Connection - Kinsmen Lutheran...

Connection 12100 Champion Forest Dr. Houston, TX 77066 | 281-444-3126 (P) | 281-444-1733 (F)

W W W. K I N S M E N LU T H E R A N . O R G

Ins ide This I ssue

Inspiring Worship 2—5

Experiencing Family 6—10

Sharing Grace 11—13

Kinsmen Budget Update 14

Birthdays 15

March 2019 Kinsmen Connection

2

desires with God’s desires. How might we surrender our

will and align it more with God’s will?

In addition to the beginning of Lent, I have asked Pastor

Mark to write about our Children and Youth Safety policy

called “Safe Haven.” In light of recent stories in the news,

the Church Council asked about the policies and practices

in place here at Kinsmen to protect children and youth.

I thought it was important for everyone to be aware of this

and I encourage everyone to go through the training.

Dear Brother’s and Sisters in Christ,

We will begin the Season of Lent on

March 6, which is Ash Wednesday.

Lent is the season of the church year

that lasts for forty days. (This does

not count Sundays because they are

considered “little Easters.”) During

this time, we contemplate the costly

sacrifice of Jesus on the cross before we journey on to the

celebration Easter.We will end our Lenten journey with Jesus’

prayer in Luke 22:42 “not my will but yours be done.” So

this year our Lenten theme is “Surrender.” Jesus surrendered

any and all personal desires and gave himself over to God’s

will being done. This Lent, how might we, too, align our

Grace and Peace,

Beth Warpmaeker

Senior Pastor

Pastor’s word

In Martin Luther’s Small Catechism, he explains that the

Holy Spirit calls, gathers, and enlightens us through the

church. Through the church’s welcome, we experience

Christ’s welcome.

While we want all to experience Christ’s welcome through

our congregation, we also want our congregation to be a

safe place for children and youth. We use the Safe Haven

Guidelines to help us create a safe environment where

children and youth can grow and thrive. The Safe Haven

Guidelines have been used and adapted by congregations

of the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod for over a decade.

The guidelines used by the Boy Scouts in America, the Girl

Scouts in America, and the Episcopal Church influenced the

creation of the Safe Haven Guidelines. Included in Safe

Haven are guidelines for adult supervision, appropriate

and inappropriate affection, physical safety, travel safety,

an action plan for accidents, reporting inappropriate

behavior or abuse and other relevant topics. Leaders in

our children and youth ministry are trained with these

guidelines and then implement these guidelines in their

ministry setting. We also use Protect My Ministry for

background checks for the screening of leaders in children

and youth ministry. You can find out more about this

service here: protectmyministry.com

Kinsmen Children’s Academy has policies in place

influenced by Minimum Standards for Child-Care Centers

from the Texas Department of Family and Protective

Services. We also have local policies about when and

where doors are open and how groups are allowed to

move within our space during the school day. Contact

Sara Ray or Pastor Mark if you would like to learn more

about our Safe Haven Guidelines and/or view the

training video.

Staff Updates

Part of the Capital Campaign was to support a more robust

Parish nurse role at Kinsmen. We now have two new

part-time staff members who are taking away some of

Lynnae Schatz’ responsibilities so that she can expand her

Parish Nurse role. Lynn Schroeder is the Kitchen Coordinator.

Colette Edwards is the Special Events Coordinator doing

volunteer recruitment and hospitality ministries (as well as

expanding the Wedding ministry, which is another Capital

Campaign initiative).

We also have a new Praise and Worship Leader. I’m

excited to introduce Steve Hale. Steve brings a wide variety

of musical and leadership skills and experience which cross

a variety of disciplines and genres.

His previous positions include those

as Director of Music which have

afforded him a wide variety of

opportunities including conducting

chancel, chamber and youth choirs,

small ensembles, hand bell choir,

contemporary worship bands and

full orchestras. Steve's performance resume includes

professional opera, musical theater, jazz and country

bands. He's very excited to be part of the Kinsmen

Lutheran team and looks forward to worshiping with

church members. Please give Steve a warm welcome!

Continued on page 3

Safe Haven by Pastor Mark England


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March 10 Surrender Control Luke 4:1-13 Lent 1

March 17 Surrender Fear Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18; Luke 13:31-35 Lent 2

March 24 Surrender Judgement Luke 13:1-9 Lent 3

March 31 Surrender Limits Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 Lent 4

April 7 Surrender Greed John 12:1-8 Lent 5

April 14 Surrender Your Life Luke 19:28-40 Palm Sunday

NEW SERMON SERIES Our sermon and group study theme during Lent this

year is Surrender. Often people talk about what they

are going to “give up” during Lent. There’s a common

practice among many Christians of fasting or not eating

a particular food one enjoys during this 40-day period

of time. At the heart of this practice is a desire to

remember the sacrifice Jesus made for us when he died

on the cross.

But this year we will end our Lenten journey with Jesus’

prayer at the Garden of Gethsemane: “not my will but

yours be done.” The definition of surrender is “to give

oneself over to something.” Jesus surrendered any and

all personal desires and gave himself over to God’s

will being done. This Lent, how might we, too, align our

desires with God’s desires. How might we surrender our

will and align it more with God’s will?

Staff Update Continued

Last but not least, Deacon Einstein Gonzalez is currently in Venezuela. As you may know, Einstein is from Venezuela,

his family still lives there and the country is in chaos right now. Einstein received family news that required his immediate

attention, so he has requested personal time off. For this reason, we are postponing his Installation until a

later date. Please stay updated with the situation in Venezuela and keep him, his family, and the entire country in

your prayers.

Installation of Deacon Gonzalez Postponed


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Easter lilies may be ordered from the Flower Committee. They cost $10 each and may be dedicated in

honor or in memory of a loved one. You may order online at www.kinsmenlutheran.org. Orders are due by April 14

to be recognized in the Easter Sunday bulletin.

http://www.kinsmenlutheran.org/


5

Mark your calendars for our next Abendmusik event!

The Houston Youth Harp Ensemble was established in 2018 to offer school-age harp students in Houston the opportunity to

further musical growth, facilitate personal development, and build an essential harp community. The Ensemble is actually

comprised of two ensembles to serve beginner and more advanced students.

Spring 2019 concerts feature a diverse array of music and styles from countries around the world.

Houston Youth Harp Ensemble


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l u t h e r h i l l O P P O R T U N I T I E S l u t h e r h i l l O P P O R T U N I T I E S

Lutherhill Summer

We are going to Lutherhill June 9-14 with our 1st through 5th graders. Kinsmen has reserved spots, so please use our

code: kinsmen when you regsiter and then pay $100 deposit to Kinsmen and the balance to Lutherhill. Contact Sara

([email protected]) with any questions and to let her know you registered!

Calling all happy campers! Come out to the Hill to explore all that camp has to offer – from the

giant swing to archery, arts & crafts to campfire worship. This is a great opportunity for anyone

who’d like to take a trial run at camp for a full weekend retreat before coming out for a whole

week in the summer!

Schedule: Explore begins Friday evening with some silly games and an opening devotion.

Saturday, we explore a day in the life of summer camp with morning worship, creative Bible

study and an activity-filled afternoon. Sunday, we wrap up the weekend with community

brunch and a sending worship.

Cost is $75 and we will need some adults to travel with us! Contact Sara Ray if you and/or

your child are interested.

J u ly 8 - 1 2 , 1 5 - 1 9 , 2 2 - 2 6

S a v e t h e D at e S a v e t h e D at e J u ly 8 - 1 2 , 1 5 - 1 9 , 2 2 - 2 6

Camp Hope – Registration coming this month - check your email!

Early Learning Registration now open!

Special discount for Kinsmen members!

Register at kinsmenlutheran.org/early-learning

Lutherhill’s Explore Retreat – 1st through 5th graders March 22-24

mailto:[email protected]


7

Alpha begins Wednesday, March 20 at 7 PM at Swanny’s

Grill.

Do you know anyone in your life

that is a skeptic, a seeker, or

spiritual but not religious? Do

you know anyone who may want

a place to discuss their doubts and

questions about life and faith?

Maybe you should invite

them to try Alpha.

As many of you

have been

experiencing through

your small groups, Alpha is a series of videos and times of

discussion that help unpack the Christian faith. Do you

have a friend, co-worker, neighbor, relative or anyone in

your life who might want to participate in these discussions?

They can share whatever they want to share in these

discussions or not share anything at all.

Email [email protected] if you have any

questions or if you plan to bring someone.

If you’re not receiving the Tuesday email or the Remind youth ministry text,

please notify Pastor Mark at [email protected]

Youth in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade are invited to join us at Lutherhill this

summer from June 16-21. Use code kinsmen to claim one of our initial

guaranteed spots. Some spots have already been claimed. This week of

Lutherhill sometimes sells out. Register at www.lutherhill.org.

Camp Hope is an opportunity for you to be challenged as you develop your leadership skills. Camp Hope is a place

where God will work through you to be Good News in the lives of campers, parents, and fellow staff.

Even if you are not sure of your plans for the summer, we invite you to interview for Camp Hope. If nothing else, this will

be good practice for future job interviews.

If you have questions about Camp Hope or want to set up an interview, contact [email protected]

Middle School @ Lutherhill

High School Youth – Apply for Camp Hope

explore

life

faith

meaning


http://www.lutherhill.org


8


9

In a recent sermon, Pastor Beth talked about the importance

and power of keeping an “abundance mentality” rather than

a “scarcity mentality.” As someone who makes a living in

sales, I am very familiar with the ups and downs that come

with these mentalities. Early in my career when things

would go well, it was easy to keep an abundance mentality,

but I would become vulnerable to thinking that my success

was solely of my own doing. Inevitably, that would be

followed by a period where I would go into a slump and

my confidence would wane, leading to scarcity thinking.

What I’ve learned over the years is that confidence is a

fragile thing, but God’s love for us is rock steady. If we trust

in Him during both good times and bad, he will always

provide us with exactly what we need. So if things are not

ENDOWMENT NEWS “May the God of hope fill you

with all joy and peace as you trust

in him, so that you may overflow

with hope by the power of the

Holy Spirit.”

Romans 15:13

going so well at the moment, keep trusting in Him and look

for opportunities to take actions that reflect your faith in

Him. Likewise, when things are going well, show God

how much you appreciate His abundant gifts by sharing

those gifts with others.

It’s “bonus season” for many working professionals and

one way to express your faith and thankfulness is to

apportion a gift to the Kinsmen Endowment Fund. The

Endowment Fund enhances the financial stability of

Kinsmen and provides security for the future. Your

contributions earn income that is used to fund ministries

in accordance with the fund’s distribution policy and in

keeping with donor intent.

—Craig Sutter


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Pastor Beth has led seven trips for seminary and church

groups.

Are you interested in visiting biblical and archaeological

sites that will deepen your understanding of the Bible? Some

unique features of this trip will be:

• Experiencing the 5th Gospel – The Land—by visiting key

sites from the Biblical narrative and learning about their

history and current relevance.

• Forming a relationship with our mission partner in

Bethlehem (Bright Stars of Bethlehem).

• Learning how Christians living in the West Bank foster hope.

• Engaging in the arts and culture focus as well as the

health and wellness focus of the ministries of Christians in

Bethlehem.

• Meeting and learning from Christian, Muslim and Jewish

peacemakers.

Come to the Interest meeting on March 3 at 12:15 OR

contact Pastor Beth at [email protected]

if you are interested in this journey of faith, learning and

relationship building.

Holy Land Trip Interest Meeting: March 3 at 12:15 PM

Are you interested in traveling with Pastor Beth to meet our Lutheran

brothers and sisters in the city of Bethlehem?

Since 2010, over $370 million has been distributed to

thousands of churches, schools, and other nonprofits

through Thrivent Choice®. Through this

program, eligible members can

recommend where Thrivent donates

millions of charitable outreach dollars

each year. We are excited to share,

based on member recommendations,

that Kinsmen has received many of these outreach

dollars over the years. Thank You!

Eligible Thrivent Financial members who have available

Choice Dollars® have until March 31, 2019, to direct

them. Don’t miss this opportunity to

recommend that Thrivent Financial

provide outreach funding to

Kinsmen Lutheran Church. Go to

Thrivent.com/thriventchoice

to learn more. Or call 800-847-4836

and say “Thrivent Choice” after the prompt.

Direct Your 2018 Thrivent

Choice Dollars® by March 31st

Throughout the school year on Wednesday evenings, Kinsmen offers

a hot meal that includes salad and dessert. The meals are served from

5:45-6:45 PM. The suggested donation is $5 for those 13 and over;

$3 for those 4-years-old to 12-years-old and free for those 3 and under.

Takeout meals are available.

MARCH Menu

March 6

Salisbury Steak

march 13 Tuscan Chicken

march 20

Tacos

march 27

Chicken Cordon Bleu



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noisy offering

March 9 & 10

As is our custom, the second weekend of the month we

collect a Noisy Offering for a Mission Partner. This month’s

mission partner is Lutheran World Relief.

Founded by Lutherans in the United States at the end of

World War II, grounded in Lutheran theology and building

on decades of experience, Lutheran World Relief (LWR)

tackles global poverty by helping people adapt to the

challenges that threaten their livelihoods and well-being.

Working with people based on need, regardless of race,

religion or nationality, LWR provides aid in emergencies and

help families restore their lives. The goal is to help people

build self‐sufficiency and create new community‐owned

approaches to problem‐solving that will last long after our

projects end. This includes partnering with communities to

build and grow rural economies, breaking the cycle of

poverty, so families and communities can thrive.

Today, Lutheran World Relief operates in East and West

Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East, helping

some of the world’s poorest communities build the

resilience they need to thrive.

Lutheran World Relief and Personal Care Kits In addition to the Noisy Offering, we will collect items for personal care kits for Lutheran World Relief throughout Lent—

March 6 – April 14. Personal Care Kits provide much-needed self-care, critical germ fighting, basic hygiene tools to our

brothers and sisters in need. These basic hygiene tools give our brothers and sisters a chance to regain dignity amidst

situations of fear and uncertainty. In refugee camps and in the world’s poorest communities, these few simple items can

mean the difference between sickness and health, life and death.

The items needed are:

Bars of soap (4-6 ounces, any brand, in original wrapping);

Bath Towels (light-weight, maximum 52”x27”, dark color recommended)

Toothbrushes (adult size, in original packaging)

Combs

Metal Nail Clippers

Thank you for your extraordinary generosity.


12

Can you tie your shoes? How about iron? If you answered yes to either question, consider

joining in the quilting bee for Lutheran World Relief on Saturday March 9 and/or Saturday

March 23 from 9 AM – noon in the gym. Come for an hour or stay for the day. Training

is provided.

When you make and send a Quilt, you are not only comforting someone you have never

met, but providing an object that is useful in ways you probably never imagined.

The ultimate purpose of a Quilt is to provide warmth, an essential need for people in every

climate, and LWR tries to ensure top standards in fabrics and filler accordingly.

In addition to being a cozy, clean new bed cover, it can be:

a baby carrier, tied around a mother’s back;

a market display, spread on the ground and piled with vegetables;

a sack for transporting those goods to market;

a sunshade;

a shawl; and most importantly

a constant reminder that someone, far away, cares a lot.

If you have questions contact Connie Jackson, or Lynnae Schatz ([email protected])

Blest be the ties that bind our hearts in Christian love!

Lutheran World Relief Quilting



13

TOOLBOX BASH GALA 2019 April 13

The Toolbox Bash annual gala benefits

Habitat for Humanity Northwest Harris County.

Each year, supporters gather for a formal

reception where cocktails and hors-d'oeuvres are

enjoyed while bidding on silent auction items. Guests will enjoy a three-course meal.

At the conclusion of the event, guests are invited to enjoy live music.

All proceeds are used to build affordable housing for families in our community.

Event Details:

The Omni Houston 4 Riverway Houston, TX 77056

6 PM - 9 PM

Formal Attire Required Tickets & sponsorships may be purchased by mailing

a check to PO Box 682785 Houston, TX 77268.

The Second Annual Golf For Hope Tournament will be held

on Friday, April 12, 2019 at Gleannloch Pines Golf

Club. A four person scramble, including lunch, golf, and

appetizers along with raffle and silent auction will round

out the day. Cost is $125 per player.

Checks can be mailed to 1960 Hope Center, 744 Cypress

Creek Parkway, Suite B, Houston, TX 77090. Please email

Jodie Leach at [email protected] once you've

mailed the registration or register online at:

www.eventbrite.com/e/golf-for-hope-charity-golf-

tournament-2019-tickets-52229950187


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GLIMPSES OF GRACE JANUARY 2019

Noisy Offering Sleep in Heavenly Peace

$1632.50

General Mission Support $8,731.61

Designated Mission Support $379.80

KCA Scholarship $740.00

Naomi/Campus Ministry $125.00

JANUARY TOTAL $11,608.91

Y-T-D TOTAL $11,608.91

GLIMPSES OF SHARING GRACE:

CARE MINISTRY February 2019

Flower Delivery 76

Prayer Shawl 1

grace

Glimpses

KINSMEN BUDGET UPDATE - CHURCH ONLY

Operating Highlights for January 2019

Budget Actual Variance

Total Income 124,521 140,182 15,660

Total Expenses 123,053 129,210 6,157

Net 1,468 10,972 9,504

Year-to-date

Total Income 124,521 140,182 15,660

Total Expense 123,053 129,210 6,157

Net 1,468 10,972 9,504

Giving Update

Thankoffering Budget Actual Variance

Month-to-Date 93,680 92,678 (1,002)

Year-to-Date 93,680 92,678 (1,002)

Total Pledges 105

Against Pledge 86

Over Paid Pledge 1

Non-Pledged 121

Total Households

Giving 208


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MARCH BIRTHDAYS *

*This list is compiled from church records. If your name is missing or the information listed above is

incorrect, please notify the church office. ([email protected])

Schmeisser, Tiffany 3/1

Stolz, Timothy Ian 3/1

England, Sheri 3/2

Gumm, Thomas 3/2

Gordon, Alexa 3/3

Liewer, Tom 3/3

Mc Anear, Melissa 3/3

Schmidt, Erik 3/3

Henze, Grace 3/4

Plata, Gloria 3/4

Pierce, Liz 3/5

Roth, Robert 3/5

Davis, Kimberly 3/6

Herwig, James 3/6

Jyrkama, Alison 3/6

Jyrkama, Noah 3/6

Liewer, Becky 3/6

Mc Intosh, Duncan 3/6

Morgan, Melissa 3/6

Peltier, Caroline 3/6

Pritchett, Ellen 3/6

Temple, Benjamin 3/6

Wangsmo, Michael 3/6

Delgado, LaDawn 3/7

Novacek, Angela 3/7

Anderson, Evan 3/9

Breedveld, James 3/10

Cook, Kellen 3/10

Funke, Dale 3/10

Lowe, Shelby 3/10

Snyder, Cliff 3/10

Molinaro, Lynn 3/12

Montalvo, Alexander 3/12

Smith, Donna 3/12

Toney, Colton 3/12

Clark, Carol 3/13

Woods, Kyle 3/13

Alderman, Emily 3/14

Henning, Brenda 3/14

Tennant, Judith 3/14

Wooden, Keeley 3/14

Adams, Connie 3/15

Gronwaldt, Robert 3/15

Hope, Colin 3/15

Lindblom, Anna 3/15

Beeskau, Jaqueline 3/16

Laing, Jill 3/16

Rogers, Carl 3/16

Grimes, Nikita 3/17

Benesh, Patricia 3/18

Hey, Barbara 3/18

Boller, Lauren 3/19

Simpson, Joshua 3/19

Sutter, Erin 3/19

Vincent, Stephanie 3/19

Raschke, Alan 3/20

Wall, Mason 3/20

Jacobi, Jane 3/21

Arias, Santiago 3/22

Awbrey, Vicki 3/22

Bayer, Brittany 3/22

Hurtado, Lukas 3/23

Mc Intosh, Stefanie 3/23

Mosqueda, Sarah 3/23

Wooden, Emma 3/23

Merkel, Grace 3/24

Nelsen, Eric 3/24

Oliver, Adrian 3/24

England, Kelly 3/25

Lester, Christian 3/25

Pearce, Cameron 3/26

Remmert, Ruby 3/26

Snyder, Dianna 3/26

Velotas, Rachel 3/26

Brown, Hunter 3/27

Rogers, Lena 3/27

Schmeisser, Brian 3/27

Stewart, Melissa 3/27

Collins, Margaret 3/28

Gillette, Matthew 3/28

Henning, David 3/28

Toney, Lantz 3/28

Jones, Daniel 3/29

Staff, Caleb 3/29

Cook, Michael 3/30

Delgado, Raymond 3/30

Hyun, Carol 3/30

Rueda, Tina 3/30

Best, Becky 3/31

Brinz, Linda 3/31

Sell, Jeffrey 3/31

Kinsmen Staff Reach a staff member directly by dialing 281-444-3127,

plus their extension

Rev. Dr. Beth Warpmaeker, Senior Pastor

[email protected] — Ext 118

Rev. Mark England, Youth & Family Ministry

[email protected] — Ext. 124

Einstein Gonzales, Spanish Ministry Developer


Lynnae Schatz, Director of Congregational Life


Sara Ray, Director of Children’s Ministry & Outreach


Colette Edwards, Special Events Coordinator


Julie Hughes, Office Manager


Rose Poole, Communications Director


George Skirm, Director of Media

[email protected]

Cody Miller, Young Adult Outreach


Irene Baasen, Accounting & Financial Reports


Jane Jacobi, Payroll Clerk


Kristen Schulze, Contemporary Worship

Co-coordinator

[email protected]

Lauren Rivera, Director of Children's Music

[email protected] —Ext. 122

Joey Bansuelo, Alleluia Choir Director


Sherrie McMahon, Organist, Abendmusik

[email protected]— Ext. 122

Steve Hale, Praise and Worship Leader

[email protected]

Lisa Yeager, KCA Preschool Director


Rudy Flores, Asst. Director for Before & After Care


Ruben Aranda, Custodian

Gonzalo Montes, Custodian

Membership

Connection is a monthly publication of Kinsmen Lutheran Church. Deadline for submitting news is the

15th day of each month or the previous church business day if the deadline falls on the weekend or on a church holiday. Articles are preferred electronically, but may be faxed or hand-delivered to a staff member.

Interested in learning more about

Kinsmen? Contact Pastor Beth,

Pastor Mark, or Lynnae Schatz

([email protected])

for more information.

Worship Schedule:

INFORMAL

WORSHIP

Saturdays

5:30 PM

TRADITIONAL

WORSHIP

Sundays

8:15 & 11 AM

CONTEMPORARY

WORSHIP

Sundays

9:30 AM

COMMUNION

OFFERED AT ALL

SERVICES

FELLOWSHIP

BREAKFAST

beginning at 9 AM

OFFICE HOURS

Monday—Thursday

9 AM—5 PM

Friday

9 AM—12 PM

CONTACT INFORMATION

281-444-3126 Phone

281-444-1733 FAX


















http://kinsmenlutheran.org/

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