April 14, 2023
What’s next? Rise and Shine this Sunday and come find out!
SUNDAY, APRIL 16
WORSHIP
8:15 a.m. | Sanctuary
10:45 a.m. | Sanctuary + Livestream
Rise & Shine! is the message series for the Easter Season, and once again we have great music in worship. Join us at 8:15 for a solo by Tara Grove, and at 10:45 when Josh Norem, Pr. Lauren and Charlie, Laura, and Rachael Hills provide a contemporary flair.
BREAKFAST
9:15 a.m. | Activity Center
Food for Fellowship serves breakfast from 9:15 – 10:15 a.m. every Sunday. Support this hospitality ministry and give online anytime by selecting the Fellowship Events/Breakfast Fund.
ADULT BIBLE STUDY
9:30 a.m. | Library + Zoom
Great discussions of the Good Book. Contact Ruby Cadenhead for more information.
SUNDAY’sCOOL & MUSIC WITH KEVIN
9:40 a.m. -10:30 a.m. | Meet in Choir Room, Pick up in Family Ministry Center (upstairs)
Toddlers thru 4th grade start with “Music with Kevin” at 9:40 in the Choir Room, then we will move upstairs to do our service project. The project this week is decorating the new worship bags. Pick up at 10:30 upstairs as usual. Contact Megan Getman with questions.
NEXTGEN
Calling all 5th thru 12th graders for a night of laughter, friendly competition, and spiritual growth. Bring your A-game and your bible, because faith and fun go hand in hand! Contact Joel Timmons.
NEXT SUNDAY!
BUTTERFLY SUNDAY IS ABOVE AND BEYOND
Sunday, April 23
9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. | Breakfast in the Courtyard
9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Butterfly Open House
Come experience a day in the life of a Butterfly…kid! Meet our dedicated teachers, see the classrooms set up for fun and learning, and the playgrounds will be monitored and open for play.
8:15 + 10:45 a.m. | Worship in the Sanctuary
Come bless our Butterfly teachers, students, and leadership in this family-friendly worship.
Noon | Above and Beyond Match-Maker Event in the Courtyard*
Wait, there’s more! Come feast on BBQ, break open the Butterfly pinata, and support our Above and Beyond Campaign with one-time gifts during the Match Challenge. With up to $250,000 in matching funds, your donation will be doubled! Here’s the catch, we lose the matching funds we don’t use, so let’s give together and reach our goal of raising as much as we can in one day!
*If you are unable to attend, please participate and give your one-time gift (which will be doubled!) by clicking here or sending a check to the Church at 3525 Bee Caves Rd, Austin, TX 78746. Please designate Above and Beyond.
Want to learn more about Above and Beyond? Come ask all your questions about this $250,000 Matching Gift Opportunity that happens Sunday, April 23. We’ll answer all your questions, such as…Why another appeal? What are matching funds? How much is left to pay on the Campus Renewal? What can we do to reduce interest costs?
Come to the Zoom meeting this Thursday, April 20 at 7pm.
SPECIAL EVENT FOR WOMEN
JUST SISTERS SPEAK ABOUT RACE
Saturday, April 22
10:00am | Activity Center
YOU are invited! Come be a part of creating a changed culture of unity, love, and justice by joining us next Saturday for stories and dialogue on race at this special event brought to us by JustSisters. Keep reading for all the reasons why you’ll want to come and RSVP today!
Who are JustSisters? A group of Christian women, a sisterhood, rooted in the love of Jesus, working for justice by dismantling myths and misunderstandings through authentic storytelling in safe places.
How is Shepherd of the Hills involved? Our church is proud to host this event as a way to build bridges and embrace ALL of God’s children. As members of our church participate, we make a statement that we care; that we are willing to engage in meaningful theological conversations about significant current events without vitriol and bitterness.
Why should I attend? Hearing the stories of two black men, (one of whom grew up in Westlake) surrounding their challenges working and living in Austin enables us to be exposed to other lifestyles. As we are called to love one another, our mission draws us out to stretch our attention to the challenges others face and discern how we are affected.
What’s expected of me?
Eat! Breakfast and lunch are provided.
Listen! Hear the stories and a theological reflection from Rev. Kirk from Greater Mt. Zion Church.
Talk! There will be time for “Table Talk” and you are encouraged to share your impressions, or just listen and absorb. What can we learn from this experience to follow the examples Jesus has given us?
Questions? Contact Ruby Cadenhead at 512-497-2495 or Carole Morgan at 512-791-9611.
CALENDAR
Check the calendars on Realm or the website for a complete list of events including Yoga, Pickleball, Choir and Bells, PALS, and Bread for All.
CONCERT
Tuesday, April 18
7:00 p.m. | Sanctuary
This Tuesday, we have an opportunity to hear a landmark of 20th-century music performed by pianist Tim Jones and accompanists in fulfillment of his Ph.D. requirements at UT. The Quartet for the End of Time was written while composer Olivier Messiaen was a prisoner of war in 1941. Among his fellow prisoners were a cellist, a violinist, and a clarinet player. Messiaen was a pianist, and so he had his quartet. A sympathetic guard supplied paper and pencil, and fellow prisoners raised money to buy the cello. The work was first performed for everyone at Stalag 8A in Gotlitz. This is event is free and open to the public.
WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDY
This Wednesday, April 19
7:30 a.m. | on Zoom
10:00 a.m. | Library + Zoom
Pastor-led studies of the Good Book. Contact Pr. Lauren or Pr. Tom
LET’S TALK TRASH
Caring for God’s Creation’s recently implemented an enhanced recycling program. As an excellent example of how small changes can have a big impact, by sorting our waste on Easter (with over 500 people on campus), we generated 5 bags of compost, 1/2 bag of recycling, and ONLY 1/2 bag of landfill garbage. This is a great achievement that should be celebrated, and it serves as a reminder that we can all do our part to care for the environment. Keep up the good work, ShepHills, and let’s all give a big thank you to Caring for God’s Creation!
FAITH IN ACTION
One of the best ways to live out our faith is by actively engaging with the world around us through inter-faith events. Choose what fits and speaks to YOU, and go make a positive impact in our communities and the world.
EASTER YARD SIGNS
If you took an Easter Yard sign home, keep it for next year or bring it back to the Church Office and we’ll keep it for you. Thanks again to all our yard sign evangelists!
CARE OF CREATION FAIR
Saturday, April 15
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. | Triumphant Love Lutheran Church, 9508 Great Hills Trail, ATX 7879
Come get some dirt under your nails at this Earth Day Celebration hosted by the TLLC Care of Creation Team. There will be education, inspiration, and activities for all ages.
AUSTIN CITY LUTHERANS RENT ASSISTANCE
We’ve raised close to $46,000 towards our goal of $50,000 in rent assistance to help prevent homelessness in Austin. Support ACL’s program with a donation before the end of April to help neighbors stay in homes and apartments. Read more about this program, and give here. Please designate “rent assistance.” You can also send checks to ACL Rent Assistance in c/o Abiding Love, 7210 Brush Country Dr. Austin, Texas 78749.
*Bins are available Saturday 9-11 a.m., Sunday during worship hours, or during the week when you are here.
GIVING
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.
EASTER OFFERING
Because of your generosity, we have collected $10,403.44 towards our Lent and Easter offering supporting ELCA World Hunger and Mariposa Family Learning Center. ELCA World Hunger responds to global hunger needs, and Mariposa, a ministry of Austin City Lutherans, provides affordable child care and support for parents and families in Southeast Austin.
PLEDGES, GIFTS, AND DONATIONS
Keeping current with your pledged or regular giving has never been easier because you can do it all online!
SERVING
Serving is a great way to give back and get to know others in our community. 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, Tom Lueders, and Sheila Hilts.
We pray for family and friends of Shepherd members: Krista Bowers, niece of Herb and Kathy Palmer; and Ellis Thompsen, Butterfly alum.
We pray for Katie Jones and family on the death of her father, Matt Simon; Lynn & Rob Spillar and family on the death of their nephew, Dalton Funk; Jay Temple and family on the death of his mother, Marilyn Lamp Temple; and Thom McNeil and family on the death of his mother, Dorothy Mae McNeil. Surround all who mourn with the peace and promise of resurrection.
We pray for the upcoming Just Sisters event that will gather here next Saturday in conversations about race and our unity as one people. We pray for your Spirit to guide discussion, for honest sharing, reflective hearts and minds, and new revelations of who we are as your beloved people.
Merciful and Loving God, as war and violence rages 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.