Discover
YOUR FAITH.
Live
Grow
IN COMMUNITY.
GOD’S MISSION.
DEEPER WITH CHRIST VOLUME 3 ISSUE 4 2016
HOLY COMFORTER LUTHERAN CHURCH 1901 WOODLAND HILLS DRIVE - KINGWOOD, TX - 281.358.6500 - GODEEPERWITHCHRIST.ORG - FACEBOOK.COM/HOLYCOMFORTERLUTHERAN www.godeeperwithchrist.org 1
PASTOR’S MESSAGE Greetings brothers and sisters in Christ— Why host a HUGE party? Why host a HUGE party at Holy Comforter? Why host a HUGE party at Holy Comforter for the community (i.e. outside of ourselves)? I know these were questions on the hearts and lips of many within the congregation. Let me explain… The vision for The Kingwood Oktoberfest is “a community-wide, family-friendly festival designed to get Holy Comforter Lutheran Church and School better known in the community, and through this personal contact with the community, to help the community get a glimpse of the love of God for all people through Holy Comforter.” In professional church leadership language, The Kingwood Oktoberfest is a bridge event--a bridge between the church and the community. The intent of a bridge event is to give the community a nonthreatening event to attend at the church. It is estimated that 70% plus of America is unchurched. We are probably looking at three to five generations of folks who have never attended, participated, or correctly understood the mission, the purpose of the church. For many outside of the church, the only perception of the church and church-goers is what is given in the media. The unfortunate thing about this portrayal is that much of what is portrayed are listings of dos and don’ts, what and who the church is against, and who God condemns. This is not the message of the Lutheran Church and certainly not the message of Holy Comforter Lutheran Church and School. We are a people who live life in light of God’s unconditional love for all people. This is a church where everyone is welcome. This is a place where we practice what God will have us do within our communities, our workplaces, schools, neighborhoods, families, etc. We are a people with a clear message of a loving God, who goes to extreme measures to be right with His people, including the giving of His Son as model and Messiah, and gives the church a clear mission: Go and Make Disciples. The mission to go and make disciples means to share the good news of God’s love in Christ through our contact and connection with others, those on the outside of the church. This brings me back to “Why host a HUGE party at Holy Comforter for the community (i.e. outside of ourselves)?” We are called to share the good news. What better way to get the community here than through a party where we celebrate and make connections with our community? To show what the church is like and what she does? To live as examples of servants and hosts of our living, loving God? People of Holy Comforter, you did a great job at The Kingwood Oktoberfest. Well over 100 of you volunteered as hosts doing whatever needed to be done. You gave generously in support of TKO (The Kingwood Oktoberfest). You welcomed over 1200 people to the event. You invited, cleaned, gave directions, served the community and beyond. Great job and thank you. Next year The Kingwood Oktoberfest will be held on Saturday, October 21, 2017. Mark your calendars. Live Music, Dancing, Food, Beverages, Fair Trade Sale, Booths, Games and Activities will all be part of this amazing annual festival. All hands will be needed to make it a success again. Next year we plan on bigger and even better. I believe in what can be accomplished through getting folks on the site of Holy Comforter-getting HCLC known and showing folks what the church is and can be. One of the greatest compliments I received the day of The Kingwood Oktoberfest 2016 was, “Pastor, I think you’ve gotten Holy Comforter ‘on the map’.” We now will take TKO deeper in order to give folks a glimpse of the kingdom of God at work and invite them to join in. Thank you and Peace,
Pastor Barb A note of special thanks to the Vision Team of The Kingwood Oktoberfest: Steve Bost, Michele Dykstra, Colleen Engel, Ken Holder, Christy Janacek, Rick Janacek, Dawna Kaleda, Peter Kaleda, Dale MacNaughton and Barry Stucky.
Discover
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Faith Story: Cathie Tanner[page
4] Worship & Music Ministry [page 5] Christmas @HCLC [page 6] Reformation 500 [page 6]
Grow
[page 6] Praise Walkers [page 6] Primetimers [page 7] Women of the ELCA [page 7] First Place 4 Health [page 7] Stewardship Team [page 7] Early Childhood Education [page 8] Second Family Care Team [page 8] First Place 4 Health
Live
Gathering Place
[page 9]
[page 9] Associate Pastor’s Message [page 10] Sandwich Sunday [page 11] Reformation Beer & Hymns [page 11] Kingwood Oktoberfest [page 12] Prayer Shawl & Quilting Ministry
GO! GO! is a quarterly magazine produced and published by the members of HCLC. The content of this magazine is intended to be shared. It is designed by Michelle Palmer and printed by PostNet - Kingwood. Editor’s Note: For article and photo submission, please contact Pam MacNaughton at 281.358.6500 or pam@godeeperwithchrist.org.
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Faith Story:
Cathie Tanner
When I first heard of plans for an Oktoberfest, I was not impressed. In fact, I was pretty much opposed to the idea. I decided if “they” wanted to do something that outrageous, I would just stay out of it. Guess what? “They” did it! I do not know what exactly I expected, but the reality was so much more. Many people had to work very hard to make it all work. The weather, of course, was fabulous. The large tent sheltered everyone from the sun and provided ample places to sit and listen to music, or dance, or eat. The children’s area looked like so much fun, I wished I had a grandchild close. One thing that struck me was the number of people in wheelchairs that attended. I also saw some of the partners from our Gathering Place. What a safe, close, easy-to-access place for our friends to enjoy some time outside. One girl was being wheeled around by about six friends. Our guests seemed to be having a great time. The food sold out twice, so they must have come hungry. The next day, as I was out for my walk, a neighbor mentioned they had driven by and it looked great. They were not able to attend but maybe next year. As we stood in the narthex on Sunday and watched the slideshow of the pictures Steve Hansen took, Steve Bost summed it up, “When they left, the parents were smiling and the kids were tired.” You can’t do much better than that. So I was wrong. I do not know how the planners pulled it together in such a short time, but they did an outstanding job. The volunteers did a super job of setup and manning the booths. Next year they can count on me to be there- helping, not doubting. By Cathie Tanner
Going deeper in faith, service, & relationships Worship & Music Ministry in 2016
Quotes about Music Ministry at HCLC A few quotes from HCLC worshippers this fall:
“God Be in My Head was a beautiful prayer, beautifully sung [by Voices of Praise, women’s choir]. It will remain with me all week.” “Today’s [Gloria Dei Choir] anthem was wonderfully sung. The text was crisp and clear and every word was understandable.” [about Poor Man Laz’rus, a spiritual] “I LOVED the harpsichord sound on the organ with the choir a couple of weeks ago.” [said by a teen] Singing the Fauré Requiem and the other music at the 9/11 Service of Remembrance as part of the large choir from various churches was “definitely a bucket list experience.” Chimes during The Lord’s Prayer
I recently was asked why we hear chimes from the organ during The Lord’s Prayer at Holy Comforter. Church bells are used in many Protestant and Roman Catholic churches. They can signal that worship is beginning, can ring in joy after a wedding, or toll after funerals as the coffin leaves the church. In small towns, church tower bells were used to call people together for a variety of purposes. Chiming during The Lord’s Prayer at 6:00 a.m., noon, and 6:00 p.m. is an old practice calling the faithful to pray wherever they were, influenced by the Jewish custom of praying three times a day. (See Psalm 55:17 and Daniel 6:10.) At the sound of the church tower bells, the people knew that they would be praying with other members throughout their community. To this day, many churches including Holy Comforter continue to ring church bells during the recitation of The Lord’s Prayer. By Marsha Seale Minister of Worship & Music All together now!
All ages participate in Father Abraham What is this???
Camp Hope worship at WoW
Even big kids love the corn dig! Young leaders
Leading at WoW
Singing and acting Father Abraham
Leading Camp Hope worship at Wow Following directions at WoW
Getting into the choreography Bird hears singing inside HCLC and wants to join in!
So much fun at WoW!
Solfege hand signs - with attitude!
Playing Orff instruments in elementary music!
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CHRISTMAS WORSHIP @HCLC
Christmas Eve Worship: Candlelight Communion at all services 5:00 p.m. Family Worship with music led by Voices of Praise (women’s choir) 8:00 and 11:00 p.m. Festival Eucharist for all with music led by Gloria Dei Choir (mixed choir) and professional brass quartet Christmas Day Worship on ONE SERVICE at 10:00 a.m.
Sunday, December 25
New Years Day Worship on ONE SERVICE at 10:00 a.m.
Sunday, January 1
Tidings of Comfort and Joy
By Marsha Seale
Advent Midweek Worship 2016 – 7:00 PM on Wednesdays The coming of Jesus promises comfort and joy for all of us. Zechariah, Joseph, Mary, and the shepherds responded to the news of Jesus’ birth in various ways. How might we respond, physically and emotionally, to this season? Join us in these brief services to explore through scripture, prayer, reflection, and song: Nov. 30 – Fears Dec. 7 – Confusion Dec. 14 – Doubt
REFORMATION
500
From our bishop, Michael Rinehart: “Martin Luther posted the 95 Theses on the eve of All Saints in 1517, sparking what is now known as The Reformation, a period of history that reordered the church, and to a great extent, European society. [October 31,] 2017 will be the 500th anniversary of this watershed moment in history. How shall we mark this milestone?” At Holy Comforter, we began our commemoration with the Kingwood Oktoberfest for the community and with worship on Reformation Sunday 2016. Martin Luther is responsible for many church reforms and for much of our Lutheran heritage and tradition. Watch for interesting facts, music, classes, devotionals, and more about the Reformation and its impact on our lives in the ever-renewing church and in the world today.
First Place 4 Health: Starts new session
First Place 4 Health is an all-around health program that address physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. A weekly Bible study is included in the program. This session began on Wednesday, September 21, at 9:15 a.m., and will continue through Wednesday, December 14. Cost for the session is the price of the Bible study book, which is usually around $20. Another session will begin sometime in January 2017. Watch for more information on that. For questions contact Beth Moseman 281-358-5501. By Beth Moseman
PRAISE
WALKERS
Praise Walk is a group that meets every morning from 8 – 9 a.m. Monday - Friday for an hour of exercise in the narthex area using mostly DVDs with a variety of types of exercise (walking, aerobics, weights, bands, etc.). Anyone is welcome to join us. Call Beth Moseman 281-358-5501 for details. By Beth Moseman
Women of the ELCA
WELCA’s last General Meeting was held on Sunday, September 24, 2016, after church. It began with a delicious pot luck luncheon. After a short business meeting, Beth Moseman introduced the guest speaker, Misa Nguyen, director of Programs for United Against Human Trafficking. The WELCA Concerns project for November is Azleway. A basket is available in the Narthex for donations. We are collecting new, unwrapped toys for children ages newborn to 18 years old, which will be Christmas gifts. The WELCA Concern for December and January will be items for the Star of Hope Mission. Watch for needed items near the basket in December. The next General Meeting of WELCA will be held Tuesday, January 31, 2017, in Luther Hall. The program will be on Peru, presented by members of the congregation who traveled to Peru and our partner congregation there last summer.
By Faye McKinzie
PRIMETIMERS 2016 The Evolution of a Primetimers’ Event
Twice each year Harris County’s Precinct 4, which furnishes transportation to more than 300 cultural and charitable organizations, takes requests for bus service in support of their work. In our case it would be transportation to two or three events, and our membership was asked in September for suggestions on events which they would like to attend. Three or four members replied, saying they wanted to attend a performance of the Alley Theatre’s annual production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. So we compared the Alley’s schedule of performances with Precinct 4’s listing of available bus dates and saw that we had a match for Sunday, November 20, when there would be a matinee performance of the play. However, Precinct 4’s policies require that complete itineraries for their buses be submitted no later than 30 days prior to the event. This meant October 20 was our deadline, and that was very close to Holy Comforter’s Oktoberfest event. But we did not want to conflict with the promotion of Oktoberfest by actively promoting another event. We decided to do our preliminary work for our event behind the scenes until the Oktoberfest was over. A signup sheet for our event was created and names were added to it discreetly when individual members informed us of their intention. Finally, on October 23, the day after the Oktoberfest, the sign-up sheet was displayed in the narthex with 14 names on it. Meanwhile, we had ordered tickets for the play once we knew we had reached the ten-person minimum to obtain our bus, and Precinct 4 had promised us a bus
that could carry up to 26 passengers. And, after the signup sheet was posted, our list of 14 names grew into one with 23 names, which was dangerously close to the 26-passenger maximum. So Precinct 4 was asked if we could have a larger bus if our list should exceed 26, and they replied by committing to a bus which holds 36 passengers. We have 23 persons, so we must order nine more tickets. We must also alert Birraporetti’s Italian Restaurant that we will want to make a reservation for dinner after the show. We have used that restaurant before, and its popularity may contribute to our getting up to 13 more persons to sign up for the event. Precinct 4 will also furnish us with buses on February 18 and March 18 next year. A number of potential events are being considered to use those buses. One of them is for a play at the Stages Theatre in which four busboys are struggling to improve their lot. In another an actress in the Stages Company plays a nun who delivers hilarious advice to newly-married couples. We could also return to the Alley to view a play about vampires, and the jewel of the menu is a revival at the Hobby Center of the musical, The King and I. More information about these possible events will be given as we get closer to them in time. By Frank Kopta
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Early Childhood Education@HCLC FALL 2016
Mrs. Snyder’s class misses the Texans’ J.J. Watt
Laser Tag
Roving Reader Cathie Tanner reads to 2 year olds.
Safety week included Bike Werks from Kingwood. School celebrates Green Eggs and Ham day.
School invites dads to come for Dining with Dad School children hang bird feeders during Secret Service Club.
Photos by Colleen Engel
Second Family Care Team Reorganizes On Tuesday, December 6, our Second Family Care Team (SFCT) will be meeting in the narthex at 7:00 p.m.
to create Christmas bags for our care partners and a few others. Anyone interested is welcome to join us. The SFCT is a ministry that provides practical, emotional and spiritual support to our care partners. We do such things as visits, household tasks, transportation, social outings, assistance with errands, and more depending on the needs of each individual. We are committed to serve with dignity, compassion and respect for each person. Currently we have 10 care partners that we are assisting. If this sounds like something you would enjoy doing, please contact Beth Moseman 281-358-5501. We can always use more volunteers! By Beth Moseman
GATHERING
PLACE
The Gathering Place at HCLC meets on the first Friday of each month to offer respite care to families with a loved one who has dementia, Parkinson’s, stroke, etc. During the hours that care partners are at HCLC our volunteers engage with them in activities, crafts, exercise, music, and more. We offer entertainment and lunch along with fellowship and support. Our next Gathering Place will be Friday, December 2nd from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Our theme is “Light” and we will feature Voices of Praise as our entertainment. Come and find out
what The Gathering Place is all about. Upcoming Gathering Place dates are January 6 (Campbells Soup), February 3, and March 3. If you are interested in volunteering (once a month) or know someone who would benefit from attending The Gathering Place as a care partner please contact Pam MacNaughton 281460-9252 or Beth Moseman 281-358-5501. By Beth Moseman
Prayer Shawl & Quilting Ministry with Middle School Youth When our Middle School youth affirm their faith at Confirmation, they promise to “serve all people, following the example of Jesus, and to strive for justice and peace in all the earth.” (Evangelical Lutheran Worship, page 236) Therefore, in light of this promise, our middle school youth are learning to serve from our elder adults who are serving the neighbor through the Prayer Shawl and Quilting ministries. Our youth learned to crochet and how to create a quilt through these amazing mentors. Thank you Beth, Velma, and Faye for sharing your skills with us! Recent quilts from Holy Comforter were given to the people in Angola through Lutheran World Relief ’s ministry. By Pastor Amy
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ASSOCIATE PASTOR’S MESSAGE God’s grace and peace be with you! Eight people from Holy Comforter Lutheran Church traveled to Peru in August to build a relationship with our partner congregation, Fiel es Dios in Iquitos, Peru. Fiel es Dios is located in Belen, the poorest part of Iquitos. Because many of the children rarely have the opportunity for a day of fun outside the neighborhood, we took them to a local zoo and beach. The children especially enjoyed the beach, swimming and jumping in the water. We spent the whole day there. We also worshipped on Sunday with them and we spent the afternoon playing soccer and creating a banner together. The children and their moms were happy to see us. Pastor Yoly thanked us many times for our visit and our accompaniment of the church’s ministry. Come and learn more about our travels and our ministry with Fiel es Dios on Sunday, 1/8/17 at 9:30 a.m. and on Tuesday, 1/3/17 at 7:00 p.m. in the gym area. We have built 6 wells for Water to Thrive, a ministry that brings clean, safe water to those who need it in rural Africa. One well provides clean water for a village. We are in the process of raising funds for our 7th well. Wells cost $5000. Come and learn about Water to Thrive and our partnership with them on Sunday, 1/15/17 at 9:30 a.m. in the gym area of the church. It’s the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017. The Reformation was a revolution within Christianity that started in 1517 in a little university town called Wittenberg when Martin Luther proposed 95 statements for debate about the Christian faith. To celebrate the Reformation and to learn more about this time in our faith history, several new classes with be offered on Sundays for adults at 9:30 a.m.: A Simple Way to Pray written by Martin Luther and The Called Life in Relationships, Work, and Community. Please join us in learning!
God’s Peace, Pastor Amy
Sunday, October 30
Reformation Sunday!
Celebration Church in Cypress hosted the 3rd annual Reformation Beer & Hymns event at Saint Arnold Brewing Co. in Houston. Sixteen members of Holy Comforter joined a group of approximately 250 Lutherans in a good ol’ hymn sing. We made a joyful noise and enjoyed some tasty Saint Arnold brews. The $4,050 raised will benefit
S
mission starts in the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod – Kindred Community, Misión Latina Mesa Abierta, St. Francis of the Island, and Umoja Church. You can read more about these new missions by visiting: gulfcoastsynod.org/congregations/new-missions/ By Pam MacNaughton
December 4
Sandwich Sunday is our outreach ministry on the first Sunday of each month. We will gather in Luther Hall on Sunday, December 4, to assemble over 500 lunches to be delivered to Star of Hope Men’s Development Center. While lunch-making food items are always welcome, the Sandwich Sunday Team is making a special request to finish out the year. Because the first Sunday of January falls on New Years Day, we will not be making lunches. Instead, we ask that you be generous with your monetary donations for the remainder of 2016. We will then present Star of Hope with a check to purchase supplies for the lunches to be assembled by them at the Center. Thank you for your continued generosity for this ministry of Holy Comforter. By Pam MacNaughton, Photos by Christy Janacek
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OKTOBERFEST 2016
Photos by Steve Hansen
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OKTOBERFEST 2016
Photos by Steve Hansen
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Holy Comforter Lutheran CHurch Staff
The Reverend Barbara Bartling Pastor Amy Oehlschlaeger Marsha Seale Bill Goebel Pam MacNaughton Colleen Engel
Senior Pastor Associate Pastor Minister of Worship and Music Financial Secretary Director of Administration Education Director
pastorbarb@godeeperwithchrist.org pastoramy@godeeperwithchrist.org marsha@godeeperwithchrist.org bill@godeeperwithchrist.org pam@godeeperwithchrist.org colleen@godeeperwithchrist.org
Church Council Members
Sheryl Stucky – President Al Schmit – Treasurer Brad Goodwin Sancy Rhodes
Hans Kell – VP Steve Hansen - Secretary Steve Bost
Holy Comforter Lutheran Church is the sum of its members blessed and empowered by the Holy Spirit to do ministry together. We are a traditional church & congregation that thinks and works “outside the box” to bring progressive ministries, services, programs and outreach to our local community and beyond! Holy Comforter Lutheran Church & School was the first church and preschool program in Kingwood, Texas. We are a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Visit www.godeeperwithchrist.org for more info on our Mission & Vision, History, Pastor, Staff & Council, Ministries, Communion Policy, Testimonials & Worship Services. Cover Photo by Melissa Schiefelbein