|
Welcome
About
Us
Resources
Contacts
Home |
|
|
This Sunday, August 15
Lessons: Isaiah 61:7–11; Psalm 34:1–9; Galatians 4:4–7; Luke 1:46–55 |
|
8:30 a.m. |
Worship (ELW3)
Hymns: 424, 251, 258, 672, 723 |
|
9:45 a.m. |
Sunday Church School |
|
9:45 a.m. |
Summer Book Review, basement classroom |
|
10:50 a.m. |
Worship (ELW3)
Hymns: 424, 251, 258, 672, 723 |
|
5:30 p.m. |
Luther League Bowling |
| Monday, August 16 |
|
|
Church Office Closed |
|
8:15 a.m. |
Morning Prayer, narthex |
|
6:00 p.m. |
Community of Hope, council room |
| Tuesday, August 17 |
|
8:15 a.m. |
Morning Prayer, narthex |
|
6:00 p.m. |
Contemplative Prayer, room 210 |
Wednesday, August 18 |
|
7:30 a.m. |
Prepare and serve lunch at SEARCH |
|
8:15 a.m. |
Morning Prayer, narthex |
|
6:15 p.m. |
Brass Choir, music suite |
|
7:30 p.m. |
Church Choir, music suite |
|
7:30 p.m. |
Chorus, rehearsal room |
|
Thursday, August 19
|
|
8:15 a.m. |
Morning Prayer, narthex |
|
10:00 a.m. |
Piecemakers, 2nd floor |
Friday, August 20
|
|
8:15 a.m. |
Morning Prayer, narthex |
|
9:00 a.m. |
Prayer Shawl ministry, 3rd floor |
|
7:00 p.m. |
New Member class, parsonage |
| Saturday, August 21 |
|
9:00 a.m. |
New Member class, council room |
|
9:00 a.m. |
German school begins |
|
10:00 a.m. |
Altar Guild, narthex |
|
1:00 p.m. |
Yoga, basement classroom (new time) |
|
5:15 p.m. |
Taizé Rehearsal, nave |
|
6:00 p.m. |
Taizé Service, nave |
|
7:00 p.m. |
Parents Night Out (PNO) |
Next Sunday, August 22
Lessons: Isaiah 58:9b–14; Psalm 103:1–8; Hebrews 12:18–29; Luke 13:10–17 |
|
8:30 a.m. |
Worship (ELW3)
Hymns: 625, 796, 617, 607, 647 |
|
9:45 a.m. |
Sunday Church School |
|
9:45 a.m. |
Peru presenation, basement classroom |
|
10:50 a.m. |
Worship (ELW3)
Hymns: 625, 796, 617, 607, 647 |
|
5:30 p.m. |
Back to School Burger Cookout - Cancelled |
|
|
|
| |
Baptismal Anniversary
We celebrate with these members and friends who are remembering their baptism this week:
Russell Cook
Alex Erickson
Peter Sidney Shaddock
Michael Weida
Andrea Salas
|
|
|
Mission Offering
The mission offering is collected
at the church doors
at the end of worship.
Houston Lutheran
Campus Ministry |
|
|
Houston Lutheran Campus Ministry (HLCM)
August 1, 8, 15
A ministry of the Texas - Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Christ the King Lutheran Church.
HLCM strives to provide spiritual enrichment and Christian fellowship for the academic communities of Rice University, University of Houston and the academic institutions at the Texas Medical Center in Houston. We do this through worship, bible studies and hanging out with one another.
Our mission is to...
- invite all to be nourished through the proclamation of the Word, to be fed with the body and blood of Christ in the Lord's Supper, and to live in the covenant of their baptism,
- serve and minister to the students, faculty and staff of Rice University, the University of Houston, institutions of the Texas Medical Center, and young adults of the Houston community in whatever capacity is needed,
- create and maintain a community that welcomes all and excludes none,
- nurture the faith journey of all of our members by encouraging open inquiry and challenging discussion,
- serve the surrounding community in meaningful ways.
Houston Lutheran Campus Ministry is lead by Rev. Brad Fuerst and is based at Christ the King Lutheran Church in the Rice Village of Houston, Texas. |
|
Worship
This Week |
On Going |
Activity Bags
Activity bags have been lovingly put together by fellow parents for young children. They are by the entrance in the nave. Children love being part of the “big church” and at the same time it is taxing to be in such a big space for such a long time. The wide open space is unfamiliar and unstructured to a little child, and full of people about twice his or her size. The activity bags are offered to make the child feel welcome, look forward to something familiar or to a surprise inside. Please make use of them and return them after church. Look out for calls to renew them for our children’s enjoyment.
Chorus and Choir Resume Rehearsals
The choral groups of Christ the King Church have resumed rehearsals on Wednesdays and invite new singers to join them. There is no audition required; simply come to the rehearsal if you’re interested. Both groups rehearse Wednesday evenings from 7:30-9:00 p.m. in their basement rehearsal rooms. The Chorus sings at the 8:30 service on Sundays and the Choir sings at the 10:50 service.
Call the church office (713-523-2864) for more information.
Taking Faith Home
Looking for a way to link Sunday worship with family faith formation Monday to Saturday? Taking Faith Home offers scripture readings, prayers, devotions and rituals to use all week!
Click on our homepage to view individual weeks. Look for the Taking Faith Home icon on the left side.
Prayer Requests
To add a loved one to the prayer list please complete a
prayer request card, located in the pew fronts, or on the
mobile bulletin board, and give it to an usher, email
the church office or call 713-523-2864. ext 21. |
Morning Prayer
Each weekday morning at 8:15 a.m. Morning Prayer is said
in the narthex. All are welcome to participate.
Prayer Around the Cross
on the First Saturday of Each Month the Taizé Service
The Prayer Around the Cross at Christ the King Church is held at the 6:00 p.m. Taizé Eucharist on the first Saturday of each month. A wooden cross on the floor of the altar sanctuary confronts worshipers with the suffering of Christ on behalf of humanity. In its presence the suffering of the world and our own burdens come to light. Christ gave salvation to all on the tree of the cross. It is the tree where life might be restored. Worshipers may choose to meditate on the cross from the pew or may enter the altar sanctuary and kneel at the cross.
Prayer Around the Paschal Candle, Ministry of Healing
on the Second Saturday of Each Month at the Taizé Service
The next Prayer Around the Paschal Candle will be held September 12 at 6:00 p.m.
A Ministry of Healing service is added to the Taizé service on each second Saturday of the month. It is called Prayer Around the Paschal Candle and offers the option to receive a Healing Blessing. The Prayer Around the Paschal Candle complements the Prayer Around the Cross which is held on the first Saturday of each month. Prayer Around the Paschal Candle is held on the second Saturday of each month at 6:00 p.m. in the nave of Christ the King Church. Persons who wish may come forward for a prayer with laying on of hands and anointing with oil. The congregation accompanies and supports the individuals coming forward with songs of hope and resurrection faith. The Prayers of Intercession will deliver to God petitions on various aspects of healing. Gathered by the Holy Spirit around Jesus Christ, the Word of salvation, we pray for God’s healing in all its dimensions. . See an expanded article.
Contemplative Prayer on Tuesday Evenings
Matthew 6:6 says "go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret". Contemplative prayer is a Christian spiritual formation practice in which one "goes into their room to pray." Exterior stillness helps to develop an interior silence and space where one can listen with the ear of the heart to hear the God who is always more willing to listen to us than we are to pray. Come on Tuesday evenings at 6:00 p.m. to room 210 and pray this ancient form of prayer.
Experiencing Godly Play as a Doorperson
In a Godly Play class, there are always two adults in each room: the storyteller and the doorperson. Adults are there in service to the children and to support the community of children. Just as adults experience the Sanctuary as sacred space, so do the children experience the Godly Play room as sacred space.
One adult centers the circle and tells a story, while the other helps the children cross the boundary from the every-day world into this special space, assists with the art response, and guides the children in serving and sharing the feast at the end of the session. From the vantage of the chair in the doorway, the doorperson can get to know and appreciate the children as they enter, work, and share. The children also appreciate the doorperson.
Being a doorperson is a deeply satisfying experience especially for those who are unaccustomed to the openness of children. In one recent class, the storyteller greeted the children and then commented that the class was unusual in that only girls were present, except the doorperson, and further that everyone was wearing pink, except the doorperson. In response, one girl jumped up and planted her pink hair-ribbon on the doorperson’s head. He could also wear pink and be part of the group!
The doorperson has the advantage of hearing the stories just as the children do and can experience Godly Play as worship. While there is no preparation required for the job, experience and training are valuable. Both informal and formal training is available, so anyone who would like to help provide the space and the community in which children can learn the language to think about and talk with God is welcome to begin anytime. For more information, please contact Marie Monroe |
Fellowship
This Week |
On Going |
Back To School Burger Cookout August 22 Cancelled
Unfortunately we need to cancel the hamburger cookout for this Sunday.
We did not have the minimum needed by the deadline.
 Come and celebrate the transition from summer days to the new school year with a burger cookout at church on Sunday evening, August 22 at 5:30 p.m. in the courtyard and parish hall. The burgers will be cooked on site by Goode Company. Chicken burgers and portobello mushroom burgers are available by advance orders only. Bring your favorite beverages and a side dish/dessert to share. Dinner tickets will be sold at $12 per person and $45 per family.
Sign up at the mobile bulletin board or contact the church office for this fun and easy event.

Join us on Sunday, August 29 at 9:45 a.m. in the parish hall for the start of our Sunday Church School year. Bibles will be presented to third graders, confirmands will be introduced, and children will meet their Sunday Church School teachers.
Paul Monroe and Bette Bowers will coordinate the Rally Day breakfast. Volunteers are needed to help cook and serve a hot breakfast to our members and friends. Contact Paul Monroe at to volunteer.
Houston Lutheran Campus Ministry Invites to Special Sunday Café August 29
Join us for a warm welcome of college students both new and returning, to our worship community on Sunday, August 29. During the 10:50 a.m. service, there will be a rite of blessing and prayer for these students. Following worship, Houston Lutheran Campus Ministry will sponsor a special Sunday Café, offering freshly grilled burgers and fellowship for all. Please sign up online or on the bulletin board by August 27.
Bowling Fellowship Event August 15
The Luther League will travel to 300 Houston, a bowling alley located at 925 Bunker Hill Rd for bowling and pizza. The fee of $20 includes pizza buffet, shoe rental, and all you can bowl for two hours. Please arrive at the bowling alley at 5:30 p.m. so we can start bowling at 6 p.m. The deadline to sign up is August 8. The event is limited so email or call me ASAP to reserve your spot.
Dine Often and Dine Well - Support the Houston Food Bank
From August 1-21, top Houston restaurants are beginning their annual support of the Houston Food Bank by offering special 2-couse lunches and 3-course dinners at reduced prices. If you purchase either lunch or dinner at one of these restaurants during this 3-week promotion, one-third of the price of your meal is donated to the Houston Food Bank! Some Houston chefs are now on the board of the HFB, and this is a direct result of their involvement. Let's support the HFB and enjoy ourselves as well.
Check out our website.
Dine often and dine well, and plan to volunteer with Christ the King Lutheran Church at the Houston Food Bank on Sept. 11 to burn off some of the calories.
Meals Needed for Youth Group on Sunday Nights!
Families and friends of the congregation are asked again to help sponsor meals for our Luther League meetings during the school year at 6 p.m. on Sunday nights. Meals can range from anything home-cooked to store bought or catered. Enough food to serve 15-20 people should be prepared. Feel free to team up with another family or work individually!
Contact Tim Lenz to get on the dinner schedule
Wednesday Night Alive! Offerings
Christ the King Church’s Wednesday Night Alive! program will start after Labor Day on September 8.
Programs and activities will run from 5:00 through 9:00 p.m. Dinner will be served starting at 5:30 p.m. Children’s regular programs end at 7:30 but the nursery is open until 9:00 p.m. during adult activities.
Following are the programs offered this year.
Infants (0-1 yr.):
Infant Music Explorers with parents
Toddlers (2-3 yrs.):
Jr. Music Explorers and story time with parents
Kindergarten & Preschoolers (4-6 yrs.):
Music Explorers with parents and Godly Play
Grades 1-3:
Junior Choristers, Godly Play, and World Explorers
Grades 4-6:
Choristers, Godly Play, World Explorers, Kids Club, Homework Haven
Grade 7-12:
Confirmation Class, homework, volunteering in children’s programs, nursery, kitchen, chorus or church choir
Adults:
Sharing dinner, Writing Life Stories, Adult Bible Study, Choir, Chorus, Brass Choir; Volunteer opportunities as greeters, with the children’s programs and in the kitchen.
Transitions Group for Women: An Invitation
Are you a woman fifty or older and curious about exploring the question "What's next in my life?" Are you considering retirement, newly retired, or facing other milestone transitions, opportunities, or responsibilities? On Monday, September 13 at 7:00 p.m. you are invited to attend the next meeting of our monthly Transitions Group. The idea for this group originated from a workshop sponsored by The Transition Network - an organization that encourages like-minded groups of women to focus on mutual interests, support and friendships. The next meeting will be held at Linda Schoene’s home. If would like more information, please contact Linda Schoene Together we are discovering new ways of facing our present and future challenges and opportunities. |
Nursery Volunteers
Do you like babies? Or watching young children play with trains and other toys? Our church's families are growing, and we need your help. We are looking for more volunteers to help out in the nursery a few times a year, for either the early service or the late service. Babies need to be held, and there are small children to be read to. If interested, please contact Diane Schoppe or sign up in the nursery. See you there!
Yoga on Saturdays - 4:00 p.m.
(note new time effective August 21 - 1:00 p.m.)
The yoga class will meet on Saturdays at 4:00 p.m.
in the basement classroom. Bring a mat or foam for comfort.
The cost is $7 per person.

Christ the King Lutheran Church
Annual Report 2010
is online
Parent's Night Out
Interested in an evening out while your children are cared for in the church nursery? Christ the King has a baby sitting co-op that provides a monthly evening out while parents take turns working in the nursery. Want more information? Contact Diane Schoppe. |
Education
This Week |
On Going |
Members are invited to suggest speakers or topics to be addressed during Sunday Forum.
Contact Pr. Art Preisinger with your ideas and comments
Sundays at 9:45 a.m.
in the basement classroom
August 15
Uncommon Gratitude: Alleluia For All That Is,
by Joan Chittister and Archbishop Rowan Williams, reviewed by Barbara Rozek
August 22
Peru travel report about our new relationship to the Lutheran Church in Trujillo.
August 29
Rally Sunday - No Summer Book Review
Hot Breakfast Served.
Sunday Forum August 22
On August 22 at Sunday Forum Christ the King Church youth and adults who traveled to Peru in July will report to the congregation about their trip and experiences. The focus of the trip was to get to know our Lutheran sister congregations in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Peru. Members of our church traveled to Trujillo on the Pacific coast where an initial contact was made with four Lutheran congregations to establish an on-going congregation-to-congregation relationship. Youth and adults returned home full of enthusiasm and rich in new insights which they which they look forward to sharing with an interested audience. Sunday Forum meets at 9:45 a.m. in the basement classroom.
Parents and Children Ages 2-6 Welcome to Sunday School
On August 22, 9:50 – 10:40 a.m. all children ages 2-6 and their parents are invited to a special Welcome to Sunday School class in the respective classrooms. They are on the first floor with access from the cloister/courtyard. Parents and children will experience a “sample” lesson together just the way the lessons will be held throughout the school year. Parents whose child under 24 months is ready or soon will be ready to come to class, are also encouraged to attend with their child. The teachers and assistants are looking forward to welcoming you.
Class for New Members and Inquirers
If you are interested in becoming a member of Christ the King Church, you are invited to attend the Adult Catechesis class.
We will offer a 2-day class on:
Friday, August 20, 7 until 9 p.m., and
Saturday, August 21, 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.
These classes, based on Martin Luther’s Small Catechism, are open to inquirers, those seeking membership, and members wishing to refresh their memory on the basic tenets of our faith.
You may sign up on the bulletin board or contact the church office, Childcare for the two-day class is available when requested the Monday prior to the class. |
Summer Sunday Church School Hour for Children
Young children kindergarten or younger are welcome to come to the nursery between services and play and have a story read to them. Children 1st grade and above may come to the Children's Library on the 2nd floor where there are books, puzzles, and games. Parents and youth are invited to volunteer to help the children find their books.
New Testament Survey Begins in September
Pastor Robert Moore will offer a course on the New Testament on Wednesday evenings beginning September 8 from 6:15 p.m. until 7:15 p.m. in the narthex. The textbook for the class is the newly released book by Lutheran theologian Mark Allan Powell, entitled Introducing the New Testament (Baker Academic Press). The purpose of the course is to prepare members and inquirers in their understanding of the New Testament. The main use of the New Testament (with the Old Testament) occurs within Christian worship where in word and sacrament the faithful encounter the living Lord.
The Rev. Dr. Mark Allan Powell is the Robert and Phyllis Leatherman Professor of New Testament at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio. He is a sound theologian, solid churchperson, and prolific author. His textbook on the New Testament is advanced in its use of the internet as a reliable supplement to study. See http://www.introducingnt.com/.
Pastor Moore has served as pastor at Christ the King Church since 1994. He earned a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Rice University in 1992.
To register for the course, please contact either the chruch office or Pr. Moore. The text book can be ordered over the internet or by prior arrangement with Pastor Moore.
.
|
Service & Care
This Week |
On Going |
Serve Lunch at SEARCH
Christ the King Church members and friends join members of congregation Brith Shalom on the third Wednesday of each month to assist with the preparation and service of the noon meal for clients of SEARCH Homeless Services. Our next outing will be on Wednesday, August 18, 7:30 - 11:30 a.m. Contact Beverly Davis
CCSC Back-to-School Program
Thousands of children in Greater Houston will begin the 2010-2011 school year without the basic supplies they need to succeed in school. However, you can help! The Christian Community Service Center’s (CCSC) Back to School Program works to ensure that 6,000 underprivileged students in our community return to school well-prepared for academic success. You can help ensure that these students return to school well-prepared to learn in the fall by making a $45.00 donation to the Christian Community Service Center (CCSC) Back to School Program. Your donation provides one student with a new school uniform/shoes and a grade-level appropriate package of new school supplies. Please sponsor one or more students by submitting a check made out to Christ the King Church and earmarked “CCSC Back to School Project” in the offering on Sundays now though August or by donating online
August Challenge Benefitting CCSC
Experiencing the summer doldrums? Are these “lazy, hazy days” getting a little boring?
Have you already completed your summer reading list? Then, why not take the following challenge and complete these 10 super-easy tasks, all benefiting the Christian Community Service Center (CCSC) of which Christ the King Church is a supporting congregation. Use the following as a scorecard and complete all tasks by the end of August.
10. Report a job listing you see posted or hear about to assist JobNet in compiling available positions. *
9. Donate a suit or other professional clothing for those JobNet is assisting find employment. **
8. Deliver a piece of furniture or other household item to the Sunshine Resale Shop so it may be sold to generate revenue for CCSC. **
7. Purchase an item at the Sunshine Resale Shop to help CCSC generate revenue for its programs. **
6. Drop a jar of peanut butter in the collection basket at church for the CCSC food pantry.
5. Tell one friend about CCSC and its ministries and ask them to help support CCSC in some way.
4. Write a $45 check to CCSC for the Back to School Program.
3. Look for and read the articles about CCSC in Christ the King Church’s This Week and King’s Banner publications.
2. Go to CCSC’s website online and review the information presented there.***
1. Pray one very specific and intentional prayer for CCSC and its ministries.
Notes:
* Report job leads to 713-626-8320 or jobnet@ccschouston.com.
** Sunshine Resale Shop is located at 5407 Bellaire
Blvd.
(Corner of Bellaire @ Chimney Rock)
*** CCSC”s website is: www.ccschouston.com
Get a perfect score? Congratulations and treat yourself to an ice cream cone! You have helped the needy in our community and learned more about CCSC.
Montrose Grace Place
Montrose Grace Place is open and now offers vulnerable youth ages 13-21 a hot meal and a safe, welcoming shelter from the street every Thursday evening from 6 to 10 p.m.
Volunteers are needed to help with set up/clean up each Thursday beginning at 5 p.m., and members of Christ the King Church will provide dinner for 30 people on the 2nd and 5th Thursdays of each month.
We will provide dinner on September 9.
You may also contribute money towards this program. An immediate need is the conversion of existing space so that a shower as well as a washer/dryer can be installed and made available to those who need them. Checks can be sent to Montrose Grace Place c/o Grace Lutheran Church, 2515 Waugh Dr, Houston 77006.
If you have questions about this project and/or if you wish to volunteer, contact Rebecca Shields
Shoes Needed For Orphan Souls!!
There are millions and millions of feet all over the world that belong to kids without shoes. Many of those feet belong to older children and teenagers who are the forgotten ones in orphanages. We need YOU to put shoes on their Big Feet by donating shoes, sizes youth 1 through adult 10. Due to customs regulations, shoes for the children need to be new – and we also need new, clean, white socks for those beautiful feet! Bring your shoes and socks donations to church by August 29 and we’ll get them packaged and shipped. If you’d prefer to give a cash donation, make the checks out to Christ the King Lutheran Church, memorandum Shoes for Orphan Souls. Be a Big Foot Benefactor and Bring Big Smiles to Beautiful Children! For more information please contact Tim Lenz or Cindi Scruggs .
|
Feed the Homeless
The Feed the Homeless Ministry meets on Monday, August 23 at 5:45 p.m. in the kitchen at Christ
the King Church.
Join us on the 2nd and 4th Monday evenings of
each month at Christ the King Lutheran Church to make sandwiches
and prepare meals, and then deliver them to downtown homeless
individuals. Our schedule is as follows:
5:45 p.m. - Meet in the kitchen and parish
hall to set up and prepare the meals
7:00 p.m. - Leave CTK for downtown to deliver the meals
All are invited to help out with meal preparation,
downtown delivery, or both! All are welcome.Contact
Tim Redl for more information.
Plastic grocery bags needed
for our Feed the Homeless program.
Donations can be left in the kitchen
marked “For Feed the Homeless.”
Check your Blood Pressure
The next blood pressure screening will be on August 29 between the morning services in the narthex. Monthly blood pressure screenings are held on the last Sunday of each month.
Helping with Hunger
The Christian Community Service Center’s Emergency Services needs your donations. Houston's needy come to the doors of Emergency Services six days a week seeking assistance. The program helps clients, who qualify, with food, clothing and possibly some financial assistance.
In 2009, Emergency Services responded to a highly increased demand for basic needs by providing food, clothing, financial assistance and referrals to 22,365 persons in crisis. This effort included helping 1,160 families avoid homelessness or substandard living conditions by assisting with electricity, water, natural gas, and rent payments. More than 243,700 pounds of food was provided to hungry neighbors and 11,913 clients benefitted from gently-used clothing. The Community Garden harvested 2,059 pounds of fresh produce, aiding clients’ nutritional well-being.
The Gethsemane Food Pantry expanded to three days of operation, working to address hunger in the southwest portion of our service area. The pantry fed 18,380 persons from 4,723 households, tripling results from the prior year. Of those served, 51% of client households included one or more employed adults. A Community Garden was established on site, and three Food Fairs were held to augment on-going services.
In the first quarter of 2009, they saw a 67% increase in the number of people seeking assistance. Many of these individuals were woman and children.
Specific items needed are canned fruits, and meaty soups. Also, jars of peanut butter and large boxes of cereal. Please donate!
Donations may be dropped off at the food basket in the narthex on Sundays.
Quilts Needed for Houston Lutheran Campus Ministry Oktoberfest and Quilt Auction!
Mark your calendars and plan to join us! Houston Lutheran Campus Ministry is holding an Oktoberfest Luncheon and Quilt Auction at the A.D. Bruce Religion Center at the University of Houston on Saturday, October 30 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Right now we are looking for quilts to be auctioned off! Quilts of any size will be appreciated! If you would like to donate a quilt for the auction or have any questions, please contact Pr. Brad Fuerst or Tim Redl. We are also looking for cash contributions to help defray food costs. More details about the Oktoberfest to come soon!
Fair Trade Coffee Sales Continue
Fair Trade coffee from Equal Exchange is on sale after services
and through the church office.
Equal Exchange, founded in 1986, is the oldest and largest
for-profit Fair Trade company in the US. They offer organic,
gourmet coffee, tea, sugar, cocoa, and chocolate bars produced
by democratically run farmer co-ops in Latin America, Africa,
and Asia. Order these items online

Christ the King Church is a ONE Lutheran congregation
Did You Hear About the Hunger Crisis?
The world hunger crisis was all over the news this past week. In just three years, the price of staple foods like wheat, corn and rice has almost doubled. If we don’t do something soon, hundreds of thousands of people face starvation and a hundred million more could fall into extreme poverty. Please consider taking action with the ONE Campaign
High Five Food Drive
Help the Christian Community Service Center (CCSC) feed those in need with a diet that is protein rich!
T he five primary protein sources needed:
Peanut Butter,
Canned Tuna Fish or Chicken,
Meaty Soups,
Beans,
Meaty Baby Foods.
Please bring your food donations to the drop off box in the narthex.
Caring for One Another
Check out the Congregational Care Team display board in the narthex. Please consider joining our team in one or more capacities:
- Meals: Provide an occasional meal to a member or family in need or for a memorial reception
- Transportation: Provide occasional transportation for a doctor’s appointment, worship, shopping, or an emergency (as you are available, of course)
- Visiting/Phoning: Visit or phone a member who is temporarily or permanently indisposed, providing a listening ear and a compassionate presence
- Prayer Notes: Write a note to members expressing our support during times of need and to acknowledge life changes (scheduled for one month a year)
- Emergency Phone Tree: Inform a few of our members (call list) of a member’s death of other extraordinary emergencies
- Bereavement: Provide a faithful, appropriate presence to those experiencing a loss, such as death, property, divorce, or employment
- Community of Hope: become a lay chaplain through this training program and on-going support system.
For more information, contact Beverly Davis
Put a Smile on your Face
submitted by Barbara Rozek
I have found a great way to put a smile on my face. Each Sunday as I head out to the car and to early service, I stop by the kitchen cupboard and grab a can of milk or corn or green beans. One can – each Sunday goes from my kitchen to the basket at the door of the church. It makes me feel good and it helps fill up the hungry mouths of those in Houston with much less to eat than I. I tell myself that it isn’t much, but if I am conscious of what I am doing, hopefully it will spill over into the rest of my life and the life of others.
Last Sunday I bought a bag of dog food and put it in the basket. I have learned that the lonely and elderly often feed their dog or cat from their own meager food supply. Company for those who are alone is necessary for good health – almost as necessary as food for survival – nothing like a pet for touching and caring.
Try putting a smile on your face. Bring a can or bag of beans or jar of peanut butter each and every Sunday to the Hunger Basket. Make it a habit – a good habit.
Our Faith in Action
Every day, in a million ways, members of the ELCA are making the world a better place. In far reaches of the globe, and right here in our neighborhood, you’ll see that Lutherans aren’t folks who simply talk about their beliefs. We put them into action.
So make a meal to share. Have your opinion on government policy heard. Help a friend through their time of need. Here you’ll find stories that inspire and opportunities to get involved. Find out just how rewarding God’s work can be.

Help SEARCH Help Others
Now that summer is upon us, the Service of the Emergency Aid Resource Center of Houston (SEARCH) has a constant need for insect repellant and sunscreen. Our congregation has been asked to donate insect repellant and sunscreen. There is a collection box in the narthex for these items.
CanCare Volunteers Needed
CanCare has an urgent need for cancer survivors and their family members to volunteer. Contact CanCare at 713-461-0028.
2009 Cancare Highlights
Information, Referral And On-Going Support
3,609 individuals received one-on-one long-term emotional support from trained volunteers
21,275 individuals received one-time listening support, information and resources
Hospital Visits
9,202 individuals were visited by CanCare volunteers at 15 hospitals and clinics.
Volunteers
113 new volunteers graduated from CanCare's training (a record number!)
CanCare has 600 active volunteers representing more than 50 types of cancer
77 active CanCare hospital volunteers visited patients in 13 Houston-area hospitals
Outreach Events
34,687 people reached through community education and support
CanCare participated in 134 speaking engagements and health fairs

Located by the mechanical yard on the south end of our parking lot.
Help us by bringing all your acceptable recycling items to our green and yellow Paper Retriever bin!
We make money on the tons we recycle.
A little help from every member can make a very big difference in our program.
For example, if you bring in a full brown paper grocery bag….you have contributed approximately 10 lbs.
For every 100 members that do this, we have collected 1000 lbs. or ½ ton.
If 100 members would do this each week, we would have 4000 lbs or 2 tons in a month! That means we would be hitting our target goal!!!
So, please help by doing your share to protect Mother Earth! Thank you so much for supporting our Paper Retriever Program.
Accepted items include:
newspaper, magazines, shopping catalogs, junk mail, office and school papers, envelopes with and without windows, phone books, paper bags (paper clips and staples do not have to be removed)
Items not accepted include:
cardboard, cereal/soda cartons, food wrap/containers, paper cups, tissue products, metal, trash, cans, plastics and glass.
Food Donations Needed
Help fill the shelves at Emergency Services of the Christian Community Service Center (CCSC). Food donations are needed. Current needs are: peanut butter, tuna fish, meaty soups, canned fruit and vegetables. Please bring your food donations to the drop off box in the narthex. |
Contributions
Electronic Giving Now includes Credit/Debit Card Donations
Members and friends now have the option of choosing how to make donations: checking account, savings account or credit/debit cards. The site has now been updated so you set up your own profile with your email address and manage all of your own online donation activity. You will still be able to make one-time donations and set up automatic donation plans, but now you will also be able to log in 24/7 to make changes or view your own donation history.
Electronic Giving allows to choose the donation frequency, one-time, weekly or monthly, and the donation amount for different funds. Contributions will be transferred electronically from designated accounts or credit/debit cards to the church account. These giving options will work in the same manner as other automatic withdrawals. The charge for using a Visa, MasterCard, Diners Club and Discover is 2.75% per transaction. American Express charges of 3.5% per transaction. For example, a $100.00 gift using a Visa card is reduced to $97.25 for the church. There is no charge for donations made through checking or savings accounts. This option gives peace of mind knowing that one’s pledge will be received and is contributing to the work of the church, especially during the low cash flow months of the year! Just click on the Easy button.
Just click on the Easy button.
Do you Forget to Bring your Offering Envelopes to Sunday Service?
How often do you arrive to church on Sunday with your check book but forget your offering envelope?
Here are 2 ways you can simplify your life:
forget the envelopes, just bring the check book.
subscribe to Simply Giving, the automatic withdrawal program.
Both ways eliminate the expense of mail-order envelopes and help the church to spend your contributions more effectively.
To unsubscribe to the mail-order offering envelopes, contact the church office or 713-523-2864
Save Time and Money by Switching from Paper to Online
Would you rather receive the Banner electronically and eliminate mailing? Contact the church office or 713-523-2864.
|
|