Sunday, January 29, 2012: Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

Worship at 8:15 and 11:00 AM -

Musical Offerings at 8:15 – Gloria Dei Choir: Sing a New Song to the Lord by Stephen L. Lawrence;  at 11:00 – Hosanna Handbells: Morning Has Broken settings by Martha Lynn Thompson

— 9:30 Children’s & Adult Christian Education (click here for details)

Worship, Word, Witness on Wednesdays -  This is a time for every member of the family to have music, bible study, fellowship & service.  Dinner and Devotions @ 6pm.  Music, Study, Fellowship & Service from 6:30-7:30pm. WOW is for everyone!!! Click here for schedule & details. Click here to register online!!!

— 6:30 “Faith Formation—A Conversation with Parents and Grandparents” is in session on Wednesday evenings, at 6:30pm.  It is not too late to join in these sessions, please contact Chris Ray if you would like to participate.

Friday, Feb. 3rd - Gathering Place - This ministry is free of charge and is available to the entire Kingwood/Humble area.  Interfaith CarePartners works in partnership with Holy Comforter to provide The Gathering Place which meets the first Friday of each month to provide fun, fellowship, food, etc. for our care partners who have mild to moderate disabilities such as dementia, stroke, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.  Contact Pam orBeth for more info.

Sunday, Feb. 5th
—- Children sing at 11:00 AM service, to sing Jesus’ Hands Were Kind Hands
—- Sandwich Sunday – The first Sunday of every month, a ministry which provides sandwiches and lunch items to Star of Hope to feed the homeless in Houston.  We delivered over 275 lunches on January 8!  Click here for more info or contact Melissa or Christy.

Friday, Feb. 10th

—- 5:30, 6:15 and 7pm - Night in Italy – Our annual Italian Dinner Pre-School Fundraiser is almost here! Don’t forget to donate items for the silent auction and raffle. Proceeds will go toward upgrading the fire alarm system.

—- The Lutheran Men in Mission Annual Gathering - All men of the ELCA and their friends 14 years to 104— at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Kenner, LA.  More info to follow.

Sunday, Feb. 12th

—- HCLC Annual Meeting, Part II, immediately following the 11:00am service.  Make your plans now to be here.
—- Humble Area Assistance Ministries (HAAM) - H.A.A.M. Day is the second Sunday of each month.  Everyone is encouraged to share from your bounty by offering non-perishable food items. Click here for more information.

February 26^th through April 1st - Small Group Ministry Campaign - Discover the joy of serving others.  In our ‘me-first’ culture, servanthood is the earmark of men and women who have discovered the joy of giving. But the secret to servanthood isn’t running ourselves ragged, trying to be everything to everyone.  It is pouring freely out of a full cup the things you were designed to give. More details coming soon.

February 27,  Registration for HCLC 2012-13 School year will begin for existing families and church member and March 5 Open to public.

Friday, March 23, 2012 - 3rd – 6th Grade Lutherhill Retreat - What a great time to discover how God’s light can be applied to everyday living. You want to know more; more about God, more about your life with God, and more about the light God put in you. Lutherhill is ready to explore God’s light with you and how you can be a laser show for Christ! Arrive Friday at 8pm. Depart Sunday at 11am. Activities include: Worship, Fellowship, High Ropes Course, Campfire & S’mores, Arts & Crafts, Canoeing, Cost: $70 per person (sponsors receive a 20% discount). Contact Chris Ray for details.

Sunday, April 1st – Children’s Choir Sings – Palm/Passion Sunday at BOTH services at the beginning. Save the Date!

• 2012-13 marks the 40th ANNIVERSARY of Holy Comforter Preschool!!!!!!!

• In January, the Sandwich Sunday team delivered 275 sandwiches to Houston’s Homeless. Keep up the momentum folks!!!

• Our bulbs are growing!  Jeanne Street has been helping the preschool students learn about flowers and the bulbs we planted in December are up!  Go see the horseshoe  flower bed in back of the Education building.

• What a glorious celebration we had on Christmas Eve!  A meaningful worship service, inspirational music and a memorable gathering of family and friends.  At the Christmas Eve Worship services there were 463 people at Holy Comforter offering their praises to God.  We were all blessed by these services.  Special thank you to all the musicians for their beautiful music that added so much to all these  services .

• On December 11, we received with joy the following new members:  Scott and Susan Muellner, Christopher; Dan and Kim Snyder, Collin & Cody.  We are so happy to have you as members with us as we minister to God’s kingdom in this place. Please extend your handshake of welcome to our newest members.

• Music Ministry always has room for more singers and ringers!  Please see the calendar, or the blue schedule in the narthex for the rehearsal schedule.  Join us!

• Registration is currently underway for the Fall 2011-12 school year.  We offer Mother’sDay Out, Preschool, and Extended Care for children ages 2—5.  Contact Colleen Engel, Director, at 281-358-9337 or email her for more info.

• Click the link below for other opportunities and information.

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Merry Christmas. Feliz Navidad. God Jul. Mo’adim Lesimkha. Chena tova. Mele Kalikimaka. Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok. There are many ways to say Merry Christmas around our world. But we are really all one family. One community. Especially on a day like Christmas, that is celebrated by Christians around the globe. Join us December 11th for a new way to celebrate the holidays and “Go Deeper” in our faith. We will celebrate the holidays and explore ways to give of ourselves and give back to our family–Our Global Family.

A Christmas Feast From South Of The Border

What a better way to celebrate the holidays than a fiesta. Our journey of being a “Global Family” starts in Mexico with a holiday meal from “South of the Border.” Join us at Noon after the 11:00 a.m. service for an Enchilada dinner complete with tamales, rice beans and a wonderful dessert.

There is no charge for this catered meal. There will be a free will basket and suggested donations are $8.00 per person/$20.00 dollars per family. Your generosity is appreciated.

Celebrating God’s Gifts & Giving to One Another

As we eat as a “Global Family” we will also be learning about God’s gifts to us and how we can give to one another. During this intergenerational event will celebrate and learn about the giving spirit of Christmas.

Angel Tree

Please remember to bring gifts to church on or before Sun. Dec. 11, 2011. Gifts will be delivered to El Buen Pastor Lutheran Church, Azleway foster children, Village Learning Center and ELCA World Hunger through the “Good Gifts” program.

Thank you for making the holidays brighter for these families! For more information click here.

We will have several fun activities to help families talk about God’s gifts to us and how we can give to one another. Activities include: making table runners, creating your own Christmas ornaments to give away, and learning a new way to pray “Come, Lord Jesus.”

December nights are often packed with activities. Come assemble a simple minestrone soup recipe to prepare for a simple easy dinner. Dinner comes with table grace and family devotion!

Come here about different ways to honor friends and loved ones with gifts that will go on to make a difference in the world. With more than 50 different giving options–from ten little chicks to helping a family escape poverty to a scholarship to help a young leader attend seminary–there’s something for everyone on your list.

During this time we will also be collecting fleece for our annual blanket ministry. Join us to hear more about how you can help make blankets that will go to help those in need this holiday season.

Pageants, Blessings and a Special Visit

After we all share a meal and learn just how to give as a “Global Family,” come join us in the Sanctuary for a very special and spontaneous celebration. We will bless all of the gifts you have put under our “Angel Tree.” We will also talk about the true meaning of Christmas in a special Christmas Pageant. And don’t be surprised if a special visitor joins us to conclude this special day.

That’s right—St. Nicholas himself will stop by for a visit.

It will be special day and the start of a new tradition at Holy Comforter Lutheran Church. So come by on December 11th starting right after the 11:00 AM worship service for “The Gift of Christmas: Being A Global Family.”

Christmas Outreach Project “The Angel Tree”

In keeping with our congregation’s Christmas theme “Global Community,” the Angel Tree Project will serve four groups: members of El Buen Pastor Lutheran Church, Azleway foster children, the Village Learning Center in Kingwood, and ELCA World Hunger through the “Good Gifts” program.

The Angel Tree will be in the narthex on November 13, 2011. There will be four categories to choose from when you decide to be part of this project:

Angel cutouts will represent families and children from El Buen Pastor Lutheran Church. We will provide a gift for the children of this sister congregation and a grocery store gift card for each family to help ensure that each family from this congregation can share a Christmas meal together.

Hand cutouts will represent items needed for the Village Learning Center in Kingwood. The Village Learning Center is an organization that works to create the support and services needed to affect positive changes in the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities, their families, and our local community.

Child cutouts will represent foster children from Azleway Children’s Services, a foster care agency located in Humble but that serves children from 13 Texas counties surrounding Harris County. This year we will be giving to children who are coming into foster care right before Christmas who would otherwise have no gifts, as this has become a rising need.

Animal cutouts will represent animals that are part of the ELCA Good Gifts program with ELCA World Hunger. Each animal donated will be sent to a family in a needy community overseas.

The tree will be decorated with the Angels, Hands, Children, and Animals. The back of each cutout will give you more information about the group you have chosen and how to proceed. Your gifts will be due back on Sunday, December 11, 2011 for our big Christmas celebration.

Thanks you so much for your participation in this outreach project. If you have any questions, or would like to help with this project, please call Melissa Schiefelbein at 832-247-3683.

Thank you for participating in our annual Christmas outreach project. Please call Melissa Schiefelbein at 832-247-3683 with any questions.