Jesus returns to his hometown of Nazareth and is disappointed at their lack of faith. They think they have him all figured out already and have left no openness to the wonder of Jesus as the
Son of God.

When we think we have God entirely figured out, we leave no room for the ever-expanding power of God in our lives. It’s as if we put the infinite in the smallest of places to make it more manageable. But you can’t contain the infinite.

Join us on Sunday as Jesus challenges us to grow beyond what we already know.

The anniversaries listed in last week's newsletter for July were incorrect. Please refer to the corrected anniversaries provided here. The July Newsletter has been revised to incorporate these changes.

Peace is invited to celebrate with St. Andrew the Installation Worship for Pastor Chris Steubing on July 7th, 3pm, at St. Andrew Lutheran Church. Reception and fellowship to follow.

Has it really been before the pandemic since we had a new pictorial directory? Yes, and the church has changed a lot since then.

Our hope is that this directory will help you get to know your community here at Peace. 

When and where can I get a directory?
Each household may pick up a directory in the lobby area of the church from June 14 - July.

What about people whose pictures aren’t in the directory?
The problem with printed directories is that the moment you print them, they begin to be outdated. New people joining our community can be added over time with extra pages to be printed after New to Peace orientations.

Peace will also aim to create a new directory every 2-3 years in order to stay current.

In addition, we are exploring options for a digital directory that can be managed much more easily.

If you would like to support this cause financially, please make checks out to Peace Lutheran Church. Giving online is available as well by clicking the link or scanning the code below. Regardless of your method of support, please be sure to include "Mission Spotlight" in the memo.

NO CHAIR YOGA ON JULY 4TH (for the holiday)!

Yoga (ALL levels) - Tuesdays @ 5:30pm, Peace
Chair & Gentle Mat Yoga - Thursdays @ 11:00am, Peace

New students are always welcome. Scan the QR code or follow the link to RSVP. You will need to RSVP for each individual class at least 30 minutes before the class. Classes will be donation based ($10 recommended).
OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY!

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What is Yoga? Yoga is a practice for healthy living.
Yoga is a mind, body, and spirit practice that can build strength, flexibility, balance, resilience, and community. Using breathwork and asana (Sanskrit word for “poses”) an entire yoga practice allows the individual to develop a mind-body awareness that can help manage pain, reduce stress, increases mobility, prevent and recover from injuries.

These classes will be beginner friendly -
for ALL ages and abilities.

If you have questions please email dhickey1@satx.rr.com or call (210) 347-6338. 

OYTL webpage: https://www.lutheranmeninmission.org/events/one-year-to-live

SW TX OYTL link: https://www.lutheranmeninmission.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2024-OYTL-Camp-Chrysalis.pdf

SW TX OYTL Registration: https://lutheranmeninmission.dm.networkforgood.com/forms/sept-13-15-2024-oytl-men-s-retreat-camp-chrysalis-kerrville-tx

July 7, 2024 (7^th Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 9, Year B)
Mark 6:8, 9 – Jesus ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics.
What do you need? Most of us think we need far more than we actually do, and our lives become weighed down by possessions. When Jesus sends out the disciples with very little, he reminds us that we, too, need very little. What could you do without?

July 14, 2024 (8^th Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 10, Year B)

Psalm 85:10-12 –Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky. The LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.
Everybody wants peace and security, but most of us try to achieve it the world’s way – by accumulating power, treasure and pleasure. The Psalm sets us right: It’s relationship with God and one another that give us what we want.

Copies for the second quarter are at the Welcome Table.

Our friends at Snapology will be back at Peace from May 27 to August 16, 9am - 4pm, Monday - Friday.

The Fellowship Hall will be unavailable for rental or events during that time. If you will be in and out of the church this summer, please respect their time and space. 

All Pre-K through Elementary grade children are invited each Sunday to join us for “God's Story”. This is our way of connecting God’s big story to their own stories at a level appropriate for young children. Together we dive into the scripture for the day using a variety of teaching resources. Our goal is to create a safe space for children to have meaningful conversations about God, Jesus, faith, and our everyday lives.

“God’s Story” takes place during the scripture and sermon portion of our worship service (about 20-25 minutes). We meet in our Fellowship Hall, which is in visible proximity to our sanctuary and restrooms. The children are led by our wonderful team of trained and background checked adults from our congregation. If you’d like to help or have any questions, please reach out to Deacon Andrew.

Starting Tuesday, January 9, 6:30pm
The Sermon On The Mount

Featuring videos and study materials from our friends at the
Bible Project.

They have a wonderful new series on Jesus' Sermon on the Mount that you can explore at your own pace. We will also be using this material for our Tuesday Zoom Bible study, Tuesdays at 6:30 pm.
We'd love for you to join us!

Here's the Bible Project link to get you started:

Bible Project Sermon on the Mount Playlist

Tuesday Zoom Bible Study link

Sunday mornings @ 8:30AM in-person in Peace Conference Room and on ZOOM  

LIVING THE QUESTIONS
"Living the Questions"offers a variety of faith-based guides introducing progressive Christianity in 20-minute DVD sessions with leading voices of faith.  "Seekers & Sponges" was so stirred many years ago that we are bringing it back Sunday, May 5. at 8:30 am. In person and Zoom.
Life abounds with questions. We ask for answers. You're invited to check it out!

In our class, everyone in our group becomes a teacher for one another, sharing experiences and perspectives that facilitates a respectful, enlightening approach to adult learning.      

Click HERE to join by Zoom. 

Sunday mornings from 8:45 am—9:30 am
In the Fellowship Room
All ages welcome

Bring your coffee & snacks and join us for a time of weekly conversation together. Our focus will be learning basics about Christian faith, belief, and practice through a Lutheran lens. We want this to be an open time for questions and conversation—all questions are allowed and encouraged! Think of it like “Christianity 101”, designed both for folks who are newer to learning about the Christian faith, as well as for anyone who would like to deepen their understanding of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus in the world today. We look forward to seeing you!

Mission (Why do we exist?)
To love like Jesus so that each person experiences God’s Way.
 
Vision (What kind of community is God calling us to be?)
A world made whole through love.

Core Values (What guides our daily actions and decisions?)
Shalom – Actively pursuing reconciliation and wholeness. [John 14:27]
Compassion – Recognizing and entering into our shared humanity. [Luke 10:25-37]
Service – Responding to the needs of others. [Matthew 25:31-40]
Grace – Sharing the love that God first gives us. [I John 4:7-10]

Perspectives (Which parts of our church will we focus on?)
Stewardship (Time, Talents, Treasure) (e.g., Healthy Fund Balance)
Loving Our Neighbors (e.g., Family Promise Program)
Ministry/Processes (e.g., Dynamic Worship)
Discipleship (Learning and Growth) (e.g., Life of Faith Initiative)
 
Objectives (goals) (What do we want to accomplish?)
Measures (metrics) – How will we measure progress?
Targets – What are our targets for the next year? Two years? Five years?
Initiatives – What can we do so that we reach our targets?

PEACE PRAYER MINISTRY:

Did you make any resolutions for the New Year? Many of us have a desire to have a more intimate prayer life, so might I suggest carving out more time for prayer and reflection? Peace Lutheran Church has an active Prayer Ministry. We have an Email Prayer Chain, we have a Zoom “Sweet Hour of Prayer” Group that meets every Monday morning at 9:00 a.m. and we have a Prayer loom that is included in our Sunday morning prayers. I would like to welcome new members to join our email Prayer Chain and our Monday morning Prayer Group. We have experienced some amazing, answered prayers this year and we have given comfort to many of our members in their times of distress. Please consider being a part of our Prayer Ministry in this new year. You can email me at beckyvoges@yahoo.com for more information.

Our weekly Prayer Group Zooms every Monday at 9:00 am  via Zoom only.   Click HERE to join by Zoom.  We have a devotion, share prayer requests and pray over each request. The group is led by Becky Voges.  If you would like to be a part of the group, please email Becky (beckyvoges@yahoo.com).  All prayer requests will be kept confidential. 

Prayer Chain Requests - email Becky (beckyvoges@yahoo.com).

PASTOR'S VIRTUAL CONVERSATION:   
Every Monday from 3 pm - 3:30 pm; Come join Pastor Jake on Zoom to ask questions, check-in, and lift up prayers. Join HERE - Meeting ID: 991 3660 5065; Password: 015347

TECH SUPPORT:
Need some technical support? Trying to stay connected in a virtual world can be frustrating when things don't work or the technological learning curve seems steep. If you need some help, contact: Patti Kassel @ kasselpatti@gmail.com 

We are part of one church body organized in three expressions — congregations, synods, and the churchwide organization. Each expression has its particular functions but all three together share a common mission of doing God’s work in the world and proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. Together, they ensure a solid foundation of leadership, active involvement in communities, opportunities for dialogue and diverse perspectives, creative partnerships, and support for members and ministries of the ELCA.

Technical difficulties happen! Here are options for watching previous services and how to watch them if difficulties arise in the future. Please email Madison at office@peacenb.org with any questions.

How to watch the service live on Sundays (Peace Website):

1. Go to https://www.peacenb.org/ (We encourage you to bookmark this website)
2. Scroll down to the “Join Livestream” button and enjoy!
3. OR click the “Livestream” tab at the top of the homepage and enjoy!

How to watch the service live on Sundays (YouTube):

1. Go to Peace’s YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@peacelutheran1200 (We encourage you to bookmark this webpage)
2. Go to the “Live” tab at the top of the page
3. Around 9:55am on Sunday morning, you will see the service for that day go "live" - enjoy!

How to watch previous sermons:

1. Go to https://www.peacenb.org/ (We encourage you to bookmark this website)
2. Click the “Communication” tab at the top of the homepage, then click “Pastor’s Message”
3. Click on the sermon you would like to watch. 
4. That should take you to YouTube where you can watch the sermon!

How to watch previous worship services (in full):

1. Go to Peace’s YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@peacelutheran1200 (We encourage you to bookmark this webpage)
2. Go to the “Live” tab at the top of the page

Click on the video with the date of the service you would like to watch and enjoy!