And Jesus said to the disciples, “Come away to a deserted place” (Mark 6:31a)

Throughout the gospels we hear how Jesus regularly took time to withdraw from the public attention and busy activity of his ministry in order to rest, to pray, and to renew his energy and focus. In this text, we hear Jesus encouraging his disciples to do the same following their recently completed mission of teaching, preaching, and healing among the neighboring towns and villages (Mark6:6-13).  Two things are important for us to notice here; 1) Jesus modeled the importance of sabbath rest for physical and spiritual renewal, and 2) Jesus always returns to the activity of ministry, recognizing that these moments of rest and renewal are brief pauses, not a withdrawal from the challenges and needs of daily public ministry. In order to be effective disciples, Jesus teaches the disciples that they must always make intentional time to recharge and refocus.

This week our youth and adult leaders are in New Orleans, Louisiana for the ELCA Youth Gathering. While I don’t think that anyone would describe a gathering of 16,000 youth in a major metropolitan city as a “deserted place”, it does serve a similar function in the rhythm of being disciples of Jesus. Our youth are stepping away from the challenges and demands of their daily lives at home, and purposefully stepping into a new environment where they will worship, pray, sing, work, learn and play alongside their peers from around the country in order to reaffirm and grow in their faith in Jesus. We pray that this week will be a “mountaintop” experience for our youth and all who attend the Youth Gathering, but we also pray that, like Jesus’ disciples, they will return home with a new sense of energy, commitment, purpose and mission to put their faith into action in their daily lives.   

Our youth group made it to New Orleans for the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering! 

Our Daily Bread can be found at the welcome desk in the Narthex.

Look for the box in the Narthex to donate school supplies, new or gently used clothing and tennis shoes for families in need. This year our donations will be going to Maria’s Closet, a program run by NBISD. Donations will be collected and dropped off between now and Sunday, August 18.

The Endowment Fund Committee will be hosting an informative lunch and meeting on Sunday, September 22^nd immediately following church service. We will have a representative from the Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest share with us what an endowment fund is, how it is administered by both their organization and Peace Lutheran and educate us how an endowment gift is a “gift that keeps on giving” into the next generation.

Our wonderful Fellowship Team will be serving lunch that day. We would like to have a “ballpark idea” of how many people to plan for lunch. Please email, call, or text Cheryl Braaten or Nathan Anderson to join us for this event.

cherylbraaten@gmail.com 832-603-0530
nanderson5663@gmail.com 713-376-0273

“We enjoy shade from trees we did not plant and water from wells we did not dig.” - Deuteronomy 6:11

Back to School Breakfast - August 18, 8:30am - 9:45am

Sisters in Christ group meet-up - August 28, 11:00am

Peace Seniors fellowship group meet-up - September 4, 11:30am

Mission Endowment lunch & meeting - September 22, following Sunday worship

More information will be provided in the August newsletter and eblasts.

If you would like to support this cause financially, please make checks out to Peace Lutheran Church. Giving online is available as well by clicking the link or scanning the code below. Regardless of your method of support, please be sure to include "Mission Spotlight" in the memo.

Has it really been before the pandemic since we had a new pictorial directory? Yes, and the church has changed a lot since then.

Our hope is that this directory will help you get to know your community here at Peace. 

When and where can I get a directory?
Each household may pick up a directory in the lobby area of the church from June 14 - July.

What about people whose pictures aren’t in the directory?
The problem with printed directories is that the moment you print them, they begin to be outdated. New people joining our community can be added over time with extra pages to be printed after New to Peace orientations.

Peace will also aim to create a new directory every 2-3 years in order to stay current.

In addition, we are exploring options for a digital directory that can be managed much more easily.

If you have questions please email dhickey1@satx.rr.com or call (210) 347-6338. 

OYTL webpage: https://www.lutheranmeninmission.org/events/one-year-to-live

SW TX OYTL link: https://www.lutheranmeninmission.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2024-OYTL-Camp-Chrysalis.pdf

SW TX OYTL Registration: https://lutheranmeninmission.dm.networkforgood.com/forms/sept-13-15-2024-oytl-men-s-retreat-camp-chrysalis-kerrville-tx

July 21, 2024 (9^th Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 11, Year B)
Mark 6:31 – Jesus said to them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.
In our time and culture, busy-ness has emerged as a major source of stress. Being good stewards of our own peace of mind, we know we need to get away from our sources of busy-ness and stress to rest.  

July 28, 2024 (10^th Sunday after Pentecost, Year B)
Psalm 145:15, 16 – The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand, satisfying the desire of every living thing.
Our God is a god of abundance. As steward/disciples we look to God for all that we need, knowing that God provides.  

Yoga (ALL levels) - Tuesdays @ 5:30pm, Peace
Chair & Gentle Mat Yoga - Thursdays @ 11:00am, Peace

New students are always welcome. Scan the QR code or follow the link to RSVP. You will need to RSVP for each individual class at least 30 minutes before the class. Classes will be donation based ($10 recommended).
OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY!

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What is Yoga? Yoga is a practice for healthy living.
Yoga is a mind, body, and spirit practice that can build strength, flexibility, balance, resilience, and community. Using breathwork and asana (Sanskrit word for “poses”) an entire yoga practice allows the individual to develop a mind-body awareness that can help manage pain, reduce stress, increases mobility, prevent and recover from injuries.

These classes will be beginner friendly -
for ALL ages and abilities.

Our friends at Snapology will be back at Peace from May 27 to August 16, 9am - 4pm, Monday - Friday.

The Fellowship Hall will be unavailable for rental or events during that time. If you will be in and out of the church this summer, please respect their time and space. 

All Pre-K through Elementary grade children are invited each Sunday to join us for “God's Story”. This is our way of connecting God’s big story to their own stories at a level appropriate for young children. Together we dive into the scripture for the day using a variety of teaching resources. Our goal is to create a safe space for children to have meaningful conversations about God, Jesus, faith, and our everyday lives.

“God’s Story” takes place during the scripture and sermon portion of our worship service (about 20-25 minutes). We meet in our Fellowship Hall, which is in visible proximity to our sanctuary and restrooms. The children are led by our wonderful team of trained and background checked adults from our congregation. If you’d like to help or have any questions, please reach out to Deacon Andrew.

Starting Tuesday, January 9, 6:30pm
The Sermon On The Mount

Featuring videos and study materials from our friends at the
Bible Project.

They have a wonderful new series on Jesus' Sermon on the Mount that you can explore at your own pace. We will also be using this material for our Tuesday Zoom Bible study, Tuesdays at 6:30 pm.
We'd love for you to join us!

Here's the Bible Project link to get you started:

Bible Project Sermon on the Mount Playlist

Tuesday Zoom Bible Study link

Sunday mornings @ 8:30AM in-person in Peace Conference Room and on ZOOM  

LIVING THE QUESTIONS
"Living the Questions"offers a variety of faith-based guides introducing progressive Christianity in 20-minute DVD sessions with leading voices of faith.  "Seekers & Sponges" was so stirred many years ago that we are bringing it back Sunday, May 5. at 8:30 am. In person and Zoom.
Life abounds with questions. We ask for answers. You're invited to check it out!

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.      

Click HERE to join by Zoom. 

Sunday mornings from 8:45 am—9:30 am
In the Fellowship Room
All ages welcome

Bring your coffee & snacks and join us for a time of weekly conversation together. Our focus will be learning basics about Christian faith, belief, and practice through a Lutheran lens. We want this to be an open time for questions and conversation—all questions are allowed and encouraged! Think of it like “Christianity 101”, designed both for folks who are newer to learning about the Christian faith, as well as for anyone who would like to deepen their understanding of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus in the world today. We look forward to seeing you!

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?

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.

Technical difficulties happen! Here are options for watching previous services and how to watch them if difficulties arise in the future. Please email Madison at office@peacenb.org with any questions.

How to watch the service live on Sundays (Peace Website):

1. Go to https://www.peacenb.org/ (We encourage you to bookmark this website)
2. Scroll down to the “Join Livestream” button and enjoy!
3. OR click the “Livestream” tab at the top of the homepage and enjoy!

How to watch the service live on Sundays (YouTube):

1. Go to Peace’s YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@peacelutheran1200 (We encourage you to bookmark this webpage)
2. Go to the “Live” tab at the top of the page
3. Around 9:55am on Sunday morning, you will see the service for that day go "live" - enjoy!

How to watch previous sermons:

1. Go to https://www.peacenb.org/ (We encourage you to bookmark this website)
2. Click the “Communication” tab at the top of the homepage, then click “Pastor’s Message”
3. Click on the sermon you would like to watch. 
4. That should take you to YouTube where you can watch the sermon!

How to watch previous worship services (in full):

1. Go to Peace’s YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@peacelutheran1200 (We encourage you to bookmark this webpage)
2. Go to the “Live” tab at the top of the page

Click on the video with the date of the service you would like to watch and enjoy!