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Spring TX Permit #558
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NOVEMBER 2014
St. Timothy’s Anglican Church
6819 Louetta Rd.
Spring, TX 77379
281-255-4111
st. t i mothy’ s
Times
St. Timothy’s Anglican Church
Spring, TX
From The Rector
Dear Parish Family,
Contents
Father Stan............................1, 2, 3, 4
Deacon’s Desk..................................4
From Websters Dictionary: Stew•ard•ship:
noun \ˈstü-ərd-ˌship, ˈstyü-; ˈst(y)u̇rd-\ : the activity or job of protecting and being Mission & Outreach.........................5
responsible for something
Evangelism.......................................6
Eventfully Speaking.........................7
Full Definition of STEWARDSHIP
1: the office, duties, and obligations of a steward
2: the conducting, supervising, or managing of something; especially the careful Spiritual Champion..........................7
and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care
Picture Pages................................8, 9
Birthdays
11/01 Art Blancas
11/02 Caroline Davies
Lizbeth Ibarra
Casey Johnson
Jane Pavelka
Emma Williams
11/03 Nancy McCracken
11/04 Diana Sullivan
11/06 Paul Lankford
11/07 Bill Hyer
11/08 Sue Cox
11/09 Phyllis Mueller
11/10 Diann Brooke
11/11 Reese Boyd
Jim Maxey
Wade Seiver
11/12 Joe Boyd Williams
11/13 Andrew Heeter
11/14 John Moran
11/16 Eric Ritts
11/17 Linda Tervay
Landen Ross
11/19 Oralia Cain
Brandon Drath
Galen Mansee
11/20 Tom Burgess
Brandon Geer
11/21 Bob Capps
11/22 Gail Cahill
11/23 Caleb Aringo
Mary Capps
Mackenzie Seiver
11/25 Martin Aringo
Santiago Gallego
Ify Ibekwe
Aaron Scherzer
Grant Seiver
11/26 Jeannye Jobes
11/27 Kaylun Bradley
Nettie Briggs
11/28 Jennifer Goslin
11/30 Mary Gerber
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
Stewardship comes in many packages, and is practiced by every one of us in one Christian Formation........................10
way or another every day of our lives.
STAY & Youth Minister..................11
Parents are stewards of the children God has provided. -- Teachers are stewards
of the students in their classrooms. – Priests are stewards of the people in their
congregations. – Children are stewards of their playthings. – Christians are stewards
of the churches in which they worship – and are stewards of the people who have not
yet been brought into the Kingdom of God. Folks, stewardship is practiced every
single day by every single person.
Now, I am not saying that everyone practices good stewardship. Oftentimes parents,
teachers, priests, children, and Christians are not good stewards over what has been
given to them. Oftentimes we neglect our responsibilities. Oftentimes we think
that what we have, i.e., money, possessions, children, students…, belong to us. But
they don’t. Everything we have is a gift from God and He expects us to use it for
our enjoyment and His glory.
Women’s Ministries..................12, 13
Men’s Ministries.............................13
New Flock on the Block.................14
Vintage Flock..................................15
Our Mission Is: We Will Know, Love,
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
Bad stewards do not recognize the tremendous blessings that come from practicing
good stewardship. They do not recognize that it is more blessed to give than to
the Living God Through
receive, and that blessings are returned to the giver sometimes up to 10, 20 or 100 Encountering
Traditional and Contemporary
percent. Good stewards realize the blessings because they have experienced them Worship
in their lives.
Raising and Nurturing Children
through the Grace of God
There are so many missed opportunities to bless God by our lack of providing for
Sharing God’s Love By Reaching Out
His Kingdom on earth --- His Church --- His Body.
to the Needy, Broken, and Oppressed.
The other day I ran across the story of a man who had a great opportunity that he
missed. His friend took him for a ride one day way out in the country. They drove
off the main road and drove through groves of trees to a large uninhabited expanse
of land. A few horses were grazing, and a couple of old shacks remained. The friend,
Walter, stopped the car, got out, and started to describe with great vividness the
wonderful things he was going to build. He wanted his friend Arthur to buy some
of the land surrounding his project to get in on the ground floor.
But Arthur thought to himself, “Who in the world is going to drive twenty-five miles
for this crazy project? The logistics of the venture are staggering.”
(Fr. Stan cont. on pg. 2)
(Fr. Stan continued)
And so Walter explained to his friend Arthur, "I can handle
the main project myself. But it will take all my money. But
the land bordering it, where we're standing now, will in just
a couple of years be jammed with hotels and restaurants and
convention halls to accommodate the people who will come
to spend their entire vacation here at my park." He continued,
"I want you to have the first chance at this surrounding
acreage, because in the next five years it will increase in
value several hundred times."
"What could I say? I knew he was wrong," Arthur says. "I
knew that he had let this dream get the best of his common
sense, so I mumbled something about a tight-money situation
and promised that I would look into the whole thing a little
later on."
"Later on will be too late," Walter cautioned Arthur as they
walked back to the car. "You'd better move on it right now."
And so Art Linkletter turned down the opportunity to buy up
all the land that surrounded what was to become Disneyland.
Prayer Shawl Ministry
His friend Walt Disney tried to talk him into it. But Art
thought he was crazy.
My friends, our Lord has shown us in the Scriptures that
we have many opportunities to expand His Kingdom by
bringing the world to Him. But there are so many missed
opportunities, because our finite minds are sometimes
overwhelmed with the infinite possibilities of God, and so
we place limits on our giving, on our loving, and on our
serving, either because we believe that what we have belongs
to us, or because we do not believe in the infinite power and
authority of God.
Now meeting on the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month at
St. Timothy’s.
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.
Our next gathering is on Friday, November 21, at
6:45pm.Watch the bulletin for more information.
I ask each of you to begin praying about how you might
respond to our upcoming stewardship campaign (see
schedule below). Listen to the voice of God, weigh your
financial responsibilities for your well-being, and give
generously to support the work of God’s Church here at St.
Timothy’s.
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
Stewardship Schedule
October 27 – A Stewardship Letter and Pledge Cards will be mailed
November 2 – Lay Witnessing on Stewardship
November 3 – Parish ‘‘Ketch-Up’ Gathering at 6:30pm to elect Vestry members (stewards of the church’s finances)
November 9 -- Stewardship Sunday – a day to return your Commitment Cards to the Offering Plates
Then 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.
Veteran’s Day Sunday – November 9th
Mary & Martha’s Women’s Retreat – Nov 14-15 Camp Tejas, Giddings, Register online at StTimothysAnglican.org
Parish Thanksgiving Dinners -- November 16 – 12:30 and 5:00pm
Diocesan Synod 2014
The Anglican Diocese of the Western Gulf Coast Synod 2014 will be held on Friday, November 7th and Saturday, November
8th, 2014 at HopePointe Anglican Church (333 S. Panther Creek Dr., The Woodlands). The theme of our Diocesan Synod
2014 is “Forward, Forward, Always Forward, Everywhere Forward.” The event will be a time of learning, sharing, and
equipping for every leader (lay and clergy) in our diocese. Our keynote speakers will be Bishop Clark Lowenfield and Bishop
Terrell Glenn. Please invite other servant leaders from your church to this event and plan to be blessed by this investment
of time! At the Synod we will welcome into the diocese several new clergy and one or two new parishes.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7TH SCHEDULE
7:00 p.m.
Synod Opening Eucharist (Bp. Clark Preaching)
8:15 p.m.
Dessert Reception
Vintage Flock
(Fr. Stan cont. on pg. 3)
This month the Rosary is offered
on the third Wednesday of the
month November 19
at 5:30pm
2
Parish “Ketch-Up”
Gathering
Monday, November 3
6:30pm
Vestry Elections
A light dinner will be served
Questions? Call Mary Lee Turk at
281-256-1772.
Let’s Needlepoint!
Things to watch for in November:
Scripture & Meditation is offered
on the second Wednesday of the
month - November 12 at 5:30pm
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!
Incense Sundays
11:00 am service the second Sunday of the month
November 9
December 14
8:45 am service the third Sunday of the month
November 16
December 21
Ed. Note - Picture on front page is The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins, William Blake, 1882
Our annual Christmas Ornament Sale will be on Sunday, November 2nd and 9th, following all services.
We will meet for lunch and games on November 11th at 11:30am, bring a dish and join the fun. We will not meet on
November 25th during Thanksgiving week.
The annual Brookwood trip is on Tuesday, November 18th. The bus will leave at 10:30am. Lunch will be on your own at
Brookwood. Please call Nancy Kison at 281 397-9450 to reserve your space.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Blessings,
Sue
15
(Fr. Stan continued)
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH SCHEDULE
7:30 a.m.
Continental Breakfast and Registration
8:00 a.m.
Morning Prayer
8:30 a.m.
** Business Session - required for Diocesan delegates
9:30 a.m.
Plenary I (Bp. Terrell Glenn)
10:15 a.m.
Deanery Gatherings and Clergy Wives Gathering
11:15 a.m.
Congregational Testimonies
12:00 p.m.
Lunch at Roundtable Gatherings
1:30 p.m.
Plenary II (Bp. Terrell and Bp. Clark)
2:15 p.m.
Closing Worship
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.
REGISTRATION FOR THE DIOCESAN SYNOD 2014 CAN BE FOUND AT WWW.DWGC.ORG
$10.00, payable by cash or check made out to the Anglican Diocese of the Western Gulf Coast, which you can bring to the event.
Most Important Events in Christian History --- The nineteenth of the Top 100
Storytime Thursdays at 10am
Join us for Story Time with juice and snacks
every Thursday in the Nursery.
Thanks for a
Kudos and Congratulations!
Holy Baptisms
Grace McIntyre
- granddaughter of
Cherie Forester
Cruz Garcia
Olivia Kyser
Thanksgiving for the birth of Natalie to
Nicole Cruz
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
successful Fall
Festival
Thank you to everyone who helped
make this such a great event!
In every monthly newsletter, I am 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.
The Great Awakening Peaks (1740)
A mighty wave of revival washed across North America, forever altering the religious landscape.
by MARK A. NOLL
Then, in the mid-1730s, the Northampton congregation that
Edwards had inherited from his grandfather was deeply
In the fall of 1740, a farmer near Hartford, Connecticut,
stirred by Edwards’ dramatic preaching on justification by
heard life-changing news. Nathan Cole was a conventionally
faith. His account of this stirring, A Faithful Narrative of the
religious man whose conscience had been increasingly
Surprising Work of God in the Conversion of Many Hundred
troubled by an unmet need for God. The news was that the
Souls in Northampton (1737) was read widely in America
young revivalist George Whitefield would be preaching
and the British Isles and stimulated other ministers to look
twelve miles away in Middletown. Immediately, as Cole
for similar renewal in their congregations.
later wrote, “I … ran to my pasture for my horse with all
my might,” and with his wife hastened to Middletown “as
Fiery Whitefield
if we were fleeing for our lives.” They arrived just in time
General revival, however, awaited the arrival of Whitefield.
to see Whitefield mount the scaffold that had been erected
This young Anglican had been a colleague of John and
for his sermon. To Nathan Cole the young British evangelist
Charles Wesley and had already experimented with preaching
“lookt almost angelical.” But it was Whitefield’s message that
out-of-doors in Britain. His nominal reason for being in
changed his life: “My hearing him preach gave me a heart
America was to supervise an orphanage in Georgia. His
wound; by Gods blessing my old Foundation was broken up,
real reason was to preach. A person of nearly overpowering
and I saw that my righteousness would not save me.” After
charisma, Whitefield also intuited something about the
several more months, Cole was confident that he had been
changing circumstances of his day. Whitefield’s dramatic
reconciled to a gracious God.
appeal to individuals represented a Christian adaptation of
the old gospel to the kind of free market that was speedily
First Stirrings
developing in trade and ideas. It was to the individual (not
Nathan Cole and his wife were among the thousands who
as positioned in a traditional hierarchy, not as bound by
thrilled to the message of George Whitefield at the highfamily constraints, not as member of a local congregation)
water mark of America’s Great Awakening. But the roots
that Whitefield made his appeal. Whitefield preached more
of this revival extended deep in time before Whitefield, and
than fifteen thousand sermons in his thirty-five-year career
its fruits could be observed for generations. First stirrings
as an itinerant, but none were more effective than in 1740.
occurred during the early decades of the eighteenth century.
On a New England preaching circuit in the fall of that year,
Preaching aimed at “awakening” the spiritually sluggish or
when he was heard by Nathan Cole and his wife, Whitefield
“harvesting” those with a new interest in God’s grace took
addressed crowds of up to eight thousand people nearly
place in New England Congregational churches, in Dutch
every day for over a month. That tour may have been the
Reformed congregations in New Jersey, and among scattered
most sensational event in the history of American religion.
Presbyterians in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Solomon
Stoddard (grandfather and predecessor of Jonathan Edwards
In his wake Whitefield left thousands asking “What must I
as minister in Northampton, Massachusetts), Theodore
do to be saved?” He also left some of the colonies’ leaders
Frelinghuysen (a Dutch minister trained by Continental
wondering what such religious “enthusiasm” would do to
Pietists), and several members of the Tennent family
the social fabric, and not a few ministers dismayed about
(Presbyterian immigrants from Northern Ireland) were the
this radical new approach. The attacks that eventually rose
pioneers of this work.
(Fr. Stan cont. on pg. 4)
3
(Fr. Stan continued)
against Whitefield and his message led to lingering disputes.
But they also prompted careful, discriminating defenses of
awakened piety from Jonathan Edwards. Edwards’ defense
of the Awakening’s revivalistic Calvinism became a major
component of the theological work that sets him apart as
America’s most powerful Christian theologian.
Forceful Changes
Revivals like those promoted by Whitefield and defended
by Edwards soon spread throughout the colonies. Some, like
awakenings under Henry Alline in the Canadian Maritimes,
rejected the Calvinism that had undergirded Whitefield’s
message. Others, like those encouraged by Isaac Backus in
New England and Shubal Stearns in North Carolina, were led
by Baptists, a group that grew in great numbers as a result of
the Awakening. Still other currents of renewal helped prepare
the way for the later expansion of the Methodists.
The colonial Awakening stamped American Protestantism
with a revivalistic character that it has never lost. Although
its leading spirits (Frelinghuysen, the Tennents, Whitefield,
and Edwards) were Calvinist members of state churches,
its primary institutions legacy was among Baptists and
Methodists who rejected Calvinism, the establishment of
religion, or both. Historians ponder deeply the connection
between the revivalists’ willingness to break with religious
tradition and the eagerness of Americans only a few decades
later to throw off the hereditary rule of England. Christians
will be impressed by that possibility, but even more by the
renewal of faith that was the revival’s gift to humble hearers
like Nathan Cole.
Band of Brothers
Men’s Ministry
Join us on
Saturday, November 15,
at 8:00am as we gather for
prayer, encouragement,
fellowship and breakfast. All
men 18 and older are invited.
The Band of Brothers
has Adopted the 'Oikos'
Lifestyle.
Come and see what it is all
about!
From the Deacon’s Desk
As we study the Anglican Catechism this fall I am struck
again by how easy it is to take for granted the value of
fellowship in our life of transformation together. Studying
the Bible together and sharing our thoughts, concerns and
questions allows us to grow in our unity with each other and
with God while holding each other accountable. I cherish
those that I have the opportunity to study with because I
truly need brothers and sisters who will hold me accountable;
not just for the study, but for the way I live my daily life. I
cannot imagine wanting to face serious illness or challenging
professional or economic decisions without a church family
that lifts us up in prayer and loves and supports us in our
times of need.
We have just returned from one of the more interesting church
cruises that I have ever been on and there were a couple of
things that really stood out to me during the course of the
last week.
The opportunity that I had to spend some down time,
enjoying my quiet, introverted reading was tremendously
enhanced by the opportunity that I had to intermix that
time with brief periods of fellowship with the many other
members of our church family who went along. It was such
a blessing to watch all of the different ways in which we
enjoyed our leisure time…and it is even more of a blessing
to feel comfortable enough with each other that we can travel
these different paths together and strengthen our common
bonds in fellowship.
The second observation that was driven home is how much
easier it is to face uncertainty when doing it together. We
have so many different personalities that deal with stress
and uncertainty in different ways, but to be able to worship
together during the Saturday mass and to be able to draw
comfort and peace from those around us makes it easier to
rely on our faith in God together. I can’t say that I ever really
felt any significant stress from the uncertainties of the trip, but
4
I can say I was able to enjoy every moment from beginning
to end even through the uncertainty because of the presence
of God that I felt through those times of fellowship together.
Deacon John
Daughters of Honor
Prayer, Study, Service and Evangelism
The November meeting of the Daughters of Honor will be on Saturday, the 22nd. We will 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 November meeting, we will complete our study titled, Boundless Love by the Women of Faith. Father Stan
will be leading the discussion for the last chapter of this study.
The Daughters would like to give a big THANK YOU to our church family for their generous donations to our Operation
Christmas Child program! During our October meeting, we sorted and packed your generous donations into boxes for the
children. We will announce the total number of boxes filled in next month’s newsletter.
The Daughters will not have a meeting in December, our next meeting will be January 17, 2015. Please join us to discover
what the New Year brings!
Again please MARK YOUR CALENDARS: The Daughters of Honor Meeting will be on
Saturday, November 22nd, due to other events happening on the 15th.
Daylight Savings Time Ends on Sunday,
November 2 at 2AM
Remember to set your clock BACK one hour before you go to bed on
Saturday night.
13
M
Marys and Marthas:
Sisters Seeking and
Serving Our Savior
Women’s Ministry
Annual Advent Luncheon: Preparing for the Promise
"Lord, help me to see myself the way you see me."
During the Beautiful Event at HopePointe speaker Teresa Glenn charged us to daily pray this prayer.
She encouraged us to avoid becoming entangled with the world's warped ideas of beauty, but to
instead seek our Heavenly Father’s standards. Hearing her engaging talk and being challenged by
her message made me look forward to our own Advent Luncheon on Sunday December 7th at 1
p.m. when Teresa will encourage us to be: “Preparing for the Promise.”
Teresa Glenn, a South Carolina native, graduated from the College of Charleston and received her M.Ed. from the University of
South Carolina. For nine years she taught children with learning disabilities. Teresa has been married to Bishop Terrell Glenn for
25 years, and they have three adult children. One of her greatest passions is discipling women. Teresa has written material for
and has led community group studies, retreats and small groups as well as engaging in spiritual direction and prayer. Her blog,
celebratethefamily.org, encourages moms of all ages. She and Terrell are currently planting Church of the Apostles in Houston.
Tickets ($15.00) will go on sale on Sunday November 9th for this very special event in our Parish Hall. Be sure to invite your
friends and if you would like to decorate a table, as is our tradition, please see Nettie Briggs or sign up at the ticket table on
Sunday morning. This event will feature a catered lunch, musical entertainment and our guest speaker, and it typically sells out;
so please save your spot soon.
November Ladies Night Out
The Marys and Marthas will be gathering at Juanita’s Mexican Restaurant on Louetta. This was one of our most popular gatherings
in January, so don’t miss out on some excellent food and fellowship on November 11th at 7:00 p.m.
Mission & Outreach
Don’t forget to bring non-perishable
food items on Sunday, November 2nd
and Sunday, December 7th for T.E.A.M.
Tomball
Emergency
Assistance
Ministries
A Reminder as You Begin Your Christmas
Shopping:
Help TOMAGWA While You Shop at
Amazon
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!
ADVENT WREATHS
Inaugural Advent Devotion
We will be keeping the popular tradition of making Advent wreaths later this month. Traditionally, the wreath is made of four
candles in a circle of evergreens. Each day at home, the candles are lighted, perhaps before the evening meal-- one candle the
first week, and then another each succeeding week until December 25th. A short prayer may accompany the lighting.
Right Now Media: Recommendation
Pre-orders for Advent wreaths will be taken on the Connection Cards. The Advent Wreaths will be in “take home” kits that
include greenery, a floral ring, candles, candle holders, instructions and this year’s devotional book. Kits will once again cost
$15. Payment can be made online or by check made payable to St. Timothy’s with Advent Wreath in memo line. Checks may
be put in offering plate or given to Tracy.
I want to express a big thank you to all the talented ladies of our parish who have contributed a short devotion to our very first
ever Advent Devotional: Preparing for the Promise. This booklet will be available at the end of this month to be used during
the Advent season.
Many of you may have logged on to check out Right Now Media after Deacon
Jennifer Scherzer emailed many in our parish a link to check it out. (If you did
not get an invitation please let her know.) This month I would like to recommend
to you Sheila Walsh’s The Shelter of God’s Promises located in the Bible Study
Library. I have been watching the streaming videos of the teachings she does in
that series and they have been phenomenal. In a time of rampant media panic,
it’s so good to tune into a message designed to encourage and remind us all that
the ultimate promise keeper is more than able to do above and beyond what we
can even begin to expect or imagine.
Supplies are limited so in order to guarantee an Advent Wreath kit for your family, payment
must be made no later Sunday, November 23 (online payment will end on that date). After that
any extra kits will be available on a first come, first serve basis on Sunday, November 30th with
payment due at the time of pick-up.
Check in with us next month to find out more about The Marys’ and Marthas’
Spring Bible study offering and other events planned for 2015! --Anthea Kotlan
[email protected]
Ladies Night Out
Ladies, join us on Tuesday, November
11th, at 7 p.m. for a night out with the
girls at Juanitas at 11550 Louetta. If
you can come be sure to call or text
Valerie Fennel so she can save a spot at
the table for you: 281-744-0345 or just
show up—we will make room!
12
Women Who Read
First Monday of the month
10:30 at the Tomball Retirement Center Library.
See Jackie Austin for more information
November Songs of Willow Frost Jamie Ford
December The All Girl Filling Station’s Fannie Flagg
Last Reunion
Forward, Forward, Always Forward, Everywhere Forward
Diocesan Synod 2014
November 7 & 8
HopePointe Anglican Church
3333 S. Panther Creek Dr., The Woodlands, TX 77381
Register at www.dwgc.org
Cost is $10 payable by cash or check the day of the event.
5
Evangelism
It is said that one of the greatest gifts that we can give each
other is the gift of time. I know that those of us who lead
ministries believe this because of how valuable each of you
who pledge your time here at St. Timothy’s is to each of us.
The gift of time can take many forms; working alongside
others, doing something for someone that might help lift a
burden, coming together in fellowship or perhaps a random
act of kindness. Often within that gift of time, what others
really desire is someone to listen to them. Have you ever
thought, “I just want someone to listen to me.” Listening
is a skill, some of us are better at it than others, and some
days each of us are better at it than others, but it is a skill
that I believe we can all develop and, in most cases, always
improve on.
Truly active listening can be hard work; it is not always
easy to stay engaged. When doing any kind of listening – a
TV show, or a radio program, or even a sermon – it is easy
for our minds to hijack us to our lives, that ‘mental grocery
list’ of what we need, or want, or think we should be doing.
Our busy minds and active lives don’t make it easy for our
brains to concentrate even when we know how important it is.
Another common problem is that while we are listening,
we start to formulate our answer, or position, or advice
before the person is done talking. There is always a danger
in doing this, not the least of which is that the last thing a
person wants is advice, they just want to be listened to. It
is amazing sometimes how just talking to someone else can
bring your own clarity without the listener needing to say a
thing. It is OK, if you aren’t sure to ask someone what they
want from you, but, no matter what it is, listening to all they
have to say is critical.
The other thing we need to remember is that we all have
filters that we hear and speak through. Our filters are the
result of our own experiences in our lives; where we have
lived, how we were raised, our interactions with each other
and such. Our filters fluctuate as our circumstances change
and even things as simple as having a good or bad day can
temporarily affect how we interpret what we see and hear.
As we listen to others, it is important that we do our best
to hear them, as much as possible, through their filters and
not our own. For example, let’s say you are listening to
someone’s faith story and you would like to invite them
to church. Perhaps as you listen you hear that they have
a bad church experience that has affected them, but your
church experience has always been great. It is important
that you respect their pain and remember that their story is
not your story and meet them there. Encourage them, invite
them, share your positive experience but never dismiss
their experience because it hasn’t happened to you. On the
other side of the coin, you may have strong feelings about
something that isn’t that critical in the life of the person you
are listening to. Don’t force your feelings on them. Chances
are they are going to throw up defensive walls and shut you
out. As active listeners, it is important that we are actively
listening to what the other person is saying to us, not the
narrative based on our life that is going through our head.
Sometimes God gives us those amazing moments when He
puts you in a place to help someone who has been through
what you have been through. It doesn’t mean you should
be any less active in your listening, but it does allow you a
special opportunity to connect with that person.
As we look through the Gospels we can see that over and over
Jesus met people where they were; in the midst of their lives,
their questions, their sins. He never hesitated to tell them
truth about their sins but He sat and listened to (or watched)
them as they revealed their experiences and filters to Him.
We are called to be Christ-like to each other. We certainly
aren’t perfect and try as we might sometimes our own lists
and filters get in the way of being good listeners. What is
important is that we pray for God’s grace as always to do
better next time. Remember practice makes perfect, so go
forth and listen!
Thoughts from the Youth Minister
Early in October I invited a group together to begin seriously
looking at the future of youth ministry at Saint Timothy’s.
The purpose of the meeting was to begin a process of creating
a ministry that is not dependent upon a specific youth minister
but instead dependent upon the church’s vision and action.
In order to accomplish this task, our first meeting began by
discussing the need for a sustainable plan of youth ministry.
In essence, this plan will include a clear picture of where we
currently are/have been, a vision of where we would like to
be, a realistic acknowledgement of what barriers will need to
be overcome to get to that vision, and measureable goals that
will indicate we are moving in the direction we want to go.
process, by telling the stories that highlight the best parts
of youth ministry here at Saint Timothy’s. This is where I
want to invite you to be a part of the process. I would like
to compile a chronicle of stories highlighting our youth
ministry at its best. If you have a story about the youth
ministry, however big or small, that highlights it at its best,
would you please share it with me? It may be something
that you were a part of but it might also be something you
saw the youth doing. To contribute, please write down your
story and either put it in my box in the office or e-mail it to
me at [email protected]. I look forward to hearing all
the amazing stories and sharing them at our next meeting.
The rest of our meeting time was spent in the first part of this
Fr. Jeff
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.
STAY - 7th - 12th Grade
St. Timothy’s Anglican Youth
Nov. 2 Sun
5 - 7PM
Nov. 5 Wed. 6:15PM
Nov. 12 Wed. 6:45 - 8:30PM
Nov. 15 Sat TBA
Nov. 19 Wed 6:45 - 8:30PM
Nov. 26 Wed. No STAY
Nov. 30 Sun TBA 2nd Annual Pumpkin Chunkin’
Bible Study
Bible Study
STAY to Mud Run
Bible Study
Preliminiary Soul in the City
Meeting
For more information talk to Lisa Musick.
Hey kids don’t forget!
Peace,
Tracy.
Thanks from the Patch
I would like to thank all of you who helped support this year’s Pumpkin Patch by purchasing your pumpkins from us.
We have just completed year three and are reaching the point where folks in our community now start to look for us.
My heartfelt gratitude goes out to everyone who helped make this year’s patch a reality. From all those who helped
unload the pumpkin truck, including our awesome Boy Scout Troop and their families, to each of you who gave of your
time to help sell this year’s crop.
Without all of you we never could have had another incredibly successful Pumpkin Patch!
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Saturday, December 6, 9 - 11am
Invite your friends!
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Christian Formation
Eventfully Speaking
Parish Thanksgiving Dinner
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Parish Hall
Chidren & Youth Education
I have ordered and received a lot of different prepackaged
programs over the life of this ministry. One grouping in
particular has kept my interest piqued. It is for the pre-teen
age group – those children who aren’t so much children
anymore as they are in-betweeners, sometimes really mature,
sometimes really immature. I’m determined someday to be
able to offer to this group what we can in the way of working
with them to grow them into spiritually mature teenagers and
then on to mature adults.
I was roaming through the programs again today and ran into
one called Some Assembly Required. Its premise is that God
has given us… well, let me share a piece of its introduction
with you.
Some Assembly Required is a series that recognizes that
sometimes the best things in life come in pieces and
that how we put the pieces together determines what
we have in the end.
This is how a relationship with God often functions.
It’s easy to think the Christian life is a one-stop shop
purchased by one decision and a lot of grace. We want
the finished product without the process. But the truth
is… when we choose God, we don’t get a life complete
and free from struggle. Instead, God gives us a life with
new potential, a set of instructions and a smile. He invites
us into the process of putting it all together and works
beside us as we do.
I’m just thinking that sometimes we adults need to get back
into our spiritual in-betweener age and look at our potentials,
re-read the set of instructions, and maybe even undo and
start over on some of the pieces we think we’ve put together
right. I’d love to start a group of pre-teens with people who
are willing to go back and look at their own potential, as
well as help those younger to begin looking at theirs. We’d
be looking at the 4th-6th graders in particular. It would be
more of a project rather than a teacher/student relationship.
If you know of anyone who would be a great fit for this,
please pass it on to me.
Otherwise, I’m ecstatic over the life of WoRM, the Sunday
School offerings we’ve initiated, and the Wednesday Night
Watchdog group’s latest project, the Jesse Tree. Watch in
the hallway for the upcoming stories for November and
Advent time – the parable of the Sower and the Seed and
The Magnificat. Both are excellent works in their own right –
thanks to the writing skills and creativity of the WoRM Team.
Remember, God is smiling on us all the time – we should
smile back every once in a while!!
Deacon Jennifer
Learning About the Eucharist Class Saturday, November 1 at 9AM
ADULT EDUCATION
We are at the halfway point in our study of the new
Anglican Catechism and we continue to hear good things
from those who are involved. It is time to start seriously
thinking about the offerings for the spring semester and I am
looking for volunteers to teach the classes we hope to offer
as well as suggestions for classes that you might wish to
see offered in addition to these. We are looking for leaders
for our congregation-wide study of the Bible using the
Baby Boomers Bible Study. We also would like to offer one
session of Alpha and one session of the Anglican Catechism
for those who have missed the opportunity to do these studies
and I am looking for leaders or even teams of leaders to take
these two projects on. If any of our regular groups intend to
do additional studies beyond these three, I would like you
to let me know so that we can get them in the catalog for
the spring.
Deacon John
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Please join the St. Timothy’s Parish Family
for our Annual Thanksgiving Dinner on Sunday, November 16,
2 seatings; 12:45 PM and 5:00 PM
Reservations begin on Sunday, November 2, 2014
Donations to purchase turkeys are greatly appreciated.
A – I - Corn Casserole or Corn Pudding
J – R - Green Beans or Potato Dish
S – Z - Dessert
HELP NEEDED!
Please contact Caye Lankford at 281-320-2920.
Becoming a Spiritual Champion
Kamehameha and Emma
King and Queen of Hawaii
Kamehameha became king of Hawaii at the age of twenty
in 1855 and worked with his wife Emma to establish the
Anglican Church in the islands.
The king had been upset by an experience of racism in the
United States when he was taken for a servant during a visit,
but he had been deeply impressed by the beauty and dignity
of Anglican liturgy during a visit to England. He translated
The Book of Common Prayer and much of the hymnal into
Hawaiian.
The influx of Americans and Europeans into Hawaii had
brought with it diseases that ravaged the native population
and Kamehameha and Emma worked to establish hospitals.
The king went door-to-door with a notebook soliciting
pledges for the establishment of Queen’s Hospital, still the
largest civilian hospital in Hawaii. They also worked to
establish homes for the elderly, as well as a leprosy treatment
facility on the island of Maui.
After the king’s early death at age 29 from chronic asthma,
Emma continued to devote herself to acts of charity and was
deeply involved in the creation of St. Andrew’s Priory school
and Iolani College.
Sources: Celebrating the Saints, Wikipedia
Others commemorated in November include:
Richard Hooker
Martin de Porres
Margery Kempe
Hilda
Edmund
Clement
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Celebration of Life
Grace McIntyre
Holy
Baptism
Blessing
of the
Animals
Canterbury Kids