connection

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St. Peter’s

CONNECTION VOL. 3, No. 18 March 29, 2013

Connecting the World with God’s Love

THIS ISSUE: Groundbreaking set for April 14

We will celebrate the beginning of our expansion construction and welcome our new senior pastor with a special service and ice cream social.

Summer programs Registration begins soon for all of our children’s

Easter Sunday Services

summer programs,

Please join us for one of our Easter Sunday services:

including Vacation Bible School.

Sunrise Service, 6:30 a.m., on the baseball field, east side of the church Traditional Worship; 8, 9:30, and 11 a.m.; Sanctuary the element Contemporary Worship, 9:30 and 11 a.m., Lott Hall SPLASH Children’s Worship, 11 a.m., Asbury Hall Nursery provided for ages 4 and younger. Sunday School classes will not meet on Easter Sunday.

20775 Kingsland Blvd., Katy, Texas 77450 (281) 492-8031 www.stpkaty.org

Ephesians study begins April 7

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hink of a major port city with a large population, a thriving commercial base, a center for theater and prominent architecture. It’s not Houston, however, but ancient Ephesus. The Apostle Paul’s letter to the church he established there emphasizes God’s eternal purpose, grace and high goals for the church. Join Chi Rho adult Sunday School class as we explore how these words are as relevant for us today as they were to the Ephesians 2,000 years ago. This study begins April 7 on Sundays at 9:45 a.m. in S212. For information, contact Sheryl Ray at raysl@sbcglobal. net or (281) 646-8586.

Volunteer with VBS

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lease consider volunteering at our Vacation Bible School “Kingdom Rock” June 10-14 from 9 t0 12:30 p.m. Contact Sarah Loving at VBSvolunteers@ consolidated.net (preferred) or (281) 574-2670 if you would like to volunteer or if you have questions. VBS registration for volunteers’ children begins April 1. You do not have to be a member of St. Peter’s to volunteer.

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Jamaica 2013

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his year 20 members of our congregation traveled to Hampstead, Jamaica, for the 19th annual spring break trip. Each year we take the graduating senior class, members of their families, and staff members to Jamaica to work in the Hampstead community. We partnered with Praying Pelican Missions and worked for three days at the Hampstead Primary School. Each morning the students offered school devotions with music, scripture and a skit. Led by Children’s Ministries Director Kelly Johnson, our devotion team was outstanding. Senior students Claire, Taylor, Sarah, and Franky served on this team and really captured the attention of the children. The highlight of the devotion time was on Wednesday when the group passed out Bibles to each student. The Bibles were purchased earlier this year by the St. Peter’s mission team. After the devotion, our team divided the students into two groups. One team went outside for games and the other stayed inside for crafts. The crafts correlated with the scripture for each day, and our team worked side by side with the children while they put the crafts together. Jason Trice, Director It was an opportune time to connect with Student Ministries the children and to share faith stories related to the scriptures. Outside, the team led the children in games with jump ropes, footballs, soccer balls, Frisbees and more. We ate lunch at the school, dining on jerk chicken, rice and peas, and the national dish of Jamaica, ackee and salt fish. After lunch, the team divided into a construction team, an infirmary team and a pre-school team. Each person had an opportunity throughout the week to serve on all three teams. The construction team built a roof that attaches the kitchen to the school. This allows the cooks to get the food inside without getting wet, and now the teachers can use the outside area as an extra classroom. The preschool team offered crafts and recreation and came back each day filled with joy and sharing stories of how the children impacted them. On Wednesday we handed out Bibles to the preschool children as well. The highlight of the week was when the children made lion masks and they all ran up the hill on their way home wearing their masks. We were surprised at how much of an impact the infirmary had on our team. The infirmaries in Jamaica are government run and have minimal resources. The St. Mary infirmary had about 90 residents who were there because they could no longer care for continued on page 4

SPLASH plans special Easter service for kids from Executive Director Randy Rush

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inally, after numerous delays and revisions, our Magnify & Multiply construction projects are ready to commence. Our groundbreaking event is scheduled for Sunday, April 14, from 4 to 5 p.m. The festivities will include the official groundbreaking featuring many of our members who have been involved in this process. Since this is also our new senior pastor’s first Sunday, Pat Sparks will be on hand to participate. You are encouraged to welcome him to St. Peter’s following the ceremony when we will all gather in Lott Hall for an ice cream social. Please bring your favorite ice cream and toppings, and let’s make this a celebration to remember. At the March 19 Church Conference, the congregation voted to approve the sale of our parsonage. In addition, final affirmation was awarded to proceed with our construction projects. Construction is expected to begin on or around April 15. I would like to remind you again, that in anticipation of extremely large attendance at Easter Sunday worship services, we would highly encourage our “St. Peter’s regulars” to consider parking at the Taylor High School lot if you possibly can. As always, I welcome your comments/suggestions/etc. Please let me know if there is anything we can do to make your St. Peter’s experience more enjoyable.

Randy

Wednesday Night Dinner 5:00 – 6:30 p.m., Lott Hall April 3 Sweet Italian beef on a bun, orzo salad, cheesy corn and Butterfinger dessert Kid’s meal: same

April 10 King Ranch chicken, Margarita salad (non-alcoholic), chips and salsa, and Mexican brownies with praline icing Kid’s meal: taquitos, chips and salsa, and carrots Healthy option of shrimp salad is available by reservation. Adults: $6 with reservation, $8 for walk-ins; kids: $3 Reservations should be made by Sunday at midnight at www.stpkaty.org or at the Information Desk.

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PLASH will be having a special Easter service at 11 a.m. in Asbury Hall on Easter Sunday. This year we are going to be studying the story of Easter through five stations that tell five essential parts of the story leading up the resurrection of Christ. We will have something at each station for the children to take home to remind them of the importance of Easter. Children in the Frogs class (4-year-olds) through fifth grade are invited to attend SPLASH this Sunday and every Sunday. For more information, please contact SPLASH Coordinator Whitney Peper at [email protected].

Substitute as an office volunteer

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re you looking for a way to connect the world with God’s love and connect with others at St. Peter’s? The church office needs substitute volunteers to answer the phone and greet visitors. No experience is necessary. If you would like to help in this way, please call Marcia Churns at (281) 578-6654.

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Jamaica continued from page 2

Baseball Outing. We will head to Sugar Land Thursday, May 16, to watch the Sugar Land Skeeters and the Bridgeport Bluefish. Tickets are $12. The deadline for sign-up and payment is April 21. A sign-up sheet and additional information are at the KEYS bulletin board in the Lobby. Brown Bag Bridge. Forty Brown Baggers met on St. Patrick’s Day Eve and the luck of the Irish was with Martha McKitterick who won high and Paul Sonne who was second high. Our next play date is Thursday, April 11. We would love to have all bridge players join us for a day of fun and fellowship. Contact Martha at (281) 395-4825 or mckit@ comcast.com for information or reservations.

Prayer Quilt Ministry

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e will meet April 10 in S201 from 9 a.m. to noon. Please come be a part of this important ministry that has distributed more than 400 quilts to people in need of comfort. No experience is necessary. For more information, contact Tereasa Reimer at (281) 395-4730.

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themselves. Our team read scripture, visited, sang songs, and prayed with the residents. It was a very powerful time, and we will continue to visit this infirmary on future trips. At the conclusion of these ministries, our team came back together and met at a field in the Hampstead area for sports ministry. Students Nikki, Tyler and Piper did a wonderful job helping plan and organize these activities. Each day, we would walk from the school to the field with the children and engage them with an obstacle course, a parachute and kickball supplies. This ministry, which was a community-wide event, grew daily, and it was a great way to close each day in Hampstead. We had wonderful meals each night at the Dutch Pot, which usually ended in a team dance party to the local reggae music. The Dutch Pot was a small local restaurant, and it felt like home by the end of our time in Jamaica. We also had the pleasure of attending church and Bible study at the United Church of Jamaica. The three-and-a-half-hour spirited worship service was a wonderful way to start our week on Sunday, and Tuesday night Bible study was a great pick-me-up in the middle of the week. When we returned to the hotel, we spent time in Bible study looking at Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Our devotion team included Jeremy, who led the music each night, and seniors Lori and Hayley, who walked us through the book of Philippians. We also shared highlights from the day and prayed for each other. Each night the devotion team challenged us with memory verses. It was really a special time. We closed our time in Hampstead praying as a group over Principal Henry, the school and the community. It was hard to leave. Thursday we spent some time shopping in Ocho Rios and finished by climbing the falls and spending some time at the beach. It was a wonderful trip, and we are so grateful to the congregation for continuing to support this ministry. It truly is an opportunity to connect the world with God’s love.

Jason Trice

United Methodist Women

Spring Style Show Thursday, April 25 7 p.m. in Lott Hall

PRAYERS Bree Burke, Jerry Dewitz, Corkey Dial, Brian Jones, Don Kennedy, Futaba Kioka, Betty Marsh, Mary McIntosh, Bill Pierce, Cheryl Swift, and Blake Wunder. JOY To Tim Morris and Whitney Peper-Morris on the birth of their son Jase Douglas Morris.

Fashions from Cobblestone Cottage Dessert, coffee and tea Tickets go on sale March 31 for $10 Proceeds benefit United Methodist Women missions

Our congregation voted to affirmed the decision to move forward with our construction after viewing the final plans at the March 19 Church Conference. We also voted to approve the sale of the parsonage. A groundbreaking ceremony will be held April 14 at 4 p.m. to mark the beginning of the work on the Magnify and Multiply expansion.

ST. PETER’S ATTENDANCE March 17 Traditional Worship 8:30 237 9:45 212 11:00 488 the element 9:45 60 11:00 171 SPLASH 63 TOTAL 1,231

In Our Prayers

March 24 Traditional Worship 8:30 172 9:45 342 11:00 590 the element 9:45 105 11:00 151 SPLASH 95 TOTAL 1,455

SYMPATHY To Erica Brasseux and family on the death of her grandfather. To Bob Kristensen and family on the death of his wife, Virginia Kristensen. PRAYERS FOR OUR MILITARY Johnathon Baker, Tim and Alison Batig, Jared Behne, John Belsha, Amanda Berg, Colin Binion, Patrick Boutall, Will Brandt, Eric Brookover, Martin Busch, Randy Butcher, Sean Cain, Devin Camp, Darron Chamblee, Scott Chumbley, Daniel Clarke, Skyler Cook, Thomas Cotten, Patrick Couch, Joel de Sola, Parker Allen Dial, Kathryn Donnelly, Brandi and Josiah Fast, Westley Freeze, Daniel Fritz, Charles Fray, James Gilbert, Anita Marie Gilliam, Tyler J. Gorcie, Jason Gordon, Eric Graesley, Tye Grasshoff, David Gutierrez, George Harrison, Steven Heath, Jeff Hiser, Matthew C. Houghton, Matthew Ivester, Scott Lewis, Mike Linn, Ryan Lueders, Austin McCall, Jason McFadzen, Jake McMath, Mick McNaughton, Adam Miller, Joel Muhlnickel, Robert Near, Blake Nunes, Ryan O’Quinn, Neal Osburn, Austin Paynter/149th Division, Casey Pontious, Sherri Pontious, Hamilton Rencurrel, Taylor Richardson, Jack Ritchie, Don Rolleg, Jason Salter, Brandon Schumacher, Daniel Sewastynowicz, John Simmons, Morgan Smyth, Texas Military Forces, Shannon Thorthan, Bill Underwood, Kevin Van Winkle, Bert Walker, Tom Walsh, Matthew Weible, Michael Wendt, Max Weyermann, Leonard Will, Jasen Wilson, Jason Woods and Marine Co. 1157.

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United Methodist Women

Unit Meeting. All women are invited to our Unit Meeting Wednesday, April 3, at 10 a.m. in E106. Beverly Vaughn of New Birth Ministries will be our speaker. Contact Beverly Deerhake at (281) 8566217 for more information. Style Show. Join us April 25, at 7 p.m. in Lott Hall. Fashions are by Cobblestone Cottage. Tickets are available in the Lobby or from any UMW member for $10. All proceeds benefit UMW missions.

Monthly Mission Activities Freedom Walk. Help free slaves in Sudan by sponsoring a student in this year’s Freedom Walk April 7. A slave’s freedom can be bought for $50 worth of cow vaccine. This is the 11th year that Student Ministries has sponsored this walk. You can find out more at the Missions table in the Lobby on April 7 or by calling (281) 492-8031, ext. 319. Generation One. This organization is committed to the spiritual growth and physical rebuilding of the impoverished areas of the Third Ward of Houston. They are involved in repair, rebuilding and restoration in this community. They direct a tremendous amount of time, love, and education toward the youth through tutoring, mentoring, Bible study, sports and life skills classes. Volunteers are needed in a variety of areas. Check in at the Missions table in the Lobby on April 7 to see how you can help.

Connecting the people Honduras with God’s love

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everal members of the Honduras mission team shared their experiences helping provide a village with clean drinking water, teaching the children about hygiene and sharing the Gospel.

This trip was so amazing! I think each of us left at the end of the week knowing we put it all out there for God’s glory ... we didn’t hold back. However, we left feeling full because of what the Holy Spirit had done through us. Heather Danek

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ake plans to attend one of our children’s summer programs. Vacation Bible School is June 10-14, Cooking with Kids is June 24-28, Sunny Days is July 8-12 and 15-19, and Family VBS is July 28-30. Registration is online at stpkaty.org. Registration dates are April 1-5 for VBS volunteers, April 8-12 for church members and April 15-19 for the community. Please visit stpkaty.org for complete information.

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This was to be the first well in that region of Honduras so we had no idea if we would hit water or when. With God’s grace we hit an amazing aquifer and completed the well on Thursday. The entire village came out for the dedication ceremony. Robert Danek

When I look at my photos of the mission trip to Honduras, it so totally feels all about God’s love. Carolyn Campbell

Daily Bible Reading

Senior Recognition. This year on May 5 we will honor your high school senior at either the 8:30 a.m. traditional service or the 11 a.m. element service. Please email [email protected] with your choice. Senior Celebration Dinner, May 5, 5 p.m. in Lott Hall. As part of our Senior Celebration, we will create a video to be shown at the dinner. Please e-mail three photos of your senior to [email protected] by April 15. Remember to include the FULL name you want presented on the video. The photo choice is up to you. Many people send in one young, one now and one at church event. If you are unable to e-mail photos, please stop by the Student Ministries office to scan your photos. Contact Jeremy Galasso at [email protected] or (281) 492-8031, ext. 320, with any questions.

Summer Camps. U.M. ARMY Mission Camp; June 23-29; students currently in 9th-12th grades, college students, adults; cost: $215; deadline: April 4. Student Life; July 22-26; students currently in 6th-12th grades; cost: $350; deadline: April 29. Camp Connect; July 8-12; students currently in 6th-8th grades; cost: $75; deadline: May 17. Scholarships are available. A deposit of $75 is required to hold your spot. Adult volunteers are needed. Register at STPstudentministries.org. Call (281) 4928031, ext. 319, or e-mail [email protected] for more information.

Freedom Walk. Rev. Heidi McGinness will join us for the Freedom

Apr. 1-7 MONDAY Isa. 12:1-6 TUESDAY Ezek. 37:7-14 WEDNESDAY Hos. 14:1-8 THURSDAY Acts 5:27-32 FRIDAY Ps. 118:14-29 SATURDAY Rev. 1:4-8 SUNDAY John 20:19-31 Apr. 8-14 MONDAY Judg. 6:11-24 TUESDAY 1 Sam. 12:19-25 WEDNESDAY Dan. 3:13-18, 22-26 THURSDAY Acts 9:1-6 FRIDAY Ps. 30 SATURDAY Rev. 5:11-14 SUNDAY John 21:1-19

Walk on April 7 from 4:30 to 7 p.m. She also will be preaching in all the traditional worship services that day. Pastor McGinness is an ordained Presbyterian minister who serves as director of outreach for Christian Solidarity International-USA, a human rights organization that has delivered humanitarian aid to South Sudan and to Darfur. Nine trips to wartorn Sudan with CSI have made Pastor McGinness a modern-day abolitionist and passionate defender of the victims of slavery, genocide and persecution. Also joining us will be Simon Deng, a former child slave, who is working to free people from slavery. Find out how you can support the Freedom Walk by visiting the table in the Lobby on Sunday or by calling (281) 492-80831, ext. 319.

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Sunday Worship

St. Peter’s United Methodist Church 20775 Kingsland Blvd. Katy, Texas 77450

8:30 a.m. Traditional Worship with Holy Communion

9:45 a.m. Traditional Worship the element Contemporary Worship Sunday School for All Ages

11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship the element Contemporary Worship SPLASH Children’s Worship Sunday School for Adults

St. Peter’s Events Calendar Sunday, March 31 Easter Sunday Monday, April 1 Church Office closed Tuesday, April 2 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 3 10:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 4 9:30 a.m. Sunday, April 7 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 9 1:30 p.m. 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 10 9:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 11 9:30 a.m. 10:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m. Sunday, April 14 12:15 p.m. 4:00 p.m.

Help deliver Easter lilies

Smocks for Life

Asbury Hall

UMW Unit Meeting Wednesday Night Dinner Wednesday Nights at St. Peter’s

E106 Lott Hall Various

Mothers’ Share Group

E221

Freedom Walk Women’s Cancer Support Group

S209

KEYS Council Women of Joy

E225 S203

Prayer Quilt Ministry UMW Board Meeting Wednesday Night Dinner Wednesday Nights at St. Peter’s

S201 E106 Lott Hall Various

Mothers’ Share Group Brown Bag Bridge Lydia Circle

E221 Asbury Hall S204

Pizza With the Pastors E106 Groundbreaking and Ice Cream Social Lott Hall

Detailed weekly calendars of St. Peter’s events are available at the Information Desk in the Lobby and on the St. Peter’s website.

It is a tradition at St. Peter’s, after the 11 a.m. Easter worship service, to deliver Easter lilies to those who are in nursing homes or are home bound. If you would like to brighten someone’s Easter with a lily, please meet in the Sanctuary after this service to pick up a plant and an address and directions.

Welcome to Our New Members Harold and Debra Butt, Charles and Brooke Duke, Jordan and Kelly Fife, Carlos and Griseida Garcia, Rosalind Griffin, Robert and Ellen Jones, and Toby and Maria Tomlinson