Pulling Out All The Stops!!
A campaign for music, worship,
and outreach at First Lutheran Church.
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The pipes of the First Lutheran organ, which will be restored to their original full sound and augmented to create a magnificent instrument for creative music in worship. The colors come from the stained glass projected on the pipes, which happens on sunny days around 9 am depending on the time of year.
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The Organ Committee has been working for several months and has given our primary report to the Congregation Council. Both the committee and council unanimously endorsed purchase of a Rodgers Digital Organ. This new instrument has hundreds of unique organ and orchestral sounds. It will also work with our existing pipes to create an excellent organ for both our worship needs as well as community music outreach. The council authorized a campaign to receive the needed gifts to complete the project, as well as calling a Congregational Meeting on July 3rd to approve the purchase. Time is important for that meeting because we only have 30 days to lock in current prices.
The campaign name "Pulling Out All The Stops!" comes from a common phrase that some might not realize started with pipe organs. Each rank (set) of pipes on an organ has a unique sound, some organs have several dozen and even hundreds of sets. The organist chooses what ranks to blend to create the various sounds you hear. Before electrical controls, the stops were bars next to the keyboard that had to be pulled out to turn the stop on.
“Pull out all the stops” meant to play the organ with the most full and complete sound possible. Today, it means making a great effort to achieve something. We are calling this campaign “Pulling Out All The Stops” because we are celebrating our return to life together by joining in to make a great effort, committing to renew our worship life with a new organ.
A mailer is coming to every member's home with details about the new organ and the campaign goals. It is being sent out Friday afternoon (June 10th). If you do not have it soon let us know. The same general information is also on our church website in a different format at https://flcsm.org/organ/ . That page also allows us to have videos of this same model of organ being used in worship and an informational video about digital organs of this model. It also will have updates as we receive questions.
Our campaign is now in full swing, and with initial gifts as well as memorial funds that were designated towards the organ project, we are almost 2/3 of the way to our goal! , We are ready to receive your gift or pledge as soon as you are ready to give. You are encouraged read about this exciting project and pray about it, and to make a commitment to help us “Pull Out All The Stops” and take a leap forward in our music ministry!
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Ushers, Communion Assistants, and Readers
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As we return to a more full in-person ministry, we want to replenish our bench of worship assistants. We needing to have volunteers for each of the following:
Ushers to greet worshipers as they arrive and also assist with traffic flow during Communion.
Communion Assistants to distribute the wine / grape juice
Readers: the readings will be sent to you during the week
Altar Guild: Prepare for Holy Communion on Saturday and clean after worship.
If you are willing to help with any or all of these, contact Sue at firstlutheran@grandecom.net or calling 512-392-2064 weekday afternoons.
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Starting after Pentecost, we will take submissions for favorite hymns and use at least one each week. They need to be in our hymnal, and there may be a few that we cannot use because of licensing for online streaming or other similar issues but most older favorites should be available.
If you have a suggestion, send it to pastortim@flcsm.org and it will get on the list.
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Southwestern Texas Synod Assembly
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The Southwestern Texas Synod Assembly meets in person this weekend for the first time since 2019. It takes place June 11th and 12th in New Braunfels. The theme is "Got Good News? Go with it!" It is based on the story of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch from Acts chapter 8.
The time will include elections to synod positions, worship, keynotes about the ways we can be church together in and beyond our congregations. More details are available at https://www.swtsynod.org/pages/assembly
The FLC Council has designated our lenten offerings and an additional $200 in benevolence for the assembly offering, which will grow the synod's Mission Endowment Fund. This provides vital funding for ministries in vulnerable settings like Pláticas de Santa Sophia in San Antonio, Eagle Pass Frontera Ministries on the border, and the New Lutheran Apostolic Network of South Texas. This video gives a picture of how important these ministries are:
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Video by the Southwestern Texas Synod Office Of The Bishop
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If you have announcements for the congregation, send them to Sue at firstlutheran@grandecom.net .
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Worship for June 12
Holy Trinity Sunday
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Weekly Worship Theme Preview: The Sunday after Pentecost is celebrated each year as Trinity Sunday, a day on which the church meditates on the mystery of our God, one divine unity of three distinct presences. Each way that we speak about the Trinity is inadequate. Indeed, a God we could understand wouldn’t be much of a God. This Sunday we will be helped by a poem in Proverbs, a psalm, Paul, John, our prayers, several hymn writers, the text of our liturgy, a sermon, and the gift of bread and wine, as in worship we are gathered into the life of our unfathomable God.
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Zoom Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81459937029?pwd=Z0pTMXVjUWU5VkxEQXBva2FDRHhXQT09
Meeting ID: 814 5993 7029 Passcode: 106355
(Those shouldn't be necessary if you use the link)
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/firstlutheransmtx/
(If the above links do not work, try the red buttons on the top of https://flcsm.org/ instead.)
The readings for this Sunday are:
- Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31
Wisdom rejoices in the creation
- Psalm 8
Your glory is chanted above the heavens. (Ps. 8:2)
- Romans 5:1-5
God’s love poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit
- John 16:12-15
The Spirit will guide you into the truth
You can find the readings each week by going to https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/ and clicking on the date. Our Old Testament reading and Psalm are the second set listed.
Our hymns are:
Gathering Song Gather Us In (ELW 532)
Hymn of the Day We Walk by Faith (ELW 635)
Sending Song Rise, O Church, like Christ Arisen (SURGE ECCLESIA) (ELW 548)
The worship book now has a permanent address so you can find it easily and there will be fewer chances for errors. It will be at http:// http://flcsm.org/next-sunday-worship-book/ . You might find a placeholder file there during the week. It will be posted by Saturday at the latest. (There may be changes in prayers and other small items, but the link should remain the same. If there are any major changes, which we do not anticipate, we would send another email on Sunday.)
More full instructions are on the website. Additionally, if you cannot access from the usual links, check the website because Zoom often implements updates on the weekend. The website can be changed in minutes if needed to update links or passwords. You can find all the information at
IF YOU GO there on Saturday and Sunday and find last weeks file you need to fully refresh your browser because your computer is reading its cached version.
If that does not work try getting the file from the specific date link on the worship page
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Current FLC COVID Practices
(Last change in April 2022)
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The FLC Council, based on current public health recommendations adopted the following.
“Based on guidance from the CDC, because we are currently in a “low transmission” status, the church council has decided that wearing masks will be optional during hours that Kids Of The Kingdom is not in operation. (7 am to 6 pm weekdays masks will be mandatory to follow State of Texas requirements for child care centers.)
If Hays County goes into a “high transmission” category we will immediately resume mandatory masking at all times per CDC guidelines.
Zoom and Facebook will continue to be available for those not wishing to be in person.”
This policy is effective immediately.
Other notes: As we adjust to a new phase and the pandemic becomes endemic (a disease that continues to circulate but against which we have more immunity and precautions available), we are all ready to respond to risks differently. Of course we expect everyone in our church community to respect the ways others choose to protect themselves. But we also want to be aware of ways to support one another. For some, wearing a mask may also be a sign that they are wanting to keep more personal space than we might have considered normal a few years ago. As our faith tells us to be more concerned for our neighbor than ourselves, we need to be aware of these signals and make returning to church in-person as comfortable as we can for all, no matter how we are ready to engage the risks of being in public.
Please be aware of the still increased cautions that Kids Of The Kingdom continues to take. The children in our care cannot be vaccinated yet because of age. During operating hours, we must require that you wear a mask when not in a separate space away from more than one other person. These are strictly enforced rules put in place by state childcare licensing and we cannot risk any violation.
If you visit the church building during KOK hours (M-F 7 am to 6 pm), PLEASE use the main doors by the church office. This is especially important at pick-up time in the late afternoon until 6 pm. Parents are still not allowed in the building and it is confusing to parents and difficult for staff when people use those doors while they are dismissing children.
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First Lutheran Staff and Contact Info:
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Pastor: The Rev. Tim Bauerkemper
Office Manager: Sue Cole
Music Director: Dr. Cynthia Gonzales
Organist: Joe Callan
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