Published by Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian ChurchJanuary 2010 Issue 2

Connect 2-4Serve: Mission 4-6Invite: Alpha 6Grow: Student 6-8Grow: Adult 9-13Grow: Children 6, 13-15more Connect & Calendar 16-17

SHPC Staff Guide

Larry Coulter Senior PastorMike Killeen Associate PastorBritta Dukes Associate PastorSherry Smith Adult MinistryKim Arthur Nursery MinistryZack Uzzle Music MinistryBeth Watson Music MinistryPattie Lawrence Director of PreschoolBelva Koerth Office ManagerKimbol Soques Communications

Sermons for February

Feb 7 The Story, Ch. 6Wandering

Feb 14Tim Gardner, guest speaker

Feb 21 Ch. 7The Battle Begins

Feb 28 Ch. 8A Few Good Men... and

Women

40 Days of Wilderness?

About the time this newslettermakes it into your hands, the

season of Lent will be upon us. AshWednesday (February 17th) kicks offour 40-day journey to Easter, andtypically begs the question: "Whatam I going to give up this year?"

After the recent excitement ofChristmas with its giving, giving,

giving and getting, getting, get-ting… the thought of giving upsomething is far less appealing.Unlike all the festive lights thatbrightened up Advent's winternights, Lent commences with ashesand an up-close look at our ownmortality. It foreshadows the com-ing of a final supper in an upperroom, a garden in Gethsemane andthe sound of nails being poundedinto flesh and wood. Consideringthe apparent lack of "warm fuzz-ies," it's really no wonder that ittakes a bit more effort for us tofocus our hearts and minds on theseason at hand.

But what if it's all a matter ofperspective… of being able to

see beyond these dark images tothe extraordinary hope to whichthey point us? Is there a chance wemight recapture a more positivevision of Lent for our lives if weponder what can be gained by en-tering this 40 days of "wilderness"time?

To answer this question, I'd liketo point to our recent interac-

tion with The Story and two exam-ples from the Old Testament. First,

a 40-day rainstorm kept Noah andhis Ark-full afloat for days on endbefore dry land and docking waspossible. Next, Moses spent 40 daysatop Mount Sinai without food andwater as he scribed God's Ten Com-mandments onto stone tablets.Amidst both of these 40-day periodsof perseverance, God's presencewas with them, and afterwards,God blessed the men and enteredinto an everlasting covenant withthem and their descendants.

In the New Testament, Jesus, too,survives a wilderness experience.

The 40 days immediately followinghis baptism was an intense time offasting and being tempted by Satanbefore starting his ministry. Consis-tently, these 40-day periods of testsand trials are followed by a time ofrestoration and renewal in whichGod's abundant blessings overflowand covenantal promises are made.It really puts into perspective theamazing love our Creator has for us!

So, in deciding whether or not togive something up for Lent this

year, let's try not to focus so muchon what things we are or aren't giv-ing up, but instead on the ever-present God who walks with us, aswell as the significance of what ison the other side of this sacrificialjourney-new and renewed lives inChrist!

Wilderness blessings to you,

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THE FIVE KEYSTO AN INCREDIBLE MARRIAGE

VALENTINES DINNERSUNDAY FEB. 14TH 6:00-8:00PMThis year Valentine’s Day is on aSunday — come spend it with yourfriends at SHPC! Our evening will include a sumptuous meal,entertainment, and our traditional SilentAuction for Mexico Mission. As part of ourevening, Dr Tim A. Gardner, LHMC, will beteaching us about “The Five Keys to anIncredible Marriage.”Tim is the President & CEO of MarriageMinistries, Inc., a licensed counselor and anationally recognized teacher and author onmarriage and family relationships. Tim hasbeen described as a highly influential“Missionary to Marriage,” using his talents,passions, and God-given gifts to bringpractical, effective and God-honoring wisdomto couples nationwide and beyond. Apowerful and entertaining speaker andauthor, Tim looks forward to teaching youabout “The Five Keys.”MENU: Winter salad (mixed greens with feta cheese, walnuts anddried cranberries) ::: Homemade Rolls ::: Seared Pork tenderloin withlemon and rosemary ::: Marinated and grilled chicken breasts:::Scalloped potatoes (sliced new potatoes smothered in cream,butter and parmesan) ::: Sauteed vegetables ::: Assorted Desserts

Visit members.shpc.org or contact the churchoffice to reserve your seats for the dinner. $20per person for dinner, entertainment and THEFIVE KEYS. Space is VERY limited. Childcare for ages 3rd grade and youngeravailable, with advance registration, for $2per child.

Don’t Forget!Portraits will be taken startingFebruary 16th for new churchdirectories!

How to Sign Up for YourFamily/Household Photo Ap-pointment1. Sign up in the narthex afterchurch or

2. Sign up online at members.shpc.org

Every household photographed will receive afree 8X10 of their directory pose and a freeSHPC Pictorial Directory, & will be able to pur-chase additional portraits if desired.

The pastors, elders, and deacons — not tomention regular folks of the congregation —really appreciate being able to match faceswith names in the directory. Come share yourface with us!

Come hear a great per-formance from agreat choir!Did you know that direc-

tors give recitals, too? Ourvery own Zack Uzzle will be leading the TexasState University Singers in works by Handel,Elgar, Palestrina, Bernstein, Wilberg, and Flum-merfelt on Feb. 21st at 3 p.m at the First Pres-byterian Church of San Marcos.

Any and all SHPC folk who would like to hear (&see!) Zack perform are urged to attend... andjoin in the reception immediately following inthe fellowship hall of the church. It'll be a won-derful concert!

The Story Reading List: FebruaryThe following is a reading guide outlining thechapters that will be used in worship the nextSunday. Follow along and join us as God’s storyunfolds.

Readings for the week, beginning with SundayFebruary

7 Chapter 6 Wandering1421 Chapter 7 The Battle Begins28 Chapter 8 A few Good Men…..and Women

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Singing Hills, deep in the heart of Leakey hillcountry, is a beautiful camp in any season.

The beauty of the river and the "mountains"overwhelmed me when my youth group campedthere many, many years ago. The camp looksdifferent in November, but still beautiful—fallcolors blanketed the hill country greens; the riv-er still ran peacefully beside the cabins, but wastoo cool for swimming; the stars are even bright-er in the cold and clear, velvety-dark eveningsky. Gaston and I had no plans, no responsibili-ties, and no expectations—it was great. Larry,Mike, Britta, and Beth had things planned allweekend, but there was plenty of time to justhang out. We met lots of people that we usuallydon't get to visit with on Sunday mornings, andwe enjoyed watching lots of the little peoplethat we never see in the 9:30 service. Beth wasin charge of music and cooking (wow, great foodand good music)—but she needed help with thechores. So we ended up splitting our time be-tween "camp" activities and bonding with a newset of friends while we helped in the kitchen.Saturday was stuffed with singing, pie making,pie throwing, pie stories, eating, fellowship andeven hiking. (There are trails, but we followedthe one that Larry blazed for an exciting after-noon. Who knew that we would have our own"Survivor" episode at camp?) We have every hopeof relaxing with this wonderful group again nextyear. —Junie Ledbetter, with Gaston Broyles

The All-Church retreat on November 20-22, 2009 was a great wayto kick off the extended holiday season... but it did make it a bit

challenging to catch up with the folks who went to see what theythought of it! Enjoy their thoughts & photos — maybe you’ll be able to

come along next time!

Our family attended the SHPC "Hey … Where'smy pie?" family retreat held at the HEB

Foundation Camp near Leakey. We had an abso-lutely wonderful time and can't wait for the nextretreat! The camp site was very well-equipped,and its location alongside the crystal clear Frioriver was stunning. The weekend was full ofscrumptious home cooked food (thanks to Beth& Co.) and great fellowship. There were fungames led by Pastor Mike - who ensured we allcould have a pie in the face experience if so de-sired. There were also strong teaching momentsled by Pastors Larry and Britta which focused oncultivating a spirit of gratitude in our every daylives.

Above all, it was a fantastic weekend to con-nect with other families and folks at SHPC,

to make and renew friendships in a gorgeousChrist-centered setting. Count us in for thisyear's retreat! —Mark Schroeder

Hey!Where’s

MY PIE?

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Caregiving AssistanceWe could use your help! If you have a willingnessto help serve the church, here are a few areasfor which our team of deacons seek volunteerseach year. If you sign up, you'll stay on the listfor one year. Each time you’re asked to serve,you can say no if that time is not right.

Just email todeacons@shpc.orgthe area(s) you'rewilling to help with,along with yourname, phone num-ber, and email ad-dress.

Areas to help:Refreshments for memorial servicesMeals for the sick/bereavedMeals for new momsTransportation (occasional rides to doctor's ap-pointments or church)

Go to Israel in 2011!Join Larry Coulter for thetrip of a lifetime. In thespring of 2011, you can joinwith friends and family ona trip to the Holy Land.The past will come alive aswe walk in the footsteps ofJesus through the land thatgave us the stories of theOld and New Testaments.This ten-day trip, sched-

uled over Spring Break, will be a spiri-tual journey that you will never forget.We are having an informational meet-ing in the church library on February28th at 5 p.m. If you would like a bro-chure, contact the church office at512-892-3580 or church@shpc.org.

A few more pix...Hey!Where’s

MY PIE?

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Since the SHPC Guatemala Mis-sion Program was formed in2003 over thirty members ofthe congregation have been ona mission trip and many havegone several times. The effortsof trip participants have made important differ-ences in the lives of not only the Guatemalansthat we have worked with, but also our teammembers. We originally started as a group thatinstalled water systems in schools, orphanages,and churches — and we still do that work — butrecently we have broadened our interests byforming partnerships with a school and an or-phanage. The rough outline of our trips is:

� June 17 - 24. Travel to Quetzaltenango(Xela) in the heart of Mayan culture towork with the Maya Quiche Bible Instituteon various infrastructure projects. Investi-gate possibilities for construction of a newwater system at another location in 2011.This will be a smaller team.

� July 29 - August 5. Work with HogarMiguel Magone (an orphanage) and theschool San Bartholome in San Andres Itza-pa to further assist these institutions inmutually agreed upon projects. These in-stitutions are about two hours north of thebustling capital, Guatemala City. We hopeto take a team of 12 - 14 individuals.

Prayerfully consider joining one of these missiontrips! We can find a place for everyone that

wants to go. The deadline for submittingan application is February 21st.

Questions? Contact David Parmer((512)294-3252 or dparmer@austin.rr.com) for the June tripand Carlen Floyd (891-8100 or

carlen@austin.rr.com)for the July-Augusttrip.

Thank you, IHNVolunteers!

You have followed God's command and showncompassion for our brothers and sisters intheir time of crisis. Several of you put in dou-ble or triple time! May God's blessings be re-turned to you.

If we've missed your name or misspelled it,please let one of us know and we do apolo-gize. Stuart McIntire stuart78704@yahoo.com/ 788-445.

Thank you! Jim Immit,Fran & Ted Miller, BoyScout Troop & Deb Ballew,Liz Maxfield, Rich & LauraMorales, Carl Floto &RuthAnn Widner, BillGrubb, Don Greathouse,Gayle, Greg, & JaneGuernsey,Christy & BrantRobinson, KathleenAbbott, Lisa & SamuelTeeple, Angela & LaurenPeterson, Mary & AlexAversa, Caren Zysk, WayneCrawley, Jen Callahan,Gene Wright, KellyMelnyk, Marsha Holt, SteveBeard, Lara Manire, Sue

Frye, Judy Behr,CatherineHilton, Linda Wheeler,Laura Gore, LindaIcenhauer-Ramirez, KarlaSnell, Carol Brandt, JaneThompson, AndreaGerlach, Gloria Drake,Michael Bullock, RaynellBarry, Rebecca Berryman,Alice Lineberry, JenniferFranco, Marty Stark-johann, Rita Nowakowskiand volunteers from oursupporting churches FaithPresbyterian Church andAbiding Love LutheranChurch

Habitat for Humanity UpdateOn December 16, Austin Habitat for Humanitydedicated 6 new homes, including that of ChrisEstrada and his three sons. Chris proudly ac-cepted the keys to the new home and held anopen house in his new home.

Fourteen churches in Austin came together tosponsor an Ecumenical Build. They provided

funding and labor to buildChris' new home (left, withChris). Chris provided over400 hours of sweat-equity,made a down payment andtook courses on homeown-ership. Now he has begunpaying a no-interestmortgage—the proceeds ofwhich will go to fund moreHabitat homes.

In November, 22 membersof SHPC helped build Chris'new home. They painted,caulked, built fencing anddid landscaping. Thanks!

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What Is Alpha?Alpha is an opportunity to explorethe meaning of life in a relaxed,friendly setting. Each session, you will enjoy great food, laughter and learning in a fun and friendlyatmosphere where no question about life or God is seen as too simple or too hostile…questionslike—Is there a God? Why am I here? Where did I come from? Where am I going?

Who Is Alpha For?Alpha is for anyone…anyone who thinks there may be more to life than meets the eye, anyone whowants to investigate questions about the existence of God, the purpose of life, the afterlife, theclaims of Jesus and more. Everyone is welcome!

What Happens At Alpha?The Alpha course will consist of 10 gatherings, with a 1/2 day getaway in the middle. Each gather-ing will begin with a meal and a chance to get to know each other. Then there is a short talk whichwill look at a different aspect of the Christian faith each week. This is followed by a time of discus-sion in small groups, where everyone is welcome to contribute their opinion and ask questions.Some of the discussions include:

Alpha will meet on Sunday evenings from 6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. at the church and will start on April11, 2010. The cost for the 10-week course is $30. Please contact Greg Heidel if you are interestedin attending the course, gheidel@gmail.com / 512-437-1183 or sign up online at members.shpc.org.

Who is Jesus?

Why did Jesus die?

How can we have faith?

Does God heal today?

Who is the Holy Spirit?

How can I resist evil?

Boy Scouts Celebrate100th AnniversaryThis year is the 100th Anniver-sary of the founding of TheBoy Scouts of America. TheScout Law says that a “Scout isReverent” and scouts of allages promise to do their “Dutyto God”. With that in mind,Scout Sunday will be observedat SHPC on January 31st, withCub Scouts and Boy Scouts participating inboth services as greeters and ushers.

On Saturday, February 6th, SHPC-sponsoredscouts will join other scouts from all acrossTexas in the “Report to the State” Paradefrom the Congress Avenue Bridge to the Cap-itol. Pack 395 will be riding in the militaryvehicles – come watch and wave!

GOT STUFF?Did you just getsome cool newstuff, but youdon’t know whatto do with the(functional but) old stuff?

Consider being part of the Church-Wide Ga-rage Sale!

All you need to do is clearly price your items(except clothing) and come to the church earlyin the morning on Saturday March 6th.

Our proceeds are going to support our interna-tional mission efforts —this event will supportboth our Africa project with Pastor Chimwem-we and aid for Haiti in the wake of the disas-ter.

See you at the sale! Questions? Contact Wen-dy Uzzle—uzzle08@gmail.com

FAMILY FUN DAY—Save the date!Our third annual FAMILY FUN DAY at Bastrop State Park will be held on the af-ternoon of Saturday, April 24th. Please mark your calendars now to attend andwatch for registration to begin soon—we look forward to seeing you there!

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Confirmation Coursefor Middle SchoolStudents StartsMarch 7th @ 9:30a.m.All of our 7 t h & 8 t h

gr ade students areinvited to join the2010 ConfirmationCourse.Fun and deep Biblestudies withPastor Mike will bethe hallmark ofthis course. Comeand ask all yourquestions aboutlife, God & thechurch. We will becovering it all!At the end of thecou rse, you ca nch oose to become amember if youdesire. Zip me anemail or find meon Facebook andlet me know if youplan on sendingyour studen t. The

class consists of8 sessions and thestudents arereceived onMother’s Day.

High School ConfirmationSunday Nights

March 7th 5 p.m.We know high schoolstudents need a deeperconversation aboutfaith, so we now havea H.S. ConfirmationCourse. StartingSunday Nights March 7th

5-6 p.m.

We are going back to Galveston this Spring Breakto continue our rebuilding work from the 08/09storm session. This is a family trip, so mom anddad are encouraged to join all of our mid- andhigh school students on this event. NO SKILLSNECESSARY. Save the dates March 15th- 19th / $150 per person.

HUNGRY YET?

High School 30-Hour Famine Mar12-13th 7pm- 6pm

Middle School24-Hour Famine! Feb19-20 7pm-12pm

SPRING BREAK MISSION GALVESTON REBUILD

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Senior Momentssubmitted by Stefan Haag

In February, SAM is offering a number of activi-ties in addition to our normal monthly events.

You can read about them under Special SAMEvents in this newsletter. Also, the SAM SpringRetreat will be here before you know it; so con-sider joining us at Camp Buckner on April 6th

through the 8th for a great program and fellow-ship.

GROAN-UPS GAME DAY HAS been a fixture at SHPCfor nearly a decade, since Carol Cunningham

initiated it. I had never attended, but I decidedto try it in January. There were six seniors—JimBlack, Pauline Beasley, Ruth Weese, Gay Langs-ton, Bob Barker, and me—who spent two hoursplaying spinner dominoes. I had never playedbefore, but the regulars explained the rules, andafter a couple of rounds, I was playing like a pro(slight exaggeration, but only five people knowit's not true!). The game is easy to learn, it al-lows chatting during play, and the competitionisn't too fierce. The two hours passed quickly. Ifound that I enjoyed the game, but the opportu-nity to converse and connect with other mem-bers of SHPC was the greater benefit. So, if

you're looking for something to do on a Tuesdaymorning, second Tuesday of the month, let mesuggest joining us for spinner dominoes—or evenbetter, bring some friends and a new game toteach us! We'd welcome you, and you'd enjoythe fellowship. As you may have guessed, I'mnow a monthly regular.

The SAM Council hopes that you'll join us forall the events that are scheduled for this

month. I guarantee that you'll enjoy them.

SAM Groups in February:MARY MARTHA CIRCLE: Thursday, February 4th

in portable B at 10 a.m. Our lesson will benumber 5 from our study The Thirteen Apos-tles titled “James the Less,” and will be pre-sented by Marian Bonebrake. The scripture isJames 15:33-4.

GROAN-UPS GAME DAY: second Tuesday, Feb-ruary 9th, in room 7 at 10 a.m. No reserva-tions needed. Join us for games, or bringyour favorite game so that we can learn it.

RETIRED CHRISTIAN MEN'S ASSOCIATION: Feb-ruary 11th & 25th at 10 a.m. in Portable B.No reservation needed. Join us for Christianfellowship and stimulating conversation. Formore information, contact Ron Miller, 892-1862 or ronald.miller1333@sbcglobal.net.

GOLDEN YEARS LUNCH BUNCH: Saturday, Feb-ruary 13th, at Johny Carino's on Brodie Ln.Call Bobbye or Bob Barker at 891-9947 byTuesday, February 9th, to save your seat.

Special SAM Event sThere are many activities planned for SHPC seniors in February in addition to the regular monthlyevents. In fact, there are so many that we’re providing this calendar of events on a pull-out sheetso that you won’t miss any of them!

Febr uary 16Tuesday11:00 a.m . FMC

Soup to Nuts : Join us in the Family Ministry Center for a presentation byMegan Anderson, a registered dietician and certified diabetes educator atthe Heart Hospital of Austin. She specializes in cardio-vascular wellness andprevention. Her presentation will be about nutritional impacts on cardiovas-cular disease.Then join us for a special lunch—Roadkill Stew. It’s an old family recipe,andour chefs are scouring the roads for the secret ingredients. There is a rumorthat it tastes a lot like chicken, but the chefs just smile and wink. Everyonebrings two cans of vegetables—one will go into the stew, and the other willbe donated to a local food bank. Drinks will be provided. Cost of the lunch is

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Febr uary 25Thursday9:30 a.m . FMC

AARP Dr iver Safety Class : This four-hour class starts at 9:30 a.m. in theFamily Ministry Center. The class covers current rules of the road, defensivedriving techniques, and how to operate your vehicle more safely in today'sincreasingly challenging driving environment. Completion of the class usuallyresults in a 10 percent reduction in your automobile insurance premiums forthree years (check with your insurer to make certain).

To register for the class, phone Annie Ward (373-8803) or Norma Burchard(394-0131). The cost for the class is $12 for AARP members and $14 for non-members.

February 28Sundayafter 11 a.m. ser-vice FMC

Beanbag Baseball : While the pros are getting ready with winter leaguebaseball in the Caribbean, SAM invites adults to participate in our inauguralWinter League Beanbag Baseball in the Family Ministry Center after the 11a.m. service. SAM will serve hot dogs, soft drinks, and chips in the FMC, andthe game begins shortly thereafter. Reservations are not required, butcontacting Gay Langston (607- 6516 or gclangston@gmail.com) wouldhelp us plan for the number of hot dogs and drinks.

We played beanbag baseball at the Adult Fellowship Getaway this fall andhad so much fun that we thought we’d do it again. It is a low- impact, indoorgame in which beanbags are tossed at a baseball board. It involves luck asmuch as skill (some say more luck than skill). Join us even if you don’t play.Enjoy a hotdog and root for your favorite team!

April 6-8 Tuesday,Wednesday, Thurs-day

SAM Spring Retreat : Enjoy fun, fellowship, and beautiful scenery in theTexas Hill Country. All senior adults, working or retired, are invited to thespring retreat at Camp Buckner near Marble Falls. The guest speaker will beMichael Brundeen, pastor of Jackson Woods Presbyterian Church in CorpusChristi and former intern at SHPC. Our own Senior Pastor, Larry Coulter, willalso be present to lead worship and to provide an update on the master planfor the new land on Highway 290.

The retreat offers an excellent opportunity to grow in our Christian faith, toconnect with other seniors who attend SHPC, and to worship as a communityof faith. You do not need to be a member of the church to attend. So bring afriend!

The cost—$195 for a single occupancy room and $145 per person for a doubleoccupancy room—covers both nights stay in a motel-style room near themeeting room, six meals, and all activities. You may bring snacks to share.We will provide transportation by golf cart for those who have trouble walk-ing to the dining hall.

Retreat brochures with registration forms will be available soon in thenarthex. Reserve your spot with a $50 per person deposit. Final payment isdue by March 1st. Ron and Annie Ward (373-8803) are the registration con-tacts. Let us know if you need transportation to the retreat or would like tobe paired with a roommate. You may also let us know if you have specialdietary needs that we may be able to accommodate.

$3.00 and two cans of vegetables per person. RSVP by Friday, February 12th

to Pat Haag (288-3479 or phaag@ austin. rr. com) or to Norma Burchard (394-

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Foundations

Love One Another Adult Ministry

Instead of a dozen red roses for Valentine's Day, I'm sending you all a dozen "love one another"verses. As you read these and meditate upon them I hope you will consider the fact that you can-

not really love one another if you don't actually know one another. To be a Christian family youmust spend time together. To have a friend you must be one. So I encourage youto join an SHPC Adult Ministry class, become friends, love and be loved.

1. A new command I give you: Love one anoth-er. As I have loved you, so you must love oneanother. John 13:34

2. By this all men will know that you are mydisciples, if you love one another. John 13:35

3. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.Honor one another above yourselves. Romans12:10

4. Let no debt remain outstanding, except thecontinuing debt to love one another, for hewho loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.Romans 13:8

5. You, my brothers, were called to be free.But do not use your freedom to indulge the sin-ful nature ; rather, serve one another in love.Galatians 5:13

6. Be completely humble and gentle; be pa-tient, bearing with one another in love. Ephe-sians 4:2

7. And let us consider how we may spur oneanother on toward love and good deeds. He-brews 10:24

8. Now that you have purified yourselves byobeying the truth so that you have sincere lovefor your brothers, love one another deeply,from the heart. 1 Peter 1:22

9. Finally, all of you, live in harmony with oneanother; be sympathetic, love as brothers, becompassionate and humble. 1 Peter 3:8

10. And this is his command: to believe in thename of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love oneanother as he commanded us. 1 John 3:23

11. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we alsoought to love one another. 1 John 4:11

12. No one has ever seen God; but if we love oneanother, God lives in us and his love is madecomplete in us. 1 John 4:12

(All Bible quotes are from the New International Version.)

Besides our weekly stud-ies, one of the great

benefits of being a part ofthe Foundations group isthe fun family activitiesthat we do together.Whether it's a Super Bowlparty, or a mission project… we always have a greattime when we get togeth-er. In December weworked on a service proj-ect to bring Christmascheer into the lives of some families in need inAustin. We purchased gifts and gathered towrap them and make Christmas cards. It was agreat opportunity to teach our kids about the joyof giving at Christmas. And as always, the food

and fellowship were anadded bonus.

We're excited to begin2010 with a study of

The Story … the samebook Pastor Larry is teach-ing from in his current ser-mon series. In fact, weare meeting in the FMC onWednesday nights at 6:30to join in on Larry's class

about The Story. Come at6, bring your supper and have some extra fellow-ship time. You are always welcome to come andjoin us! Childcare is provided for kids up to upto 3rd grade. Contact Judy Schroeder at:Schroeder_judy@yahoo.com for more details.

Foundations kids hearing a story from John Gillis

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Adult Ministry

Growing Up In Our SpiritualLivesCan you still wear the clothes you had as a

teenager? Would you want to? Our spiritualneeds, too, may alter as we grow older; theforms that gave us security and closeness to Godat one time may not fit just right any more. Aconference, A Spirituality for the Two Halves ofLife, offered by Richard Rohr and Paul D'Arcy afew years ago, explored how our spiritualitychanges as we mature.

We missed that conference, but our churchwill be offering a one-day retreat led by an

experienced retreat leader, Jean Springer, usingrecordings of Rohr and D'Arcy's six sessions. Wewill also have time between the sessions to re-flect on their ideas and apply them to our ownspiritual lives. Although the retreat will be rele-vant to those well into the second half of life,church members in their thirties find it helpfulas well.

If you would be interested in attending a one-day workshop on Saturday, April 17th, please

contact Margaret Nakamura at 301-2602. Details

Young Adult GroupWe are kicking off the 2010 Young Adult Grouphere at SHPC with a riveting new season of vid-eos, snacks, and discussions! The group meetsin the church library every Sunday from 5:30- 7 p.m. We meet and greet until 6; we thenwatch a short video on various topics followedby interesting discussion. It is a laid-back,come-and-go atmosphere,and there is no need to feelguilty if you haven't comein a while. You are alwayswelcome! Childcarewill not be providedunless enough peopleexpress interest in attendingthat need assistance with smallchildren.

We can't wait to see you Sunday night!

The church library has severalbooks for writing a spiritualautobiography. These include:

808 PHI Memoirs of the Soul; Writing YourSpiritual Autobiography—"challenges all writers,from novices to professionals, to write from theirhearts, and then it shows us how to do so. Itreminds us of the therapeutic, as well as artisticpower of writing." - Robbie Clifton Pinter,Director of Writing, Belmont University

248.8 MOR Remembering Your Story—Thepublishers describe this as "an invaluable way tomeet God in the telling of our own life stories."

…and to read some spiritual biographies,try:

277.3 MIL Blue Like Jazz —A former churchbook group selection, this readable book recountsa young man's search for a Christian life.

248 LEW Surprised by Joy—C.S. Lewis tells ofhis life as he progresses from being an agnostic toa devout Christian.

813.54 Traveling Mercies—Ann Lamott isalways candid, sometimes profane, and usuallyon target as she describes how one group ofchurch people turned her chaotic life around.Another former church book group selection.

291.4 MAN Pilgrim Souls—This anthology ofautobiographical selections gives insight intosome of our Christian ancestors.

The church book group reads one book eachmonth and meets to discuss it on the secondThursday from 7-8:30 p.m. Contact SherrySmith or Margaret Nakamura for moreinformation or to become a part of thegroup. If you would prefer to meet duringthe day, let us know; a daytime group is apossibility.

about the location and schedule will be avail-able later.

Come away to a solitary place and restawhile. —Mark 6:31

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Adult Ministry

REGISTERNOW for thespring sessionof our Mother'sof Young Chil-dren Devotional(known asMYC).

We'll be meeting every Thursday morning from9:30-11:30, February 18th through April 29th (no classon March 18th or 25th for spring break and IHN) totalk about George Barna's video-based study, bookand workbook entitled REVOLUTIONARY PARENT-ING: What the Research Shows Really Works.This 9-week study focuses on how we, as parents,can create a plan for our family to raise children whowill be spiritual champions, loving and serving God

as adults, with the character traits of honesty, com-passion and dedication.Drawn from a landmark study of Christian twenty-somethings and the parents who raised them, theseresources are designed to help us build a solid foun-dation of faith for our children. So whether you'rethe mother of a newborn, a teenager, or any age inbetween, join the revolution, and share a lasting lega-cy of faith with your children.Register now in the narthex, on the front porch of theFamily Ministry Center, or on-line atmembers.shpc.org. Class cost is $22 for the book andworkbook. Childcare is available for those who needit by registering on our website. The form can befound with the MYC information. The cost is $18 forone child, $36 for two children and $50 for three ormore.

Journey Groups are back!Have you been wanting toget to know other churchmembers? Are you strug-gling with a New Year’sresolution to join a Biblestudy? Are you afraid oflong commitments?

Well then, mark your cal-endars for JourneyGroups starting in lateFebruary. A Journey Group is a 7-8 week smallgroup Bible study focusing on growing closer toGod and making connections with others in thechurch. Those interested in joining or leadinga group or wanting more info please contactDick Grance rg5grance@ sbcglobal.net or 512-301-2282 (home). Look for details and sign upsin the narthex soon!

Walking the Mourner's PathThese grief support/recovery sessions, offeredat Covenant Presbyterian, are for those whohave experienced the death of a loved one re-cently or in the last few years. Mourners helpone another learn ways to honor loved ones,seek spiritual direction and discover Christ’spromise of comfort.

For eight weeks, 8 to 10 members meet for 90minutes. There is a workbook that offers ques-tions for reflection, as well as many exercisesthat will help you to define a new relationshipwith your loved one through Christ. With thehelp of two trained facilitators and a member ofthe clergy, this group will help you face thedeath of your loved one and help you find a wayto go on.

Walking the Mourner’s Path is beginning a newseries starting February 4th. If you are interest-ed, contact our leader, Kay Austin(kaustin@covenant.org, 334-3030) tofind out about joining our nextclass.

FELLOWSHIP BRIDGE GROUP will play the sec-ond Friday in February — the 12th — at 7 p.m.in Room 7. Our hosts will be Jim & Martha Me-ador. Please call Virginia McNutt at 288-7187 orMartha Meador at 288-3341 by Tuesday, Febru-

ary 9th if you would like to play.

14

Children’s Ministry NewsA Code of Honor When was the last time youused the word honor in an ev-eryday conversation with a reg-ular Joe? Does it strike you asoutmoded, a little archaic per-haps? For instance, when didyou last slay a dragon from theback of your trusty white steed,lay your cloak over a puddle fora lady, bow in deference toothers at court, or swear undy-ing fealty to your king? (More onthat later.) After all, that stuffwas around in the Middle Ages.

On the other hand, that stuffhas been around since the Mid-dle Ages. What student hasn'tread of King Arthur (first writ-ten about in the 1130's) or DonQuixote (published in 1605,1615)? Who among us hasn'tseen a Robin Hood movie (thefirst of which came out in theearly 1920's) or Shrek? If you'vevisited a museum and seen asuit of armor, haven't you mar-veled at how small those guyswere?

But, with all due respect, itwasn't Geoffrey of Monmouth orCervantes who invented honor.Nay, honor is older than, well,dirt. Noooo, it was God whocreated honor. Check out whatDavid says about honor in Psalm8:1-5 (NIV):

"O Lord, our Lord, how majesticis your name in all the earth!You have set your glory abovethe heavens. From the lips ofchildren and infants you haveordained praise ... When I con-sider your heavens, the work of

your fingers, the moon and thestars, which you have set inplace, what is man that you aremindful of him, the son of manthat you care for him? Youmade him a little lower thanthe heavenly beings andcrowned him with glory andhonor."

Can you read that and not beawestruck that the King of kingsand Lord of lords, who deservesglory over all others, would es-teem us, even a little? Yet Hedoes. David's life, in fact, ischock-full of honor-related ex-amples and principles. Thinkback to what you know aboutDavid, like:

... his encounter with Goliath.God said, "Those who honor me Iwill honor" (1 Samuel 2:30, NIV).David honored God, and God hon-ored David, even though he wasthe little brother, a mere boy,and overlooked at every turn.Honor those who are overlooked.

... his friendship with Jonathan.God says, "Be devoted to one an-other in brotherly love. Honor oneanother above yourselves"(Romans 12:10, NIrV). David hon-ored Jonathan, certainly; butthink how remarkable it was thatJonathan (the heir apparent tothe throne) should honor David(who would eventually becomeking) more than himself. Honorothers more than yourself.

... his turbulent and tragic rela-tionship with his son Absalom.God says, "'Honor your father andmother'--which is the first com-mandment with a promise--'that itmay go well with you and that youmay enjoy long life on the earth'"

(Ephesians 6:2-3, NIV). What acontrast Absalom is to Jonathan!Honor those who are over you.

... his unself-conscious worship ofGod: "I will celebrate before theLord. I will become even moreundignified than this" (2 Samuel6:21-22, NIV). Honor God outLOUD.So come February, we'regoing to camp here, with David,Goliath, Jonathan, Absalom, andMichal, and examine some thingsGod says about honor and what itlooks like to live in honorableways.

Now back to dragons and pud-dles. You may not have slain adragon from the back of yourtrusty charger, but have youcheered the underdog or saidthank you to the teenager tak-ing your order at the drive-thru?You probably haven't spreadyour cloak over a puddle for alady, but have you held thedoor for one? You may not havebowed in deference to others atcourt or sworn loyalty to a king,but have you obeyed your par-ents without rolling your eyesor stood in heartfelt praise tohonor THE King?

See, honor doesn't live just inlegends! Therefore, prithee donthine armour and thy cloak andhenceforth seek to impart theways of honour to thy probiesthusly. Thy labour shalt not befor naught.

Huzzah,

Melanie Williams © 2009 The reThink Group *www.rethinkgroup.org * All rights re-served. Used by permission

HONORletting someone know you see how valuable they really are

15

We welcomed back our preschool childrenafter a nice, relaxing Christmas vacation.The preschool families were honored tohelp with the refugee family gifts (part ofSHPC’s Angel Tree project) this year. Weadopted five children from three families,and each preschool class enjoyed bringinggifts for kids that were the same age asthey were. The students kicked off theNew Year learning all about the winterseason, nursery rhymes and dinosaurs.The highlight of the month was the annual“dinosaur museum,” in which prehistoricreplicas were arranged in jungle fashionfor the kids to explore. Registration forthe 2010-2011 school year will begin inFebruary. We are excited to be a ministryof SHPC, and honored that we’ve been apart of the South Austin community foralmost 25 years! —Gina Budd, Preschool Board

It's a party like no other... theguests of honor are notashamed to sleep through theduration of the celebration,they require no refreshmentsother than milk, they under-stand the concept of "it's-my-party-I-can-cry-if-I-want-to" andthey aren't bothered by the factthat their parents and oldersiblings are invited along, too.It's our "Hey Baby!" celebra-tion, and on Sunday, January17th, we host-ed our 4th

one, with sixof our young-est SHPC ba-bies and theirfamilies inattendance.

“Hey, Baby!”is an oppor-tunity for

these families to spend an af-ternoon getting to know eachother better since their kiddoswill be growing up together inour congregation. Likewise, it'sa chance for our staff membersto share information about bap-tism; our nursery, preschooland elementary programs andthe mission philosophy behindthem; as well as any other per-tinent topics for the <1s! Rep-resentatives from Mary-Martha

Circle alsopresenteach childwith ababy blan-ket thathas notonly beensewn anddecoratedby a mem-ber of

their group, but also beenprayed over by their women'sgroup and at least one of ourpastors. It's a wonderful exam-ple of how various members ofour congregation are living outthe baptismal promises wemake to these infants and theirfamilies.

How does one wrap up this Sun-day afternoon of "Hey Baby!"fun? Parents receive their veryown Noah's Ark diaper bag tagas a party favor. Wow, it reallyis a party like no other!

Remember the “fishboxes” that the chil-

dren brought up tothe communiontable last PalmSunday? Do youremember hearingabout “One Great

Hour of Sharing”?

Well, the children’sand your gifts last Palm Sunday have paiddividends for the people of Haiti, amongothers. Part of the OGHS gifts are distribut-ed through Presbyterian Disaster Assistance,which has already given funds to Haitian di-saster relief.

We ask you to remember last year as we inChildren’s Ministry get ready this year tocelebrate Lent by thinking of One GreatHour of Sharing. Be on the lookout for yourchild to bring materials to use at home dur-ing this time of reflection... as well as watchfor the fish!

more Children’s Ministry NewsWho thinks this party is a real snoozer?!

16

Joys – Ken Seiler’s parents, C.E. & Pearl Seiler, celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary Sunday January17th—Greg Merrell's god-daughter, Gretchen Doering, has been admitted to a year-long Master in Food Culture& Communications program at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy—Garrett Knolle, the baby born so

prematurely in Qatar, is now home in College Station—Addison Micalea Garcia was born on December 15th toKristin & Jon-Marc Garcia; her two older brothers, Aidan & Avery, are equally delighted

Sorrows – Kathy Kalda’s father passed away January 18th—Jim O’Leary, husband of Diane and father of TomO’Leary, passed away January 8th —Robert Earl Warren, father of Bruce Warren and husband of Glenda, passed away January 4th

after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s diseases

Please pray for — Kara, struggling with job problems and stress-related illness—Clyde Hudson, recovering fromgastrointestinal bleeding —DonAnne Williford’s father, Don Glenn, reaching a successful close to his current round of cancertreatments—Susan Klusmann, recovering from a concussion—C. E. Seiler, that God will answer his prayers—Greg Heidel’s mother,Carol, recovering from surgery for a malignant tumor in her eye, with radiation treatment to follow—Verna Hudson, recovering fromillness—safety, fellowship and understanding for Beth and Meg Dowdy, mother and sister of Emily Bush, who are on a mission tripto Cuba—Mary Ruth Smith, friend of Tom O’Leary, possible lung cancer—Jim Immitt, continued prayer in support of hisemployment search—residents of Haiti, following a severe earthquake there on January 13th—Annie Ward, recovering from surgeryto repair wound from removal of facial basal cell cancer—Patty Swenson, friend of Sally Jo Elliott’s, severe head injuries afterbeing hit by a car in Pasadena CA—Harriet Cavness’ daughter, Linda Rose, comfort and healing; Linda is having a rough time withchemotherapy—Carol Gilchrist, dislocated hip and newly-discovered liposarcoma—Eddie Reynolds, gastrointestinal bleeding—RichMorales’ mother, Lillian, slow improvement in ICU—Gloria Drake’s friend, Bobbie Sanders, hospitalized with heart problems—SusanWhite’s friend Karen-Marie Hyland, a Naval Reserves officer serving in Baghdad—Bruce Albertson’s friend, John Weidmaker,beginning chemotherapy —the family of the father of Rebecca Arredondo, SHPC preschool teacher; he passed away December28th—the family of Devon Hollahan, a cousin of Pattie Lawrence; Devon’s body was found in mid-December—Master PlanCommittee as they move through the next phase—Pastor Kenneth Muyira & the congregation of Manyamula Presbyterian Church—Pastor Chimwemwe Mhango and his family

Please pray for members of the Armed Forces, loved ones, and all world leaders involved in war zone crises including:Susan White’s friend Karen-Marie Hyland... Larry Roberman, brother of Lori Whitmire... Marco Vasquez, friendof Thure & Shannon Cannon... Paul Floyd, brother of Beaman... Darrel Debbish, father of friend of MeredithWarren... Keri Reeves and Jim Reeves, niece and nephew of Deb Fowler... Scott Bossie, brother-in-law of RachelCloyd... Eric Huerta, nephew of Michael McNelley’s co-workers... Brian Lugo, grandson of Joy Essary and son ofJennifer Sims... Derek & Kristi Fisher's nephew, John Fisher...

ANNIVERSARIES J.W. & Marilyn Cook3 Feb Allen & Pam Gunter, Sid & Mary

Helen MacAllister5 Feb Tom & Jan Fiedler6 Feb Doug & Teresa Riffey, Greg & Gayle

Guernsey9 Feb Tom & Gena VanOsselaer10 Feb Karmen & Jeff Miller, Frances &

Ted Miller11 Feb Don & Rita Nowakowski12 Feb Arlan & Sharon Conner16 Feb Peggy & Michael Platt18 Feb Sharon Beynon & Alex Kolesnik21 Feb Robert & Alice Kouts24 Feb Bill & Madeline Brock, Mike &

Teena Davis28 Feb Joanna & Ed McMenemy28 Feb Gene & Lynn Wright28 Feb James & Jennifer Moore

BIRTHDAYS1 Feb Charles Staton, Jonathan

Kluckhohn2 Feb Fran Miller, Ofelia Tabora, Dave

Harrington, Martyn Buffler, JulieWalker

3 Feb Rita Paschack, Valerie Aman,Stephanie Parker, Nathan Bender

4 Feb Mike Henderson, Tracy Lord, SaraGardner, Will Stanka, KelseyStromberg

5 Feb Nancy McDonald, Karla Snell,Deborah Wagner, Sue Frye

6 Feb Annie Ward, Kathy Segura, MattLopez, Benjamin Spink

7 Feb Jinny Thompson, Matthias Mathaes,Lindsey Morales

8 Feb Paul Kuper, MadeleineNgalamulume, Abby Sims

9 Feb Jaco Steynberg, Anna Olson, ClayCortez, Jack Simmons, CharlotteMilam

10 Feb Glen Vorwerk, Jack Crump, LindaIcenhauer-Ramirez, Randy Webb,Wendy Saari, Jessica O'Meara, KatZuraitis, Brooks Gonzales, TravisSaari, Kaitlin Kaiser

11 Feb David Howard, Hilda Harnden,Lindsey Wheeler, Keivaun Waugh

12 Feb Jennifer McDaniel, StanleyCrawford, Reis Parsons, JordanBiles

13 Feb Alice Moore, Sam Countess, DerekFisher, Jennifer Frye, Reed Cozart

14 Feb Debbie Breed, Phillip Callahan,Katie Floyd

15 Feb Joey Barrett, Brooks Perkins-Jechow

16 Feb Mark Thompson, Shae Wilkins,Adam Pellerin, Lily Harris

17 Feb Pamela Walsh, Mason Morgan18 Feb Allen David, Grant Brooke,

Charlotte Hanna19 Feb Greg Heidel, John Gillis, Brianna

Baschnagel, Rylan Gillis20 Feb Grady Morris, Brandon Likes, Luke

Ayers21 Feb Ron Ward, Linda Brooke, Calvin

Albin, Simone Owensby22 Feb Riley Eskelin, Ashley Ashbaugh23 Feb Karen Ashorn, Melissa Lutke, Sarah

Gross24 Feb Jim Ayers, Gerry Merits25 Feb Mike Davis, Mike Darden, Kathleen

Manchin, Eddie Reynolds, HaleyHyde, Isabela Proctor, SamuelWilliams

26 Feb John White, Camille Gerlach, OliviaWilliams

27 Feb David Breed, Francis Reilly, AndreaGuardiola

28 Feb Edwin Schiller, Brice Darden, ErikaDavis

29 Feb Wally Pryor, Lynette Gillis

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