Published by Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian ChurchFebruary 2009 Issue 2

Special Focus: ServeVision 2012: Priority 6 2Connect: Fellowship 2Serve: Mission 3-4Grow: Children’s 5-6Grow: Adult 7-9Grow: Student 9Grow: Senior Adult 10Budget Guy 11-12

From Out of the ShadowsConnect & Calendar 13-15

SHPC Staff Guide

Larry Coulter Senior PastorMike Killeen Associate PastorBritta Dukes Associate PastorSherry Smith Adult MinistryKim Arthur Nursery MinistryPattie Lawrence Director of PreschoolBelva Koerth Office ManagerKimbol Soques Communications

Sermons for February

Feb. 1Genesis 1, 2, 3:The Right Job

Feb. 8The Word Was, Is,

and Will Be

Feb. 15Genesis 1, 2, 3:

The Day the World Changed

Feb. 22The Fellowship of the Holy

Spirit

As I drive around Austin I findmyself amazed. This city is one

of the most mission-centered placesI have ever been. As I drive,everywhere I look there are missionopportunities or organizationsaround town. The city of Austin is isvery mission-friendly.

As I was driving lost one Saturdayafternoon (I am often lost), I

counted no less than ten missionalorganizations! How did I get lost,you ask? Well... I try and takemyself places I have never beenbefore and see things that I havenever seen before. It is kind of likeunfolding a map in my mind, whereeach new destination increases myreach and understanding. So now asI drive now I am less “lost” butmore wondering—what is overthere?

I want to invite you to drive aroundAustin and get lost with me. Drive

routes that you do not normallytake and open your eyes to thisamazing city. As you see people inneed or areas that God couldtransform, be praying for them.Shepherd of the Hills is committedto having a powerful missionalimpact on the city of Austin. Aneasy start for those who are asking,“How do I have an impact from myoffice, cubicle, or home?” is tosimply start praying for things that

you saw and remember as youdrove. Ask God to be showing youhow and what you could be doing.Allow him to to place conviction inyour heart as you see new parts ofAustin. Allow God to build couragein you that you might be able tomove on those convictions. Finally,as you go out ask to be filled withcompassion. Understand that peoplewho don’t know Jesus yet will notact like people who know Jesus andpeople who do know Jesus often donot act like they do.

In the coming weeks, your bulletinwill have some maps included.

These maps are simply tools to helpyou to be praying for the manymissional groups that we support.As you drive, you will see manylocal ministries all over Austin. Themaps will help you see where andwhat we are doing but they will alsoserve as a constant invitation to joinin our work together. Keep themaps in your car, pray at those longstop lights, or even pray for thatman with a sign you see at the longstoplight. As we travel, may we be ablessing to the many ministries inAustin. May we all be listening forGod’s voice. You just might have toturn off your radio!

Mission Simple—Turn off the Radio

Join us forAsh Wednesday

worship—February 25th, 7 p.m.

Child care will not beavailable.

2

Valentine’s Dinner February 14, 2009 from 6 until 8Bring your sweetheart or just come join your friends for anevening of great food, wonderful entertainment, someterrific fun and or course, chocolate!

The cost is $20 per person. Childcare provided up to thirdgrade (we ask that you feed them before they come).

You can sign up after worship on Sunday Morning, bycalling the office (892-3580) or online at shpc.org.

When you sign up, please tell us if you need childcare andgive us the names of the children and their ages.

The doors will open at 5:30 p.m. forthe silent auction to benefit ourMexico Mission Project.

A quote from last year's silentauction:"I got my vacation at the Valentinessilent auction—I'll be back!"

Last spring and fall in the newsletter weoutlined five of the six priorities that we

established in our 5-year ministry plan at SHPC.Our sixth priority is to “Deepen ourexperience of worship by expanding our musicprogram.” We have two primary goals in thispriority. Our first goal is for SHPC be a singingchurch. Throughout history Christianity has beena singing faith. Believers have directed theirpraise and adoration to God in song. They haveused music as a way to communicate theirtheology to new generations. They have sung toone another as a source of encouragement andjoyful expression of thanksgiving. We want ourchurch to carry on that heritage.

Our second goal is to encourage members ofour church to use their musical gifts and

abilities to lead the entire congregation in itsweekly worship. Whether the musical expressionis through contemporary praise choruses orthrough the great hymns of the church, joyfulmusical worship leadership has always been acentral part of Sunday mornings.

Over the last twenty-four years we have beenblessed by the musical gifts of Cy Albertson,

our choir director. Cy came to SHPC as an 18-year-old young man and throughout hiseducation and into adulthood he has helped leadthe music ministry of SHPC. What most peopledon’t know about Cy is that, in addition to beinga remarkable pianist, he is an accomplishedentrepreneur. Cy founded the Albertson Schoolof Music, which now has over 2200 studentsthroughout central Texas. Over the last few

years Cy has grown increasingly busy with hisgrowing business while effectively leading ourmusic program here at the church.

As we have moved to expand our musicprogram we have looked for ways to use Cy’s

amazing gifts while giving him the freedom topursue other things. In January, the sessionapproved Cy’s repositioning to the dual role ofSunday morning accompanist and creator ofspecial music events. The session also acted tocreate two new job descriptions: one for choirdirector for the chancel choir (at the 11amservice) and one for praise and worship leader(at the 9:30 service). Two search committeesare in place to finalize the job descriptions andconduct the search for the new staff.

The good news is that we are not losing Cy. Inaddition, this move will help us realize our

goals in the music area. If you know of someonewe might consider for this position we wouldlove to hear from you. Just email names orsuggestions to church@shpc.organd be sure and put “musicsearch” in the subject line. Asalways, please be praying for ourchurch. See you Sunday!

3

In spite of the cold weather outside, February isdefinitely a green month—at least, as far as thechurch paraments are concerned. Although thefirst Sunday may feature our communion clothand stoles, a green cloth will be seen on thecommunion table for most of the month.

Green marks one of the two very long periods oftime in the liturgical calendar known asOrdinary Time. "Ordinary" in this use has nothingto do with being common or mundane; rather, itrefers to ordinal numbers. Starting with January6th, Epiphany, the green paraments are used fora set number of weeks before the beginning ofthe Lenten season. (After Easter, we'll startanother count-down with green paraments.)

The white ceremonial paraments may appear onFebruary 22nd to mark the transfiguration ofJesus, described in Matthew, Mark, and Luke.Since the Presbyterian church is not formal in itsuse of liturgical colors, congregations can beflexible in choosing their preferred paraments.

Wait! The colors change again at the end of themonth. The March newsletter will explain why.

For every time there is a season...by Margaret Nakamura

When a family loses their jobs... andthen their home... who steps in?Interfaith Hospitality Network (or IHN) isone of the more widely-known localmissions at SHPC. SHPC partners with otherchurches all around Austin to provide foodand shelter for homeless families withchildren by offering our church as a hostelonce a quarter.

How can you help? Come alongside one ofthe current team members to see what it’sall about—there’s plenty of spots to choosefrom— mealtimes, overnight stays, set-upand move-out just to name a few.

Interested? Contact Kim Grubb at 288-0924or email her at k4grubbs@yahoo.com.

West Rural Community CenterA basket has been placed to the right of thesanctuary doors to receive not only food, butalso items that food stamps do not cover, suchas toiletries; bath, dish and laundry soap;paper supplies such as toilet paper; anddiapers. These items are designed to servecustomers of the West Rural Community Center(WRCC).

The West Rural Community Center, located at8656 Hwy 71 West next to the precinct 3 officebuilding including the tax office, is one ofseven county assistance centers.

SHPC has long been involved in WRCC's work:delivering day old bread twice a week,providing yearly funds from the MissionCommittee, serving on the advisory board(Wayne Crawley and Dan Bjeletich) and servingon their staff (Fran Miller). The center provideslow-income individuals help with food, utilitybills, medications, used clothes, Christmasgifts and housing expenses. Many of the clientsreceive food stamps.

The center also tries to help clients find work.If your workplace needs additional staff, pleaselet Fran know. The phone number for theWRCC is 854-2130.

Mexico Mission TripSign-ups for the Mexico Mission Trip willbegin in February for this year's trip—whichwill take place from June 7-12. We havesigned up for three houses again. Pleasecontact Gaston Broyles if you have anyquestions or need any additionalinformation:(h) 301-8357 (w)475-4075(c)922-4225.

4

Refugee RelocationAre you a new member at SHPC or a memberjust looking for a new way to serve and make adifference?

In anticipation of new arrivals coming this springto America from refugee camps throughout theworld, we are gearing up now! Things we needare furniture, especially beds, household goodslike kitchenware, and bedding. Volunteers areneeded for airport pickup, driving to variousappointments, and help in setting upapartments.

To update you, the Ee Sar family from southernBurma, whom we sponsored last year, hasmoved to Dumas to work in the meat packingplant. Our current family, Moo Wah (also fromBurma but more recently residing in a refugeecamp in Thailand for almost25 years) and his childrenare still adjusting to life inAmerica. His children, ages14, 12, 10, 9, and 6 are inthree different schools,while the eldest, 18 islooking for a job. Sincemost of the jobs theresettlement agency placethem with are with bighotel chains, these jobs arefew and far between at the

moment. Moo Wah has yet to be gainfullyemployed but is doing jobs here and there andhe has worked for us and others doing odd jobssuch as window washing, raking, and woodchopping. Please contact me if you could use anextra hand around the house! He is ever gratefulto work and be able to earn money.

We want to thank everyone who donated AngelTree gifts this Christmas for the refugees. Withthe over 40 gifts donated from you, from theMarines with Toys for Tots, and from other areachurches, we were able to get every refugeechild and adult who came to Austin in 2008(through Refugee Services of Texas) a Christmasgift. It was an awesome experience deliveringthe gifts, and thanks Gunters, Brinks, and Steveand Miranda for helping to do that!

For information on what isinvolved in helping toresettle a refugee familyplease give me a call! Thankyou!

Cathy Beard 263-9910

“Blessed are those who arepersecuted because ofrighteousness, for theirs isthe kingdom of heaven.”Matthew 5:10Moo Wah (father), Bah Tha Law Mae, Ki Doe, Yo

Shu, & Po Wee, the night they arrived at theirnew home, Sept. 22, 2008.

Angel Tree—wow!I'd like to thank everyone forthe kindness and generositythat you exhibited during thispast Christmas season to theChristmas Angels. I am happyto report that all 140 Angelswere taken rather quicklyupon the announcement… andfulfilled… and delivered!They brought a wonderfulChristmas to:� 10 families at Manos de

Cristo,� 14 Burmese families,� 4 boys and 4 girls from

Presbyterian Children'sHomes,

� 2 Presbyterian families,along with the:� 6 Turkey Baskets were

provided by generousparents of Shepherd of theHills Preschool� 4 baskets which were made

through the thoughtfuldonations of ourcongregation, including 42$10.00 Randall's and HEB giftcards.

In these times of uncertainty, Iam grateful to you all forliving the life….. As we haveopportunity, let us do good toall men, especially to themwho are of the household offaith. Galatians 6:10

Our Angel Tree turkey baskets, loadedup for delivery!

5

Children’s Ministry News

The Second Annual SHPC"Bastrop BBQ Bonanza" is justaround the corner—save thedate for your family to attendthis funtastic event! Anyonecan come! If you like hiking,playing team sports, and/orlounging in the shade andgetting to know other folks,then come out to Bastrop StatePark on Saturday, May 16th, fora day filled with good food,good fellowship, and good fun!We'll gather early afternoon foractivities and end the day witha catered barbeque meal.Interested or want moreinformation? Contact PastorBritta at britta@shpc.org or892-3580, ext. 107.

Meet the NurseryStaff: Beaula RoopI am attending St. Edward's Uni-versity on an academic scholar-ship, majoring in Social Work. Iam planning on graduating ayear early and joining thePeace Corps, before attendingthe University of Houston toearn a dual degree of a Mastersin Social Work and a lawdegree. I am a member ofthe St. Edward's RowingTeam, and have startedtraining for my first triath-lon. I love to run, bike,swim, lift weights, go kaya-king, play volleyball, any-thing outdoors really. I amoriginally from outside ofHouston, but find I am now

addicted to Austin! I have beenworking now with kids for al-most 7 years. From babysitting,to churches, daycares and vol-unteer programs, I have workedwith every age and I love it!This church has been by far themost amazing job I have everhad! I have never met nicer ormore caring people anywhere.It is obvious how much the con-

gregation caresabout theirchildren, andhow willing tomake sure theyare doing ev-erything intheir power tocreate a whole-some environ-ment for them.

The preschool childrenenjoyed an exciting Januarythat included our annualsnowball bonanza andwinter wonderland with our"real" shaved-ice snow. Avery special thanks to MarkBridges, Kim Schaefer, TishPietsch, Kathy Segura andMichelle Kinkade for theirhelp. The kids reallyenjoyed the fruits of theirlabor! And thanks to thefamilies who let us borrowcoolers for snow transport.

In January, the kids alsoenjoyed special units onnursery rhymes anddinosaurs. Coming inFebruary, we'll focus onHealthy Hearts & Bodies,have our Valentine's Daycelebrations and the LittleWedding Chapel, as well aslearn about the USA and“Things with Wings.”

Please note that preschoolregistration for the 2009-2010 school year begins inFebruary.

—Gina Budd, SHPC PreschoolBoard

FAIRNESSmaking sure that everyone is treated equally.

6

more Children’s Ministry NewsWhat a Christmas pageant!

7

"For where two or three come together in myname, there am I with them." Matthew 18:20NIV

February is a time when we tend to think aboutrelationships. This February is a great time tobegin planning some new Christian fellowshiprelationships with other SHPC members.

Sign-up is continuing for our Lenten study groupswhich we call "Journey Groups." There will beseveral groups meeting at various times andplaces so, hopefully, one will be convenient foryou. Some also offer childcare. These groups willstart the week of February 22nd, and will endjust before Easter. That's 7 weeks. This year thestudy will be based on the Gospel of John.

At this same time, we are beginning a new pro-gram we are calling "Journey to FinancialPeace." Starting February 15th, this group will gofor 13 weeks. It is based on a video series byDave Ramsey. For this first time only, the costfor materials will be only $35 instead of the usu-al $99 per couple. This is a great bargain!

Featured in last month's newsletter was an arti-cle about John Calvin's 500th birthday and theclass on Calvin that Larry is leading this spring.

It will be on Wednesdays from 10:00 to 11:30starting o March 25th. There will be differenttopics along the way so feel free to drop in toany class.

We are also looking ahead to a great opportunitycoming this summer to see and hear some of thebest-known religious authors of our time allgathered in one nearby spot - San Antonio. At-tending all or part of "The Jesus Way" confer-ence will be a great way to refresh your spiritthis summer. Three or more who sign up togeth-er receive a discount!

For more information on all of these possibili-ties, look for articles in this newsletter andcheck out the Adult Ministry section of the SHPCweb site at www.shpc.org.

Adult MinistryRelationships for the Journey

"If you will live like no oneelse, later you can LIVE like noone else!" -Dave Ramsey

What would your life look like ifyou were really in control ofyour money and had no debt?

If you feel like your moneyvanishes each month, you arenot alone. In fact, 70% ofAmericans live paycheck topaycheck, regardless ofincome.

Financial Peace University isbased on Christian principlesand is designed to teach youand your family how to build

wealth by getting out of debtand staying out of debt. You'llmeet with your class each weekto watch the video lesson andparticipate in discussion andaccountability groups that willchange your whole attitudeabout money!

We at SHPC are offering thiscourse as one of our 2009Lenten Journey Groupofferings.

The full cost of this program isusually $99 per couple.However, as incentive for thosewilling to sign up for the firstoffering of this new-to-us

program, the cost will be only$35 per couple. (Singles arealso welcomed and encouragedto take the class.)

Roger and Marilyn Wade arefacilitating. The class willmeet for 13 weeks on Sundaysstarting February 15th, 5:30 to7:30, in Portable B. There willbe no class the week of Easter,making the last day of class onMay 17.

Childcare will be available butplease remember to pre-register your children to save aspace.

NEW CLASS! First time at SHPC!“Journey to Financial Peace”

Change your family’s future. Meet your financial goals. Stop struggling to make ends meet.

8

Put a pair of sunglasses onJohn Calvin and he looks

like he could perform with ZZTop. This is just one proof of

the fact that, even at 500 yearsof age, Calvin can still be cool!

Come join Pastor Larry thisspring and discover how the

thoughtful writings of JohnCalvin are still relevant for yourlife today. Since Larry will beleading, you know there will befunny stories, imaginary maps,strange diagrams, and probablycolored markers. Come join thefellowship!

When: Wednesday mornings,10 to 11:30 a.m.Where: Portable B

NEW START DATE: March 25th

Calvin Can Still Be Cool: NEW TIME

Adult Ministry

Christian seeking per-son interested in deep-ening relationship. Mustbe comfortable in groupatmosphere and notafraid of short commit-ments. Can only date for7 evenings.

Still reading??? ...then youneed to make a date with

Journey Groups.

Journey Groups is a 7-weeksmall group Bible study begin-ning the last week of Febru-ary and ending the week ofEaster. The purpose of Jour-ney Groups is to grow closerto God and make connectionswith others in the church.Studies are discussion basedand don't require prep-work.Groups meet at various timesat the church and peoples'homes. This spring we willstudy selections from that"Other Gospel," the Book ofJohn.

Look for details and signupsin the narthex starting in Feb-ruary or contact Dale or Shan-non Shumaker shannonshumaker@ austin.rr.com /358-4044 (home).

Announcing a great event!

THE JESUS WAY recovering the lost content of discipleshipJune 21-24, 2009 : San Antonio, TX : Municipal Auditorium & Hyatt Regency River Walk Hotel

Featuring: Eugene Peterson, John Ortberg, Richard J. Foster, Dallas Willard,Emilie Griffin, Robert Gelinas, Chris Webb, Juanita Rasmus, James Bryan Smith,Mindy Caliguire, and Joshua Choonmin Kang and many others.

This is a huge international event that is going to take place just down the road from us! Thereis far too much taking place for me to begin to describe the choices here so please go towww.renovare.org/2009ic.htm for details. Cost for the entire four-day event begins at $159 with

an additional $99 to attend what are known as “TrackWorkshops.” The cost for individuals wanting to attend a singleday is $75. Prices go up as time goes by but there are also groupdiscounts for 3 people or more who register together.

This would be a great spiritual “pick-me-up” in the middle ofthis summer. I would love to see members of Disciple classes andother groups and classes plan “mini events” for themselves byplanning travel together. Some may attend seminars that wouldthen give them ideas for studies to offer next fall or spring. Ithink, especially for group leaders, this could be a time of beingrefreshed and re-energized. For anyone, if you feel you’ve beenon a “spiritual plateau” for awhile, maybe this event couldcontain the “ah-ha moment” that would propel you to greaterspiritual heights. This is a wonderful opportunity and I hope atleast several SHPC members will participate and then bring theirexperiences back to share with us all. I plan to be there for theentire event so I hope to see some of you there!

9

at Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church

YOUNG LIFE DINNERIt's time again for the Annual YoungLife Banquet!Mark your calendars for Sunday Feb. 22nd

@ 5:30pm and come and find out what

Young Life is all about.

It's a great opportunity to learn more about

this awesome ministry and to support leaders

and kids from all over central Austin, as well

as those who meet at SHPC every Monday

night!

If you are interested in coming to the FREE

banquet or just want to hear more about it,

talk to Carlen Floyd, Kathy Lewis, Ruth Ann

Widner, Jeff & Lori Whitmire, or Sam Brinks.

Did I say... there is no cost to come to the

banquet!

Let's show Young Life that we care about the

kids in our community!

thanks—

Sam Brinks (291-5175)

YOUNG LIFE

Library AcquisitionsEver wonder what's happening in groups youcan't fit into your schedule? Here are some ofthe books they've used:

646.7 ARP 10 Great Dates to Energize YourMarriage — Recapture the excitement of datingdays—and strengthen you marriage at the sametime!

220.9 HIG Really Bad Girls from the Bible — As theauthor says, “We’ll save the Good Girls for anothertime. I always learn more from women who are lessthan perfect, simply because we have much more incommon.”

230 CHR Christian Believer: Knowing God withHeart and Mind — A collection of readings about ourbasic beliefs.

Book group titles have included:

248.2 WIN Girl Meets GOD —The author was apracticing Orthodox Jew—who discovered she wasbeing pursued by Jesus! She takes us through a yearas she tries to reconcile both sides of her religiousidentity.

371.822 MOR Three Cups of Tea — Theauthor was rescued by animpoverished Pakistani village whilemountain-climbing. Discovering that the village"school" is a patch of dirt and sticks, with a part-time teacher-for boys only, Mortenson promises, inspite of no funds, to return and build a school. Thebook shows the power of one person with a missionand gives insight into the current Afghanistan andPakistani situation.

Remember, if checking out a book with thenew automated system still seems mysterious,call on a member of the library committee:Margaret Nakamura,Rebecca Robertson, DeeMerrell, or Thelma Morris. Someone can helpyou register and give you a private lessonafter the 11:00 service, or during the week. Itwill only take a few minutes to learn to useour user-friendly system.

10

The SAM Council functions to enhance Christianrelationships at SHPC primarily for the olderadults and friends of our church.

SOUP TO NUTS LUNCHEONOur February 17th luncheon will feature apatriotic theme with a special presentation bythe National Sojourners. They are a Masons whoare presently or have been in the military.February 16th is President's Day so come to thisspecial event decked out in red, white and blue.The meeting starts at 11 a.m. to be followedby a catered luncheon at noon. To cover someof the price of the meal, $7.00 per person ischarged. Contact Harriet Cavness (261-3496,hcavness@sbcglobal.net) or Pat Haag (288-3479,phaag@austin.rr.com) to make your reservationby February 13th.

SPRING RETREATWe will return to Camp Buckner for this year'sretreat on April 14, 15 & 16. If you have everwanted to spend several days with the ReverendLarry Coulter and become immersed in "theword" as well as discussions running the gamutof daily concerns and current world affairs, youshould give this a high priority on your calendar.While this year's theme and topics are yet to bedetermined, please know that there is nothinglike two days with Larry!

Camp Buckner is located northwest of MarbleFalls in the beautiful Texas Hill Country. (Onlyan hour and fifteen minute drive!) Motel stylerooms are located in the lodge where we will bestaying. That means private bathrooms and verygood beds. The walk to the meeting room ispaved and flat. And we will provide assistanceto travel to the dining room as needed.

The cost? $132.00 per person for 2 persons perroom, or $180.00 per person for 2 nights with 1person per room. This includes dinner on the14th, three meals on the 15th and breakfast andlunch on the 16th.

Make your reservation by contacting Lynn Wrightand submitting a $50.00 per person deposit.You can reach her at 288-0188 orlywight@austin.rr.com. Final payment for thebalance will be due by March 10, 2009.

RIVER CITY POPSYou are invited to join a group of us that will betraveling to see and hear the River City Pops atReagan High School Performing Arts Center onSunday, March 8th at 2 p.m. We will obtain ablock of reserved seats for the event, and youmay reserve your seat by contacting Sally JoElliott at 892-0845 or sallyjoelliott@att.net byFebruary 24th. Please pay for your tickets whenyou pick them up at the time of the event at thebox office. The price? $10.00. Car pooling willbe available.

Other Opportunities to Connect:GROAN-UPS GAME DAY: Tuesday, February 10th

in Room 7 at 10 a.m. Contact Jim Black,892-2982 or james7388@sbcglobal.net. Noreservation needed.

FELLOWSHIP BRIDGE GROUP: Friday, February13th at 7 p.m. in room 7. Hostess is BarbaraChallis. To play, please contact VirginiaMcNutt at 288-7187 or Martha Meador at 288-3341 by Tuesday, February 10th.

GOLDEN YEARS LUNCH BUNCH: Saturday, 11:30a.m., February 14th. Please contact thehosts, Richard and Tommye Sprotte, 892-7725 or richtom@aol.com. to makereservations. We will dine at Donn's Bar-B-Q,7001 Oak Meadow Drive. The restaurant islocated off of 290 behind the closedAlbertsons.

MARY MARTHA CIRCLE: Thursday, February 5th,at 10 a.m. in Portable B. Contact LaurelCalhoun at 892-5530. Our lesson is number6, “Enemies Become Neighbors” from ourstudy Jubilee: Luke's Gospel For the Poor;the scripture is Luke 10:25-37 & 17:11-19.Sherry Smith will lead the lesson.

RETIRED CHRISTIAN MEN'S ASSOCIATION(RMCA): February 12th and 26th at 10 a.m. inPortable B. Contact Ron Miller 892-1862. Noreservation needed. ronald.miller1333@sbcglobal.net.

11

What's that? Did you see it? Somethingmoved…over there…in the shadows. No? Guessmaybe it was just my imagination.

No…wait! There it is again!! You saw it too,didn't you. Over there…by that house. Can't tellwhat it is, but it's moving toward thatwindow…say, isn't that your house?

Oh, my gosh! That is your house. So what'sthat…wait…I can see it better now…it's…it'ssomeone all dressed in black sneaking throughthe bushes…sneaking up to your living roomwindow…opening the window…climbing in!

Call 911!! I'll see if I can scare them away.

Hey! You!! What are you doing?! Get awayfrom there!!

Hey, man, don't worry about me. I'm doingthese people a favor.

Yeah? How so? You'd better make it good!

Well, do you see all of these torn up pieces ofpaper laying around the floor? That crumpledup sheet in the corner?

Yeeesss…?

Well, those are New Years resolutions. Brokenresolutions. Forgotten resolutions. Resolutionsmade in the excitement of a new year, a freshstart, but all too quickly ignored, discarded.

Okaaay…aaand…?

And I'm simply trading those out for a singlenew resolutions. An important resolution. Aresolution that will help these people for years.

That's pretty bold talk! You'd better tell mewhat you mean, and you'd better tell me quick!The police will be here at any moment!

Thanks for the warning! I'll talk fast, but afteryou hear me out, I think you'll agree that thepolice won't be necessary.

You see, like most of us, the folks in this househad big hopes and dreams at the beginning ofJanuary. They had a long list ofresolutions…you know the kind of thing. They

were going to start eating better, lose some bignumber of pounds, exercise every day and twiceon Sundays, learn to love their mother-in-laws.

And they actually got off to a pretty good start.Ate a lot of salads, joined a gym, invited moth-er-in-law over for dinner, even adopted a cou-ple of stray cats. But then they fell back intotheir old routines and those resolutions endedup here on the floor, broken, torn, forgotten.

So I've been going from house-to-house, gather-ing up the lost resolutions and leaving behind asingle new resolution of incredible value. I sim-ply suggest that you take a step back from theworld and spend a little time thinking aboutthings.

Thinking…about things…riiiight. So you justwant me to maybe sit around and maybe con-template my navel? Consider the relative meritsof an innie versus an outie?

Don't be ridiculous! By "things" I mean exactlythat—the "things" you have like your house andcar, your clothes and TVs, your cell phone—allthat "stuff" that you've filled up your life with.

Okay—I like this! I've got some pretty neat stuffand it's fun to think about it!! Although come tothink of it, there were a couple of things I reallywanted that I didn't get for Christmas….Hey! I'mworking on your new New Year’s resolution al-ready, aren't I? I'm thinking about the things inmy life!

Yes…well…I'm afraid that's not exactly what I'mafter. You see, I want you to think about yourstuff in the context of your life. You know,your values and your priorities. Look, when youdie, what do you want people to say about you?"Man, he really had some great stuff! (And keepyour hands off the big screen, it's mine!)"

Well, of course not! I want people to rememberme for the person I was…er…am, not for thethings I have. But what's wrong with havingsome nice things? After all, they're not just forme, they're also for my family. I want my family

submitted by Allen Gunter

From Out of the Shadows...

continued, next page

12

to have the best that I can give them. What'swrong with that?

Maybe nothing. Depends on what you mean by"best." Best house and clothes? Or best valuesand priorities? All of the TV channels cable hasto offer? Or all of the love, caring and sharingthat close ties with family and friends has tooffer?

Now hold on just a doggoned minute here! Onedoesn't preclude the other. Look, everything wehave came from God. Didn't He intend for us toenjoy it? I worked hard for what I have and Idon't see any reason why it's any business ofyours how I spend my money!

No business of mine. None at all. It's definitelybetween you and God. And since you recognizethat everything you have comes from God,including the talents and skills that helped youget what you have, answer me this: What doyou give back to God? Is it part of the firstfruits of your work? Or is it what's left over, ifanything, after you've used your money forwhatever you wanted to use it for?

Come one, that's not fair! I try to support thechurch and give to others whenever I can. ButI've got bills to pay, and it seems likesomething's always coming up. New tires for thecar, an air conditioner that needs fixing. Surelyyou're not suggesting that I skip my mortgagepayment so that I can give more to God?

Nope. Again, that's between you and God. AllI'm asking is that you take some time to thinkabout the big triangle in your life between you,God and your material possessions. The way youspend your money is a pretty strong indicationof where your priorities and values lie.

Let me ask you this. Are you carrying any creditcard debt? Maybe a home equity loan? In otherwords, have you gone into debt to pay for yourlifestyle? Bet you've never gone into debt togive to God!

You want me to get a loan and give it to God?You're crazy!

Man, you sure are being thick-headed aboutthis! It doesn't take much to find severalpassages in Scripture that caution againstborrowing for any reason. My point is simply toput your money where your mouth is.

Kind of like "you are what you spend?"

By George, I believe you're getting it! It's prettysimple, really. Does God come first in your life?Then He should come first with your money. Isbuilding a secure future for you and your familyreally a high priority? Then you should besaving something now for that future.

Makes sense.

Well, then, try this. Take the first part of yourincome and give it to God. Take the next partand give it to yourself by saving it. Spend therest any old way you want.

That's pretty straight-forward. But how muchshould each part be? Wait - don't tell me! It'sbetween me and God, right?

Right! Just making the commitment andsticking to it is more important than the exactamount you start with. And speaking ofcommitments, I still have a number of homes tovisit. There's an unusually large number ofbroken resolutions this year. Besides, thosepolice sirens are getting awfully close…it's timeto duck back into the shadows!

Want a little help with some aspect of your financial life?Call the Budget Guy, Allen Gunter, at 301-1246 or sendan email to BudgetGuy@SHPC.org. I will help you in any

way I can, and it's free and completely confidential.

For a wonderful look at what the Bible says aboutmoney, check out the Crown Financial Ministries Small

Study Groups. Contact Chris Gordon (484-1905;cgordon1@austin.rr.com) or Roger Wade (301-4921;

rcwactuary@austin.rr.com) for more information.

13

Jim & Pam ImmittAngela, Adrian6958 South Columbine RoadEvergreen, CO, 80439Jim’s email: jim.immitt@yahoo.com (personal)

Annette Chambers4013 Tecate TrailAustin TX 78739-4316

Doris Peltzman978 Pleasant Valley RdSouth Windsor CT 06074-4219

Barbara Ables6607 Brodie LnApt 1018Austin, TX 78745-4654

Welcome, NewSHPC Members!

Kelly and Jason King, with daughter Skyler

Bo Burgener, former SHPCintern, and his wife Cara,former director of SHPC’schildren’s ministries wanted toshow off their daughter AveryLynn to all their friends atSHPC! Avery was born January6th.

Dear SHPC Friends & Family,I want to extend my deepestappreciation for your calls andprayers during my mother'srecent hospitalization. She isvastly improved and continuesto stabilize at home in MarbleFalls. Thank you all for yourthoughtful and gracious careto us both.

Joyce Stewart

14

Joys – Bo & Cara Burgener welcomed daughter Avery Lynn on January 6th —Jason Addison & Emily Greencelebrated their wedding at SHPC on January 3rd

Sorrows – Hammitt Womack, father of Tron, passed away of heart failure on January 24th—Linda Brown,past member and wife of Glyn, passed away in her sleep on January 15th after having been in ill health for a long time—Rich Morales’ father passed away the evening of January 10th—Lillian Moorman passed away Jan 4th; her memorialservice was held at SHPC on January 24th—Mukamba Ngalamulume’s brother, Andrew David, died on Christmas Day in

Zambia

Thanks– Glyn Brown and his daughters thank SHPC for all the support and outpouring of love following the recent death of hiswife, Lynda

Please pray for — Ed Buckingham, ill in California—Marianna Ferguson, new and needy in Austin area—Carol Zamora,Cathy Beard’s aunt's best friend, strength for her and her family during this sudden and serious illness—Eddie Seyfarth, brother ofHank Seyfarth, undergoing cancer treatment—Hank Seyfarth’s brother-in-law David Gray, fighting leukemia—Chase Breed, son ofDebbie & Rollin Breed, being deployed to Afghanistan, his third deployment—Dan Lawler, possible bone infection of right foot—theGilchrists’ friends, Lee & Jean Reavis; he has advanced Parkinsons disease—Susan Salch’s father, Steve, continued good resultsfrom cancer treatment—Susan Salch’s friend, Andrew Flynn, recovering from surgery—Gary, Barbara & Terry Johnson, parents &brother of Sherri Johnson; Sherri, has an inoperable tumor and is in hospice care; Gary is former co-worker of Bill Hall, Ted Millerand Ken Seiler—Marc Kirsch, knee surgery—Linda Whitworth, dear friend of Lynda Wade, diagnosed with a brain tumor—ChristiFournier Cannon, niece of Michael McNelley, spinal tap and other tests—Bonnie Lambert, mother of Claudia Lauber, recoveringfrom back surgery—Carolyn Weeks, recovering from mastectomy and beginning chemotherapy—Rachel & Rod Soto, looking for newtransportation options for Rod so he can continue to work when he can no longer drive due to degenerative vision loss—AJ Gamez,brother of a co-worker of Amanda Merits, in his third tour of duty in Iraq—Barbara Guerrero’s neighbor Von & his wife, who isparalyzed following an E. coli infection—Wes Ballew Sr., continuing outpatient treatment following a second major heart surgery—Virginia McNutt’s long-time friend Bill Harris, recovering from major cancer surgery—Brian, just begun serving a two-year prisonsentence—Wayne Crawley, recovering from emergency gall bladder removal surgery—Chimwemwe Mhango, as he recoversphysically, spiritually and emotionally following a beating—Lou England, mother of Joyce Stewart, continuing to recover from heartsurgery—Sue Cozart, recovering from surgery with more to come—Eastern Congo—Luke Ayers, recovering after surgery to treatsevere hip problems—Pastor Clement Munthali & the congregation of Manyamula Presbyterian Church—Pastor ChimwemweMhango and his family

Please pray for members of the Armed Forces, loved ones, and all world leaders involved in war zone crises including:Jason Addison, son of Al & Jai Leigh Addison… Alan Robinson, former student of Carol Ideker... Brian Tiede,friend of Sherine Thomas & Tom Nuckols... Jeff Johnson, friend of Angela & Jeff Peterson... Clinton Purcell,Doug Budd’s co-worker's son... Buddy Lopez... Daisy Bates’ nephew, Taiga Sevaaetasi... Dennis Low... CharlesBarclay II, friend of Doug Budd, & the 433rd Combat Engineering Squadron... Todd Plybon, co-worker of KarmenMiller... Nicki Bradshaw’s son William Steele... Paul Floyd, brother of Beaman... Chris Lehmann, son of MarkLehmann... Sherry Todd’s nephew, Michael Sybrant... AJ Gamez, brother of a co-worker of Amanda Merits...Chase Breed, son of Debbie & Rollin Breed...

ANNIVERSARIES J.W. & Marilyn Cook3 Feb Allen & Pam Gunter, Sid & Mary

Helen MacAllister5 Feb Tom & Jan Fiedler6 Feb Doug & Teresa Riffey, Greg & Gayle

Guernsey9 Feb Tom & Gena VanOsselaer10 Feb Karmen & Jeff Miller, Frances &

Ted Miller11 Feb Don & Rita Nowakowski12 Feb Arlan & Sharon Conner16 Feb Peggy & Michael Platt18 Feb Sharon Beynon & Alex Kolesnik21 Feb Robert & Alice Kouts24 Feb Bill & Madeline Brock, Mike &

Teena Davis28 Feb Joanna & Ed McMenemy, Gene &

Lynn Wright, James & JenniferMoore

BIRTHDAYS1 Feb Charles Staton, Jonathan Kluckhohn2 Feb Fran Miller, Ofelia Tabora, Dave

Harrington, Martyn Buffler, JulieWalker

3 Feb Rita Paschack, Valerie Aman, JennyProsser, Nathan Bender

4 Feb Mike Henderson, Tracy Lord, SethKoschak, Sara Gardner, KelseyStromberg

5 Feb Nancy McDonald, Karla Snell,Deborah Wagner, Sue Frye

6 Feb Annie Ward, Kathy Segura, MattLopez, Benjamin Spink

7 Feb Jinny Thompson, Matthias Mathaes,Lindsey Morales

8 Feb Paul Kuper, MadeleineNgalamulume, Abby Sims

9 Feb Anna Olson, Clay Cortez, CharlotteMilam

10 Feb Glen Vorwerk, Jack Crump, LindaIcenhauer-Ramirez, Randy Webb,Wendy Saari, Jessica O'Meara, KatZuraitis, Brooks Gonzales, TravisSaari, Kaitlin Kaiser

11 Feb Edward McMenemy, Hilda Harnden,David Howard, Keivaun Waugh

12 Feb Jennifer McDaniel, StanleyCrawford, Reis Parsons

13 Feb Alice Moore, Derek Fisher, JenniferFrye, Reed Cozart

14 Feb Debbie Breed, Phillip Callahan,Katie Floyd

15 Feb Joey Barrett, Brooks Perkins-Jechow

16 Feb Mark Thompson, Shae Wilkins,Adam Pellerin, Lily Harris

17 Feb Pamela Walsh, Mason Morgan18 Feb Allen David, Grant Brooke,

Charlotte Hanna19 Feb Greg Heidel, John Gillis, Brianna

Baschnagel, Rylan Gillis20 Feb Grady Morris, Brandon Likes, Luke

Ayers21 Feb Ron Ward, Linda Brooke, Calvin

Albin, Simone Owensby22 Feb Ashley Ashbaugh23 Feb Karen Ashorn, Melissa Lutke, Sarah

Gross24 Feb Jim Ayers, Gerry Merits25 Feb Mike Davis, Mike Darden, Eddie

Reynolds, Haley Hyde, IsabelaProctor, Samuel Williams

26 Feb John White, Camille Gerlach, OliviaWilliams

27 Feb David Breed, Francis Reilly, AndreaGuardiola

28 Feb Edwin Schiller, Brice Darden, ErikaDavis

29 Feb Wally Pryor, Lynette Gillis

15Feel free to tear off and save this page to help you keep on top of everything that’s happening at Shepherd of the Hills!

1 Sunday9:30 a.m. The Ark, UpStreet, NO Faithwalk11 a.m. The Ark, Live B.I.G.6 p.m. Family Matters, port. A6:30 p.m. Everlast Evening Fellowship

2 Monday5 p.m. DV*8, Student Lounge5:30 p.m. Young Life, FMC6:30 p.m. Disciple 1, library :: Disciple 3, Seilers’

3 Tuesday6:15 a.m. Men’s Life10 a.m. Icing on the Cake, port. A

4 Wednesday10 a.m. Colossians Manuscript Study, port. B6 p.m. Foundations, port. B :: Evergreen6:30 p.m Women’s Wednesday Evening Bible Study

(WEBS), library :: Mark Manuscript Study, rm 77 p.m. Evermore Evening Fellowship

5 Thursday9:30 a.m. Disciple 1, library :: Mothers of Young Children

Devotional (MYC), rm. 710 a.m. Mary-Martha Circle, port B6 p.m. Handbell Choir, room 57 p.m. Worship Choir, room 5 :: Disciple 4, library

6 Friday SHPC Leaders’ Retreat begins

8 Sunday9:30 a.m. The Ark, UpStreet, Faithwalk11 a.m. The Ark, Live B.I.G. SHPC Leaders’ Retreat ends6 p.m. Family Matters, port. A6:30 p.m. Everlast Evening Fellowship

9 Monday10 a.m. SAM Council5 p.m. DV*8, Student Lounge5:30 p.m. Young Life, FMC6:30 p.m. Disciple 1, library :: Disciple 3, Seilers’

10 Tuesday6:15 a.m. Men’s Life10 a.m. Icing on the Cake, port. A

“Groan”-Ups Game Day, room 711 Wednesday

10 a.m. Colossians Manuscript Study, port. B6 p.m. Foundations, port. B :: Evergreen6:30 p.m KidStuf! FMC

WEBS, library :: Mark Manuscript Study, rm 77 p.m. Evermore Evening Fellowship

12 Thursday9:30 a.m. MYC, rm. 710 a.m. Retired Men’s Christian Association, port B6 p.m. Handbell Choir, room 57 p.m. Worship Choir, room 5 :: Disciple 4, library

13 Friday Senior High Ski Trip departs7 p.m. Fellowship Bridge Group

14 Saturday11:30 a.m. Golden Years Lunch Bunch5:30 p.m. Silent Auction for Mexico Mission6 p.m. Valentine’s Dinner

15 Sunday9:30 a.m. The Ark, UpStreet, Faithwalk11 a.m. The Ark, Live B.I.G. Senior High Ski Trip returns5:30 p.m. Inquirer’s Class6 p.m. Family Matters, port. A6:30 p.m. Everlast Evening FellowshipMARCH NEWSLETTER DEADLINE

16 Monday5 p.m. DV*8, Student Lounge5:30 p.m. Young Life, FMC6:30 p.m. Disciple 1, library :: Disciple 3, Seilers’

17 Tuesday6:15 a.m. Men’s Life10 a.m. Icing on the Cake, port. A7 p.m. Prayer Shawl Ministry, port. B

18 Wednesday10 a.m. Colossians Manuscript Study, port. B6 p.m. Foundations, port. B :: Evergreen6:30 p.m WEBS, library :: Mark Manuscript Study, rm 77 p.m. Evermore Evening Fellowship

19 Thursday9:30 a.m. Disciple 1, library :: MYC, rm. 76 p.m. Handbell Choir, room 57 p.m. Worship Choir, room 5 :: Disciple 4, library Cursillo #27 begins

22 Sunday9:30 a.m. The Ark, UpStreet, Faithwalk11 a.m. The Ark, Live B.I.G.5:30 p.m. Inquirer’s Class

Young Life Dinner, FMC6 p.m. Family Matters, port. A6:30 p.m. Everlast Evening Fellowship

Cursillo #27 ends23 Monday

5 p.m. DV*8, Student Lounge6:30 p.m. Disciple 1, library :: Disciple 3, Seilers’

24 Tuesday6:15 a.m. Men’s Life10 a.m. Icing on the Cake, port. A5:30 p.m. Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper hosted by Boy

Scout Troop 39525 Wednesday

10 a.m. Colossians Manuscript Study, port. B6 p.m. NO Foundations, port. B :: Evergreen, yes6:30 p.m WEBS, library :: Mark Manuscript Study, rm 77 p.m. Ash Wednesday worship; no childcare

Evermore Evening Fellowship26 Thursday

9:30 a.m. MYC, rm. 710 a.m. Retired Men’s Christian Association, port B6 p.m. Handbell Choir, room 57 p.m. Worship Choir, room 5 :: Disciple 4, library

Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION5226 West William Cannon Drive U.S. POSTAGE PAIDAustin, TX 78749-2244 AUSTIN, TXCHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED Permit #1279

February 2009

Issue 2

The Rev. Larry Coulter, PastorThe Rev. Michael Killeen, Associate Pastor The Rev. Britta Dukes, Associate Pastor5226 West William Cannon Drive, Austin, TX 78749-2244 Phone: 512-892-3580, FAX: 512-892-6307www.shpc.org Pastor’s email: larry@shpc.org church@shpc.org