July 14, 2023
Come find hope in the teachings of faith that will fortify you for whatever lies ahead in your week!
SUNDAY, JULY 16
WORSHIP
8:15 a.m. | Sanctuary
10:45 a.m. | Sanctuary + Livestream
We continue with the Message Series “You are My Witnesses.” This week Dan Beirne, of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS), will preach. Psalm 119:105-112 and Matthew 13:1-9.
Dan Beirne (he/him/his) is the Director for Mobilization and Faith Relations at LIRS. He and his spouse, Asha, live in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They have two young boys – a 9-month-old, and a 3-year-old. Dan studied Theology at Valparaiso University and served for two years in El Salvador through ELCA Global Mission as his first job out of college. There, he translated for delegations and taught English to staff and children. Since then, Dan has worked as a Youth Director, a Mission Developer for the Metropolitan Chicago Synod of the ELCA, a Manager for Donor Relations at the ELCA Churchwide offices, and most recently as the Program Director for Young Adults in Global Mission. Throughout his entire career, Dan has had a passion for creating authentic spaces to encounter God and one another. In 2021, he graduated from the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago with his Masters in Divinity, Word & Sacrament. Outside of work Dan is a folk musician, a woodworker, and runs a small sourdough bakery out of his home. Dan is thrilled to join LIRS’s sacred work of welcome.
BREAKFAST
9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. | Activity Center
Feed your body and soul before the Learning Hour!
ADULT BIBLE STUDY
9:30 a.m. | Library + Zoom
Join us this week as we discuss 1 Samuel 18. Contact Ruby Cadenhead for more information.
CONVERSATION CAFE
9:45 a.m. | Room 205
Come listen and learn, ask questions, and share conversation in a faithful way with Dan Beirne of LIRS as he discusses the complex issues of immigration and refugees. Next week our guest will be Dick Moeller, Founder of Water to Thrive.
NEXTGEN
Kids in grades 5-12 are invited to come beat the heat with sweet treats, bible study, and games. Contact Joel Timmons.
FLOWERS
Altar Flowers: Given by Ruth and Tom Felger, in celebration of their 56th wedding Anniversary.
DRIVER NEEDED FOR MEALS ON WHEELS
MEALS ON WHEELS needs someone for one Wednesday a month to deliver meals, and several people to sign up as substitutes to be on call for regular drivers who are on vacation. It’s simple: Pick up meals at Holy Cross Lutheran between 11am- 12pm and deliver them to roughly 4-6 clients, all in close proximity to each other. Takes about 45 minutes. Grab a friend and make this your time to catch up while helping older adults in Central Texas live independently in their own homes. Contact Weldon Allison.
EVENTS
Check the calendars on Realm or the website for more details on these events, plus a complete list of additional events including Yoga, Pickleball, Choir and Bells, PALS, and Bread for All.
LIRS SEMINAR
Saturday, July 15
9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Butterfly Center Chapel
Dan Beirne, Director of Mobilization and Faith Relations for Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS), will be leading an informative and thought-provoking seminar around these complex issues. Come listen and learn, ask questions, and share conversation in a faithful way. We will also hear how LIRS is responding to the Border crisis. Dan, a former Youth Director with Pr. Tom in Naperville, IL, also brings his experiences as a missionary to El Salvador, Mission Developer, and Director of Young Adults in Global Mission at ELCA (YAGM) into his role at LIRS.
TEA FOR TOTS
Saturday, July 15
2:00 p.m. | Activity Center
This fancy afternoon tea with scrumptious finger food, door prizes, silent auction, and a fashion show with clothes from Bokabuku is finally here! Bring cash, checks, or credit cards to enter the raffle (20 tickets for $20) and bid in the silent auction. All proceeds benefit Baby Care Kits by Lutheran World Relief. Contact Kathy Gerhardt.
TEXT TO WIN UT Tickets and more in the Tea for Tots Silent Auction!
Saturday, July 15
Bidding closes at 3pm
If you’re unable to join us in person at Tea for Tots, you can still bid on our incredible auction items by simply texting your bids to (717) 503-5926 on Saturday, July 15 by 3pm. See what’s being auctioned along with instructions by clicking here.
W.O.W. (Worship on Wednesdays)
Wednesday, July 19
6:30 p.m. | Fellowship Hall in Butterfly Center
Join Pastor Lauren for our final W.O.W. of the summer. We will begin with a vespers worship, followed by ice cream and time for conversation with PL about what God is doing at Shepherd of the Hills and how, together, we envision our future ministry! Contact Joel Timmons.
INTRO TO PICKLEBALL AND MUSIC FOR KIDS (a.k.a. Picklebells)
Wednesday, July 19 + Thursday, July 20
9:00 a.m. – Noon | Activity Center and Sanctuary
Last chance to register! We have a good group of kiddos signed up, come join them in a two-day crash course where you’ll learn a cool game AND discover the magic of creating beautiful music with your own hands. Pr. Tom, Kevin McClure, and a few student helpers are eager to teach you what they know. Bring a water bottle. Snacks and equipment provided. Contact Pr. Tom.
FAMILY FUN NIGHT
Friday, July 21
6:30 p.m. | Activity Center
It might be a movie, might be games, might be pretending we’re all aliens that don’t melt in the heat… but whatever it is we’ll do it together! BYO Dinner. Contact Megan Getman.
RECYCLE, COMPOST, OR TRASH?
RECYCLING TIPS!
Thanks to everyone who has been recycling during Sunday breakfast. Even though our cutlery is marked compostable, our provider, Texas Disposal Systems, is unable to compost them because they get stuck in their machines and break them. We continue to purchase these because they are better for the landfill. So kindly:
- Put ALL knives, forks, and spoons in the bin labeled Trash.
- Put the bag and napkin in the bin labeled Compost.
GIVING AND SERVING
Giving is an expression of joy and gratitude for the bounty of God’s goodness! There are so many ways to give-both financially and through serving.
PLEDGES, GIFTS, AND DONATIONS
Keeping current with your pledged or regular giving has never been easier because you can do it all online!
- MID-YEAR GIVING STATEMENTS have been emailed to everyone via Realm. Emails that are not opened will be sent paper copies, so save us some stamps and open your email today!
- ABOVE AND BEYOND Thank you for your gifts! This past Monday Shepherd of the Hills paid $700,000 towards our Campus Renewal loan which will save us over $27,000 in interest in the coming twelve months!
SERVING
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!
PRAYERS
In need of prayer? Please contact a pastor to be put on the prayer list.
We pray for Rodney Varner, Nancy Etzler and Megan Hansen.
We pray for family and friends of Shepherd members: Krista Bowers, niece of Herb and Kathy Palmer; Stirling Johnson, granddaughter of Sylvia & Curtis Johnson.
We pray blessings on the youth and adults: Cal Auby, Juliet Auby, Simon Auby, Lila Bishop, Audrey Cullinane, Jake DeVaney, Matthew DeVaney, Ava Enochs, Seth Hansen, Jaime Nichols, Flannery Norman, Ethan Nutter, Peter Walsh, Axel Wissman, Jeff Cullinane, Pastor Lauren Dow Wegner, Tiffany Stein, Christian Wheatley, and Joel Timmons heading to the Boundary Waters later this week. Give them many moments of joy in your presence, of sights and sounds that connect them with your creation, and of growth in faith that is carried with them beyond this experience. Give them safety and health throughout the journey.
Merciful and Loving God, as war and violence rage in Ukraine and other parts of the world, we pray that leaders of the world will practice peace-making, bringing together people of every tribe and race under the umbrella of your amazing grace.
We pray for our global ministry partners: Rev. Karen Castillo in Guatemala; Iglesia Luterana Augustina Virgen del Rosario, Aurora 8 de Octubre, Guatemala. We pray for Malcolm and Joy Henderson and the ministry of CHARIS in Haiti.
We pray for our local ministries: Mariposa Family Learning Center, Bread For All, and Upbring Ministries.
We pray for our faith community, that we may be a church without walls and live out loud…faithfully!
Would you like someone to pray alongside you during troubling times? Contact 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.