Israel Gaza Conflict

Posted on Oct 19, 2023 in Uncategorized |

“He shall judge between many peoples and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away; they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more; but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees, and no one shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.”
(Micah 4:3-4 NRSV)
 
Dear Lord of Life,
 
For more than a week now, we have watched as violence has erupted through Israel and Gaza. Just over 5 months ago, I walked the streets of this region: through the “Muslim Quarter” of the Old City of Jerusalem; into Christian Churches all over the region; into Bethlehem to the Christian Church of the Nativity in a community of Palestinians, surrounded by a wall built by Israel. We were not in Gaza, yet the news coming from recent events has an alarming familiarity.
 
The reports we hear on the news and the perspectives thrown at us by our neighbors rarely do justice to the complexities of the region or of the people who live there. There are good and faithful Palestinians who wish to live in peace and find safety and health for their families. There are Palestinian Christians trapped in a system that denies them basic human existence. There are Israeli citizens who denounce their government’s actions. There are many voices trying to plead for a halting of violence and an opportunity for them to live.
 
The terror organization of Hamas committed a violent attack. Israel is still carrying out violent retaliation. This land that we describe as “The Holy Land” is being blown apart and flooded with innocent blood by those who would claim it as sacred – Christians included. I do not claim to have a full understanding of the complexities, or the history involved. Instead, I claim to be a follower of Jesus. When faced with events such as these I find myself drawn back to his teachings: “Turn the other cheek;” “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you;” and “blessed are the peacemakers.” I don’t pretend that this would be an easy path for a nation to try and follow. As followers of Jesus, however, I believe our path should be less concerned with choosing a side and more concerned with protecting the innocent and, as far as it is within our power, striving for peace.
 
I don’t have an answer to the problem. I don’t have a magic sauce for a diplomatic solution. All I have is prayer and 500 years’ worth of Lutheran tradition to try and stand in the tension of the gray area. We are both saint and sinner, dead and alive, enslaved and set free. As such, my prayers continue to be for the safety of innocent civilians regardless of which side of a wall they live on. My prayer is for peace that allows all people to experience life. My prayer is for terror organizations like Hamas and military strongholds like Israel to put down their weapons that they might turn swords into plowshares and sit under their own vine and fig tree – never again to be afraid. My prayer is that God’s kingdom would reign in our hearts and on this earth – a kingdom that comes through a renewal of our very selves and not through military might.
 
Thank you for joining me in this prayer and for being willing to stand in the tension and look for Jesus.
 
God loves each of you and I do too,
Pastor David
 
P.S.
If you or anyone in your life needs a place to process or discuss these incredibly challenging issues, please know that I, and the entire staff at Lord of Life, are here for you.
Call us. 281-367-7016
Do whatever you have to.
But always remember that we do not need to walk these roads alone. We are here for one another.

Security Measures

Posted on Aug 10, 2023 in Uncategorized |

Dear Friends of Lord of Life,
Back to school season is upon us again! At Lord of Life, we are gearing up for another great year with our Kids of the Kingdom Preschool ministry. Starting August 16th, over 100 kids will be entering our building. Parents will drop off their beloved children and entrust them to the care of our incredible teachers and staff and to the safety of our building. As my own son, William, starts at KOK this year, I can say with confidence that KOK is a gift to our children, their faith, and their future.
 
I am also aware of the precious trust it takes to drop your child off in the care of other adults for any amount of time. All too often, our news feeds are being hit with tragic stories of violent acts committed in schools. This past March, we experienced this again with the shooting that took place at The Covenant School, a Christian elementary school in Nashville, TN.
 
The KOK Staff and Board, in consultation with myself and the Lord of Life Congregation Council, are always doing our best to ensure the safety and security of our building for every person that walks through our doors.
 
With this goal in mind, I want to make you aware of some new procedures that will be in place at Lord of Life at the start of the school year:
· All doors to the building will be locked at all times that KOK is in session (typically M-Th, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm)
· Any visitors to KOK will be asked to use the KOK doors (closest to garage and driveway)
· Any visitors to LOL will be let in through the Porte Cache doors
o Visitors may need to ring the bell and wait to be let in
o Visitors will be asked to sign in at the Welcome Desk and state their intended destination within the building
o Visitors will be asked to leave through the same doors as they entered and sign out upon departure
· Hands of Faith will keep their same hours but any visitors to the store will need to sign in at the Welcome Desk if they leave the store area.
 
We realize it may feel cumbersome to have to be “let in” to a building that so many of us consider a sacred space that we can call our own; but this is a simple step that we can all take to help maintain a safe and secure environment for our KOK students and staff so that they can continue sharing the love of God on our behalf!
 
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Thank you for your help in keeping our students safe and living into our vision, “That all have life through the love of Christ!”
 
God loves each of you and I do too,
Pastor David Bauser
office: 281-367-7016

Children’s Music Coordinator

Posted on Aug 2, 2023 in Uncategorized |

 
Lord of Life welcomes Katelynn Watson as our new Children’s Music Coordinator!
 
She is a 2023 graduate of the University of Houston where she studied Music Education and Vocal Performance, as well as Psychology. Katelynn is a first year teacher of elementary music at Benfer Elementary in Klein ISD. She has had many fulfilling musical experiences in church and elsewhere that have given her a passion for music education, and she hopes to create similar experiences for the children she teaches.
 
During her time at UH, she was a member of the Concert Chorale, and she served as soprano section leader and student director for a few semesters. She also sang in and directed several of the student-led a cappella groups at UH, and those were some of the most enriching experiences of her college career. 
Before coming to Lord of Life, Katelynn was a staff singer at Moody Methodist Church in Galveston, where she also rang in the handbell choir, assisted with summer musicals, and led the music for vacation bible school in 2022. She hopes to become just as involved at LOL! Katelynn also worked at Century Fine Arts in Sugar Land, teaching private voice and piano lessons, directing summer musical camps, and even directing their youth choir for a semester! She loves teaching children and is thrilled to be at a church where music is valued so much from an early age. 

Assistance

Posted on Jun 9, 2023 in Uncategorized |

Lord of Life Lutheran Church
The Woodlands, TX
Emergency Financial Assistance
 
 
 
Office Tel: 281-367-7016 or email
OTHER RESOURCES:
 
 
 
 
 
 

Congregational Meeting Update

Posted on May 24, 2023 in Uncategorized |

Dear Lord of Life,
 
This past Sunday, we met as a congregation in a called meeting to carry out important business for the future of our community. Thank you all for your participation in the process and for your continued support of God’s ministries at Lord of Life. We cannot do this work without you!  We wanted to take just a moment to update you on the results of the meeting.
 
There were two items of business, both of which were approved by unanimous voice votes.
  • We approved a budget for fiscal year 2023-24 of $1,448,134 including the following items:
    • Anticipated increases in utility costs;
    • Moving the 11:00 am worship musicians from restricted spending to the budget;
    • Funding for a new full-time staff position, the Director of Faith Formation, who will lead adult faith formation ministries and supervise our existing faith formation staff.
  • We approved a motion to explore what it would mean for Lord of Life to become a Reconciling in Christ congregation including the following steps:
    • The council will appoint a “Core Team” to lead the process;
    • The process will include a variety of conversations and opportunities for input;
    • Finally, the team will bring a recommendation back to the congregation.

Several updates about future and ongoing plans were also shared with the congregation.

  • Director of Outreach Jenny McKenna introduced us to Lydia, the mom of one of the Ukrainian refugee families that we have been helping to resettle in the United States. Lydia’s moving story allowed us to see our values in action.
  • Pastor David shared how our mission, vision, and values drive our ministry together, along with a staffing model that will allow our ministries to grow and operate more efficiently.
  • Tim Donoughue from the Development Campaign Strategic Leadership Team shared that the first two HVAC units are scheduled to be replaced within the next few weeks.
  • Ed Spaulding, one of our Synod Assembly delegates, thanked the congregation profusely for the way in which you all showed up to volunteer and welcome in over 250 people from across our region of the ELCA for their annual assembly.
There is great energy and excitement in our congregation right now! We continually welcome new guests to our community, and our giving is growing and providing new opportunities for ministry. We have a dynamic staff that is being unleashed to carry out ministry in the world. We are so grateful to each of you for your continued support of the ministry that we are doing together as we pursue our vision of a world where “all have life through the love of Christ.”
 
With abiding hope in the resurrection,
 
Linda Nicolosi 
Council President 
David Bauser
Lead Pastor
 
Church office: 281-367-7016

Development Campaign Update

Posted on Apr 5, 2023 in Uncategorized |

At their March meeting the Lord of Life Congregation Council approved the Strategic Leadership Team to lead the Development Campaign process forward. This team will be gathering through April as they begin their work culminating with a mini-retreat with our consultant on April 29.
 
Each day in April, the team is praying for a different part of the Lord of Life community and campaign process. You are invited to pray along with us! You can use the calendar below to lift up your prayers with those of the Strategic Leadership Team.
 
Strategic Leadership Team:
Pastor David Bauser
Kirsten Beckler
Macy Cherry
Tim Donoughue
Jocelyn Earnest
Susan Gallup
Becky Havill
Marlene Hoffheiser
Rick Janacek (Staff)
Deb Spiess (Council Liaison)
Robert Strauss
 
 

Date

Prayer Topic

1-Apr

For members of Lord of Life who have died

2-Apr

For members who are at Lord of Life now

3-Apr

For members who haven’t yet walked in our doors

4-Apr

For children of God who walk past our building and never walk inside

5-Apr

For children of God who will never know we exist

6-Apr

For children of God who have been hurt by the Church

7-Apr

For children of God who have been told they can’t be loved by God

8-Apr

For the students of Kids of the Kingdom

9-Apr

For the parents and families of Kids of the Kingdom

10-Apr

For the staff of Kids of the Kingdom

11-Apr

For space that Kids of the Kingdom uses

12-Apr

For the Fellowship Hall

13-Apr

For the individuals who will use the Fellowship Hall

14-Apr

For the Sanctuary

15-Apr

For people who experience God in our Sanctuary

16-Apr

For people who haven’t been able to experience God in our Sanctuary

17-Apr

For our Lord of Life building in total

18-Apr

For our congregation council

19-Apr

For the staff of Lord of Life

20-Apr

For the pastors of Lord of Life

21-Apr

For this Leadership Team

22-Apr

For the individuals who will support this Development Campaign

23-Apr

For the individuals who will refuse to support our work

24-Apr

For the contractors, designers, and laborers who will help complete the work

25-Apr

For the values that guide our congregation (Welcoming All, Finding Connection, Experiencing Grace, Serving God’s World, and Celebrating Life)

26-Apr

For the mission of our congregation (We seek and welcome all to connect, celebrate, and serve in God’s love)

27-Apr

For the vision of our congregation (That all have life through the love of Christ)

28-Apr

For Hannah Mello, our consultant who will be leading our retreat

29-Apr

For the retreat and our time together
 

Interim Director of Children’s Faith Formation

Posted on Jan 11, 2023 in Uncategorized |

We are excited to announce that Nicole Forester has been hired as Interim Director of Children’s Faith Formation at Lord of Life. Nicole comes to this position as a long time member of the Children’s Faith Committee and several years of helping to organize Vacation Bible School and other critical ministry areas. She will be helping ensure that we continue to offer high quality opportunities for the youngest in our community to grow in their faith during this time of transition.

Over the next several months the Personnel Team, along with representatives from Children’s Faith, will be conducting a search to fill the permanent role. Nicole, while serving as an interim, would be eligible for this position should she be interested in putting her name forward. When the time comes, Personnel will be advertising the position with in and beyond the congregation to find the right candidate. We thank you for your continued prayers and support of Children’s Faith during this time of transition.


Proposed Campaign

Posted on Jan 11, 2023 in Uncategorized |

January 9, 2023

Dear Lord of Life Members,

We are writing to you today to inform you about a proposal coming to you for approval at the upcoming congregational meeting on Sunday, January 29, 2023, and to invite you to informational forums on Sundays January 15 and 22.

Some Context:

You will recall, at our last meeting in May 2022, the Council commissioned a Capital Campaign Study Team. The purpose of this Team was to determine if a capital campaign would be appropriate, and, if so, to define a scope for the potential campaign. The Study Team met weekly for the last 8 months and proposed to the Council a campaign scope, timeline, and fundraising goal. At its December meeting, the Council unanimously approved the proposal. The Study Team is now preparing to bring the proposal to the congregation for approval.

A Summary:

At the direction of the Council, the Study Team’s work began by evaluating existing facility needs and by soliciting feedback from staff and committees regarding building usability. Possible funding solutions were discussed and evaluated by the Team, and they determined that a campaign would be the most appropriate path forward. Then, with Council approval, the Team engaged the help of outside professionals to further define the scope of the campaign and develop cost estimates for several projects. In that process, the Team discerned that the projects were integral to our present and future definition and expression of our congregation’s affirmed Mission and Vision.

We owe this team our gratitude. They have worked diligently and faithfully to vision for the future of our congregation. Now, with Council’s full approval, the Team is proposing a development campaign to fund projects in three areas:

  • Brand Identity Refresh (including website and communications plan),
  • Facility Improvements, and
  • Facility Maintenance.
The estimated cost of this work is $1.36 million. It is the belief of the Council and the Study Team that this work is necessary to help us live into our Vision “that all have life through the love of Christ” and to proclaim the Gospel message: “You are welcomed, loved, accepted, and forgiven here. Come and know God’s love for you.” The work of this development campaign is one avenue through which we live into this message as a faith community—now and into the future. 

You’re Invited!

We are excited to share the work of the Study Team with you and to answer your questions about their proposal.

We invite you to join us for one of two forums hosted by the Council and Study Team on Sundays January 15 and 22 at 9:45 am. Then, please plan to join us for the congregational meeting on Sunday, January 29, 2023 at 12:30 pm, as we make a decision on this proposal and other matters that will be identified in the meeting agenda that will be sent out ahead of the meeting.

Thank you for your partnership and faithful support of God’s ministry at Lord of Life. May we continue to boldly pursue our Mission “to seek and welcome all to connect, celebrate, and serve in God’s love.”

Peace in Christ,

Joe Cox    

Council President
 
David Bauser
Lead Pastor

The Council’s Campaign Study Team Members are:

Nick Brown – Chair

David Bauser – Lead Pastor

Craig Bourgeois – Finance Liaison

David Harris – Property Liaison

Rick Janacek – Staff Liaison

Bruce Mestemacher – Member at Large

Ed Spaulding – Council Liaison


Carrie Kessler

Posted on Nov 17, 2022 in Uncategorized |

Dear Lord of Life,
 
I am writing to you today to inform you all that earlier this week Carrie Kessler, our Director of Children’s Faith Formation, notified me that she would be resigning from her position at Lord of Life. You can read a brief message from Carrie at the end of this message.
 
Over the last two years, Carrie has been a great gift to the children and families of Lord of Life. Her dedication to sharing the love of God with every child to enter our building has shone through in everything from Vacation Bible School and Trunk or Treat to Sunday School and our Footsteps in Faith. Our community has been blessed by her ministry among us and there is much for us to celebrate!
 
There will be an opportunity for us to recognize Carrie’s hard work and bless her in her departure during worship on December 18th. However, Carrie’s last day with us will not be until Dec. 31. I hope you will all join me in taking time over these next several weeks to thank Carrie and share a story of how you have seen her work benefitting the mission that God has put before us.
 
As we approach the season of Advent, we remember that this is a time of waiting and hopeful expectation. Though we will certainly grieve Carrie’s departure, we stand in a posture of hope for what God is going to do among us. Your Personnel Committee is already beginning its work to vision for and create a plan for next steps with the goal of continuing the thriving, engaging, Jesus centered children’s ministry that Carrie has helped us to cultivate.
 
If you have questions or concerns regarding this announcement, please feel free to contact me directly.
God loves each of you and I do too,
Pastor David
email or call 281-367-7016
 
 
FROM CARRIE KESSLER:
 
God blesses us sometimes in unexpected ways, sending us in a direction we thought impossible. That direction for me is an opportunity to return to full-time military orders starting in the new year. I am eternally grateful for the faithful support our congregation has given to our Children’s Faith program and to me as the director over these past two years. I’ve never experienced being part of a church family such as this – the outpouring of God’s love is evident. And although I am stepping aside as your Children’s Faith Formation Director, my family and I are staying in the area and will continue to serve at Lord of Life.
Sincerely,
Carrie
 

Interim Associate Pastor

Posted on Jun 30, 2022 in Uncategorized |

February 27, 2023

Dear Lord of Life,

I am pleased to announce the Associate Pastor Call Committee has completed its work and has recommended Cassandra Nagle for the position of Associate Pastor at Lord of Life. At its meeting on February 21, the Congregation Council unanimously approved their recommendation, and we now bring Cassandra to the congregation for approval.

This letter serves to inform you of an officially called congregational meeting to take place at 12:15 pm on March 12, 2023. The only agenda item for this meeting will be the Associate Pastor Call. Any voting member of the congregation is welcome to attend. This meeting will only take place in person, and we are not able to accept absentee voting.

Please join me in thanking the Call Committee for their dedicated work over the last 7 months. If you have questions about the meeting or about the call process, please feel free to contact Pastor David, any of the Call Committee members, or myself, and we will be glad to help. We hope you will make a point to join us for this exciting opportunity in the life of our congregation.

Peace in Christ,
Linda Nicolosi
Congregation Council President
Lord of Life office: 281-367-7016
 
Call Committee Members:  
Deb Spiess – Chair
Pastor David Bauser EMAIL
Rich Kreitz
JJ Minarcik
Charles Payton
Emily Vacha
Zach Wirt
June 2020
 
Dear Lord of Life,
 
It is my pleasure to announce to you that the Congregational Council has voted to extend a contract to Ms. Cassandra Nagle for the position of Interim Associate Pastor. The base period of the contract will run from July 12 through the end of this year with monthly extensions possible afterward.
 
Cassandra is a native of Houston and comes to us as a recent graduate of Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. During her studies she spent a year as a pastoral intern at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Renton, WA. When her internship was complete, she continued working for this community while she finished her coursework. To Lord of Life, she brings a fresh energy, a diverse perspective and a strengthening of our ministries. During this contract period she will also be working through the Ordination process. The Synod office has indicated they will extend to Cassandra approval to fully function as an Associate Pastor at Lord of Life for the referenced period.
 
Please join me in welcoming Cassandra into our Congregation.
Joe Cox
Lord of Life Council President

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