connection

---

St. Peter’s

CONNECTION VOL. 7, No. 11 January 13, 2017

Connecting the World with God’s Love

THIS ISSUE:

Charge Conference Please plan to attend this congregational meeting

Christmas baptisms

Sunday as we vote on Whitney Peper as a candidate for ordained ministry.

MANcation 2017 Our men’s retreat will be Feb. 10-12 at Camp Cho-Yeh near Livingston. The theme will be “A Man and His Marriage.”

Three families chose Christmas Sunday as the day to present their children for baptism. A total of five children were welcomed into the family of Christ. If you would like information about baptism, please contact Patty Campbell at [email protected].

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

Church holiday schedule

B

elow are the holidays when the church will be closed this year. Please make sure you are aware of these dates when you are scheduling your events. January 2, Monday New Year’s Day January 16, Monday Martin Luther King Day April 17, Monday Easter Monday May 29, Monday Memorial Day July 4, Tuesday Fourth of July September 4, Monday Labor Day November 22, Wednesday Thanksgiving November 23, Thursday Thanksgiving December 25, Monday Christmas December 26, Tuesday Christmas

Please donate blood Sunday

O

ur next Blood Drive is Sunday, Jan. 15, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Scout House. Walk-ins are welcome. Each donor will receive a long-sleeved Commit for Life T-shirt. For information on donating blood or to schedule an appointment, contact Marsha Asplin at mea1242@aol. com.

2

Bishop to preach in traditional services Dear Friends in Christ, This coming Sunday we have a very special opportunity. Our new bishop, Bishop Scott Jones, will be preaching at 8:30 and 11 a.m. in the Sanctuary. No matter which worship venue you normally attend, I hope you will take this opportunity to come to one of these services and hear Bishop Jones. Bishop Jones was appointed to become the bishop of the Texas Annual Conference effective Sept. 1, 2016. Prior to that, he was the Bishop of the Great Plains Annual Conference, which includes Kansas and Nebraska. Before Dr. Pat Sparks, Senior Pastor being elected bishop in 2004, he was a professor at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. Bishop Jones was born in 1954 in Nashville and was raised in Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana, and Colorado. He is co-author with his son Arthur of “Ask: Faith Questions in a Skeptical Age.” He is the author of “The Wesleyan Way: A Faith that Matters” (2013), “Evangelistic Love of God and Neighbor: A Theology of Discipleship and Witness” (2003), and “United Methodist Doctrine: The Extreme Center” (2002), all from Abingdon Press. Scott is married to Mary Lou Reece, who is president of Reece Construction Company. They have three children and two grandchildren. I look forward to seeing you in worship this Sunday! Blessings, Bishop Scott Jones

Pat

MANcation 2017 to focus on marriage

M

ANcation 2017, St. Peter’s men’s retreat, is at Camp Cho-Yeh retreat facility from Feb. 10-12. This year’s theme is “A Man and His Marriage.” We have timed this exciting event perfectly—the weekend after Super Bowl and before Valentine’s Day! What better time to fellowship and talk about being a better husband? If you are married, about to get married, want the chance to stay married, or ever hope to be married in the future, then this weekend is for you! You can sign up at www.stpkaty.org. Cost is $150 per person. For more information, contact Tony Custer at arcuster@earthlink. net or Pastor Mark Welshimer at [email protected].

Church Leadership Orientation and Church Council set for Jan. 21

A

ll current and incoming 2017 members of St. Peter’s Finance Committee, Board of Trustees, Church Council, and Staff Parish Relations Committee are asked to attend our upcoming Leadership Orientation/Church Council Saturday, Jan. 21, from 9 to 11 a.m. in Asbury Hall. Childcare is available by contacting Amanda McDaniel at [email protected] no later than Jan. 19. This is an important get-together to kick off 2017. In addition to Church Council voting on the proposed 2017 budget, you will have the opportunity to meet and greet new committee members, pick up binders, and review committee rosters. We hope to see you there! If you have any questions, please contact Ann at anix@ stpkaty.org or (281) 944-4940.

Studying the Psalms

T

he book of Psalms is often quoted, but is rarely put into context. When we understand the Psalms relative to the circumstances in which they were written, we find a rich resource for God’s people. At its core, the book of Psalms is an instructional guide to a moment-by-moment walk with God through the world. Join us for our study of Psalms 1-41 beginning Jan. 17 at 9:30 a.m. in E106. Register at stpkaty.org, at the Information Desk in the Lobby, or by contacting Karen Palfreyman at [email protected].

Monday Morning Bible Study

M

onday Morning Bible Study meets at 9:30 a.m. in E225 through May and uses the Serendipity Bible, which can be purchased in class and includes questions for each book of the Bible. We will begin a study of 1 Samuel on Jan. 23. We also enjoy fellowship through mission projects, social outings, and monthly lunches. We welcome new members at any time. For information, contact Maryann Fanty at fantyml@ yahoo.com.

Register for preschool through Jan. 20

R

egistration for the 20172018 school year for our Early Childhood Development Center runs through Jan. 20. Registration forms are available in the ECDC office. We offer classes that are developmentally and socially appropriate for children ages 15 months through 5 years. For more information, please visit stpkaty.org or call (281) 492-0623 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

A special thanks to all the volunteers and St. Peter’s staff who made Treasures in the Attic so successful. The children and families who participated by shopping and those who donated items for our shop helped us raise more than $1,200 to be donated to The Helping Kids Ministry.

3

St. Peter’s joins with YMCA to start afterschool program

S

t. Peter’s is partnering with the YMCA to host an after-school program, Leaders Club, for Taylor High School students. Leaders Club meets every Tuesday and Thursday from 2:45-4:30 p.m. in the Wesley Student Center. Students interested in the club can simply show up. We are currently seeking adults to serve as leaders as well as groups that would be able to provide snacks periodically throughout the semester. Please contact Nathan Lonsdale Bledsoe at [email protected] if you can help.

Alzheimer’s Support Group

T

he Alzheimer’s Support Group will not meet this month because of the Martin Luther King holiday on Jan. 16. We will meet again on Feb. 20. For more information, contact Beverly Deerhake at (281) 372-8389.

4

L

ast August, Pastor Scott was challenged by one of his doctorate professors to explain why Jesus is his hero, without saying “because Jesus died on the cross for my sins.” Why is Jesus my hero? For more than a minute, over 30 pastors from all across the world belonging to different denominations sat silent. Why is Jesus my hero? Try asking a pastor to explain why Jesus is their hero when they can’t say “because he died for my sins.” That’s hard! So for a full minute, all these pastors were quiet. After a while, they gathered their thoughts and had the next 30 minutes to share why Jesus was their hero. If pastors had to collect their thoughts for over a minute to tell someone why Jesus is their hero, how well do you think their congregations would fare? For the most part, it is easy for pastors and members to invite friends and neighbors to come to our church, but when you ask them to share with someone why they love Jesus, more times than not Christians clam up. And instead of listening to that small voice from God in our head telling us to share Christ, we just invite people to our church instead. Could it be that maybe most Christians are more comfortable with the church they attend than they are with Jesus? If we are honest, we know our church. We know how the service will go. We know the pastors. We know what music will be played. Our children like this church. And we know people that we have connected with at our church. So it is easy for us to invite people to church rather than invite them to Jesus, simply because most Christians know more about their church than about Jesus. The West Campus, which meets at 10:30 a.m. at Cinco Ranch High School, has a new sermon series on why Jesus is our hero. The goal of this series is for us to hear about Jesus in such a way that we see him not only as our Savior and our Lord, but also as our hero. A hero we want to emulate. A hero we want to strive to become. A hero who could change how we view our life and how we do ministry. We hope to see you there!

Charge Conference Sunday, Jan. 15

F

ollowing the 11 a.m. service in the Sanctuary on Jan. 15, we will have a called Charge Conference for the purpose of voting on Whitney Peper as a candidate for ordained ministry. The Charge Conference will only take a few minutes, but is an important step for Whitney as she enters into the process that will lead to her ordination. Please plan to attend.

Better Bodies

B

etter Bodies is a fitness class for seniors. We meet Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Quad from 12:301:30 p.m. For information, contact Patsy Stanley at patsystanley5@ comcast.net.

Welcome to our new members Jim and Angy Newell

Job Search Assistance

T

he Job Search Assistance group meets Wednesdays beginning Jan. 18 at 6:30 p.m. in S211. We provide help with your job search or job change, including discussion of search tactics, networking, resumes, and interviewing. Come join this small group where many have found new employment. Please arrive promptly at 6:30 and bring writing materials and your most recent resume. For information, please contact John Caudill at (281) 600-8138 or [email protected].

Beloved Disciple

O

ur spring Beth Moore study is on Jesus’ disciple John. “Beloved Disciple” shows how John’s legacy to future believers was love. Perhaps like no other disciple, John understood that relationship is the point. We will have two options meeting on Tuesdays beginning Jan. 17. Join us at 9:30 a.m. in S201 or 6:30 p.m. in E225. Nursery care is available for the morning session. Contact Anne O’Quinn at annieroonie@ sbcglobal.net for more information.

ST. PETER’S ATTENDANCE December 24 Traditional Worship 3:00 525 5:00 1,285 7:00 601 9:00 396 11:00 241 The Element 4:00 183 5:30 141 West Campus 362 TOTAL 3,734 December 25

292

January 1 Traditional Worship 268 The Element 120 West Campus 121 TOTAL 509 January 8 Traditional Worship 8:30 185 9:45 220 11:00 383 The Element 9:45 85 11:00 131 SPLASH 83 West Campus 188 West Campus Students/Kids 97 TOTAL 1,372

In Our Prayers

PRAYERS Marci Barnes, Lee Bennett, Lynn Bortka, Dennis Bowling, Gordon Buffington, Claire Cook, Lorkeshia Davis, Faunelle Deaton, Jenifer Franklin, Joe Hawkins, Art Henderson, Phillip Hubbell, Mike Ibarguen, Lin Johnson, Brian Jones, Oscar Jones, Ralph Lovell, Martha McKitterick, Mary K McNamara, Lou Moore, Neil Pickthall, Kathy Powell, Janice Remmele, Virginia Reper, Fay Smith, Cheryl Swift, and Annabelle Turner. SYMPATHY To Carolyn Howell and family on the death of her mother. To Anna Woodside and family on the death of her brother. 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, 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, Theo Speas, and Jasen Wilson.

5

Don’t miss our Girlfriend Getaway retreat

S

t. Peter’s annual women’s retreat, Girlfriend Getaway, is a great way to connect with women of all ages. This year’s retreat is Jan. 27-29 at Cathedral Oaks Retreat Center in Weimar. 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 more information, please call Katie Miller at (281) 398-0740.

Run to help stop human trafficking

T

he Katy Half Marathon, 5K, and Kid’s Fun Run is on Saturday, Feb. 4, at Katy Mills Mall. This year the Texas Annual Conference has a “Reason2Race” team to help stop human trafficking. If you are interested in running, being a part of the team, or giving to help fight human trafficking, contact Pastor Mark Welshimer at [email protected].

F

inancial Peace University can help you take control of your finances. This 9-week course will show you how to eliminate debt, manage your money, and give and live like no one else, using practices that are both biblical and practical. We will meet Wednesdays beginning Jan. 25 at 6:30 p.m. in Asbury Hall. To find out more about Financial Peace University, join us for a preview session Jan. 15 at noon in the Sanctuary. Registration for this course is at stpkaty.org.

You Only Die Once

T

he six-week You Only Die Once course walks you through the process of understanding why an end-of-life plan is so important, what the elements of a good plan are, and how to put a plan together, step by step. It’s been said that nobody gets out of this world alive. And while we all know that’s true, planning for the end of our lives is something none of us really wants to think about. But it’s important to make plans to pass on: not only our valuables, but also our values. We will meet Thursdays starting Feb. 2 at 6 p.m. in E106. Register at stpkaty.org. Cost is $79 for singles and $139 for couples.

Victory in Spiritual Warfare

T

he Journey Men’s Bible Study invites all men to join us for the study “Victory in Spiritual Warfare” by Tony Evans Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. in S204. We will focus on Ephesians 6:10-18 as we learn about ways believers can implement the truths of God’s Word in spiritual warfare. New members are welcome at any time during our studies for this time of spiritual bonding and building our relationship with God and each other.

33: The Series—Men’s Bible Application Study

P 6

lease join us for this series on discovering God’s design for men. Using Jesus’ time of ministry as a model, we will focus on topics such as marriage, career, and fatherhood. We meet Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. in S101 through May. The cost for materials is $15. For more information, please call Guy Brasseux at (281) 468-8136.

Daily Bible Reading Student Ministries Groups Rooted Junior High Ministry will return Wednesday, Jan. 18, from 6-8 p.m. in the Wesley Student Center. We’ll have games, music, prizes, worship, and small groups. Bring $3 for pizza dinner. High School Life Groups will resume on Jan. 22. All groups will meet at Main Event on I-10 from 5-7 p.m. Cost is $15. If you are not a member of a Life Group and would like to join, please contact Heather Harmison at [email protected].

Student Ministries Mid-Winter Camp

All sixth- through 12th-graders are invited to attend Mid-Winter Camp at Forest Glen Feb. 24-26. Registration forms and information will be available at stpstudentministries.org or in the Wesley Student Center. We will need adult leaders! Cost is $115. Registration forms are due by Jan. 16.

Jamaica Golf Tournament

Don’t miss the best golf tournament in Katy, benefitting our high school seniors’ mission trip to Jamaica. Join us at Cinco Ranch Golf Club Monday, Feb. 20, for a four-man scramble, dinner, and awards. We’ll also have a great auction with many items for the whole family. Cost is $125 by Feb. 13. Go to stpstudentministries.org to register. For information, contact Heather at hharmison@ stpkaty.org or (281) 944-4929.

Gideon: Your weakness, God’s strength

D

o you feel overwhelmed? Inexperienced? Intimidated? Insufficient? Too old? Too young? Too invisible? Too afraid? Gideon’s story in the Bible tells of one man’s struggle with his own weakness—and the One True God who transformed it into triumph. So if you’ve ever struggled with insecurity or had trouble accepting your limitations, our seven-week women’s study of Gideon will help you see how God can use your weakness to unlock His strength. Please join us beginning Feb. 2 in S201 from 9:30-11:30 am. Each week we will watch a 30-minute video by Priscilla Shirer, followed by a group discussion. Childcare is available by contacting Amanda McDaniel at amcdaniel@ stpkaty.org. Books can be purchased at LifeWay or Amazon. Please bring your book the first day of class. Register at www.stpkaty.org. Contact Stacia Holda at stacia.holda@ earthlink.net if you have questions.

Jan. 16 – 22 MONDAY Isaiah 49:1-7 TUESDAY Psalm 40:1-10 WEDNESDAY 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 THURSDAY John 1:29-42 FRIDAY Jeremiah 16:14-21 SATURDAY 2 Corinthians 7:5-13a SUNDAY Hosea 2:16-23 Jan. 23 – 29 MONDAY Isaiah 9:2-7 TUESDAY Psalm 27:1-9a WEDNESDAY 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 THURSDAY Matthew 4:12-23 FRIDAY Psalm 1 SATURDAY Deuteronomy 6:4-9 SUNDAY James 3:13-18

7

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 Sunday, Jan. 15 12:00 p.m. Charge Conference Sanctuary 12:15 p.m. Financial Peace Preview Sanctuary 4:00 p.m. Women’s Cancer Support S205 Monday, Jan. 16 Church Office closed Tuesday, Jan. 17 12:30 p.m. Better Bodies The Quad 2:45 p.m. YMCA Leaders Club Wesley Wednesday, Jan. 18 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Nights at St. Peter’s Thursday, Jan. 19 12:30 p.m. Better Bodies The Quad 2:45 p.m. YMCA Leaders Club Wesley Saturday, Jan. 21 9:00 a.m. Church Leadership Orientation Asbury Hall Tuesday, Jan. 24 12:30 p.m. Better Bodies The Quad 2:45 p.m. YMCA Leaders Club Wesley 7:00 p.m. Women of Joy S203 Wednesday, Jan. 25 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Nights at St. Peter’s Friday, Jan. 27 6:00 p.m. Friday Night Friends E221 Detailed weekly calendars of St. Peter’s events are available on our website.

Opportunities to serve Blood Drive: Donate blood this Sunday and help save lives. Leaders Club: Serve as an adult leader or provide snacks for this after-school program. Human Trafficking: Raise funds and awareness by participating in the Katy Half Marathon, 5K, and Kid’s Fun Run. Student Ministries Mid-Winter Camp: Serve as an adult leader for this weekend camp. Jamaica Golf Tournament: Support our high school seniors’ mission trip to Jamaica by participating in this fundraiser.