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TEXAS MESSENGER

TEXAS MARCH 2020 / 1

From the president

By Rev. Michael NewmanPresident, LCMS Texas Districttxlcms.org • mnewman.org

Burning torches or Gospel lights?

The prophet Isaiah declared:

Behold, all you who kindle a fire, who equip your-selves with burn-ing torches! Walk by the light of your fire, and by the torches that you have kindled! This you have from my hand: you shall lie down in torment.” —Is. 50:11

What “burning torches” of your own do you scramble to light in order to cope your way through life? Do you light your way with the burning flame of self-righteousness and the criticism of others? Do you walk by your own torch of believing that you have all the answers? Do you move forward in the flickering glow of negativity and fear? Do you wield the torch of lovelessness and a harsh attitude?

Isaiah calls us to repentance. Douse your self-kindled torches!, he pronounces. Drown your feeble flames!, he proclaims. Your burn-ing torch is no match for the Gos-pel light!

Isaiah declared: Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God. — Is. 50:10

This is a call to repentance. The Lutheran Confessions boldly label repentance as “God’s thunderbolt”:

By the Law He strikes down both obvious sinners and false saints. He declares no one to be right, but drives them all together to terror and despair. This is not…manufactured re-pentance. It is…true sorrow of heart, suffering and the sensa-tion of death. This is what true repentance means” (Smalcald Articles, Part III, Article III, 2-3).

Will you fall to your knees in true sorrow of heart this Lenten season, casting your self-kindled burning torch aside — whatever it may be — and, in that darkness, hear God’s call to trust in and rely upon Him? The Confessions articulate the source of new life:

If you live in repentance, you walk in Baptism. For Baptism not only illustrates such a new life, but also produces, begins and exercises it. For in Baptism are given grace, the Spirit,

and power to suppress the old man, so that the new man may come forth and become strong [Romans 6:3-6] (Small Cate-chism, Part IV, Baptism, 75-76).

“Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God!” May all you do — and all we do together as the church — shine, not with burn-ing torches of our own design, but with Gospel lights that bring Jesus and His gifts to one another and to the world.

Let’s continue the conversation at the regional one-day District Lead-ership Gatherings: Dates are:v March 14: Redeemer, Lubbockv March 21: St. Paul, Bishopv March 28: Bethany, Austinv April 4: Trinity, Klein

More information is on page 4.

Questions for reflection:Read Rom. 6:1-11▶ �What changes in your life do

these verses reveal and encour-age?

▶ How do these verses speak to your congregation?

Prayer starter: Confess your true sorrow to God, then thank Him for the new life He gives through Jesus’ death and resurrection.

2 / TEXAS2 / TEXAS

MARCH 2020 / 3

MISSIONS

When I was in the fifth grade, I memorized a limerick about Iran:

There once was a girl from IranWho had trouble in finding a manIt was funny you seeUntil she spotted meThen I ran and I ran and I ran

Anawakeningin Iran

By Rev. Pete Mueller

Mission Strategist, Area C

That is all I knew about Iran.

When I was 16, however, a group of Iranian college students took over the United States embassy in Teh-ran and held 52 Americans against their will for 444 days. Iran was no longer a funny word that made a good limerick. Iran was now a country. It was now an enemy of America. These people, it was con-cluded, couldn’t be reasoned with. So they were sanctioned.

Almost 40 years later, Iran is still an enigma. They are still being sanctioned. They are still acting like adversaries. This is what most Americans know about Iran.

But as is so often the case, there is more going on here than what meets the eye. According to an arti-cle in The Christian Post published on Sept. 23, a Gospel movement is exploding inside Iran:

For the last few years, re-searchers have credited the underground church in Iran as the fastest-growing Christian church in the world. It has unique characteristics that defy comparison with churches in America and Europe, and in the opinion of some who know

it well, the church in the West could learn by studying it.

“The fastest-growing church in the world has taken root in one of the most unexpected and radicalized nations on earth,” according to Sheep Among Wolves, the outstand-ing two-hour documentary about the revival that has taken place inside Iran. “The Iranian awakening is a rap-idly reproducing discipleship movement that owns no property or buildings, has no central leadership, and is pre-dominantly led by women.”

Efforts by the ayatollahs to destroy Christianity have backfired, but have served to refine and purify the church… an Iranian church leader not-ed. “All these church planters found out that converts run away from persecution, but disciples would die for the Lord in persecution. So our model inside Iran is that we don’t convert to disciple, we disciple so we can convert.”

Reading this report on Iran makes me grateful to be on mission in the Texas District, where new ap-proaches and new networks are giving rise to new Gospel move-ments. Making disciples, training evangelists and planting churches are among the ordinary means through which the extraordinary Gospel is growing and bearing fruit.

Although we have much to learn from what God is doing in other parts of the world, our churches and partner ministries in Texas are responding to current challenges with hope, vision and faith. We praise God that He continues to build His Church in such surprising ways.

The Tehran skyline with a panoramic view of the city.

4 / TEXAS

ministry conversations

for changing times

Leadership Gathering

'There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:' ~ Ecclesiastes 3: 1

Register Today! 20201eadershipgatherings.e�e@fitS.11ifie.com

This is a new event hosted by the Texas District, Texas District Church Extension Fund and

Legacy Deo. This partnership is coming together to offer a one-day engaging and inform­

ative gathering to equip congregational leaders with vital information and resources. We

invite you to join us as we joyfully embrace this multi-dimensional ministry approach.

The cost for this event is being covered by the sponsoring partners in ministry. The Leader­

ship Gathering is perfect for church members, leaders, and friends who are interested in

growing and sharing effective ministry. For more information including agenda, session

titles, speakers, and to register, visit 20201eadershipgatherings.eventbrite.com.

DATES AND LOCATIONS:

Saturday, March 14 // Redeemer Lutheran Church, Lubbock Saturday, March 21 // St. Paul Lutheran Church, Bishop Saturday, March 28 // Bethany Lutheran Church, Austin Saturday, April 4 // Trinity Lutheran Church, Klein-Spring

HOSTED BY: Jlegacy lDeo

God's Gifts. Your Legacy.

LEGACY DEO

FEBRUARY 2020 / 5

Brian D. Hamilton, CPAChief Financial Officer

2019 ministry highlights

Before last year fades to a distant memory, we’d like to share our major accomplishments from 2019. If you’d like information about our gift-planning services so that you can leave a charitable legacy of your own, let us hear from you. Contact us at info@legacydeo.org.

1estate

administered and distributed

to ministry

$65,000ministry grants

awarded

800-880-3733legacydeo.org

7900 East Highway 290 Austin, TX 78724-2499

Total distributions:$2.6 million

$2.3 million

distributed to ministries*

$340,000distributed to

individuals

37 stock gifts

passed through to ministries

8 new

accounts

$1.1 milliontotal donations

received

*More than $1.9 million to Texas-based ministries

6 / TEXAS

HAPPENINGS

NEWARKOn Dec. 22, Rev. Dr. Phil Schielke was installed as pastor of Victory in Christ. Brothers participating are, from left, Revs. Bryan Wolfmueller, Christopher Bramich, Eloy Gonzalaz (Texas District second vice-president), Phil Schielke, Richard Mittwede, Timothy Fraker, Stephen Gallo and Jon Scicluna.

On Dec. 8, Rev. Roger Hotopp was installed as pastor of Grace Lutheran Church. Brothers participating are, from left, Revs. Bob Gentet, Mark Barz (Texas District third vice-president), Jay Brown, Roger Hotopp, Rick Pfaff, Carlos Boerger, Ken Mitschke and John Diaz.

SEGUIN

Retirement blessingsThe dual parish of Grace, Menard, and Trinity, Eden, held a retirement service for Rev. Darrell Howanitz on Aug. 25. He is pictured with his wife, Wanda. In the photo at right, he is pictured with Rev. Curt Schneider (left) and Rev. Bob Budewig, who have been leading worship at the congregations due to Pastor Darrell’s battle with cancer. Rev. Howanitz’s ministry began with his vicarage at Holy Cross Lutheran Church and St. John’s Church for the Deaf in Fort Wayne, Ind., in 1992. He had been serving Grace and Trinity since 2011. He officially retired on Aug. 31.

MARCH 2020 / 7

HAPPENINGS

Members of Our Redeemer, Irving, have been making sandwiches once a month for the homeless. The minis-try, led by Erik and Rhonda Muegge, has been in opera-tion since January 2016. Since then, more than 82,000 sandwiches and nearly 10,000 bags of cookies and 5,000 bags of chips have been distributed.

Shown in the top photo are those who recently made sandwiches, a service which continues to be joyful for the members.

The photo at right shows members of Our Redeemer’s Women’s Ministry, who make pillows and blankets once

Mercy for the homeless, hospital patients in Irving

a month to share with Parkland Hospital. Distributed in August were 65 baby blankets to Parkland’s nursery and 56 pillows to cancer patients.

More than 2,100 pillows have been donated over the past four years to three area hospitals.

Deaf Youth Ministry of Texas has been blessed with the addition of two new teach-

ers. Ted and DCE Denise Pulfer recently moved to Austin, and Denise will eventually serve as di-rector. She graduated from Christ College, Irvine (now Concordia University, Irvine, Calif.) and served congregations in California, Pennsylvania and Panama. When she was 30, she became deaf and started working at a deaf church in Fremont, Calif.

She recently served at Our Savior Deaf Lutheran Church, Madison, Wis., where Ted was also a dea-con. Since moving to Texas, De-nise and Ted have taught Wednes-day evening classes. They have two adopted sons, Ben and Aaron.

Deaf youth ministry blessed with new teachers

Ted and Denise Pulfer are pictured with their children, Ben and Aaron.

Ben is deaf and attends Texas School for the Deaf, and Aaron is hard of hearing and attends a pub-lic school that has a program for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.

Rev. Mark Seeger has been serving as director of Deaf Youth Ministry of Texas since 2001 and will still serve after Denise assumes the leadership role. Those involved in the ministry are thankful that God has led the Pulfer family to Austin to serve the deaf youth in central Texas and at the Texas School for the Deaf.

Deaf Youth Ministry of Texas is the youth ministry of Holy Three-in-One Lutheran Church of the Deaf, where Seeger serves as asso-ciate pastor.

8 / TEXAS

HAPPENINGS

SERBIN

On Nov. 17, St. Paul Lutheran Church honored Rev. Paul Droegemueller with a reception to celebrate his 50th year in the pastoral ministry. He is shown here with his wife, Wilma.

On Jan. 21, the Texas District Board of Direc-tors recognized Brian Hamilton, Legacy Deo chief financial officer, for 10 years of service at Legacy Deo. Karen Gerdes, School Min-istry roster assistant, was recognized for five years of service.

The board also cele-brated the retirement of Joyce Best for 23 years of service. Joyce served as Legacy Deo communications coordinator.

Congrats!

From left, Larry Ohls, Kieschnick and Brian Hamilton of Legacy Deo, and Rev. Newman.

From left, Rev. Dr. Jerry Kieschnick, Joyce Best and Rev. Newman.

From left, Dr. Bill Hinz, Karen Gerdes and Rev. Mike Newman, Texas District president.

On Dec. 8, Isaac Jay Morris was baptized at St. Paul. Shown are, from left, (front row) Jordan and Madison (sisters); parents Brenda (with Isaac) and Jeff; sponsors Melissa (holding Micah, Isaac’s brother) and Kevin Houchin; (back row) Tina Miller (sponsor) and Rev. John Heckmann. Missing from the photo is Rick Miller, sponsor.

THE GROVE

SAN ANTONIOMount Calvary Lutheran Church recently honored lay minister Millard “Butch” Watson for 30 years of service to the congregation. Millard has faithfully instructed a majority of the youth at Mount Calvary in confirmation and made countless visits with sick and homebound members.

MARCH 2020 / 9

TIES THAT BIND

Send us your news

Congrats!

These Lutheran friends of yours recently celebrated or will celebrate wedding anni-versaries of 50 years or more.

Lamesa, Grace Johnny and Sharon Sherbert 50 years, Feb. 14

Klein, Trinity Charlie and Kathleen Brenham 50 years, March 9Dale and Judy Cloninger 59 years, March 20

The Grove, St. Paul Aubrey and Dorothy Richter 69 years, March 3Stan and Janice Dake 50 years, March 27

Houston, Gethsemane Stuart and Barbara Chase 65 years, March 3

San Angelo, Trinity Ray and Elaine Van Stockum 56 years, Jan. 11Jerry and Francis Peiser 52 years, Jan. 13Roy and Carolyn Vick 59 years, Jan. 22Phillip and Babs Benge 52 years, Jan. 26

Serbin, St. Paul Arthur and Laverne Urban 53 years, Dec. 17Charles and Gladys Arldt 64 years, Jan. 1Monroe and Verna Mae Becker 66 years, Jan. 3Ted and Adele Schulze 68 years, Jan. 12

Fred and Barbara MacKinnon, members of Beautiful Savior, Ar-lington, will celebrate 52 years of marriage on March 7.

Russell and Elaine Barber, members of Beautiful Savior, Ar-lington, celebrated 56 years of marriage on Nov. 9.

Paul and Celia Drager, members of St. Paul, Plainview, celebrated 50 years of marriage on Dec. 27.

Ed and Carol Coleman, members of Mission Liberty Hill, Liberty Hill, celebrated 60 years of marriage on Dec. 20.

Ted and Sue Schmidt, members of Holy Cross, Midland, cel-ebrated 63 years of marriage on Nov. 24.

Rod and Millie Maxson, members of Holy Cross, Midland, celebrated 66 years of marriage on Nov. 8.

Henry and Judy Flores, members of Trinity, Klein, will cele-brate 51 years of mar-riage on March 1.

Harvey and Margie Wunderlich, members of Trinity, Klein, will celebrate 63 years of marriage on March 1.

Doug and Shirley Weidemann, members of Trinity, Klein, will celebrate 54 years of marriage on March 19.

Edgar and Ruth Wright, members of Redeemer, Austin, will celebrate 70 years of marriage on March 17.

Royce and Millie Lewis, members of Trinity, Klein, will celebrate 62 years of marriage on April 20.

Happy Birthday!

Pauline Stork, member of Holy Cross, Midland, celebrated her 101th birthday on Nov. 14.

Send photos and stories for The Lutheran Witness to:▶ txmess@txlcms.org

▶ Texas Messenger, LCMS Texas District 7900 E. Highway 290 Austin, TX 78724-2499

Please be sure all photos sent electronically are in color and high resolution. Texas Messenger is available online at txlcms.org.

10 / TEXAS

SCHOOL MINISTRY

By Dr. Bill HinzDirector of School Ministry

Teachers are front-line missionaries, and we are blessed that they have daily opportunities to share and proclaim the great love, mer-cy and forgiveness that comes through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. What a high calling we have to share the love of Jesus.

We are also blessed to be in Texas, a state that continues to experience rapid growth. A growth opportuni-ty for us became a reality on Jan. 6 as Ascension Lutheran Church, Cleburne, launched a new outreach ministry with Next Generation Pre-school.

“The leaders of Ascension were prayerfully planning to build a much needed sanctuary,” said Rev.

Proclaiming Christ through early childhood centers

Eddie Scheler, Ascension pastor. “During the process,

the Holy Spirit nudged us about intentionally building rela-

tionships with the growing number of young families in our Cleburne community. The Holy Spirit had already been pinching us that we are an aging congregation and we did not want to leave that note for the last one standing to turn out the lights.

“It was out of the desire to reach and bless our community that Next Generation Preschool was birthed. We truly desire to tell the next gen-eration the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord.”

Lisa Waits serves as the director of Next Generation and brings an en-thusiasm and love for Jesus to her staff and the families they serve. She shared the following message: “Our first week of preschool was fabulous! By Friday, I realized we had become a family. God has blessed us abundantly, and it’s only going to get better and better!”

Having launched a second pre-school site in 2018, Cora Nash, director of Preschool Operations for The Family of Faith Lutheran

Church, Houston, shared these words of encour-agement: “Opening a new center is exciting and overwhelming all at once. It has defined my faith in Jesus. I have no other way other than to do the work and trust Him with the rest. I am grateful for the amazing support and work of Pastor Doug (Krengel), the Board of Directors and congre-gation at The Family of Faith church.”

Ps. 78 says:Give ear, O my peo-

ple, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth! I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glo-rious deeds of the Lord, and His might, and the wonders that He has done.

Please pray for the children in your life. What a great blessing to be able to share Jesus and His love and forgiveness with children of all ages.

Pastor Eddie Scheler of Ascension, Cleburne, shares the love of Jesus during chapel time.

Lisa Waits, Next Generation Preschool director, enjoys time with a student.

MARCH 2020 / 11

CTX

One of the key figures of sec-ular history — whose role in the crucifixion of Jesus

is recorded in the Gospels and is the only Gentile whose name appears in one of the three ecu-menical creeds — is Pontius Pilate. The Gospels present Pilate as well versed in Roman law … intelligent, but expedient.

When the Jews brought Jesus to Pilate for interrogation and sen-tencing (since the Jews did not have the right to execute anyone, John 18:31), Pilate knew this to be a setup. He also knew that Jesus was innocent of any violation of Roman law, so he attempted to release Jesus. But something hap-pened that caused Pilate to make a choice between his future and justice.

He chose his future.

Just two years earlier, Lucius Ae-lius Sejanus had been executed in Rome for a plot against those who were aligned with Tiberius, the Roman emperor. Sejanus had been the leader of the Praetorian Guard, which was made up of bodyguards who protected the emperor. That

meant that Sejanus had significant power and ready access to key lead-ers and was, therefore, capable of plotting against those who opposed him. Eventually his plan to achieve complete power in Rome, at the expense of the emperor, was dis-covered and Sejanus was arrested and executed, along with others involved in the plot.

When the Jews feared that Pilate was about to release Jesus (John 19:12a), they shouted, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar” (John 19:12b). Sejanus had not been a friend of Caesar, but had plotted to centralize power around himself. He nearly succeeded.

Pilate was a friend of Sejanus and had actually been nominated by Sejanus for the governorship in Ju-dea. If word got back to Rome that Pilate was a “friend of Caesar,” his governorship, even his life, would soon be over. Sejanus had been ex-ecuted in 31 A.D., and Jesus was on trial in 33 A.D.

The Jews apparently knew about Pilate’s friendship with Sejanus and seemingly threatened to send word about that friendship to Rome. So Pilate realized that he

was in a difficult spot, whether he released Jesus or decreed His exe-cution. He had to choose between justice and his future. He decided to compromise his understand-ing of justice and Roman law and handed Jesus over to be crucified.

We can easily think that our plans, or the plans of others, will carry the day over the plans of God. But God’s plans supersede human plans, even though “the nations conspire and the peoples plot” against the Lord and his Anointed One (Ps. 2:1-2).

As we draw close to the Suffering Servant this Lenten season, let us remember that God always accom-plishes His plans, especially His plan to provide our salvation and the salvation of others in the sacri-fice of His Son Jesus.

March 5-8 Spring Musical

April 16 IncubatorCTX Speaker Series

April 18 Be a Tornado Day

April 25 Spring Commencement

For athletic results and schedules, visit concordia.edu/athletics.

By Rev. Dr. Joel HeckProfessor of Theology, Concordia University Texas

God’s plans (not ours)

12 / TEXAS

CAN-DO

By Pat FickCAN-DO Director

s I was running through the neighbor-

hood one morning, I happened upon a sign in someone’s front yard that caught my eye (pic-tured, upper right). It said “Never Forget.” It appeared to have blood dripping down from the sign onto a green bowling ball that appeared to have an outline of the world on it. What a powerful image!

I’m not sure if they intended it to mean that we should never forget the men who died to win our free-dom in this country, or the God-man who died to forgive the sins of the entire world and win our free-dom from sin, death and the devil. Either way, it was a great reminder to me to be grateful for the sacrifice of others on my behalf.

Our CAN-DO Missions theme for this year is “Passion Always Outweighs the Cost,” based on John 15:13:

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down His life for His friends.

Jesus willingly gave His life, though He never did anything wrong, to pay the price for our sins. His pas-sion at wanting all of us to be with Him forever in heaven outweighed the painful death on the cross He had to endure in order to secure our salvation. Wow! That’s love! Great love!

Now what? You and I also have the opportunity to sacrifice for the sake of others. What does that look like? It can be as simple as serving others instead of serving yourself. When you sacrifice you time, ener-gy, money, position and privileges so that others can be blessed, you resemble Jesus! In CAN-DO Mis-sions “language,” you can go on a trip, pray for our trips, provide supplies for our trips or financially support those who do go on trips.

Sacrificing for others

May God help each of us to see the opportunities He puts in our path every day to serve others and share the Good News of Jesus.

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ran-som for many. — Mark 10:45

Thank you Jesus! May I never for-get all you have done for me.

Donations for CAN-DO Missions are always welcome!Make checks payable to Concordia University Texas, with “CAN-DO Missions” in the memo line. Send to: Concordia University Texas,

ATTN: CAN-DO MISSIONS 11400 Concordia University Drive, Austin TX 78726

Or call 512-313-4332 to donate via credit card.

Donations may also be made at can-do.concordia.edu.

MARCH 2020 / 13

TEXAS CHURCH EXTENSION FUND

By Raelyn PrachtCEF Marketing Specialist

Helping to meet your growing ministry needs

State Demographer Lloyd Potter says: “Texas’ population grows by about 1,000 people every day; half of these new Texans are babies born here. The other half are peo-ple moving to Texas: that’s a mix of people coming from within the U. S. and those coming from anoth-er country” (The Texas Standard, January 2020).

What does this have to do with Texas Church Extension Fund (Texas CEF)? It all goes back to our mission statement:

The mission of the Texas District Church Extension Fund is to extend God’s Kingdom by boldly and responsibly assisting congregations to acquire land and buildings and by linking investors with congregations.

Texas CEF can help your congre-

gation meet its growing needs by providing not only loans, but also the ability to save money with our Congregation Savings. Texas CEF also provides an investment vehicle for congregations accumulating funds for a building project with our Building Fund.

Whatever your congregation needs to bring the Gospel to the many new Texans, Texas CEF is here to help. Here are just some examples of what Texas CEF loans have funded in recent years:▶ New pipe organ▶ New sanctuary construction▶ Roof repairs▶ New audio-visual system▶ Construction of classrooms and

offices▶ Air conditioning and heating

system replacement▶ Parking lots

It’s investors, like those of you reading this article, who make these loans possible. Thank you for helping make 2020 the best year yet!

Celebration in Cypress On Dec. 11, The Family of Faith Lutheran Church Miramesa loca-tion in Cypress offered its first ever African advent service. Immigrants from Tanzania, Liberia, Nigeria and Ghana led the service.

Special songs of praise were shared. Stories of Christmas in the countries of origin were also pre-sented. Offering an African worship service every month is now being considered by church leaders.

Pastor Doug Krengel noted: “We at The Family of Faith Lutheran Church have dedicated ourselves to intentionally being multiple multi-ples to multiply (multigenerational, multicultural, for men and women, multi-site). The African Advent wor-ship service is but one example of our congregation’s mission focus.”

This is why Texas CEF exists — to provide space and place for worship.

I don’t believe it’s a surprise to anyone that many more people have moved to Texas the past few years. In an article in the May 2019 issue of U.S.

News, Austin was listed as the fastest growing city in the United States, with three more Texas cities making the top 10: San Antonio, Fort Worth and Frisco.

The first African Advent service at The Family of Faith was held Dec. 11.

Mark your calendarsJoin us for a regional one-day District Leadership Gathering. The theme is “Ministry Conver-sations for Changing Times.”

See page 4 for dates and locations and how to register.

Texas District Church Extension Fund▶ 7900 E. Highway 290

Austin TX, 78724

▶ 888-951-1233 512-646-1233

▶ Rpracht@texascef.org

▶ TexasCEF.org

14 / TEXAS

UPBRING

Healing comes in many different forms. The way someone heals is specific to one’s self. For some, it involves extensive therapy and time.

For others, it includes partaking in activities like bak-ing, crafting or reading.

For Angela Daniel, her outlet was and continues to be exercise.

“It was the only thing I could control in my life. When my whole life was going crazy, I knew I could at least control the way I treated my body,” Angela said.

She loves to share this passion with others. Angela volunteers her time at New Life Children’s Center to teach a fitness class for the girls in hopes of channeling a healthy way of healing.

At New Life Children’s Center, many girls arrive after experiencing severe abuse or neglect. Staff at New Life are specialized in trauma-informed care in order to of-fer support for each personal healing process. New Life is a place where each girl can feel safe, empowered and hopeful for a brighter future.

Exercise is a healthy, positive way toward the journey of healing. Studies have shown that exercise can de-crease depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance and other symptoms of post-traumatic stress.

During Angela’s exercise class at New Life, the girls

Upbring.org /UpbringOrg @UpbringOrg UpbringOrg

worked on their agility and speed. She brought speed ladders, mini bands and cones to work on improving strength and quickness. There was a lot of laughter and smiles as Angela introduced a challenge where the girls tried to catch a tennis ball, dropped by her-self, before it bounced twice.

The girls thoroughly enjoyed the exercise class that Angela taught. One girl even asked if she could stay longer!

Volunteers like Angela are some of the many people in the lives of the girls at New Life who help restore a sense of ambition. We hope that each girl who comes to New Life leaves empowered and thinking, “I am strong and I can do what I set my mind to.”

Angela Daniel shows care and support for a participant in her exercise class at New Life Children’s Center

Exercise as

HEALINGFitness teacher helps girls at New Life envision a brighter future

MARCH 2020 / 15

LUTHERAN OUTDOORS MINISTRY OF TEXAS

Camp Lone StarAdventurous, Christ-centered fun▶ 2016 Camp Lone Star Road

La Grange, TX 78945

Lutheran Outdoors Ministry of Texas▶ P.O. Box 457; La Grange, TX 78945▶ lomt@lomt.com▶ 979-968-1657▶ LOMT.com

LOOKING AHEAD CONTACT US

v April 24-26 Lifequest (group registration)

v May 22-24 Work weekend

v June 7-Aug. 7 Summer camp sessions

Our core values at Camp Lone Star are Christ-Cen-tered, Pattern Interrupt,

Joy-Filled, Intentional and Selfless Service. Everything we do here is accomplished through the lens of these values, each based on how in Scripture God calls us to live.

Our hope is for your child to expe-rience each of these in a personal way during their time at camp this summer, and this is how:

Through Adventurous Experiences In the midst of God’s creation, your child will develop new friendships with their cabin mates through their experiences together as a group. Your child will have oppor-tunities to learn new skills and en-joy time with their group through activities such as archery, canoeing, swimming, arts and crafts, slip n’ slide, hiking and more.

They will play silly games and be encouraged to step outside of their comfort zone (physically, mentally and spiritually) through various team-building challenge course activities. Every activity we offer is designed to provide a safe and fun environment for your child to ex-plore, learn and grow.

By Experiencing Mentorship Our full-time and summer staff are carefully and prayerfully selected, called by God to serve here. At Camp Lone Star, your child will experience the impact of having counselors and mentors who deep-ly care for them and will share the

Gospel with them.

One of our top priorities is that your child will leave camp knowing that they are chosen, loved, forgiv-en and cherished by God, and to encourage them in their personal walk with Him.

By Spending Time in God’s Word Your child will encounter God’s Word multiple times each day. Through morning and evening devotions led by our staff, they will learn the value of keeping their hearts focused on Jesus through-out the day. They will join with ev-eryone at camp to sing and dance in praise to the Lord.

In addition, through Bible study

Why Camp Lone Star?

with their cabin group, your child will learn how to study Scripture and apply it to their life. And by performing skits, they will be challenged to share with others, at camp and at home, about who God is and what He has done for them.

We trust and believe that God works intentionally through each of these aspects (and many others) at Camp Lone Star to draw His chil-dren closer to Him.

Join us this summer as we focus on our theme — BY FAITH (Heb. 11:1). The first discounted price ends on March 14, so register your child to-day at lomt.com.

See you this summer!

16 / TEXAS

LONE STAR DISTRICT LLL/LHM

Every Lenten season, we reflect on God’s work on our behalf through the

telling of Christ’s Passion. In Deliver Us: Jesus Sets Us Free, we remember our Savior’s triumphal act of re-demption in Israel’s exodus from captivity in Egypt.

Just as Moses led Israel to the Promised Land, Jesus won victory for us through His life, death and resurrection. In both events, God saves His people. But through Jesus, God saves completely.

Since creation, God has been set-ting us free. From Adam and Eve’s transgression to Is-rael’s slavery in Egypt to mankind’s bondage to sin and death, God liberates the captive! In Deliver Us: Jesus Sets Us Free, you’ll see God’s love in action — working

Sign up for LHM Lenten devotionsHis purposes through hu-man affairs, drawing us into a relationship with Him. Even as Moses (a kind of redeemer) foreshad-owed the work of Christ (our ultimate Redeemer), we remember with awe and humility the pains God took to win us back to Himself, sparing not His only Son.

Available now, Deliver Us: Jesus Sets Us Free can also be received as an e-mail sub-scription throughout the Lent-en season. Churches can also

download, personalize and print them to give to congregation members or use as an out-reach tool with guests and visitors.

The audio version is also available.

Visit lhm.org/lent.

Wanted: LHM Ambassadors

An Ambassador is a member of a congregation who helps build and nurture a relationship between Lutheran Hour Ministries and oth-er members of the congregation.

What do LHM Ambassadors do?v Create awareness for the pro-

grams of LHM within the congre-gation wherever and whenever possible using various commu-nication channels, including but

One of Lutheran Hour Ministries’ strategic priorities is to Energize, Equip, and Engage laity for outreach. To achieve that outcome, LHM is dedicated to serving as the congrega-tion’s critical partner in equipping its members.

To help facilitate that partnership, LHM recruits congregation members to serve as Ambassadors.

not limited to church and small-group presentations, bulletins and newsletters, bulletin boards, displays and handouts.

v Ask others to pray for Lutheran Hour Ministries.

v Encourage participation in LHM’s projects and the use of LHM resources, as well as en-courage donations to support LHM’s ministries.

v Thank donors who support

LHM’s ministries and remind them of how their donations help LHM reach more than 1 million people with God’s Word every year!

To learn more and to sign up, visit lhm.org/ambassador.

MARCH 2020 / 17

LWML DISTRICT NEWS

LWML Texas District 41st Biennial Convention

“We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”

— Heb. 6:19-20

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

I am thrilled to invite you to Corpus Chris-ti for the 41st Biennial Convention of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

Texas District! The Coastal Bend, Mid Coast and Rio Grande zones have been diligently working to provide a time for you to reaffirm that our hope is anchored in Christ in an ever changing world.

I pray that you will be Recharged through the Divine Service with Holy Communion on Thursday evening, with Rev. Michael New-man as proclaimer. You will Rest in God’s Word and His sure hope as we study God’s Word with our pastoral counselors, keynote speaker Deb Burma, the enrichment session leaders, the Wake Up with the Word speaker and the Mites in Action speaker. We will be Re-energized to share our hope in Christ with others as we bring our Gifts from the Heart and offerings, and participate in on-site and off-site servant events and the Mis-sion in Motion Prayer Walk for mites.

Please plan to join us and make our new schedule successful. Our servant events are

June 18-20 • Omni Corpus Christi

planned for early Thursday afternoon, before the convention officially begins. To make these successful, we need people to arrive and register early. Our local organizations are looking forward to our servant events that we have planned for them.

The convention concludes by noon on Sat-urday, giving you plenty of time to spend the rest of the weekend exploring the many at-tractions of Corpus Christi, like the beautiful bayfront and beaches, the Texas State Aquar-ium and the USS Lexington Museum on the Bay. Watch the sunrise over the bayfront from the Omni Hotel and enjoy fresh seafood.

So make your plans now to come to Corpus Christi and be Recharged, Rest in God’s Word and be Re-energized to share your hope in Christ with others as we reaffirm that our hope is anchored in Christ!

If you have any questions or needs, contact me at Corpus2020@lwmltxdist.org.

Judy KunkelConvention Host Committee Chairman

Ingathering items for this convention and the recipients are:v Body wash and deodorant for boys and girls

for Rainbow Rooms, which are emergency re-source centers available to Child Protective Ser-vice (CPS) case workers to help them meet the critical needs of abused and neglected children.

v Diapers (all sizes) and wipes for Pregnancy Center of the Coastal Bend, a ministry that em-powers others to embrace life for their unborn child.

v Gift cards from H-E-B and Walmart for Rio-MAC, an outreach effort of the LCMS in the Rio Grande Valley.

v Canned meats and peanut butter for Coastal Bend Food Bank, a nonprofit organization serv-ing 11 area counties.

Gifts from the Heart Off-Site Servant EventsEvents will be held from 11:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. on Thurs-day with staggered start times. There is no cost to par-ticipate and transportation is provided. The Human Care Committee will contact you for your preference of site if you indicate yes on your registration form.

v Coastal Bend Food Bank: Participants will help sort, inspect and box food products at the warehouse.

v Holmgreen Center at Brookdale: Participants will have the opportunity to sing, lead Bingo games, read to resi-dents and paint residents’ fingernails at this assisted living, rehab and nursing center.

v Alameda Oaks Nursing Center: Participants will have the opportunity to sing, lead Bingo games, read to resi-dents and paint residents’ fingernails.

v Hi Again Resale Shop (part of the Pregnancy Center of the Coastal Bend): Participants will help sort and mark do-nated items and clean the shop.

18 / TEXAS

LUTHERAN WOMEN IN MISSION

Convention InformationRegistration The 41st Biennial Convention of the LWML Texas Dis-trict will be held at the Omni Corpus Christi, 900 North Shoreline Blvd, Corpus Christi, June 18-20. Registration opens on March 1, and registrations must be submitted or postmarked by May 1 to take advantage of the discounted registration fee. Online registration is available at lwmltxdist.org/ convention with payment by credit card through June 1. The registration form is available on the website to be completed, printed and mailed to the registrar with payment (check to LWML Texas District or credit card information). American Express will not be accepted by LWML Texas District for registration or at the convention, including the LWML store. Registration check-in at the Omni will be from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, and from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday. Please contact registrar Beth Franke at registrar@lwmltxdist.org with questions.

Agenda The convention will open at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 18, with a Divine Service with Communion in the Corpus Christi Ballroom at the Omni. The first business meeting will begin with singing at 8:15 a.m. on Friday. There will be business meetings on Friday afternoon, evening and Satur-day morning, which will include keynote speaker Deb Bur-ma, a Mites in Action speaker, Bible studies, song leader Allison Ulmer, and an entertaining convention Interrupter. The convention will conclude at noon on Saturday.

Lodging The Omni Corpus Christi is now accepting reservations. The group rate for a deluxe room is $142 plus tax and is good for one to four people per room. There is an addition-al charge for premier view rooms. The convention rate will not be available after May 27. For online hotel reservations, go to omnihotels.com/ hotels/corpus-christi/meetings/lutheran-womens- missionary-06162020 or use the direct link at lwmltxdist.org/convention. Reservations can also be made by calling the Omni at 800-843-6664 — ask for the Lutheran Wom-en’s Missionary block. If you need assistance or a roommate, please contact Housing Coordinator Melissa Childs at 361-944-1515. The hotel will honor the rate for three nights before and after the convention based on availability if you would like to stay and visit the Corpus Christi/Padre Island area.

Travel Guests flying into Corpus Christi International Airport and staying at the Omni need to call 361-887-1600 for free shuttle service to hotel. Pick-up is outside the baggage claim with a wait of about 15 to 20 minutes. If you plan to

drive and stay at the Omni, you can park in the Omni ga-rage for our special rate of $5 per day with in-and-out priv-ileges. Valet parking is available at the prevailing rate. En-trance to the garage is located on North Water Street. There is an entrance to the lobby from the garage. The Omni Wa-ter Street lot will have complimentary self-parking.

Meals All meals are secured with registration only. On Friday and Saturday mornings, a full breakfast buffet is available at a cost of $20. The buffet consists of sliced fresh fruit, hot breakfast entrée, assorted muffins and Danish, juice, coffee (regular and decaf) and hot tea. Friday’s box lunch will fea-ture ham and turkey sandwiches, chips, cookie and drink for $15. The Pastors Lunch on Friday will be served at Trinity Lu-theran Church for a cost of $15 per person (Hoegemeyer’s Barbecue brisket, potato salad, coleslaw, tea and peach cobbler). All clergy are invited and transportation will be provided if needed. On Friday evening, a plated dinner of lemon thyme glazed chicken breast with a house salad, seasonal vegetables, roll, tea and crème brûlée cheesecake will be available for $44. All listed prices include gratuity. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free meals are available but must be noted on the registration form and preordered. No meal orders will be accepted after June 1.

Please note there are a limited number of restaurants in the area surrounding the Omni and most are not within walking distance. The area has many tourists, so prices may be high and wait times can be long. Information on available restaurants will be available at registration.

T-shirts The 2020 Convention T-shirts are light heather gray and unisex, cut with short sleeves. The convention theme logo will be featured on the back in red and navy blue with the LWML Texas District logo on the front, top left. Please purchase all convention T-shirts with registration. The price is $15. Registration forms submitted after May 15 will not be eligible for a T-shirt. Contact Marilyn Hensz at henszmarilyn@gmail.com with questions.

Special Opportunities Special opportunities are available on Thursday, so make plans to arrive early. Exhibits, stores, human care and the prayer room will open at 10 a.m. Exhibits and human care activities will end on Friday at 1:15 p.m.

Prayer Room The prayer room will be available throughout the conven-tion in the Matagorda room. There will also be a memorial prayer book available in the Prayer Room for convention attendees to add the names of our LWML sisters in Christ who have passed away.

MARCH 2020 / 19

LWML DISTRICT NEWS

Service of Dedication and Blessing Our district pastoral counselors will lead us in prayer as we ask for God’s blessings on all the activities of the conven-tion at 3 p.m. on Thursday in the Corpus Christi Ballroom.

Meet the Candidates and Officers All convention attendees are invited to meet the current officers and candidates for office, while reconnecting with old friends and making new ones, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday in Nueces Ballroom A.

Human Care Several servant events will be available on-site:▶ Trimming canceled postage stamps to defray ship-

ping costs for Lutheran World Relief kits and quilts.▶ Marking Bibles for Coastal Bend Detention Center in

Robstown.▶ Tying fleece blankets for Lutheran World Relief

(LWR), Ronald McDonald House Charities of Corpus Christi, and New Life Refuge Ministries, Corpus Christi.

▶ Tacking quilts to be sent to LWR and Ronald McDon-ald House Charities of Corpus Christi.

▶ Writing notes of hope and encouragement for families with children diagnosed with congenital heart disease.

▶ Writing notes of thanks and encouragement to mili-tary personnel, missionaries, law enforcement personnel and first responders.

Choir If you are interested in singing in the choir during Thurs-day evening’s worship service, please check the appropri-ate box on the registration form. Practice will be at 2 p.m. on Thursday. Music and additional details will be sent after the registration form is received.

Prayer Walk A Mission in Motion Prayer Walk will begin with prayer at 7 a.m. on Saturday at the Bayview Room on the first floor of the Omni. You will have the option of walking and praying around the air-conditioned inside perimeter of the room, or walking outdoors along the seawall by the bay-front. Pledge forms to request donations to support mites will be sent to those stating yes on the registration form. There is no charge to participate.

Teens We are excited to invite teen girls (ages 12-17) to the con-vention. We have a fun-filled and servant-minded agenda planned just for them! These events will include a scaven-ger hunt, pool party and an on-site service project. The teen program will begin at 1 p.m. on Thursday. Teens will pay a special registration rate of $55 (or $75 if submitted after May 15), which includes Thursday’s supper, Friday’s lunch and supper, and supplies. Teens will be responsible for their own breakfasts. An adult mentor/leader must attend the convention for every 1 to 4 girls registered. Contact Lin-da Hoehne at linda.nvi@hotmail.com with questions.

Young Woman Representatives All 25 zones are encouraged to send one or more Young Woman Representatives (YWR) to the convention. A YWR is any mature young woman who is preferably between the ages of 22 and 35 and a member of an LCMS congregation. Information on the Committee on Young Women and the Zone YWR forms are available at lwmltxdist.org/young- woman-representatives. The YWR program will begin at 8 a.m. on Thursday and conclude at the end of the conven-tion at noon on Saturday. The Committee on Young Women will be present from noon to 9 p.m. on Wednesday to welcome each Zone YWR. There will be opportunities for service, Bible study, fel-lowship and training. On Thursday, YWRs will have the opportunity to teach Bible stories, lead crafts and singing at Upbring’s Bokenkamp Children’s Center (transportation provided). A Zone YWR is expected to sit with her zone president and delegation during the convention on Friday and Saturday. She will need to register for the convention and order the Friday box lunch (her zone should cover the cost). Contact Abby Faske at abbylwml@gmail.com for more information.

Young Women Lunch (ages 18-40) On Friday at noon, all potential, current and former Young Woman Representatives are encouraged to order the Fri-day box lunch and bring it to the Nueces Ballroom A to enjoy sharing ideas, experiences and fellowship.

Heart to Heart Sisters Lunch All Heart to Heart Sisters are encouraged to purchase the Friday box lunch and join the H2H Sisters district leader in the Aransas room for a program at noon on Friday.

Exhibitors Exhibitors are by invitation only and must complete the Exhibitors Registration Form (sent by the convention coordinator). The Bayview Room on the lobby floor of the hotel will be the main exhibit area. Hours will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, and 7 to 8:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. on Friday.

Questions? Please contact Host Committee Chairman Judy Kunkel at corpus2020@lwmltxdist.org. Attendees at the 2018 LWML district convention in Waco

mark Bibles.

20 / TEXAS

LWML TEXAS DISTRICT 41ST BIENNIAL CONVENTION REGISTRATION Omni Corpus Christi • 900 North Shoreline Blvd., Corpus Christi, Texas • June 18 – June 20, 2020

PLEASE TYPE OR PRINT CLEARLY (Each registrant must complete a separate registration form.) Badge Name: __________________________ ___________________________ Last First

Mailing Address: ___________________________________________________

City/State/Zip: _____________________________________________________

Phone: (_________) _________________________________________________

Email : ___________________________________________________________ NOTE: Your email address will not be shared. It is needed only for registration confirmation. Please print legibly. Society: ___________________________________________________________

Church: ___________________________________________________________

Church City: _______________________________________________________

Zone: ______________________________________________________________

CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX:

q Society Delegate q General Registration (LWML Member) q Guest (Spouse, Non-LWML Member) q LWML Texas District Board of Directors q Past LWML Texas District President q Pastoral Counselor/Clergy q Young Woman Rep (Zone or District)q Teen (ages 12 to 17) Indicate age _____ q Program Participant or Special Guest (please identify)

________________________________ Are you a first time LWML Texas District Convention attendee? Yes q No q

Exhibitors are by invitation only and must complete the Exhibitors Registration Form.

Registration Choices (Includes tote bag and manual): NO ONLINE REGISTRATIONS AFTER JUNE 1, 2020 1. Registration ............................................................................................................................................ $ 85.00 $ ___________ 2. Late Registration (postmarked after May 1, 2020) ................................................................................ $ 105.00 $ ___________ 3. Teen Registration (includes 3 meals) ..................................................................................................... $ 55.00 $ ___________ Note: An adult mentor/leader must attend convention for every 1-4 girls registered. 4. Teen Late Registration (postmarked after May 1, 2020) ....................................................................... $ 75.00 $ ___________

***No meal orders after June 1, 2020**** 5. Friday Breakfast Buffet ......................................................................................................................... $ 20.00 $ ___________ 6. Friday Box Lunch … Regular Meal… G Gluten Free… Vegetarian… Vegan ................ $ 15.00 $ ___________ 7. Friday Plated Dinner … Regular Meal… Gluten Free… Vegetarian… Vegan ............ $ 44.00 $ ___________ 8. Friday Pastors Lunch (Pastors only may register) ............................................................................. $ 15.00 $ ___________ 9. Saturday Breakfast Buffet ...................................................................................................................... $ 20.00 $ ___________ 10. Convention T-Shirt (indicate quantity) ...S____ M____ L____ XL____ 2XL____ 3XL____@ ...... $ 15.00 $ ___________

**No t-shirt orders after May 15, 2020** TOTAL PAYMENT ........................................................................................................................ $ ___________

Special Opportunities (see registration instructions for information) Would you like to participate in an off-site servant event on Thursday between 11:45 a.m. and 3:45 p.m.? qYes qNo Would you like to sing in the choir on Thursday evening at the Divine Service? Please indicate: qSoprano 1 qSoprano 2 qAlto Would you like to participate in the Mission in Motion Prayer Walk on Saturday at 7 a.m.? qYes qNo

List any special needs: ___________________________________________________________________Need ASL signing? ______

Please make checks payable to LWML Texas District Or pay by credit card:

___________________________________ ___________________________________ _______________________ __________ Print name as it appears on card Signature Phone # Zip code Card number: Month: Year: Security code:

(on back of card) No American Express credit cards accepted by LWML Texas District (for registration or at the convention including LWML store)

Mail form with payment to Convention Registrar:

Beth Franke, 130 North Harris St., Bellville, TX 77418 Telephone: (361) 343-1659 Email: registrar@lwmltxdist.org

Note: Keep a photocopy of your completed registration form for your records.

Confirmation will be emailed to all who register prior to June 1, 2020. NO REFUNDS AFTER JUNE 1, 2020