Wilderness Escape – Day 1

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements, Youth and tagged with 2014, children, joy, Lutheran, Moses, Vacation Bible School, VBS, Wilderness Escape July 21, 2014

Moses led the Children of Israel through the Red Sea at the first night of Wilderness Escape Vacation Bible School. Best of all, the children of the community and congregation had the opportunity to get to know more about God’s love and that we can trust in the Lord.

You can still participate in Vacation Bible School at MLLC in Carmine. Come on out Tuesday through Friday. We begin Day 2 at 5:30 p.m. We are having a great time and would love to have you be part of our great time together. Thank you to God for our great time. Thank you to parents, grandparents, friends and supporters who make it possible for this great week of learning and outreach to happen.

Our Final Program will be at worship on Sunday, July 27, at 9 a.m.

Welcome to Martin Luther Lutheran School

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements, Martin Luther Lutheran School and tagged with baby sitting, brenham, Burton, Carmine, Chapel, child care, children, Christian Day School, Christian Education, christian school, day care, daycare, early childhood eduction, giddings, La Grange, ledbetter, Lutheran, Martin Luther Lutheran School, MLLS, nursery school, pre K, preschool, round top, Round Top - Carmine, school, Texas, tx, youth July 21, 2014

(Pictured above: Pastor David Tinker, MLLS Director Kelli Meinoldt, MLLS Board President, Ed Eargle)

We are very thankful to offer an early childhood eduction and daycare center here at Martin Luther Lutheran Church. We encourage you to visit the page for our school to find out more about the service and ministry we offer. Click this link for more information about Martin Luther Lutheran School.

Also, feel free to contact our school director, Kelli Meinholdt, at 979-278-3380, to find out more.

Firemen’s Feast Worship

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements, Pastor's Ponderings and tagged with Carmine Volunteer Fire Department, faith, Holy Communion, worship July 20, 2014

It is a busy day in Carmine, Texas. Today, July 20, is the annual “Firemen’s Feast”. This is the annual fundraising meal for the Carmine Volunteer Fire Department. At MLLC we give thanks to God for the caring work of these community servants.

The work of cooking the fried chicken for the meal begins early on Sunday morning. Dozens of cooks gather at the Carmine Fire Station for this work. Since this event is on Sunday morning we offer the opportunity for the cooks to gather for God’s Word and Holy Communion. We bring the Church to the Fire Station each year at an early morning time. The cooks are already busy as the worship space is set up between the fire equipment and the food preparation area. For about 10 minutes the cooks take a break for prayer, to give thanks, to hear the Word of God, and to be assured of God’s love and forgiveness in Holy Communion. This year 50 men and boys paused their work to be a part of this special worship service.

We are thankful for the service of the Carmine Volunteer Fire Department. We are thankful for the opportunity to support their work and to encourage them in their faith in Christ.

Here are some additional photos from this special event:

Pentecost is this Sunday – Wear Red

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements and tagged with 2nd Chapter of Acts, Acts 2, Fire, Holy Spirit, Pentecost, tongues of fire, wear red, wind, worship June 5, 2014

The Day of Pentecost

This Sunday, June 8, is the Day of Pentecost. This is one of the three main Festival Days of the Church Year. The others are The Resurrection of our Lord (Easter Sunday), and the Nativity of our Lord (Christmas Day). You are encouraged to wear Red to help celebrate the giving of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost.

On Pentecost we celebrate the giving and pouring out of the Holy Spirit of God on his people. This took place first in Jerusalem when thousands of Jews were gathered in the city for the Jewish Festival of Pentecost. It is also known as Shavuot. This Jewish festival celebrates two major items. One is to celebrate the grain harvest at that time of year in the Holy Land. The other reason of the celebration is to give thanks for the giving of the Covenant at Mt. Sinai, including the Ten Commandments. It is understood that it took 50 days for the Children of Israel to travel to Mt. Sinai after the Passover and their release from slavery in Egypt.

The Holy Spirit was given to the Church on that day. The 120 Christians were then sent out to proclaim the might works of God to the gathered Jews. These visitors were from all over the Mediterranean world, and spoke a number of languages. The small band of Christians were given the supernatural ability to speak the Word of God with boldness so all would hear of the great things God had done through Jesus Christ.

The response was powerful. That day 3000 people responded to the Good News and became Christians. There were 3000 baptisms that day. Read about these events in the Book of Acts, chapter 2, in the New Testament.

We look forward to seeing you at worship this Sunday. Worship at 9:00 a.m. Remember to wear something red this Sunday.

More about these late Spring festivals.

Celebrating 100 Years of Service: Ladies Aid

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements, Women's Ministry and tagged with 100th anniversary, Carmine, ELCA, Ladies Aid, WELCA, Women of the ELCA June 5, 2014

Celebrating 100 Years of Service

Martin Luther Lutheran Church Ladies Aid

1914 – 2014

This past Sunday, June 1, 2014, we celebrated the 100th Anniversary of the MLLC Ladies Aid. Here is the history which was prepared as part of the celebration. Note the photo above of the members of Ladies Aid who were available to for the celebration at worship this past weekend.

History of the Ladies Aid of Martin Luther Lutheran Church of Carmine, Texas.

On June 1, 1914, Pentecost Monday, seventeen ladies met at the Martin Luther Lutheran Church in Carmine to organize a Ladies Aid. Pastor John Harder, the MLLC pastor at the time, helped to adopt a constitution and elect officers. The first officers were: President, Bertha Eisenhauer Umland; Secretary, Selma Hackemack Hoppe; and Treasurer, Leonie Rummel Weyand.

Other charter members were: Mary Brau, Alma Weyand Doerr, Agnes Umland Hoppe, Antonio Weyand Kollatt, Nannie Koehler Knoche, Louise Koehler Brau, Emma Goerdel Menke, Leonie Menke Neese, Emilie Kollatt Stuermer, Lena Drawe Sump, Kathleen Etzel Weyand, Ida Weber Weyand, Lula Coleman Weyand, and Louise Marburger Winnisderfer.

Many of the earlier members of Martin Luther were descendants of German immigrants. They, and their descendants, still spoke the German language in the home and in most of their daily affairs. The church records were handwritten in the German script. The Ladies Aid records were also written in the German language in the earlier days. The Ladies Aid was known as the Frauenverein [Women’s Organization]. In the early years of the organization, meetings were conducted in German. Tradition was that women of the Ladies Aid would sing a song in German at the funeral of a member.

As a way of contributing to the projects of the church, the first Bazaar was held in March of 1936. The purpose was to raise money for the church and Sunday School. The women made beautiful articles of linens, aprons, bonnets, hand-crocheted doilies, and embroidered scarves for sale at the Bazaar. Plenty of cakes, pies, sandwiches, etc. were donated by the members of the Ladies Aid. The food was not sold, but one could make a donation in a glass placed on the tables. Ladies from local and surrounding churches came for an afternoon of fellowship. This was an annual event at Martin Luther for over twenty years. Today, the Ladies Aid continues to support the different projects of MLLC as well as local and other projects of the ELCA.

The Ladies Aid has observed the 25^th in 1939, the 50^th in 1964, the 60^th in 1974, the 80^th in 1994 and the 90^th in 2004. Members were recognized at each anniversary for their years of membership. Today, on our 100^th anniversary of the Ladies Aid we recognize three ladies who have been members for 60 years or longer: LeVerne Hinze (63 yrs.); Elvira Dallmeyer (62 yrs.); and Ora Lee Levien (60 yrs) – see photo below. The two oldest living members today are Bernice Loewe (92) and Elvira Dallmeyer (90).

Throughout the years the church organizations have changed, but the Ladies Aid has always maintained its basic structure and name. Today, the women’s groups are called “Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America”. Martin Luther Lutheran has two bible study groups: the Ladies Aid and the Mary Group. Today, the Ladies Aid has 23 members. The present officers are: Susan Ray, president; Shirley Mueller, vice-president; Carol Carmean, secretary; Nancy Eilers, treasurer; Mission officers: Nancy Eilers, community; and Dianne Sager, Action.

On this day in 2014, the Ladies Aid asks God to increase in them the spirit of faith and love to help make them worthy of their heritage. “Wir Beten an unseren Vater den Herrn, durch Jesua Christus, sein Sohn.” Translation: We pray this through your son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Other historical photos of the Ladies Aid anniversaries:

These photos are on permanent display in the Fellowship Hall at MLLC.

Founding Members

25th Anniversary 1939

80th Anniversary 1994

90th Anniversary 2004

The Luther Rose Symbol

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements, Pastor's Ponderings and tagged with cross, faith, Grace, Luther Rose, Lutheran Symbol, Stained glass May 12, 2014

We recently added a new page on this church web page about the Luther Rose.

This is an important symbol used in the Lutheran Church to express and teach our faith.

If you have been to the Martin Luther Lutheran Church building you will recognize the window depicted above. It is the most visible our our wonderful stained glass windows at MLLC.

Check out this link to the special page about the Luther Rose

Synod Assembly 2014

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements, ELCA, Synod and tagged with ELCA, gulf coast synod, Lutheran, synod assembly May 9, 2014

We are thankful for our delegation of voting members at our synod assembly this year. These include: Dana Smith, Dennis Smith, Jennifer Tinker, and Pastor David Tinker. This group is representing our congregation at the assembly of the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod. This is taking place May 8-10 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Construction Update May 5, 2014

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements, New Building and tagged with Lutheran World Relief, Lutheran Youth Organization, LYO, mission and ministry, new building, quilts, youth May 5, 2014

The foundation has been poured for the new Mission and Ministry Building at MLLC. We are so thankful to God that the work is moving along well. Thank you also to all who have prayed, given, encouraged and supported this new addition to our ministry facilities. Our partnership matters more than we can all express. We look forward to using this facility to enhance our ministries with people of all ages. We look forward to doing ministry here which touches the lives of humanity to the ends of the earth.

Here are some more angles on the construction work:

An “archaeological” discovery. This appears to be an old well which was on the lot near the new building.

Building Progress April 28, 2014

Posted by Pastor David Tinker in Announcements, New Building 2014 and tagged with construction, mission and ministry, new building April 28, 2014

Construction of the foundation of the new Mission and Ministry building is moving forward. We are very thankful for the dedicated leaders who are making this happen. Thank you also to those whose donations have made this work of expanding our mission and ministry reach grow.