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st. t i mothy’ s
January 2015
St. Timothy’s Anglican Church
6819 Louetta Rd.
Spring, TX 77379
281-255-4111
Times
St. Timothy’s Anglican Church
Spring, TX
From the Rector
Contents
Father Stan............................1, 2, 3, 4
Dear Parish Family,
Deacon’s Desk..................................4
I am writing this article before Christmas and you will be receiving it just after
Christmas, but let me re-emphasize some of the truths we have been dealing with Spiritual Champion..........................4
this holy Season of Christmastide.
Mission & Outreach.........................5
We have once again paused to remember the birth of Jesus Christ which happened Evangelism.......................................6
over 2,000 years ago as the King of Kings left the glories of Heaven to walk the
Eventfully Speaking.........................7
dusty roads of this earth.
Picture Pages................................8, 9
Birthdays
01/01 Ed Bock
01/02 Donna Ritts
01/03 Jim Kirk
Gwynn Miracle
01/05 Gale Farquhar
Grace Kenney
01/06 Helen Eche
Scotty Scott
Donna Settles
Erma Wetmore
01/07 Bob Benning
Frank Longoria
Trace McMahon
01/08 Paul Leonard
01/09 Charlotte Goetz
01/10 Mike DiBiasio
Bob LaCoste
01/11 Wayne Ballentine
Scott Boyd
Blake Muskiet
Issac Seiver
01/12 Audrey Aringo
Jesse Greenwood
Patrick Howard
01/13 Christina Flower
Robert Legler
01/15 Suzanne Arnold
01/17 Bianca Phillips
Kathy Williams
01/18 Lauren Spiess
01/22 Pam Pavelka
01/23 Wyatt Greenwood
Jackie Savacool
01/24 Keith Armstrong
01/25 Gene Chism
Fr. Oscar Gallego
Dominique Hill
Elvira Ontiveros
01/26 Fr. Stan Gerber
Michael Koehler
01/27 Andy Austin
Lourdes Aviles
Julie Miracle
01/28 Harry Harrington
Clayton Melanson
01/30 Rebekah Greenwood
Marian Mann
Marivi Rodriguez
Phyllis Zapp
When we think of Christ at the time of birth, we can’t help but be reminded of His
Christian Formation........................10
meekness and humility as He took on the form of flesh.
STAFF
Fr. Stan Gerber, Rector
Fr. Oscar Gallego, Assisting Clergy
Fr. Jeff Minshall, Pastor of Youth Ministry
Fr. Bill Kotlan, Pastor of Spiritual Formation
Deacon Larry DiSano, Pastor of Pastoral Care
Deacon John Pegues, Pastor of Adult Education
Deacon Jennifer Scherzer,
Pastor of Children’s Education
Nicholas Gerber, Praise Team Leader
Kris Heeter, Financial Secretary
Susan Howard, Nursery Coordinator
Caye Lankford, Special Events Coordinator
Mike Mason, Music Director
Carol McBee & Valerie Shepherd, Altar Guild
Zachary Musick, Sub-Organist
Meagan Patton, Office Administrator
Tracy Pegues, Evangelism Coordinator
Charlotte Talley, Parish Cook
VESTRY
Kathy Boggs(2017)
Rachel Boyd (2015)
Bob Capps(2017)
Patrick Howard (2016)
Judith Jordan (2015)
Joe Kenney (2016)
Tommy Lamb (2017)
Robbie Sheltz (2015)
Merrill Stanley (2015)
Anne Sundquist (2016)
George Vick (2016)
Mike Weil (2017), Treasurer
E-MAIL
Fr. Stan Gerber: [email protected]
Newsletter:
[email protected]
WEBSITE
www.sttimothysanglican.org
STAY & Youth Minister..................11
Luci Shaw writes in Leadership Magazine of the amazing contrast between the Lamb
Women’s Ministries........................12
and the Lion, and I wanted to take a moment to share that with you here.
Men’s Ministries.............................13
“The Lamb says: simplicity, meekness, white fleece, smallness, innocence, purity,
helplessness, submission to sacrifice. The Lion says: strength, size, golden mane, New Flock on the Block.................14
grandeur, courage, untamed power. How paradoxical that both images speak of
Christ! Neither is a perfect image; each symbolizes different characteristics of the Vintage Flock..................................15
same infinite Person.”
Our Mission Is: We Will Know, Love,
When we really think about this, we are reminded of the fact that Christ meets our
needs in so many ways! In other words, there is not a need outside of His ability
to get involved in a personal, loving way on our behalf. Christ cannot be put in a
“box” and defined by our human thoughts with all the parameters and limitations
that go along with them.
Serve, and Obey Christ and Will Make
Him Known to Others!
Our Core Values:
Growing and Discipling the Family of
God
Reflecting the Love of God Through
Hospitality, Friendship and Fellowship
I want to encourage you today to remember that Jesus Christ is all you really need!
All the other components of life that we would call blessings are gifts from His
the Living God Through
hands, and we must express our thanks to God for those things and people who Encountering
Traditional and Contemporary
enhance our lives in so many ways.
Worship
Jesus came to this earth not only that we would have life, but that we would
experience and know abundant life! I pray that you will experience this abundant life
in this new year. Make it your goal to abide in Christ, and allow Him to abide in you,
and you will be amazed at the things He will do in your life as you place Him first.
I appreciate you, and pray that you and your loved ones will know Jesus during this
new year in a way you’ve never known Him before… and then, that you will share
the “Lion and the Lamb” with others!
A Huge Thank You
To all who made the Christmas Holy-days so very wonderful: everyone from Office
Staff to Altar Guild to musicians, to sound technicians, to greeters and ushers, to
Vergers, acolytes and Lectors, to children in the pageant, and everybody in-between.
(Fr. Stan cont. on pg. 2)
Raising and Nurturing Children
through the Grace of God
Sharing God’s Love By Reaching Out
to the Needy, Broken, and Oppressed.
(Fr. Stan continued)
January 4th – Annual Parish Meeting
With Epiphany Pageant, Burning of the Greens and a Mexican
Potluck. Reports from vestry and different ministries will
be distributed at the meeting. We will have no elections for
vestry because that was done in October.
Spring Growth Groups
Will begin the week of January 19. This semester we will
focus on the Bible using as a resource, the Baby Boomer
Bible Study Book: an Introduction to the Bible. This book
contains lots of information about the bible, including graphs,
charts and maps. We will cover topics from the beginning
to the end of the Bibles: from creation, the call of Abraham
along with his descendants, Moses and the Exodus, Jewish
celebrations, worship, the Promised Land, the Judges, King
David and Solomon, The Northern and Southern Kingdoms,
chronological events during this division of the North and
South, the deportation and exilic period, the Psalms and
Prayer Shawl Ministry
Wisdom literature, Intertestamental writings, the Jewish
religion at the time of Jesus, The New Testament – its
structure and chronology, the Four Gospels, Old Testament
prophecies fulfilled by Jesus, The birth, childhood, and adult
teachings of Jesus – including the parables and miracles, the
twelve Apostles, Holy Week and Easter, Major characters in
the New Testament, Paul and his missionary journeys and
teaching, the remaining letters of the New Testament.
An evening of games and a potluck dinner for adults.
All adults are invited to join us for this evening of
food, friends, conversation and a little competition.
We will also have a Financial Peace University Class and
a Thursday morning Beth Moore Women’s Bible Study.
Our next gathering is on Saturday, January 17, for our
next car rally! Meet at 7pm at St. Timothy’s.
We hope you will be involved in these teaching and
fellowship opportunities.
Bring money for dinner at a near-by restaurant.
Stephen Ministry
Our new Stephen Ministers will be commissioned on Sunday,
January 18. Congratulations and thank you for the hard work
of studying and preparing for 14 weeks.
The Last of the ‘Most Important Events in Cristian History’
Now meeting on the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month at
St. Timothy’s.
Let’s Needlepoint!
We have started two different needlepoint
groups.
• Tuesdays from 1:00-2:30 in the Parish
Hall
• Wednesdays from 7:00-8:30 in the
Green Cross Room
65—Peter and Paul are executed; martyrdom of the church’s two greatest apostles forces church leadership into a new
era. 150—Justin Martyr’s First Apology, the work of the first major scholar-apologist, makes Christianity reasonable to
thinking pagans. 180—Irenaeus’s Against Heresies leads the fight against the powerful Gnostic heresy. 196—Tertullian
begins writing, with his legal-trained mind, major writings that promote purity of life and doctrine. 215—Origen begins
writing brilliant works that “provided a foundation for the great ecumenical councils to come.”
We invite you to come &
stitch each week after that on
either Tuesday afternoons or
Wednesday evenings, same
time and place as the classes.
Tracey Weissling & Lucy
Sefcik will be your instructors.
230—the earliest known public churches are built, signaling a shift in Christians’ life and practice. 250—Empire-wide
persecution under Emperor Decius causes thousands to fall away and produces a major schism in the church. 270—Anthony
takes up solitude, attracting many to asceticism and prayer and paving the way for monasticism. 312—The Donatist Schism,
over treatment of apostates from the Great Persecution, challenges thinking about the church.
(Fr. Stan cont. on pg. 3)
This month the Rosary is offered
on the third Wednesday of the
month January 21
at 5:30pm
2
Epiphany
&
Annual Meeting
Bethlehem Bound and Burning of the
Greens
Sunday, January 4, 5pm
Followed by Mexican Potluck and
our Annual Meeting
Ed. Note - Picture on front page is The Baptism of Christ, Daniel Bonnell, 1999
Incense Sundays
11:00 am service the second Sunday of the month
January 11
February 8
8:45 am service the third Sunday of the month
January 18
February 15
Paseo is a three day weekend that helps you experience your
faith and encourages a spiritual life that is filled with joy and
enthusiasm. It offers a deeper understanding of the teachings
of Jesus and how we can serve Him. It is an experience of
living and sharing with others in a loving and caring Christian
community and realizing that this can be extended into our
own environment. It is a continuing community that gives
support and encouragement, empowering the renewed
Christians to persevere in carrying out their Baptismal vows.
You are invited to join us on September 10 – 13 2015. Want
to know more? Ask me, Fr. Stan, Anne Sundquist, or anyone
that you see wearing a rainbow lanyard.
Janie Wilson
Rectora, Paseo #7
Cross Wall
We are still working on our
wall(s) of crosses. If your family
has not contributed a cross yet, we
would like to encourage you to
bring one. Please make sure you
put your family name on the back
and give it to Mary Hargis or turn
it into the front office.
Christian Empire
358—Basil the Great founds a monastery, laying foundations for religious communities ever after. 381—First Council
of Constantinople ratifies the Nicean Creed and condemns Apollinarianism, safeguarding a high view of Christ. 390—
Ambrose defies Emperor Theodosius, refusing him Communion after his brutal killing of thousands in Thessalonica; the
act influences church-state relations for generations.
Scripture & Meditation is offered
on the second Wednesday of the
month - January14 at 5:30pm
Questions? Call Mary Lee Turk at
281-256-1772.
Paseo
In every monthly newsletter, I have been offering an article from the ‘Christian History Magazine’ which is a tool used for
catechizing. These articles come from the magazine’s understanding of what they believe are the 100 most important events
in Christian history. These last 75 are brief listings of the other 75 significant dates that earn a place in the “CHRISTIAN
HISTORY 100”
75 Other Important Events in Christian History
We were having so much fun that we decided to meet two
times each month. Everyone is invited to join us. Don’t
know how to knit? No problem, just show up and we will
teach you!
Vintage Flock
Merry Christmas to all of our church friends and hope you all have a wonderful New Year.
The Vintage Flock is looking forward to a great New Year with many new projects.
God’s blessings,
Sue
15
(Fr. Stan continued)
432—Patrick’s mission to Ireland breaks heathenism and
fosters Christianity, leading to a flourishing Celtic church.
529—Justinian’s Code is published; it becomes the basis for
later canon law in the West, thus shaping medieval society.
the new FLOCK on the BLOCK
Young Family Ministry
“To
strengthen
and
encourage young families
to walk and grow in Christ’s
love.”
This ministry will help young families connect to each other and to Christ
through several family-oriented activities, fellowship and Christ-centered
conversations. We invite all families who have a child 5 or younger to
join us! If you have a young one and older ones too you are welcome to
bring the older ones along.
Do you have a great story and/or craft for Story Time or just like
to read to children? We’d love to have you join us as a guest reader
or crafts person on Thursday morning sometime. Just see Susan
Howard or call the Church office at 281-255-4111.
Storytime Thursdays at 10am
Join us for Storytime with juice and snacks
every Thursday in the Nursery.
A Note on our Cry Room
The Cry Room – probably one of the most
misunderstood spaces in a church setting. It
implies an attitude of “take children out of here
so we can worship!” or, even worse, “children are
not welcome here.” That implication could not be
farther from the truth. St. Timothy’s always has and
always will continue to advocate children staying
in the service as much as possible.
Kudos and Congratulations!
Congratulations
to our newly commisioned
Stephen Ministers:
Nettie Briggs
Judy Heyer
Patrick Howard
Marty Medford
Lee Stein
Marlene VanHorne
We would like to celebrate important events in our members’ lives. If you
have a Kudos or Congratulations for the month please email it to Tracy
at [email protected]. Please use the subject line Kudos. All
notices are due by the 15th of the month PREVIOUS to the occurrence.
14
Sometimes, however, there are moments when
a child needs a little extra attention – and a little
extra space to be given that attention. That’s why
we planned the Cry Room. It gives parents a room
where the child can be spoken to and dealt with,
without drawing unneeded attention, until the child
has calmed down. The service can be seen through
the window and heard through the speaker system
so that parent and child still are a part of worship.
Children are an important part of our parish. We
don’t ever want to minimize their role here – they
are our future and we cherish them. Use of the
Cry Room affords all of us an opportunity to
worship corporately, children and adults alike, in
all situations.
The St. Timothy’s Cry Room is located in the
Conference Room, directly behind the sound booth.
Middle Ages
590—Gregory the Great becomes pope: The “first of
the medieval popes” takes on civil power and lays the
foundations for the papal state. He also commissions, in
597, Augustine’s mission to England, which converts the
pagan Angles. 663—Synod of Whitby decisively aligns the
English church with Rome for the next nine centuries. 716—
Boniface’s mission to the Germans spreads Christianity to
pagan northern Europe, preparing the way for the later Holy
Roman Empire. 732—Battle of Tours: Frankish general
Charles Martel halts the seemingly unstoppable Muslim
invasion, keeping Europe under Christian control. 800—
Charlemagne crowned Holy Roman Emperor: With the
help of his adviser, Alcuin, the seven-foot-tall king brings
Europe political unity, a stronger church, and a renaissance
of learning.
910—the monastery at Cluny is founded, the genesis of a
reform movement that spreads to over 1,000 communities
and revitalizes monastic life for hundreds of years. 1093—
Anselm named archbishop of Canterbury, a post from
which he writes lasting works on the Atonement and proofs
for God’s existence. 1115—Bernard founds monastery at
Clairvaux: The “father of Western mysticism” strengthens
the monastic tradition.
In approximately 1150, the Universities of Paris and Oxford
are founded, fostering higher education and, eventually, a
modern world view. 1208—Francis of Assisi renounces
wealth in order to preach a simple, passionate gospel, and
later founds the Franciscan Order. 1215—Innocent III calls
the Fourth Lateran Council, which climaxes the rule of
the medieval church’s most influential pope and defines
transubstantiation. 1220—Dominic establishes Order of
Preachers, who travel barefoot, teach, and convert heretics.
1321—Dante’s Divine Comedy gives masterful poetic
expression to medieval concepts of heaven, hell, and
purgatory, and shapes later thought. 1370—Catherine of
Siena’s Letters, a treasure of Western mysticism, are begun.
1380—John Wyclif supervises Bible translation, leaving
the first complete English Bible. 1453—Constantinople
falls to the Turks, ending a millennium of Christianity in the
Eastern Roman (“Byzantine”) Empire. 1479—The Spanish
Inquisition, under Ferdinand and Isabella, begins against
baptized Jews and Moors.
Reformation
1518—Ulrich Zwingli is called as people’s priest in Zurich,
where he begins his radical break with Catholic practices and
lays the foundation of Reformed theology. 1529—Colloquy
of Marburg: Here, however, Zwingli and Luther’s differing
views on the Lord’s Supper lead to separate Reformed and
Lutheran churches. 1530—Augsburg Confession, written
largely by Philipp Melanchthon, definitively expresses
Lutheran beliefs. 1540—Ignatius Loyola receives approval
for the Society of Jesus, the Jesuit “soldiers of Christ” who
help preserve and extend Catholicism.
1549—Book of Common Prayer, the service book of
the Church of England, is drafted by Thomas Cranmer.
1559—John Knox returns to Scotland and, despite being
outlawed, champions a bloodless Reformation, secured the
following year. 1598—The Edict of Nantes officially ends
persecution of French Protestants (Huguenots), whose years
of suffering included the infamous St. Bartholomew’s Day
Massacre in 1572. 1609—Separatist pastor John Smyth
baptizes himself and about forty adults, the start of modern
Baptist denominations.
1633—Galileo is forced by Rome to recant his belief in the
Copernican theory (that the earth revolves around the sun);
tensions heighten between Christianity and modern science.
1646—Westminster Confession, the definitive statement
of Presbyterian beliefs, is drafted. 1648—the Peace of
Westphalia ends the Thirty Years’ War, settling European
wars of religion and effectively ending the papacy’s political
control over large areas.
Age of Reason and Revival
1652—George Fox founds Society of Friends (“Quakers”),
gathering 50,000 followers in just eight years. 1675—Jakob
Philipp Specner’s Pia Desideria (Pious Desires) launches
the influential Pietist movement. 1678—Jailed Baptist
preacher John Bunyan writes Pilgrim’s Progress—next
to the Bible, the most-popular English-language book of all
time. 1707—Isaac Watts’s Hymns and Spiritual Songs,
with 600 hymns including “When I Survey the Wondrous
Cross,” moves the church from nearly exclusive singing
of metrical psalms to the hymn singing we know today.
1732—First Moravian missionaries, spurred by an earlier
religious awakening in their small community of Brethren,
launch the modern missionary movement. 1735—George
Whitefield is converted and soon begins dramatic open-air
evangelism in the U.S. and England. 1780—Robert Raikes
begins Sunday school to teach poor local children, creating
a lasting institution.
Age of Progress
1789—The Bill of Rights guarantees freedom of speech,
assembly, and religion to Americans; the French Revolution
leads later to the Festival of Reason and de-Christianization
of France. 1807—William Wilberforce’s efforts lead to the
abolition of the British slave trade. 1816—Richard Allen
becomes bishop of the new African Methodist Episcopal
church, which later publishes the first African-American
newspaper and magazine.
1835—Charles Finney’s Lectures on Revivals is published,
explaining the “scientific” methods the revivalist used in
converting 500,000 people. 1833—John Keble’s sermon
launches the Oxford Movement, encouraging high-church
worship, authority, and tradition within the Church of
England.
1844—Søren Kierkegaard’s Philosophical Fragments is
published; his works attack formalized Christianity in favor
of the personal leap of faith.
(Fr. Stan cont. on pg. 4)
3
(Fr. Stan continued)
1855—D. L. Moody is converted and goes on to become
the greatest evangelist of his era. 1864—Syllabus of
Errors, issued by Pope Pius IX, rejects modern societal
trends, including liberalism and socialism. 1870—The
First Vatican Council declares papal infallibility (when
the pope speaks ex cathedra on matters of faith or morals).
1878—William and Catherine Booth found the Salvation
Army, soon a worldwide thrust for social and spiritual
salvation. 1886—Student Volunteer Movement begins,
ultimately stirring 20,000 college students to become
Christian missionaries. 1906—The Azusa Street Revival
begins in Los Angeles under William Seymour’s leadership,
spreading Pentecostalism.
Age of Ideologies
1910—The Edinburgh Missionary Conference, an
interdenominational gathering chaired by John R. Mott,
births the modern ecumenical movement. 1910—The
Fundamentals, a twelve-paperback series presenting
conservative doctrine, is launched, signaling the rise of
fundamentalism. 1919—Karl Barth’s Commentary on
Band of Brothers
Romans rocks the theological world by breaking with
liberalism for a “neo-orthodoxy.”
1931—C. S. Lewis’s conversion gives rise to numerous
theological and apologetic books that explain Christianity to
twentieth-century people. 1934—Wycliffe Bible Translators
begins under Cam Townsend, providing Scriptures for
hundreds of language groups with no Bible. 1940—First
Christian television broadcasts are made. 1941—Rudolf
Bultmann calls for demythologization of the New
Testament message into terms acceptable for moderns.
1945—Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Letters and Papers from
Prison call for costly discipleship in a difficult world. 1948—
The World Council of Churches is formally constituted,
uniting nearly all major Western denominations. 1949—L.
A. Crusade catapults Billy Graham to prominence, and
with ensuing crusades he preaches to more people than any
evangelist in history. 1954—United Methodists grant full
ordination to women, signaling increasing leadership for
women in mainline and other churches. 1960—Charismatic
renewal advances following national attention given to
Episcopal rector Dennis Bennett’s experience.
Men’s Ministry
Join us on Saturday, January 17, at 8:00 am, as we gather for fellowship, breakfast, prayer,
study and encouragement. If you would like to help George Vick and team prepare
breakfast, come early at 6:15 am! All men 18 years and older are invited to attend!
This month, Deacon John Pegues will be leading our study on God’s will. Following a
new format in 2015, the Band of Brothers leadership is encouraging personal testimony
to support our study. In January, Tommy Lamb will be speaking to his relationship with
God and how the Holy Spirit has moved him in his daily walk with the Lord and His flock.
Ewe won’t want to miss it! (That’s b-a-a-a-a-a-a d, I know…)
Please bring your bible and a friend…we look forward to seeing you then!
The Band of Brothers
has Adopted the 'Oikos'
Lifestyle.
Come and see what it is all
about!
From the Deacon’s Desk
I pray to God that you all may be full of Joy in 2015. Many
of you who completed the Anglican Catechism course last
year are familiar with Jesus’ call to joy through sanctification.
The last question (Q 345) was on Joy, it asked “With what
attitude should I live my life of sanctification?” the answer
given is “God calls me to a life of joy. Constant thoughts
of God’s love for me, and of my hope in Christ, will keep
me always rejoicing. (Philippians 4:4, 1 Thessalonians 5:
16-19).” We are all called to holiness and thereby joy in our
Lord Jesus Christ. Note that we are not called to happiness
which is fleeing and based on an object. Instead we are called
to joy which is everlasting and based on a relationship with
Jesus. Sanctification is a process of ever seeking to deepen
our relationship with Jesus. We are called to become perfect
as Jesus was perfect. Unfortunately many of us interpret this
as a call to become Jesus himself or one of the Saints. We
look at Jesus and the Saints and try to be just like them. We
certainly can learn and try to emulate them but we are not
called to be someone other
than ourselves. Thomas Merton said ‘for me to be a saint
is to be myself’. It is the ever deepening relationship with
Jesus through the Holy Spirit that sanctifies. Therefore do
not be discouraged because you cannot be just like Jesus or
one of the saints. We forget that the Apostles and the other
saints that followed were all flawed just like us. We tend to
take the rough edges off and put saints on a pedestal. Then
when we realize that we cannot be holy like Jesus or even
Mother Teresa we give up and stop trying. I encourage you
not to give up but instead continue to seek Jesus in your
life and the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit. Become
the saint God meant for you to be. If we are to reach out to
unbelievers and the unchurched we must strive to be holy
and full of joy. It is the joy in us based on our relationship
to Jesus that the world perceives and is drawn to seeking.
So I encourage you that if you seek to be a disciple of Jesus
Christ and bring the Good News to a fallen hurting world,
seek holiness and be filled with joy.
Deacon Larry
Becoming a Spiritual Champion
St. Agnes
Child-Martyr at Rome
January21
According to tradition, Saint Agnes was a member of the
Roman nobility born 291 AD and raised in a Christian family.
She suffered martyrdom at the age of twelve or thirteen during
the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, on 21 January 304.
Agnes, whose name means “chaste” in Greek, was a
beautiful young girl of wealthy family and therefore
had many suitors of high rank. Details of her story are
4
unreliable, but legend holds that the young men, slighted
by Agnes’s resolute devotion to religious purity, submitted
her name to the authorities as a follower of Christianity.
Because of her total dedication to Christ she stated that
she preferred even death of the body to the death of her
consecrated virginity. The Governor condemned her to death.
Agnes was as happy as a bride on her wedding day. She did
(continued on pg. 5)
Dear Father Stan and the Congregation of St. Timothy,
To God be the glory for the good works you perform!! Home
Place of Texas is humbled and thankful for you. The men and
women of Home Place love coming into this house of God
because they feel His Presence in the buildings and in the people
they meet.
I personally experienced God’s Spirit when I spoke to you
about the work of Home Place. My talk and Fr. Stan’s sermon
were on the topic! On that one day, we received a generous love
offering, made contact with potential volunteers, and met Scot
Boyd of Raising Cane restaurants who is supporting us with a
service project , a donation, an auction item, and opportunities
to participate community night at his restaurants.
Your contribution helped us raise $60,700 for the HPOT Turkey
Trot. This money will go for the programming and activities of
the Day Program at Home Place of Texas and allow men and
women with disabilities to learn about God and His plan for them.
Join us on
Saturday, January 17, at
8:00am as we gather for
prayer, encouragement,
fellowship and breakfast. All
men 18 and older are invited.
Dear members of St. Timothy’s Anglican Church,
Thank you so much for your commitment to the Cuban
Church both financially and in prayer.
God’s people in Cuba are in much need of both, yet God
has both blessed and protected His people there. May
your church continue to prosper as you are helping our/
His Cuban churches to do so.
In Christ,
Bishop Charles and Claudia Dorrington
Notes
s
nk
a
h
T
of
You are truly being the hands and feet of Christ in our community.
Please continue your good work. When people ask me how
Home Place is funded, it is a joy and privilege to tell them about
St. Timothy’s Anglican Church. Thank you for your service to
Home Place of Texas.
“Let your light shine before men, that then may see your good
works and glorify you Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
June Jones
Executive Director
Home Place of Texas
13
M
Marys and Marthas:
Sisters Seeking and
Serving Our Savior
Women’s Ministry
Mission & Outreach
Gather Around the Letters Postmarked Thessalonica
Join us on a journey to Greece to the city of Thessaloniki with Beth Moore as our tour guide for
the Children of the Day eight week Bible study. From this vantage point, the second largest city
in Greece, we will take a closer look at the New Testaments books of 1st and 2nd Thessalonians.
Scholars believe these to be some of the oldest books written by Paul that became part of the
New Testament. Paul had only three weeks to preach to the people there before an angry mob
led to his swift exit. Paul was so concerned for the church at Thessalonica, so he attempted to
return. His efforts were frustrated so he sent Timothy in his place to see how they were doing
and seek to encourage them. Paul then began to write a two letters to gives explanation for why
Help TOMAGWA While You Shop at
Amazon
Don’t forget to bring non-perishable
food items on Sunday, January 4th and
Sunday, February 1st for T.E.A.M.
Tomball
Emergency
Assistance
Ministries
he had not returned, praise the young church’s progress and give further instructions and clarifications. Our trip begins on
Thursday January 22nd in the Blue Cross Room at 9:30 a.m. Sign up online or in the pew and we will save a workbook for
you. Hope to see you there!
She Acts: Uniquely Fashioned for His Purpose
In the book of Acts there are many stories of women and their unique role as disciples.
The apostle Paul writes specifically about the Thessalonians, “Some of the Jews were
persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and
not just a few prominent women.” (Acts 17:4) So who were these prominent women
and how did they fulfill their unique calling? And what of the other women mentioned
in Acts like Lydia and Dorcas? Deacon Lisa Schwandt of HopePointe, Shelly Sorem of
Grace Anglican, Katy, and Anthea Kotlan of St.Timothy’s will lead the teaching team.
And yes, there will be skits or dramatic presentations that will provide considerable
amusement. Join us for the evening of February 27th and the day of the 28th for She
Acts: A Diocesan Women’s Retreat at beautiful Camp Tejas in Giddings, Texas. Register
today at our website.
Questions or suggestions for women’s ministry at St. Timothy’s,please contact: Anthea
Kotlan 936-271-4816 or [email protected]
Daughters of Honor
Prayer, Study, Service and Evangelism
Daughters of Honor will meet on Saturday, January 17. We begin at 9:15 with Holy Eucharist
in the Chapel, then refreshments and our meeting in the Blue Cross Room.
Guests are always welcome to attend our meetings.
During our January meeting we will be making plans for a new Bible study and events for the
New Year!
Ladies Night Out
Ladies for dinner, great conversation
and fun on Tuesday, January 13 at
7:00pm. This month we will gather at
Cheddar’s, located
at Louetta and IH45.
See you in January!
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Amazon has a foundation called “Amazon Smile”. They
will donate 0.5% of qualified purchases to TOMAGWA.
The next time you check Amazon to purchase something,
please go to Smile.Amazon.com, using this link,
http://smile.amazon.com/ch/76-0280324
Amazon Smile offers most of the same products at the
same prices as the regular site. This is an easy fundraiser
for TOMAGWA. Amazon will donate money once a
quarter, based on the purchases for that quarter. We have
a few donors that are already using Amazon Smile to shop!
Thanks and happy shopping!
Resolve to Sponsor: Time Out to Tackle Trafficking
On Sunday February 1st at 3:30 p.m. we will gather in the sanctuary to pray for those affected
by human trafficking. Sadly Super Bowl weekend will see a huge surge in the human trafficking
as the demand for prostitution sky rockets.
This guided time of prayer will feature music and have time to intercede with different types
of prayer. Join us as we cry out to our Father to rescue all who are victimized. The members of
Resolve, a fairly new ministry of our church, will sponsor this event and everyone is invited to
join us. Resolve was created to prayerfully seek solutions for the problem of human trafficking.
Here are a few stunning statistics to help you understand why we must be proactively seeking
to take a stand against this problem.
•
•
•
•
•
Houston has an estimated 6,000 runaways each year which is a major risk factor for
human trafficking.
The U.S. Department of Justice considers the I-10 corridor to the NO. 1 CORRIDOR
for human trafficking in the country.
1 in 4 human trafficking victims pass through Texas.
1 in 3 children who run away from home are lured into sex trafficking within the first
48 hours of being on the streets.
15,000 victims come across our borders every year for trafficking, but there are 200,000
domestic girls involved with trafficking.
This is our problem because our children, friends, and neighbors are being victimized. Won’t
you join us to stand in the gap at such a time as this? Resolve meets monthly on the first
Wednesday in the Blue Cross Room at 7:00 p.m. We meet again on January 7th. Contact
Anthea Kotlan at [email protected] or 936-271-4816.
Please join us
for prayer on
February 1st at
3:30pm
(Spiritual Champion continued)
not pay attention to those who begged her to save herself. “I
would offend my Spouse,” she said, “if I were to try to please
you. He chose me first and He shall have me!” Then she
prayed and bowed her head for the death-stroke of the sword.
Source: Celebrating the Saints
Catholic Online
Others commemorated in January include:
Julia Chester Emery
Antony
St. Timothy & St. Titus
Thomas Aquinas
Charles - King and Martyr
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Evangelism
My article this month is going to be a bit different. I beg your
indulgences as I ‘evangelize’ on an important subject that
has recently touched our St. Timothy’s family.
As some of you know, prior to my teaching career, I worked
in the Organ Transplantation Dept. at UTMB/Hermann
Hospital in the Texas Medical Center. One of our main jobs
was to do the cross matches required between a donor and
recipient. These tests helped determine which patient could
safely and more successfully accept an organ from a donor.
Organ transplantation has come a long way since my days
in the lab. When I was working, Hermann’s transplants were
limited to kidneys, though at that time we also did cross
matching for heart transplants at St. Luke’s.
Today, organs that are transplanted include: kidney, heart,
liver, lung, pancreas and intestine. Different types of tissue
can also be donated. These include: bone, tendon, cartilage,
corneas, skin, heart valves, nerves, vessels and the middle ear.
Each day an average of 79 people receive organ transplants,
but at the same time, an average of 18 people per day loses
their fight while on the waiting list for a transplant. As of 2013
there were over 120.000 people on the transplant waiting list,
but only 14,000 actually donated that year.
There are two types of donors, deceased and living. A
deceased donor can save up to 8 lives through organ donation
and enhance another 50 lives through tissue donation.
Because of improvement in anti-rejection medications the
opportunities for living donors have increased tremendously.
Back in my day, people almost exclusively donated kidneys
to a relative. Now donations to non-related recipients are
possible. Living donors can potentially donate a kidney,
a lobe of their liver, a part of or an entire lung, part of a
pancreas or intestine.
An interesting side note; there are on occasion living heart
donors. These people due to severe lung disease receive a
heart/lung transplant and then donate their healthy heart to
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another person. Ultimately though, this type of situation does
require a deceased donor as well.
Living donors can also donate amnion, skin, bone (after joint
replacement surgery), bone marrow and adult stem cells.
Many of you have been tissue donors as well when you
have donated blood or platelets. Blood and blood product
donations, as well as bone marrow donations may be made
multiple times because these tissues are replaced by the body.
There is a tremendous need for organ donors. The greatest
need is for minority donors: African American, Asian, Pacific
Islander and Hispanic/Latino. While organs are not matched
by race, compatible blood types and tissue markers are more
common within ethnicities. Thus the larger the donor pool,
the better the odds for a close match. Though the need is
greater in the minority communities, the donor shortage
spreads across every group.
If you desire to become a donor discuss your decision with
your family and doctor and make sure they know of your
wishes. It is also important that you register as a donor. Once
you are registered your wishes cannot be revoked if you
qualify. There is no age limit to becoming a donor. Know
that your decision will in no way alter the quality of care
you will receive in the hospital or an emergency situation.
Your doctor’s first goal is your life. Organ donation does not
go against what we believe as Anglicans. Also know that a
donor’s family will incur no cost related to their donation.
The bottom line is that there is a severe shortage of usable
organs for donation. We have several parishioners here at
St. Timothy’s who are with us because of the generosity
and gift of an organ or tissue from donors. I would ask that
you prayerfully consider becoming an organ or tissue donor.
Questions? There are many resources on the web. A great
place to start is organdonor.com and donatelifetexas.org.
Ready to register? Go to donatelifetexas.org and fill out the
form.
Peace,
Tracy
Thoughts from the Youth Minister
Revelation 7:9-10 reads “After this I looked, and behold, a
great multitude that no one could number, from every nation,
from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before
the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with
palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud
voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb!’” At this point, we can only imagine what
it will be like when God’s kingdom reigns on Earth just as it
does in Heaven. At that time, believers from every people
group, every nation, every kind of people will be together
worshipping Jesus. What a beautiful picture it is of God’s
redemptive work building a tapestry of redeemed humanity
together.
Sometimes, though, it is hard to imagine this could ever be
because I see my fellow men and women, even Christian
brothers and sisters, so preoccupied with arguing and fighting
that nobody seems to be listening any more. Recently, I had
a conversation with an old friend surrounding recent protests.
He is one of the few people that I have been able to have a
real conversation with on this topic because although we hold
very different views, we were able to put aside preconceived
Canterbury Kids
Everyone can serve the Lord even "kids". One of the
ways the kids of St. Timothy's (ages 6 -12) serve is by
joining Canterbury Kids Choir. We meet Wednesday
evenings from 5:00-6:00 just before the evening service
and other small groups. You don't have to be a great
singer, we'll teach you, but you do need to be ready to
work together as a team to serve the Lord through praise
and song. Come early at 5:00 and check us out, we've
got a spot waiting just for you.
For more information talk to Lisa Musick.
Calling all kids from
4 years old to 6th grade!
Join us as we present this year’s Epiphany show
Bethlehem Bound. Casting and rehearsal will
be on Sunday af ternoon, January 4 at 4pm.
The show will begin the same day at 5pm. We
need adult helpers too. Contact Deacon Jennifer
with any questions or if you would like to help.
notions and start with the assumption that we both might be
wrong about some things. It was wonderfully refreshing and
it really made me think about the sermon I was in the middle
of writing about God’s love come down in Jesus’ birth. It
also made me think about the reality I learned in seminary
that the only thing I can really change is my own reaction.
I can change how I respond to people by loving them more
and showing them more grace than they deserve; giving
them the benefit of the doubt that they are sincere, even those
times I know they are not. My challenge to you would be to
really find ways to put that into practice as we move from
the Christmas season into Epiphany. As God’s revelation
becomes the center of our worship, who needs your love and
grace more than your condemnation and debates? The truth
is that we all want to be right, even me, but often God’s call
on us is not to be right but to love one another the way Jesus
loves us. With an unending, never-stopping, never-giving up
love. I pray that Saint Timothy’s will be a beacon of light
to the broken world which will turn everyone who comes in
contact with our parish towards the light and love of Christ.
Blessings,
Fr. Jeff+
STAY - 7th - 12th Grade
St. Timothy’s Anglican Youth
Dec. 31 - Jan. 1 NYE Video Game & Movie Lock-In (8PM - 9AM)
Jan. 4 Sun. 6PM
Youth STAY Leadership Meeting
Jan. 7 Wed. 6:45 - 8:30PM STAY
Jan. 11 Sun. 6PM Adult STAY Leadership Meeting
Jan. 14 Wed. 6:45 - 8:30PM STAY
Jan. 18 Sun. 6PM YouthSTAY Leadership Meeting
Jan. 21 Wed. 6:45 - 8:30PM STAY
Jan. 11 Sat. 1 - 5PM STAY Planning Meeting Creating our Vision
Jan. 11 Sun. 6PM Adult STAY Leadership Meeting
Jan. 28 Wed. 6:45 - 8:30PM STAY
Feb. 1 Sun. TBD
Superbowl Party
Invite your friends!
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Christian Formation
Eventfully Speaking
ST. TIMOTHY’S EPIPHANY
CELEBRATION
& ANNUAL METING
Chidren & Youth Education
The New Year has begun with all its promise and brightness.
I would like to suggest for all parents of children in the age
range of 4 years to 6th grade that one of your resolutions be
bringing the children to Sunday School. We choose one story
per month to look at in various ways, sometimes cooking,
sometimes art, sometimes something we’ve never before
tried. Our five-year goal is to present 60 stories from the Bible
for the children which they can remember and apply in their
lives. Our framework for the two main semesters is based on
these 7 concepts: Creation, Man’s Fall, God Keeps Calling,
The Righteous Few, The Law & Its Purpose, Redemption
and Proclamation. During the summer we choose 2-3 stories
that we consider important enough without fitting them into
the framework and Advent and Lent have their own cycle.
Thus, last summer, we studied David, Saul and Solomon
and in Lent & Advent we took on Palm Sunday and Isaiah’s
Prophecies. Each story, whether from the Old Testament or
the New, points to Christ as our salvation and Savior.
Some of the workshops we will use include: computers,
Cooking, Science, Games, Missions and so much more.
We try to find interesting and innovative ways to teach the
children the lessons so that they stay with them throughout
their lives. We were thrilled during our VBS last summer to
find that many of our Sunday School children could tell us the
Moses stories we used. They had learned them the year before
in Sunday School and had remembered them. Nothing makes
a teaching team happier than when the children remember
and repeat (we’ll be doing a lot of that this year also).
We are excited about our new lineup for the spring, which
begins this month. Here are the five stories chosen for the
Spring semester:
Jesus Appears to the Disciples (yes, it’s Easter this
month!): Memory Verse John 21:17b
Jesus is Baptized: Memory Verse Luke 3:17
The Last Supper (special Lenten study): Memory
Verse Luke 22:19b
Jairus/The Sick Woman: Memory Verse (to be
announced)
The Great Commission/Philip and the Ethiopian:
Memory Verse Matthew 28:19
On the Youth Education slat wall each month, you will
find a calendar of the rotations. We’d love to be a part of
your child’s life for their formative years. If you have any
questions, ask – we’re more than eager to answer!!
Well, there’s the lineup for the fall. We’re hoping that there
is enough interest generated from this list that parents will
at least give it a try for their children. We start the class at
10:00 with snack time (so they can skip the food table in the
Parish Hall) and then spend 30 minutes in the lesson. While
we would love more time each week, we have found that we
can get a lot of learning done in that time.
Deacon Jennifer & the WoRM Team
(Lisa Musick, Anna Weil, Susan Howard, Tracy Pegues,
Janie Wilson, Kim Willoughby, Kelly Edwards, Tracey
Weissling, Anne Sundquist)
Sunday, January 4, 2015 at 5 pm
We will begin with a presentation of
Bethlehem Bound
before moving outside for the
Burning of the Greens followed by our annual
Mexican Pot Luck Dinner
Bring a Dish to Share!!
Travel with Marty & Ramona
to Bethlehem for their special
“Star Search”
JANUARY 4 AT 5:00 PM
ADULT EDUCATION
J.I. Packer in his book Grounded in the Gospel: Building Believers the Old Fashioned Way, argues that the Anglican Communion
needs to go back to the basics in order to avoid the problems that have plagued the modern church. We have used his basic
model to lay out our Adult Education program over the last couple of years, starting with Alpha, then adding the Catechism
and finally by teaching a basic Bible study that covers the whole Bible. These foundational courses are designed to be repeated
periodically in order to insure that newcomers have an opportunity to share in our common understanding of what it means
to be an Anglican. It is our belief that these are necessary ingredients for those who wish to experience the full benefits of
discipleship that leads to membership and leadership within the church body. For those that have already been members
they have provided a great opportunity to have deeper discussion and fellowship and to reaffirm our shared sense of values.
If you have not yet experienced these three programs, we will be offering them again in the future and we encourage you to
join us in our shared journey as we seek to be transformed into the image that Christ has modeled for us.
Sweetheart Dinner
Sunday, February 8, 2015
5:30 PM / Parish Hall
This is always a popular and fun night for our
adults and STAY kids.
Proceeds benefit STAY.
Watch the Sunday Bulletin for details.
For those of you who just completed the catechism class we would ask you to take a few minutes to look back through the
materials and write us some suggestions for how the material might be altered and improved before we present it again in the
future and share it with other members of the ACNA. I have already gotten some written feedback and we thank those of you
who have taken the time to email Deacon John ([email protected]) with your suggestions and observations.
10
7
Thanksgiving
Dinner
Breakfast with Santa
Women’s Advent
Luncheon
Dedication
of
our new
stained
glass
Holy
Baptism
Landon
&
Lyla
Mann