VBS Soap Challenge Update

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements, Youth and tagged with 2014, Carmine, Lutheran World Relief, Vacation Bible School, VBS, Wilderness Escape, Wilderness Escape VBS, youth August 21, 2014

Great News!

The official count for the Vacation Bible School Bar Soap Challenge has been revised.

After a careful recount of all the packages of individually wrapped bar soap we have a new and higher total.

The Vacation Bible School Students collected 246 bars.

The adults in the congregation collected 233 bars.

That is a grand total of 479 individually wrapped bar soap.

We need only 21 more bars to make it 500! New donations are always welcome.

Check out the previous notice regarding this special project. Click here.

Thank you to the generous children and adults who have given so much so far.

VBS Bar Soap Challenge Report

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements, ELCA, Women's Ministry, Youth and tagged with bar soap, Carmine, health kits, Holy Week, Lutheran World Relief, LWR, Martin Luther Lutheran Church, personal care kits, soap, Vacation Bible School, VBS, Wilderness Escape, Wilderness Escape VBS August 19, 2014

The results are in for the Vacation Bible School (VBS) Bar Soap Challenge.

The students of the 2014 VBS at MLLC collected 246 individually wrapped bar soaps. These were collected during the week of VBS: August 21-27.

During the 2 weeks following that the congregation was challenged to meet this total. The congregation collected 198 bars of soap.

VBS students: 246

Congregation: 198

Grand Total: 444

For the sake of those in need around the world we will continue to collect these individually wrapped bar soaps through Resurrection Sunday 2015 – April 5, 2015. We will also receive monetary donations to cover the cost of shipping these items. Most importantly, please remember to pray for the ministry of Lutheran World Relief, and for those individuals who will eventually receive these items.

The real winners in this challenge are our neighbors around the world who will get to use the soap for personal hygiene. The soap will be passed along to Lutheran World Relief for distribution to people in need around the world.

Thank you to everybody who participated in this special project. We look forward to the continued collecting of bar soap for the months to come.

Teacher Appreciation Breakfast 2014

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements, Martin Luther Lutheran School and tagged with appreciation, faculty, ISD, Martin Luther Lutheran School, Round Top - Carmine, staff, teacher appreciation breakfast August 14, 2014

Every August we host our Teacher Appreciation Breakfast. This is a special gift to the local schools: Round Top-Carmine Elementary, Round Top-Carmine Junior/Senior High School and our own Martin Luther Lutheran School.

The purpose of this event is to show the staff of these three schools that they are cared for and supported as they teach the children of this community. All staff members are included in this invitation, including aids, teachers, custodians, maintenance, food service, administrators and others.

A group of friendly volunteers work together to prepare a tasty breakfast of fruit, rolls, egg casseroles, juice and other items. Additionally, Carmine State Bank provides a gift bag for all the staff who attended.

As you go through your weeks ahead remember to keep our children, and those who teach them, in your prayers.

Thank you to the volunteers who put this special event together for our local teachers and staff.

More of the teachers and staff

Some of the volunteers who prepared the breakfast

Here are some of the younger “staff”

A Great Week at Lutherhill

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements, Synod, Youth and tagged with Bethlehem Lutheran Church, camp, christian camping, La Grange, Lutheran Youth Organization, Lutherhill, Lutherhill ministries, LYO, MLLC, round top, Texas, tx, youth August 9, 2014

The kids from MLLC and Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Round Top have had a great week together at Lutherhill. Lutherhill Ministries is the area ELCA Lutheran Camp. It is within the territory of and supported by our own Gulf Coast Synod.

There were learning and fun events.

Chapel time.

Pool time.

Meals and visiting with Pastor David Tinker and Pastor John David Nedbalek. And some clean up time.

And some experience with wildlife.

Thank you to the people of both congregations who made this wonderful week of adventure, fun, learning, service and worship happen. Also thank you to the families of our youth who worked to make it possible for these young people to have this experience in their faith.

Soap for LWR Challenge

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements, ELCA, Youth and tagged with bar soap, individually wrapped bar soap, Lutheran World Relief, LWR, soap, Vacation Bible School, VBS, Wilderness Escape VBS August 8, 2014

At Vacation Bible School (VBS) here at MLLC our students collected individually wrapped bars of soap to give to Lutheran World Relief (LWR). During the week at VBS (July 21-25) there were 246 bars of soap collected. Note that this is a revised total from what you see in the photo above.

The VBS students and staff have put a challenge out to the congregation. They want to see if the people of MLLC can gather together at least 246 bars of soap for LWR by Sunday, August 10. Quite a bit has come in already. Together in ministry we would be very happy if the congregation could match this challenge.

Between now and this Sunday, August 10, you still have time to look around your home or to go shopping to get some individually wrapped bar soap to meet this challenge. When you come to worship on Saturday (6 p.m.) or Sunday (9 a.m.) you can drop your soap by at the church in the Narthex.

After this date we will still collect individually wrapped bar soap. These can be individual or multi-pacs. In early April 2015 we will bring these to the Brenham area LWR collection site and send these off for LWR to use to help people around the world.

What you can do:

1. Pray for this charitable work for our neighbors and for the ongoing ministry of LWR.

2. Give money to help cover the cost of shipping such items.

3. Bring individually wrapped bar soap (single or multi-pacs) to MLLC.

4. Give thanks for our ministry together.

Youth at Lutherhill Camp

This is a busy week at Lutherhill Ministries in La Grange, TX. Along with youth from a wide variety of communities there is a combined contingent of campers from MLLC and our neighbor ELCA congregation, Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Round Top. Five youth from MLLC were joined by several others of our friends in Round Top. They have been spending the week at this excellent camp. See the photo above with all the kids from these congregations – and an extra friend or two.

Several of the youth have attended camp at Lutherhill several times. One of the youth has lost count, for he has gone to Lutherhill maybe 4, 5 or 6 years in a row. Some are having their first experience at this camp, and are hoping for many more summers.

We at MLLC are big supporters of Lutherhill and Lutheran/Christian Camping programs. We also offer a partial “campership” for MLLC members who would like to participate in the summer camp programs at Lutherhill or other Lutheran summer camping programs.

We will post more photos from this week at camp in the next couple of days. Remember to keep these youth in your prayers as they grow in Christ through the camping programs of Lutherhill Ministries.

August MLLS Lunch & Snack Menus

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements and tagged with Carmine, day care, daycare, lunch, Martin Luther Lutheran School, menu, nursery school, preschool, snack, student, students August 4, 2014

The lunch and snack menus for Martin Luther Lutheran School have been posted for your use.

Click here to see the menu page.

Tabgha Loaves & Fish Communion Set

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements, Pastor's Ponderings and tagged with baptismal bowl, communion set, feeding of the 5000, loaves and fish, loaves and fishes, Matthew 14:13-21, miracle, pottery, Tabgha August 4, 2014

On Sunday, August 3, 2014, we dedicated a new set of communion ware and a baptismal bowl for use at MLLC. These depict the miracle of the Feeding of the 5000 as noted in all 4 Gospel books. Our Gospel reading for the day was Matthew 14:13-21.

Here is a closer look at the pattern:

The pattern on these new chalices, paten (bread plate) and baptismal bowl is taken from the design of a Byzantine mosaic which adorned a church building built around AD 480. This was just in front of the altar at that church building. The church was buried over for many centuries, but was rediscovered by German archaeologists in 1932. In 1982 a church building was dedicated which now preserves this beautiful and meaningful mosaic. The mosaic depicts 4 loaves and 2 fish, but the account in the Gospels refers to 5 loaves and 2 fish. It is commonly understood that the “missing” 5th loaf of bread is the one which is used for the Holy Communion at the altar above the mosaic. The modern church building is called, “The Church of the Multiplication”.

The original church building was placed in this location to commemorate the great miracle of the Feeding of the 5000. Some early Christians considered this to be the location. There is some debate about this being the actual location.

Here is a photo of the original mosaic from the church building in Tabgha in the Holy Land. Tabgha is located on the Northwestern coast of the Sea of Galilee.

Photo from Avishai Teicher via the PikiWiki – Israel free image collection project

Here is a link to an article about the church.

Here is a link to an article from 1984 about the restoration of this ancient Christian church building.

Wilderness Escape – Day 3

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements, Youth and tagged with 2014, bible school, Exodus, learning, Moses, Vacation Bible School, VBS, Wilderness Escape, Wilderness Escape VBS, youth July 24, 2014

We continue to have a great week at Wilderness Escape VBS. Day 3 – Wednesday included a presentation by Moses about how God helps us. To illustrate this he told the story of how the Israelites battled the Amalekites (Exodus 17:8-16). Aaron and Hur helped Moses keep his staff raised above his head during the battle. God’s help for us includes the help of other people in our lives.

Another special feature of Wilderness Escape VBS is the “Israelite Camp”. This is housed in our fellowship hall. The room is set up with tents and special vendors who help the students enter into the world of the ancient Israelites. There are various shops where the children can engage with adults who help them get their food, do crafts, and learn about how various people struggled with their faith in the time of the Exodus. In addition to the food there have been six shops:

Town Cleaner

Rope Weaver

Instrument Shop

Sandal Stitcher

Sand Artisan

Weaver

Wilderness Escape VBS uses a variety of learning experiences to help the children engage with the message of God’s goodness for us.

An engaging message

Joyful and active singing

and Small Group experiences

We are very thankful for the joyful opportunity which these young people have during Vacation Bible School at MLLC. We invite your continued prayers as we complete our week with Day 4 on Thursday, Day 5 on Friday, and our final program at worship on Sunday, June 27, at 9 a.m.

Wilderness Escape – Day 2

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements, Youth and tagged with 2014, Carmine, Lord Jesus Christ, Martin Luther Lutheran Church, Vacation Bible School, VBS, Wilderness, Wilderness Escape, Wilderness Escape VBS, youth July 22, 2014

We had a wonderful night at Wilderness Escape on Tuesday. We are thankful to our Lord Jesus Christ for providing the opportunity for children in the community of Carmine, and surrounding areas, to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ. Thank you for your support and prayers during this very exciting week.

At Wilderness Escape VBS on Tuesday:

*The children prayed together. See above.

*The children praised the Lord with joyful, active songs.

*They visited with Moses – Guess who?

*Moses told them about the Lord’s gift of “quail” in the evening. (Peeps filled in for the “quail”)

*They even cooked the “quail” over an open “fire”.

*They saw how the Lord provided “manna” in the morning. (Frosted Flakes cereal filled in for “manna”) What is it?

*As we head through the week, remember to bring new, wrapped soap for Lutheran World Relief. This is our outreach and charity project for VBS 2014.

We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday at Wilderness Escape VBS!

Martin Luther Lutheran Church

Carmine, Texas

Category Archives: Announcements