_________St. Martin'sMonthly PlannerClick here for our daily schedule of events, times and locationsMarch 3Lenten Suppers on Wednesdays at 5:30pm*Lenten "Vespers & Verses" on Wednesdays at 6:30 pmMarch 7Girl Scouts Sunday*Symphonic Windsat 11 am worship*Sales begin forEaster Lilies*Adult Forum"See Through the Scriptures" Class10 am, Fellowship HallMarch 9Saintly SeniorsNoon in the ParlorMarch 10Lenten Suppers on Wednesdays at 5:30pm
*
Lenten "Vespers & Verses" on Wednesdays at 6:30 pm*Junior High YouthService Project NightMarch 13Daylight SavingsSet your clocks ahead one hour
March 14
Adult Forum
"See Through
the Scriptures" Class
10 am, Fellowship Hall
March 17
Lenten Suppers on
Wednesdays at 5:30pm
*
Lenten "Vespers & Verses" on Wednesdays at 6:30 pmMarch 18 "Paint & Prepare Day"
for VBS
10 am to 2 pm
Room 230
March 21
Adult Forum
"See Through the Scriptures" Class
10 am, Fellowship Hall
March 24
Lenten Suppers on
Wednesdays at 5:30pm
*
Lenten "Vespers & Verses" on Wednesdays at 6:30 pm
March 25
Conspirare "Big Sing"
March 28
Palm Sunday
*
Adult Forum
"See Through the Scriptures" Class
10 am, Fellowship Hall
*
Parents & Promises Class
10 am in Parlor
_________
|
|
Save These Dates
April 1
Maundy Thursday
April 2
Good Friday
April 3
Easter Vigil
April 4
Easter Sunday
June 13-17
Vacation Bible School
_________
|
|
From Our Mailbox
Thanks & Praises
_________ |
|
Share your gifts
Serving God & others with our time, talent and treasure
Music Ministry
Community Service
Giving
_________ |
|
Benevolence Focus
Our March
Benevolence Focus is
Habitat for Humanity |
_________
|
St. Martin's
Video Channel
Videos from our community of faith
_________ |
|
Get St. Martin's News & Updates
________
|
_________
|
|
|
|
March 3, 10, 17 & 24
Wednesday Evening Lenten S uppers & Vespers
St. Martin's continues its Lenten tradition of gathering on Wednesday evenings for a supper, fellowship and worship. Supper begins at 5:30 pm on Wednesdays and continues through March 24. Our Wednesday evening worship series -- called "Vespers & Verses" -- begins at 6:30 pm and includes contemplative worship, prayer, poetry and special music. Join us as we journey together in faith during the Lenten season.
Read the poetry offered during our "Vespers & Verses" series
|
March 6 & 7
Crop Walk
St. Martin's is participating in the annual CROP Walk, which helps raise money in the fight against hunger in Austin and around the world. To learn more about how you can lend your support to this cause, please contact St. Martin's member Kent Mickelson.
Read on for more information about CROP Walk
|
March 7-21
Buy Your Easter Lilies On Sundays Or Online
St. Martin's is again offering Easter lilies to the congregation for display on Easter Sunday. If you would like to purchase a flower in honor or remembrance of a loved one, stop by the Narthex on Sunday mornings March 7, 14 or 21 to sign up. lilies are $15. You may also buy your flowers online through March 21 by clicking here. If you have questions about Easter lilies, contact our flower sales coordinator Ann Henry.
|
 March 7
Girl Scouts Sunday
St. Martin's recognizes our congregation's Girl Scouts -- past and present -- during our 11 am worship. All current and former Girl Scouts are invited to wear their uniforms to church on this day. For more information, contact Sharolyn Browning, our Child and Family Minister.
Learn more about the Girl Scouts of Central Texas
|
March 9
Saintly Seniors
 Join the Saintly Seniors at noon in the Parlor on March 9 for the group's monthly luncheon and speaker series. Thomas Pavlechko, St. Martin's Cantor and Composer In Residence, will lead the group into the Chapel for a program entitled "Funeral and Memorial Service Planning: Expressing a Lifetime
in Scripture and Song." Learn how to discern what hymns truly speak to you, and why; and how your funeral or memorial service can be a statement of a lifetime of faith. After Easter, Thom will be starting a new ministry at St. Martin's in one-on-one funeral and memorial service planning in which individuals, couples or even families can make an appointment to meet with him to discuss scripture passages, Psalms and hymns that tell the story of your faith life. You won't want to miss this relevant program. RSVP for this event by March 5 to Jo Ann Pitcher or call 442-8184.
|
March Benevolence Focus
Habitat for Humanity
St. Martin's is proud to support Austin Habitat for Humanity as our March Benevolence Focus. Each year, St. Martin's members and those from other area churches take part in building a home for a low-income family in our area. Habitat's 2010 "Ecumenical Build" will begin in August and will take place in the Meadow Lake neighborhood in Southeast Austin near East William Cannon. The majority of Habitat homes this year will be built in this neighborhood. We will really see a community of Habitat homeowners take shape as the houses are built.
Although the build will not take place until August, the money for the build needs to be raised before that time. The cost of each house is approximately $115,000. Last year, St. Martin's members helped with the Ecumenical Build that created a house for a working father with three sons: John, 18; Eric 16, and Romeo, 3. That house was built in the Devonshire neighborhood near Berkman Drive, located just south of US 290.
For more information about Austin Habitat, contact Deb Johnson.
Read on for more about Habitat For Humanity
|
Music at St. Martin's
March 7: Symphonic Winds
St. Martin's Symphonic Winds will offer the gift of music at the 11 am worship on March 7. The prelude will be Dale Elmshaeuser's arrangement of two tunes for
"I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say." The ensemble also will offer new arrangements by Thomas
Pavlechko, our Cantor and Composer in Residence. Pieces by J. S. Bach and G. Gabrieli will be offered during worship, as well.
March 25: Conspirare's "Big Sing" 
Austin's Conspirare comes to St. Martin's for a free community event -- the "Big Sing" from 5:30 to 6:45 pm. This is an opportunity for the audience to sing with the choir. Craig Hella Johnson leads the gathering of the audience and Conspirare Symphonic Choir members in breathing exercises, vocal warm-ups, and short melodic songs. No RSVP is required. This program drew a nearly full house of
singers last November, and is an incredible event for St. Martin's
members to share with their friends, family and co-workers. Even if you
are an average singer, come to this very enjoyable event and take
advantage of the opportunity to welcome all these visitors to our
church.
Read on to learn more about Conspirare
|
Reformation Band Disbands
A Note From The Cantor
Dear Parishioners, Musicians, and Friends,
The Reformation Band was founded in 1996 for the purpose of leading music for what was then the newly-created middle service. The hymnal supplement, With One Voice (the "Blue Book"), was brand new, and it introduced a variety of alternate styles of congregational song for the first time. Suk Yee Woo was hired as our full time music associate, and she had charge of the music for that service. The band has had a long and rocky run of 14 years, with much turnover of singers and players.
Lives, times and budgets change. Keeping a volunteer band consistent on a weekly basis is a constant challenge. It is not like the choir, in which other members cover for those who are absent. If, for example, we have one guitarist and the guitarist is absent, there is no guitar. That is the reality. It is not reasonable to expect volunteers to be 100% consistent on a weekly basis. Dedicated and faithful or not, there will be absences.
The more practical approach for contemporary music is to form more than one group, each of which leads music, perhaps, once a month. This gives everyone a break, and involves more people with more varied talents. But it will take time to develop, and it will take involvement from persons attending the 8:45 am service. It should not be the expectation that musicians already involved in the music at the 11 am service should also volunteer their time at 8:45. Some do, but it is by choice, not expectation.
During this stage of redevelopment, we will conduct an extensive and thorough survey of all those who attend the 8:45 service. During worship, we will feature individual members from the band, singing and playing music in the style to which we have been accustomed. We look towards a refreshed and re-energized program to emerge in the fall.
Sincerely in Christ,
Thomas Pavlechko
Cantor & Composer in Residence
|
March 10
Junior High Service Project Night
The Junior High Youth of St. Martin's gather for a night of in-house service projects from 7 to 8 pm after the 6:30 pm Vespers worship. Youth will tackle tasks that are needed around the church, such as organizing the Sunday School costume closet and more. Make plans to come! For more information, contact Erika Rorer, our Youth & Family Minister.
|
March 14
Daylight Savings: Set Your Clocks Ahead
Remember to set your clocks ahead one hour on Saturday night -- March 13 -- before you hit the pillow. That way, you'll be on time to join us for worship at 8:45 and 11 am the next day.
|
March 18
"Paint & Prepare Day" For VBS 
Everyone is invited to VBS Paint & Prepare Day from 10 am to 2 pm in Room 230. We will be painting props and backdrops for our Egyptian Vacation Bible School coming in June. For more information, contact Sharolyn Browning, our Child & Family Minister.
|
March 28
Palm Sunday
The faith community of St. Martin's gathers for worship on Palm Sunday as we remember Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem and begin our transition to Holy Week. Worship is at 8:45 and 11 am.
Please remember these dates:
April 1: Maundy Thursday Agape Meal at 6:30 pm
April 2: Good Friday service at noon and 8 pm
April 3: Easter Vigil at 8 pm
April 4: Easter Sunday at 8:45 and 11 am.
|
March 28
Come To Our "Parents & Promises" Class
Parents of children preparing for Baptism or Communion are invited to the "Parents and Promises" class at 10 am in the Parlor. This class will help parents have a clearer understanding of how we welcome children through the Sacraments of our church. All are welcome to come to this class. RSVP (for an accurate materials count!) to Sharolyn Browning, our Child & Family Minister.
|
March Stewardship Focus
Total Cost Of Ownership
& Return On Investment
Many businesses use the concept of TCO/ROI when deciding on investments. TCO refers to "Total Cost of Ownership" -- it includes not just the basic cost (of, say, a house or a car) but it includes the cost of fuel, maintenance, repairs, insurance, personnel, etc. ROI is "Return on Investment" -- it's the amount gained if the investment were to be made.
When we talk about churches, these calculations are a little more difficult to make. We have a physical operation to run and the TCO is what it costs to run it. That includes salaries, utilities, supplies, programs, materials, building maintenance, and more. This is an amount that is easy to calculate. It's important to note that all of these things are paid with your contributions. St. Martin's doesn't get other funding from the ELCA, from Thrivent, or from anywhere else for them!
But St. Martin's TCO doesn't just rely on money. It also relies on the time, effort, prayers, hopes and dreams of all of its members and the community around us. Those are things that are vital to our congregation, but they can't be easily calculated.
The ROI is even more difficult. As a church, we can't just look at our bottom line or monetary profits. We can't even merely look at the amount of people served as other non-profits do. We have to look at things that can't be counted: relationships, passing on the faith to our children, spiritual growth, our presence in the community. What is the value of these things? How much are they worth to us?
What we can say for sure is that we get out of this investment only as much as we put into it. Whether you are on the Church Council or you are in one group or you attend worship only occasionally, YOU are the owners of St. Martin's!
|
Get Ready For VBS!
A Week of Egyptian Evenings For Everyone
"Egypt: Joseph's Journey from Prison to Palace" is set for the evenings of June 13 to 17. You will not want to miss the chance to travel back in time to our re-creation of an ancient Egyptian marketplace. There will be something for everyone, no matter your age. It will take a village to make the marketplace a reality -- so if you would like to help, please contact Sharolyn Browning, our Child & Family Minister, and visit our VBS webpage.
|
Notes from the congregation
Communion Rails At St. Martin's
Some people have noticed that the rails have been removed from the front of the sanctuary. You aren't imaging things! Did you know that Communion rails became a fixture in early churches because worship services were held in places where dogs and other animals were present? It served to keep the animals out and also to keep the congregation out so only ordained people could approach the Eucharist. We no longer share the belief that the Eucharist should be restricted to clergy, and when we have dogs and animals in our congregation, they are always on leashes! The staff decided that the worship space was more open without the rails, it gives us more options for using the space, it is easier to set up for special events, and safer for smaller members coming up for the children's story. The communion rails will be brought out in the future, when necessary, for special worship services.
Donate Items For Our Sack Lunch Ministry
Did you know that 40 to 50 people each week come to the church office for one of our pre-made sack lunches? This ministry to the hungry depends upon your donations to our church. We are always in need of: individual juice cans (not boxes), individual Vienna sausage cans, individual pop-top fruit cups, peanut butter sandwich cracker packs, disposable spoons, individual bite-sized Snickers candies, and brown lunch bags. Please consider purchasing these items periodically as you do your regular shopping. You may bring these donations to the church office on Sunday mornings or during business hours Monday through Thursday.
Summer Camp With Cross Trails
Guess what? Summer camp is now available for children as
young as second grade! Summer camp registration has begun for Cross Trails' Camps Ebert, located in Harper, and Chrysalis, located in Kerrville. There are programs all summer long for children from elementary age up to high school. Learn more here.
Thanks For Your Support Of YouthLIVE
St. Martin's Senior High Youth thank you for your generous support of the YouthLIVE event, which raised more than $10,000 to help fund their upcoming summer mission trip to San Francisco.
Preschool Book Fair Is March 22-26
Support St. Martin's Preschool during our upcoming Book Fair on March 22-26 in Room 230. The Book Fair is from 7:15 am to 6 pm -- stop by during the Wednesday Lenten Supper to pick up some new additions for your home library. For more information, contact Linda Easterwood, our Preschool Director.
Playtime in the Nursery Babies, toddlers and parents are invited to play in the nursery on the second Thursday and fourth Friday from 10 am to noon. For more information, contact Mindy Lado or Sharolyn Browning, Child & Family Minister.
Adult Education At St. Martin's
Join the Adult Forum class on Sundays at 10 am in the Fellowship Hall for these events:
- Feb. 28-Mar. 28: See Through the Scriptures, led by Harvey & Betsy Kitzman. Get a full Bible overview with the popular Crossways program. Books will be provided; please come with your NRSV Bible. This class will be offered throughout Lent and will continue again after Easter. Even if you can't come to all of these classes, you will learn something from whatever classes you can attend.
Chancel Flowers
Do you have a special event in 2010 that you'd like to commemorate with chancel flowers? Contact Nell Hielscher or call 243-0467 for details.
Church Attendance
Worship at St. Martin's averaged 325 in February.
|
A Note from Rev. June Wilkins
Evangelism For Lutherans Like Us
St. Martin's Church Council is going to be talking (and doing things) about Evangelism this year. I invite you to join with us.
What is Evangelism? What thoughts does that word conjure up in your mind? For some, it represents large, anonymous mega-churches. For many others, it brings up images of Bible thumping, fundamentalism and over-zealous conversion tactics. We are St. Martin's EVANGELICAL Lutheran Church (even though we might be trying to hide the word by abbreviating it to "Ev"). And we are a congregation of the EVANGELICAL Lutheran Church in America. But we are none of those things that I previously mentioned.
Evangelism comes form the Greek work "evangelion:" eu means "good" and angelion means "message." Being Evangelical is about believing in the Good News and about bringing Good News to others. It's not necessarily about conversion, fundamentalism or Bible-thumping -- but it is about sharing God's message with others. We have a large facility, great people, and a wonderful message of God's love, forgiveness and grace. It would be a shame if we kept that all for ourselves and didn't share it with others.
There are two parts to Evangelism: bringing the Good News of Jesus to people outside our doors and inviting people in to our doors in order to be changed by the Good News (...so that they can bring the Good News out to the rest of the world -- you get the idea).
Please join St. Martin's Council as we think about two big topics this month: What things could we do as a congregation to bring the Good News out to our community? What things do we need to do in our church to welcome people that we invite in?
| |
|
|
|
|
|
