sunday worship
8:00 am - Holy Communion with a mix of traditional and contemporary music
9:15 am - Learning and Fellowship opportunities
10:30 am - Holy Communion with a mix of traditional and contemporary music
Welcome!
Atascocita Lutheran Church is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. We are located in a rapidly expanding suburban community 25 miles northeast of Houston, Texas.
Atascocita Lutheran Church is made up of people who are on a journey of faith. We come from a variety of backgrounds and traditions. We are sinners who come to hear words of hope and forgiveness. We are learners who do not know all the answers but seek to grow together in faith.
We are people who have experienced pain and hurt in our lives but join together to receive comfort from God and one another. We are people that strive to be faithful disciples of Jesus by serving those in need. We are people who worship together, pray together, laugh together, and sometimes even cry together.
But most of all, we are people seeking to know and experience the love and grace of Jesus Christ in our lives.
If you do not presently have a church home, we invite you to join us in our faith journey.
news and events
The Prodigal God
The 2010 Lenten Mid-Week worship will be enhanced this year with a brief liturgy and an inter-active discussion of Pastor Timothy Keller’s The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith. The Rev. Dr. Timothy Keller is senior pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Manhattan, NY; and New York Times bestselling author. This important book will both challenge and help us to experience the Christian faith in a new way. In the book, the author helps readers to discover the amazing depths of God’s extravagant love by revisiting and thinking anew the messages of what the Christian faith historically has labeled the Parable of the Prodigal Son. A new chapter of Keller’s book will be featured each week. Participants are invited to sign up to have a book ordered or to secure a copy themselves. (Note: You do not have to own and read the book to benefit from the Wednesday evening discussions).
Schedule
February 17 Traditional Ash Wednesday Liturgy
“The Parable”
February 24 (Week 1) “The People Around Jesus”
March 3 (Week 2) “The Two Lost Sons”
March 10 (Week 3) “Redefining Sin”
March 17 (Week 4) “Redefining Lostness”
March 24 (Week 5) “The True Elder Brother”
March 31 (Week 6) “Redefining Hope” / “The Feast of the Father”
With the exception of Ash Wednesday, each evening will begin at 7:00 p.m. with 15 minutes of worship
followed by 45 minutes of discussion. On Ash Wednesday we will also begin at 7:00 p.m., but the service
will last a little longer since we will be offering the Imposition of Ashes and Holy Communion.
Adult Education Opportunity
There are two new Adult Education Opportunities being offered: Christianity's Family Tree and "Reading the bible Again for the First Time". See the Adult Ministries Page for more details.
J A M - Jesus and Me
February 28th
At 11:45 (after second service)
And ends at 1:30
JAM is Atascocita Lutheran Church’s elementary age youth group that exists to nurture friendships between the school age children of the church, provide a strong foundation for discipleship training and spiritual formation, and to stress service ministry. For more information please call Renee Wallace, 281- 852-4031 or email, RNJWallace@yahoo.com .
First Communion Class
The ELCA statement entitled The Use of the Means of Grace states; "The Holy Communion is Given to the Baptized". Under this heading, the statement reads; "Admission to the Sacrament is by invitation of the Lord, presented through the Church to those who are baptized." Throughout the history of the Church, people have began to commune at various ages. No matter what age a person begins to commune, baptism has always been a prerequisite. The statement goes on to say under Application 37 c:
"Baptized children begin to commune on a regular basis at a time determined through mutual conversation that includes the pastor, the child, and the parents or sponsors involved, within the accepted practices of the congregation. Ordinarily this beginning will occur only when children can eat and drink, and can start to respond to the gift of Christ in the Supper."
First Communion is simply the time when a young person shares in the bread and wine for the first time. On Saturday, February 13th, I will be offering a First Communion Instruction Class. This class is for children who have already been receiving communion, but have not been part of a First Communion Instruction Class, or for children who are interested in receiving the Sacrament for the first time. The class will be from 9:00 a.m. - noon (approximately). Parents are asked to attend the class with their child.
The children will then celebrate their first communion or the completion of the class during worship on Sunday, February 14th. Please call the church office to register your child no later than Wednesday, February 10th, so that materials can be ordered. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to give me a call at 281-852-7333.
Pastor Gary L. Anholt
Chrysalis Registration 2010-2011
The Chrysalis School Announces Registration for the 2010 - 2011 School Year The Chrysalis School will begin registration for the 2010—2011 school year soon. It will be our eleventh school year providing quality programming in a Christian atmosphere. Registration for church members and current students will begin February 16th. Open registration will begin February 23rd. We offer Parent’s Day Out and preschool programs. Our school days and hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9am— 2pm. Registration packets are available on our website at www.thechrysalisschool.org. Please call Renee Wallace at 281-852-6002 for information or a tour. We are expecting all classes to fill fast!
Upcoming: Dedication
Remember that Pastor, the music staff, the Worship Environment Team, the Worship Enrichment Team are all working together to make plans for the dedication of our renewed and expanded sanctuary space. Conversations are in progress. Anyone in the congregation who has questions or comments to share should contact Claudia Brookover who will share them with the group. (czbrookover@aol.com or 281 - 358 - 6539)
pastor's paragraphs
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Because our January newsletter went out before Christmas this year, I was not able to thank you for your kind and generous gifts that I received. Therefore, I would like to thank all of you who contributed to the Pastor’s Christmas Gift. Your generosity is so greatly appreciated. Thank you also to those of you who sent our family cards and greetings during the Christmas season as we celebrated the birth of our Lord. We are truly humbled and grateful.
