Fort Bend-Wharton County Chapter

Four page newsletter: Ft Bend Wharton Chapter Chatter

Four page newsletter: Ft Bend Wharton Chapter Chatter

Fort Bend-Wharton County Chapter, Chapter Chatter - October 2006

It's Time to Elect a New Board for 2007-11/12/2006

We have been blessed with dedicated Chapter Leaders for our three years plus as a Thrivent
Financial Chapter. Much has been accomplished to support our members, congregations and communities through the benefits of membership we can access as Thrivent Financial members.

It is time, though, to elect new board members to carry on and continue to strengthen each other, our congregations and communities.

We will hold our election for officers November 12, 2006 in each or our 20 congregations.

Officer Slate -2007

Your 2006 chapter leadership is pleased to offer the following board candidates for your consideration for 2007 Ft.Bend Wharton County Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans:

Fort Bend Wharton County Chapter - 2007 Officer candidates

Candidate Biographies

President- Bob Jahn – held various positions with Lutheran Brotherhood Branch(es), including vice president and secretary . Bob has three years served as a congregational coordinator for Joy Lutheran Richmond. I currently lead as Christian Youth Director at Joy. In 2006 I served as Youth Director in the chapter.

Vice President – Don Fought- is a member at New Hope Lutheran - Missouri City.Don and his wife Sharon have been involved with Ft.Bend Human Needs Ministry since it's beginning and work diligently to meet the ever growing needs of the community. Don and Sharon have three adult sons and he enjoys bowling and time with the family. Don has neen a congrgational coordinator for New Hope for three years

Records Director – Betty Coates – Member St Paul’s Wharton active in choirs at St Paul’s and Methodist church, she and husband Jerald(deceased) are parents of two adult children. Betty has served as Records Director for the chapter in 2006

Financial Director – Donna Janik -is a member of Christ Lutheran in El Campo where she is a member of the choir, the bell choir and the altar guild.Donna served as assistant Financial Director for the Chapter in 2006. She & her husband, Larry, are the parents of three children and they have two grandsons.

Congregational Service Team Director – Sean Guiterrez – is a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Rosenberg, serves as Elder and as vice president of the congregation. Sean married to my wonderful wife Barbara and have two wonderful children, William (21yrs) and Lauren (17 yrs). William is married to a beautiful young women Carrie, and he is currently in the Army. My daughter is a senior at Lamar High School and is also involved in the church youth group. The family has lived in Rosenberg for 18 years. Sean has been firefighter for the past 16 years with the City of Sugar Land and is currently a Lieutenant at Sta. 5. Sean serves on the board the board of Directors for MUD #94, he’s very involved in the Fort Bend County Fair serving on the Safety and Medical committees and in 2006-2007 is treasurer for Lamar High School Pro-Grad program. Sean enjoy cooking and woodworking in my free time. Sean looks forward to serving with us.

Communications Director – Mary Ann Lehrmann- is member at Trinity Lutheran – Rosenberg ,married to Ray with four adult children and four grandchildren. She has served as congregational coordinator for three years, serves on the Board of Trustees and Friends Club at Trinity, she is a volunteers with Lions Club, American Legion and the Rosenberg Railroad Museum.

Events Director – Chuck Whitacre -Born and raised a Lutheran. I have been a member of LCMS, ALC and ELC churches. My wife and I are currently members of Fishers of Men Lutheran Church in Sugar Land, TX. My wife, Tommie and I live in Richmond, TX. I am employed by Schlumberger in Sugar Land, TX as an Equipment Engineer.
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Let's Celebrate Together- December 3 - 4pm -7pm

We're going to celebrate together in Sugar Land with an all chapter gathering and meal at the Sugar Land Community Center on Sunday afternoon December 3.- The center will be open from 4-7pm Please join us for food and fellowship. ( You will recieve a separate invitation )

We hope you can make an afternoon/early evening of touring the "new" Town Center before and after our time together and enjoy the festivities, lights and some history on display at the Sugar Land City Hall area .

ThriventBuilds with Habitat for Humanity - 2006-2007

We were pleased to be given the opportunity as lead chapter for a five homeThriventBuild with Houston Habitat for Humanity that was just completed October 7.

Our special thanks to the members at St. Martin's- Sugar Land , Living Word- Katy, , St Paul's Wharton, New Hope - Missouri City , St.Paul's Rosenberg, Faith Sugar Land for sending about 140 volunteers to make the build happen!! St Martin's with well over 60 volunteer days contributed was our leading congregation. !!!

In addition to time - special in-kind donations from St John's Wharton- 40pallets for grass, Peace- Rosenberg - 5 beautiful hand made quilts - one for each family - have blessed the build.

We are thankful for cash donations toward our 10% cost of the build from Joy Richmond, St. Paul's Wharton, Faith Sugar Land, Living Word Katy and St Martin's- Sugar Land that exceed $6K to date.

While final report is not avaiable, we believe Lutherans from around Houston spent 400 volunteer DAYS on the build -

You have truly blessed the five families that will receive a hand up to homeownership.

For 2007 we applied to build one home in Rosenberg with Ft.Bend Habitat for Humanity through ThriventBuilds. We should hear in late November !!

ThriventBuilds is intended to strengthen our communities by reducing poverty housing in our communities and around the world !!

PLEASE refer to www.ThriventBuilds.com for current and future opportunities to help rebuild the gulf coast from Beamont to Alabama and , the current/planned activity in our area and the rest of the US and globally. ThriventBuilds is making a difference through you.

GivingPlus - Leverage Your Giving in 2006

Are you aware that as a member of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, financial gifts you make to a Lutheran organization might be able to be supplemented by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans?

Through Thrivent Financial's GivingPlus® program, members can donate financial gifts to two different Lutheran organizations enrolled in the program each year, and Thrivent Financial will contribute $1 for every $2, up to $300 per year for each organization. For example, if you donate gifts of $600 or more to two eligible Lutheran organizations each, Thrivent Financial will contribute an additional $600 ($300 for each organization). In addition, Thrivent Financial will contribute an additional $25 for members who volunteer 25 hours or more at the organization receiving their gift.

All you need to do is complete a GivingPlus Member Gift form (available online or from the Lutheran organization) and submit it with your donation to the Lutheran organization. It's a very simple process.

For complete details and guidelines about this one-of-a-kind member benefit program and for copies of the Member Gift form, go to www.thrivent.com/fraternal/churchcommunity/givingplus.html.

Make your gift 50% larger by using GivingPlus.

It's been a good year - Thank You !!

2006 has been another good year in accessing our benefits of membership to help our members, congregations and communities by accessing benefits of membership we enjoy. The Board wishes to thank each and every member involved in planning and providing the large number of events/service opportunities to help others.
We want to especially thank each of you that came to the events to just enjoy a time of fellowship and enjoying being with each other . We just can't enjoy near as much without you !!

Let's finish what God has for us to do in 2006 and just keep on in 2007 !!

Peace

For Members, by Members:

This newsletter was written and edited by volunteer leaders of your local Thrivent Financial for Lutherans chapter to keep you informed of chapter news. If you have any questions and/or comments about the content of this newsletter or would like to learn more about chapter activities being planned in your area, please contact one of your chapter leaders. To access your chapter leader contact information, go to www.thrivent.com; Members/Chapters; Information About My Chapter; View Leadership/Activities/Website; Chapter Leadership Board.