St. Timothy’s Anglican Church6819 Louetta Rd. Spring, TX 77379281-255-4111

Nonprofit OrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDSpring TX

Permit #558Change Service Requested

Birthdays

(Fr. Stan cont. on pg. 2)

From the Rector

STAFFFr. Stan Gerber, Rector

Fr. Oscar Gallego, Assisting ClergyFr. Jeff Minshall, Pastor of Youth Ministry

Fr. Bill Kotlan, Pastor of Spiritual Formation Deacon Larry DiSano, Pastor of Pastoral Care

Deacon John Pegues, Pastor of Adult EducationDeacon Jennifer Scherzer,

Pastor of Children’s EducationNicholas Gerber, Praise Team Leader

Kris Heeter, Financial SecretarySusan Howard, Nursery Coordinator

Caye Lankford, Special Events CoordinatorMike Mason, Music Director

Carol McBee & Valerie Shepherd, Altar GuildZachary Musick, Sub-Organist

Meagan Patton, Office AdministratorTracy Pegues, Evangelism Coordinator

Charlotte Talley, Parish Cook

VESTRYKathy Boggs(2017)Rachel Boyd (2015)

Bob Capps(2017)Patrick Howard (2016)Judith Jordan (2015)Joe Kenney (2016)

Tommy Lamb (2017)Robbie Sheltz (2015)Merrill Stanley (2015)Anne Sundquist (2016)

George Vick (2016)Mike Weil (2017), Treasurer

E-MAILFr. Stan Gerber: sgerber97@aol.com

Newsletter: sttimsanglican@gmail.com

WEBSITEwww.sttimothysanglican.org

Dear Parish Family,

I am writing this article before Christmas and you will be receiving it just after Christmas, but let me re-emphasize some of the truths we have been dealing with this holy Season of Christmastide.

We have once again paused to remember the birth of Jesus Christ which happened over 2,000 years ago as the King of Kings left the glories of Heaven to walk the dusty roads of this earth.

When we think of Christ at the time of birth, we can’t help but be reminded of His meekness and humility as He took on the form of flesh.

Luci Shaw writes in Leadership Magazine of the amazing contrast between the Lamb and the Lion, and I wanted to take a moment to share that with you here.

“The Lamb says: simplicity, meekness, white fleece, smallness, innocence, purity, helplessness, submission to sacrifice. The Lion says: strength, size, golden mane, grandeur, courage, untamed power. How paradoxical that both images speak of Christ! Neither is a perfect image; each symbolizes different characteristics of the same infinite Person.”

When we really think about this, we are reminded of the fact that Christ meets our needs in so many ways! In other words, there is not a need outside of His ability to get involved in a personal, loving way on our behalf. Christ cannot be put in a “box” and defined by our human thoughts with all the parameters and limitations that go along with them.

I want to encourage you today to remember that Jesus Christ is all you really need! All the other components of life that we would call blessings are gifts from His hands, and we must express our thanks to God for those things and people who enhance our lives in so many ways.

Jesus came to this earth not only that we would have life, but that we would experience and know abundant life! I pray that you will experience this abundant life in this new year. Make it your goal to abide in Christ, and allow Him to abide in you, and you will be amazed at the things He will do in your life as you place Him first.

I appreciate you, and pray that you and your loved ones will know Jesus during this new year in a way you’ve never known Him before… and then, that you will share the “Lion and the Lamb” with others!

A Huge Thank YouTo all who made the Christmas Holy-days so very wonderful: everyone from Office Staff to Altar Guild to musicians, to sound technicians, to greeters and ushers, to Vergers, acolytes and Lectors, to children in the pageant, and everybody in-between.

01/01 Ed Bock01/02 Donna Ritts01/03 Jim Kirk Gwynn Miracle01/05 Gale Farquhar Grace Kenney01/06 Helen Eche Scotty Scott Donna Settles Erma Wetmore01/07 Bob Benning Frank Longoria Trace McMahon01/08 Paul Leonard01/09 Charlotte Goetz01/10 Mike DiBiasio Bob LaCoste01/11 Wayne Ballentine Scott Boyd Blake Muskiet Issac Seiver 01/12 Audrey Aringo Jesse Greenwood Patrick Howard01/13 Christina Flower Robert Legler

01/15 Suzanne Arnold 01/17 Bianca Phillips Kathy Williams01/18 Lauren Spiess01/22 Pam Pavelka01/23 Wyatt Greenwood Jackie Savacool01/24 Keith Armstrong01/25 Gene Chism Fr. Oscar Gallego Dominique Hill Elvira Ontiveros01/26 Fr. Stan Gerber Michael Koehler01/27 Andy Austin Lourdes Aviles Julie Miracle01/28 Harry Harrington Clayton Melanson01/30 Rebekah Greenwood Marian Mann Marivi Rodriguez Phyllis Zapp

Our Mission Is: We Will Know, Love, Serve, and Obey Christ and Will Make Him Known to Others! Our Core Values:

Growing and Discipling the Family of God Reflecting the Love of God Through Hospitality, Friendship and Fellowship

Encountering the Living God Through Traditional and Contemporary Worship

Raising and Nurturing Children through the Grace of God

Sharing God’s Love By Reaching Out to the Needy, Broken, and Oppressed.

ContentsFather Stan............................1, 2, 3, 4

Deacon’s Desk..................................4

Spiritual Champion..........................4

Mission & Outreach.........................5

Evangelism.......................................6

Eventfully Speaking.........................7

Picture Pages................................8, 9

Christian Formation........................10

STAY & Youth Minister..................11

Women’s Ministries........................12

Men’s Ministries.............................13

New Flock on the Block.................14

Vintage Flock..................................15

st. t i mothy’ s

St. Timothy’s Anglican ChurchSpring, TX

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Vintage Flock

Prayer Shawl MinistryNow meeting on the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month at St. Timothy’s.

We were having so much fun that we decided to meet two times each month. Everyone is invited to join us. Don’t know how to knit? No problem, just show up and we will teach you!

Questions? Call Mary Lee Turk at 281-256-1772.

2 Ed. Note - Picture on front page is The Baptism of Christ, Daniel Bonnell, 1999

(Fr. Stan continued)

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(Fr. Stan cont. on pg. 3)

Scripture & Meditation is offered on the second Wednesday of the month - January14 at 5:30pm

This month the Rosary is offered on the third Wednesday of the month - January 21at 5:30pm

Cross WallWe are still working on our wall(s) of crosses. If your family has not contributed a cross yet, we would like to encourage you to bring one. Please make sure you put your family name on the back and give it to Mary Hargis or turn it into the front office.

An evening of games and a potluck dinner for adults. All adults are invited to join us for this evening of food, friends, conversation and a little competition.

Our next gathering is on Saturday, January 17, for our next car rally! Meet at 7pm at St. Timothy’s.

Bring money for dinner at a near-by restaurant.

We have started two different needlepoint groups.

• Tuesdays from 1:00-2:30 in the Parish Hall

• Wednesdays from 7:00-8:30 in the Green Cross Room

We invite you to come & stitch each week after that on either Tuesday afternoons or Wednesday evenings, same time and place as the classes. Tracey Weissling & Lucy Sefcik will be your instructors.

Let’s Needlepoint!

The Last of the ‘Most Important Events in Cristian History’

January 4th – Annual Parish Meeting With Epiphany Pageant, Burning of the Greens and a Mexican Potluck. Reports from vestry and different ministries will be distributed at the meeting. We will have no elections for vestry because that was done in October.

Spring Growth Groups Will begin the week of January 19. This semester we will focus on the Bible using as a resource, the Baby Boomer Bible Study Book: an Introduction to the Bible. This book contains lots of information about the bible, including graphs, charts and maps. We will cover topics from the beginning to the end of the Bibles: from creation, the call of Abraham along with his descendants, Moses and the Exodus, Jewish celebrations, worship, the Promised Land, the Judges, King David and Solomon, The Northern and Southern Kingdoms, chronological events during this division of the North and South, the deportation and exilic period, the Psalms and

Wisdom literature, Intertestamental writings, the Jewish religion at the time of Jesus, The New Testament – its structure and chronology, the Four Gospels, Old Testament prophecies fulfilled by Jesus, The birth, childhood, and adult teachings of Jesus – including the parables and miracles, the twelve Apostles, Holy Week and Easter, Major characters in the New Testament, Paul and his missionary journeys and teaching, the remaining letters of the New Testament.

We will also have a Financial Peace University Class and a Thursday morning Beth Moore Women’s Bible Study.

We hope you will be involved in these teaching and fellowship opportunities.

Stephen MinistryOur new Stephen Ministers will be commissioned on Sunday, January 18. Congratulations and thank you for the hard work of studying and preparing for 14 weeks.

In every monthly newsletter, I have been offering an article from the ‘Christian History Magazine’ which is a tool used for catechizing. These articles come from the magazine’s understanding of what they believe are the 100 most important events in Christian history. These last 75 are brief listings of the other 75 significant dates that earn a place in the “CHRISTIAN HISTORY 100”

75 Other Important Events in Christian History65—Peter and Paul are executed; martyrdom of the church’s two greatest apostles forces church leadership into a new era. 150—Justin Martyr’s First Apology, the work of the first major scholar-apologist, makes Christianity reasonable to thinking pagans. 180—Irenaeus’s Against Heresies leads the fight against the powerful Gnostic heresy. 196—Tertullian begins writing, with his legal-trained mind, major writings that promote purity of life and doctrine. 215—Origen begins writing brilliant works that “provided a foundation for the great ecumenical councils to come.”

230—the earliest known public churches are built, signaling a shift in Christians’ life and practice. 250—Empire-wide persecution under Emperor Decius causes thousands to fall away and produces a major schism in the church. 270—Anthony takes up solitude, attracting many to asceticism and prayer and paving the way for monasticism. 312—The Donatist Schism, over treatment of apostates from the Great Persecution, challenges thinking about the church.

Christian Empire358—Basil the Great founds a monastery, laying foundations for religious communities ever after. 381—First Council of Constantinople ratifies the Nicean Creed and condemns Apollinarianism, safeguarding a high view of Christ. 390—Ambrose defies Emperor Theodosius, refusing him Communion after his brutal killing of thousands in Thessalonica; the act influences church-state relations for generations.

Merry Christmas to all of our church friends and hope you all have a wonderful New Year.

The Vintage Flock is looking forward to a great New Year with many new projects.

God’s blessings,Sue

PaseoPaseo is a three day weekend that helps you experience your faith and encourages a spiritual life that is filled with joy and enthusiasm. It offers a deeper understanding of the teachings of Jesus and how we can serve Him. It is an experience of living and sharing with others in a loving and caring Christian community and realizing that this can be extended into our own environment. It is a continuing community that gives support and encouragement, empowering the renewed Christians to persevere in carrying out their Baptismal vows. You are invited to join us on September 10 – 13 2015. Want to know more? Ask me, Fr. Stan, Anne Sundquist, or anyone that you see wearing a rainbow lanyard.

Janie WilsonRectora, Paseo #7

Epiphany &

Annual MeetingBethlehem Bound and Burning of the

GreensSunday, January 4, 5pm

Followed by Mexican Potluck and our Annual Meeting

Incense Sundays11:00 am service -the second Sunday of the monthJanuary 11February 88:45 am service -the third Sunday of the monthJanuary 18February 15

3

(Fr. Stan continued)

14

This ministry will help young families connect to each other and to Christ through several family-oriented activities, fellowship and Christ-centered conversations. We invite all families who have a child 5 or younger to join us! If you have a young one and older ones too you are welcome to bring the older ones along.

the new FLOCK on the BLOCKYoung Family Ministry“To strengthen and encourage young families to walk and grow in Christ’s

love.”

Storytime Thursdays at 10am

Join us for Storytime with juice and snacks every Thursday in the Nursery.

Do you have a great story and/or craft for Story Time or just like to read to children? We’d love to have you join us as a guest reader or crafts person on Thursday morning sometime. Just see Susan Howard or call the Church office at 281-255-4111.

Kudos and Congratulations!

Congratulations to our newly commisioned Stephen Ministers:Nettie BriggsJudy HeyerPatrick HowardMarty MedfordLee SteinMarlene VanHorne

We would like to celebrate important events in our members’ lives. If you have a Kudos or Congratulations for the month please email it to Tracy at sttimsanglican@gmail.com. Please use the subject line Kudos. All notices are due by the 15th of the month PREVIOUS to the occurrence.

(Fr. Stan cont. on pg. 4)

The Cry Room – probably one of the most misunderstood spaces in a church setting. It implies an attitude of “take children out of here so we can worship!” or, even worse, “children are not welcome here.” That implication could not be farther from the truth. St. Timothy’s always has and always will continue to advocate children staying in the service as much as possible.

Sometimes, however, there are moments when a child needs a little extra attention – and a little extra space to be given that attention. That’s why we planned the Cry Room. It gives parents a room where the child can be spoken to and dealt with, without drawing unneeded attention, until the child has calmed down. The service can be seen through the window and heard through the speaker system so that parent and child still are a part of worship.

Children are an important part of our parish. We don’t ever want to minimize their role here – they are our future and we cherish them. Use of the Cry Room affords all of us an opportunity to worship corporately, children and adults alike, in all situations.

The St. Timothy’s Cry Room is located in the Conference Room, directly behind the sound booth.

A Note on our Cry Room

432—Patrick’s mission to Ireland breaks heathenism and fosters Christianity, leading to a flourishing Celtic church. 529—Justinian’s Code is published; it becomes the basis for later canon law in the West, thus shaping medieval society.

Middle Ages590—Gregory the Great becomes pope: The “first of the medieval popes” takes on civil power and lays the foundations for the papal state. He also commissions, in 597, Augustine’s mission to England, which converts the pagan Angles. 663—Synod of Whitby decisively aligns the English church with Rome for the next nine centuries. 716—Boniface’s mission to the Germans spreads Christianity to pagan northern Europe, preparing the way for the later Holy Roman Empire. 732—Battle of Tours: Frankish general Charles Martel halts the seemingly unstoppable Muslim invasion, keeping Europe under Christian control. 800—Charlemagne crowned Holy Roman Emperor: With the help of his adviser, Alcuin, the seven-foot-tall king brings Europe political unity, a stronger church, and a renaissance of learning. 910—the monastery at Cluny is founded, the genesis of a reform movement that spreads to over 1,000 communities and revitalizes monastic life for hundreds of years. 1093—Anselm named archbishop of Canterbury, a post from which he writes lasting works on the Atonement and proofs for God’s existence. 1115—Bernard founds monastery at Clairvaux: The “father of Western mysticism” strengthens the monastic tradition. In approximately 1150, the Universities of Paris and Oxford are founded, fostering higher education and, eventually, a modern world view. 1208—Francis of Assisi renounces wealth in order to preach a simple, passionate gospel, and later founds the Franciscan Order. 1215—Innocent III calls the Fourth Lateran Council, which climaxes the rule of the medieval church’s most influential pope and defines transubstantiation. 1220—Dominic establishes Order of Preachers, who travel barefoot, teach, and convert heretics. 1321—Dante’s Divine Comedy gives masterful poetic expression to medieval concepts of heaven, hell, and purgatory, and shapes later thought. 1370—Catherine of Siena’s Letters, a treasure of Western mysticism, are begun. 1380—John Wyclif supervises Bible translation, leaving the first complete English Bible. 1453—Constantinople falls to the Turks, ending a millennium of Christianity in the Eastern Roman (“Byzantine”) Empire. 1479—The Spanish Inquisition, under Ferdinand and Isabella, begins against baptized Jews and Moors.

Reformation1518—Ulrich Zwingli is called as people’s priest in Zurich, where he begins his radical break with Catholic practices and lays the foundation of Reformed theology. 1529—Colloquy of Marburg: Here, however, Zwingli and Luther’s differing views on the Lord’s Supper lead to separate Reformed and Lutheran churches. 1530—Augsburg Confession, written largely by Philipp Melanchthon, definitively expresses Lutheran beliefs. 1540—Ignatius Loyola receives approval for the Society of Jesus, the Jesuit “soldiers of Christ” who help preserve and extend Catholicism.

1549—Book of Common Prayer, the service book of the Church of England, is drafted by Thomas Cranmer. 1559—John Knox returns to Scotland and, despite being outlawed, champions a bloodless Reformation, secured the following year. 1598—The Edict of Nantes officially ends persecution of French Protestants (Huguenots), whose years of suffering included the infamous St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre in 1572. 1609—Separatist pastor John Smyth baptizes himself and about forty adults, the start of modern Baptist denominations.1633—Galileo is forced by Rome to recant his belief in the Copernican theory (that the earth revolves around the sun); tensions heighten between Christianity and modern science. 1646—Westminster Confession, the definitive statement of Presbyterian beliefs, is drafted. 1648—the Peace of Westphalia ends the Thirty Years’ War, settling European wars of religion and effectively ending the papacy’s political control over large areas.

Age of Reason and Revival1652—George Fox founds Society of Friends (“Quakers”), gathering 50,000 followers in just eight years. 1675—Jakob Philipp Specner’s Pia Desideria (Pious Desires) launches the influential Pietist movement. 1678—Jailed Baptist preacher John Bunyan writes Pilgrim’s Progress—next to the Bible, the most-popular English-language book of all time. 1707—Isaac Watts’s Hymns and Spiritual Songs, with 600 hymns including “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” moves the church from nearly exclusive singing of metrical psalms to the hymn singing we know today. 1732—First Moravian missionaries, spurred by an earlier religious awakening in their small community of Brethren, launch the modern missionary movement. 1735—George Whitefield is converted and soon begins dramatic open-air evangelism in the U.S. and England. 1780—Robert Raikes begins Sunday school to teach poor local children, creating a lasting institution.

Age of Progress1789—The Bill of Rights guarantees freedom of speech, assembly, and religion to Americans; the French Revolution leads later to the Festival of Reason and de-Christianization of France. 1807—William Wilberforce’s efforts lead to the abolition of the British slave trade. 1816—Richard Allen becomes bishop of the new African Methodist Episcopal church, which later publishes the first African-American newspaper and magazine. 1835—Charles Finney’s Lectures on Revivals is published, explaining the “scientific” methods the revivalist used in converting 500,000 people. 1833—John Keble’s sermon launches the Oxford Movement, encouraging high-church worship, authority, and tradition within the Church of England.

1844—Søren Kierkegaard’s Philosophical Fragments is published; his works attack formalized Christianity in favor of the personal leap of faith.

4

(Fr. Stan continued)

Don’t forget to bring non-perishable food items on Sunday,January 5thand

Sunday, February 2nd for T.E.A.M.

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Band of BrothersMen’s Ministry

The Band of Brothers has Adopted the 'Oikos'

Lifestyle.Come and see what it is all

about!

Join us on Saturday, January 17, at 8:00am as we gather for prayer, encouragement,

fellowship and breakfast. All men 18 and older are invited.

From the Deacon’s Desk

Notes of Thanks

1855—D. L. Moody is converted and goes on to become the greatest evangelist of his era. 1864—Syllabus of Errors, issued by Pope Pius IX, rejects modern societal trends, including liberalism and socialism. 1870—The First Vatican Council declares papal infallibility (when the pope speaks ex cathedra on matters of faith or morals). 1878—William and Catherine Booth found the Salvation Army, soon a worldwide thrust for social and spiritual salvation. 1886—Student Volunteer Movement begins, ultimately stirring 20,000 college students to become Christian missionaries. 1906—The Azusa Street Revival begins in Los Angeles under William Seymour’s leadership, spreading Pentecostalism.

Age of Ideologies1910—The Edinburgh Missionary Conference, an interdenominational gathering chaired by John R. Mott, births the modern ecumenical movement. 1910—The Fundamentals, a twelve-paperback series presenting conservative doctrine, is launched, signaling the rise of fundamentalism. 1919—Karl Barth’s Commentary on

Romans rocks the theological world by breaking with liberalism for a “neo-orthodoxy.” 1931—C. S. Lewis’s conversion gives rise to numerous theological and apologetic books that explain Christianity to twentieth-century people. 1934—Wycliffe Bible Translators begins under Cam Townsend, providing Scriptures for hundreds of language groups with no Bible. 1940—First Christian television broadcasts are made. 1941—Rudolf Bultmann calls for demythologization of the New Testament message into terms acceptable for moderns. 1945—Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Letters and Papers from Prison call for costly discipleship in a difficult world. 1948—The World Council of Churches is formally constituted, uniting nearly all major Western denominations. 1949—L. A. Crusade catapults Billy Graham to prominence, and with ensuing crusades he preaches to more people than any evangelist in history. 1954—United Methodists grant full ordination to women, signaling increasing leadership for women in mainline and other churches. 1960—Charismatic renewal advances following national attention given to Episcopal rector Dennis Bennett’s experience.

Join us on Saturday, January 17, at 8:00 am, as we gather for fellowship, breakfast, prayer, study and encouragement. If you would like to help George Vick and team prepare breakfast, come early at 6:15 am! All men 18 years and older are invited to attend! This month, Deacon John Pegues will be leading our study on God’s will. Following a new format in 2015, the Band of Brothers leadership is encouraging personal testimony to support our study. In January, Tommy Lamb will be speaking to his relationship with God and how the Holy Spirit has moved him in his daily walk with the Lord and His flock. Ewe won’t want to miss it! (That’s b-a-a-a-a-a-a d, I know…) Please bring your bible and a friend…we look forward to seeing you then!

I pray to God that you all may be full of Joy in 2015. Many of you who completed the Anglican Catechism course last year are familiar with Jesus’ call to joy through sanctification. The last question (Q 345) was on Joy, it asked “With what attitude should I live my life of sanctification?” the answer given is “God calls me to a life of joy. Constant thoughts of God’s love for me, and of my hope in Christ, will keep me always rejoicing. (Philippians 4:4, 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-19).” We are all called to holiness and thereby joy in our Lord Jesus Christ. Note that we are not called to happiness which is fleeing and based on an object. Instead we are called to joy which is everlasting and based on a relationship with Jesus. Sanctification is a process of ever seeking to deepen our relationship with Jesus. We are called to become perfect as Jesus was perfect. Unfortunately many of us interpret this as a call to become Jesus himself or one of the Saints. We look at Jesus and the Saints and try to be just like them. We certainly can learn and try to emulate them but we are not called to be someone other

than ourselves. Thomas Merton said ‘for me to be a saint is to be myself’. It is the ever deepening relationship with Jesus through the Holy Spirit that sanctifies. Therefore do not be discouraged because you cannot be just like Jesus or one of the saints. We forget that the Apostles and the other saints that followed were all flawed just like us. We tend to take the rough edges off and put saints on a pedestal. Then when we realize that we cannot be holy like Jesus or even Mother Teresa we give up and stop trying. I encourage you not to give up but instead continue to seek Jesus in your life and the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit. Become the saint God meant for you to be. If we are to reach out to unbelievers and the unchurched we must strive to be holy and full of joy. It is the joy in us based on our relationship to Jesus that the world perceives and is drawn to seeking. So I encourage you that if you seek to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and bring the Good News to a fallen hurting world, seek holiness and be filled with joy.

Deacon Larry

Dear Father Stan and the Congregation of St. Timothy,

To God be the glory for the good works you perform!! Home Place of Texas is humbled and thankful for you. The men and women of Home Place love coming into this house of God because they feel His Presence in the buildings and in the people they meet.

I personally experienced God’s Spirit when I spoke to you about the work of Home Place. My talk and Fr. Stan’s sermon were on the topic! On that one day, we received a generous love offering, made contact with potential volunteers, and met Scot Boyd of Raising Cane restaurants who is supporting us with a service project , a donation, an auction item, and opportunities to participate community night at his restaurants.

Your contribution helped us raise $60,700 for the HPOT Turkey Trot. This money will go for the programming and activities of the Day Program at Home Place of Texas and allow men and women with disabilities to learn about God and His plan for them.

You are truly being the hands and feet of Christ in our community. Please continue your good work. When people ask me how Home Place is funded, it is a joy and privilege to tell them about St. Timothy’s Anglican Church. Thank you for your service to Home Place of Texas.

“Let your light shine before men, that then may see your good works and glorify you Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

June JonesExecutive DirectorHome Place of Texas

Dear members of St. Timothy’s Anglican Church,

Thank you so much for your commitment to the Cuban Church both financially and in prayer.

God’s people in Cuba are in much need of both, yet God has both blessed and protected His people there. May your church continue to prosper as you are helping our/His Cuban churches to do so.

In Christ,Bishop Charles and Claudia Dorrington

Becoming a Spiritual ChampionSt. Agnes

Child-Martyr at RomeJanuary21

According to tradition, Saint Agnes was a member of the Roman nobility born 291 AD and raised in a Christian family. She suffered martyrdom at the age of twelve or thirteen during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, on 21 January 304.Agnes, whose name means “chaste” in Greek, was a beautiful young girl of wealthy family and therefore had many suitors of high rank. Details of her story are

unreliable, but legend holds that the young men, slighted by Agnes’s resolute devotion to religious purity, submitted her name to the authorities as a follower of Christianity. Because of her total dedication to Christ she stated that she preferred even death of the body to the death of her consecrated virginity. The Governor condemned her to death. Agnes was as happy as a bride on her wedding day. She did

(continued on pg. 5)

512

Women’s Ministry

MM Marys and Marthas:

Sisters Seeking and Serving Our Savior

(Spiritual Champion continued)Ladies Night Out

Ladies for dinner, great conversation and fun on Tuesday, January 13 at 7:00pm. This month we will gather at Cheddar’s, locatedat Louetta and IH45.

See you in January!

Don’t forget to bring non-perishable food items on Sunday, January 4th and

Sunday, February 1st for T.E.A.M.

Tomball

Emergency

Assistance

Ministries

Mission & Outreach

Amazon has a foundation called “Amazon Smile”. They will donate 0.5% of qualified purchases to TOMAGWA. The next time you check Amazon to purchase something, please go to Smile.Amazon.com, using this link,

http://smile.amazon.com/ch/76-0280324

Amazon Smile offers most of the same products at the same prices as the regular site. This is an easy fundraiser for TOMAGWA. Amazon will donate money once a quarter, based on the purchases for that quarter. We have a few donors that are already using Amazon Smile to shop! Thanks and happy shopping!

Help TOMAGWA While You Shop at Amazon

Gather Around the Letters Postmarked ThessalonicaJoin us on a journey to Greece to the city of Thessaloniki with Beth Moore as our tour guide for the Children of the Day eight week Bible study. From this vantage point, the second largest city in Greece, we will take a closer look at the New Testaments books of 1st and 2nd Thessalonians. Scholars believe these to be some of the oldest books written by Paul that became part of the New Testament. Paul had only three weeks to preach to the people there before an angry mob led to his swift exit. Paul was so concerned for the church at Thessalonica, so he attempted to return. His efforts were frustrated so he sent Timothy in his place to see how they were doing and seek to encourage them. Paul then began to write a two letters to gives explanation for why

he had not returned, praise the young church’s progress and give further instructions and clarifications. Our trip begins on Thursday January 22nd in the Blue Cross Room at 9:30 a.m. Sign up online or in the pew and we will save a workbook for you. Hope to see you there!

She Acts: Uniquely Fashioned for His PurposeIn the book of Acts there are many stories of women and their unique role as disciples. The apostle Paul writes specifically about the Thessalonians, “Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not just a few prominent women.” (Acts 17:4) So who were these prominent women and how did they fulfill their unique calling? And what of the other women mentioned in Acts like Lydia and Dorcas? Deacon Lisa Schwandt of HopePointe, Shelly Sorem of Grace Anglican, Katy, and Anthea Kotlan of St.Timothy’s will lead the teaching team. And yes, there will be skits or dramatic presentations that will provide considerable amusement. Join us for the evening of February 27th and the day of the 28th for She Acts: A Diocesan Women’s Retreat at beautiful Camp Tejas in Giddings, Texas. Register today at our website.

Questions or suggestions for women’s ministry at St. Timothy’s,please contact: Anthea Kotlan 936-271-4816 or akotlan@charter.net

Resolve to Sponsor: Time Out to Tackle Trafficking

On Sunday February 1st at 3:30 p.m. we will gather in the sanctuary to pray for those affected by human trafficking. Sadly Super Bowl weekend will see a huge surge in the human trafficking as the demand for prostitution sky rockets.

This guided time of prayer will feature music and have time to intercede with different types of prayer. Join us as we cry out to our Father to rescue all who are victimized. The members of Resolve, a fairly new ministry of our church, will sponsor this event and everyone is invited to join us. Resolve was created to prayerfully seek solutions for the problem of human trafficking. Here are a few stunning statistics to help you understand why we must be proactively seeking to take a stand against this problem.

• Houston has an estimated 6,000 runaways each year which is a major risk factor for human trafficking.

• The U.S. Department of Justice considers the I-10 corridor to the NO. 1 CORRIDOR for human trafficking in the country.

• 1 in 4 human trafficking victims pass through Texas. • 1 in 3 children who run away from home are lured into sex trafficking within the first

48 hours of being on the streets. • 15,000 victims come across our borders every year for trafficking, but there are 200,000

domestic girls involved with trafficking.

This is our problem because our children, friends, and neighbors are being victimized. Won’t you join us to stand in the gap at such a time as this? Resolve meets monthly on the first Wednesday in the Blue Cross Room at 7:00 p.m. We meet again on January 7th. Contact Anthea Kotlan at akotlan@charter.net or 936-271-4816.

Please join us for prayer on

February 1st at 3:30pm

Daughters of HonorPrayer, Study, Service and Evangelism

Daughters of Honor will meet on Saturday, January 17. We begin at 9:15 with Holy Eucharist in the Chapel, then refreshments and our meeting in the Blue Cross Room.

Guests are always welcome to attend our meetings.

During our January meeting we will be making plans for a new Bible study and events for the New Year!

not pay attention to those who begged her to save herself. “I would offend my Spouse,” she said, “if I were to try to please you. He chose me first and He shall have me!” Then she prayed and bowed her head for the death-stroke of the sword.

Source: Celebrating the Saints Catholic Online

Others commemorated in January include:Julia Chester EmeryAntonySt. Timothy & St. TitusThomas AquinasCharles - King and Martyr

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STAY - 7th - 12th Grade St. Timothy’s Anglican Youth

Thoughts from the Youth Minister

6

Evangelism

Everyone can serve the Lord even "kids". One of the ways the kids of St. Timothy's (ages 6 -12) serve is by joining Canterbury Kids Choir. We meet Wednesday evenings from 5:00-6:00 just before the evening service and other small groups. You don't have to be a great singer, we'll teach you, but you do need to be ready to work together as a team to serve the Lord through praise and song. Come early at 5:00 and check us out, we've got a spot waiting just for you.

For more information talk to Lisa Musick.

Canterbury Kids

Invite your friends!

Dec. 31 - Jan. 1 NYE Video Game & Movie Lock-In (8PM - 9AM)Jan. 4 Sun. 6PM Youth STAY Leadership MeetingJan. 7 Wed. 6:45 - 8:30PM STAYJan. 11 Sun. 6PM Adult STAY Leadership MeetingJan. 14 Wed. 6:45 - 8:30PM STAYJan. 18 Sun. 6PM YouthSTAY Leadership MeetingJan. 21 Wed. 6:45 - 8:30PM STAYJan. 11 Sat. 1 - 5PM STAY Planning Meeting - Creating our VisionJan. 11 Sun. 6PM Adult STAY Leadership MeetingJan. 28 Wed. 6:45 - 8:30PM STAYFeb. 1 Sun. TBD Superbowl Party

Revelation 7:9-10 reads “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” At this point, we can only imagine what it will be like when God’s kingdom reigns on Earth just as it does in Heaven. At that time, believers from every people group, every nation, every kind of people will be together worshipping Jesus. What a beautiful picture it is of God’s redemptive work building a tapestry of redeemed humanity together.

Sometimes, though, it is hard to imagine this could ever be because I see my fellow men and women, even Christian brothers and sisters, so preoccupied with arguing and fighting that nobody seems to be listening any more. Recently, I had a conversation with an old friend surrounding recent protests. He is one of the few people that I have been able to have a real conversation with on this topic because although we hold very different views, we were able to put aside preconceived

notions and start with the assumption that we both might be wrong about some things. It was wonderfully refreshing and it really made me think about the sermon I was in the middle of writing about God’s love come down in Jesus’ birth. It also made me think about the reality I learned in seminary that the only thing I can really change is my own reaction. I can change how I respond to people by loving them more and showing them more grace than they deserve; giving them the benefit of the doubt that they are sincere, even those times I know they are not. My challenge to you would be to really find ways to put that into practice as we move from the Christmas season into Epiphany. As God’s revelation becomes the center of our worship, who needs your love and grace more than your condemnation and debates? The truth is that we all want to be right, even me, but often God’s call on us is not to be right but to love one another the way Jesus loves us. With an unending, never-stopping, never-giving up love. I pray that Saint Timothy’s will be a beacon of light to the broken world which will turn everyone who comes in contact with our parish towards the light and love of Christ.

Blessings,Fr. Jeff+

My article this month is going to be a bit different. I beg your indulgences as I ‘evangelize’ on an important subject that has recently touched our St. Timothy’s family.

As some of you know, prior to my teaching career, I worked in the Organ Transplantation Dept. at UTMB/Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center. One of our main jobs was to do the cross matches required between a donor and recipient. These tests helped determine which patient could safely and more successfully accept an organ from a donor.

Organ transplantation has come a long way since my days in the lab. When I was working, Hermann’s transplants were limited to kidneys, though at that time we also did cross matching for heart transplants at St. Luke’s.

Today, organs that are transplanted include: kidney, heart, liver, lung, pancreas and intestine. Different types of tissue can also be donated. These include: bone, tendon, cartilage, corneas, skin, heart valves, nerves, vessels and the middle ear.

Each day an average of 79 people receive organ transplants, but at the same time, an average of 18 people per day loses their fight while on the waiting list for a transplant. As of 2013 there were over 120.000 people on the transplant waiting list, but only 14,000 actually donated that year.

There are two types of donors, deceased and living. A deceased donor can save up to 8 lives through organ donation and enhance another 50 lives through tissue donation. Because of improvement in anti-rejection medications the opportunities for living donors have increased tremendously. Back in my day, people almost exclusively donated kidneys to a relative. Now donations to non-related recipients are possible. Living donors can potentially donate a kidney, a lobe of their liver, a part of or an entire lung, part of a pancreas or intestine.

An interesting side note; there are on occasion living heart donors. These people due to severe lung disease receive a heart/lung transplant and then donate their healthy heart to

another person. Ultimately though, this type of situation does require a deceased donor as well.

Living donors can also donate amnion, skin, bone (after joint replacement surgery), bone marrow and adult stem cells. Many of you have been tissue donors as well when youhave donated blood or platelets. Blood and blood product donations, as well as bone marrow donations may be made multiple times because these tissues are replaced by the body.

There is a tremendous need for organ donors. The greatest need is for minority donors: African American, Asian, Pacific Islander and Hispanic/Latino. While organs are not matched by race, compatible blood types and tissue markers are more common within ethnicities. Thus the larger the donor pool, the better the odds for a close match. Though the need is greater in the minority communities, the donor shortage spreads across every group.

If you desire to become a donor discuss your decision with your family and doctor and make sure they know of your wishes. It is also important that you register as a donor. Once you are registered your wishes cannot be revoked if you qualify. There is no age limit to becoming a donor. Know that your decision will in no way alter the quality of care you will receive in the hospital or an emergency situation. Your doctor’s first goal is your life. Organ donation does not go against what we believe as Anglicans. Also know that a donor’s family will incur no cost related to their donation.

The bottom line is that there is a severe shortage of usable organs for donation. We have several parishioners here at St. Timothy’s who are with us because of the generosity and gift of an organ or tissue from donors. I would ask that you prayerfully consider becoming an organ or tissue donor.

Questions? There are many resources on the web. A great place to start is organdonor.com and donatelifetexas.org. Ready to register? Go to donatelifetexas.org and fill out the form.

Peace,Tracy Calling all kids from

4 years old to 6th grade!

Join us as we present this year’s Epiphany show Bethlehem Bound. Casting and rehearsal will be on Sunday af ternoon, January 4 at 4pm. The show will begin the same day at 5pm. We need adult helpers too. Contact Deacon Jennifer with any questions or if you would like to help.

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Christian Formation

Chidren & Youth eduCation

ADULT EDUCATION

Eventfully SpeakingST. TIMOTHY’S EPIPHANY

CELEBRATION& ANNUAL METING

Sunday, January 4, 2015 at 5 pmWe will begin with a presentation of

Bethlehem Boundbefore moving outside for the

Burning of the Greens followed by our annual Mexican Pot Luck Dinner

Bring a Dish to Share!!

The New Year has begun with all its promise and brightness. I would like to suggest for all parents of children in the age range of 4 years to 6th grade that one of your resolutions be bringing the children to Sunday School. We choose one story per month to look at in various ways, sometimes cooking, sometimes art, sometimes something we’ve never before tried. Our five-year goal is to present 60 stories from the Bible for the children which they can remember and apply in their lives. Our framework for the two main semesters is based on these 7 concepts: Creation, Man’s Fall, God Keeps Calling, The Righteous Few, The Law & Its Purpose, Redemption and Proclamation. During the summer we choose 2-3 stories that we consider important enough without fitting them into the framework and Advent and Lent have their own cycle. Thus, last summer, we studied David, Saul and Solomon and in Lent & Advent we took on Palm Sunday and Isaiah’s Prophecies. Each story, whether from the Old Testament or the New, points to Christ as our salvation and Savior.

We are excited about our new lineup for the spring, which begins this month. Here are the five stories chosen for the Spring semester:

Jesus Appears to the Disciples (yes, it’s Easter this month!): Memory Verse John 21:17bJesus is Baptized: Memory Verse Luke 3:17The Last Supper (special Lenten study): Memory Verse Luke 22:19bJairus/The Sick Woman: Memory Verse (to be announced)The Great Commission/Philip and the Ethiopian: Memory Verse Matthew 28:19

Some of the workshops we will use include: computers, Cooking, Science, Games, Missions and so much more. We try to find interesting and innovative ways to teach the children the lessons so that they stay with them throughout their lives. We were thrilled during our VBS last summer to find that many of our Sunday School children could tell us the Moses stories we used. They had learned them the year before in Sunday School and had remembered them. Nothing makes a teaching team happier than when the children remember and repeat (we’ll be doing a lot of that this year also).

Well, there’s the lineup for the fall. We’re hoping that there is enough interest generated from this list that parents will at least give it a try for their children. We start the class at 10:00 with snack time (so they can skip the food table in the Parish Hall) and then spend 30 minutes in the lesson. While we would love more time each week, we have found that we can get a lot of learning done in that time.

On the Youth Education slat wall each month, you will find a calendar of the rotations. We’d love to be a part of your child’s life for their formative years. If you have any questions, ask – we’re more than eager to answer!!

Deacon Jennifer & the WoRM Team(Lisa Musick, Anna Weil, Susan Howard, Tracy Pegues, Janie Wilson, Kim Willoughby, Kelly Edwards, Tracey Weissling, Anne Sundquist)

Sweetheart DinnerSunday, February 8, 2015

5:30 PM / Parish HallThis is always a popular and fun night for our

adults and STAY kids.Proceeds benefit STAY.

Watch the Sunday Bulletin for details.

J.I. Packer in his book Grounded in the Gospel: Building Believers the Old Fashioned Way, argues that the Anglican Communion needs to go back to the basics in order to avoid the problems that have plagued the modern church. We have used his basic model to lay out our Adult Education program over the last couple of years, starting with Alpha, then adding the Catechism and finally by teaching a basic Bible study that covers the whole Bible. These foundational courses are designed to be repeated periodically in order to insure that newcomers have an opportunity to share in our common understanding of what it means to be an Anglican. It is our belief that these are necessary ingredients for those who wish to experience the full benefits of discipleship that leads to membership and leadership within the church body. For those that have already been members they have provided a great opportunity to have deeper discussion and fellowship and to reaffirm our shared sense of values. If you have not yet experienced these three programs, we will be offering them again in the future and we encourage you to join us in our shared journey as we seek to be transformed into the image that Christ has modeled for us.

For those of you who just completed the catechism class we would ask you to take a few minutes to look back through the materials and write us some suggestions for how the material might be altered and improved before we present it again in the future and share it with other members of the ACNA. I have already gotten some written feedback and we thank those of you who have taken the time to email Deacon John (johnp@springisd.org) with your suggestions and observations.

Travel with Mar ty & Ramonato Bethlehem for their special

“Star Search”

JANUARY 4 AT 5:00 PM

Landon&

Lyla Mann

Holy Baptism

Thanksgiving Dinner

Women’s AdventLuncheon

Dedicationof

our new stained glass

Breakfast with Santa