March 1, 2024
As we continue to journey through Lent towards Jesus’ death, we look forward to the promise of His resurrection. Pick up your Easter Invite Cards to share with friends and neighbors!
SUNDAY, MARCH 3
In need of special prayer? Stephen Ministers are available each Sunday during communion for individuals in need of personal prayer.
WORSHIP
8:15 a.m. | Sanctuary
10:45 a.m. | Sanctuary + Livestream
Join us for the third Sunday in Lent as we remember God’s promises in the Old Testament and dive into the fresh hope brought by Jesus Christ. Plus, don’t miss the Kids’ Choir at 10:45 a.m.
EASTER LILIES
Help us decorate for Easter Sunday! Purchase an Easter Lily online or get an envelope as you enter the Sanctuary. Thank you!
BREAKFAST FOR ALL
9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. | Gym
Come each Sunday morning and enjoy a hot breakfast provided by Food for Fellowship.
WHAT DO YOU SAY WHEN…
9:30 a.m. | Butterfly Center
A Stephen Minister Sponsored Education Hour.
How do you respond when you hear someone say….My partner just died. I have cancer. I am going through a divorce. My child is addicted. I have been laid off. We all encounter those times at work, in the grocery store, or at sports events when we want to offer the right words, yet we don’t know what to say. Come learn simple ways to offer comfort, healing, and hope in situations such as these.
ADULT BIBLE STUDY
9:30 a.m. | Library + Zoom
The Bible is a book that never grows old. This week we’ll discuss more of 2 Samuel. Contact Ruby Cadenhead.
SUNDAY’sCOOL (Toddlers thru Grade 4)
9:40 a.m. | Family Ministry Center
Meet upstairs! We’ll have Music with Kevin to start things off! Contact Megan Getman.
NEXTGEN (Grades 5-8, 9-12)
6:00 p.m. | Gym
Come grow your uniquely Lutheran faith through laughter, Bible discussions, and goofy games. Contact Joel Timmons.
NEXTGEN PARENTS GROUP
6:00 p.m. | Room 205
For the season of Lent, we’ll continue to dive into How to Talk so Teens will Listen and Listen so Teens will Talk. Join us even if you haven’t read the weekly reading! Contact Pr. Lauren.
HOLY WEEK, MARCH 24-30
Join us as we journey to the Cross. Please visit ShepHills.org/HOLYWEEK for more information.
PALM SUNDAY WORSHIP
Sunday, March 24
8:15 a.m. | Sanctuary
9:30 a.m. | Festival in the Courtyard
10:45 a.m. | Sanctuary + Livestream
MAUNDY THURSDAY WORSHIP
Thursday, March 28
7:00 p.m. | Sanctuary + Livestream
GOOD FRIDAY CHILDREN’S JOURNEY
Friday, March 29
10:30 a.m. | Courtyard
GOOD FRIDAY WORSHIP
7:00 p.m. | Sanctuary + Livestream
HOLY WEEK PRAYER WALK
Daily | Shepherd’s Garden
EASTER SUNDAY, MARCH 31
Sing Alleluia, Christ has risen! Please visit ShepHills.org/EASTER for more information.
EASTER SUNRISE WORSHIP
7:00 a.m. | Outdoor Worship Center
EASTER WORSHIP
9:00 a.m. | Sanctuary
11:00 a.m. | Sanctuary + Livestream
EASTER BRUNCH
8:00 – 10:30 a.m. | Activity Center
JOIN US!
Find more events like yoga, PALS, and pickleball, along with in-depth descriptions, on the website calendar at ShepHills.org/Events.
MARIPOSA PICKLEBALL FUN(D)RAISER
This Sunday, March 3
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. | East Side Paddle Club
The Mariposa Pickleball Fun(d)Raiser is happening at East Side Paddle Club, a beautiful new facility with indoor courts. You can participate by playing and/or contributing. All proceeds go to bless children in SE Austin with an opportunity to learn and discover in a childcare environment of love. For more information please go to Mariposa’s website or contact Tom Grevlos.
WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDY
Wednesday, March 6
7:30 a.m. | Zoom
10:00 a.m. | Room 205 + Zoom
Great reading, great discussion, TWO TIMES. Contact Pr. Lauren.
WEDNESDAYS IN LENT
Wednesday, March 6 (through March 20)
Noon + 6:00 p.m. | Gym
Wednesdays in Lent provide intentional time with God, making space to hear from Him as we engage over a light meal to sing, share scripture, and consider the gifts of ordinary items that were part of Jesus’s journey to the cross (based on the book Lent in Plain Sight by Jill J. Duffield). Each week is independent of the next, so if you missed this week, please join us next week!
QUILTING
Saturday, March 9
9:00 a.m. | Room 205
Wednesday, March 13
1:00 p.m. | Room 205
Sewing quilts for Lutheran World Relief. Let us teach you what we know, no experience necessary! Contact Linda Fiandaca.
TOUR OF NEW LIFE CENTER
Thursday, March 14
9:30 a.m. | Meet at Church to drive to Canyon Lake
Come see our gifts in action! Please RSVP before this Monday if you would like to join Pr. Lauren, members of the Developing Missions Team, and others for a tour of the New Life Center, a ministry of Upbring. This is an opportunity to witness the incredible work being done for young women who have overcome immense challenges. Following the tour, we’ll share lunch, fostering discussions surrounding our involvement with this vital ministry. Questions? Contact Dabney Gomes.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
DAYCAMP AT SHEPHILLS
Monday, July 22 – Friday, July 26
9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | Register Today!
Camp Chrysalis staff will be bringing an action-packed week of games, crafts, special daily activities, sing-a-longs, Bible studies, and a dedicated giant water slide day. Invite your friends! The cost is $150 for the week, but if this is a barrier, please contact Megan Getman.
FAMILY ADVENT RETREAT
Registration opens for our annual Family Advent Retreat at Camp Chrysalis in Kerrville on Friday, March 1! For families who may be new to this retreat, we invite you to come! It’s a weekend retreat in the hill country specifically designed for families with kids of all ages and it’s packed with fun. Each family gets a private room with a full bathroom in the quad cabins. Everyone is encouraged to register right away to ensure we all get in the first weekend in December (it fills up fast!). Beginning March 1, here’s what to do:
-Register at www.crosstrails.org
-Search Family Retreats at Camp Chrysalis
-Register for the Family Advent Festival Retreat I (first wknd of Dec)
-Email Darcey at info@crosstrails.org if you need help.
If you have questions or want to know more about what this retreat entails, feel free to reach out to Melissa Robertson or Pr. Lauren.
SEWCIAL FOR LWR BABY CARE KITS
Saturday, March 23
10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Room 205
Come sew baby-receiving blankets for our LWR baby care kits! We’ll sew-cialize and have refreshments AND Mary McCauley will also demonstrate how to make a baby hooded cape, which is used instead of the hooded sweatshirts. Fabric and thread are provided, please bring your sewing machine! Contact Kathy Gerhardt.
ACL SUMMIT MEETING
Sunday, April 14
2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. | St. Martin’s Lutheran Church
Contact Pr. Tim Anderson.
NEW MEMBER
Welcome Jamie Nichols!
Jamie has been part of the ShepHills AV team for 3 years, handling house audio and live stream direction on most Sundays. He is a native of Circle C and Lost Creek and attended Westlake High School where he was involved in tech theater for 4 years. He is currently pursuing an associate degree in kinesiology at ACC, and also serves as a manager and swim coach at Austin Aquatics. For fun, Jamie enjoys bouldering, swimming, and creating short films with friends. He is happy to have lots of family in the area. His older sister attends and coaches youth cheer at Texas State and his grandmother also teaches there, his mom is in professional development for early childhood education, his dad is a dyslexia specialist at Hays CISD, and his grandfather is a salesman for detection and measurement systems.
WAYS TO GIVE
In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich. ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer
PLEDGES, GIFTS, AND DONATIONS
Giving online is a great way to stay current with your pledge or set up a recurring gift. Questions? Contact Bill Dawson for help. Thank you for your continued support of our missions and ministries.
KEVIN MARLOW RETIRES
We give God thanks for the ministry of Kevin Marlow, our Finance Controller, as he completed his work with us this week and retired on Feb 29. We wish him the very best in this new phase of life with his wife, Clare, and their children & grandchildren! Kevin’s dedicated and faithful work has enhanced our ministry of financial stewardship, and he will be missed.
YOUTH FUNDRAISER
2024 Summer Trip
Thanks to all who came out and made the Shrove Tuesday/Mardi Gras Pancake Youth Fundraiser Supper a great success! So far $4000 has been raised to help send 19 of our youth to the ELCA National Youth Gathering in New Orleans this summer. If you didn’t get a chance to come please consider participating by grabbing and filling one of the envelopes off the wall in the Gathering Space, or give online to the Youth Fund.
Contact Joel Timmons.
VOLUNTEERING
Whether you are interested in serving locally, being part of a global mission, or volunteering to help in a variety of ways on Sundays, we have a place for you!
BREAD FOR ALL
Special Donation Requests
In addition to regular items, Bread for All is requesting donations of peanut butter, cereal, oatmeal, sturdy paper bags with handles, and thick plastic bags (like the red or green ones from HEB). Contact Weldon Allison.
PRAYERS
In need of prayer? Please contact a pastor to be put on the prayer list.
We pray for Rodney Varner, Stephanie Hilts, Ron Bacon, Richard Arndt, and Bob and Judy Moore.
We pray for family and friends of Shepherd members: Milton Volney, uncle of Debra Wissman; and Claire Zagrodzky, daughter of Vicki Matava.
We pray for Charlie Enochs and family on the death of his father, Jim Enochs. May the hope and promise of resurrection bring comfort and peace to all who mourn.
God of Unity, we thank you for the many different people and perspectives that fill your world and our lives each day. We pray that our church may continue to live out and share the welcoming love of Jesus for all people. As the root of conflict is so often misunderstanding and judgment of others, may we be instruments of your peace as you open our minds and hearts to see every person as your beloved.
Holy God, as war continues in the Holy Land, we lift to you prayers for peace and resolution. Draw near to the victims, and inspire leaders to seek your will and your guidance.
Almighty God, you inspire and equip us to serve your people, both here in our community and around the world. We thank you for our mission partners of Austin City Lutherans and the ministries of Mariposa Family Learning Center and Bread for All. We thank for our partnership with Upbring Ministries. We are grateful to serve your people alongside Lutheran World Relief, Global Refuge, ELCA World Hunger, and other ministries across the world. We pray for our sister congregation in Aurora 8 de Octubre, Guatemala, and the ministry of ILAG. We pray for the mission of Charis in Haiti. We thank you for our Butterfly Christian Preschool and the many young minds and hearts that are formed in faith here. May we be your hands and feet!
Would you like someone to pray alongside you during troubling times? Contact Rebecca Guengerich to find (or learn more about) a Stephen Minister who can travel with you on life’s sometimes bumpy road.
*Prayers for family and friends are listed for 2 weeks unless we are notified otherwise.