BILL BAMMEL AND PAUL ORTON DAY OCTOBER 21 The members and friends of First Evangelical Lutheran Church will honor two of its members, Bill Bammel and Paul Orton, on Sunday, October 21, at a special luncheon at 12:30 p.m. following the service of worship. Both Bill and Paul, by the grace of God, have played a vital role in the life of First Church for many years, most notably during the more recent times of congregational difficulty and discouragement. THE TITHE THAT BINDS Peterman’s Postulate Les Pledger had belonged to our church for three years. He and his wife were average members in every way. They even had 2.3 children. Then one day Les came to see me. He said it was urgent. “What’s going on?” I asked. “It’s kind of embarrassing, “ he said. “You can tell me,” I said, preparing for the worst. “I need to borrow $100,” he said. “Right away!” “Lose your job?” I asked. “No,” he replied. “Check bounce?” “No, not that,” he said. “I need $100 to give to the church.” “Give to the church?” I asked. “Why would you want to borrow $100 from the church and then give it back again?” “Do you believe in dreams?” he asked. “Well, sometimes,” I said. “But what does that have to do with borrowing a hundred dollars?” “I had this dream last night that my weekly salary had been cut to $10. I can’t live on that!” he said desperately. “Of course you can’t,” I said, “but I still don’t understand what you’re talking about.” “All right, I’ll tell you,” he replied. “See, I had a dream last night that God figured I was a tither, so he decided to take my weekly contribution to the church and multiply it by ten and make that my weekly income. How am I going to live on just $10 a week!” “So that’s why you want to borrow the hundred dollars,” I said. “To give it to the church.” “Right!” he replied. “If I can just give $100 one Sunday, maybe that will convince God to restore my salary to $1,000 a week and I can get by. Please, you have to help me!” He sighed, stood up, thanked me, and left. I shook my head as he went. I wondered to myself, “How do you tell a man who is always impeccably dressed that he needs to straighten his tithe?” ADULT CLASS CONTINUES THE AUGSBURG CONFESSION On September 9 the adult Sunday Church School class began a new course on The Augsburg Confession. This document was written by Philip Melanchthon to set forth basic Lutheran doctrine in preparation for dialog with the Roman Catholic Church in Augsburg, Germany, in June 1530. SELAH! Selah (pronounced SEE-lah) is Hebrew for crescendo. It means to increase, to lift up. When it appears in the Psalms, it is a dynamics instruction to the instruments accompanying the chanting. Selah, with all of these ancient meanings, is also the name of the new Young Adult group at First Evangelical Lutheran Church. Selah had a great inaugural event on September 16, as an apostles’ dozen turned out for lunch at Katz’s Deli. There it was learned, for example, that the overwhelming majority of Young Adults and friends of First Church choose Colgate as their brand of toothpaste. They also keep a myriad of products, from soy milk to Srichuan sauce, in their refrigerators. Bring a friend and wear your play pants for Selah’s next event: BOWLING! On Sunday, October 7, we will meet at Del-Mar Lanes, 3020 Mangum, between 290 and 34th Street. Come at 5:30 to grab a bite at “The Pin Deck.” We will have lanes rented from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Shoes will be included, but gutter bumpers will be raised only if your score matches your age! The cost is $9-15, depending on the number of people attending. RSVP to Meredith Nelson, 713-688-4081. HYMNAL PROJECT COMPLETED In May our church began to use Evangelical Lutheran Worship, the new hymnal for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Thanks to the generosity of Christ the King Lutheran Church, we had two hundred copies to place in the pews. However, in order to have enough hymnals for all the pews in the nave, transepts, and gallery, we asked our members to purchase an additional one hundred books. We are pleased to announce that the additional books have all been provided. In other words, mission accomplished! AUGUST PRAYER LIST (August 21–September 20) Members and Associate Members CHURCH ADMINISTRATOR REPORT Marty Ambrose Just as the summer heat began to moderate, our air conditioner broke down just two days before a funeral. Fortunately, Hansco came right out and found a fan motor failure and tripped breakers. They got the system running again and will install a new motor as soon as they receive it. Meanwhile, we are on a day-to-day basis. The nave was finally treated for termites, but then we found termites and termite damage in the education building roof! When Paul Orton was looking for some items in the attic, he looked up and saw daylight through the roof. Fortunately, the incoming rain was caught by a plastic bin on the attic floor. Braun Roofing came out and patched an eight by eight foot section of roof, and Discount Termite came a week later and treated the entire education building. All of this resulted in a few thousand dollars of emergency spending. This year we are discovering the problems that arise when a large complex like ours goes for nearly thirty years without full maintenance. Due to the lack of funds, small problems have become large, and we now have to pay the piper. Here are just a few things that will need our attention in the next two years: 1. A total replacement of roof underlayment. The felt under the tiles from eighty years ago is beginning to rot, and new leaks are being found. Spot repairs are only a temporary fix. That’s why this fall’s stewardship campaign is so important. As we consider pledging for 2008, let us keep in mind the continued maintenance and improvement of this wonderful church building. On Sunday evening, November 11, our congregation will meet in the Parish Hall for Thanksgiving dinner. We will distribute Time and Talent forms and pledge cards for 2008. As we approach this date, we must consider carefully how important this church is to us and our community. What is all this worth... to you and me? MIDTOWNERS ENJOY PLAY On Sunday, September 23, about twenty Midtowners had lunch at First Evangelical Lutheran Church and then went to the Country Playhouse to see the play “Laughing Stock” featuring our own Marty Ambrose as Richfield Hawksley. Hilarity was high, especially when a would-be director had the cast acting out animal behavior, when Richfield forgot to bring the letter on stage with him describing vampire behavior, and when tea was served whenever dogs barked. Okay, it’s hard to describe, but if you ask the people who were there, you’ll probably get them laughing again as they try to explain it to you. The Midtowners is an informal group of members and friends of First Evangelical Lutheran Church, who get together for an activity about once a month. For further information, watch the Sunday bulletins or call Kelly and Linda Rinnan at 281-359-5903. SUNDAY LUNCH IS SERVED For the convenience of those who attend the Church Council meeting or other meetings at 12:30 p.m. on Sundays, a light lunch is now served in the Parish Hall. A basket is provided for donations to help defray the cost of the meal. ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP Our church constitution provides for associate membership in First Evangelical Lutheran Church. An associate member is someone who is a member of another church, but wishes to be more formally associated with our church as well. Theologically, all other Christians throughout the world are, by definition, associate members of our congregation. However, formally becoming an associate member is a way of adding one’s name to the list of those who wish to see themselves as directly supporting the life and work of First Church. Anyone interested in becoming an Associate Member should call Pastor Peterman at 713-529-3589. Associate membership is open to adults and children alike. THE JULIUS KNIGGE CLASS The Julius Knigge Class will meet on Friday, October 19, at 6:30 p.m., at First Evangelical Lutheran Church. This is a covered dish meal to be served a little before 7:00 p.m. The meeting will follow. Everyone is welcome to attend. Class President Carl Sontag reports that an error occurred in last month’s article in First Edition, namely, that the class had voted to give $200 to the Christian Community Service Center. In fact, the class had been purchasing $10.00 worth of food for CCSC each month and voted to increase that amount to $20.00. (We don’t know how the extra “0" got into the article.) The class is looking into the possibility of purchasing curtains for the Beutel Room, but at this time no decision has been made. For more information call the Julius Knigge Class president, Carl W. Sontag, at 713-504-2807. BACH SOCIETY EVENTS IN OCTOBER Two events will be offered in October by the Bach Society of Christ the King Lutheran Church. On October 7, works by Johann Sebastian Bach will be presented by the Bach Choir and Orchestra. Featured will be the cantata Wir danken dir, Herr (We Thank Thee, Lord); the motet Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied (Sing to the Lord a New Song); and the cantata Der zufriedengestellte Aeolus (The Pacified Aeolius, Greek god of the winds). On October 28, the Ensemble Amarcord from Leipzig will present works by Tallis, Byrd, Reger, and Steinacker, as well as folk songs from around the world. The Bach Society, now in its twenty-fifth year, offers its programs as a gift to the community without any admission charge. However, a free will offering is received at each event to support the work of the society. Christ the King Lutheran Church is located at 2353 Rice Boulevard on the southwest corner of Rice Boulevard and Greenbriar in The Village. OKTOBERFEST 2007 The Houston Liederkranz and The Houston Saengerbund extend a cordial invitation to everyone to attend the annual Oktoberfest on Saturday, October 6.Festivities begin at 3:00 p.m. and continue to 6:00 in front of the Liederkranz Hall at 5100 Ella Boulevard. Then from 7:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. there will be an evening dance inside the hall. Festivities include food, beer, live entertainment, and a dance. The donations for the evening dance are as follows: The Houston Saengerbund meets weekly in the Parish Hall of First Evangelical Lutheran Church. The president of the Saengerbund is Rodney Koenig. For more information, call Larry Hemme at 281-494-7204 or visit the website at http://www.geocities.com/houston_liederkranz. AMAZING FAITHS PROJECT The Amazing Faiths Project invites people in the Greater Houston area to participate in one of its Houston Dinner Dialogues. These small gatherings of eight to ten people of various faiths and outlooks will enjoy a simple meal and then engage in a directed discussion about faith, religious diversity, and common values. The Dinner Dialogues will take place Thursday evening, November 15, from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m. Sign up on the internet at or call 713-348-2222 to leave your information. Persons may sign up to attend one of the Dinner Dialogues or to host one. Join with The Amazing Faiths Project to move toward common ground on higher ground. The Amazing Faiths Project and Houston Dinner Dialogues are sponsored by Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston and The Boniuk Center for Religious Tolerance at Rice University, in cooperation with the Office of the Mayor of the City of Houston. THE HISTORIC CHURCH BELL TOLLS AGAIN In September Pastor Jim Berggren climbed to the top of our bell tower. For years he has enjoyed climbing to the highest point in historic churches and descending to the lowest level. Having seen our basement, he asked and got permission to climb our bell tower. Besides several pigeon skeletons, Pastor Berggren saw our bell on which is inscribed, “Erste Deutsche Evangelische Lutherische Kirche, Houston, Texas 1881.” (Translation: First German Evangelical Lutheran Church.) The bell also bore these words: “Buckeye Bell Foundry 1881.” That single bell dates back to our first building at Texas and Milam. A rope hangs down to the foyer, from which the bell is rung for every service. In addition, Pastor Berggren found a floor-mounted clapper that strikes the inside of the bell from underneath, thus tolling the bell. However, there was no rope attached to it. So two days later he returned and attached a rope so that now the bell can be tolled. The centuries-long practice of tolling the bell at funerals was resumed at our church the following day, when the funeral for Donna Mosesmann was held. Pastors Berggren and Peterman officiated. FROM THE PARISH RECORD (August 20–September 20) Add to the Membership roll MEMBERSHIP STATISTICS -------------------------------August 20 -----------September 20 MARTY ’S MUSINGS Marty Ambrose, Administrator A big tip of the hat to Meredith Nelson for getting the Young Adults group, Selah, off the ground in record time! As we see our membership growing—and growing younger—it may be time to start planning for the great ELCA Youth Gathering to be held in New Orleans July 22-26, 2009. Over 36,000 youth and adults will gather around Word and Sacrament and experience the trip of a lifetime. In the hot summer of 1957 I joined hundreds of other youth from Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee, and other points, as we rode a train without air conditioning, puffing its way west to Missoula, Montana. Windows were open for the entire twenty-four hour trip. Once there, I will never forget the inspirational content of the messages and the camaraderie of students from all over the country. We can expect much of the same fulfillment in New Orleans—but with full air conditioning along the route. There is more information, including a DVD here at the church, and registration materials will be mailed out in March 2008. Registration begins next September. I want to thank the Midtowners for coming all the way out to Town and Country to see “Laughing Stock.” I began acting in plays exactly fifty years ago, and I have never lost the love of performing, especially in front of friends. Perhaps some day I may direct religious drama right here at First Evangelical Lutheran Church. There was quite a stir after the funeral here on Saturday, September 22. It seems that a number of folks got parking tickets along Holman Avenue. I checked the meters out front, and, sure enough, they are active Monday through Saturday, 7:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Keep this in mind for the next special event at First Church. This must be new, because I don’t recall any tickets being issued at Susan and Brandon Van Sickle’s wedding in August. Or perhaps those people all paid and didn’t tell us. See you Sunday... * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * FIRST CHURCH HAS A VERGER Jeffrey Hokanson has consented to serve as verger for worship services at First Evangelical Lutheran Church. The verger is like a worship personnel coordinator, who works under the direction of the pastor to see that all worship leaders are present, properly vested, and clear on their responsibilities. This allows the pastor to focus on preparation for the worship service that is about to begin. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * HOW MUCH DOES THE CONGREGATION COUNT ON ME? Ten long-time members, standing in a line; BOOKS OF SERMONS AVAILABLE Three volumes of sermons by Pastor Edwin D. Peterman have been published under the title of Practically Preaching and are available for purchase from the church office. Each book contains a sermon for every Sunday and every major festival in the church year, 66 sermons in all. The three volumes correspond to the three year cycle of readings for the church year, in which the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are predominant. Currently, the church is in the liturgical year of Luke. The year of Mark begins on the First Sunday in Advent, December 2. The cost of each book is $15.00. A set of all three is $40.00. If requested, the books can be autographed.
Selah Bowling Nite at Del-Mar Lanes Calling all Young Adults of FELC Bring a friend! RSVP Meredith Nelson 713-688-4081 MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY UPDATE A new membership directory was published in early September. Because our church is so active, we will need to provide monthly updates and corrections. Here are the changes for September. Add to the Membership Roll BAYER, CLETE & CYNTHIA CONRAD BAYER 713-665-1651 SIGLER, CHRIS & (TIFFANY) 713-283-7973 Membership Roll Corrections HILLEGEIST, MARGUERITE JACKSON, LELAND & CHANDRA 281-852-5897 SPEEG, DEBORAH 713-910-3135 Associate Membership Roll Corrections DAULLEY, RUTH & ELISE 281-442-0453 SETTLES, TONY 713-520-6284
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Pageloads since March 25, 2006