Last month we heard from people growing in faith through theirstudies here at SHPC. This month is all about service — not inMalawi, not in East Austin, but all the service that already goes

on right here inside the walls of Shepherd of the Hills.

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Great News on every page…Special Section:Volunteer Leadership 3-5, 8, 9

Student Ministry 6, 8Swingin’ in the Meadow 7Children’s Ministry 9-11New Members 12Adult Ministry 6, 13-14Ask the Budget Guy 15

Don’t Just Do Something ...Presbyterian Personals 16-18SHPC Calendar 19

Sermons for JuneJune 4 A Maturity That Ages Well Ephesians 4:1-16

June 11 A Walk That Runs Ephesians 4:17-32

June 18 A Love That Overflows Ephesians 5:1-21

June 25 A Relationship That Serves Ephesians 5:22-33

What’s Our Stand?

People ask me all the time. “What are Presbyterians doingabout this... or that? Where do Presbyterians stand on that...

or this?” My response is always preceded by a pause. The pauseis, first, because SHPC is a member of two denominations,Cumberland and the Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA). Second,I pause because of size.

For instance, PCUSA is a denomination made up of over 11,000congregations with almost 2.5 million members. It is hard to

say where a denomination that is diverse as ours stands on anyparticular issue. However, after my pause, I feel compelled totell the person who asked the question about the process bywhich the Presbyterian Church makes decisions and takes stands(or doesn’t, as the case may be). This drawn-out responseusually causes them to roll their eyes, but I forge ahead becausehow we make the decisions has a great influence on whatdecisions are made.

For the sake of space I’ll jump to the highest level of decision-making in the Presbyterian Church: the General Assembly

(GA). The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church meetsevery two years in a large gathering that takes place over 8 days.The delegates to that meeting are sent as representatives byPresbyteries (the grouping of churches in a particulargeographical area) from around the country. In all there arearound 500 representatives sent to GA.

At General Assembly the representatives hear reports, makedecisions facing the whole denomination and set priorities

and budgets for the work of the whole church in the timebetween GA meetings.

This summer the GA meets in Birmingham from June 15th-22nd.At this GA one of the important pieces of work will be to

receive a report called the Peace, Unity and Purity Report (PUP).This report tries to address several of the controversies that havecaused the denomination great pain over the last 30 yearsincluding Biblical authority and interpretation, Christology,ordination of self -avowed practicing homosexuals as pastors,elders and deacons and power. The recommendations the reportoffers would create a great shift in the way we function as adenomination and have caused great concern among many in thePCUSA.

If you are interested in the report you can find it on thePCUSA.org website. I will also host a class on the PUP report

on June 12 at 7 p.m. in the portables. On this evening we willhave the opportunity to explore this report and the implicationsfor the PCUSA. I encourage you to pray for the General Assemblyand its work in June.

See you Sunday —

Update from theTerra Team!

As you’ll see on page 7,everything’s coming togetherfor Swingin’ in the Meadow,our celebration of our newland!

The Terra Team, too, hasbeen in full swing preparingfor the concert — and gather-ing ideas for the future. Workcrews have begun light clear-ing of the land to prepare itfor church activities. The min-istry opportunities with somuch natural area are fantas-tic. We remain excited aboutthe future of our church at itsnew home, and look forwardto planning for the land withthe congregation as the

year progresses.

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Mr. Fix-It?I'm not sure what I was thinking when I said yes

to Bob Barry when he asked if I would considertaking a more active role in the church andbecome a member of the session. I had beentalking a good “inner game” about churchinvolvement and growing my faith, and I had letseveral New Year's resolutions to that effectfizzle unfulfilled. Maybe serving on the session†

was the jump-start I needed.

Bob warned me that there would bechallenges, but that they would be minor

when compared to what I would gain from thethree-year session commitment. Alas, I wastotally unprepared when during my first week asa rookie elder in charge of property, I openedthe door to one of the portables only to find itflooding. My faith wavered! Then I franticallysearched for help as I didn't have a clue.

Thus began my education into the day to dayoperations of SHPC. My first elder insight

came one day in the office when I pondered outloud who should make a decision about aproperty problem. Bob Beardslee responded“That would be you. You're in charge of theproperty.” That helped me understand that my

area of responsibility was just one of the manythat the Elders and Deacons, paid staff andvolunteers manage in order keep our churchexperiences so enjoyable.

My faith doesn't waver as much any more,though there is still an ebb and flow to it.

And Bob was right about the pluses andminuses of serving. I’ve been blessed by

getting to rub shoulders with and learn frommany more unique Christians than my personalinitiative would otherwise have allowed. I'vebecome intimate with just about every nook andcranny of SHPC, inside and out. I’ve learnedthat, for me, SHPC is no longer just a place I goon Sundays to hear inspiring sermons, but isreally a vibrant community of many peopledoing many, many things to help each othergrow and walk in the way of the Lord.

— In Christ, Laren Schiller

Called to CareThree and a half years ago, I almost made a

decision that would have cost me one of themost fulfilling chapters of my life. I was asked ifI would consider serving as Deacon. I respondedthat I would think about it — though I fullyexpected to decline.† For more information about elders, deacons and what the Session is and

does, check out the PCUSA website, particularlywww.pcusa.org/101/101-unique.htm

Oddly enough, I’ve been thinking aboutvolunteer leadership a lot lately. Raising a

3rd-grader and a 4th-grader, we rely on volunteers— including and especially at church. But we helpprovide those volunteering hands as well. Istarted out volunteering because I knew, as mymother was fond of saying, “Stuff doesn’t justhappen on its own!” I was in it for me — becauseI wanted certain experiences for my kids, andthere wasn’t anyone standing around waving theirhands, saying “Oooh! I’ll take your kids for you!”

So I stepped up to the plate. And after swingingthe bat around for a while, I felt for myself

what I’ve heard from others before me: Thepeople I showed up to lead caused me to grow.The leaders standing in shoes like mine didn’t

have any more answers than I did — or, moretruthfully, had the same number of ‘answers,’and by sharing them we together knew a wholelot more than we thought we did. And though Ihave times where I think I’ve had enough, when Ipause I come right back around again.

I’ve been thinking about volunteer leadershiplately because I think I’m being called to step

up to the next level — to teach people in myleadership shoes how to clomp around. Some ofthe folks contributing to this issue have takenthat step already; all of them are essential tomaking SHPC the wonderful community of faiththat it is. Maybe their stories will get you thinkingabout your call to lend a hand.

— Kimbol Soques, editor (SHPC staff)

Volunteer Leadership @ SHPC

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During the next couple of weeks, I did thinkand pray about whether I was meant to

serve. At one point, I thought maybe I had beengiven a “sign” to accept — but overdue projectswere looming and I was expecting to respondwith a somewhat shaky, “I'm just too busy rightnow.”

Then came a Sunday I can't forget. Afteragreeing to meet with Joyce Stewart of the

Nominating Committee later in the week, I satdown to the service just before the Prayer ofConfession. Here is an excerpt from thatprayer:

“Gracious God, You asked for my hands that Youmight use them for Your purpose. I gave them for amoment and then withdrew, for the work washard…You asked for my life that You might workthrough me. I gave you a fractional part that I mightnot get involved. God, forgive me for calculated effortsto serve You only when it is convenient to do so, onlyin places where it is safe to do so. Creator God, forgiveme, renew me, and send me out as a usable instrument,that I may take seriously the meaning of Your cross.Amen.”

As I read it, I was overwhelmed with a sensethat the words truly were my confession and

that I better mean what I pray. A messagebecame clear to me — it was my turn to serve.His plans were more important than mine! Howcould I say “no” to God?!

Recently, I completed my term as deacon. Iam very thankful to God for calling me to

serve. In walking together with others in theCaregiving Ministry (Diaconate and congrega-tion), I was surrounded with truly caring andloving Christians. And in serving as an instru-ment of God’s love and comfort, something un-expected happened — I also became abeneficiary, feeling blessed beyond description!

Grateful to Him,Marsha Holt

Ever stop to count the jobs?“Volunteer” is not a four-letter word. It is a

nine-letter word. That does not make ittwice as bad as a four-letter word! On the con-trary, volunteering is a good thing. Without vol-unteers, our church could not deliver the widevariety of services to our members that we cur-rently enjoy.

I have just completed three years as an elderand member of the session. That experience

opened my eyes to the complexity of runningthe church and supporting the various groupsand programs which we all enjoy. I have been amember of the Senior Adult Ministry (SAM) forthree and a half years. Our church’s seniors haveestablished a real fellowship and our group hassteadily grown. I also volunteer with the BreadProject. Church members pick up bread andbaked goods each day from the Oak Hill and Bro-die Lane HEB Stores and deliver them to a Com-munity Center in East Austin or the West RuralCenter where the food is provided to the needymembers of the Austin Community. Each loadusually fills a full-size pick-up truck bed.

The volunteer work enables me to go beyondjust attending worship services each week. It

allows me to feel that I am contributing to theLord’s work. It enables me to connect with morepeople in the church and grow spiritually.

Our paid staff at SHPC is relatively small.There is no way the paid staff can provide

the intense personal involvement in each pro-gram to ensure success. We rely on volunteers toprovide the power to continue the wide varietyof excellent programs that attracted all of us toSHPC.

When God was commissioning Isaiah He said:“Whom shall I send, and who will go for

us?” Isaiah replied: “Here I am! Send me!”(Isaiah 6:8). Don’t wait to be called! We needyou to step forward and say: “I volunteer!”

— Jack Gilchrist

I’m Home at Jesus’ HouseOne day as I opened the doors of our church forour IHN families an adorable little 2 year old boyran through the doors yelling “at home at Jesus’house.” I asked his mom, Norma, why he saidthat and she said she was having a hard timeexplaining to him where they were living so shetold him they were living in Jesus’ house. “Athome in Jesus’ house!” Over the week I talkedwith Norma about her faith and how important,especially now, it was for her to trust God andgrow in her faith.

Norma shared with me that she had a good jobwaiting for her, cleaning and setting up rooms in

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a church, but she didn't have a way to get there.The buses only go as close as 5 miles. Shethought that if she had a bicycle she could ridethe bus as far as it would go and then ride thebike the rest of the way. But she had no moneyto get a bike. I put the word out and a bicyclewas donated.

Three months later I stopped by the central IHNoffice and as I left I heard a voice calling behindme, “Sarah!” I turned around and it was Norma.She ran up and threw her arms around me,crying, and saying, “thank you, thank you.” Shesaid, “I pray for you and your church every daybecause I know that God used you to get me thatbicycle. I am so close now, to getting a homefor me and my little boy.” I cannot tell you howhumbled I felt at that moment, that God allowedme to be a part of Norma's journey.

IHN (Interfaith Hospitality Network) is a nationalprogram where homeless families with childrenlive at local churches while they get throughtheir time of crisis. There are manyopportunities as SHPC hosts IHN for you to be apart of someone's journey - their journey of faithand their journey back to a home, a job,stability. For more information, contact me,Sarah Stranahan, at 264-2319.

You’ll Never Walk AloneYou may have seen the small announcementabout Stephen Ministry included in the bulletininsert almost every week. I would like to tellyou a little more about what Stephen Ministry isall about.

The Stephen Ministry program providescongregations with the structure, training, andresources to set up and administer a completesystem for lay caring ministry (called StephenMinistry) in the congregation. In Stephen Ministrycongregations, lay caregivers (called StephenMinisters) provide one-to-one Christian care tothe bereaved, hospitalized, terminally ill,separated, divorced, unemployed, relocated,and others facing a crisis or life challenge.Stephen Ministry helps pastors and congregationsprovide quality caring ministry for as long aspeople need it.

Stephen Ministers go through approximately 50hours of training in Christian caregiving. They

are not counselors but can help refer a carereceiver to counseling if appropriate. StephenMinisters are also not CUREgivers. Only Christ isthe curegiver.

Personally, I have tried the “I can handle itmyself” routine far too often. After all, I'm amale and don't need anyone else to help me,right? I can usually get by but have found thatwhen I have a close friend or confidante to talkwith, the solution always comes sooner and Ifeel better about the decisions I make. As co-leader of a Jesus in the Gospels study this year, Ihad the opportunity to discuss class format andcontent with my co-leader. When we finishedthe discussion, I went to class with much moreconfidence than if I had just been on my own.Stephen Ministry can be that someone you cantalk with.

I have watched the Jerry Lewis telethon formany years. Jerry always sings a song at the endof the telethon, “You'll Never Walk Alone.”Although Christ walks with us all the time, wemay not recognize Him. A Stephen Minister canserve as the visible, human sign that you do nothave to walk alone, regardless of your situation.

— Ken Seiler

Many Hands, Light WorkWhen you get to be a “Senior Citizen” the

years seem to pass unrealistically fast. I amtruly not sure how many years I have been assist-ing in our church office — maybe four or five?Anyway — at some point after I retired from myjob, I was asked to help with the production ofeach week’s Sunday bulletins & announcements.So (with Belva’s help!) I became “THE” Thursdayoffice helper.

Seriously, that decision was one of my best.Being in the church office has allowed me to

become more familiar with our staff andmembers. Plus, being able to observe thepatience and graciousness of Belva Koerth —what a wonderful lady we have! I can only hopeand pray that I have become a stronger, wiserperson after spending those hours in our churchoffice.

— Harriett Cavness

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Congratulations, New Grads!Laurel Boatright, daughter of David and Paula Boatright, graduated fromUniversity of Texas Law School on May 20th. She is a member of UT LawReview, including a published note on immigration enforcement. Shewas an officer and active in the Criminal Justice Society and the annual“Assault and Flattery” student musical productions. She will be workingin Houston with the litigation firm of Gibbs & Brun.

Alyssa Starkjohann

Joanna Peters

Jake Fowler

Kevin Greathouse

Christie Wright

Several new books are available toenhance our understanding of the Bibleand the development of Christianity:

Ancient Israel, two volumes 930 VAU

The Archeology of the Land of Israel933 AHA

A History of Christianity in the World270 MAN

Christian Doctrine 230 GUT

Christian Theology 230 CHR

After Jesus; the Triumph ofChristianity, a richly illustrated bookfrom Reader’s Digest 270.1 AFT

The Bible Timeline, not a book,exactly, but a large book of fold-outboards, also from Reader’s Digest

220.9 ROB

Interpretation: Mark 226 WIL

A History of Israel 933 BRI

These will be on display in the library duringthe month, but feel free to borrow one.

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PRESENTING THE MESSAGE OF JESUS IN A WAY KIDS “GET” MAY 2006

SHPC STUDENT MINISTRIES — CHECK US OUT ON THE WEB WWW.SHPC.ORG PAGE 8

Parents Corner:Institutional or Individual?Soccer, volleyball, band, Scouts, youthgroup and school are just a few of theactivities that my son Noah is growinginto. Sadly, I do not think that they are allthat good for him.

I am finding that our kids are growing upin a high-stress, high-achievementenvironment that at first glance seemsgreat, but when we look deeper is not sopretty. All of the above mentioned groupsplus many others were originally designedto meet the “individual” needs of ourkids. Learn a sport, play an instrument,better yourself with education. Thesegroups were to give them a chance to“grow up” a little and be connected toadults who truly cared for them.

What I see happening in many of thesegroups is that there has been a subtleshift of focus from the individual to theinstitutional. It this kind of shift that kidscan smell a mile away. They intuitively

know if your goal is for them or if thatgoal for the group.

I love the schools my kids attend but Iknow that the major goals there are notfocused on the individual. They aredealing with hundreds and thousands ofkids and so the institutional goals comeout and take control (forgetting that thegoal has always been the individualstudent). I know that there have beentimes when the ministries I ran were outof focus too.

So I urge you Moms and Dads, in this oftinstitutionally-focused world we areliving in, love your kids (and theirfriends!) as individuals. We only havethem for such a short amount of time souse it wisely. Help them to choose wherethey spend their time and your money.Consider every trip, every event. Makesure they are the priority, not thegroup(s) they are involved with. Try not toover-schedule them… even if everybodyelse is doing so. Does your 5-year-old needto go to California for the Nationalcompetitive T-ball finals? Probably not! Itlooks like you are that last line (maybeonly line) of love to focus on your kid asan individual. Don’t waste anotherminute! Take your kid (of any age) out fora root beer float and give them some ofyour positive focus.

Another rant —Pastor Mike

T H A N K S !Sure, we recog-nized our teachingvolunteers in theSunday announce-ments, and triedto get ‘em tostand up in wor-ship, but not ev-erybody gets toworship everyweek, and thiscomes to yourhouse!

Thanks to:

Tammy BoehmanBill BrockJohn & Lynette GillisJim ImmitJanette JordanEverett MillerTyler PenrodRoz SilerLindsay StarkjohannStacie TracyDana Wilkes

We can’t do itwithout you!

Working with the Mid-Highstudents these past 3 years hasbrought so many new things tomy life. Being a full-timecollege student with a part-time job tends to stress me outonce in a while. I find thatbeing with the Mid-Highs helpme to relax and give time to

God. You think that you arethere to help these studentsto grow in their faith and

understand more about ourSavior, but at the same time,your own faith is only growingstronger. I have had theopportunity to watch thesestudents grow from scared,confused sixth-graders toconfident and well rounded highschool students. Watching God

work in these kids’ lives bringsme so much joy and I can'twait to one day see them helpspread the word of God ontothe other young children inour church. If you are lookingfor something to enlighten yourlife and some time to be crazy,act like a kid and spend somequality time with Jesus thenyouth ministry at SHPC is thejob for you! — Lindsey Starkjohann

Hug a Volunteer!

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What one generation failsto explain, the nextgeneration abandons.

Stories and traditions carry onbecause people tell and practice

them. They live and breathe them.They revel in them and relate throughthem. And in the midst of all this,children are watching and listening.They are observing and internalizing.And if the story and traditions arerelated well, they are engaging andexperiencing them, hopefully in such away that they come to revel in thevery essence of the message, too.

As Christians, we find ourselvesentwined in the most amazing

story ever-the life and love of JesusChrist. In fact, because we findourselves right smack-dab in themiddle of the gospel, we are called byGod to be storytellers of this goodnews to others. It's not a story to besilenced, but instead one to be sharedand shouted! And for this reason, Ithank the 75+ adults of thiscongregation who have shared andshouted (literally!) the stories ofScripture to our Sunday school classesthis past year.

The willingness of church membersto witness to the who, what,

when, where and why questions thatcome with the territory allow youngpeople the opportunity to formulatetheir faith and figure out how theseage-old words are not only applicable,but transforming, to their life intoday's world.

Considering current statistics thatthe elementary years are the

largest span of influence in a person'slife, with morals being set by age 9and spiritual identity typically beingset by age 13, there's no doubt that

this team of volunteer leadershiphas made an impact on the lives ofour children by serving this youngergeneration with the gift of time,energy and most importantly,explanation.

And so, instead of being abandoned,our salvation story lives on... .

-Britta

Just a Closer Walk ...

It has truly been a joyful blessingthat the children have let me walk a

bit with them on their faith journey.In class I gently try to remind them tolisten for Jesus so that they can makegood decisions as they grow in theirfaith. We all agree that making thetime for this peaceful and focusedlistening is a difficult challenge worthyof our best efforts in this life that canbe so full of distractions.

I have class with both the 4th-5th

graders and with the mid-high schoolstudents. It is wonderful to watch theyounger ones starting to formulatetheir own basic ideas of what it meansto follow Jesus. The older studentsare applying critical thinking andasking some great questions as theythink deeply about what it means tobe a Christian. Both groups arewonderfully receptive to coaching andI often pray that I am worthy of thattrust.

I feel that my efforts to teach havebeen more than reciprocated: I have

learned much from my students. Ifind myself often reminded of thesewords from Mark 10: 13-16 (translationfrom the Kid’s Quest Study Bible, ofcourse!): “People were bringing littlechildren to Jesus. They wanted him totouch them. But the disciples told thepeople to stop. When Jesus saw this

T H A N K SKristen AardemaKim ArthurMatt ArthurJim AyersCindy BaschnagelAmy BayDenise BerryJulie BonninKaty BourgeoisLiz BoyceAbby BradyDan BrinksRuth BudicElizabeth BufflerMartyn BufflerCathy BusseRhonda CabelloJenny CallahanAnnette ChambersBarbara ChristensonRachel CloydBeth Ann ColeMichelle CraftLisa CrawfordSteve CrawfordWayne CrawleyKate DietzGlenn DukesJoanna FarwellMichele FranklinMarcey FrenchSarah GolliherBethany GonzalesShana GreenePam GunterGina HauckGina HendrixAmanda HydeJim ImmittSusan KennamerPolly KruczkowskiPaul KuperTracy KuperSue LagerquistPatti LawrenceKathy LewisMark LordTracy LordAnn McDanielKristen MayFran MillerGail PadovaniTyler PenrodJenny Prosser(keep going!)

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Debbie SaulsEric SchultzKerrie SchneiderKathy SeguraEdith SmithHolly SpinkTommy SprotteSusan SprousePaul SteinRuth SteinRita TeagueJennifer ThielemansLisa TowerAlex ValdesCandice ValdesEvelina WarrenJeff WhitmireLori WhitmireSummer WhittenRuth Ann WidnerJackie Wilkins

Children’s MinistryUpcoming EventsSunday, June 4th

First Day ofSummer SundaySchool!

June 12th-16th

VBS for 3 year-oldsthrough 3rdgraders

Saturday, June 17th

Thank-YouLuncheon for VBSTeam — 12 noon atthe church

Sunday, June 18th —Happy Father's Day!Last day to registerfor Club H2O

July 24th-28th

Club H2O for all4th-6th graders.

He said to his disciples, ‘Let the littlechildren come to me. Don’t keepthem away. God’s kingdom belongs topeople like them. What I’m about totell you is true. Anyone who will notreceive God’s kingdom like a littlechild will never enter it.’ Then Hetook the children in His arms. He putHis hands on them and blessed them.”

The children have “taken me in theirarms” as well. We have fun in classand I look forward to more of itbecause it’s a beautiful reminder ofwhat it means to be there for eachother. We don’t have answers to allthe questions but we enjoy searchingfor them!

— Jim Immitt

How to Really Read to YourKids So That They Will ListenDid you know that the single mostimportant factor to your child’ssuccess in school is whether you readto them or not on a daily basis beforethey enter school? One of ourmembers, Marti Dryk, will beconducting a 2-hour workshop 6:30p.m. Wednesday June 21st on how toreally read to your child in order toengage in conversation about whatthey are hearing… not just anotherbedtime story. Marti will be providinga book for all parents to take home inorder to “practice” what you havelearned.

Summer Sunday School ishere! Get FLIPT!Zacchaeus. Peter. The rich young ruler. Onething in common. Lives changed ...challenged ... Flipt. By Jesus.

This 10-week curriculum provides arelevant Bible lesson on DVD eachweek. Kids learn that they canchoose to live their way or they canget Flipt by Jesus and live His way —because it's the best way.

Kids are challenged to apply theBible lesson to their lives through theflip for the week:Live His Way :: Say no to fear :: Say no to sin:: Know what's true :: Look for what Jesussees :: Flip what's first :: Forgive for free ::Stop and stand :: Being friends with Jesus isas easy as A-B-C :: Don't quit. It's worth it.

Naturally, since the format’s a littledifferent, some class locations havechanged. Here's the scoop:

All children age 2, 3 and 4 willcontinue to meet in their same

classrooms:Age 2 - Room 1 :: Age 3- Room 4 :: Age 4 - Room 6

All Kindergarten-5th gradechildren will gather together inRoom 7 after the children'ssermon. The first 40 minutes willbe spent in large group assembly,playing games and watching a DVDpresentation. The final 20 minuteswill be spent in small groupdiscussion.

Kindergarten may be picked upin Room 8.

First and second graders may bepicked up in Room 9.

Third, fourth and fifth gradersmay be picked up in Room 7.

We would also like to remind youthat Sunday School ends at 10:45a.m. — please wait until then tocollect your children so that theirsmall group discussions aren'tinterrupted. We appreciate yourcooperation! Thanks!

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It's a beautiful Sunday morning at T-bar-MResort. A group of us are chatting on the

patio, watching our kids push each other in ahuge wooden swing. There’s a collective"Wheee!" as the swing flies forward. When it'stime for the Sing-Along Service, we stroll downto the amphitheater under the shade of oaktrees. As the singing starts, a few kids timidlywander up to the stage. Soon, the platform ispacked with children, some singing, somedancing, and some just staring out at thesmiling faces they see. This last gathering

typifies thememories wemade at theFamily Retreat.For our family,the retreatstrengthenedthe sense ofcommunity andspirit of caringwe've felt fromthe start atShepherd ofthe Hills, ourfirst churchhome.

Since neithermy husband

nor I grew up in a “church family,” we werelooking for practical ideas on how to bring Godinto our home. At the retreat, we learned howother families use techniques like family prayercircles, talking about the highs and lows of theday at dinnertime, and placing prayer requestsand praises in a God box — ways to stay

focused on God throughout the week. It’sexciting to see these practices become a partof our children’s lives.

A lot of our time at the retreat was spentrelaxing and having fun. I still smile when I

remember my husband diving for the UltimateFrisbee and all the guys walking around likebattle-weary soldiers after the game. Some ofthe women gathered in the gym for rather in-tense games of Ping-Pong, foosball, and pool.One member was able to carry on a conversa-tion, pass along a basketball, and continue hergame of Ping-Pong without missing a beat!

Above all, it was such a joy to be part of anetwork of families, caring for each other.

Just simple things like playing with eachother’s kids in the pool, having a friend’s childsit in my lap, seeing my usually shy daughtersurrounded by friends, and watching my songive his new playmate a hug goodbye, reaf-firmed our sense of belonging to this new ex-tended family we've found.

— Debbie Saul

Don’t forget!June 12th — June 16th

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Carolyn Allen hasbeen married 32years to George;they have twogrown children andtwo grandbabies.An experiencedvolunteer, sheloves to read andtravel, especially tosee hergranddaughters!

Mike & Erica Youngmoved to Austin from

Santa Monica, Californiaabout 2 years ago. Mike

teaches history at ACCand Erica is a nurse atSeton. They live in

South Austin.

Deb Fowler is originallyfrom Orient, Long Island(NY). She has two sons,

Jake (18, plays sax with thepraise team) and Jesse

(17). Deb served 13 yearson active duty with the Air

Force, then another 7 inthe Reserves, recentlyretiring with a rank of

major. She’s been regularlyattending SHPC since

January 2005.

Chris & Brenda Parsons

Pat Penwell and Dorothy Crouse

Todd & Brittany Kolkhorstwere married in September of2004, and have one daughter,

Claire, 3 months old. Both grewup in in Texas. Todd is a

manager for a local MattressPro. Brittany is staying homewith Claire while pursuing a

graduate degree in ChildDevelopment at Texas State.They are both avid Longhornfans and are thrilled to have

found a home at SHPC!

Michael, Jean, andWilliam Thomas

moved to Austin in2002. Michael is

President and COOof Barton Creek

Resort and Spa, andmanages resort

properties inseveral national

locations. Jean hasenjoyed a variety of

positions as schoolpsychologist and

educationalconsultant, and is currentlytheir son William’s primaryhomeschooling instructor.

William is an excellentstudent with a wide variety of

interests, and will completehigh school in 2007.

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Lead LearnersSherry Smith, Director of Adult Ministries

In the May newsletter I introduced youto one branch of our “family tree” ofleadership in Adult Ministries. Soonafter writing that article I was askedto turn in a list of leaders from thisyear to be honored on TeacherRecognition Sunday, this past May 21st.As I tried to pull together a list ofeveryone who had lead some sort ofAdult Ministry this year I was amazedat how the list kept growing as Irecalled more and more classes orprograms. (Unfortunately, I know Iprobably left someone's name outaccidentally and I apologize towhomever that might have been.)

Having good leadership is of utmostimportance in the continued growthand health of Adult Ministries. All ofour classes are focused on transforma-tion of lives, not just on transmissionof information. Therefore, we needleaders who have put their faith inChrist and are willing to share theircontinuing faith journey with others.Almost anyone can be taught the basicskills needed to lead a small group butonly a few are willing to put theirfaith journeys out there for others toexamine.

Just like Moses, most people firstmake many excuses. “I don't knowenough theology. I’m not comfortablepraying out loud. I’m not sure I can bethere every week. I won't know how toanswer questions when I have so manyquestions myself. I’ve only been aChristian for a couple of years. Iwouldn't be as good as those otherteachers. I might say something wrongthat would lead someone astray.”

To all of the above I would say thatnone of us are the same Christians wewere last year. Hopefully, we allcontinue to grow. As for myself, Ilearned so much in Jesus in theGospels this year that, even though I

have studied the Gospels many times,my teaching will be deeper the nexttime I lead a class. That doesn't meanI shouldn’t have taught any classesbefore now. And even if someonetakes a class from me I can’t conveyall of my 30 years of experience tothem. We all grow by continuing totake small steps.

Within the church I truly believe thebest leaders are “lead learners.” Thatmeans you first learn a few thingsabout small group leadership and thenyou lead a group through some studyin which you don't necessarily knowany more than they do. So you are the“lead learner,” learning as much asthose you lead through the study. It’sall about sharing your faith journeys asyou explore together your questionsabout Scripture, church life, mission,current events related to the church,and how to live as a Christian.

The interesting thing is that this kindof leadership seems to be ratheraddictive. Leaders often thank me forletting them lead and tell me howmuch more they've gotten out of aclass because they were leading.Sometimes they want to take a break,but usually they are soon back leadingin some way or another. While you arebeing a blessing to others you reallydo find you receive great blessingsyourself. I think that's a wonderfulpart of God's great plan for how theworld is supposed to work.

T H A N K SCarol Cunningham:Senior Adult Ministries

Margaret Fetty: CrownFinancial Ministry Chair

Chris & Chris Gordon:Crown Financial Ministry

Roger & Marilyn Wade:Crown Financial Ministry

Allen Gunter: TheBudget Guy

Margaret Nakamura:Book Club

John & Lynette Gillis:Foundations Class

Martha Meador: Mary-Martha Circle Moderator

Sally Jo Elliott: OWLWriting Groups

Andrea Gerlach:Women's Bible Study

Amanda Houghton:Journey Group

Lydia Ellison:JourneyGroup

Tony & Gabrielle Adams:Journey Group

Gary & Gwen Stroud:Journey Group

Bob Beardslee:Disciple 1

Nancy Hasler: Disciple1

Doug Budd: Disciple 1

Wayne Crawley:Disciple 2

Carol Ideker: Jesus inthe Gospels

Laurel Calhoun:Jesusin the Gospels

Clift Bowman: Jesus inthe Gospels

Ken Seiler: Jesus in theGospels

Tamara Bell Landry:Family Ministry

Leslye Womack: Alpha& Marriage Alpha

Lauren Tarrant:Prayer 101

Tom O'Meara: JustNeighbors

Dan Brinks: Islam classspeaker

Darenda Keil: Islamclass leader

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The Senior Adult Ministry (SAM) Council has beenworking on a questionnaire that will seek toidentify the interests and needs of ourmembership. This review is also designed to helpus to evaluate what previous programs havebeen beneficial. The survey has two maintargets. First, we are asking members to ranktheir interests in various topics and activities.Second, we are asking them to point out areasof personal need or identify areas in which theywould be willing to assist others.

Next month, we plan to mail this document toevery SHPC member age 55 and older. This willhelp us to be aware of changing future needs asour community moves forward in age andwisdom.

We believe that God calls us to minister to oneanother. We do not take this task lightly. One ofour concerns is that if we ask if someone needshelp, though the expectation might be that wecan provide that help, we won't be able to doso. Therefore, we are also asking if memberswith certain skills would be willing to sharethem with those whose responses express crucialneeds that require attention.

Consequently, we recognize that the need forconfidentiality is essential to our ministering toone another. This SAM Council is committed topreserving privacy in tallying the surveyresponses. In your mailing there will be anenvelope with the church's address in which youcan either drop your completed survey in themail or drop it off in the church office.

As a result, we hope to collect specificinformation to help us connect the many

committees and programs at Shepherd of theHills with the needs and interests of ourmembers. Perhaps this will help us to see thatthere are needs for which there are noprograms, or make members aware of theresources that we have. Overall, we hope it willhelp us move forward with another great year ofprograms for our Senior Adult Ministry.

June 6th 10 a.m. to noon“Groan”-Ups Game Day in Room 7

Why don't you dust off those doldrums and comeplay “Spinner” with the folks who love to playdominoes? For the past few months, we haveconcentrated on this game as we only had onegame going. Or you could bring a new game toshare with as many as you can persuade to joinyou! There is room for several games on thismorning filled with laughter and groans.

Bring a friend and a treat to share, and makethis a bright spot in your summer activities. Ifyou are new to SHPC or interested in becoming amember, this is a great way to get to knowpeople.Note: There will be no Game Day in July since it falls onJuly 4th, Independence Day.

June 15th, Thursday 12:30 p.m. SAM Council Meeting

June 27th, Tuesday Older Women's Legacy writing group

“Age”-ismsI always know God won't give me more than Ican handle, but there are times I wish He didn'ttrust me quite so much.The Golden Years Lunch Bunch will gather for good

food and conversation at Marie Callender’s, 5601Brodie Lane, on June 10th at 11:30 a.m. You mayorder from the regular menu, and will receive a

separate check. (Marie Callender’s does not acceptpersonal checks.) Call Carol Brandt (301-1437) orNorma Burchard (394-0131) for reservations before

June 8th. We’ll be looking for you!

The Men’s Breakfast Fellowship will meet at7:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 17th in the narthex.To RSVP, call Jim Black at 892-2982. All men are

welcome!

The Fellowship Bridge Group will play the secondFriday in June — the 9th — at 7 p. m. in Room 7.Our hosts will be Travis & Lorna Budlong. Please

call Virginia McNutt at 288-7187 or Martha Meadorat 288-3341 by Tuesday, June 6th if you would like

to play. Our May winner was Jim Meador.

Moving Forwardby Carol Cunningham, SAM Council

15

submitted by Allen Gunter

Don't Just Do Something, Stand There!That seems to be the motto of many investors.For some reason, taking action and losing even alittle bit is more painful than not taking actionand missing out on even a big gain. So we sitand study and plan and tell ourselves we reallyneed to get on with investing…tomorrow. Wekeep hoping someone will come along and tell usexactly what to do…without any risk, of course,and with no cost or obligation.

A recent study found that while stock mutualfunds earned a little more than 12% a yearduring the study period, the investors in thosefunds only earned a little over 2%! Other studieshave had similar results. What would an extra10% a year on your investments mean in yourlife? How much more could you give back toGod? After all, we're just living the Parable ofthe Talents with the financial assets God hasgiven us.

But where to begin? Why is the average investorthrowing away money each year? Let's take alook at the stocks in the S&P 500 over the last 10years as represented by the Vanguard 500 IndexFund (symbol VFINX). The fund returned theequivalent of 9% per year over that period.Sounds pretty good, but take a look at the year-by-year returns in the graph below and you willsee why few in-vestors actuallysaw that 9.0%(data from Morn-ingstar).

While technology stocks were the darlings of thelast half of the 1990s, companies in the S&P 500also saw their stock prices rising dramatically.Over the course of this run-up, investors pouredmore than $95 billion into VFINX - $30 billion ofthat in 1999, the year before the bear marketbegan. During the next three years, they pulledmore than $48 billion right back out again,including $17 billion in 2002 (the year rightbefore the market turned around again). That'sright - they put off making decisions and ended

up buying high and selling low and never cameclose to that 9.0% annual return.

No one likes losses, of course. It's pretty hard tosit tight when you're losing nearly 40% of yourmoney over three years. You wonder how muchworse it can get. What if the stock marketdoesn't recover? It always has before, butmaybe this time will be different… Worry,worry, worry…sell!

So what's an investor to do? One option, ofcourse, is to invest in something that's lessvolatile, like bonds. The graph below shows howthe Vanguard Intermediate-Term Bond Index

Fund (VBIIX)performed overthe same timeperiod.

That's muchmorecomfortable

and, in fact, this fund had net contributionsfrom investors throughout the 10 years. But bychoosing less volatility, they only earned theequivalent of 6.2% per year on their money - notthe 9.0% of VFINX.

But guess what? There is a way to have yourcake and eat it, too. Or most of it, anyway. It'scalled "asset allocation" and it works like this.Suppose our investors had put half of theirmoney into VFINX and half into VBIIX at thebeginning of 1996. They would have earned theequivalent of 8.2% per year over the 10 years,and their annual returns would have looked likethe graph on the right.

How's that forcool - almostall of thereturn of VFINXwith only alittle morevolatility thanVBIIX! When one fund was zigging, the otherwas zagging - bad times in one fund were offsetby good times in the other.

continued, next page

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So is this the answer to an investor's prayer?Simply split your investments 50/50 betweenVFINX and VBIIX? Will that give you fame,fortune and children that are all above averageand never talk back? No, of course not! There'sa little more to it than that, as you will learnnext month.

But what this illustrates is that you can reducevolatility (and, therefore, the risk that you willget scared and sell at the wrong time) withoutgiving up all that much return (which you neverwould have gotten anyway because you wouldhave sold at the wrong time…or maybe neverhave bought in the first place). Seems like aclassic "win-win" to me! And the key is how youallocate your assets - to what types ofinvestments and in what proportions. Numerousstudies have shown that this is the single mostimportant investing decision you will make -more than 90% of your return will depend on it.(Yes, I use asset allocation with my owninvestments.)

And asset allocation isn't difficult to do - youdon't have to be an MBA or Wall Street whiz. I'mout of space for this month, though, so we'llhave to continue this conversation in July. Inthe meantime, I highly recommend The SoundMind Investing Handbook by Austin Pryor. You'llfind a link to it on under “The Budget GuyRecommends” on the church website (look for“The Budget Guy” under “Special Items andHelps” in the Adult Ministry section).

Remember, it's not just a question of gettingbetter returns on our investments, it's also aboutbecoming better stewards of all that God hasentrusted to us.

Part of my job at SHPC is helping people get out of debtand manage their finances better. It’s free and it’s confi-dential. Just call the Budget Guy, Allen Gunter, at 292-4035 or send an email to BudgetGuy@shpc.org. Andcheck out the Crown Financial Ministries Small StudyGroups – call Margaret Fetty at 288-9034 for more info.

Dear Friends,

I have loved being here with you these past ninemonths and have so many fond memories frommy time with all of you.

My heart has grown to experience the love ofGod in greater ways from being with you andfrom watching Pastor Larry. You are a loving andgenerous church and Pastor Larry has modeled agodly pastor's love for you all that has had animpact of grace on my life.

I have learned that my best gift is my authenticself, limitations and all. This has meant release

from anxiety and releasefrom a tension toperform. There isfreedom in living thisway, clarity in truth andself-acceptance,entrusting all I am to thelove of God.

A special thank you not only to Pastor Larry forhis patience, wisdom, and guidance inmentoring, but also to Faries McDaniel wholoved me like a Father in the faith and whosegifts of counseling and insights made my timehere all the more helpful and transforming.

Thank you for encouraging me in God's calling!And now with your love and prayers, and by thegrace of God, I will finish my last year ofseminary at Fuller in California.

I will always remember you with thankfulnessand joy.

In Christ's love,

Darenda

P.S. You may write me or come see me at:Fuller Guest House700 Locust StreetPasadena CA 91101 ordarendasuzan@hotmail.com.

I would enjoy hearing from you!

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Please pray for Members of the Armed Forces and all world leaders involved in war zone crises including:Quantrell Blake, friend of Tammy Boehman... Anthony Canas, son-in-law of Linda Brooke and CelestinoMendiola... Dennis Low... D. J. Haney, nephew of Paula Boatright... Stephen Hartman, nephew of Karla andRichard Snell... Ryan Moeller, friend of Carol Ideker… John Sanchez, son of Birdie Lindsey… Jason Addison, sonof Al and Jai Leigh Addison… Clay Narey, cousin of Aimee Killeen … David B. Craig, son of Linda Kimmons…Kenneth McKinney, friend of Carlen Floyd… Jason Mills, son-in-law of Gaston and Junie Broyles… John PaulHipolito, son of neighbor of Bill Stokes… Eric Wesley, friend of the Gilchrists... Michael Sybrant, Sherry Todd’snephew...

Joys – Rachel Parmer, daughter of David & Marjorie Parmer, graduatedfrom Texas A&M on May 12th — Sarah Stranahan, doing well after surgery forskin cancer — Sandy Hill celebrates the March 29th birth of her grandchild,Joshua David Leaf, born to daughter Stephanie and husband MarkSorrows – Alice Morrill passed away May 4th in her home. A memorial servicewas held at SHPC May 7th — Vern Lawrence, Sam Lawrence’s grandfather,passed away May 3rd — Sarah Stranahan’s sister-in-law, Dodie Stockwell,

passed away due to cancer on April 21st — Gay Simmons-Posey, friend of Tom O’Meara, wasrecently killed in a bike-auto collision — Brian Alaimo, long-time friend of Tom O’Meara, recentlydied of a heart attack, and leaves wife, Denise and daughter, KristinPlease pray for — Spenser King, Bob and Carolyn Beardslee’s grandson, tonsil and adenoidremoval surgery — Kenneth Brown, relative of Barbara Challis, inoperable lung cancer — AlexPenwell, in the State Hospital — Pauline Beezley, a speedy and thorough recovery — SallySchilstra, increasing medical concerns — Bill Brock’s mother, Charlotte Webb, recovering fromsurgery and preparing for radiation therapy — Tom Henry, inoperable cancer of the esophagus —Louise Waters, mother of Madeline Brock, recently hospitalized for a possible stroke — ShaneMahaffee, his sister Tiffany and her husband Don, friends of Greg Bourgeois, going through adifficult time — Benny Andrade and family, relatives of Beth Andrade, cancer diagnosis andsurgery — Martin Smith, friend of the Gilchrists, severely ill after contracting a super-virus —Robin Clegg, Rita Paschack’s son, eye surgery to remove scar tissue — Charlie Wall, possibleheart problems; Charlie and his wife Janie are friends of Carol Gilchrist — Bernita Loucks,Karmen Miller’s mother, surgery — Beth Ann Cole’s grandmother, Pauline Houghton, aged 94,recovering from surgery — Carol Gilchrist’s friend Tricia’s brothers Don and J.V., difficult medicaldecisions — Mary Wilson’s great-grandson Phillip Mani, recovering from successful brain surgery —Beverly and her children — Anthony — Anthonesha — Tammy and her children — Mary & JerryLeBlanc — James — Rose — Kent — Christina and her children — Christopher and Chris — thosein hurricane-stricken areas

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1 Jun Terri & Mark Knox Yoichi & Toko Sato Tamzin & Mike Darden3 Jun Shawn & Valerie Ashbaugh4 Jun Colin & Alice Lineberry6 Jun David & Laurie Bender8 Jun Clay & Jana Collins9 Jun Edwin & Joy Schiller10 Jun Sharon & Roy Markham12 Jun Bryant & Anita Savage Micah & Ashley Royer John & Lynette Gillis13 Jun Jack & Carol Gilchrist Stacey & Linda Eskelin15 Jun Sam & Kathy Segura17 Jun Tom & Patty O'Leary18 Jun Sarah & Chris Morgan Elizabeth & Martyn Buffler Warren & Amanda Hyde19 Jun Dale & Louree Eason Ken & Claudia Lauber22 Jun Sam & Pattie Lawrence Sean & Stephanie Tyson Mary L. & Glenn Carnes24 Jun Alan Combs & Ofelia Tabora26 Jun Jeff & Lisa Alexander27 Jun Rod & Nancy Hines Luis & Jennifer Franco28 Jun Bob & Vicki Brown Kathy & Brad Gabbart29 Jun Sue Lagerquist & Derek Greene

1 Jun Marilyn Lawler Jack Benner Matthew Wright2 Jun Eliza Morgan Maddie O'Leary3 Jun Yoichi Sato Sam Ray4 Jun Mike Smith Jess Domicoli Amber Weir Olivia Hamilton6 Jun Lexi Slade Jonathan Manzello7 Jun Jens Busch Ray Moore Marilyn Wright Dave Folkers Alan Brown Celine Padovani8 Jun Tron Womack Lewis Stewart9 Jun Rusty Ray Steve Crawford Lindsay Starkjohann Nick McDaniel JC Kruczkowski Kimberly Bravo Nicholas Majka Alex Tyson Byers Petty10 Jun Gordon Holt Janette Jordan Daisy Bates11 Jun Alexa Tarrant12 Jun Jane Thompson Linda Eskelin Buddy Lopez Alex Valdes Ana Rosales Elizabeth Ramirez Alicia Wade Sofia Freed13 Jun Austin Meyer Keegan Callahan Ryan Cozart14 Jun Lynne Natale Micah Royer Ashley Long Meggie Barnhart Grace Widner

14 Jun Kaitlyn Chambers15 Jun Arlan Conner Jim Kennamer Koger Darden Andre Farwell16 Jun Gavin Goetchius Kristin Ponder17 Jun Bruce Albertson Jodie Dunbar Ray Derrick Bay Megan Danz Hannah Guernsey18 Jun Paula Pellerin Jeremy Chase Kendall Whitmire19 Jun Bob Brown Kathy Gabbart Tim Waugh Laurel Holland Matthew McMenemy Emily Skannal20 Jun Debbie Saul Fred Deutsch21 Jun Keith Stewart Keith Teague22 Jun Amy Bay Alissa Davies Courtney Weir Noah Killeen Jason Brady23 Jun Wayne Crawley Joy Essary Victoria Johnson Corey Callahan Travis Lineberry Mitchell Bockelman24 Jun Ken Seiler Valerie Ashbaugh Clark McLaughlin25 Jun Ken Engler Steve Thompson Jennifer Grubb26 Jun Nancy Harris Laurel Moulton Ben Abeyta Haley Pearson27 Jun Amy Holmes Scott Schiller Will Courtney Austin Palrang28 Jun Dale Eason29 Jun Laura Windham Jacob Blacklock30 Jun Mike Kelley Gayle Guernsey

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

2 Friday Mexico Mission Trip ends

3 Saturday10 a.m. Chancel Choir rehearsal

4 Sunday PENTECOST9:45 a.m. Summer Sunday School begins; Faithwalk5 p.m. Foundations7 p.m. Prayer 101, library

6 Tuesday10 a.m. “Groan”-Ups Game Day

7 Wednesday4 p.m. Something Fishy, Youth Portable6:30 p.m. Evermore Evening Fellowship7 p.m. Just Neighbors, portable B

8 Thursday7 p.m. Book Club, portable B

9 Friday7 p.m. Fellowship Bridge Group, room 7

10 Saturday10 a.m. Chancel Choir rehearsal VBS Decorating party11:30 a.m. Golden Years Lunch Bunch

11 Sunday TRINITY SUNDAY9:45 a.m. Sunday School & Faithwalk7 p.m. Prayer 101, library

12 Monday9 a.m. VBS Begins7 p.m. Peace, Unity, Purity (PUP) Report seminar,

portable B14 Wednesday

4 p.m. Something Fishy, Youth Portable6:30 p.m. Evermore Evening Fellowship7 p.m. Just Neighbors, portable B

15 Thursday12:30 p.m. SAM Council, library

16 Friday12 p.m. VBS Ends

17 Saturday7:30 a.m. Men’s Breakfast Fellowship10 a.m. Chancel Choir rehearsal12 p.m. VBS Volunteer Appreciation Lunch, room 7

18 Sunday FATHER’S DAY9:45 a.m. Sunday School; Faithwalk6:30 p.m. Swingin’ in the Meadow7 p.m. Prayer 101, library11:59 p.m. JULY Newsletter deadline

20 Tuesday6 p.m. Stephen Ministry group meeting, room 7

21 Wednesday4 p.m. Something Fishy, Youth Portable6:30 p.m. Evermore Evening Fellowship6:30 p.m. How to Read ... , room 7

22 Thursday9:30 a.m. Mothers of Young Children (MYC)

Devotional24 Saturday

10 a.m. Chancel Choir rehearsal Great Escape departs

25 Sunday9:45 a.m. Sunday School; Faithwalk6:30 p.m. Everlast Evening Fellowship7 p.m. Prayer 101, library

27 Tuesday1 p.m. Our Written Legacy (OWL) Circle

28 Wednesday NO Something Fishy, Youth Portable5:45 p.m. Babysitting Co-Op NO Evermore Evening Fellowship

29 Thursday9:30 a.m. MYC Devotional

1 Saturday10 a.m. Chancel Choir rehearsal Great Escape returns

2 Sunday9:45 a.m. Sunday School; Faithwalk6:30 p.m. Everlast Evening Fellowship7 p.m. Prayer 101, library

The church office will be closed for Independence Day

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

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

June 2006

Issue 6