St. John’s HELPER
St. John’s United Church of Christ
1513 West Street
Rosenberg, Texas 77471
Church Office: 281-342-5159 Church Email:
Church Website: www.stjohnsunitedchurchofchrist.org
Rev. Daniel Haas, Minister Cell phone #801-368-1180
March 18, 2015 Rev. Donald Kolkmeier, Pastor Emeritus
No matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome at St. John’s United Church of Christ
“A Celebration of Individualism”
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.”
(Psalm 51:10 – Watchword for the Week of Sunday 22 March 2015)
Me, me, and me! Unapologetically me! The Psalmist is not afraid in just one verse to three times refer to himself. He doesn’t care about the interconnectedness of all beings. He’s not worried about the state of the church or the state of the nation. He doesn’t want to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, or to care for the widow, or the alien or the orphan. He prays for his own benefit. He doesn’t ask for
kingdom come and thy will be done, no, it’s all about me, myself, and I!
That’s where religion takes place: In an individual’s heart. It’s a place where God has spoken from the beginning. Individualism is not a bad thing. God calls prophets and apostles, not committees and representatives. No corporation, no institution, no state, no church, can live if it does not have individuals that take care of the logs in their own eyes before getting into everybody else’s business. “Create in me a clean heart, O God” also means: I am in desperate need of cleaning because it’s not pretty in there. Give me a fresh start this Lent – like a spiritual spring cleaning.
Sometimes the shortest word in a verse has the biggest impact. Here it is certainly the humble a: “put a new and right spirit within me.” It implies that there is a multitude of new and right spirits to be had. For me, I need only one of those for myself. My way is not the highway and if I think my path is the straight and narrow I can be certain that the God of hosts has a host of other paths that are just as viable. The me right next to me, the me across the street or on the other side of the globe has their own journey just as I do.
Blessings,
Rev. Daniel Haas
Attendance for March 15, 2015
Church Attendance …………..….… 77
Sunday school (adults)……………… 9
Children’s Church…………………… 4
Offering for March 15, 2015
General Fund …………………. 1,951.00
Loose plate ……………………. 15.00
Benevolence ………………….. 171.00
Improvement …………………. 150.00
Building Rental……………….. 50.00
One Great Hour of Sharing…. 356.00
Pickle Jar of Hope…………… 13.00
Sunday School………………. 23.25
Non-Members…………………. 300.00
Total Offering $ 3,029.25
THOSE IN OUR PRAYERS
Prayer has the ability and power to change lives and to heal the body, mind and spirit of those who are hurting. Therefore, you are invited to keep the following persons in your daily prayers. Knowing that your church family is praying for you can truly help make a difference in recovery.
Rosa Bolte Hannah Calaway
Nancy Drake Brenda Dresner
Janet Enax Wayne Fredensprung
David Harborth Rev. John Huegel Calvin Lamensky Ed Marek
Denver McFarland Mildred Scott
Brittany Van Horn Linda Velasquez
Makayla Williams James Wrobliski
Long Term Prayer Concerns:
Gary Ashley Tom Atkins
Gladys Barta Herman Barta
Joann Barton Brandon Beck
Tommy Crayton Sharon Seiler Davis
Kervin Finke Dale Hans
Rev. Dale Krampe Dorothy Krell
Pat Lucky Melvin Loesch
Judy Macura Kim Martin
Denver McFarland Gene Myska
Allen Newell Rose Rabata Ella Mae Schmidt Lawrence Schmidt
Kim Schnell Johnny Scott
Mattie States Betty Weber
Alice Welch Sherra Williams
Mike Woods Cheryl Zwahr
Preparing for Sunday, March 22
Scripture: Jeremiah 31:31-34; John 12:20-33
Sermon: “Heart Promises”
Holy Week Services
Palm Sunday, March 29,10:00 a.m.
Maundy Thursday, April 2, 6:00 p.m.
Holy Communion observed
Good Friday, April 3, noon (lunch at 11:00 a.m.)
Easter Sunrise Service, April 5, 7:00 a.m.
8:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast & Egg Hunt
Easter Service, April 5, 9:00 a.m.
Holy Communion observed on Easter
A Culinary Journey through Holy Week
"Holy" means "special" and the week leading up to Easter is surely that. It is the only week of the year we celebrate four services. And since Easter marks the end of the Lenten Fasting Season each of those services has a meal attached to it. On Maundy Thursday we will gather for worship in the parish hall at six pm. The Brotherhood provides a supper of soups and salads while we commemorate Jesus' last supper with his disciples at our dinner tables. The noon Good Friday Service is preceded by a subway luncheon hosted by the Guild and between our two services on Easter Sunday there will be a continental breakfast at 8 am.
"The Son of Man came eating and drinking," (Matthew 11:19) and so should we! We hope to share each of these experiences with you and your family, so please mark your calendar.
Veterans Program
The St. John’s United Church of Christ Family Ministry is offering a question and answer event for local veterans with representatives of the Veterans Commission, State of Texas Regional Office. The program will be held in our fellowship hall from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m., on Wednesday, March 25. Please tell all of your veteran family and friends. Please call the church office at 281-342-5159, if you would like to attend. A sign-up sheet is in the Narthex and on the kitchen counter.
New Houston Association Minister
In an article in the Conference newsletter, Deacon Stephen Baumgartner wrote,
On March 8, the Houston Association Council voted to call Rev. Jasmine Quinerly to be our next Houston Association Minister. On March 9 she started work with us. On April 11 she will be installed at the Houston Association Spring meeting.
Jasmine is very active in the Association and her home church, Pilgrim Congregational UCC, where she is the Minister of Missions. Jasmine has organized many work trips to Biloxi for Back Bay Mission of which she is a board member. She also organizes work projects in Houston such as Habitat for Humanity weekend projects.
Jasmine cautioned us to be ready to work and that is one reason why she was selected. We as an association need to get together and work together showing God's love in all its ways and she will help us manifest this God's love to the larger Houston community.
Brotherhood’s Chili Supper
The men of the Brotherhood will be providing a chili supper on Thursday, April 12 at 6:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall. Members are asked to bring a dessert to share with others. Please mark your calendar for this time of good food and fellowship. A sign-up sheet will be in the Narthex beginning on March 29th.
These Days-Daily Devotions
The Spring edition of the “These Days-Daily Devotions for Living by Faith” have arrived and are located in the Narthex. Please feel free to pick one up for your use. These booklets are provided for your use at no charge by the Women’s Guild.
Houston Association News
The Council reviewed the agenda for the Spring Association Meeting (will be held at St. John’s on Saturday, April 11) which includes:
· Consideration-approval of a revised 2015 Association budget
· Election of new Association officers and committee members
· Receiving of reports from Association Committees and others
· Consideration-approval of a request from St. Paul UCC, Corpus Christi, to become a member of the Houston Association (from the Brazos-South Texas Association)
· Installation of New Association Minister, Rev. Jasmine Quinerly
· Receiving of an offering to support Association Youth attending the 2016 NYE
· Ecclesiastical Council for Mirjam Haas, member of St. John UCC, Rosenberg, seeking Privilege of Call into the UCC
· The Spring Association Meeting will be held at 10 a.m. at St. John UCC, Rosenberg. Host Pastor is Daniel Haas. Registration info will be sent to local churches
2015 CROP Walk
The 2015 CROP Walk will be held on Saturday, April 11 at George Ranch Historical Park located at 10215 FM 762 in Richmond. Sponsored by CWS (Church World Service), CROP Hunger Walk is the oldest hunger-fighting fund raising event in the U.S. It involves more than 1,600 communities-a mixture of churches, community groups, individuals and schools. Around 25% of the money raised fights hunger in the local community (Helping Hands and Needville Food Pantry), with the remainder supporting the life-saving work of CWS. This work includes helping people around the world have enough food to eat and clean water to drink.
Registration for the walk begins at 7:30 A.M. (rain or shine). The three mile trek starts at 8:00 A.M. Following the walk participants will be treated to refreshments. A table has been set up in the Narthex.
Calendar
For Sunday, March 22, 2015
Lay Reader: Janet Enax
Flowers for Altar: Linda Knuppel,
Donavon & Manda Stuewe
Greeters & Ushers for March:
Robbie & Jean Allen Hartfiel,
Carolyn & Lawson Wooten
Lay Readers for March:
Nathan Gaskamp, Karen Sikes,
Sandra Croft, Janet Enax,
Tommy Gaskamp
Altar Flowers for March:
Rosa Bolte, Emma Lee Marek,
Florence Gaskamp along with
Nelda & Alvin Gutowsky, (3/1)
Tom Phillips Memorial, (3/8)
Kalmus and Filipp family, (3/15)
Linda Knuppel, Donavon and
Manda Stuewe, (3/22)
Women’s Guild, Palm Sunday, (3/29)
March 18, 2015
Family Ministry Communion, 9:30 a.m.
Choir Rehearsal, 7:00 p.m.
March 22, 2015
Rev. Daniel Haas delivers his sermon
entitled, “Heart Promises”
Looking Ahead
Family Ministry Communion, 3/18
Family Ministry VA Benefits Program 3/25
Family Ministry Meeting, 3/26
Building Rental, 3/28
Palm Sunday, 3/29
Maundy Thursday, 4/2
Good Friday luncheon & service, 4/3
Easter, 4/5
Houston Association at St. John’s, 4/11
Brotherhood’s Chili Supper, 4/16
Thought for the week:
“A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms.”
Link to Kroger’s Community Rewards website: https://www.kroger.com/communityrewards
(on your computer push Control and click your mouse at the same time while hovering the mouse over the above link and it will take you directly to the Kroger registration page.)