Category: News

We have a new fellowship hall AC unit. The previous one was in its last stage of life. Entering the hottest month of the summer in this impressive heat wave was rightly making folks concerned. So, with funds from the church operating budget, the church endowment funds, and the child development center operating budget, a new, 12.5-ton unit was installed on the roof. We are grateful to the child development center board for supplying one-half of the total cost. Special thanks to Terry Porter for coordinating site work with Tal Wiginton of Central Texas Mechanical. We are grateful for the continued generosity that facilitates our church, child development center, and community ministries.    

FELC music director and office administrator Bryan Rust has been away for health issues. As it turns out, both of Bryan’s surgeries were postponed and are begin rescheduled. Bryan will be back with us on Sunday, August 7, then away the following Sunday, August 14, for vacation time with family. We continue to hold Bryan in our prayers and support.

Vicar # 46 (2012-2013), Alex LaChapelle, is returning to FELC to be our guest preacher Sunday, October 9. Alex is currently serving as pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Harvey, Michigan. Previously Pastor Alex served as associate pastor of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Park Ridge, Illinois; as country coordinator in Southern Africa and Tanzania for the ELCA Young Adults in Global Mission program; and as pastor of Nairobi International Lutheran Congregation in Kenya.

We are excited to welcoming Pastor Alex back to FELC and celebrating his ministry to the church.

Artwork for the Chapel of the Saints

Our Chapel of the Saints now includes saints icons by artist Kelly Latimore. Using FELC memorial funds, we purchased sixteen icons of diverse saints ancient and contemporary. Eight of the icons are now installed in the Chapel of the Saints. Eight more are installed in the hallway outside the north transept entrance. The icons will be rotated into the Chapel of the Saints.

You can see all sixteen saints icons here.

This Summer Adult Forum with Pastor Michael Coffey has concluded

“I have been pondering for a long time how to write a theology that does not make use of the ancient Greek metaphysical assumptions that undergird the Christian dogmatic tradition. There’s nothing wrong with that tradition, but those assumptions are not necessary to faithfully express our faith.

As I work on giving this theology content, I invite you to join me for a series of adult forums as I explore with you how our Christian faith can be expressed in a way that is meaningful, active, and faithful. Your thoughts and questions will help shape my work and will give me much needed insight.

While we will touch on some philosophical and theological big ideas, we won’t spend too much time on those. Rather, we will explore what it means to live our Christian faith as we experience God on the way with Jesus.

I hope you’ll consider joining me as we explore this topic together and offer your feedback to help guide me in this writing project.” — Pastor Michael Coffey

Find forum materials at the links below:

The presentation from the class can be found here.

On the Way with Jesus Bibliography

One Year to Live is NOT your typical men’s retreat!

Developed by LMM in partnership with Lyman Coleman, pioneer of small group ministry, and CEO and founder of Serendipity Publishing House, the One Year to Live retreat is designed to be a life changing, lay led event. Join men from around the area October 21, 22, 23 at Camp Chrysalis in Kerrville, Texas. For retreat information and to register soon, visit this brochure or contact FELC member Andy MacLaren at andrew.maclaren@lpl.com or 512-947-4186.

FELC Welcome Statement

Welcome to First English Lutheran Church. You’re invited to fully participate in a community of faith and friendship that gathers for worship, relationship building, personal growth, and service in the community and the world. Following the example of Christ, this congregation welcomes you exactly as you are.

We are committed to the work of racial equity, justice, and advocating for marginalized groups. We welcome people in all places on the journey of faith and life. We celebrate differences in age, appearance, economic status, ethnic origin, nationality, race, family configuration, marital or relationship status, political leaning, religious background, and those who are differently abled physically or mentally.

Since 1989, FELC has openly welcomed persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities and expressions to full participation in the church and society.

We’re Lutheran, so that means we believe in grace for everyone. The good news of Jesus
Christ, who brings us the love and mercy of God as a gift, liberates us to love as we are loved, serve as we are served, and give as we have been given much. We rejoice in the diversity that has nurtured and enriched the whole church.

Whether you’re from another faith tradition, a seeker and questioner looking for more to life and a place to explore, or even a lifelong Lutheran, we’re glad to have you.

Information:

Our new LGBTQ+ Ministries Task Force in collaboration with several ministry teams, committees, taskforces, and groups at FELC began meeting in the Spring of 2022. A first priority was to develop a renewed statement of welcome. Reconciling Works, which sponsors the Reconciled in Christ ministry we have been part of since 1989, is asking all of its partners to review their welcome statement. Our Task Forced reviewed welcome statements from several Lutheran congregations, and reviewed our current welcome statement. A proposed statement was drafted for the church council to adopt. At the July 2022 council meeting the statement was adopted through a continuing resolution as our official welcome statement. We have begun using this prominently and continue striving to live it out faithfully.

Following the January 23^rd meeting of the FELC Racial Justice Action Group, a small subset team was formed to do a focused evaluation of the ‘whiteness’ of First English Lutheran Church and seek meaningful ways in which this church can strive for and embody both strategic and authentic diversity of many forms. Members of the team include Nancy Baden, Erin McCracken, Bryan Rust, Cassi Smith, and Barbara Wiederanders. Over these months, the team began reviewing the extent to which the current community and culture of FELC enables, inhibits, and reflects authentic diversity. The team compiled a report including meaningful recommended actions for strategic and authentic diversity. Team members present conversation pieces during Sunday worship in Temple Talks on July 17, July 31, and August 14, and the report to the church council at its August meeting.

We give thanks with Michele Hockett Copper and Brendan Cooper and big brother Jesse on the arrival of Sal Tyler Cooper on Saturday evening, July 16. All are reported to be happy and healthy! Can’t wait to meet you, Sal! Welcome!