The story of Joseph is a novella spanning 3 chapters in the book of Genesis. The Bible Project does a good job succinctly sharing this story in video format: watch the video

Joseph is the youngest brother who his brothers resent for his extraordinary gifts and the favoritism that is showed him. 

Join us on Sunday as we hear lessons from Joseph’s life and what it means to for God to continue to create good in the midst of suffering.

Deacon Andrew has announced that he will be leaving Texas in October to take a new call in North Carolina. He will be working with a local congregation as their Deacon for Faith Formation and Outreach as well as serving part-time with the NC Synod. Here is his letter sharing his news with both Peace and St. Andrew (a hard copy has also been mailed to everyone at both congregations). Deacon Andrew’s last Sunday at Peace will be October 6^th. Details about a farewell celebration of Deacon Andrew’s 5 years of ministry with us will be coming soon. Please plan to join us in wishing Deacon Andrew all the best.  You are also welcome to reach out to Deacon Andrew directly via email (deaconandrew@peacenb.org) or phone/text (803-318-9933).  

Please join the Mission Endowment Fund Committee for an informative lunch and meeting on Sunday, September 22 immediately after the 10:00 AM service. John Roalson, gift planner with Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest, will present an educational session on Legacy Planning for Family and Ministry. This session will cover how you can plan to care for your family and ministry after you’ve passed on, and how to do it in the most tax-advantaged way possible.  John will also share with us what an endowment fund is and how it is a blessing for ministry now and in the future.

John’s role as gift planner is to facilitate and teach legacy stewardship in Texas. The services of John and Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest are at no cost to members or congregations. John lives with his family in the Houston area, is a proud graduate of Texas Lutheran University and is a member of Christ the King Lutheran Church, Houston.

Our wonderful Fellowship Team will be serving lunch that day. We would like to have a “ballpark idea” of how many people to plan for lunch. Please email, call, or text Cheryl Braaten or Nathan Anderson to join us for this event.

cherylbraaten@gmail.com 832-603-0530
nanderson5663@gmail.com 713-376-0273

“We enjoy shade from trees we did not plant and water from wells we did not dig.” - Deuteronomy 6:11

Join us from 11:30 to 1pm for a potluck lunch in the Peace Fellowship Hall. Drinks provided.

Bring your favorite Game (or your friendly conversation)

Name tags are here and we are excited to put names to faces! We want to create a community that knows one another.

Sometimes nametags create a system of insiders and outsiders; the people who have nametags and those who don’t.  But the new system will be an easy on-demand thermal printing method that will give everyone a chance to be known without the problem of having some kind of special standing.

Not everyone likes to wear a nametag, but our hope is that you’ll practice the gift of hospitality so that others can know your name and recognize the value of community.

Good news, Family Promise is back and we will have people staying with us from September 22 to the 28th. Peace Lutheran will be hosting Family Promise clients from approximately 6pm to 6:30 am each day. Volunteers are needed. If you haven't volunteered with Family Promise in the past, you are welcome to join us now. Here is the link to our SignUp Genius (also found in the eblast) https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0D48ABA922AAFA7-50985143-family

If you do not have time to volunteer, we are in need of donations. In the Narthex, there is a basket where we are accepting donations of bath towels, hand towels, grab and go breakfast items, and snacks. If you have any questions, you can call Shannon at (830)481-7431 or email at sprocknowjohnson@gmail.com

Yoga (ALL levels), VIRTUAL Thursdays @ 5:30pm until further notice. Find the link and RSVP below.

Chair Yoga, Thursdays @ 11:00am will continue! RSVP below.

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.

The September Mission Spotlight is Family Life Center, located at 1528 E Common St in New Braunfels.  

Family Life Center acts as first contact for people in crisis in our community and served 4,350 families in need in 2023.  After contact is made, a  referral program assesses what local agencies and organizations are best suited to help families in need. 

A Crisis Intervention Program is used to ascertain and address individual crisis situations.  These crises Include financial difficulties, health issues, relationship conflicts, substance abuse, domestic violence, loss of a loved one or any other stressors that affect a family.  Once the assessment has been made, assistance is provided for budgeting, finances, food and other areas.

Family Life Center has a Holiday Program designed to bring hope and joy during the Holiday season. Families with children are qualified for gifts and lists are distributed throughout the community. In 2023, over 1,500 children in the New Braunfels area benefited from this program.

The week prior to Thanksgiving, Family Life Center facilitate and fund part of a two-weeks food distribution that includes turkey and sides for over 1,000 families that are below the poverty level.

Throughout the year, Family Life Center partners with SA and NB Food Banks and Tree of Life Church to distribute food to an average of 300 families a month. These families cannot cover basic  expenses and are one financial emergency away from not being able to afford necessities.

How can Peace help?  Any donation is appreciated and significant.   Volunteers for monthly food distribution the third Thursday of each month  at 7:45 at Tree of Life Campus are welcomed.

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.

September 22, 2024

James 4:1, 2 – Those conflicts and disputes among you … do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts.

James puts his finger on the pulse of human misery. We drive ourselves crazy by craving the things we don’t have and envying those who have more than we do! Spiritual maturity and practicing steward/discipleship help bring us sanity.

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!