May 2012 - The Texas District of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod

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praise The Lord LOEBAU—Confirmed and welcomed at Christ, Loebau, on Feb. 19 was Jerry Sain Jr. (center). Shown with Jerry are Pastor Paul Hartfi eld (left) and Michael Beisert, catechist (right). PARIS—Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, Paris, recently welcomed into membership four new communicant members from Peace Lutheran Church in Paris, an ELCA Lutheran Church which closed its doors. Shown with Pastor Renning (right) are, (from left) Jentry, Lynn and Jency Dishman and Alice Girard. The former members of Peace deci ded to share the church appointments they could no longer use, including pews, a baptismal font and paraments with Beautiful Savior. These appointments were gratefully received and have been put to use. HOUSTON—On Sunday, Feb. 12, St. Mark Lutheran Church celebrated with 32 new members and their families who joined St. Mark’s family in 2011 with a personal luncheon prepared by The Assimilation Team and Elders. The 12-week “I Have Good News For You” class meets three times per year to ensure small, more personable classes. St. Mark pastors are the Rev. Scott Heitshusen and the Rev. Timothy Duerr. B TEXAS DISTRICT DALLAS—Our Redeemer Lutheran Church and School, Dallas, welcomed new members to its church family Feb. 12. Shown with Pastor Michael Schuermann are, from left, (front row) John and Stephanie O’Connor, Judith Dickey, Donald and Alimah Kopoi, Charles Jenkins, Brittany and Nathan Gonzalez with baby Chloe and Pastor Brent McGuire; (back row) Laura Furr, Tim and Rebecca Shewmaker, Jeff and Katie Graham, Julie McMahan, Kristan and Blake Gore, Manuel and Melissa Green and baby Manolo. Not pictured are Paul Prevallet, Benjamin Mueller and Kameron Mueller. SEGUIN— Welcomed to the church family of Grace, Seguin, are, from left, (first row) Vicki Krolcyzk, Pastor Richard Mittelstadt and Maxine Sonntag; (second row) Irmie Threet, Lynn Mittelstadt and Kris Simmons; (third row) Aaron Henderson; (fourth row) Eric Campos, Ason Hargrove and Tim Mittelstadt; (fi f th row) Dawn Koehler, Dennis Krolcyzk and Wayne Rucker.
Missions in Texas On Jan. 27, 1967, three astronauts reclined in the Apollo 1 space capsule, rehearsing procedures for a February 1967 launch. This was the first launch of the Apollo program, the final step to reaching the moon before the end of the 1960s. At 5:31 p.m., a chilling radio transmission was heard from the capsule: “Fire!” “We’ve got a fire in the cockpit!” “We’ve got a bad fire … get us out. We’re burning up …” Then a scream. It all took place in 12 seconds. A defective wire sparked a fire in the oxygen-rich environment of the space capsule. The escape hatch wasn’t designed for a quick exit. The result was the tragic deaths of astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee. Shortly after the tragedy, NASA flight director, Gene Kranz, gathered his team of 250 together for a serious talk about the incident. He said, “From this day forward, Flight Control will be known by two words: ‘Tough and Competent.’ Tough means we are forever accountable for what we do or what we fail to do. We will never again compromise our responsibilities. Every time we walk into Mission Control we will know what we stand for. Competent means we will never take anything for granted. We will never be found short in our knowledge and in our skills. Mission Control will be perfect. When you leave this meeting today you will go to your office and the first thing you will do there is to write ‘Tough and Competent’ on your blackboards. It will never be erased. Each day when you enter the room these words will remind you of the price paid by Grissom, White and Chaffee. These words are the Texas Messenger Texas District Mission News by the Rev. Mike Newman Mission and Ministry Facilitator, Area C What’s your battle cry? Newman price of admission to the ranks of Mission Control” (Failure is not an Option, Gene Kranz, 204). “Tough and Competent” became the battle cry for Mission Control. Careless, rushed, lazy and half-hearted efforts would be put behind the NASA team. From now on, they had their marching orders, their battle cry. As a believer in Christ and as a church, what is your battle cry? On Pentecost Day, the disciples of Jesus remembered the battle cry He had given them: “You will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8 NIV). The Holy Spirit filled them and they were launched into mission. No more cowering, no more self-centeredness, no more lust for power and attention, no more preoccupation with things that didn’t matter, no more snobbery toward people who didn’t measure up. Jesus paid the price of admission through His blood shed on the cross and His victory over death. Now Christ’s followers were in the thick of the Kingdom mission: to reach the lost. It’s been nearly 2,000 years since the first Pentecost. Are you still mission-focused? What two or three words or what short phrase describes your marching orders as servants of the risen Savior? In other words, do you have a battle cry? Does your church? More importantly, is your battle cry written on the “blackboard” of your life so that every day you are reminded of the price Jesus paid for you and the grand calling He has for you as His disciple? As a church, do you know what you stand for and are you actively engaged in that which reflects your blood-bought battle cry? Lives depend on it. (If you want to refocus on the mission, become a mission prayer partner, and support Gospel outreach partnerships in Texas, find out more by going to www.txdistlcms.org and clicking the “mission expansion” tab.) MAY 2012 C
Page 1: FroM The presidenT Texas missions (
Page 5 and 6: speciaL happenings CELEBRATION— S
Page 7 and 8: More happenings in Texas Chili cook
Page 9 and 10: Texas parTners in Mission Texas Mes
Page 11 and 12: More Ties ThaT bind 50 YEARS—Chil
Page 13 and 14: can-do Missions concordia—Texas M
Page 15 and 16: LuTheran ouTdoors MinisTry oF Texas
Page 17 and 18: Texas church exTension Fund Texas M
Page 19 and 20: LwML President: Frances Molitor - B

May 2012 - The Texas District of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod

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