Joyline

The

NOVEMBER 2009 A MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF ST MARK LUTHERAN CHURCH

N E W ! Bible Studies for Fall

Sundays | November 1 through December 13 | 9:45 to 10:45 a.m.

Challenge of Islam: Parenting:

What is Islam?
To the Western mind, the faith
and practice of Islam are often a pro-
found mystery. In recent years, this
religion has emerged as a prominent
-- yet misunderstood -- belief system.
Class Leader, Duane Heckmann,
will guide you through this study by
Arab-Christian, Sam Shamoun, as
he unveils some of the mystique sur-
rounding this religion first preached
by Muhammad and today practiced
by more than one billion people
worldwide.
In this study, participants will
learn about the “Five Pillars of Islam,”
examine what the Quran says about the role of Abraham, the Trinity,
angels and jinn (genies), the attributes of Jesus Christ, the character
of Muhammad, Judgment Day, and paradise.
The Quran is the premier Muslim holy book; its 114 chapters
are the faith-guide for Muslims everywhere. Did you know the
Quran claims Jesus is not God, nor is He the Son of God? Were
you aware Quranic teaching says the religion of the patriarchs --
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as well as all the prophets -- is Islam?
Shamoun asks, “Christians, do you see the challenge of Islam, and
are you prepared to deal with this challenge?”
While Islam is a religious force to be reckoned with, it already
has been dealt its deathblow through the atoning work of Jesus
Christ. Armed with love and an attitude that considers Muslims
-- like everyone else -- those for whom Christ died, Christians can
share the same Good News that gives them salvation. As Shamoun
says, “The only thing that can defeat Islam is the Gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ.”
With Love & Logic
Ephesians 6:4 tells us “Fathers, do not ex-
asperate your children; instead, bring them up
in the training and instruction of the Lord.”
It’s true kids don’t come with an owner’s
manual, so how can you raise your child in a way
that is pleasing to the Lord -- and you for that
matter? Leaders Chris Cohrs and John Birdsong
will help you explore Jim Fay’s and Dr. Charles
Fay’s Love and Logic® techniques by using
some of their most popular DVDs that teach you
to take the responsibility away from yourself and
put it on your child in a logical but loving way.
These videos will help you learn how to disci-
pline without anger and threats, raise responsible
kids, and learn how to deal with everyday issues
such as conquering chores and ending sibling bickering. Come join
us as we learn how to make parenting fun!
Love and Logic®
will help you deter-
mine what type
of parenting style
you use, what will
and will not work
with your kids, and
great comebacks
every parent should
know.
Moms...Dads...
Grandparents...
Teachers... -- this
is a class you won’t
want to miss!
 Let’s Get

Social!
It is often said that “you cannot communicate too much.”
I don’t know if that’s true or not, but I suspect that, even if it’s not,
we are a long way off from over communicating!
We are trying to remedy some of that.
You may have heard of online blogs and of “social networks”
like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the like. St. Mark has had a
basic blog for awhile but we have now also added Facebook, Twit-
ter, and YouTube (and a couple of other blogs) to the list of ways
we can communicate and share what is happening at St. Mark.
Although not all of these avenues are fully integrated at this
Thanksgiving Service
time, all of their addresses should be fairly easy to remember. (The November 25 @ 7:00 pm
following is not an exhaustive list, but it does include what will be
the most important avenues of information and communication.)
• St. Mark’s Website: www.stmarkhouston.org
• St. Mark’s Blog: stmarkhouston.blogspot.com GIVING 100%
• St. Mark’s Facebook: facebook.com/stmarkhouston
10 Goals of 10 by 2010
• St. Mark’s Twitter: twitter.com/stmarkhouston (or just
follow @stmarkhouston) All but two teams now have leaders and have been
meeting to discuss their charge in one way or another.
• St. Mark’s YouTube: youtube.com/stmarkhouston
God is very good in that several of the teams look like
• There is also a new and very cool youth web site which they will meet their goals without too much difficulty. A
is almost ready for show...but not quite yet. Stay tuned! few will have a very difficult time reaching them. All-
Our presence online will continue to increase to include wor- in-all, however, I continue to thank God for the work of
ship services, special events, newsletter articles (before they show so many to bring together the Body of Christ here at St.
up in the printed version!), and the like; so please keep your eye Mark and work together for God’s glory and the benefit
on them. of His people!

In addition, there will be several specific RSS feeds for these Thank you and blessings in Christ!
items published for you soon so that you can receive the news you Pastor Scott Heitshusen
need in the form and manner that will work the best for you!
Socially yours,
Front cover image:
The St. Mark Cougar Varsity Soccer Team battles Memorial Lutheran
on Thursday, October 8. Thus far this season, Varsity Soccer has won
2nd Place in the Concordia Tournament, 2nd in HLAC regular season
Pastor Scott Heitshusen and 3rd in the HLAC post-season tournament. Go Cougs!

page 
 10/10 Bible
Study Group
Board of Directors Offers Survey

PORT
As most of you know by now,

RE
we have teams working on increas-
ing participation in some areas in the
church through Pastor Heitshusen’s
initiative of “10 Goals of 10 by
2010.” One of those areas is Bible
Studies. As a member of St. Mark
I feel very strong about this area.
If you haven’t read the book of Nehemiah recently, please take some time to do so. This is the place where we get the
It is a tremendous account of seeking and accomplishing God’s will. There are many, many most out of the Word of GOD. This
outstanding lessons that can be learned from Nehemiah’s story. is something we take with us for
the week ahead. We go to church to
At the time of Nehemiah, 140 years have passed since the Babylonians conquered be forgiven of our sins and to Bible
Jerusalem and generations of Jews have been in exile. The wall that was once around Jeru- Studies to help us grow in our faith
salem has been reduced to rubble and the gates are cinders. Remember that when Nehemiah (and to do better on the not sinning
heard the news about the wall he lived hundreds of miles away from Jerusalem. Nehemiah part!). So if we go to Bible Study
followed certain principles in order to accomplish God’s will. We are also trying to follow to grow in faith - why do we call it
certain, similar principles to accomplish God’s will for St. Mark through the Giving 100% “study”? We are not there for a test
Campaign. or to be tested, but to grow...to feed

“
Nehemiah first identified a need, just as Pastor Heitshusen did as he outlined 10 differ- on the Word of GOD.
ent areas which he felt needed intentional direction. Second, Nehemiah then spent time in With this being said - what if we
prayer. Fred and Katie Tonn have done called our groups “growth groups”
an outstanding work putting together a or something similar? We still go to
specific prayer team praying for each them to learn. We meet new people
of the 10 groups. Third, Nehemiah ap- This entire endeavor within the groups and different stud-
proached other leaders to assist him with
the resources he needed. The Board of is in God’s hands... ies that interest us. Our current home

”
studies are called JOY GROUPS.
Day School Ministries, Board of Elders and
Board of Directors are solidly behind this effort in His timing...and So, with this being said I would
like to ask everyone to fill out a
to be of assistance in any way possible and to
provide necessary resources.
under His direction. survey that the 10/10 Bible Study
Team has prepared. This survey is
Nehemiah’s next step was to assess the situation. Each of the 10 going to help us get a better picture
groups will assess the current situation as it relates to their specific of what the people of St. Mark are
charge and use this as a baseline to measure accomplishments. Nehe- looking for!
miah followed this up with meeting with people to explain his plan. Pastor Heitshusen has
done a great job in casting this vision and explaining the specific goals. Nehemiah encour- The link to access this survey
aged the people, organized them and got them involved. We are diligently working to get as may be found on St. Mark’s web
many people involved in this campaign as possible. It is much better to have many people site at www.stmarkhouston.org or a
involved; it lessens the work load, creates synergy, fosters better teamwork, encourages hard copy may be obtained from the
creativity and produces better results in less time. Nehemiah stayed focused on rebuilding Welcome Center desk.
the wall and did not get discouraged by naysayers and other distractions.
We are making progress in most every area of this campaign. At this point, only two
We ask that all surveys
teams remain without leaders. Many teams have already been meeting to work towards be completed by
accomplishing their respective goals. I mentioned last month that it sometimes feels as if Sunday, November 22!
we are behind the eight ball a little. Re-reading Nehemiah always puts things in perspec-
tive again. The wall around Jerusalem had been in ruins for over 120 years. God worked Thank you for your input!
through Nehemiah to rebuild the wall in 52 days. I no longer feel as if we are behind. This
David McManners,
entire endeavor is in God’s hands...in His timing...and under His direction. “All things are
Team Leader
possible with God!” Mark 10:27b
Group Members,
In His Name,
Cheryl Dinwoodie, Tim Peterson,
Duane Heckmann, Chairman, Rita Schaller & Bruce Schaller
Board of Directors

page 

Being a
CHEERFUL
Giver
Note from the author: A portion of this article is reprised from
November 2005 when it originally ran in The Joyline. Portions of
this material are from the Master Your Money series by Ron Blue.
It’s principles are timeless.
Leaders of St. Mark ask you, from time to time, to give
to this fund or that fund, this project or that project. Certain times
of the year there are multiple projects and fund raisers going on at
the same time. Perhaps you ask yourself, “How do I decide which
fund to support?” and “How can I manage to give to more than
one fund at St. Mark?” Those are great questions. Giving is a key
part of our spiritual growth process…and with growth, we have
questions, we learn, and we experience growing pains.
Giving is an outward, material expression of an inside, spiritual
condition. “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there
may be food in My house. Test Me in this,” says the Lord Almighty,
“and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour
out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”
(Malachi 3:10)
“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap
sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give,
not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful
giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in
all things at all time, having all that you need, you will abound in
every good work. As it is written: ‘He has scattered abroad His
gifts to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.’ Now He who
supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and
increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your
righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can
be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will
result in thanksgiving to God.” (II Corinthians 9:6-11)
These Bible verses encourage and command us to give, and
clearly spell out for us the fruits of the spirit of giving. But what
about your “how” questions from the first paragraph above? To
answer those questions, there are three very relevant questions you
should also ask yourself as you plan to give:
page 
1. When should I give?
2. Where should I give?
3. How much should I give?
Scriptural guidelines and principles answer these questions,
and they can be summarized in six words.
• Preemptively
• Periodically
• Purposefully
• Proportionately
• Planned
• Precommitted
When Should I Give?
A. Preemptively - Proverbs 3:9 “Honor the Lord
with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all
your increase.” Giving should have the first priority
over all other uses of money.
B. Periodically - I Corinthians 16:2 “On the first day of every
week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in
keeping with his income…..” Giving should be done as
income is received.
Where Should I Give?
Purposefully - II Corinthians 9:12 “This service that you
perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also
overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.” We should
make a purposeful decision to give where the Scripture says God’s
interest lies. The answer to the question “where should I give” is
different for every person; however, one thing remains the same.
For everyone who gives to St. Mark, not one of the funds is more im-
portant than the others. Just as you have short-term, medium-term,
and long-term financial needs in your household, so does St. Mark.
The Bible clearly tells us to give not only to supply our day to day
needs but also to store up for later needs, and to leave an inheritance
for future generations, to give to the needy, for evangelism, and for
discipleship in our community and all over the world.
How Much Should I Give?
A. Proportionately - the “should give” level, in proportion
to the amount we have received.
B. Planned - the “could give” level, the amount that I could
give if I were willing to give up something else. Sacrificial giving.
Deferred giving from estate plans.
C. Precommitted - the “would give” level, committing our-
selves to giving if God provides a certain amount supernaturally.
Faith giving.
Our challenges are many. Consider this one: To prayerfully
make a pledge (to St. Mark Lutheran School, to St. Mark Lutheran
Church, to the Sign Campaign, to the Endowment, etc.) and then
watch what God does to cause it to become a reality! But remember
to do what God convicts YOU to do, not what anyone else says.
Give cheerfully, and freely, what He tells you to give, and He will
bless your life!
In Him,
Kelly Biar, Director of Operations
BOARD OF
ELDERS
Defining the Elders’ Roll
Your entire Board of Elders has now met to review the deci-
sions made at their August Retreat and confirmed their role in
support of a more Simple, Focused and Excellent discipleship
ministry as espoused in Simple Church by Rainer and Geiger, a
book I referenced in last month’s column. In a nutshell, we’ll take
a more team-based, intentional approach in the work we do. Let’s
review some recent decisions that will help us to revamp the Elders’
role toward modeling and facilitating discipleship at St. Mark:
Family Assignments. The key decision here is the assign-
ment of families to two-Elder teams instead of to a single Elder as
was done in the past. The benefit to this approach is maintaining
consistency in the event that one of the two Elders resigns and an
allowance for mentoring between newer and more established El-
ders. At this point, the Board has made the assignment of families
and your Elders have been encouraged to reach out to you directly.
If you have not been contacted and would like to know who your
elders are, please contact the church office (713/ 468-2623).
Homebound Team. Somewhat related to the Family As-
signments, is the formation of a specialized team lead by Pastor
Duerr and Leonard Vogt, along with Pastor Freed, Gerry Woelfel
and several other lay members, to address the
spiritual needs of our more senior members. This
team will ensure that our homebound and nurs-
ing home members are visited at least bi-weekly,
receiving comfort, prayers and Holy Com-
munion. Thus far, the Pastors, Leonard
and Gerry have done a remarkable job
of visiting these members and with a
larger, specialized team, we believe
our capabilities in this area will be
further improved.
Hospitalized Members. Pas-
tors Duerr and Freed will serve as
the first responders for any hospi-
talized members and will maintain
regular communications to the
Board, including the assigned Elder
team, and convey any specific needs
such as prayer and further visits. As
with the Homebound Team, too many
members in the past weren’t visited in a
timely manner, but with the Pastors tak-
ing on this role we’ve already seen great
improvement with nearly every hospital-
ized member visited at least once during
their stay. Please contact Kim Radtke at
the church office (713/ 468-2623) if you
know of a member needing a visit from
one of the Pastors.
New Member Orientation & Confirmation. These are
our “entry” points for membership, albeit at two ends of the age
spectrum. This is where St. Mark teaches Church doctrine and
key Lutheran Church-Missouri
Synod (LCMS) tenets. While
the Elders have been peripher- Membership
ally involved in both these en-
try points, we’ve committed to
Report
taking an intentional and team-
based role in this ministry. Led
Baptisms
10/11 Alexandra Violet Pampell
by Willis Schrampfer and Steve
Wible on one end and Art Bor-
New Members
man, Bill Reese and yours truly
09/17 Joshua Jackson
on the other end, our intent is
09/26 Becky Duerr
to involve a broader base of
Elders in these critical teach-
Marriages
ing opportunities and “share
09/19 Lillian Johnson and
the wealth,” so to speak, with
Troy Gomez
Sunday responsibilities. In
addition to the 10-week New
Deaths
Member Orientation program, 09/18 Elgin Lochte
your Elders will also lead a 10/10 Ben Kelm
3-week program for existing
LCMS members transferring
into St. Mark and, through the leadership of David McManners as
part of the Giving 100% Campaign, we’re revamping our Adult
Bible Study program with more emphasis placed on Growth Groups
- small groups focused on discipleship. Please see the “10/10 Bible
Study Group Offers Survey” article on page 3 of this issue and take
time to complete the survey as this will greatly help our efforts!
Worship Teams. There’s still some decision-making to be
done in this area, but for now we’re expanding our “footprint” to
support Fred and Katie Tonn’s Prayer Team after each service and
we’re considering ways in which to involve the Acolytes beyond
the lighting of the candles. John Burns, who’s leading our Giving
100% Worship Team, would certainly appreciate any constructive
feedback you may have about improving our worship. He can be
reached at johnp.burns@ge.com.
Education & Training. Educating and training our Elders has
been performed mostly through word of mouth and, as you can
imagine, things get lost in translation. Taking a lesson from suc-
cessful discipleship programs, your Elders will devote significant
time in formally educating ourselves. From prayer to caring, from
Holy Communion to teaching, we understand that a Biblical ap-
proach to these responsibilities as well as continued practice, will
Simplify our actions towards an Excellent ministry. We’ve already
begun to rewrite our outdated Elder training manual and have added
a few chapters. In the new calendar year, we hope to devote some
Focused time to go through this training.
Much of the above remains a big challenge for our group, but
we know with God’s help that we’ll be successful. Specifically, your
Board asks for your continued prayers of patience and encourage-
ment as well as the support of lay volunteers and men of God who’ll
consider joining us in the new calendar year. Speaking of which, if
you do have an interest in supporting your Board of Elders in their
caring of families as either a layperson or Elder, please contact me,
Ed Hardin at msntexas2@yahoo.com.
Ed Hardin, Chairman,
Board of Elders
page 
All God’s Children
There is certainly an international flavor demonstrated at St. Mark Lutheran School! As a matter of fact, the ethnic background of our
student body has changed significantly over the past few years. This year we have students enrolled that are from the Bahamas, Mexico,
Korea, Taiwan, Columbia, and India. The ethnic background of students at St. Mark comparing 2009 and 1995 is shown in Chart 1.
We have also seen the percentages of churched children and
Chart 1 2009 1995
unchurched children change significantly during the history of St.
Percent Actual Percent Actual Mark. Those statistics are shown below in Chart 2.
African American 2% 8 0% 0
Caucasian 75% 264 92% 322 Chart 2 2009 1995 1959
Korean 8% 28 1% 4 St. Mark Members 24% 55% 94%
Hispanic 13% 47 6% 21 Other LCMS Churches 3% 12% 2%
Other 2% 7 1% 5 Non-Lutheran Churches 50% 25% 3%
It is a real joy to see all the foreign students as it allows us the No Church 23% 8% 1%
opportunity to reach out with the message of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ to so many who may not have heard His message.

One can readily see, in more ways than

one, that the mission field has certainly come
to St. Mark Lutheran Church & School. The
amount of school families with no church
home has increased significantly. We have stu-
dents coming from overseas and from within
our own community that are anxious to hear
about Jesus Christ. St. Mark Lutheran School
is an excellent setting for that to happen. What
a privilege and joy it is to share the message
of God’s love through Jesus Christ to these
children and their parents!
Thank you to the members of St. Mark
for your strong support of St. Mark Lutheran
School and All God’s Children!
Herb Mock, Principal
St. Mark Lutheran Schoool

MAM Toy Drive Scooters, skateboards, roller

blades, games like Sorry, Mo-
Memorial Assistance Ministries (MAM) Second Annual nopoly or Twister, baseball bat
Christmas Program for children is now underway and the students & ball, soccer ball, football,
of St. Mark will once again assist in this effort. MAM helps many construction toys like Legos
families in our community who struggle to provide food and basic or Duplos, dolls, craft kits,
necessities for their children. During the holiday season, they also trains, cars, riding toys,
want to share the joy of Christmas with the children. push/pull toys, shape sort-
ers, pretend playsets like
During December 2009, the goal is to provide toys for about garages, airports or doll houses,
600 children ranging in age from newborn to age 15. Younger chil- play gyms, books, CDs or Wal*Mart
dren will receive toys and books while older children will receive gift cards.
Wal*Mart gift cards. MAM needs to collect or purchase over 1800
toys or gift cards! Your generous donations may
be left at the Welcome Center desk.
St. Mark School families and Church members can help by Thanks for your support!
purchasing and donating toys that are new and unwrapped (retail

Please HELP
value not to exceed $50). Donation deadline is Friday,
December 4.

our toy drive!

The following are suggested toy donations that are popular...
but ANY items are welcome! (No stuffed animals, please.)

page 

Sports
On the
Scene
The JV Girls Volleyball Team wrapped
up their 2009 season with a 15 & 1 record. The
girls finished in 2ND Place in the HLAC and brought home a 1ST
Place trophy from the Lutheran High North JV tournament and
another 1ST Place trophy from the Salem JV tournament. Team
members are 5th graders - Taylor Barge, Lena Goodman, Rebecca
Mauer, Alice Morse & Julia Shim. 6th graders - Annabelle Bellows,
Olivia Chapa, Cameron Freeman, Sydney Good, Grace Heckmann,
Kristen Krueger, & Annie Messina. The JV Cougars were coached
by Casandra Brisbin.
The Varsity A Volleyball Team won their first match against
a higher seeded Concordia-San Antonio, 3-2, at the Lutheran
Volleyball Championship of Texas in Brenham. Way to go VB
Coaches Julie Hardin & Lynn Mauer and VB Cougars Jordan Barge,
Dominique Del Signore, Ashley Fritcher, Jordan Hardin, Vanessa
Hernandez, Julia Mauer, Hannah O’Malley, and Alexa Pratt.
The Cougar Cross Country Team has been making TRACKS
in Cross Country meets this season. Notable finishers are 8th
grader Marissa Clark with 2 - 1ST Place finishes and 1 - 2ND
Place finish; 6th grader Kayla Clark has come in 2ND Place 2
times and 7th grader Presley Good has a 2ND Place finish and 2
- 3RD Place finishes.
The 6th grade girls team of Annabella Bellows, Kayla Clark &
Grace Heckmann brought home the 3RD Place team plaque from
GO
the Houston Christian Cross Country Meet. The Cougar
Harriers are coached by Duane
Heckmann.
The Varsity A Soccer team
finished in 3RD Place in the
post-season HLAC
tournament.
Cougars!
Congratulations to Coaches Francisco Elizondo & Liz Mc-
Glynn and Varsity A players Chandler Atkinson, Marissa Clark,
Sean Dandy, Parker Dice, Gloria Elizondo, Marco Farias, John
Ferguson, Presley Good, Jack Goodman, Alexander King, Sterling
McDaniel, John McGlynn, Beth Thompson, Drew Willingham &
Nick Zander. What an awesome season!
Keep up the GREAT work!
Dale Quickel, Athletic Director
Check Out the
Concession Stand!
We finally have a concession stand on our athletic fields!
We recently converted part of our storage container into a
comfortable concession stand, complete with air conditioning
and a drink cooler! Special thanks to St.
Mark member Bill Bailey for taking the
lead on the construction and retrofitting
work; to Danny Melcher for air condi-
tioning work, and to Coca-Cola for pro-
viding a beverage cooler. The only other
thing we’d like to do is paint the side
of the container. Someday,
perhaps an artist and a few
volunteers might be interested
in that project!?! The conces-
sion stand is operated under
the direction of Dale Quickel,
Director of Church and School
Athletics; profits are returned to
the athletic department.
Save Lids to Save Lives
Yoplait Yogurt has new lids on the yogurt containers they have
released this fall to support the “Save Lids to Save Lives” program.
For every bright pink label with the Breast Cancer
Ribbon sent in, Yoplait will donate .10 cents Help
to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. It doesn’t
sound like much; but it would take just ONE
now!
out of every 10 women in America to send
in ONE label to add up to 1.5 million dol-
lars! St. Mark staff member, Linda Peterson,
has graciously offered to collect and mail in
any labels collected between now and mid-
December. You may drop off your clean labels
at Linda’s office door (down the church hall with the
water fountain) or mailbox. Help find the cure! More information on
this initiative is available at www.yoplait.com/slsl/. You may con-
tact Linda at 713/ 255-3678 or lpeterson@stmarkhouston.org.
page 

Ladies! You don’t want to miss out on the event of the
year! The Women’s Retreat Committee is so excited to present
our 6th Annual Women’s Retreat on January 16-17, 2010. It’s just
around the corner and we would love for all of you to come and
join us for this fabulous event! Why don’t you make plans today
and register to relax at “Sweet Life Cafe” where you’ll enjoy time
with our Heavenly Father in the beautiful countryside surroundings
of Heartland Retreat Center in Brenham, Texas. In these times of
stress and constant activity, we need to spend time away from our
daily routines to refresh ourselves and to be refreshed by the sweet
words of God in order to handle it all. We know you’ll come away
from this retreat feeling refreshed and energized and more ready
to take on the challenges of the New Year!
We will have wonderful, comfortable and spacious accommo-
dations, 10 Minute Massages, delicious food (including Brenham’s
own Blue Bell Ice-Cream), fun activities, small and large group
times, a service project, inspiring music, meaningful worship and,
of course, our special social time to make new friends and con-
nect with old ones. There will also be plenty of free time to rest,
Reception
for New Members
A reception for 30 new adult members was held on Sunday,
September 27 with pastors, staff and other church leaders in
attendance. Please join us in welcoming the following new mem-
bers to St. Mark: Gloria Bieberstein, Brian & Casandra Brisbin,
Joseph & Tina Dieber, Tim & Becky Duerr,
Tim & Jeannine Dugan, Vicky Gallegos, Sarah Hahn,
Lynn Halliday, Kacey Harman, Diane Harrington,
Katherine Heuermann-Grant, Josh Jackson,
Gregory & Laura Kieschnick, Marc & Amy Kyle, Brenda Meade,
Dana Meeks, Heidi Meeks, Andrew & Christine Pampell,
Joanie Robertson, Terry & Dana Roby, James & Pamela Stone.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY!
page 
read, take a walk or shop in downtown
Brenham. So grab your moms, sisters and
girlfriends and make plans now to come to
the women’s event of the year. This Retreat
is open to all women (even if they aren’t
St. Mark members!) so please feel free to
invite your friends from other churches
or your neighbors or someone you would
like to “feed with the Word of God.” Just come...you’ll be so glad
you did!
Registrations are now be-
ing accepted so stop by the
Welcome Center desk to pick
up a brochure. Registration is
$110 for one night, 3 meals
and materials OR $60 for
just the day. All payments
are due to Peggy Ramer,
Registrar, by December 13.
You may pay half now and
half in December if you
choose. Please contact
Cheryl Dinwoodie with
any questions or to have
a registration form emailed to
you (cadinwoodie@aol.com or 713/ 463-9550).
We are praying for you to come and experience that
Jesus truly is the Bread of Life -John 6:35
Immeasurably More!
When we ask Jesus to touch our lives with Himself, Jesus does
remarkable things. Know why? Because Jesus “is able to do im-
measurably more than all we ask or imagine.” Ephesians 3:20
So…what do prayer ministers pray for on the telephone prayer
chain, after worship services, on Sunday nights, in hospitals and
in people’s homes? The answer is…anything and everything that
is joyful, happy, difficult, confusing, or painful in our lives: job
issues, illnesses, decisions, addictions, relationships, grief, anger,
fear, financial issues, loneliness, forgiveness, marriages, children,
the miracle of faith in Jesus...to name a few. All these and more have
been brought before the throne of God during the past year.
We welcome you to join us as we stand shoulder to shoulder
in calling upon the Presence of Jesus Christ in peoples’ lives. We
invite you to join the email prayer chain and the telephone prayer
chain where you’ll receive the weekly prayer list from St. Mark
as well as those that come in during the week. We invite you to
join in prayer for our fellow worshippers when we pray for them
after services. We invite you to join in prayer on Sunday Nights
- prayer ministers pray from 4:30-5:00 p.m. in preparation for
praying with others from 5:00 to 6:00...it’s our time of “warming
up”! We’ll even schedule a one hour training session with you to
prepare you to pray!
Please sign up at Welcome Center desk for these prayer oppor-
tunities or call Katie Tonn with any questions (713/ 461-4615).
 at St. Mark
Music News!
Conservatory – We are excited to have 2 new teachers in our
conservatory this fall. Judy Luthy joins us as a piano teacher and
Barry Leitko is now teaching guitar. We welcome them both and
look forward to hearing the fruits of their labor!
Choir – The choir is excited to welcome 3 new members so far
this fall. Melissa Fritsche, Vicki Gallegos, and Maddy Marrs have
all joined our soprano section and we are grateful to have them!
We could still use some tenors and basses, so guys, get off of the
sidelines and help us out!
School Music – Miss Meredith Mearns has taken over the
school vocal and general music this year after Kathy Gresham
moved to Austin, TX. She has been doing a great job and we look
forward to hearing her students in concerts and in worship.
John J. Marrs, Director of Music Ministry
713/ 255-3613 | jmarrs@stmarkhouston.org
SPICE REPORT!
The SPICE social group met on October 1 with 31 seniors
attending for a day of games and fellowship. Pastor Duerr had
a mealtime prayer and a devotional from Romans. Novella
Dawson made delicious brownies, Mary Symmank brought a
chocolate cake and Delores Weyer made Chex Mix. For No-
vember, Clarice Holcomb and Myrtle Emery volunteered to
make some cookies or other finger food for the group to enjoy
with their coffee.
In September the group was given an opportunity to evalu-
ate SPICE to see if their wants and needs are currently being
met. The responses were all positive! It was suggested we might
want to play Bingo occasionally and perhaps have a pizza day.
These suggestions will be given consideration in 2010.
SPICE meets on the first Thursday of each month in
the Scout House. The next fellowship with games will be on
November 5. If there is someone who would like to come but
no longer drives, call Glenda at 832/ 370-7746 and we will see
what we can work out.
Remember we will have a potluck meal in December. Hope
to see you at SPICE!
Join us for “Christmas at St. Mark” on December 12! This
event will feature various fun, family friendly events throughout
the day as well as concerts by our school children. Then, at 7:00
p.m., St. Mark will present an original production called “Faith to
Carry On,” a pageant that features the St. Mark Adult Choir and
soloists, and tells the Christmas story while comparing the faith of
the nativity characters with the faith we need to have today.
Upcoming Concerts
On November 12, 2009 at 6:30 p.m., Sarah Oliver will
be hosting her graduate Harp Recital at the University of
Houston’s Moores School of Music.
On February 28, 2010, St. Mark will again host pianist
Jim Hendricks in concert on our new Boston Grand Piano.
Come hear his amazing musical talent in an unbelievable
FREE concert.
A Christmas Blessing
The Houston Lutheran Chorale invites you to join them
as they joyfully celebrate their 25th Anniversary!
When one thinks of a 25th Anniversary, at the top of the list
are: 25 years of marriage, 25 years on the job, 25 years of minis-
try, and 25 years of blessings! The Houston
Lutheran Chorale began 25 years ago from
a desire to communicate and share the
love of Jesus Christ and His salva-
tion to the Houston community
through music.
As we prepare for
this Christmas season, we
are reminded of the most
amazing blessing given to
us in the form of the Baby in a
manger. The Chorale invites you to
join in the celebration at their annual
Christmas concert, “A Christmas Bless-
ing,” on Saturday, December 5, at 7:00 p.m.
at St. Mark Lutheran Church and Sunday, December 6, at 3:00 p.m.
at Trinity Lutheran Church, downtown. A reception will be held
immediately following the concerts in celebration of our 25 years!
Come, sing, and enjoy the familiar sounds of the season, such as,
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!, Carol of the Bells, Vivaldi’s Glo-
ria!, and much more. An Alumni Choir will be featured performing
Chorale favorites from the past 25 years.
For ticket and concert information call 713/ 869-8486 or visit
our website at www.hlc-tx.org. Thank you for blessing this ministry
and being a part of this amazing tradition!
page 
November 2009 birthdays & anniversaries

Birthdays 11/11 Payton Bridges 11/20 Amanda Emery Date Couple Years
11/01 Donald Daze 11/11 Haley Dearing 11/20 Diana Weldon 11/04 Steve/Fonda Blair.................. 20
11/11 Kelly Hammack, III
11/02 Emily Biar 11/11 Cody Smith 11/21 Carol Pariza 11/07 Nathan/Gretchen Groth.......... 22
11/11 Cory Smith 11/21 Caitlin Rochow 11/07 William/Wilma Larsen............ 20
11/03 Audrey Caudill 11/21 Cory Thorson
11/03 Trina Caudill 11/12 Christian Birdsong 11/21 Emily Wasserman 11/10 Garry/Tina Fritsche................. 30
11/03 Tom Murff 11/12 Jennifer Black
11/03 Judith Swanson 11/22 Andrew Cohrs 11/11 Walter/Loretta Mueller........... 58
11/12 Lynn Cooper
11/22 Anita Rogers 11/11 Brian/Tammy Raymond.......... 20
11/04 Elisa Beisert 11/12 Kelly Hammack
11/04 Kevin Davenport 11/12 Jim Hebert 11/23 John Hardie 11/13 Edward/Mary Beth Witt............ 5
11/04 Myrtle Emery 11/12 Suzan Monsen 11/23 Marvin Zoch
11/12 Stephanie Smith 11/15 Tom/Jennifer Bonura.............. 29
11/04 Ruth Lawrenz
11/04 Tim Menzel 11/25 Fred Boecker
11/13 Gail Greeley 11/18 Richard/Dianna Rudolph........ 30
11/04 Gary Pearson 11/25 Christopher Caudill
11/13 Bailey Stockton 11/25 Ruth Freed
11/04 James Utley 11/19 John/Ana Burns..................... 21
11/14 Brayden Keeton 11/25 Gerald Quandt
11/05 Nancy Graham 11/14 James Naskrent 11/25 Donna Sunderhaft 11/22 Paul/Suzanne Thompson........ 23
11/05 Mark Schoenemann 11/25 Mark Thompson
11/15 Thomas Cook, V 11/24 Mark/Lois Turner................... 30
11/06 Debbie Miertschin 11/15 Mark Huseman 11/26 Robert Byrd
11/26 Clayton Gruetzner 11/25 Rick/Cynthia Gebhard............ 37
11/06 Kevin Spriggs
11/16 Bonnie Cox 11/26 Leah Mueller 11/25 Greg/Laura Kieschnick............. 9
11/07 Lana Blair 11/16 Rita Robles 11/25 Michael/Kim Stockton.............. 9
11/07 Jim Cooper 11/16 Kelley Zarker 11/27 Alford Faske
11/07 Janice Johansen 11/27 Deborah Herbrich 11/26 Edmund/Alice Patschke.......... 59
11/07 Garrett Meyer 11/17 John Birdsong 11/26 Robert/Kay Thompson............ 52
11/07 Donna Schulz 11/17 John Brown, Jr. 11/28 George Lem
11/28 Daniel Musgrove 11/29 Casandra/Brian Brisbin............ 7
11/17 Reggie Buford
11/08 Jerry Blakemore 11/29 Larry/Marti Huseman............. 40
11/17 Mimi Huse 11/29 Bill Larsen
11/08 Tom Bonura 11/17 Preston Kyle 11/30 Marc/Anne Grosz................... 18
11/08 Ed Hardin 11/29 William Reese III
11/08 Jordan Hardin 11/18 Mary Patrick 11/29 Dennis Rochow
11/08 Margie Murray 11/18 Carolyn Robertson 11/29 Travis Smith
11/29 Farrah Sorenson
11/09 Jacob Gogan 11/19 Linda Rogers 11/29 Lisa Wetuski
11/09 Barbara Kennedy 11/19 Samantha Skrehot
11/09 Lanie McManners 11/19 Harold Wetuski, Jr. 11/30 Dan Batterson
11/19 Jessica White 11/30 Samuel Hohle
11/10 Larry Dube
11/10 Terry Holcomb
11/10 Gilbert Moody

Enter His gates with thanksgiving,

and His courts with praise!
Give thanks to Him; bless His name!
-Psalm 100:4

page 10
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DID YOU KNOW...you can make secure payments online, 24/7, to St. Mark church or school
by using the ONLINE GIVING link at www.stmarkhouston.org?!

page 11
St. Mark Lutheran Church
NON-PROFIT
1515 Hillendahl
Houston, TX 77055
ORGANIZATION
St. Mark Church 713/ 468-2623 U.S. POSTAGE
St. Mark School 713/ 468-1492 PAID
www.stmarkhouston.org PERMIT NO. 8884
HOUSTON, TEXAS
The Joyline is a monthly publication of St.
Mark Lutheran Church. The deadline for
submitting articles for the December issue
is Thursday, November 12th. Contact Lisa
Emery at 713/ 255-3615 with any ques-
tions regarding this publication.

page 12