ATASCOCITA LUTHERAN CHURCH 7927 FM 1960 East, Humble, Texas 77346 (281) 852-7333 www.alutheranchurch.org Seeds of Grace A Monthly Publication of Atascocita Lutheran Church 7927 FM 1960 East, Humble, Texas 77346 April 2011 - Volume 17 - Number 4 April 17 Sunday of the Passion (Palm Sunday) 8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist 10:45 a.m. Holy Eucharist ATASCOCITA LUTHERAN CHURCH Our Vision: As a growing, diverse community of believers on a journey of faith, we seek to make Christ known through reflecting Christ in our lives. April 21 Maundy Thursday 7:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist April 22 Good Friday Living Stations of the Cross 7:00 p.m. Worship April 24 The Resurrection of our Lord 8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist 10:45 a.m. Holy Eucharist 1
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I write to you as we are halfway through our Lenten Journey. In the coming weeks we will enter into the valley of the shadow of death, where the cross will stand tall, waiting to receive the one who will be crucified. Crucified not for the reasons that most are crucified, but for reasons that signified the coming of God s Kingdom a different kind of kingdom a kingdom which would threaten the kingdoms of this world. For Jesus introduced love into the world like the world had never known. Jesus love was not conditional, but unconditional. Instead of hating our enemies, Jesus talks about loving our enemies. Instead of sharing a little bit, Jesus talks about giving all that we have and all that we are. Instead of judging others as unworthy, Jesus tells us to not judge, for in the same way, we too, will be judged. The love of Jesus went beyond all borders, both geographical and social. Now, we might say that this radical love that Jesus introduced into the world was defeated on the cross. For the world could not accept this sort of extreme grace. And if the story had ended there, that would be true. But as we know, the story does not end there. For after the cross had had its way, something happened that would change the world forever. Death itself was defeated! The stone had been rolled away. Jesus had risen! In other words, love won out in the end! Even death could not silence it! So how does this work in our lives? How does love win? It wins every time we decide not to seek revenge after we have been wronged. It wins every time we speak out on behalf of the poor and oppressed in our society. Love wins every time we make personal sacrifices for the sake of the other. Love wins when peace and justice are practiced among God s people. Love wins when forgiveness takes place, when relationships are restored, when worship and praise is given to God. So as we experience what we as Lutherans Christians (along with the rest of historic Christianity) refer to as Holy Week, let us remember that love does win. On Palm Sunday we celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on a donkey as palms are strewn on the road before him. He comes to celebrate the Passover. On Maundy Thursday we will come together to remember the last meal that Jesus shared with his disciples before his death. During the meal Jesus shares the bread and the wine, as he tells them that they are his body and blood that are given and shed in his remembrance. On Good Friday, we will experience the living stations of the cross as Jesus carries the cross to his brutal death. At the end we will proclaim; It is finished. And for three days there is silence. But on the third day, as the sun rises, we will hear the good news that the Son rises. Jesus is no longer in the tomb. He has been resurrected! Therefore we, as followers of this resurrected Jesus, have now become people of the resurrection. It is something that we cannot keep to ourselves. For even if we are silent, the stones themselves will shout out. It will be heralded from the mountaintops. It will be proclaimed to all corners of the earth. Love wins! Jesus is risen! He is risen indeed! Pastor Gary L. Anholt PandaMania is coming to Atascocita Lutheran Church! Join us this summer at ALC f or a fabulous adventure Where God is Wild about You! July 11-15 Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Thrivent Choice is a project for contributing charitable contributions by persons who own Thrivent Financials products. The program replaces the matching funds approach previously in place. Thrivent Choice lets you recommend where some of Thrivent Financials charitable outreach funds go by directing Choice Dollars to Atascocita Lutheran or other eligible Lutheran agencies or educational institutions. Contact your Thrivent representative or go to www.thrivent.com and choose Thrivent Choice and follow the instructions. Atascocita Lutheran Church is enrolled as an eligible congregation. ALC s ID # is 504756020 Thanks for participating in this program if you own any Thrivent Financials products. There is no cost to you to participate and the congregation receives the charitable funds on your behalf. 2
Youth News Join your ALC friends and have a blast at Camp Lutherhill! Grades 1-12 welcome. Make new friends with your church friends at Lutherhill! Elementary Youth: Grades 1-5, August 7-12, 2011 Experience camp activities, bible study, camp songs, s mores and much more! Alpha-completed 1st grade (1/2 week) $220 per 1/2 week Youngins-completed 2nd or 3rd grade $375 per week Yearlings-completed 4th or 5th grade. $375 per week Middle School Youth: Grades 6-8, July 24-29, 2011 Adventure's get ready for the adventure of a lifetime! You get all the thrills of camp: including camp activities, bible study and the HIGH ROPES course. $375 per week High School Youth: Grades 9-12, June 12-17 or July 24-29 Spend some time at camp and some time experiencing creation away from Lutherhill; high ropes course, overnight canoe and camping trip down the Colorado River, hike Texas trails, scavenger hunt, cook outs and much more! $400 per week Register online at www.lutherhill.org or complete a registration form found in the fellowship hall. Please contact Melissa Christensen (Elementary), Judy Cargill (Middle School) or Allyson Evans (High School) if you have questions. We hope to see you there! Simple Tests that May Save Your Life Atascocita Lutheran Church is to host a Vascular & Organ Ultrasound screening on: Saturday April 30, 2011 If you smoke, have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or a family history of vascular diseases; please consider these preventive ultrasound screenings for early detection. This is YOUR opportunity to take a pro-active role in your OWN healthcare. Scan Specialists clinical teams will be administering 9 painless screens of the arteries in the neck, the main artery off of the heart, the thyroid, liver, spleen, kidneys, gallbladder and the arteries in the legs to identify hidden conditions that put you at risk for stroke and other dangerous vascular conditions. All results are reviewed by board-certified radiologists. According to the Society for Vascular Surgery, vascular disease is among the leading causes of death in the U.S. and is generally symptomless until a medical emergency occurs. A representative from Scan Specialists will be visiting Atascocita Lutheran on Sunday April 17th. They will be available after service to answer questions and pre-register those who wish to participate. Payments are not taken until the day of the screening. These screenings are typically NOT performed at annual check-ups, nor will insurance companies pay for them unless you are symptomatic. Collectively, these screenings cost thousands. Scan Specialists will be offering these screenings to you for $45 each or $189 for all 9! Please reserve your spot early by calling toll-free 800-931-4772. Be Proactive. Stay Healthy. Scan Specialists will be donating a portion of the full vascular screening package to Atascocita Lutheran Church to be utilized in a ministry of their choice. #1 2011 BLOOD DRIVE SUNDAY A SUCCESS! Thanks to all the disciples who volunteered to be blood donors for the first blood drive at ALC. Since so many registered and appeared that day the congregation exceeded its goal for the day. Another blood drive is scheduled for April 10. Karen Schoenfeld and Peg Swavely are coordinators for this important inreach and outreach ministry. 3
NOW LOOK WHAT YOU VE DONE.Discipleship Feedback (February 2011) For the month of February contributions again improved compared to the puzzling trend that developed for the final six months of 2010. Thanks!! for the renewed faithfulness in making discipleship gifts that fuel both our plans for mission and the mortgage payments. Keep on keeping on in maturing in discipleship. Faith Venture2 contributions were very solid overall; and yet, the weekly amounts are not reflecting expectations based upon commitments received in October. Recall that the new mortgage is nearly $8,000 per month. Contributions not received for FV2 have to be compensated for by redirecting giving for the support of the mission plan. QUARTERLY CONTRIBUTION REPORTS FOR 2011 The Stewardship Ministry Work and Financial Oversight Ministry groups have been working with the congregation s software resource and are ready to begin e-mailing contributions reports with the first quarter of 2011. Watch your inbox for the first of one of these reports. Average weekly attendance during February was 150. Contributions for Mission, Faith Venture2 & Other FEBRUARY 2011* Looking for Graduates If someone in your household is celebrating a graduation this spring please notify the church office (g.alexander@alutheranchurch.org). This form may be completed and placed in the offering plate or delivered to the church office. Please do this by May 1. Date Mission Support FAITH VENTURE2 2-6 2-13 2-20 2-27 6,620 3,110 3,321 6,144 1,425 1,055 390 11,785 TOTALS $19,195 $14,655 OTHER Total 8,045 4,165 3,711 17,929 $ - $33,850 Name of graduate Graduating from Date Plans following graduation: Your name WORSHIP SERVERS SCHEDULING UPDATE D Thanks to Claudia Brookover for working to update the lists of servers for Sunday morning responsibilities for greeters, ushers, altar preparation, torch bearers, crucifers, Bible bearers and offering counters. And thanks to all those serving for collaborating with the reworking of the lists. Information to share: there are 75 names on the various list (some serve in more than one role at different times) and there is a need for twenty-six persons to serve each Sunday to fill the roles for both worship services. 2011 LENTEN MID-WEEK OFFERINGS DESIGNATION: Phone number and/or email #1 The ELCA s WORLD HUNGER APPEAL will receive one-half of the 2011 Lenten mid-week offerings. #2 BREAD For The WORLD, an ecumenical global hunger initiative, with which the ELCA is a partner will receive one-half of 2011 Lenten mid-week offerings. 4
Mid-Week Lenten Worship Continues The NOOMA Mid-Week Lenten worship experiences which feature short films that explore our world from a perspective of Jesus will continue in April during the weeks before Holy Week. The name NOOMA comes from a phonetic spelling of the Greek word pneuma (πνευμα) meaning wind, spirit, or breath. The films are narrated by Rob Bell, who is the pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and is a nationally recognized author and speaker. IT S NOT JUST GOOD ON TOAST! JAM and JAM Jr. have some great times ahead! Join us April 17th for an Easter Celebration. Join us May 22nd for a swim party to celebrate the friends we ve made and the good word we ve learned. It s not too late to be part of the Elementary Youth Group at ALC! Contact Melissa Christensen to sign up! john_melissachristensen@yahoo.com The Schedule will be as follows: April 6: NOOMA Kickball April 13: NOOMA Rhythm Each NOOMA worship experience will include time for song, prayer, meditation, reflection and quiet or silent conversation. The evenings will begin with a soup and sandwich supper starting at 6:00 p.m. Worship will follow at 7:00 p.m. and last approximately 40 minutes. Please join us as together, we continue our journey through Lent toward the cross ending in the Resurrection of our Lord. Thanks Worship Assistants! Thanks to all who serve as ushers, greeters, offering counters, word and sacrament team, torch bearers, crucifers, Bible bearers and assisting ministers. Each of you and each of the roles you have are equally important to the worship life of ALC. Thanks!! Thanks to all worship assistants who participated in our effort to update the list of servers. The project is almost complete and it could not have happened without each of you. Updated lists will be shared soon. Additional Worship Assistants: You can never have too much of a good thing. It is also true that ALC can never have too many good servers. We ask all who assist on Sunday morning (Bible bearer, assisting minister, crucifer, torch bearers, ushers, greeters, word and sacrament team, offering counters) to serve for a period of two weeks. It is the goal to provide them with a break before asking them to serve another rotation. Each Sunday there are 26 persons who serve as worship assistants. That means 104 people serve in a month. We need YOU to consider being a part of the worship assistants teams. Contact Claudia Brookover (czbrookover@aol.com or 281-358-6539) to volunteer or to ask for more information. igh School Youth Group is still going STRONG!!! We have some great things planned to finish out the school year! All High Schoolers are welcome to join us and bring their friends! We meet every Sunday from 7:00-8:30. Contact Jesse Anholt or Allyson Evans for more information! April 3: HOUSE PARTY! TBA April 10: ALC for T3 April 17: ALC for T3 April 24: Easter Breakfast (no evening activity) You are invited to have Easter Breakfast at Atascocita Lutheran Church on April 24. Bring your family and enjoy breakfast provided by the high school youth group before or after Easter Services. We are raising money for the 2012 National Youth Gathering in New Orleans, free will offerings are welcome. Contact Allyson Evans for more information! We're looking forward to seeing you Easter Sunday! 5
NEW PARAMENTS TO ADORN ALTAR DINERS GROUP April 14 we will be at Ling s Buffet in Atascocita at 7:00 p.m. Everyone is invited for an evening of good food, fun, and fellowship. On May 19, we will meet at Cracker Barrel in Kingwood. Along with the building of a new worship space, a new altar was constructed and dedicated. The altar is very unique in its design and therefore does not accommodate standard size paraments. Therefore, over the past six months the Worship Arts Team has been working with an artistic consultant to create paraments that are of high quality, with designs that are both contemporary, yet traditional. These beautiful works of art will enhance our altar for years to come. As we begin to use these paraments, we will keep you informed about their design and those who donated them. On Easter Sunday, the white altar parament will reflect an empty cross with golden beams of light emanating out into the world reflecting the glorious resurrection of our Lord. This altar parament was given by George and Claudia Brookover in memory of their mothers, Adeline Brookover and Bernice Zorn, both who were very active Altar Guild members in their home congregations. Our next rotation is coming up April 17-23..Easter week!! As usual, we need volunteers for meals, groceries, and evening and overnight hosts. THIS rotation, we will also be asking for SET UP and TAKE DOWN helpers to sign up on the volunteer sheets, as well as laundry angels. Financial assistance for gas money is also needed..there are 3 families and 3 vehicles!!! We will taking up a collection at the end of both early and late services closer to the rotation dates to purchase gas cards, or will accept prepaid gas cards as well. We need a total of $75 in gas money or cards...$25 for each family. (We are just providing gas from the Day Center to our Church and back.) Since it's Easter week, baskets for the kids would also be nice. Perhaps you or your group would like to coordinate the baskets?? As usual see Judy Cargill, Judy Johnson, or Patty Hutchinson for info or to volunteer!! April 3 No flowers during Lent 10 No flowers during Lent 17 No flowers during Lent April 7 James & Debbie Barry 10 Allen & Cathy DeWoody 11 Gary & Linnae Anholt 13 Robert & Marge Muniz 24 In memory of Jennie Heisler by Ruth Schumacher All flowers donated during Lent will be presented on Easter Sunday. Sign up in the narthex to give altar flowers. Our church florist will make a beautiful arrangement. Cost is $40. We have changed our office hours to serve you better! Our new hours are: Monday through Friday 9am to 3pm. Celebrating Birthdays in April 1 Diane Trautman 2 Haley Kruger 7 Tanya Sorensen 9 Linnae Anholt 9 James Hower 11 Melissa Christensen 12 James Hutto 13 Nicole Berthold 13 Marge Muniz 15 Diane Sather 16 Eva Leigh 20 George Mitchell 20 Bryanna Rudy 23 Karen Schoenfeld 24 Judy Johnson 25 Morgan Wiley 27 Hailey Hoyt 27 Ruth Schumacher 28 Daniel Galloway 29 Laura Kruger 29 William Pocock 30 Kylie Main 30 Travis Mitchell 6