St. John S HELPER

St. John’s HELPER St. John’s United Church of Christ 1513 West Street Rosenberg, Texas 77471 Church Office: 281-342-5159 Church Email: [email protected] Church Website: www.stjohnsunitedchurchofchrist.org Rev. Daniel Haas, Minister Cell phone #801-368-1180 October 12, 2016 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 “Corpus Christi” communion elements through town. Especially after the Protestant Reformation, Corpus Christi has become a demonstration of Catholic domination and power: We own the living body of Christ. We are exclusively the one true body of Christ. All you Protestant heretics who are not in our procession are not the true church.

That could of course not continue without significant backlash. In one of his homilies Martin Luther wrote, “I am to no festival more hostile than this one. Because it is the most shameful festival. At no festival are God Banner in the sanctuary of St. Paul’s UCC and his Christ more blasphemed, than on this day, and particularly by the procession. For then people are Long before my family considered a move to Texas we treating the Blessed Sacrament with such ignominy were looking at options for beach vacations. Corpus that it becomes only play-acting and is just vain Christi made the top of the list. A couple of years later idolatry. With its cosmetics and false holiness it I accepted the call to St. John’s United Church of conflicts with Christ’s order and establishment. Christ in Rosenberg, Texas. We were still living in Because He never commanded us to carry on like this. Utah at the time. Our family of five used the occasion Therefore beware of such worship!” of the move for an epic road trip of the American Southwest. We came down through New Mexico. It is kind of ironic that the Houston Association of the Before finally pulling into Rosenberg we spend a week United Church of Christ meets in Corpus Christi. In at the beach in Corpus Christi, just like we had wanted the United Church of Christ we are all about unity in for years. the body of Christ, yet this town was founded on the premise of the separation of true and false religion. This coming weekend I get to go back there. Not Maybe that’s exactly why we need to gather there: To necessarily for the beach, the epic U.S.S. Lexington, or bring unity and healing. Our sister church St. Paul’s the Texas State Aquarium, but this time for the fall United Church of Christ in Corpus Christi has meeting of the Houston Association of the United provided a continuous presence there for over 100 Church of Christ. The various levels of our years now. They make a point of celebrating Holy denominational structure remind us that the Body of Communion every Sunday. Their town needs that: A Christ is much larger than just the local congregation. reminder that Christ’s table is open for all. Or, as the After all that is what Corpus Christi literally means: Reverend Burton Bagby-Grose puts it: “I’m passionate Body of Christ. about sharing with people that God loves everyone, gay, straight, pink or purple.” The name was given to the settlement and surrounding bay by Spanish explorer Alonso Álvarez de Pineda in 1519, as he discovered the lush semitropical bay on the Blessings, Catholic feast day of Corpus Christi. Corpus Christi is a day of catholic processions carrying the consecrated Rev. Daniel Haas Offering for October 9, 2016 Preparing for Sunday October 16, 2016 Unrestricted Income Jeremiah 31:31-34 General Fund ……………………. $4,636.00 Luke 18:1-8 Sermon: “The Emergence of Justice” General Fund income is used to pay our congregation’s operating expenses. We must receive $3,130 each week in unrestricted giving to sustain our annual budget of $162,738 Month to Date for unrestricted: $ 8,592.00

Restricted Income Benevolence …………………….. $115.00 Adult Sunday school Neighbors in Need………………. 25.00 The Adult Sunday school class Improvement Fund……………… 82.00 under the leadership of Leo Restricted Income is money given for a specific Niemeyer meets at 9:00-9:30 a.m. purpose. It is never used to pay our church in the Disciples Classroom each operating expenses. Sunday morning. The topic to be discussed on Sunday will be “Who Am I in Total Offering for October 9, 2016: $4,848.00 Christ?”

Attendance for October 9, 2016 Church Attendance 58 Adult Sunday school 10 New Directories Available Church Directories will be available starting this Sunday in the Narthex and are being made THOSE IN OUR PRAYERS available by the Women’s Guild. A donation of $1.25 is being Requesting Prayer for Themselves: asked to cover the printing cost by the Guild. A Denver McFarland pocket size and one full size directory is available Requesting Prayers for Others for each family. A Women’s Guild member will be Gary Ashley by Melba Ashley handing out directories before and after church Diana Barnett by Karen Sikes this Sunday and the following Sunday as well. Bobbie Jo Behrens by Karen Sikes Eve Behrens by Karen Sikes Milton Eastwood by Gloria Himly Nathan Gaskamp by Florence Gaskamp Nelda Gutowsky by Florence Gaskamp Church Office Closed Gary Harbes by Melba Ashley Please note that the church office will be closed Monday and Stan Kubelka by Kathy Kubelka th th David Kveton by Alice Prosise Tuesday, October 17 and 18 as Ginger Pawlek by Gloria Himly the church secretary will be out of town. Wolfgang Schmidt by Angelika Schmidt Kara Schmith by Michelle Gutowsky Rebecca Schulte by Gloria Himly Darlean Swallers by Diana Beck Church Council Sarah Weimer by Petra Weimer The Church Council will meet on Robert Wilbeck by Shirley Niemeyer Monday, October 17 at 6:00 p.m. in the Disciples Classroom. Looking for Voices Fall Association Meeting Choir rehearsals are held each Wednesday night The Houston Association will meet at 7:00 p.m. in the choir loft (in preparing for the this Saturday, October 15 at St. Christmas Cantata the choir is rehearsing 6:30- Paul's UCC (address is 5525 Lipes 8:00). If you have ever thought about joining the Blvd., Corpus Christi, TX 78413). choir, this would be a great time and new You are invited to attend this meeting and asked members are always welcomed. The choir has to RSVP to [email protected]. begun working on their Christmas music, so those that might be interested in joining for this season only are also welcomed and it’s never too late to Prayers for Rev. Douglas Anders join, part time or full time. For more information regarding the choir please contact Choir Director, Tim Riha.

Please keep Rev. Dr. Douglas Anders, retired South Central Conference Minister, in your thoughts and prayers. Rev. Anders recently required a surgical procedure and is waiting for test results. Rev. Anders would welcome cards or letters of support. His address is 2921 Moniteau Monday Morning Men Drive, St. Louis, MO 63121. The Monday Morning Men usually meet around 8:30 a.m. each Monday for a time A Farewell Worship Service and a New of fellowship and a time for handling any odd jobs and Beginning for Bethel Church repairs around the church Article submitted by Rev. Teddy Kissell, Interim building. All men are invited to attend and help Minister, Bethel Church UCC, Houston, TX out as you can. For more information about how you can help, contact John Eixmann. The Bethel Church Family invites all friends to join us in our Farewell Worship Service at Mature Adults 10:30 am on Sunday, October For those wishing to 16, and lunch following the service. Though we have a fun afternoon of leave the lovely space in which we have fellowship and games worshipped and worked for nearly 100 years, we (dominoes as well as do not leave the work that God has commissioned card or board games) us to do. Bethel Church will continue meeting for then mark your calendar worship in our temporary space at the Montrose for Tuesday, October 18 beginning at 1:00 p.m. Center (402 Branard, 2nd floor ) and will be using The Mature Adults meet on the third Tuesday of office space there also starting the next week. each month here at St. John’s UCC in the Parish Hall. This is open to men and women of the Please hold the Bethel Church Family in prayer community, so bring a friend or two. If you have a as we engage in "New Beginnings" and make this favorite game, feel free to bring it along with a great transition to continue, in a new location, our dessert to share and enjoy a lively afternoon. For life lived in service. more information please contact Alice Prosise. Calendar Looking Ahead Adult Sunday School-9:00-9:30 a.m. For Sunday, October 16, 2016 Bible Study-2nd and 4th Tuesday Lay Reader: Tom Gaskamp Confirmation Class-2nd & 4th Tuesday Flowers for Altar: Pat Lucky Choir Rehearsals, Wednesday @ 7pm Men of the Brotherhood, 10/13 Greeters & Ushers for Oct.: Church Council, 10/17 Fritz Oberhoff, Tommy Gaskamp, Mature Adults, 10/18 Lisa Schwarz, Alice Prosise Family Ministry Communion- Lay Readers for October: Reliable Oaks, 10/19 Sandra Croft, Janet Enax, Confirmation Class, 10/25 Tom Gaskamp, Michelle Gutowsky, Bible Study, 10/25 Nina Cooper All Saint’s Sunday, 10/30 Altar Flowers for October: Daylight Savings Time, 11/5 Denver McFarland, 10/2 Kathy & Stan Kubelka, 10/9 Pat Lucky, 10/16 Denver McFarland, 10/23 Fritz & Gary Oberhoff, 10/30 Thought for the week:

October 16, 2016 “Today is a perfect day to just be happy.” Adult Sunday School, 9:00-9:30 a.m. Rev. Daniel Haas will deliver the morning message entitled, “Enroll” your Kroger’s card with the Brotherhoods “The Emergence of Justice” Community Rewards Program. Go online and use #84302 as the organization number. October 13, 2016 Link to Kroger’s Community Rewards website: The Men of the Brotherhood, 6:00 p.m. https://www.kroger.com/communityrewards (On your computer push Control and click your mouse at October 17, 2016 the same time while hovering the mouse over the above link and it will take you directly to the Kroger registration Church Council, 6:00 p.m. page.)