St. Peter’s
CONNECTION VOL. VOL. 5, 5, No.No. 1717 March 2015 March 27,27, 2015
Connecting the World with God’s Love
THIS ISSUE: Holy Week and Easter
Look for information about all of our events and services located throughout this newsletter.
Children’s Summer Ministries Registration begins Monday for children of volunteers, followed by church members and community members.
Jamaica 2015
An opportunity for love by Meagan Albosta
W
ah Gwaan! (or “What’s up!” in Patois) After spending a week in Jamaica, I may have actually gotten their lingo down! Every year the high school seniors of St. Peter’s Student Ministries have the privilege of traveling to Jamaica for a mission trip through the organization Praying Pelican Missions. We had many mission opportunities while in the country and there were so many places where God just shed His light on the people of Jamaica. We were able to spend a good portion of the time at the Hampstead Primary School, where we did a Vacation Bible School with the children that involved many ridiculous skits and crafts and some fun playtime outside. All continued on page 6
20775 Kingsland Blvd., Katy, Texas 77450 (281) 492-8031 www.stpkaty.org
Fauré’s ‘Requiem’
T
he Chancel Choir and Orchestra will present Gabriel Fauré’s “Requiem” during the 9:45 and 11 a.m. traditional worship services on Palm/Passion Sunday, March 29. Fauré’s “Requiem” relates to the crucifixion and death of Jesus, but culminates with an expression of hope and anticipation of his resurrection. Please make plans to be with us for this very special presentation.
Holy Thursday
P
lease join us April 2 at 7 p.m. in the Sanctuary for a traditional Holy Thursday Service of Communion in which we remember Jesus’s final Passover meal. At the end of the service the altar will be stripped, the lights will be dimmed, and we all will leave in silence.
Good Friday
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n April 3 at 7 p.m. in the Sanctuary, we will hold a Good Friday worship service to remember Jesus’ crucifixion. This is an important part of Holy Week and Easter as we stand at the foot of the cross and reflect on Jesus’ life-changing sacrifice.
A sacrifice of praise Dear Friends in Christ, This Sunday is Palm Sunday and I was doing some reading about the triumphant entry of Jesus on the colt. One writer made an interesting observation that I would like you to consider. The observation Matthew Rogers made was: “I will not offer anything that costs me nothing.” Then he pointed out the following: “When I consider the story of that first Palm Sunday, I am struck by the thought that … A coat might not be worth much after a donkey walks on it. In a crowd like that there was no guarantee that once you laid it down you were ever going to get it back. For some reason, the text leads me to believe those people probably weren’t real interested in coats at that moment when Jesus rode by. No, these people, many of them probably Dr. Pat Sparks, Senior Pastor very poor, weren’t as concerned about coats as they were about praise. For the people on Palm Sunday, praising Jesus might have cost them something. That sounds a little bit like a sacrifice. The Bible speaks of a sacrifice of praise. Fitting, isn’t it, for someone who saved our lives by sacrificing his own?” Grace and Peace,
Pat
Celebrate
EASTER
Holy Week and Easter Schedule
March 29 – Palm/Passion Sunday, Fauré Requiem: 9:45 and 11 a.m. April 1 – Easter Egg Hunt: 5:30 p.m. April 2 – Holy Thursday Service of Communion: 7 p.m. – Prayer Stations: 8-9 p.m. April 3 – Prayer Stations: 7 a.m.-3 p.m. – Good Friday Service: 7 p.m. April 5 – Easter Sunday Sunrise Service: 6:30 a.m. Traditional Service: 8, 9:30, 11 a.m. the element: 9:30, 11 a.m. SPLASH Children’s Worship: 11 a.m. (No Sunday School or SPLISH SPLASH on Easter Sunday. Nursery will be provided for 4-year-olds and younger.)
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Living Stones West Campus: 10:30 a.m.
Church Council Highlights
H
ere it is the end of March 2015, and we are just about on track with revenue and expenses for the first two months of the year. We had $538,502 in actual receipts and had projected $472,048. We had $572,823 in actual expenses versus projected expenses of $548,949. We ended the two months with an actual operating loss of $34,322 and we had a projected loss of $103,326. So in summary, we are doing better than projected, which is good. We just need to continue the momentum into the summer months. There is a lot of ministry work going on here at St. Peter’s. Student Ministries have taken their trip to Jamaica and are getting their summer activities in place. This past Sunday we saw the Children’s Ministries crew with their bright pink T-shirts letting us know it is time to sign up for Vacation Bible School and other summer programs. Please visit stpkaty.org to get more information on what our Student and Children’s ministries have planned. It is an exciting time to be here at St. Peter’s! Ministry is happening all the time, week in and week out. If you are not participating in any of our ministry areas, please visit our website to find out how you can be a part of the excitement. One event that is coming soon and involves everyone in our congregation is our day of service to the Katy area called Church Without Walls. This year it is Sunday, May 17, and is a great way to get involved in the ministry of St. Peter’s. Please watch for information about how you can participate in Church Without Walls.
March 24 Meeting •Trustees are looking into a Christian-based energy efficiency company that could potentially save St. Peter’s money on electrical bills while creating a more comfortable campus in regard to temperature and humidity. •We will have a sermon series on Walls beginning after Easter. Five area churches will be preaching on the same subject. •Missions was the Ministry Highlight this month. The report covered all the planning and organizing that goes into the programs St. Peter’s supports. •Living Stones’ attendance has been good. They are ahead of schedule as far as their growth pattern.
Frank Nance Executive Director
Easter Egg Hunt Wednesday, April 1, at 5:30 p.m. Bring your basket! The fun includes age-level Easter egg hunts, face painting, a photo booth, balloon artist, two simple crafts, rabbit food,
Communion volunteers
V
olunteers are needed to help with communion in traditional worship on the first Sunday of the month. Volunteers are needed at 9:45 and 8:30 a.m. Please contact Mark Liles at
[email protected] if you can help in this way.
and cookies to decorate.
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Brown Bag Bridge. Eight tables of Brown Baggers met for their March game. Winners were Mary Walker, high, and Pat Ireland, second high. We neglected to mention our January winners were Jody Nicholas, high, and Holly Hart, second high. Congratulations to all! Our next play date will be April 9. Contact Martha for information at (281) 395-4825 or
[email protected].
Prayer Stations
A
s part of our Holy Week observance, we are offering The Way of the Cross, 14 prayer stations depicting Jesus’ journey from the Garden of Gethsemane through his passion, death, and finally to the joy of his resurrection. The stations will be open in the Sanctuary on April 2 from 8-9 p.m. following the Holy Thursday service and from 7 a.m.–3 p.m. on Good Friday, April 3. This silent and powerfully personal time of prayer involves mosaic art images, three-dimensional items, meditations and selected scripture to help you reflect on the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf those final hours.
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Connecting the World With God’s Love April Mission Focus. St. Peter’s is sponsoring the first Walk With a Doc event for the patients of Christ Clinic on Saturday, April 11, at Rick Rice Park located behind CrossPoint Community Church. Check-in is at 7:45 a.m. and the walk starts at 8 a.m. Walk With a Doc is a national program started by a cardiologist to encourage patients to incorporate physical activity into their lives. As the sponsor, St. Peter’s is asking for people to volunteer as walking buddies to provide encouragement to patient walkers. We also need two volunteers who are experienced in taking blood pressures. We are asking for donations of WalMart gift cards to purchase walking shoes. And we are asking for monetary donations so that we can provide healthy snacks and water. You can sign up to volunteer or make a donation on Sunday, March 29 or April 5, at the Information Desk in the Lobby. You also can contact Carolyn Campbell at carolyn.cmpbll@gmail. com to volunteer or for more information. Syrian Refugee Crisis. The Turkish city of Sanliurfa has been overwhelmed by the influx of Syrian refugees fleeing the Islamic State (ISIS). The United Methodist Committee on Relief is supporting the work of partner International Blue Crescent Foundation in providing basic food packages and hygiene kits for families that have been displaced by the fighting. Your gifts to UMCOR enable them to respond to emergency needs like this one around the world, alleviating human suffering in times of crisis. You can donate online at umcor.org or by writing a check to St. Peter’s and putting Advance #982450 in the “for” line.
A new class of Stephen Ministers was commissioned on March 15. Stephen Ministers provide one-to-one care for persons going through difficult times. If you are interested in becoming a Stephen Minister or receiving care, contact Nancy Taylor at (281) 702-2953.
The Seekers of Christ Sunday School class recently partnered with Lakewood UMC to sponsor the Neighbors in Action Easter Party in the Port of Houston area. Children came to hunt for 2,000 eggs in spite of the damp weather. They enjoyed a chicken dinner, crafts, games, and fellowship. The class members said they were blessed by being able to serve and play with the children. They said there is a need for more help in this area of the city and hope to continue to provide assistance through service and donations.
Wednesday Night Dinner 5:00 – 6:30 p.m., Lott Hall April 1 No Wednesday Night Dinner April 8 Creamy chicken over rice, steamed veggies, fruit salad, garlic bread, and chocolate toffee mouse cake Kid’s meal: pizza with cheese sticks Healthy option of a chicken Caesar salad available by reservation Adults/Kids: $6/$3 with reservation Make reservation by Sunday at midnight at stpkaty.org or by 12:15 p.m. Sunday at the Information Desk.
Welcome to Our New Members Tim and Emily Barnhill, Derek and Alyssa Fairchild, Alexis Hyde-Washmon, David and Nancy McBride, Travis and Sharla Myers, and James and Caroline Prescott
ST. PETER’S ATTENDANCE March 15 Traditional Worship 8:30 205 9:45 207 11:00 488 the element 9:45 40 11:00 112 SPLASH 61 Living Stones 271 TOTAL 1,384
March 22 Traditional Worship 8:30 180 9:45 245 11:00 455 the element 9:45 74 11:00 147 SPLASH 66 Living Stones 295 TOTAL 1,462
In Our Prayers PRAYERS
Hua Atkinson, Don Beach, Dennis Bowling, William Clites, Julia Clites, Faunelle Deaton, John Duffield, Caleb Gore, Lu Haas, Joe Hawkins, Art Henderson, Ann Hlinak, Barbara Hobbs, Rick Jage, Brian Jones, Don Kennedy, Wanda Klaus, Betty Marsh, Maynard Robertson, Kathryn Sadowski, Ruby Smith, Spencer Stanford, and Cheryl Swift.
JOY
To Chris and Kayla Smith on the birth of their son Blair.
SYMPATHY
To Marsha Hubbard and family on the death of her mother, Avon Mooney. To Chris, Stephanie, and David Neff on the death of their father and grandfather. To Gwynne Nelson and family on the death of her mother.
PRAYERS FOR OUR MILITARY
Tim and Alison Batig, John Belsha, Will Brandt, Skyler Cook, Westley Freeze, James Gilbert, Tyler J. Gorcie, Dylan Greismeyer, Stephen Travis Harding, Adam Higdon, Matthew Ivester, Mike Linn, Ryan Lueders, Blake Nunes, Ryan O’Quinn, Matthew Platz, Shawn Platz, Hamilton Rencurrel, Jack Ritchie, Don Rolleg, Ben Saunders, Jacob Shinkle, John Simmons, and Jasen Wilson.
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Jamaica continued from page 1
Unit Meeting. All women are invited to the UMW Unit Meeting April 1 at 10 a.m. in E106. Florence Ritchie will speak on “Recognizing Your Spiritual Gifts.” For information, contact Terry Adams at (281) 232-8260. Style Show. Don’t forget to get your tickets to our “Garden of Fashions” show on April 21 at 7 p.m. in Lott Hall. Tickets are $15 and will be available at the Information Desk in the Lobby starting this Sunday.
Children’s Summer Ministries
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ur Summer Ministries for children include Vacation Bible School, Family VBS, Kingdom Kids, Sunny Days, Cooking With Kids, and T Bar M Camp. Registration begins for volunteers March 30, for church members April 6, and for the community April 13. Registration for T Bar M Camp is currently under way. Visit the Children’s Ministries page at stpkaty.org for more information and registration.
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the kids loved the abundant supply of futballs, jump ropes, and cricket sets, which entertained them for hours. They especially enjoyed the task of teaching a bunch of Texans how to play cricket. Another favorite activity was the always-available piggyback rides. It was almost impossible to say no to a small six-year-old girl with so much hope and anticipation in her eyes, no matter how much your back was throbbing. Most of the Hampstead kids were able to join us for sports ministry in a nearby field in the afternoon, where the playing would continue with some bubbles and kites thrown in here and there. One of the other opportunities we had while in Jamaica was helping construct a house for Ms. Doreen, the janitor of the Hampstead School. We were able to put most of the walls up and set all the posts in concrete, which was a huge Meagan Albosta success and help. We were also able to visit the preschool and fell in love with the little ones who have so much joy in their hearts and so much laughter to go around. One more stop we made was to the infirmary, which was my favorite part of the trip. The infirmary in Jamaica is for older citizens who do not have a family to take care of them and for the mentally and physically disabled. If you really want to witness God working in a place, travel to that infirmary. There is a resident there named Richard, who for the past three years has asked our group to bring him a violin. It was an odd request, but we were able to finally place one in his hands. The smile that lit up his face brought me to tears, and just seeing the way he could not contain himself as he played on the violin was such a special moment. The residents there are truly special. All of those hours and days spent in Jamaica will forever be in my mind, and I want to thank everyone who donated time or money or prayed for this trip. Without all of that, Richard may not have gotten his violin, those kids would not have experienced the love and attention we gave them, and the team and I would never have had the opportunity to hold the people of Jamaica in our hearts. Thank you so very much!
Student Ministries Holy Days of Prayer. All sixth- through 12th-graders and parents are welcome to join us for prayer and breakfast Monday through Wednesday of Holy Week. We will meet March 30 and 31 and April 1 from 6:30-7 a.m. in the Sanctuary Lobby. Summer Camps. Camp Connect: June 8-12; students currently in 6th8th grades; cost: $100; deadline: April 15. U.M. ARMY Mission Camp: June 21-27; students currently in 9th-12th grades, college students, adults; cost: $250; deadline: April 15. Student Life: July 5-11; students currently in 8th-12th grades; cost: $499; deadline: March 31. Scholarships are available; contact Jason Trice at
[email protected]. A deposit of $100 is required to hold your spot for all camps. Full payment due May 15. Adult volunteers are needed. Please consider coming to any of the three camps with us. Register at STPstudentministries.org. For more information on any of these camps, call (281) 492-8031, ext. 319, or e-mail
[email protected].
Club 45, our fourth- and fifth-graders, had a car wash this last Sunday that raised more than $300. All proceeds went to the Freedom Walk, which helps end slavery in Sudan. The children worked hard cleaning up cars for a great cause.
Daily Bible Reading March 30 – April 5 MONDAY Isaiah 50:4-9a TUESDAY Psalm 31:9-16 WEDNESDAY Philippians 2:5-11 THURSDAY Mark 15:1-47 FRIDAY John 12:1-11 SATURDAY John 12:20-36 SUNDAY John 13:21-30 April 6 – 12 MONDAY John 13:1-17, 31b-35 TUESDAY John 18:1-19:42 WEDNESDAY Matthew 27:57-66 THURSDAY John 20:1-18 FRIDAY Jeremiah 32:6-15 SATURDAY 2 Peter 1:16-21 SUNDAY Jeremiah 29:4-14
Garden of Fashions Style Show April 21, 7 p.m., Lott Hall sponsored by United Methodist Women Tickets are $15 and are available Sunday at the Information Desk in the Lobby. Proceeds benefit UMW missions.
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S unday Worship 8:30 a.m.
St. Peter’s United Methodist Church 20775 Kingsland Blvd. Katy, Texas 77450
Traditional Worship with Holy Communion
9:45 a.m.
Traditional Worship the element Contemporary Worship Sunday School for All Ages
10:30 a.m.
Living Stones St. Peter’s West Campus at Cinco Ranch High School
11:00 a.m.
Traditional Worship the element Contemporary Worship SPLASH Children’s Worship Sunday School for Adults
St. Peter’s Events Calendar
Ways you can help
Sunday, March 29 Palm/Passion Sunday 9:45 and 11:00 a.m. Fauré’s “Requiem” Sanctuary 11:00 a.m. SPLASH Seder Meal SPLASH Theatre Tuesday, March 31 6:30 a.m. Morning Prayer with FAM Conference Room Wednesday, April 1 10:00 a.m. United Methodist Women E106 5:30 p.m. Easter Egg Hunt Church Grounds Thursday, April 2 7:00 p.m. Holy Thursday Service Sanctuary Friday, April 3 7:00 p.m. Good Friday Service Sanctuary Sunday, April 5 Easter 6:30 a.m. Easter Sunrise Service Parking Lot 8:00 a.m. Traditional Worship Sanctuary 9:30 a.m. Traditional Worship Sanctuary the element Lott Hall 10:30 a.m. Living Stones Cinco Ranch H.S. 11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship Sanctuary the element Lott Hall Tuesday, April 7 6:30 p.m. Smocks for Life Asbury Hall Wednesday, April 8 9:00 a.m. Prayer Quilt Ministry S201 10:00 a.m. UMW Board E106 5:00 p.m. Wednesday Night Dinner Lott Hall 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Nights at St. Peter’s Various Thursday, April 9 10:00 a.m. Brown Bag Bridge Asbury Hall Detailed weekly calendars of St. Peter’s events are available on our website.
Donate to UMCOR. Help alleviate the suffering of Syrian refugees who have been forced out of their country because of the offensive launched by ISIS. Visit umcor.org to donate.
Go to summer camp. Serve as an adult volunteer at U.M. ARMY, Camp Connect, or Student Life Camp. Contact Heather at hharmison@stpkaty. org or (281) 492-8031.
Volunteer as a greeter. Sign up on the poster at the Information Desk in the Lobby to help greet at our services during Holy Week and at our traditional Easter worship services. With all the guests who attend St. Peter’s during this time, we need as many people as possible to help greet and direct them.
