Christ Lutheran Church I love being a Christian, and I love being part of a church that surprises people. Institutional religion and the word “Christianity” have sometimes gotten troubling reputations over the years, and it brings me joy that Christ Lutheran doesn’t fit that unfortunate mold. As Easter dawns again upon our world, we are called to continue our work of not fitting people’s preconceived notions of what the church should and does look like. In the light of Easter morn, in the brightness of a new day, we see fully, clearly. We see with God’s eyes. How can we challenge ourselves to respond to what we see? How can we continue to be a place of radical welcome, a place where no one is excluded or named as lesser? How can we continue to be a place that allows for doubts, similar to those Thomas had the first Easter? How can we be a church where no question is considered out of bounds? How can we realize that God more likely resides outside our walls than within them? How can we acknowledge that we have not come close to doing what Christ requires for the needy, vulnerable and poor? In other words, how do we come alive as Christ came alive? Real life is rooted in God’s love, which is something that can never be taken from us. The facades we use to cover our fearful faces, the walls we build to protect us and our wealth, the sureties we claim – all these deny us the opportunity to love and cut us off from real life, leaving a paltry substitute in its place. Jesus Christ came to us not to win, not to be right, not to be successful, not to be rich, not to be an insider, but to love. “God is love” takes on a whole new meaning when we admit that love is hard, love is struggle, love is about the other. - Pastor Leslie Price From the Pastor Reclaiming Christianity Through God’s Grace All are welcome as we joyfully, Receive…to Give Learn…to Serve and Worship…to Grow. Worship Sunday Morning Holy Communion At 8:00 & 10:30 a.m. Education Sunday Mornings through May 18 - 9:15 a.m. for All Ages: Children 3 & up – Chapel Junior High Youth: Rooms 214 & 216 Sr. High – Room 206 Adults – Fellowship Hall Nursery A Nursery is available for children who are infants through 4 years of age during Sunday morning worship and the Sunday School hour. Office Monday - Thursday from 9:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Friday from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. 210-822-3394 [email protected]May 2014
Transcript
Christ
Lutheran
Church
I love being a Christian, and I love being part of a church that surprises people. Institutional religion and the word “Christianity” have sometimes gotten troubling reputations over the years, and it brings me joy that Christ Lutheran doesn’t fit that unfortunate mold. As Easter dawns again upon our world, we are called to continue our work of not fitting people’s preconceived notions of what the church should and does look like. In the light of Easter morn, in the brightness of a new day, we see fully, clearly. We see with God’s eyes. How can we challenge ourselves to respond to what we see? How can we continue to be a place of radical welcome, a place where no one is excluded or named as lesser? How can we continue to be a place that allows for doubts, similar to those Thomas had the first Easter? How can we be a church where no question is considered out of bounds? How can we realize that God more likely resides outside our walls than within them? How can we acknowledge that we have not come close to doing what Christ requires for the needy, vulnerable and poor? In other words, how do we come alive as Christ came alive? Real life is rooted in God’s love, which is something that can never be taken from us. The facades we use to cover our fearful faces, the walls we build to protect us and our wealth, the sureties we claim – all these deny us the opportunity to love and cut us off from real life, leaving a paltry substitute in its place. Jesus Christ came to us not to win, not to be right, not to be successful, not to be rich, not to be an insider, but to love. “God is love” takes on a whole new meaning when we admit that love is hard, love is struggle, love is about the other. - Pastor Leslie Price
Please mark your calendars for the Annual Meeting scheduled for June 22 following the 9:30 a.m. service where we will share the accomplishments from our ministries, the treasurer’s report, hold a vote to fill Parish Council positions and reveal plans for the upcoming year that begins July 1. The planning process has begun and here are some of the more notable steps in the process: Nomination Committee: We have been informed that Parish Council Trustee Dana Whelan will be relocating to Colorado this summer with her family. Dana has been a huge leader and contributor to the Council, to the Day School Board where she served as Chair, to the children’s Sunday school and countless other areas. We will all miss Dana, her husband Bill and their lovely daughters, Claire and Caitlyn. The replacement for the remainder of Dana’s term as Trustee will be voted on at the Annual Meeting. Additionally, the first terms of President Brad Wheeless, Vice President Will Garrett, Treasurer Duane Westerman and Trustee Bob Lynch will end this year. Each is eligible for a second term and will be presented to the Nominating Committee. Robb Decker has agreed to chair the Nominating Committee and will be joined by Parish Council members Ken Thompson and Katya Cantu and congregational members Mary Lynn Logan and Penny McDonald. If you are interested in nominating a candidate for any of these positions, please contact Robb. Vision & Priorities: The Parish Council has been hard at work reviewing the vision statement as well as the priorities established for this year. The Council was assisted in this review by a group of former Parish Council presidents and various leaders from the congregation. No changes to the vision statement were recommended. The priorities proposed for the upcoming year are being updated and should be ready to share in next month’s Proclaimer. Budgets for Next Year: We are beginning to develop the operating budget for Christ Lutheran Church to align resources with our ministries. The budget process for giving to vital service organizations in our communities (benevolence gifts) is beginning as well thanks to the efforts of our Benevolence Team. We plan to continue the practice of directing 20% of our resources to this worthy and necessary cause. I look forward to sharing the details at the Annual Meeting! - Brad Wheeless, President
Save the Date: Annual Meeting June 22
From the Council President...
Page 2
Hope Circle will meet on Thursday, May 8 at 9:30 a.m. in the Primrose House. Pastor Marie will lead the Bible study and Edith Delaney will be our hostess. All are welcome.
Hope Circle
Groups
Book Club
First Tuesday
6:45 p.m. - Location TBA
Dominos Group
First Thursday
9:30 a.m. - Fellowship Hall
First Thursday Lunch
First Thursday
12:00 p.m. - Fellowship Hall
Healing Prayer
Tuesday - 10:00 a.m.
Rode Prayer Chapel
Hope Circle
Second Thursday
9:30 a.m. - Primrose House
Joseph’s Sons
First Monday
6:30 p.m. - Location TBA
Jubilate Choir
Every Wednesday through
May 7
5:30 p.m. - Sanctuary
Lydia Circle
Second Tuesday
6:30 p.m. - Primrose House
Men’s Breakfast
Second Tuesday
7:00 a.m. - Bill Miller BBQ
Quilters
Every Tuesday
9:00 a.m. - Primrose House
Sanctuary Choir
Every Wednesday
7:15 p.m. - Sanctuary
The Mulligans
Date, time & location TBA
Young Women’s Group
Date, time & location TBA
Other groups meet during the
year. For information about any
of the above groups, please
contact our church office.
Page 3
Member
News
Births
James Alan Mitchell born
to Stephanie and Jimmy
Mitchell on April 8. Proud
grandparents are John &
Claudia Malitz.
Baptisms
Troy Hall on April 19
Aubrey Sloan on April 19
Estelle Sloan on April 19
Emmalyn Morrow on
April 19
Ian Morrow on April 19
Ella Kate Morrow on
April 19
Isabella Moench on April 19
Sympathy to:
Aleen Barr and family on
the death of Jean on
April 12.
Muoi Hicks and family on
the death of John on
April 26.
Synod Assembly will be held May 2-4 in Austin. The theme of the Assembly is “God’s Missional River – Jump In.” Together we are called to participate in the missional vision of the synod, learn what it means to be a missional church, and conduct the annual business of the synod. The Synod Assembly offering will be supporting LifeStraws through Water for Africa. A LifeStraw is a personal filtration system with no moving parts that filters out 99.999% of all impurities, costs less than $10 each, and provides a full year's supply of clean water. Each unit is rated to filter at least 750 liters of water. This has been tested and proven. It can be used like a straw to drink through, or water can be poured through it. It is safe and effective, and requires no replacement parts or power source. We are happy to announce that Christ Lutheran has raised $2,980.00 to contribute to the Assembly offering which will provide for 298 straws. Voting members, both clergy and lay, will gather from all across our synod to represent their congregations in making decisions about the issues facing the larger church. We are very grateful to Teresa Forsberg, Luis Sifuentes, Bob Logan and John Callaghan for agreeing to serve as our lay voting members at Synod Assembly. Of course, Pastor Leslie and Pastor Marie will be there as well. If you would like to learn more about what issues will be discussed and voted on at Synod Assembly, please visit the Synod's website at www.swtsynod.org.
Synod Assembly
Thrivent Financial encourages all members to direct funds to their causes (Christ Lutheran Church springs to mind!) NOW instead of waiting until the end of the year. To sweeten the deal, they’re offering a $$ incentive: “Direct Now … and Add $20!” Our congregation can get an extra boost from the Thrivent Choice® campaign, which runs from April 1 through May 31. The campaign runs from April 1 through May 31, 2014. Here's how it works:
Thrivent members, select our congregation the first time you direct Choice Dollars® between April 1 and May 31, 2014, and our church will receive an extra $20 grant from Thrivent Financial!
Through the "Direct Now . . . and add $20!" campaign, Thrivent will give an extra $20 for each member who chooses to direct Choice Dollars to our congregation first.
Please contact a representative from the Member Connection Center at 800-THRIVENT (800-847-4836) and say "Thrivent Choice.”
On Sunday, May 4, our soon-to-be confirmands will prepare for their Confirmation at an evening retreat from 4:00-7:00 p.m. We will discuss what will happen on Confirmation Sunday, prepare our faith statements, practice delivering them, write prayers for the Confirmation service and more! Our 2014 confirmands are Claire Benson, Cade Chegin, Kelli Jackson and Kylie Hill. On Sunday, May 18 at the 10:30 a.m. service, we will affirm our confirmands’ faith in the promises made to them at baptism. Please join us after the service for a reception in the CrossWay where we will congratulate our confirmands.
Confirmation Mini-Retreat
On June 1 at the 10:30 a.m. service, we will celebrate our Class of 2014 high school graduates at Christ Lutheran: Jake Almquist, Connor Gates, Ben Richard and Brenna Schulze. We are proud of these young adults and their many achievements. Join us during worship for a blessing, prayer and gifts for our graduates. Join us also after worship for a reception in their honor where we will display pictures, mementos, and hear more about their awards, honors and plans following high school. And then let us congratulate these young adults as they move into this exciting new phase of their lives!
Graduation Sunday
This month LIGHT will meet two times for fun and fellowship. Look for more information on our Senior High Group on Facebook or talk to Luis or Pastor Leslie. Here's the schedule for May: May 11: DAYLIGHT for breakfast tacos and fellowship. May 18: NIGHT LIGHT for our end of the year dinner at Papouli’s Greek Grill at 6:30 p.m.
LIGHT: Senior High Ministry
New Class after Easter: The Missional Church and A Changing World You may have heard the studies about the changing dynamics of the church in North America. We have seen a rise in the population of people who mark “none” for their religious affiliation on surveys, among other shifts. Join Pastor Marie for discussion of these changing tides. Over three weeks we will frame our discussion by looking at three different books that address, analyze and ponder what is happening from very different angles. You are welcome to read the books; however, classes will be modeled so that it is not necessary. April 27: In her book, Christianity After Religion, Diana Butler Bass helps give us a backdrop to frame our understanding of what exactly is happening statistically with religion in America. May 11: Almost Christian by Kenda Kreasy Dean is an enlightening book addressing the ways younger generations seem to be viewing, and even practicing, Christianity today. She wonders if there is a trend toward practicing something new that might be labeled “almost Christian.” Together we will wonder about the advent of this way of thinking. Then, with an understanding of the climate we find ourselves in we may wonder, “What does this mean for the church?” “How are we to respond to this information?” May 18: In an attempt to address those questions we will use the premise of the book, Introducing the Missional Church by Alan Roxburg. This book will encourage us to discern together how we can be the church in an honest and real way while also truly listening to the needs of our neighborhoods in today’s world. Join us for this important conversation about what God might be up to in America today. Sundays April 27, May 11, and May 18. Guest Speaker: May 4 We invite you to Adult Education on Sunday, May 4 , with Rev. Tom Robison, who is also our guest preacher and presider in worship! Tom will lead a discussion entitled, “Jesus’ Care for All of Us who are Homeless,” tying in the gospel reading for the day and his work at Haven for Hope. Please come for an engaging and faithful discussion.
Faith University: Sunday Mornings
Page 5
Our May meeting will be on Sunday May 18 at noon in the Parlor. We will bring salads to share, and Karin will provide the mimosas and dessert! We will also discuss the final short story of our text, Listening for God, Volume 2. At the luncheon, each Lucy will receive a gift of Anne Tyler’s book, St. Maybe, to read during the summer months. We are reviewing texts for next fall. Thanks to Jan Norris and Alice Anderson who are reviewing the following books under consideration: Ties that Bind by Dave Isay, A Prayer Journal by Flannery O’Connor, and a monster-of-a-book, Devotional Classics with editors Richard Foster and James Smith. Thus far, we are contemplating combinations of at least two of these books … we will decide and order the books before September. Questions? Call/text Karin at 844-0935.
Lucy Circle
Page 6
Workshop of Wonders (WOW): Imagine and Build with God! A Day Camp for Children Ages 3-5 Sometimes, in the midst of the routine and the everyday, we suddenly experience the wonder of God. We’re surprised. We’re grateful. We say, “WOW!” At the Workshop of Wonders VBS, your children will discover their own “WOW!” moments as they explore how to imagine and build with God. Through this summer’s Christ Lutheran VBS program, it is our hope that your children will discover how the ordinary becomes extraordinary with God. We hope that the Biblical figures they meet in the Bible will inspire them and instill in them a passion to participate in the creative life of God, the one who works wonders. Say What?! The Parables of Jesus A Day Camp for Elementary Kids When Jesus spoke in parables, the disciples and listeners often had to exclaim, “Say What?!” Sometimes, parables were hard for the people to understand. Sometimes, parables took a drastically different approach to thinking and learning. Sometimes, “Say What?!” was the only response the listeners could summon. This summer, at all Cross Trails Ministry programs, campers will explore and wonder about who Jesus was talking to and about in these parables. Campers will also learn how parables are as relevant today as they were in the time of Jesus and how these stories relate to their lives. Registration for both camps will begin May 1.
Vacation Bible School 2014
July 28-August 1
Mile-high city, here we come! Our Sr. High Summer Mission Trip will be to Denver, CO this year. We will depart on Sunday, July 27 after worship and return on Saturday, August 2. While in Denver, we will participate in urban ministry by volunteering at a homeless shelter, with a food pantry and with a ministry focused on teens in crisis. Pastor Leslie and our Youth Coordinator, Luis Sifuentes, will be the adult leaders for the trip. To keep costs low, we will stay at Abiding Hope in Littleton, Colorado Monday through Wednesday nights. We are grateful to them for their hospitality. The cost of the trip is $150.00 plus participation in our fundraising efforts through the Stockholders Campaign this spring and the Stockholders Banquet in the fall. Our Stockholders Campaign invites the congregation to “invest” in our youth by supporting their trip financially and in relationship with the trip participants by hearing their story of this mission experience. Please consider buying at least one share of stock this May. Each stock share is also a ticket to our Stockholders Banquet, held on Sunday, September 14, 2014 at 12:00 noon in Fellowship Hall, where the trip participants will serve a thank you lunch and share with the congregation what they did on their trip and how they grew in their faith. Shares are $20 each. Children under 12 may attend the banquet for free. Our goal is that every member of Christ Lutheran will buy at least one share to support the programs and to attend the banquet and hear about the awesome work done in the name of Jesus this summer. The youth will be in the Narthex and CrossWay after services May 11,18 & 25 so you can “invest” in them. Thanks in advance for your support!
Sr. High Summer Mission Trip –
DENVER! You Can Buy Stock!
Page 7
Volunteers are crucial to our VBS success each year. Please take some time to consider if God could be calling you to work with our children this summer. This is a wonderful opportunity to share the love of God with these children and to see anew how children experience the word of God! Please prayerfully consider how you could help us with this invaluable ministry! VBS week is July 28 - August 1 and we are currently looking for:
5 families to offer dinner to our 4 camp counselors from Camp Chrysalis.
2 families (preferably who live near each other) to host our 4 camp counselors and provide them a comfortable place to sleep!
3 teachers to be in the classrooms with preschool kids from 8:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Monday through Friday.
4 workshop leaders (for Science, Crafts, Recreation and Mission) for our preschoolers. This is a 1.5 to 2-hour commitment Monday through Friday.
Helpers to assist the camp counselors in the Day Camp; 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., Monday through Friday. This is a great job for mature middle school students and high school students as well as adults.
One more helper to assist teachers in classrooms with preschool kids from 8:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Monday through Friday. This is a great job for mature middle school students and high school students as well as adults.
Please contact Pastor Marie or Lisa Diana with your interest in helping!
Volunteers Needed for VBS Week!
Throughout the month of May, our Jr. High Youth will be studying petitions 5-7 of the Lord’s Prayer and Doxology in their small group lessons. May 18 is also Confirmation Sunday! Be sure you are in church to bless our confirmands as they confirm their faith. Here's the schedule for May: May 4: Petition 5 May 4: Confirmation Retreat (8th grade only) 4:00 p.m. May 11: Petitions 6,7 and Doxology May 18: Confirmation Sunday!
Junior High Ministry
What a wonderful and amazing year it has been with our Parenting Preschoolers Faithfully class! We have learned so much and been grateful for a place of support each month. Our last meeting of the year is Tuesday, May 13, 9:30 a.m. We will discuss For Heaven’s Sake, Chapter 12, “The Darkest Part;” Chapter 13, “Defending Your Child;” and the Epilogue. Thanks to all who have attended! We look forward to continuing this group in the fall!
Parenting Preschoolers Faithfully
Page 8
Jubilate Choir finishes the Season with an Alleluia and a Graduation! MOTHER’S DAY: We will sing on Mother’s Day, May 11, and have our end-of-school year swim/pizza party on Wednesday, May 14 at the Oliver’s. MUSIC WEEK: In June, we hope to see you all at Music Week June 23-29 for mucho fun. For registration forms or more information on Oh Jonah, please contact Becky Richard at the church office: 822-3394. NEXT FALL: Our first Wednesday rehearsal for September 2014 will be September 3. We WILL sing in September, date TBA! GRADUATION: Congratulations to our graduating Jubilate Choir 5th graders, who will enter confirmation in the fall: Leah Vasquez Matthew Diana Samantha Erwin Charlotte Bell Griffin Hall Claire Whelan Our thanks to these wonderful musicians who have sung nine times a year in our worship and once or twice a year for outreach. We will miss your shenanigans on the top row and can’t wait to hear how your musical talents continue to develop. - Karin Oliver
Jubilate Choir News
Service Opportunities for May and June
Sunday, May 4: Children’s Bereavement Center Please join us as we provide lunch for families who are attending classes at the Children’s Bereavement Center on May 4 from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. You can meet at the church at 12:30 or at the Bereavement Center at 1:00 p.m. (205 W. Olmos Drive) and help with preparations as the families come for lunch before classes begin. CLC’s small group ministry, Fill Your Cup, is organizing this service project and they invite all who would like to join us. If you can help, please call the church for more information. Saturday, May 17: CAM Join us from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. for a work day at Christian Assistance Ministry (CAM) at 110 McCullough. This amazing organization provides emergency social services to families in crisis. We will have the privilege of organizing, cleaning and doing whatever CAM needs to help with their vital ministry. Call the church office for carpool options and to let us know you can help!
(Continued on the bottom of page 9)
Page 9
“It’s a tale of a whale and a whale of a tale and a story of the deep blue sea…about a fish and a man named Jonah who’s a lot like you and me!” Registration forms are now available on the Sunday School bulletin board and in the CrossWay. Who: All children entering 1st-7th grades are welcome! (CLC membership is not a requirement.) When: Monday, June 23 – Friday, June 27, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Bring a sack lunch; drinks are provided. Saturday, June 28, 9 a.m. to noon, Family Pancake Breakfast and Dress Rehearsal. Sunday, June 29, 9:30 a.m., Performance during worship. What: Preparation and performance of the musical OH JONAH! by Allen Pote and Carole McCann plus other outings, including a trip to the Witte, swimming, a tour of San Pedro Playhouse and more! Where: Christ Lutheran Church. Cost: $75 (cost of music, bus, recreation, T-shirts included) Registration: Limited to first 25 registrants, so please register early! Forms available in church office, on the Sunday School bulletin board and in the CrossWay. Registration deadline is June 1. We look forward to you joining us for an incredible week of singing, dancing, acting, art, field trips and friendship!
Children’s Summer Music Camp:
OH JONAH!
Saturday, June 14: Tour Haven for Hope You’re invited to join a tour of Haven for Hope especially for CLC members. The tour is scheduled from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. They’ll offer a 30-45-minute classroom information session about how Haven for Hope came to be and the rest of time we’ll walk throughout the campus. Everyone is asked to wear comfortable shoes and clothing. This tour is recommended for adults ages 17 and older who would like to volunteer at Haven for Hope or would just like to know more about this important ministry for the homeless in San Antonio. CLC plans to have volunteer opportunities in the summer and Haven for Hope recommends everyone take the tour before volunteering. Please call the church office if you would like to participate!
Service Opportunities….(cont. from page 8)
Page 10
May is our last month of Sunday School for the 2013-2014 school year! We’re excited to be finishing the year with several exciting Godly Play stories. As we continue to experiment with the new Godly Play curriculum, we have encountered a wonderful dilemma: we have almost too many kids each week! Because of the wonderful turnout and to be faithful to the Godly Play experience we have split the kids into two groups based on age and the Sunday School hour is divided into two spaces which the kids rotate through. The kids still get the Godly Play story for half of the hour, and in the other half hour we are doing special activities that relate to the story.
Sunday School: Godly Play
Date Story
May 4 9:15 a.m. All Children meet Mr. Bob Oliver in the Sanctuary to rehearse a song for Mother’s Day. Afterwards, children will experience the “Holy Baptism” Godly Play story and they get to play water games! (Don’t worry they won’t be WET water games!)
May 11 Happy Mother’s Day! 9:15 a.m. All Children meet Mr. Bob Oliver in the Sanctuary to rehearse their song for Mother’s Day. Afterwards, children will go to the Art Room for a Mother’s Day craft project. 10:00 a.m. Jubilate kids will head to rehearsal so they can sing at the 10:30 a.m. worship service!
May 18 Last Day of Sunday School 9:15 a.m. Sunday School begins. Meet by the Children’s Chapel. Godly Play Story is: The Creation Story. Kids also will have time for an “end of the year celebration.” During the 10:30 a.m. worship service, we will also thank all of our Sunday School teachers for their hard work and dedication.
Families who turned out for a healthy day of cycling, walking, learning and fun were dazzled by our Jubilate Choir. Our young choristers, dressed in their ELCA orange t-shirts, belted out some mighty tunes on the YMCA stage, and their voices were broadcast over nine acres. It was quite a debut! We’re proud of our kiddos, their parents and siblings who traveled to Southtown around blocked-off roads, our indefatigable choir director, Karin Oliver and accompanist Sharon Ruiz for spreading the word about God’s love and Christ Lutheran’s welcoming message. We wish to thank Sandy Morander, CEO of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio and a member of our congregation, for inviting us to be the only choir at Siclovia, a gathering of 65,000 people. After the performance, families took off for an afternoon adventure. Some had street tacos and toured the gorgeous San Antonio Missions, others had a backpack lunch between bicycle stops, and a small group headed to Freddy’s for burgers and creepy crawly worm sundaes. It is this last group that came upon an accident on Broadway where two ambulances were wailing and a fireman was putting up cones to keep people away. Miss Karin said to the children, “We know what to pray for today. That accident looks very serious and we want our prayers to be there.” From out of the stunned silence, 10-year-old Ander Escudero asked, “May I say the prayer?” Karin reports, “This child then launched into a profound and inspiring and honest search for the peace of the Lord … reminding me yet again that the children of Christ Lutheran are building blocks of hope and calm; they are our future.” And all the children said, “Amen.”
Mayor Julian Castro applauded the Jubilate Choir’s performance at Siclovia. He asked the children what
church they represented and talked to several of them about their schools.
Superb Siclovia Singers!
Page 11
Page 12
You don’t have to grow up Lutheran to be a Lutheran. Sometimes, you can find your own way. It can happen when you have a good sense of your faith and personal values and you decide to search for a church home that fits. That’s what happened to Troy Hall and his wife, Allyson Pryor. When they moved their family from Ohio to Texas two years ago in a career move, they began an earnest quest for a church they could call home. “I was raised Catholic and Troy was a ‘practicing non-Catholic’ and former Baptist,” Allyson says. “We tried to find a Catholic parish we could connect with but that didn’t happen, so I told Troy if he could find a Christian religion that was a good fit for him, I’d come along. “Troy saw a video interview with ELCA Pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber where she talked about her very real experience and how she found her home in the Lutheran church,” Allyson says. “We were both captivated by her story and her ability to navigate both the divine and the gritty reality of her world simultaneously. That’s what led us to visit a Lutheran church – and we found Christ Lutheran. We quickly felt welcome and enjoyed so many things about this congregation. When you have three energetic boys and try to go to church, it’s not always easy … but everyone has embraced us. In my childhood church, we had to sit up straight and behave. With our boys we emphasize they have to be considerate of others, but they can be pretty wild. We think it’s an immeasurable blessing that we haven’t been yelled at!” The boys were quickly invited to sing in the Jubilate Choir and in no time, this lovely family became an extension of our family. Lucky us! Griffin is 11, very musical, loves to sing and, his mom says, “He’s an artistic, soccer-loving, science guy. I could see him being a writer/poet/scientist … an all around Renaissance man.” William, almost 10, is an adopted Ukrainian, “a blessing to us,” says his mom. “He is extraordinary in so many ways, a gifted, graceful athlete and very math smart – he brings some grace and athleticism to our gene pool.” Bennett, 6, is in kindergarten, and, his mom says, “He has never met a stranger. He is exuberant, loud, sweet, curious, a tinkerer, an all-boy experimenter.” Allyson and Troy earned MBAs from Case Western Reserve University in Ohio. They’re from the Houston area, and, she laughs, “We are a house divided. For undergraduate, I went to UT-Austin and he’s an Aggie.” This hardworking couple is applying their considerable business expertise, which includes experience in strategic change, marketing and process improvement, to start a consulting firm. In another move that is very dear to Allyson’s heart, she is trying to find time to start a non-profit organization called Wise Heart Families. “In our journey with our adopted son, we’ve learned a lot about supporting a family when someone has suffered trauma. We’ve come to understand that all families experience traumas of their own, some big and some small and don’t know how to cope. We want to reach out and lend support to other families to live in love instead of pain,” she says. As an extension of her desire to share with others what she and Troy have learned on their journey, she is interested in starting a small group ministry at CLC – a parents’ support group. “We only have our own story to share but sometimes sharing stories is just what we need to do to grow.”
(Continued on the top of page 11)
Welcome New Members:
Troy Hall, Allyson Pryor, Griffin,
William and Bennett
For leisure, Allyson enjoys yoga, gardening, entertaining, reading and volunteer work. She and Troy are enthusiastic home remodelers and love to travel the world but in recent years have explored the U.S. more. Troy also likes fishing, landscaping, and is an aspiring carpenter. He has a long-range plan to buy some land near the West Texas town of Marfa to have a place to stargaze and hike in the mountains. If Allyson and Troy have any energy left after all these ambitious undertakings, they would like to get involved in adult education opportunities that will help them better understand what it means to be Lutheran. “So far, it fits like a glove,” she says. “Sometimes in worship, I’m smiling so big and nodding my head so much, I want to stand up and say, ‘This is awesome.’” We love her zeal and can’t wait to see how life unfolds for this lively family as we grow together in our faith over the years to come. - Jan Schubert Norris
New Members…(cont. from pg. 10)
Praises to …
Page 13
Staff
The Rev. Leslie Price
Senior Pastor
The Rev. Marie Purcell
Associate Pastor
Marilyn Hamilton
Director of Day School
Becky Richard
Office Manager/Accountant
Linda Sulser
Administrative Assistant
Dr. Dan Long
Choir Director
Bill Ross
Organist
Luis Sifuentes
Youth Coordinator
Lisa Diana
Children’s Coordinator
Rosario Alferez
Church “Keeper”
Sam Tenorio
Custodian
Ryan Loyd
Sound Tech
Sandy Roe
Nursery Attendant
Parish
Council
Brad Wheeless, President
Will Garrett, Vice Pres.
Duane Westerman,
Treasurer
Katya Thompson-Cantu
Secretary
Ken Thompson, Trustee
Bob Lynch, Trustee
Dana Whelan, Trustee
Pastor Leslie Price
Pastor Marie Purcell
Rosario Alferez, Elizabeth Diggs and their crew for planning, setting up, serving and taking down the Easter Breakfast!
To all the musicians and worship helpers who contributed to the beautiful and meaningful Holy Week services.
To all who attended the Parish Council Planning session on April 5.
To our CLC Quilting Group for their tremendous effort sewing the beautiful quilts for Lutheran World Relief distribution and for Allison Gates, Nancy Jones and Linda Mercer who transported the quilts to TLU on April 23.
To Rosario Alferez and her crew for all the preparations for the festive Fiesta at CLC celebration! To Elizabeth Diggs for her help with the decorations! To Dan Long for his beer donation!
To Mary Overstreet for the beautiful Easter banners.
Lewis Westerman, Paul Overstreet and Kirk Richard for cooking all the fajitas for Fiesta!
Christ Lutheran Church
6720 Broadway
San Antonio, Texas 78209
www.clcah.org
210-822-3394
Non-Profit Organization
US Postage Paid
Permit #325
San Antonio, TX
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Summer Worship Schedule
On Sundays beginning Memorial Day weekend, May 25, through Labor Day weekend, August 31, there will be one service with Holy Communion
beginning at 9:30 a.m.
There will be food and fellowship preceding the service beginning at 9:00 a.m. in the CrossWay
If you would like to participate in bringing breakfast foods for the fellowship time, please sign up on the
bulletin board in the CrossWay or call the church office.
