[Second_site] Connections Test 11
Rob Moore
robmoore at gulfcoastsynod.org
Thu Nov 9 01:12:05 CST 2006
If this page is not displaying correctly, please
<http://www.gulfcoastsynod.org/connections_nov.htm> click here.
~ Connec*ions ~
The E-Newsletter of the
Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod
A newsletter from the TX-LA Gulf Coast Synod, ELCA
November 2006
A Joyful Welcome to Joyful Life Church
Reformation Sunday was an extra special day in The Woodlands this year as
the mission start – Joyful Life – became the newest congregation in the ELCA
(Evangelical Lutheran Church in America). At the Sunday morning service at
the 9th Grade Campus of The Woodlands, Bishop Paul Blom officially welcomed
the new congregation to the synod, preached on the reforming gifts of the
church, and installed the Rev. Scott Cigich (pictured to the right), the
Mission Developer of Joyful Life, as the first called pastor of the new
congregation.
Under Pastor Cigich’s leadership, Joyful Life blends contemporary music in a
liturgical service. The mix results in an inspirational service that has
drawn many people from The Woodlands area. Sunday’s service included special
music, the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, lessons from Reformation Sunday, and
the celebration of Holy Communion.
All three expressions of the church – congregation, synod, and churchwide –
have been active in supporting Joyful Life. Pastor Cigich was called to
begin a church “so that more people might come to know the Joyful Life which
Christ intends for us to live today as we become committed Christ followers”
(from the Joyful Life web site - www.joyfullifethewoodlands.org
<http://www.joyfullifethewoodlands.org/> ).
Pastor Cigich believes that abundant and Joyful Life is not only something
meant for the future, but is meant for us today as we learn to follow Christ
daily. His wife, Judy, is a special education teacher in the Conroe ISD.
Scott and Judy have been married for 23 years and have two daughters, Kelley
and Kasey. Kelley is a senior at Texas State University and Kasey is a
freshman at Stephen F. Austin State University.
Pastor Chuck Kindsvatter, former pastor of Lord of Life Lutheran Church in
The Woodlands, also greeted the members of the new congregation and
challenged them to continue the tradition of planting new congregations
(Lord of Life was the founding congregation for Spirit of Joy in The
Woodlands and Lord of Life and Spirit of Joy were both founding
congregations for Joyful Life). Guests from Lord of Life and Spirit of Joy,
as well as several other congregations, were on hand for the special service
(and a wonderful time of fellowship at the luncheon afterward).
For more information about our synod’s newest congregation, visit their web
site - www.joyfullifethewoodlands.org
<http://www.joyfullifethewoodlands.org/> . You are also invited to send our
sisters and brothers of Joyful Life a note of welcome and congratulations.
Notes may be sent to Pastor Cigich at scigich at houston.rr.com.
John Hunsicker Re-Elected President of Brenham Mission Society
The Brenham Bluebonnet Coalition and the Brenham Mission Society held their
annual meeting at St. John Lutheran Church in Bellville on October 29th.
Pastor Jason Korthauer led the meeting of the coalition. It was decided
that the members of the Brenham Mission Society will review the purpose,
ministry, and role of the coalition during the next year and return at the
next annual meeting with recommendations concerning the future of the
coalition. The ministry and the history of the coalition were lifted up and
celebrated; however, there was concern about the lack of participation in
the coalition. The Brenham Mission Society will be exploring better ways to
communicate the ministry of the coalition and the mission society as well as
different ways to organize a coalition (or other group) to fulfill the
outreach ministries of the coalition.
Pastor John Hunsicker (pictured to the left), president of the Brenham
Mission Society, led the society’s part of the annual meeting. He shared
the different ministries that have been supported during the past year as
well as the vision of the Brenham Mission Society. The society exists to
receive funds in order to:
- lend funds to developing congregations and other ministries which need to
refinance loans or which are in need of new loans.
- provide funds for land purchase and/or subsidy for mission congregations
in the Gulf Coast Synod, the Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod and the
Southwestern Synod.
- support multicultural ministries.
- fund pastor and lay training in outreach activities.
- and provide funds (loan or gift) assisting congregations in changing
communities/situations in their challenge to find new vision and new models
for ministry.
Pastor Hunsicker was unanimously re-elected as president of the Brenham
Mission Society. In addition, the Rev. Bill Derrick and the Rev. Jason
Korthauer were elected to serve on the mission society board.
Pastor Rob Moore, Assistant to the Bishop and Mission Director, was invited
to speak about the different missions of the synod as well as the ministry
of the synod as a whole. He shared information on the different mission
starts, new congregations, and multicultural ministries that have been
supported during the past year by the Brenham Mission Society. Pastor Moore
also spoke about the “Year of Transition” in the synod (as we come closer to
the election of a new bishop at the 2007 Synod Assembly) and encouraged all
congregation councils to offer reflections to the transition questions.
(For more information on the “Year of Transition,” visit the transition web
page at www.gulfcoastsynod.org/transition.htm.)
The next annual meeting of the Bluebonnet Coalition and the Brenham Mission
Society will be held on October 21, 2007 (time and place to be determined
later).
Year of Transition for the Synod
The Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod is in a year of transition in
anticipation of the election of a new Bishop at the Synod Assembly in June
of 2007. Bishop Blom has served 16 years in the Office of Bishop in this
synod and will retire on August 31, 2007. The election of his successor
will take place the first weekend of June after which there will be a three
month time to provide for an orderly transition.
As we prepare for these changes in our synod, the Synod Council adopted a
recommendation to focus our attention together over the next several months
under the theme: A Year of Conversation in a Time of Transition.
Each month all of our congregational councils (and other congregational
groups) are asked to discuss a particular question relating to the ministry
of the synod. Each question, as well as a summary of the responses, is
available at www.gulfcoastsynod.org/transition.htm. (If you have not sent
your responses, please email them to transition at gulfcoastsynod.org.)
Each month all of our congregational councils (and other congregational
groups) are asked to discuss a particular question relating to the ministry
of the synod.
The third question in this series is: What is the mission of our synod,
together, over the next six years, in identifying and training future lay
and ordained leaders in our church?
You are asked and invited to take 15 – 20 minutes at your November council
meeting to have a conversation in response to this question. Please also
pass this on to other groups in the congregation so that we will, indeed,
have a very wide-spread conversation throughout the synod.
Please send your comments and summary conclusions to:
transition at gulfcoastsynod.org.
New for 2007 - Psalms through the Year: Spiritual Exercises for Every Day
Christians have always found that the psalms provide encouragement in times
of despair, compassionate voices in times of anger and self-pity, compelling
acknowledgment of guilt, and words of thanksgiving in times of rejoicing.
The psalms are a record of men and women wrestling with God, pleading,
thanking, lamenting, cursing, blessing—and much more.
New for 2007, Psalms through the Year: Spiritual Exercises for Every Day by
Marshall D. Johnson, is a unique daily devotional that proceeds in sequence
from Psalm 1 to Psalm 150 through the whole of the biblical book, with texts
divided into one unit for each day of the year.
By reading one page each day, along with the assigned psalm text from the
Bible, readers will be comforted and strengthened as they gain a better
understanding of the concerns and themes of the psalmists of old as well as
come to recognize the various forms of the psalms, noting especially the
frequency of laments and hymns and their application and reflection in their
own lives.
“I have never read a better study of the Psalms. It not only sets them in
their historical context but also applies them wonderfully to our
contemporary lives. Those who choose these studies for daily devotions will
be richly rewarded.
—Dr. C. Arthur Christiansen, Dean, Dana College, retired
The author concentrates on the stark reality of the psalmist’s world and
when possible, the actual occasion of the psalm and how it functioned in
ancient Israelite worship. The Introduction explores the origin of the
psalms and their major types, the psalms as Hebrew poetry, ongoing issues of
interpretation, major motifs, and more. A glossary, index, and a list of
books for further reading are included.
Marshall D. Johnson, Th. D., is a biblical scholar, pastor, and former
editorial director of Fortress Press. He has written several books,
including Making Sense of the Bible (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2002) and The
Evolution of Christianity (Continuum, 2005). He lives in Minneapolis,
Minnesota.
Psalms through the Year: Spiritual Exercises for Every Day
By Marshall D. Johnson
Format: 5.5” x 8.5”, paperback, 400 pages
ISBN-10: 0-8066-5332-9
ISBN-13: 978-0-8066-5332-7
Price: $14.99/ CAN $17.99
Publisher: Augsburg Books
To order Psalms through the Year please call Augsburg Fortress at
1-800-328-4648 or visit the Web site at www.augsburgfortress.org
<http://www.augsburgfortress.org/> . To request review copies (for media),
or to discuss speaking engagements or interviews, please call 1-800-426-0115
ext. 234 or e-mail toddb at augsburgfortress.org. To request exam copies for
classroom use (professors) go to <http://www.fortresspress.com/examcopy>
www.fortresspress.com/examcopy
"Breakfast with Bishop" Donations Benefit Mission Endowment Fund
“Seed money for dreams” is the motto of the Mission Endowment Fund
<http://www.gulfcoastsynod.org/mission_fund.htm> of the Texas-Louisiana
Gulf Coast <http://www.gulfcoastsynod.org/> Synod. On Sunday, September
17th, Holy <http://www.hclckwd.org/> <http://www.hclckwd.org/> Comforter
Lutheran Church, Kingwood, Texas helped to add a few more seeds in a very
unique way. The Church Council of Holy Comforter hosted “Breakfast with the
Bishop,” an informal time over breakfast with Bishop Blom to celebrate his
leadership as Bishop of our Synod. All donations collected that morning were
forwarded to the Mission Endowment Fund, originated during Bishop Blom’s
tenure.
The Mission Endowment Fund of the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod provides
a way for individuals and congregations to contribute to the church in our
own area. The four objectives are to develop leadership through seminary
scholarships, to support campus ministry, to aid new mission and ministry
opportunities, and to assist young congregations.
The Gifts to the Mission Endowment Fund are unique in that they are
permanently invested. Earned income from investments is awarded as grants
twice a year. These grants become the “seeds” to grow new ministries which
lead to life changing opportunities for members of our synod.
Be creative. Be generous. Help support new and growing ministries throughout
our synod.
Children from Companion Synod in Peru Will Go to School
It all started two years ago when Pastor Benjamin Navarro of Luz Divina
Lutheran Church in Lima, Peru worried about his children that were not going
to school. He wondered if Living Word Lutheran in Katy, Texas
<http://www.livingwordkaty.org/> could sponsor some of them for a year at a
cost of $415 per year. They said they might be able to support five or so.
They ended up sponsoring 60 children by raising $7,500 which British
Petroleum (BP) matched 100%. So, the grand total for this “Future Seekers”
effort was $15,000.
This year the members of Grace Lutheran <http://www.graceconroe.org>
Church, Conroe, TX were invited to sponsor children for school at our sister
congregation, San Juan Camino de Esperanza in Lima, along with several other
congregations in the Houston area:
- Grace Lutheran of Conroe and Angel of Joy Lutheran
<http://www.angelofjoy.org/> Church in Lufkin -- mentoring San Juan Camino
de Esperansa Lutheran in Peru
- St. Paul Lutheran Church <http://www.stpaullg.com/> of La Grange and St.
John Lutheran Church <http://www.stjohn-bellville.org/> of Bellville --
mentoring Emanuel Lutheran of Peru
- Spirit of Joy! Lutheran Church <http://www.sojoy.org/> of The Woodlands
-- mentoring Belen Lutheran of Peru
- Living Word Lutheran Church <http://www.livingwordkaty.org/> of Katy --
mentoring Luz Divina of Peru
- Other locations: Austin and Round Rock
>From this FANTASTIC group of folks a little over $36,000 was collected!
We’re waiting to hear from BP about how much of this they are willing to
match. BP has $5,000 earmarked for charity in your name that you could put
toward this important cause. Just counting the before dollars above, 92
children in Peru from the churches below will go to school next year:
5 children from Belen Lutheran in Lima
31 children from Emanuel in Lima
43 children from Luz Divina in Lima
13 children from San Juan Camino de Esperanza in Lima
Using the following URL, you will find the 27 San Juan children that did not
receive sponsorship.
www.globalmissiongulfcoast.org/projects_peru/future_seeker_san_juan_not_spon
sored.htm
Using this URL you can find the 13 children from San Juan who did get
sponsored, thanks to the April Sound Bible Study Group, the Women’s Bible
Study group, the Point Aquarius Bible Study group, Shirley Roberts and
Cathie Brown:
www.globalmissiongulfcoast.org/projects_peru/future_seeker_san_juan_sponsore
d.htm
We still have until the end of December to find more sponsors. If you want
to sponsor a child, contact Tracy Mikes at Grace Lutheran Church, Conroe at
tracy at thedavidlawfirm.com
TLU Receives Pledge for $1 Million
Texas Lutheran University <http://www.tlu.edu/> officials today announced
that Lee D. Mueller Jr. and Barbara Frenzel Mueller of La Grange have
pledged stock valued at approximately $1 million to the university’s capital
campaign.
The gift will be used to expand by one-third the AT&T Science Facility, for
which ground was broken last April. The new science wing will now include a
3,000 square-foot floor that will house pre-engineering and physics lab and
classes.
When the AT&T Science Facility is completed in late 2007, it will house an
organic chemistry lab, which will be named the Lee D. Mueller Organic
Chemistry Lab, as well as a new state-of-the-art greenhouse within the
Valero Energy Environmental Science Section, a biology lab, preparation
rooms, faculty offices, and research areas.
“We are excited and pleased to receive this wonderful pledge, and we thank
the Muellers for their generosity,” said Dr. Jon N. Moline (on the right in
the picture with Barbara and Lee Mueller), president of Texas Lutheran
University. “This is a testament to our on-going commitment to prepare our
students academically, spiritually, and socially in a community of faith and
learning.”
Lee Mueller earned a bachelor of arts degree from Texas Lutheran in 1958.
He earned a degree in theology from Evangelical Lutheran Theological
Seminary in Columbus, Ohio and served as a Lutheran minister for several
years. Since 1963, the Mueller family has owned and operated Live Oak
Farms, a registered angus cattle ranch in Fayette County.
Lee Mueller is vice chair of the TLU Board of Regents and is chairman of the
Presidential Search Advisory Committee. He is a founding member of the Lone
Star Angus Alliance and serves as director of the State Bank of La Grange
and of Texas United Bancshares.
Barbara Mueller also attended Texas Lutheran and subsequently became a
teacher and counselor, serving 33 years in the education field including 27
years in the La Grange schools before her retirement in 1999. During that
time she was active in teacher, church, and community organizations.
Currently she is active in the Purple Angels Volunteers for St. Mark’s
Medical Center in La Grange and in the Texas Women’s League supporting local
charities. She is also a member of the Lone Star Angus Alliance and P.E.O.,
a national philanthropic educational organization for women.
The Mueller gift will also be recognized by naming the Education Wing of
Tschoepe Hall for Barbara Frenzel Mueller. Tschoepe Hall, which was
completed in 2005, houses the TLU College of Professional Studies.
The Muellers are members of St. John Lutheran Church in Rutersville, TX.
What is a Living Trust?
Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest
By John Hunsicker
A Living Trust is an Estate Planning Document which:
- Avoids probate of the estate, so no court is involved (as long as all
assets are put into the trust).
- Eliminates the requirement of public notices.
- Enables you to remember your Church in your plans (if you have your Trust
with the Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest).
- Keeps your plan of distribution private.
- Is acceptable in all states, so avoids probate of out-of-state property as
well as property located in the state of residency. (A will requires
probate in each state where real estate is owned and in the state where the
decedent lived on the date of death.)
- Provides for management of assets by the Lutheran Foundation of the
Southwest if you are unable to manage assets due to health problems and
avoids proving incompetency in a court proceeding.
- Helps in organizing lists of assets for personal financial planning and
helps beneficiaries in locating assets.
- Allows for optimum tax planning using federal and state income, gift, and
estate tax law.
- Does not affect your ability to manage and control your own property and
does allow you outside management if you desire.
As with all estate planning, each person’s individual situation and wishes
must be analyzed before a decision is made as to the most effective planning
technique. In considering living trusts or other probate avoidance and
estate planning techniques, it is very important that a professional
knowledgeable about living trusts be consulted. Just as an obstetrician may
not be the one to do heart surgery, not all attorneys are familiar with the
most effective methods of using living trusts.
Living trusts may not be for everyone, but for many, many people, a bit of
extra planning now in establishing a living trust can save much time, money,
and frustration for loved ones in the future. Estates take a lifetime to
create, and can be protected with planning! For more information about
living trusts, please call Pastor John Hunsicker at 1-866-542-1349 or email
him at john at LFSW.org.
Please do not send postings or comments to this list.
Its sole purpose is to distribute this newsletter.
Copyright ©2006
TX-LA Gulf Coast Synod, ELCA
12707 North Freeway, Suite 580
Houston, TX 77060
Voice: 281-873-5665
Fax: 281-875-4716
Website: www.gulfcoastsynod.org
All rights reserved.
In this Issue:
- John Hunsicker Re-Elected President, Brenham Mission Society
- Year of Transition for Synod: Third Question in Series
- Psalms through the Years, Spiritual Exercises for Every Day
- "Breakfast with Bishop" Donations Benefit Mission Endowment Fund
- Children in Companion Synod in Peru Will Go To School
- TLU Receives Pledge for $1 Million
- What is a Living Trust?
Links:
Anniversaries of <http://www.gulfcoastsynod.org/anniversaries.htm>
Ordinations and Commissions
Congregations in <http://www.gulfcoastsynod.org/call_process.htm>
Transition
Congregation <http://www.gulfcoastsynod.org/prayers.htm#Congregations>
Month of Prayer
Mission Support <http://www.gulfcoastsynod.org/mission_support.htm>
Information
Prayer List <http://www.gulfcoastsynod.org/prayers.htm>
Synod
<http://www.mychurchevents.com/calendar/calendar.aspx?ci=L6K5H2F0N8J4N8N8H2>
Calendar
New Book for the New Year: Faith & Fitness for a Better World
What does faith have to do with fitness? What is the connection between
being spiritually well and physically well? Author Tom Hafer answers these
questions as he explores the connections between a strong faith and everyday
lifestyle choices in his new book Faith & Fitness: Diet and Exercise for a
Better World.
Filled with practical ideas about food, exercise, and total wellness, the
book explores the connections between real food and “living water;”
affluence and “feed my sheep;” exercising for peace; and the relationship
between a well congregation and well individuals.
Faith & Fitness includes a theology of fitness, directions for exercises at
various levels of fitness, and informative material about proper diet that
enhances personal health and supports sustainable agricultural practices.
Format: 5.5” x 8.5”, paperback, 160 pages
ISBN-10: 0-8066-5331-0
ISBN-13: 978-0-8066-5331-0
Price: $14.99/ CAN $17.99
Publisher: Augsburg Books
To order Faith & Fitness please call Augsburg Fortress at 1-800-328-4648 or
visit the Web site at www.augsburgfortress.org
<http://www.augsburgfortress.org/> .
Association of Lutheran Church Musicians Conference
National Conference in Houston July 8-11, 2007
Houston will once again play host to a national church musicians' conference
when ALCM comes to town next summer. Headquartered at the Hilton Americas
Hotel (near the George R. Brown Convention Center), a variety of church
venues will be offered.
At this time, worship, plenary and performance opportunities will include a
Hymn Festival with David and Aron Miller, Don Saliers, Robert Bates,
Contemplative Prayer in the style of Taizé, Houston Chamer Choir, Jazz
Sunday, Bach Choir, Mary Preston, Mariachis as well as abundant worship
offerings. Visit www.alcm.org for more information.
Synod Links:
Synod Website -
www.gulfcoastsynod.org
Youth & Family Ministry Website - www.soggyshoes.org
Disaster Relief Website -
www.futurewithhope.org
Churchwide Website -
www.elca.org
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.faithgroups.net/pipermail/second_site/attachments/20061109/8009101c/attachment-0001.html
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 7148 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://lists.faithgroups.net/pipermail/second_site/attachments/20061109/8009101c/attachment-0006.jpe
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 6847 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://lists.faithgroups.net/pipermail/second_site/attachments/20061109/8009101c/attachment-0007.jpe
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 5480 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://lists.faithgroups.net/pipermail/second_site/attachments/20061109/8009101c/attachment-0008.jpe
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 8517 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://lists.faithgroups.net/pipermail/second_site/attachments/20061109/8009101c/attachment-0009.jpe
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 17361 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://lists.faithgroups.net/pipermail/second_site/attachments/20061109/8009101c/attachment-0010.jpe
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 19166 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://lists.faithgroups.net/pipermail/second_site/attachments/20061109/8009101c/attachment-0011.jpe
More information about the Second_site
mailing list