St. Martin's
Monthly Planner
Click here for our daily schedule of events, times and locations
Sept. 1
* Women of the Church Workday
Sept. 2 & 16
* Mothers of Young Children
Sept. 8
* Mop & Hammer
* Women's Circles
* Saintly Seniors
Sept. 9
* Choir & Bells Rehearse
* Confirmation Orientation
Sept. 13
* Jubilee Sunday
Sept. 16
* Confirmation Class
* Choir & Bells Rehearse
Sept. 20
*Theology of the Cross
Adult Forum Class with
Rev. Phil Ruge-Jones
* Flu Shot Clinic
* Children's Music Ministry Kick Off
Sept. 22
* Mop & Hammer
Sept. 26
* WELCA General Meeting
* "The Beginning of the Good News: A Live Performance of the Gospel of Mark"
with Rev. Phil Ruge-Jones.
$10 suggested donation.
Sept. 27
*Theology of the Cross
Adult Forum Class with
Rev. Phil Ruge-Jones
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From Our Mailbox
Thanks & Praises
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Share your gifts
Serving God & others with our time, talent and treasure
Music & Fine Arts
Ministries
Community Service
Giving
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Benevolence Focus
Our September Benevolence Focus:
St. Martin's
Preschool
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Looking Ahead
Oct. 4
* Blessing of the Animals
Oct. 11
* Conspirare Concert
2:30 pm
Oct. 15-18
* SMORES
Big Bend Trip
Oct. 24
* Habitat for Humanity Build
* Youth Lost & Found Concert at TLU
Oct. 25
* Reformation Sunday
Oct. 30
* JAM Freaky Fall Feast & Mini Lock-In
Dec. 13
* Christmas Vespers
5 pm
Dec. 20
* German Christmas Worship Service
5 pm
Dec. 24
* Children's Christmas Eve Eucharist
4 pm
* Candlelight Christmas Eve Eucharist
7 and 10 pm
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Get St. Martin's News & Updates
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 Sept. 13:
Jubilee Sunday
Jubilee Sunday kicks off our new year of ministry at St. Martin's on Sept. 13. The children and youth meet their new Sunday School teachers as classes begin at 10 am. Parents of children (two year-olds through fifth graders) are invited to a Sunday School orientation in the Fellowship Hall to learn more about the year's upcoming lessons.
Other highlights of the day include:
- Commissioning of our 2009-10 ministries.
- Bibles given to two year-olds, first graders and sixth graders at our worship services.
- St. Martin's Choir and Reformation Band return from the summer break.
- Opportunities to share your gifts of time and talent.
- A Jubilee Picnic after the late service with hot dogs, chips and refreshments.
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 St. Martin's
Got Talent!
There is not some committee or council or staff or some other body of people that are "the church." We are the church -- including everyone reading this first edition of our email newsletter. The programs and ministries of St. Martin's are only made up of the interests, passions, skills and talents of the people that come together at this church.
The Church is you. And yet, when we come together in the name of Jesus, we are more than the sum of our parts. We become the Church -- the body of Christ in and for the world.
If you want to contribute to this body with your time, one easy way is to fill out a "Time and Talent" sheet on Jubilee Sunday. It's not an inventory of what you are already doing here, but an invitation to get involved, find out more, and experiment with other activities at St. Martin's. On the back of the sheet is the "Imagination" side. On it, you can put the ministries that you'd like to see at St. Martin's, things that you would like to help with and an invitation to be on our "Dream Team" -- a one-time gathering to dream up new ministries and things for us to do.
There are so many ways we can each reveal Christ to our neighbors -- so let your talent shine at St. Martin's!
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Sept.  9, 10, 20 and Oct. 4:
St. Martin's musicians begin fall rehearsals
Get ready to make music this fall as St. Martin's begins a new season of rehearsals for its Choir, Ringers, Reformation Band and Symphonic Winds. We also are introducing this season a new Children's Music Ministry program on Sept. 20 for children in Kindergarten through second grade.
Our first rehearsal dates of the fall season are:
For more information about these groups, upcoming Music Ministry events and other dates to remember, please read on for more. |
Sept. 9:
Confirmation
Orientation for
parents & youth
Parents and junior high youth are invited to Confirmation Orientation at 6:30 pm on Wed. Sept. 9 in the Chapel. Classes for Confirmation students begin on Wed. Sept. 16 at 6:30 pm.
To learn more about Confirmation, contact Youth & Family Minister Erika Rorer
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 Sept. 20:
Flu Shot Clinic
Flu season is almost here -- and St. Martin's is doing its part to keep our community healthy by hosting a flu shot clinic. Walgreen's pharmacists and technicians will be in Rm 230 from 8:30 am to 1 pm to vaccinate those interested in getting a flu shot. Medicare Part B participants are free, but the cost for everyone else is $25. FluMist also will available for $30. Children ages 9 and older are eligible to participate.
Pneumonia vaccines will be available for $50 for Medicare Part B participants.
Read on to learn more about influenza
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 Sept. 26:
The Beginning of
the Good News
Experience the Gospel of Mark as performed by Rev. Philip Ruge-Jones, author of "The Word of the Cross in a World of Glory" and an associate professor of theology at Texas Lutheran University. Ruge-Jones memorization and reading of the Gospel lets the audience reflect on Jesus' ministry through the power of the spoken word.
Enjoy the performance at 6:30 pm in the Sanctuary. You'll have an opportunity to make a suggested donation of $10 at the door. All proceeds will benefit Water To Thrive, an Austin-based initiative that installs wells and delivers clean water to parched communities in Africa.
Ruge-Jones is leading a three-week series on the theology of the cross for St. Martin's Adult Forum class on Sept. 20, 27 and Oct. 4. Join us at 10 am in the Fellowship Hall for this series. From the Apostle Paul to Luther to many today, the cross of Jesus Christ has shaped faithful thinking about God and the world. This class explores these traditions and the way that they might lead us into faithfulness.
Additionally, Ruge-Jones is preaching at our 8:45 and 11 am worship services on Sept. 20.
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Notes from across the congregation
Call Committee Update: Church Council President Wyn Speir recently sent a message to the congregation about the call process that St. Martin's is undertaking. Read on for more.
Saintly Seniors: Join our active group of Saintly Seniors on Sept. 8 at noon in the Parlor for a luncheon and presentation on "Vacationing at Elderhostels." RSVP for your place at this event to the church 467-6757 or contact Yolanda Alvarez.
Chancel Flowers: Contact Nell Hielscher or call 243-0467 for details about placing chancel flowers to commemorate a special event. Flowers are needed for Oct. 11 &18.
Church attendance: Summer worship at St. Martin's averaged 300 in June and 289 in July.
Stephen Ministry Class: Everyone is invited to attend our next continuing education class on prayer led by St. Martin's member Leah Pasch on Tues. Sept. 22. Refreshments are served at 6:45 pm, and the class takes place from 7 to 8 pm. Read on for more. |
1960 & 2009: See how we've changed?!
From Pastor June Wilkins
Change and the church
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. - Ecclesiasties
3:1
There's a joke that goes "How many Lutherans does it take to
change a lightbulb?" The answer: "Change? Lutherans don't believe in
change." Some people don't think that
Lutherans and change are a good fit. Well, we've seen a lot of change over the years at St. Martin's and we
seem to be doing very well! This past month, though, we have been a little
over-drawn on our change quota: Pr. Craig retired, the ELCA has made new
ministry policies that allow gay and lesbian people to be ordained, and we've
moved to an electronic newsletter -- which you are reading right now!
For some people change is hard though. Getting used to new
things, new situations and new procedures can feel like a disruption. But, like it or not, change is a part of our
lives. Some very old Greek philosopher
said, "The only constant is change."
But change can be good for the church and for us. Knowing how to accept change can help us interact
with younger generations in order to pass on the faith. It can also prepare us
for those times when the Spirit needs us to move in a different direction. Benjamin Franklin said, "When you're finished
changing, your finished."
The best thing about change is that it always brings us back
to those things that are at our core, those things that are of primary
importance, those things that will always be with us and will never change:
God's love, Jesus's forgivness and the power of the Holy Spirit. We may change
the ways that we worship, the ways that we communicate, and the way that we do
things -- everything may look different in years to come. But we will always be
centered around God's love in Christ Jesus. That is what we can always rely on.
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