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St. Peter’s

CONNECTION VOL. 7, No. 3 September 23, 2016

Connecting the World with God’s Love

THIS ISSUE:

Students connect through Life Groups

Girlfriend Getaway Registration begins this

weekend for our January

women’s retreat, which will be at Cathedral Oaks Retreat Center in Weimer.

Early Response Team Training Be a part of the volunteer teams that help with recovery efforts during the first few weeks after a disaster. Senior high students started their weekly Life Groups on Sept. 11 and look forward to a year of fellowship and study on Sundays from 5 to 7 p.m. This year we are studying Galatians. We would love more seniors join our groups. Sign up at stpstudentministries.org. You can contact Heather Harmison at [email protected] for more information.

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

Donate cans for children’s banks

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hildren’s Ministries is collecting small cans with lids to be used as banks in the upcoming capital campaign. These include coffee cans, Pringles cans, formula cans, and others with removable plastic lids. All cans can be brought to the Children’s Ministries desks and checkin stations by Oct. 2. For more information please contact Whitney Peper at [email protected].

Wednesday nights for kids

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hildren are invited to IMPACT, our Wednesday night program for 3-year-olds through fifthgraders. IMPACT includes Bible studies, Bible lessons, crafts, music, and peer interaction. Elementary children will have time from 6-6:30 p.m. to work on homework, read a book, etc., and then will participate in IMPACT activities from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in E226. Preschool children will meet from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in E124. For more information, please contact Children’s Ministries Director Elizabeth Bucher at ebucher@ stpkaty.org or (281) 4928031, ext. 311.

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Counting others to be more significant Dear Friends in Christ, I recently read about Cheryl A. Bachelder, the CEO of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen and the way she turned her company around with a focus on serving others. A committed Christian in the workplace, Bachelder is also the author of “Dare to Serve: How to Drive Superior Results by Serving Others.” She shared her thoughts on servanthood: The Bible verse that’s on my calendar every day is Philippians 2:3. Because I haven’t found one that’s more paramount to how I want to lead in my family and in my work. And that is “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, Dr. Pat Sparks, Senior Pastor but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” I really like the choice of words around counting others more significant than yourselves. I believe we’re all born with an inner 2-year-old. And we’d really still like to be lying on the floor, kicking and screaming, because we didn’t get the candy bar we wanted. It’s pretty hardwired that we’re self-absorbed little people. And we learn to fake it well, but we’re still pretty much that 2-year-old on the inside. I find that biblical perspective really challenging in every aspect of my day—how I’m spending my time, the decisions that I make. To put them through a filter of whether I’m thinking about myself or whether I’m thinking about others. Am I doing this because I’ll get a bigger bonus check? Or am I really thinking about the long-term interest of this company? Am I doing this truly for my franchise owners, or am I getting some personal benefit that I haven’t been willing to acknowledge? Those kinds of provocative self-mirror questions hold you to a higher standard. I always say servant leadership is an aspiration, because you can really never claim you’ve arrived. Because as soon as you do, someone will find you—and in a trap of self-interest. It’s something you’re always working toward. We are called to serve God wherever we are—work, school, home, etc. How are you serving? Blessings,

Pat

ECDC’S Fall Family Festival Oct. 22

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lease mark your calendar for this fun festival sponsored by the Early Childhood Development Center Oct. 22 from 3-6 p.m. We will have pony rides, a petting zoo, balloon artists, face painting, inflatables, games, cake walk, food, and so much more. Cash and credit cards will be accepted for all attractions. Our festival baskets will be full of great items, and tickets are only $1 for a chance to win. All proceeds go directly to ECDC to benefit our children. Invite your friends and family for this fall celebration!

Church Council Meeting Tuesday, Sept. 27 7 p.m., E106 All church members are welcome to attend

Communion volunteers

Almost 60 elementary children from SPLASH, along with their parents, assembled and prayed over 200 flood buckets for the United Methodist Committee on Relief to send to Louisiana. Preparing the flood buckets, which will help provide aid for the catastrophic Louisiana flooding in August, helped the children learn about the work UMCOR does in their community as well as throughout the nation and worldwide.

ECDC hiring Spanish teacher

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he Early Childhood Development Center has an opening for a Spanish teacher for 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Please contact Bobbi McKinley at bmckinley@stpkaty. org for more information.

Job Search Assistance

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ob Search Assistance provides help for those looking for employment or job change. The group will meet Wednesdays from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in S211 beginning Sept. 14. You will receive information on search tactics, networking, resumes, and interviewing. Please be there promptly at 6:30 p.m. and bring your most recent resume. For information, contact John Caudill at (281) 600-8138 or [email protected].

Girlfriend Getaway women’s retreat

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e need volunteers for the traditional worship Communion Setup/ Cleanup Team for the first Sunday of each month— one each at the 8:30 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. services. Please contact Mark Liles at [email protected] if you can help.

Young adults small group

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ll young adults are invited to join us Sundays at 11 a.m. in Asbury Hall West. We will be discussing Max Lucado’s “Becoming a Student of God’s Word.” For more information, please contact Pam Chapman at hspschapman@aol. com or (281) 398-5156.

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egistration for Girlfriend Getaway, our annual women’s retreat, begins Sept. 25. This year’s retreat is Jan. 27-29 at Cathedral Oaks Retreat Center in Weimer. Karen Mayer Cunningham, a Christian comedian, author, and advocate for special needs children, will speak on “Joy for the Journey.” Cost is $150 for the weekend. Go to stpkaty.org to register. For questions or to volunteer to help with the retreat, please call Katie Miller at (281) 398-0740.

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Wednesday Nights at St. Peter’s Our Wednesday night groups started up for the fall last week. Bible and small group studies and children’s activities are some of the ways we grow in our faith at St. Peter’s. Scarecrow Festival. Join the KEYS as we travel to the Shangri La Botanical Gardens in Orange on Oct. 18 for the largest Scarecrow Festival in Texas, with hand-crafted scarecrows displayed throughout the gardens. This is a great way to celebrate the changing season. Also, see the community creations from repurposed and recycled materials with a heap of imagination. Guided walking tour lasts about two hours. Cost is $6 per person due by Oct. 2 plus lunch at Robert’s Steak House. The bus leaves St. Peter’s at 7:30 a.m. and returns at 4:30 p.m. Sign up at the KEYS bulletin board in the Lobby. Contact Gaylene Taylor at (281) 5991064 if you have questions. Brown Bag Bridge. In September we celebrated our 17th birthday and recognized our only charter member Janice DeWitz. Winners were Bea Dante, high, and Jody Nicholas, second high. Our next play date is Oct. 13 at 10 a.m. in Asbury Hall. For information, contact Martha at [email protected].

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KIDS JAM children’s choirs

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IDS JAM children’s choirs begin Sept. 14 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. We have four choirs: Praise Kids for 4-year-olds, Kids of the Kingdom for kindergarten-transition, God’s Kids for first and second grade, and Celebration Kids for third through fifth grade. We will be performing our Christmas musical “All About That Baby” on Dec. 11. This musical provides many speaking and singing roles. Please register at stpkaty.org. If you have any questions, please contact Anne O’Quinn at [email protected] or (832) 341-1229. We also are looking for a volunteer to lead the Kids of the Kingdom choir. Please contact Anne O’Quinn if you can help.

Abide begins study of the Book of Daniel

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he Abide Sunday School class, which meets at 11 a.m. in S203, will be on vacation for two weeks. Beginning Oct. 9 we will start a study on the Book of Daniel. Daniel covers the period when the temple was demolished and the southern kingdom, Judah, was being disciplined for their disloyalty to God by being exiled to Babylon. The history found in the first part of this book is crucial to understanding the strength and faith of Daniel and his three friends as well as who is really in charge. What a wonderful example these faith-filled young men are for us all. The second part of Daniel includes the apocalyptic writings that should be read to begin to understand John’s book of Revelation. Understanding Daniel leads us to further understand the coming of the Messiah and God’s continuing grace and forgiveness freely given to His people. Please join us for lively discussion of this book of the Bible.

Gathering volunteers provide a day of activity to homebound senior adults

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he Gathering Outreach Ministry is celebrating 16 years of providing fellowship and activity for homebound senior adults, many of whom are afflicted with Alzheimer’s or some other disability. Since our inception, our team of volunteers has put in more than 22,000 hours serving 205 care partners. If you love to sing, play games, make crafts, or provide food, we would love to have you as a Gathering volunteer. We meet the fourth Wednesday of each month. If you would like to be a part of this ministry, contact Peggy Batig at (281) 384-5358.

Welcome to Our New Members Lee and Lindsay Chapman

ST. PETER’S ATTENDANCE September 11 Traditional Worship 8:30 206 9:45 265 11:00 404 The Element 9:45 77 11:00 97 SPLASH 77 West Campus 185 West Campus Students/Kids 94 TOTAL 1,405

September 18 Traditional Worship 8:30 157 9:45 242 11:00 387 The Element 9:45 81 11:00 110 SPLASH 75 West Campus 172 West Campus Students/Kids 108 TOTAL 1, 332

In Our Prayers

PRAYERS Marci Barnes, Lynn Bortka, Dennis Bowling, Anne Carder, Lorkeshia Davis, Faunelle Deaton, Bob Harris, Art Henderson, Mike Ibarguen, Brian Jones, Maggie Jones, Oscar Jones, Ralph Lovell, Neil Pickthall, Janice Remmele, Virginia Reper, Fay Smith, Cheryl Swift, and Annabelle Turner. SYMPATHY To Tom Barra and family on the death of his brother. To Robert Danek and family on the death of his stepmother. To Betty Pittman and Jennifer Pittman and family on the death of their mother and grandmother. To Sheryl Ray and family on the death of her father. PRAYERS FOR OUR MILITARY Tim and Alison Batig, John Belsha, Will Brandt, John Buck, Skyler Cook, Austin Foster, Westley Freeze, James Gilbert, Tyler J. Gorcie, Dylan Greismeyer, Stephen Travis Harding, Adam Higdon, Matthew Ivester, Mike Linn, Ryan Lueders, Blake Nunes, Cameron Nunes, Ryan O’Quinn, Matthew Platz, Shawn Platz, Hamilton Rencurrel, Jack Ritchie, Don Rolleg, Ben Saunders, Jacob Shinkle, John Simmons, Justin Simon, and Jasen Wilson.

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Connecting the World With God’s Love Monthly Meeting. On Oct. 5, Dallas Louis, author, speaker, and mom, will speak on “Scattered and Gathered.” We will meet at 10 a.m. in E106. We always welcome all women to join us for any of our programs and to find out what UMW is all about! If you need a ride to the meeting, call Nancy Calderone at (281) 496-9542. The Bible and Human Sexuality. The United Methodist Women invite all women to join them for their spiritual growth study “The Bible and Human Sexuality: Claiming God’s Good Gift.” This study explores the Bible and human sexuality as two essential components of our Christian faith. The Bible is part of the foundation of our faith. Human sexuality is part of who we are as human beings, created by God and called good. The study invites us to explore the complexity of the biblical text and our varied understandings of it in light of human sexuality. We will meet in E106 in two sessions: Oct. 19 at 9:30 a.m. and Nov. 9 at 9 a.m. For information, contact Griseida Garcia at (281) 2323839 or TGriseida@gmail. com.

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Early Response Team Training. St. Peter’s will host Early Response Team training from the United Methodist Committee on Relief on Oct. 8 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Wesley. ERT training allows you to become part of the volunteer teams that help with recovery efforts on the ground during the first several weeks after a disaster. Lunch will be provided. There is no charge for St. Peter’s members. Please contact Carol Greenslate at [email protected] or (832) 758-2428 to reserve a place.

Katy Thanksgiving Feast. Every year, St. Peter’s joins with several local churches and ministries to host a Thanksgiving meal for those who might not otherwise have one. At the Feast, we also will offer our guests needed items. We will be collecting new/freshly laundered blankets and sleeping bags in September, winter coats in October, and non-perishable food items and diapers and wipes in November. Please visit stpkaty. org for more detailed information on this and other ways you will be able to serve. Contact Kat Moore at [email protected] if you have questions.

Favorite Bible Verses We’ve been asking St. Peter’s members to send us their favorite Bible verse and tell us a little bit about why it’s their favorite. Here is one of the responses we received. If you would like to submit you own favorite verse, send it to [email protected].

Luke 17: 20-21

Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, he [Jesus] answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, ‘Lo, here it is,’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” Jesus makes clear that what he means by the kingdom of God is not something to wait for; rather, that it is here all along even if we don’t see it. As for who resides in the kingdom of God, Jesus says in the Beatitudes that the inhabitants include those who are poor in spirit, who hunger and thirst for justice, who grieve, who are sad, and who weep. In other words, just about all of us at one time or other are in need of care. These are the care receivers. If we are fortunate, we receive help getting through difficult times by those who minister to us. These are the caregivers. I look around the church and the community and see many examples of people giving and receiving care. That activity goes on everywhere and all the time. The question is what to call that activity. I call it the kingdom of God. —Ken Knowlton

Daily Bible Reading It’s time for the Pumpkin Patch Did you know that our annual Pumpkin Patch raises money to offset the cost of our high school senior mission trip to Jamaica? How can you help? •Pumpkin Unloading. Oct. 9 at 12:30 p.m. You supply the muscles and we’ll supply the pizza! All ages and abilities are invited to help. •Pumpkin Patch Volunteer. Hours are Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sundays noon-7 p.m. Shifts are two hours. To sign up, click HERE and follow the instructions listed on the page. If you have any questions, or need assistance signing up, contact Heather at (281) 944-4929 or hharmison@stpkaty. org. Thank you! We know that your time is precious and we are grateful for your service!

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ifeGroups are back in full swing at the West Campus after the summer break. LifeGroups are small group gatherings of five to 16 people doing Christian life deeply together and are the heartbeat of the West Campus. There are currently 12 LifeGroups meeting in homes on various nights of the week, involving 143 adults. There is a LifeGroup for everyone depending on your age and stage of life. We have groups for empty-nesters, singles, young marrieds, and marrieds with school-aged kids. Each week the LifeGroup members dig deeper into the previous week’s sermon through study and discussion. LifeGroups also meet regularly to socialize with each other and other LifeGroups and work on a mission project each semester. For more information or to join a LifeGroup, e-mail [email protected] or [email protected].

Sept. 26 – Oct. 2 MONDAY Matthew 20:1-16 TUESDAY 1 Kings 17 WEDNESDAY Luke 12:1-21 THURSDAY Luke 12:22-32 FRIDAY 1 Timothy 6:1-19 SATURDAY 2 Corinthians 10:1-18 SUNDAY Philippians 4:10-19 Oct. 3 – 9 MONDAY Matthew 21:28-32 TUESDAY 1 Samuel 2:27-36 WEDNESDAY Hebrews 11:1-31 THURSDAY Hebrews 11:32-12:2 FRIDAY 2 Timothy 2:1-13 SATURDAY Revelation 2:8-11 SUNDAY Matthew 25: 1-30

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S u nday Worship 8:30 a.m.

Traditional Worship with Holy Communion

9:45 a.m.

Traditional Worship The Element Contemporary Worship Sunday School for All Ages

10:30 a.m.

St. Peter’s West Campus at Cinco Ranch High School

11:00 a.m.

Traditional Worship The Element Contemporary Worship SPLASH Children’s Worship Sunday School for Adults

St. Peter’s Events Calendar Tuesday, Sept. 27 9:30 a.m. 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28 10:00 a.m. 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29 9:30 a.m. 7:00 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30 6:00 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4 9:30 a.m. 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5 10:00 a.m. 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6 9:30 a.m. 7:00 p.m.

Grace Notes Women of Joy Church Council

Smocks for Life E106 S203 E106

The Gathering Asbury Hall Wednesday Nights at St. Peter’s Mothers’ Share Group Grief Share Group

E221 S209

Friday Night Friends

E221

Women’s Cancer Support

S205

Grace Notes Smocks for Life

E106 Asbury Hall

United Methodist Women E106 Wednesday Nights at St. Peter’s Mothers’ Share Group Grief Share Group

E221 S209

Detailed weekly calendars of St. Peter’s events are available on our website.

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lease come support Smocks for Life. We invite

anyone interested in cutting fabric to create smock kits to join us Oct. 4 at 6:30 p.m. in Asbury Hall. If you sew, we need volunteers to sew the kits into finished smocks for local MD Anderson breast cancer patients. For more information, contact Jan Sidle at (281) 773-7321 or find us at www.smocksforlife.org.