Click here to access October's Newsletter
Click here to access November's Newsletter

10:00AM  In person and livestream

Peace’s New Vision Statement:
A world made whole through love

Do you know where you are going? Seriously, do you think about where you are headed each day. For many of us we find ourselves on autopilot going through the routines of life without much direction. Vision is about seeing the horizon of where God wants in the end and how we might walk towards that with intentionality each day.

Join us as we explore who we are as the church and clarify our a meaningful life dedicated to God’s purposes.

We give thanks for the life of Cody Smith who after a long struggle with cancer has been welcomed into the heavenly kingdom of God. We grieve with his family and friends, and pray for God’s comfort and resurrection promise to give peace. A future memorial service is pending.

As a cost-saving measure, Peace Lutheran Church is doing away with bulletins for the foreseeable future. All worship materials can be found on the worship slideshow and on our website. While this action is saving the church's funds, we are also moving towards a more sustainable future so that everyone can expereince God's way in years to come!

We continue our stewardship campaign this fall season inviting you on the journey of generosity to share in the mission of Jesus transforming lives.

John 14:15-21

To believe in Jesus and to receive the Holy Spirit is to be in essence adopted by God.  Going beyond intimacy of spiritual relationship, in John’s context, thinking of God as Parent establishes a social identity: The disciples of Jesus belong to the household of the Parent. They are not orphans. They have kin. The values and practices of God are to shape the values and practices of the household. Jesus in John’s gospel is unmistakably clear that the most important of these values and practices is love for one another; that is, community members are to act for the good other community members and for the community as a whole.

To keep the commands of God is to, in part, practice faithful stewardship. When thinking about the actions of the Holy Spirit it might surprise us to learn that Spirit advocates for the practice of stewardship! The Spirit helps our congregation engage in stewardship, the Spirit encourages us as a congregation towards stewardship, and the Spirit counsels with our congregation concerning its anxieties about stewardship. The Spirit appeals to the congregation to engage in stewardship, and when we follow the Spirit’s leading, we practice stewardship in such a way as to reveal the very presence of  Jesus through our generosity.  May the Spirit lead…and may we faithfully follow.

Join us in Celebration on October 26th, 2023

In our “Exploring the Bible Together” study, we meet by Zoom as a small group for about 45 minutes each week. Our study covers a wide range of topics, examining more closely the history, content, context, development, message, and interpretation of the Bible. As we do this, we grow in our understanding of the relevance and application of the Bible for our lives today.

Reminder: Grant applications are due October 31^st. Applications are available in the narthex or by downloading the link below. Grants are awarded during the first quarter of the year.  If you have a passion for any non-profit serving the community/world and there is a need to branch out or expand their mission (dream big); then give that organization an application to complete and return to the church by October 31^st. Our goal is to further the mission of Peace Lutheran into the world.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/135GRGYfq_6fw6HRk84pD-yyogFyvxJ2f/view?usp=drive_link

Sign up in the Narthex or online with SignUp Genius HERE

It is really hard to believe that we are already making plans for our Live Nativity. Pretty soon we will be sharing a Sign-up sheet for all the Shops that our visitors will visit when they stop in to see Bethlehem and the blessed event. We will need Carolers, Shepherds, Angels, and greeters. We will need Shopkeepers for the Pottery Barn, Joseph’s Carpenter Shop, Kathy’s Kitchen and Oils of the Orient. We will need people to man the Hot Cocoa Station, a camera crew and a set up crew. It takes an amazing group of very willing and talented people to share this amazing story, and those of us who have been a part of it are always blessed beyond belief after the evening is over. Last year we had a group from St. Andrew work in our Ornament Shop, they loved it, and they are coming back to help again this year.

If you want to hear more, call Becky Voges at 830-587-4003 or email beckyvoges@yahoo.com for more information.

Mission (Why do we exist?)
To love like Jesus so that each person experiences God’s Way.
 
Vision (What kind of community is God calling us to be?)
A world made whole through love.

Core Values (What guides our daily actions and decisions?)
Shalom – Actively pursuing reconciliation and wholeness. [John 14:27]
Compassion – Recognizing and entering into our shared humanity. [Luke 10:25-37]
Service – Responding to the needs of others. [Matthew 25:31-40]
Grace – Sharing the love that God first gives us. [I John 4:7-10]

Perspectives (Which parts of our church will we focus on?)
Stewardship (Time, Talents, Treasure) (e.g., Healthy Fund Balance)
Loving Our Neighbors (e.g., Family Promise Program)
Ministry/Processes (e.g., Dynamic Worship)
Discipleship (Learning and Growth) (e.g., Life of Faith Initiative)
 
Objectives (goals) (What do we want to accomplish?)
Measures (metrics) – How will we measure progress?
Targets – What are our targets for the next year? Two years? Five years?
Initiatives – What can we do so that we reach our targets?

SEEKERS AND SPONGES:   meets on Sunday mornings @  8:30AM in-person and ZOOM   

Seekers and Sponges has started a "Study Curriculum on Civic Life and Faith."  The ELCA Task Force on Studies for Civic Life and Faith has released a study curriculum for use throughout our church as we engage the question, what does it mean to be a Christian in civic life.

The study invites participants to delve into the nature of politics, the meaning of the Scriptures, the purpose of government, the responsibility of congregations and church-related organizations, First Amendment issues, the relationship of faith-based living and civic life, connections between worship life and serving neighbor in society, the nature of citizenship, and other relevant topics.

Printed materials will be available in the classroom or you may access the material at www.elca.org/civics and faithstudy

In our class, everyone in our group becomes a teacher for one another, sharing experiences and perspectives that facilitates a respectful, enlightening approach to adult learning.      

Please join us in the multimedia classroom at the end of the hallway.  You will find the discussion engaging, insightful, and challenging, and it will expand how you look at your faith! 

Click HERE to join by Zoom. 

PEACE PRAYER MINISTRY:

Did you make any resolutions for the New Year? Many of us have a desire to have a more intimate prayer life, so might I suggest carving out more time for prayer and reflection? Peace Lutheran Church has an active Prayer Ministry. We have an Email Prayer Chain, we have a Zoom “Sweet Hour of Prayer” Group that meets every Monday morning at 9:00 a.m. and we have a Prayer loom that is included in our Sunday morning prayers. I would like to welcome new members to join our email Prayer Chain and our Monday morning Prayer Group. We have experienced some amazing, answered prayers this year and we have given comfort to many of our members in their times of distress. Please consider being a part of our Prayer Ministry in this new year. You can email me at beckyvoges@yahoo.com for more information.

Our weekly Prayer Group Zooms every Monday at 9:00 am  via Zoom only.   Click HERE to join by Zoom.  We have a devotion, share prayer requests and pray over each request. The group is led by Becky Voges.  If you would like to be a part of the group, please email Becky (beckyvoges@yahoo.com).  All prayer requests will be kept confidential. 

Prayer Chain Requests - email Becky (beckyvoges@yahoo.com).

PASTOR'S VIRTUAL CONVERSATION:   
Every Monday from 3 pm - 3:30 pm; Come join Pastor Jake on Zoom to ask questions, check-in, and lift up prayers. Join HERE - Meeting ID: 991 3660 5065; Password: 015347

TECH SUPPORT:
Need some technical support? Trying to stay connected in a virtual world can be frustrating when things don't work or the technological learning curve seems steep. If you need some help, contact: Patti Kassel @ kasselpatti@gmail.com 

We are part of one church body organized in three expressions — congregations, synods, and the churchwide organization. Each expression has its particular functions but all three together share a common mission of doing God’s work in the world and proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. Together, they ensure a solid foundation of leadership, active involvement in communities, opportunities for dialogue and diverse perspectives, creative partnerships, and support for members and ministries of the ELCA.