Reformation... and all that Jazz, Oct 30
Come out for an evening of fellowship, dinner, and dancing
featuring the group Jazz Sunday at Faith Lutheran in Bellaire from 7:00 - 11:00
pm. The proceeds of the event will go toward synod
ministries. For more information contact Pastor Larry Keene. .................................
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Region IV Consultation for Global Mission
November 16-18, 2010
 Camp Lutherhill, La Grange, TX This Gathering will provide an opportunity for synod leaders to network, to learn what's new in other synod and churchwide global ministries, and to receive training and tools to support and multiply efforts within each synod. We are really looking forward to this time to learn from each other and strengthen our network. Please take advantage of this excellent opportunity to expand our capacity in global mission, world hunger and companion synod relationships. As the Gulf Coast Synod is hosting this Consultation, volunteers are needed to help with transportation. If you are able to volunteer, a discounted registration fee will be available. Please contact Peggy at peggy@gulfcoastsynod.org to volunteer by October 15. A special worship is being planned at 7 PM at St Paul in La Grange, TX - all are welcome. Registration: On-line
thru October 31. Cost: $85 per person for three days. This includes meals and housing at Camp
Lutherhill. You can take a look at their website to learn more. http://www.lutherhill.org. A
list of things to bring will be provided after you have registered. .................................
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Fall Festival at Spirit of Joy!
 Spirit of Joy! Lutheran Church is hosting a Fall Festival on
Saturday, October 30 from 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm. Activities
include "Trunk & Treating" for the kids (and more), a
moonwalk, a Fair Trade Fair with handmade items from around the world, as well as a brats & hotdog dinner. The Salvation Army Harbor
Light Choir
will perform at 7:00pm. You don't want to miss it. All are
welcome!
100% of the free-will offering will benefit The
Salvation Army Harbor Light Center.
Spirit of Joy! is located at 7550
Crownridge, The Woodlands, next to Barbara Bush Elementary (near the Crownridge
and E. Alden Bridge intersection.) Please contact the church office for
more information: 936-271-0893 or visit our
website (www.sojoy.org) for directions. We hope to see you
there..................................
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Houston Lutheran Campus Ministry Octoberfest Quilt Auction
10am-2pm
Living Word Lutheran Church
Brats, beer, bouncing castle and a live auction
Come out and support this important ministry!.................................
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Synod Assembly 2011- Save the Date!
The 2011 Synod Assembly will be held in Galveston, TX May
20-22. This is the second of a two-year
experiment with a Friday-Sunday Assembly.
The focus of the Assembly will be Intergenerational Ministry, something
congregations continually identify as an area that needs work. Plans are underway and some surprises will be
in store. 
The Assembly will be held at the beautiful Galveston Island
Convention Center. Our room block is
split between the Hilton Galveston Island Resort right next door to the
Convention Center and the Holiday Inn Resort on the Beach, just a short way
down the Seawall.
Look for registration materials after the first of the year,
but save the date now! And begin
thinking about how you can bring an intergenerational voting member delegation
to the Assembly! More details, including
reading suggestions to help you prepare, will be coming soon.
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Lutherhill Gala Great Success
228
Lutherhill supporters joined together for the 4th Annual S'mores & Champagne
Gala September 11, 2010 at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott. Lutherhill raised $71,985 from registration fees, silent auction, live auction and the
S'mores & Champagne signature raffle. The evening was a great success full
of great food, fellowship and dancing.
Look for
more information on the 5th Annual S'mores & Champagne Gala to be held in September of 2011. .................................
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Pilgrimage
to the Holy Land
Hosted by Rev. Steve Quill (Houston, TX) and Christel Beldin (Phoenix, AZ)
Oct. 10 - 19, 2011
Optional extension to Egypt Oct. 19-24, 2011
If you are interested in
seeing not only the sites of the Holy Land,
but to engage in conversation with the Living Stones of the Holy
Land, this pilgrimage is for you.
Historical Stones: Nazareth, Tiberias, Dead
Sea, Bethlehem,
Jerusalem,
Wailing Wall, Mount of Olives, Church of the Nativity and more
Living Stones: Meet with Bishop Elias Chacour, Rev. Mitri
Raheb and Christmas
Lutheran Church
congregation in Bethlehem,
Rev. Mark Brown of LWF, Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders working for peace
and justice.
View an online brochure
Register online
For further questions you can
call Rev. Steve Quill: 713-249-8470
or Christel Beldin: 623-203-8881
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Index of Articles
Registration Open for 2011 Tri-Synodical Conference
Online registration will be open now through
January 19. The three-day conference
will be held January 24-26, 2011 at the Moody Gardens Hotel and Convention
Center in Galveston, TX.
October is Clergy Appreciation Month, by Bishop Mike Rinehart
Let's just say it: Being a pastor is a
stressful job. There's plenty of evidence that shows that clergy burnout is a
problem. Hypertension and obesity is higher in clergy than in the general
population...
Fall Continuing Ed Opportunity with Craig Satterlee
After reviewing a framework for and method of
preaching, Craig A. Satterlee, LSTC's Professor of Homiletics and Dean of the
ACTS Doctor of Ministry in Preaching Program, will lead us through the readings
for the Christmas cycle from a homiletic perspective. You will come away with ideas for sermons
from Advent I through Epiphany.
Our Synod is Hungry - I Mean Literally - For Food, by Peggy Hahn
I took an informal survey asking -Is your congregation
attached to a food bank? The quick
response was - YES! At least 17
congregations from across our synod wrote back right away. The result of the questions was eye-opening.
Global Mission Festival, October 24
Living Word Lutheran Church in Katy will hold
its seventh annual Global Mission
Festival on Sunday, October 24 from 1:30-6:30 p.m. This year's speaker is Brian McLaren.
Region IV Consultation for Global Mission, Nov 16-18, 2010
This
Gathering will provide an opportunity for synod leaders to network, to
learn what's new in other synod and churchwide global ministries, and to
receive training and tools to support and multiply efforts within each
synod.
ELCA Financial Partnership Support, by Rev. Kerry Nelson
One of the many ways
that we support one another as members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America is through the use of financial partnership support grants.
Excellent Stewardship Campaign Resource, by Rev. Kerry Nelson
This
is the time of year when many congregational stewardship leaders are scrambling
for resources to guide their congregations in their annual stewardship focus. As
you hunt for resources... please remember
the purpose of the annual stewardship focus. It is more an exercise in pastoral care than in congregational
administration. It is about
faith-building rather than about fund-raising.
Passing on... Something... Maybe not Faith, by Peggy Hahn
In her new
book, Almost Christian, Kenda Creasy Dean, of Princeton Theological Seminary,
issues a wake-up call to all of us: "Three out of four American teenagers claim to be
Christians, but fewer than half of them practice their faith. Only about half
say their Christian faith is important, and most cannot talk coherently about
it."
Campus Pastor Brad Fuerst Receives Prestigious Philip N. Knutson Award, by Herb Palmer
Campus Pastor Brad Fuerst, with the Houston Lutheran Campus
Ministry, was awarded the prestigious Philip N. Knutson Award at the National
Lutheran Campus Ministry Conference in Chicago, August 12, 2010.
Clean Drinking Water for Yongmondere, CAR, by Joe Troester (Baboua, Central African Republic)
Along
the main dirt road from Cameroon to Bangui, the capital of the Central
African Republic (CAR), sits the village of Yongmondere,
home to some two hundred people. Until now their only source of water
has been a little spring where the water trickled out in several places.
Synod Assembly 2011 - Save the Date!
The 2011 Synod Assembly will be held in Galveston, TX May
20-22. This is the second of a two-year
experiment with a Friday-Sunday Assembly. The focus of the Assembly will be Intergenerational Ministry.
Grace Lutheran, Houston Offers 3-Day Workshop "Building an Inclusive Church," by Laura Bourdo, Grace Lutheran Church, Houston
 What does it mean to be truly inclusive in our faith
communities? It means having an
intentional, well thought-out approach to letting people know that, as so many
church signs say, "All Are Welcome." But
has that statement on your lawn or your website changed much about the
diversity of your church community?
Retired Pastors Met in Galveston
The retired pastor's of our synod met at Casey's in Galveston on August 27.
The
group meets the fourth Friday of each month.
TX-LA Gulf Coast Synod - ELCA Revenue and Expenses
Report on Revenue and Expenses through August 2010
Spirit of Joy! Lutheran Church is hosting a Fall Festival on
Saturday, October 30 from 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm. Activities
include "Trunk & Treating" for the kids (and more), a
moonwalk, a Fair Trade Fair with handmade items from around the world, as well as a brats & hotdog dinner.
Special Bonhoeffer Exhibit Tours at Houston Holocaust Museum
October 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31Holocaust Museum Houston will offer special guided tours of its
permanent exhibition with an emphasis on the life and work of German Lutheran theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer this October.
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Registration Open for 2011 Tri-Synodical Conference
Registration for the 2011 Tri-Synodical Theological
Conference is now open at www.gulfcoastsynod.org. Online registration will be open now through
January 19. The three-day conference
will be held January 24-26, 2011 at the Moody Gardens Hotel and Convention
Center in Galveston, TX. The theme,
"Then and Now - What the First Century Church Can Teach the 21st Century
Church" will be experienced through worship, breakout discussions, and keynote
presentations by Marcus Borg, Canon Theologian at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral
in Portland, Oregon, and prolific writer, having authored 19 books.
Mr. Borg has asked conference participants to read two books
in advance of the conference: Toward
a Hopeful Future: Why the Emerging Church
is Good News for Mainline Congregations by Phil Snider and Emily Bowen, and
The
Heart of Christianity: Rediscovering a
Life of Faith by Marcus Borg.
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October is Clergy Appreciation Month
By Bishop Mike Rinehart
Let's just say it: Being a pastor is a
stressful job. There's plenty of evidence that shows that clergy burnout is a
problem. Hypertension and obesity is higher in clergy than in the general
population, as discussed in these two online articles.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/02/nyregion/02burnout.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/08/opinion/08macdonald.html
Why? There are probably a number of reasons. The work can
be boundless. Especially in this day of cell phones, the pastor is on call
24/7. Anytime anyone needs anything, the pastor is expected to be available.
And in many cases wants to be.
In my ministry, I can remember getting a call in the
middle of the night from a mother who had just taken a bottle-full of pills.
EMS found her in a ditch in the woods behind her house. Her daughter spent the
night with Susan and me. One time I got a call and a member's house was on
fire. One early morning call was from a member who woke up to find her husband
dead in the bed next to her. Sometimes the call is for someone who is about to
die.
Ironically, these are some of the most meaningful times
of my life. It is a privilege to walk with people through the most intimate,
difficu lt, joyful transitions. Hatch, match and dispatch, as someone once
punned. It is an honor to be welcomed as part of the family during the most
sacred times in people's lives. I call it sacred access. We are stewards of the
mysteries. And of the secrets. I remember one time a member came to me and told
me she had cheated on her spouse. She asked me not to let her husband know we
had talked. Later the husband came to me and said he had been drinking too
much, and his marriage was suffering. And please don't tell my wife we've
talked. Ug. And I remember his name coming up as a candidate for Church
Council. I vetoed it. Pastors need veto power. We shouldn't use it much, but it
needs to be no-questions-asked. We know too much.
When people look out over a Sunday morning assembly, they
see the smiling faces of acquaintances. When a pastor looks out over the
congregation on Sunday morning during a hymn, she sees the contorted faces of
those who have lost loved ones, those who have lost children, those who are
unemployed, broken by addiction, struggling with their marriage, agonizing over
issues of sexual orientation, weeping over a diagnosis they have not yet shared
publically. Pastors hold in a lot.
Then, on top of all that, you have the people who are
upset at the new paraments. Those who don't like the new hymnal. Those who are
frustrated that the pastor isn't doing enough youth ministry, or seniors
ministry. Those who are frustrated that music is not contemporary enough, or
too contemporary. Because believers are passionate. That's the thing about
believers: They believe. Why don't you have a singles ministry? Men's
ministry? Homeless ministry? If you're out visiting when they call, you don't
spend enough time in the office. If you're in the office, you're not out
visiting enough. If you're out doing evangelism, you aren't taking care of the
members enough. If you're taking care of the members, you're not bringing in
new members enough. If you've been out late with a family of a dying member and
show up to the office at 10:30 a.m. the next morning, you endure the comments,
"Must be nice!" "I wish I could keep those hours in my business..." The
expectations are astronomical, and the resources are often meager. A pastor
likely has 200 perceived supervisors, all quite ready to express an opinion.
Member: "You work for me. I pay your salary..." And so the pastor, if not clearly
self-defined, may run around trying to please everyone.
I don't know the
key to success, but I can tell you the key to failure: Try to please everybody. - Bill Cosby
It sometimes seems that the pastor endures 90% negative
comments and 10% positive. Pastors have to learn to buoy themselves up. Through
prayer and Sabbath, God will fill your tank. Healthy pastors learn to surround
themselves with healthy, positive leaders. Keeps you sane.
We
don't need to create a class of whiners. Other people have stressful jobs too.
But when Clergy Appreciation Month comes up in October, perhaps it's an
opportunity to tip the balance a little bit. One year a Bible study class took
up a collection and sent us to Galveston for a weekend. Out of the blue. It was
a sweet gesture. Unexpected. But frankly, some of the things I've treasured
most over the years have been very simple, hand written notes. This costs
nothing and means everything. When someone says, "I've been watching you, and I
really appreciate all you pour into this," quite honestly, I melt. I treasure a
note a youth gave me 20 years ago praising my sermons as being intelligible and
giving him something he could use. "I could listen all day." Wow. I still have
a note from a woman who said, "You saved our marriage." (It's not true in my
opinion, but her kindness meant a lot.)
You don't want to become dependent on praise, but even Jesus had a few fans who
were willing to pour oil on his feet, sing his praise, give him a decent
burial.
So here are some ideas:
· http://www.christianitytoday.com/holidays/clergy/
· http://www.uccsda.org/files/ministerial/PastorAppreciationNADIdeas10-08.pdf
· http://www.parsonage.org/images/pdf/cam.pdf
· http://corporate.hallmark.com/Holiday/Clergy-Appreciation-Month
Click or call toll free 1-800-225-2569 to take advantage of
Almy Honors Clergy Month! (It's only a 10% discount, but hey, every little bit
helps.) Use keycode 11AHCwhen ordering.
Most of all, take a moment to
thank your pastor for a life devoted to Christ, and to church leadership.
Clergy are dutiful servants, only doing what is expected, so a little
appreciation goes a long way.
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Fall Continuing Education Opportunity with Dr. Craig Satterlee
 With two wars, sagging financial institution, and an
oil-soaked Gulf, people wonder if the world - or at least life as we know it -
is coming to an end. The message of
Advent: the future is in God's
hands. The Christmas promise: God is with us.
After reviewing a framework for and method of
preaching, Craig A. Satterlee, LSTC's Professor of Homiletics and Dean of the
ACTS Doctor of Ministry in Preaching Program, will lead us through the readings
for the Christmas cycle from a homiletic perspective. You will come away with ideas for sermons
from Advent I through Epiphany. Sponsored in part by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.
October 28 -
Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church, Houston, TX REGISTER NOW!
November 2 -
Peace Lutheran Church, Slidell, LA REGISTER NOW!
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Our Synod is Hungry - I Mean Literally - for Food
By Peggy Hahn
 I took an informal survey asking -Is your congregation attached to a food bank? The quick
response was - YES! At least 17
congregations from across our synod wrote back right away. The result of the questions was eye-opening. In almost every case
congregations are reporting that more people are accessing food banks. In
several cases food banks have closed due to lack of resources. Believe it or not, we are feeding (just with
these 17 congregations) over 50,000 people A MONTH. Wow!
I don't know how that hits you, but in my world, where I work
to watch calories, this feels... awkward at best and if I am honest, really
wrong. Given this, I have several
reactions - maybe you do too.
1. Can we
make November HUNGER month and ask everyone in our congregation (from age 14
and up) to skip a Starbucks each week and donate $20 to their local food bank? If you don't have a food bank, send the
money to TLGC marked "FOOD BANK" and I will make sure it goes to the ones on the
list that are closed for lack of funds. The thing is, giving food is really not the best plan as food banks have
purchasing power we don't so the funds actually feed more people if they do the
shopping.
2. We need
to learn more about local hunger. I
mean what is really going on in our neighborhoods. This is a perfect project for people who are
not attracted to international mission. I would love to gather what you learn about your own neighborhood.
3. Let's do a
synod-wide Hunger Awareness on March 25-26 with our youth. Many of you know about the 30 Hour Famine
opportunities - which are typically held in Feb. I want to propose we do our own event in
March. The ELCA has a ton of hunger
resources. Talk to me if you are
interested.
Thanks
so much to the following congregations that responded to my survey.
Louisiana: Grace, New Orleans; Love, New Orleans; Gethsemane, Chalmette; Hosanna, Mandeville; St Mark, Metairie; St Paul, Baton Rouge
Western Area: Elizabeth, Caldwell, Shared Ministry of
Fayette County, St James of New Wehdem, Brenham; St Paul of Shelby, Fayetteville
Houston-Area: All Saints, Stafford; New Hope, Missouri
City; Grace, Conroe; Zion, Houston;
Alvin, Alvin; St John, Angleton
If
you did not respond and would like to, please email the answer to the following
questions to me ASAP.
1.
Name of food bank and association with congregation.
2. How many people do you imagine are served?
3.
Is there an increased need for food due to the economy?
4.
Are there other programs attached to the food bank?
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Global Mission Festival, October 24
with Guest Speaker Brian McLaren
Living Word Lutheran Church in Katy will hold
its seventh annual Global Mission
Festival on Sunday, October 24 from 1:30-6:30 p.m. This year's speaker is Brian McLaren, an author, speaker,
pastor, and networker among Guest Speaker Brian McLaren
 | innovative Christian leaders, thinkers, and
activists who was named one of America's top twenty-five evangelicals by Time
magazine in 2005. As a former mission agency board chair, a grandson of pioneer
African missionaries, and someone who travels extensively and works closely
with missionaries and missiologists, Brian has a unique perspective on the
challenges facing global mission today. Join us for worship at 2:00 p.m. (gathering music and slide show
begin at 1:30). Special children's programming
including global art, music, and games will be provided during worship for ages
3 - 7.
Beginning
at 3:30, there will be exciting Festival activities for all ages: -
Global
Market Place with fair trade arts and crafts sales. Credit cards will be accepted.
-
Global
Music with Bayou City Pipes and Drums, Steel Vibrations (Caribbean-style
music) and Mariachi MECA.
-
Global
Fun for
all ages with mission displays and hands-on activities representing ministries around
the world.
-
Global
Food with a wide selection of cuisines from local international restaurants.
-
Q&A with Brian McLaren from 5:00
- 5:45.
 Who should come? Anyone and Everyone!
Youth
groups, seniors' groups, families, women's groups, people who like to eat, people who like to worship, people who like to have fun, people who are interested in global mission, and people who like to shop.
For more information,
visit www.livingwordkaty.orgor call the church office at 281-392-2300.
Special
thanks to Thrivent for their support!
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ELCA Financial Partnership Support
By Pastor Kerry Nelson
 One of the many ways
that we support one another as members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America is through the use of financial partnership support grants.
Partnership
support grants are a way that the wider church can come alongside a local
congregation to help propel that congregation to effective ministry. Currently, in 2010, $133,000 is coming back
to our synod to support eight ministries that are receiving some kind of a
partnership support grant.
Available Partnership Support Grants
Partnership
support grants are available in several different categories, each connected to
specific missional goal. New start grants are intended to help
launch new ministries like Celebration Church in Cypress, TX. Often, grant support remains available even
after a congregation officially organizes - Joyful Life in The Woodlands and
First Taiwanese in Houston both receive a measure of financial support as they
continue as young congregations.
Renewing, evangelizing congregational grants are available to assist congregations seeking renewal in their missionary focus
and ministry. Over the past couple of
years, Peace/Slidell and Gethsemane/Chalmette each received partnership
support.
Still other grant
programs are available to congregations that seek to do ministry on the cutting
edges of our mission field, including ministry among people we have
historically not done a very good job of reaching.
Criteria for Partnership Support Grants
If a congregation
is interested in applying for some type of partnership support, the first step
is contacting me and I will help you get started. There are some key criteria that a
congregation must embrace if applying for partnership support.
For example,
partnership support grants are workfare, not welfare. When a ministry is approved
for partnership support, they enter a new relationship of accountability to the
whole church through a working relationship with their Director for Evangelical
Mission. We review their ministry. We expect congregations to create a detailed
missional plan with SMART goals for their future. We make recommendations for improvement and
new directions and expect that those recommendations be reflected in the
missional plan. We require monthly and
annual reporting. We require that the
ministry provide some measure of mission support. If the terms of the partnership are not
followed, grant support is placed "on hold".
Partnership
support grants are seeds for future
ministry, not fertilizer to protect the status quo or to prevent
congregations from withering away. In
most cases, partnership support grants are approved only for those ministries
with an average Sunday worship attendance of 50 or more. On the other hand, even tiny congregations
can chart a new course for the future if they begin with a new-found
willingness to do anything and everything it might take to connect with new
people in new ways.
We also recognize
that everything rises and falls with leadership. That means that we expect the called pastors
of congregations receiving partnership support to be wholeheartedly committed
to the ministry and that they live within the service area of the
ministry. We also expect that our working
relationship will help encourage and empower the lay leaders of the
congregation to own their personal ministries within the life of their
congregation.
If you are
interested in a further conversation about renewal and redirection in the life
of your congregation, or finding additional funding for a ministry dream you
might have for future, send me an email (revkerry@gmail.com)
and we'll talk.
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Excellent Stewardship Campaign Resource
By Rev Kerry Nelson
This
is the time of year when many congregational stewardship leaders are scrambling
for resources to guide their congregations in their annual stewardship focus.
As
you hunt for resources - or, if you have already settled on one - please remember
the purpose of the annual stewardship focus. It is more an exercise in pastoral care than in congregational
administration. It is about
faith-building rather than about fund-raising. And, since our faith is a relational faith, all conversation about stewardship
of time/talents/treasures is best done in the context of building
relationships.
Select
Media Resources has made a new resource available this year that holds great
promise. "Biblical Stewardship: Our Duty and Delight" by Rev. Mark Allan Powell.
This
DVD features seven video sessions with group and individual study
materials. The content includes:
Session I Belonging to God
Session II What is a Steward
Session III Treasures and Hearts
Session IV Motivations for Giving
Session V Duty and Delight
Session VI Cheerful Sacrifices
Bonus Session Congregational Development
In
addition to providing an excellent continuing education experience for
congregational steward leaders, it could also be easily crafted into the centerpiece
of your stewardship emphasis this fall.
Dr.
Mark Allan Powell is a biblical scholar, seminary professor and recognized
steward leader in the ELCA. His book Giving to God, published in 2006, is a
guide about living generously. Dr.
Powell is an inspirational speaker and has presented at many ELCA synod
assemblies.
This
resource is available through www.selectlearning.org for $49.95.
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Passing on...Something...maybe not faith!
By Peggy Hahn
In her new
book, Almost Christian, Kenda Creasy Dean, of Princeton Theological Seminary,
issues a wake-up call to all of us:
"Three out of four American teenagers claim to be
Christians, but fewer than half of them practice their faith. Only about half
say their Christian faith is important, and most cannot talk coherently about
it.
What's more, many American teens who do say they are Christians have
actually embraced a watered-down, "mutant" form of Christianity, one
that portrays God as a "divine therapist" whose primary aim is to
boost people's self-esteem.
Worse yet, this has not happened because of some fad teens are
following, but because neither their churches nor their parents are adequately
helping them to see what true Christianity is."
The study involved in-depth interviews with more than 3,300 American
teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17,
Catholics as well as Protestants from both conservative and liberal
denominations.
On a
positive note, Dean says "Christian parents
can help their youth glimpse real Christianity by getting "radical." She suggests that going to a struggling church
instead of a successful one, giving away 20 percent of your income, caring for
people in need all in the name of Jesus helps connect the dots between faith as
a belief system and faith that shapes our life.
Please- read the
book. Some of us are meeting in Houston
November 8 and 15 to talk about this book. These conversations can and should happen across our synod.
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Campus Pastor Brad Fuerst Receives Prestigious Philip N. Knutson Award
By Herb Palmer
Campus Pastor Brad Fuerst
| Campus Pastor Brad Fuerst, with the Houston Lutheran Campus
Ministry, was awarded the prestigious Philip N. Knutson Award at the National
Lutheran Campus Ministry Conference in Chicago, August 12, 2010.
The Philip N. Knutson Award is one of four campus ministry
awards presented to outstanding leaders in campus ministry. This particular award
is given for creativity or risk-taking in ministry. Pr. Herb Palmer, Region 4
Coordinator for Ministry Leadership in the ELCA, who works with Campus Ministry
in Region 4, nominated Pastor Fuerst for this award. All nominations were
reviewed by a committee of campus ministry peers and Churchwide staff. It was
this committee that made the final selection.
In the nomination Pr. Palmer wrote: "What became a time for reflection, study,
and action for a campus pastor and students (about human trafficking) not only
raised their awareness but created relationships in the church and community.
Students have expanded their world view. They have met people in the community
such as those who are involved with Houston Rescue and Restore. Students see
that people are working to make a difference. Students have reflected on the
mission of God and the life of the baptized in this world." Students planned
their Spring Break mission trip to visit congregations in the Texas-Louisiana
Gulf Coast Synod to raise awareness about human trafficking in the Gulf Coast
region. The student presentations were made in the context of worship, in order
to include scripture, message, and prayer.
Pastor Palmer concluded in the nomination that Pastor Fuerst was
nominated for his leadership to engage students and engaged a campus community
about human trafficking; for a vision to get involved and reach out to the
larger faith community; for a love of the gospel that is lived out in everyday
life, and for a ministry that is deeply rooted in Word and Sacrament.
Congratulations are due to Pastor Fuerst, the ministry of
students, and to the Gulf Coast Synod for its partnership in a vibrant campus
ministry in Houston.
Watch video
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Clean Drinking Water for Yongmondere, Central African Republic
By Joe Troester
Baboua, Central African Republic
A woman and her daughter collecting water from a newly constructed spring box in Yongmondere, Central African Republic
 |
Along the main dirt road from Cameroon to Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic (CAR), sits the village of Yongmondere,
home to some two hundred people. Until now their only source of water
has been a little spring where the water trickled out in several places.
It took a long time and a lot of patience for villagers to fill a small
container. For over a year, the village chief of Yongmondere has been
asking the Lutheran Water Management Project (Known as PASE for its
French acronym) for help with potable water in his village.
Last
week, PASE began construction of a spring box in Yongmondere and
finished the work in less than a week. The work went faster than
expected partly because the women of the village helped by carrying the
sand and rocks to the spring on their heads. The villagers are very
pleased with the results. The concrete slab and pipe make it is much
easier and cleaner for them to fill their buckets. Managing the spring
increased the available flow to over 8 gallons per minute. This means
they can now fill a 5 gallon bucket in less than a minute.
Sustainable
development projects such as this- the spring box has no moving parts
and will require no repairs perhaps for decades- help improve the lives
and the health of villagers for years to come. For only $5 per person,
the village has a sustainable supply of potable water for the
foreseeable future.
The
advance team from PASE has now left to begin work on two springs near
Bohong, located in northwestern CAR where many internally displaced
persons and returned refugees have settled, after the violence and
insecurity of the past several years seems to be over. Bohong is about 4
hours northeast of our office, so logistics are a bit more complicated
as cement and wood for formwork are not locally available.
Our work is supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America (ELCA) through their Global Mission and World Hunger Fund
programs. To find out how you can help, contact Rev. Twila Schock,
Global Mission and Development Services, 8765 West Higgins Road, Chicago, IL 60631. Or e-mail her at Twila.Schock@elca.org. Checks may be made out to ELCA.
Joe
and Deborah Troester are ELCA missionaries in Baboua, the Central
African Republic. Joe serves as technical advisor for PASE, which
provides clean drinking
water and promotes good hygiene and sanitation to villagers. Pastor
Deborah teaches at the Theological School in Baboua. Their daughter,
Christa, attends Rain Forest International School in Yaounde, Cameroon.
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Grace Lutheran, Houston Offers 3-Day Workshop "Building an Inclusive Church"
By Laura Bourdo,
Grace Lutheran Church, Houston
What does it mean to be truly inclusive in our faith
communities? It means having an
intentional, well thought-out approach to letting people know that, as so many
church signs say, "All Are Welcome." But
has that statement on your lawn or your website changed much about the
diversity of your church community? Do
you see people in your pews on Sunday mornings who are not white, relatively
affluent, and heterosexual? If people
who appear to be "different" come once, do they come back? Do they stay long enough to become integrated
into your congregation? If the answers
to these questions tend toward the negative, we - as a church - are not doing an
adequate job of the Scriptural mandate to welcome the stranger. Something has to change.
An opportunity to begin such change in our churches is
coming up on the weekend of November
12-14 at Grace Lutheran - Houston. The
Institute for Welcoming resources, an ecumenical organization dedicated to
bringing about the full inclusion of all people who have been ignored and
marginalized by the institutional church, especially people of differing sexual
orientations and gender identities, is leading this training, called Building an Inclusive Church. Participants will, over the course of this
three-day workshop, develop the skills and gain the knowledge necessary to
begin the process of becoming more effectively and intentionally welcoming - to
all people. (These skills can be applied
to welcoming any marginalized community.)
Registration for this workshop is now open. The registration fee is $85 per person, and
covers the cost of professional presenters from the Institute of Welcoming
Resources, all materials, and food.
Scholarships and host housing are available on a limited basis. Hotel accommodations are also available. Bulletin inserts are available online which present
this program fully or you may contact the event
coordinator, Laura Bourdo, at (832) 314-2821 to obtain the file, or to ask any
questions.
A flyer which includes a
registration form is also available upon request from Laura Bourdo. (See above.)
Becoming a truly inclusive church is a long process. There are no easy, overnight solutions to the
problem of even unintentional exclusivity.
Specific, learned skills and techniques are necessary. Come to this training and find out more about
how your church can get started.
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Retired Pastors Met in Galveston
The retired pastor's of our synod met at Casey's in Galveston on August 27.
The
group meets the fourth Friday of each month. People volunteer
to "host" the gathering by arranging a place to meet.
Front
row: Richard and Marjorie Baker, Peggy Sale, John and Annamarie DeYoung, Helen
Oestreich, Olga Holten (AIM), Paula Putman, Bernice Ribe, Juanita Rabel, Joan
Hunsicker.
Second
row: Merlin Sjoberg, Vernon Rabel, Fred Haman, Gloria Mathre, Arlyn Hausmann,
Clarence Oestreich, Susan DeVinney, Bill Putman, Barbara Gibson, Ken Ribe,
Dorothy Petersen, Harvey Bongers
Third
row: Art Preisinger, Robert Louis, Paul Mathre, Mildred Hausmann, Lucy and Bob
Wedergren, Marlin Wogstad, Calder Gibson, Marlo Petersen, John Hunsicker
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TX/LA
Gulf Coast Synod - ELCA
Financial View
Mission Support was far lower than expected ($79,000) for the month. This is the lowest month in the last 5 years (except for the month Hurricane Ike hit - $59,600). Mission Support is down $94,500 from the spending plan that was budgeted at $1.5mil for the year. Cutting the budget from $1.6mil to $1.5mil this year was a big jump too. Last year at this time, Mission Support was at $850,850 so we are down about $67,400 from last year.
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Special Bonhoeffer Exhibit Tours at Houston Holocaust Museum
October 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31
 Holocaust Museum Houston will offer special guided tours of its
permanent exhibition with an emphasis on the life and work of German Lutheran theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer this month.
The tours are being offered each Sunday in the month for the general
public and for congregations who are commemorating the observance of
Reformation Sunday.
Tours are scheduled for 3 to 5 p.m. each Sunday on Oct. 3, 10, 17, 24
and 31 at the Museum's Morgan Family Center, 5401 Caroline St., in
Houston's Museum District. Admission is free.
The tours are open to the general public, but group tours for 10 or
more can be arranged by calling 713-942-8000, ext. 102, or by e-mailing tours@hmh.org.
Bonhoeffer was a brave exception to the silent bystanders who watched
during World War II as their neighbors and friends were taken to the
concentration camps. He spoke out from the pulpit and called for the
church to take a stand against the Nazis. He was a part of the Abwehr
resistance circle which helped Jews escape to Switzerland. In 1939,
Bonhoeffer left Germany for a teaching position in New York, but he
returned after one month, despite knowing that his life would be in
danger. On April 9, 1945, Bonhoeffer was hung at Flossenburg on the
direct orders of Adolf Hitler.
The tour includes a look at the early influences on Bonhoeffer before
the Holocaust, his organization of the Confessing Church to stand with
the Jews and his imprisonment and execution.
Holocaust Museum Houston is dedicated to educating people about the
Holocaust, remembering the 6 million Jews and other innocent victims and
honoring the survivors' legacy. Using the lessons of the Holocaust and
other genocides, the Museum teaches the dangers of hatred, prejudice and
apathy.
Holocaust Museum Houston is free and open to the public and is
located in Houston's Museum District at 5401 Caroline St., Houston, TX
77004. For more information about the Museum, call 713-942-8000 or visit
www.hmh.org.
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Like a Tree
By John Hunsicker, Director of Development
Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest
 The
charitable gift annuity is like a fruit tree in at least five respects.
#1. A
tree keeps yielding fruit while remaining the same tree year after year. When you obtain a gift
annuity, the "gift tree" stays planted in the Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest (LFSW)
"orchard." Each year it provides "fruit" in the
form of payments to the annuitant(s). Thus, a gift annuity is both
"tree" and "fruit." You give the tree to charity, and
the charity gives you the fruit from the tree for the rest of your life.
#2.
A healthy tree requires care. LFSW maintains a reserve fund and
manages and cultivates each gift annuity tree with care. Payments (pickings) occur on time, and each
piece of delicious fruit is delivered to the annuitant as previously scheduled.
#3.
Gift annuity trees can produce a "crop" several times during the
year, depending on the donor's wishes at the time of planting. It can be
monthly, quarterly, or once each year.
#4.
Gift Annuity trees are especially resistant to disease and poor weather
conditions. They are sturdy because they are planted in the good
soil of LFSW's overall financial assets. Economic storms may come
and go, but the health and strength of charitable gift annuities remain a
dependable source of "fruit."
#5.
Just as a juicy apple or peach is refreshing to the taste, gift annuities
provide enjoyment as a source of dependable payments to the annuitant...and
also as a source of future financial help to the charity that you name to
received the remainder gift assets for use in future years. Gift
annuities provide philanthropic satisfaction both for the donor and the
charity.
Likening
gift annuities to fruit trees helps us appreciate the special features of this
charitable giving method. But there is much more that can't be adequately
conveyed in such a comparison. To get the full picture, we urge
you to contact us for free information. Call Rev. John Hunsicker at
1-866-542-1349 or email him johnh@LFSW.org for more information.
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