folks escaped relatively unscathed personally; but some have not. There are several of our family members here who are dealing directly with some of those big issues. As such, St. Mark has been helping who we can where we can. We have received donations to help people out and have done so in a lot of instances already. But we have also been holding some back as we have known these bigger needs would be coming. Because of the continued generosity of so many, we will be able to help those still fighting the battles and making the hard life choices. We will be able to continue to come beside and walk with them, making the journey at least a little easier and more filled with love and concern. Harvey, for most in our nation, has left the public spotlight and, along with it, offers of help. Yet help will still be needed for some time to come. Although somewhat quiet right now, Harvey s aftermath will continue, so SML help will still be needed. I know that when more of these needs come to light, I can count on your hearts and hands. I know it because I witness it nearly every day; and I thank you and the Lord for that constantly!

7 harvey 7 I also want to let you know that we are not letting Harvey divert us from our other commitments! UPCOMING SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES Kendleton Farms - Saturday, November 11 - stmarkhouston.org/kendleton East Spring Branch Food Pantry Thanksgiving in a Bag - Through Monday, November 13 Giving Tree - Begins Monday, November 20 SML Christmas Caroling - Sunday, 3 Instead of letting Harvey dictate how we will live generously, let s rededicate ourselves to serving the Lord by serving others in His name, through these efforts as well as those the Lord has placed around us where we live and work. Thank you for continuing to join Jesus on His mission by building life-changing relationships and serving in His name! Pastor Scott Heitshusen

8 It is both comforting and unsettling to see Coast Guard helicopters across the street from your house. We watched numerous Coast Guard and Army helicopters go back and forth over the course of a week rescuing people from rising waters. We saw people carrying belongings over their heads, wading through chest deep water to get to higher ground. These are things I never thought I d ever see in person. We live near Brays Bayou. Our house has never flooded in the 60+ years of its existence. This year was different. We woke up around 5 am after having friends over to watch the Mayweather vs. McGregor fight the night before. While watching the fight rain started to fall and water rose in our street faster than ever before. When the rain began to ease and water receded we instructed our friends to go home for their safety. We had a total of of water in our home. Initially you are just dumbfounded. We lost both cars and many belongings to the flood. It s tough to navigate those feeling of losing three of your biggest assets at once. They are only possessions, but it s hard to swallow the harsh reality of losing them. You work hard to see the blessings and get perspective during the tough times. For every one of our hardships during this time we can see a blessing. The kids and I stayed in 5 different homes in 30 days and that was tough. Unlike most people going through this disaster we had 5 different places to stay and not one was a shelter or hotel! The blessings continue and are numerous. We flooded, but we have flood insurance. Our cars are totaled, but we have car insurance. We had to pull out much of our furniture and other belongings and throw them out, but we had neighbors and friends helping us do so. Our closest family and friends were fortunately unhurt by the flood waters and it was a blessing we didn t have to worry about them going through what we are enduring. I couldn t find the kids school uniforms, but SML families and staff helped us out. And when we figured we would have to spend months staying with my parents, a family from SML offered the use of their family home that was fully furnished and unoccupied. What a true blessing! We are a one income family and were worried about finances, SML families helped with gifts cards. Many people gave who I have never met! Some of the kid s toys had to be thrown out due to the flood and their classmates generously gave them gift cards to buy new ones, coworkers of my husbands brought us dinner, one of my best friends took my wedding dress to store at her house so it would be safe. I could go on and on with the small blessings that we have experienced these last few months. The biggest blessing for me is I married a caring, loving, hardworking man. My husband stayed at our house the entire time we were flooded. He slept on our couch atop 5-gallon paint buckets while we were at my neighbors two story home waiting for the waters to recede. He only left our house once the waters receded to get the kids and I to a friend s house and to take an elderly neighbor to safety. This may sound crazy, but it s true. Once the water receded, he began cleaning the house by himself! My husband began throwing out our water-logged belongings, sweeping the sewage waters out of the kid s bedrooms and taking pictures of every damaged item. As well as helping numerous neighbors with their flooded homes. There s no doubt that the flood and its aftermath have affected us negatively. The vision of walking through your house and seeing nothing but concrete and wood framing is very hard to digest. The stress of rebuilding can be and has been overwhelming. It s been almost 2 months since Hurricane Harvey and we just recently heard back from the insurance company. We spend weekends and evenings working to rebuild the house while trying to manage our regular lives. Yes, the blessings have been enormous and perspective comes from the closest of family. My father, a Korean veteran, who remembers Mussolini s troops eating lunch by his childhood home, provided this perspective one day. My father and I were discussing the flood and what had happened while we washed dishes at the kitchen sink. Your family is safe; the house can be rebuilt that s life. Yes, we are safe, we can rebuild. Others faired much worse than we did. I believe that my family and I have endured and our faith in God has strengthened in ways we never thought possible. Prayer has been answered and our hearts have been filled by people s generosity and kindness. This has been a very trying time and we have never been more humbled and honored to be a part of the St. Mark community. Thank you for your thoughtfulness, generosity and support.

9 500forward festival 9 17 churches of Area D, Texas District gathered together on October 28, 2017 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation with the 500Forward Festival. The event was hosted at St. Mark and featured performances from Houston Lutheran Chorale, LHN Marching Band, Houston Bronze Ensemble, the Gulf Coast Concert Band, and the LHN and OSL Choirs. There was a Luther impersonator as well as worship experiences showcasing the diversity of Lutheranism today. The event also featured many vendors, food, crafts, an art contest and even bounce houses for the kids. Sunday afternoon, the 500Forward Festival concluded with a concert at Trinity Downtown, featuring their rebuilt pipe organ and their choir. St. Mark played a pivotal role in the event as host of the festival. Co-Chair John Marrs said It was great that so many churches could come together and focus their efforts on this big event. None of the churches individually could have pulled it off. I really appreciate all the effort that everyone put into it. It was a fun event! St. Mark Christmas Concert Including perfomances from the Adult Choir, Handbell Choir, Brass Ensemble and Praise Band! Sunday, 17 8:30 & 11 am Worship Services St. Mark Mark Christmas Caroling Sunday, 3 Meet: 4 pm at St. Mark Return: 6 pm for fellowship Join us to serenade local nursing home residents and elderly St. Mark members to share Christmas joy! Dress festively and bring all your family and friends! Register at stmarkhouston.org beginning November 12!

10 10 sml volunteer awards Every year we take some time to thank, celebrate and recognize those who join Jesus on His mission building lifechanging relationships. We cannot hire enough staff to do everything that needs to be done, so we are vitally dependent on those who give of their treasures as well as their time and talents. We began a new tradition this year by giving awards that emphasize the hard work of volunteers who are leading St. Mark to grow in faith, care for the body, and share the love of Jesus. Grow for dedication to helping SML members grow in their faith. care for dedication to caring for members of the sml family. share for dedication to sharing jesus with those in our community and around the world. GINNY ZUPPAN - GROW AWARD Ginny has lead Bible classes at St. Mark for more than 25 years. She is a great encouragement to many SML members and lives out what she teaches in her own life. FRED & KATIE TONN - CARE AWARD Fred & Katie are shining examples of how to care for others through offering prayers, building people up, and teaching our youth. They have lead the prayer ministry at SML for many years and recently co-chaired the Prayer Committee during the Keep the Promise building campaign. TERRY ROBY - SHARE AWARD Terry is often working behind the scenes and consistently putting others first. He has taken the lead at Kendleton Farms, creating a renovation plan, a waste water system and heading up the site project management. WE THANK YOU AND THANK GOD FOR ALL OF OUR VOLUNTEERS! BECAUSE OF YOUR FAITHFUL SERVICE TO GOD S CALL, THE WORK OF HIS KINGDOM CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED IN OUR MIDST.

11 visitor information 11 Welcome to St. Mark Lutheran! We want you to feel at home with us as we worship, praise and proclaim God s eternal love and joy in Jesus Christ for each one of us! We offer several types of worship services in order for everyone to worship at a service that best fits their needs. If you are interested in membership at St. Mark or would like more information, stop by the Visitor Center as you exit the Sanctuary before or after services or contact the Church Office during the week at Worship Services SUNDAYS 8:30 am - Traditionally Focused Using worship that is rooted in our rich heritage of grace, this service is for all who enjoy traditional elements of worship such as liturgy, Lutheran hymns, organ and classic instruments. 11 am - Contemporary Service Offering a relaxed blend of majestic worship style and contemporary, this service includes praise singers, praise band and instrumentation to accompany praise songs and modern worship music. WEDNESDAYS 7 pm - This midweek service is designed as a worship/bible study hour with singing. For Parents With Young Children We love kids and are happy to have them join us for Worship in the Sanctuary! Adventure Gear (bags filled with books, crayons and pictures to color) is available at the Exploration Station in the foyer for young children attending Worship. The Nursery is also available for children under 3 years of age. Worship Message on DVD/CD dvds & cds of the worship message may be received by filling out the information on the Media Ministry envelope located in the pew rack and dropping the envelope in the offering plate. dvds/cds are duplicated and mailed weekly. Hearing & Visual Assistance For those with difficulty hearing, we offer a hearing assistance system. The individual systems can be obtained from the sound technician at the back of the sanctuary. We also offer large print bulletins for those that might need them. Prayer Needs If you d like to have a request prayed for during Worship, please write at the bottom of the Communication Card on the Member side. To keep it confidential or publish to the prayer chain, please mark the appropriate box. You may also send your prayer request to prayer@stmarkhouston.org and your prayer will immediately be placed on the prayer chain. About St. Mark St. Mark Lutheran Church is a Christ-centered community that is dedicated to sharing our love for Jesus Christ by caring for people and equipping them to live out their faith in the world. We believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior from sin. We believe that the Bible is the foundation of all truth and guide for our lives. Because of God s great love for us, we believe that we best show our love for Him by our response of caring and kindness to others. Joining Jesus on His Mission: Building Life-Changing Relationships

12 1515 Hillendahl Houston, Texas stmarkhouston.org