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“One of the most formative trips of my life”

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What   do  you  get  when   you   combine  ten   youth,  seven   adults   and   the   most   diverse   and   largest  metro  area  in  the  United  States?  

Yeah,  you  get  a  bit  of  chaos...but  you  also  get  your  socks  blessed  off!  

From   June   9-­‐16   a   team   of   17   disciples   from  Memorial  headed  to  Newark/New   York   to   learn,  serve  and  pray  alongside  a  Lutheran  house  church  planLng  movement.  For  a  whole  week  the  group  lived   in  an  African   immigrant   church   in  Newark,  prayed  in  the  projects,  painted,  walked  the  streets  of  New  York,  prayed  for  strangers  and  blessed  the  community.   Along   the  way,   the   LORD   spoke   to  them  and  changed  their  hearts  as  well.  

Over  the  last  few  years  Rev.  Jim  Buckman,  mission  strategist   for   the   AtlanLc   District   of   the   LC-­‐MS,  stoked   mission   planLng   efforts   through   house  churches.   One   of   the   newest   house   churches  is  being   planted   by   Charles  Carter   in   East   Orange,  New  Jersey   under   the  direcLon  of  Rev.   Lawrence  Gboeah.   The   pair   are   Liberian   immigrants,   but  their   hope   is   to   reach   the  mulL-­‐ethnic   melange  that  surrounds  Carter’s  apartment  complex.  

“This  group  was  definitely   ‘in  their  element,’”  said  Pastor  Buckman,  “they   ‘got  it’  right  from  the  start  and  were  an  immense  blessing.”  

For   their   part,   the  team  was  also  blessed  by   the  experience.  

“Ge^ng   to   see   how   the   Liberian   church  worshipped  and  plans  on  planLng  house  churches  was  really  cool,”  said  one  parLcipant.  

“It   was   a   blessing   to   see   their   enthusiasm   for  worship,  prayer  and  mission.  They  were  willing  to  accept  us  as  family  and  we  can  see  that  they  will  welcome  the  community  into  their  home  as  well.”

Another   missionary   said,   “Prayer   walks   were   a  great   way   to   learn   and   be   empowered   to   pray  more  for  others.  It  was  also  cool  to  have  so  many  spontaneous   opportuniLes   along   the   way   in  restaurants,  on  the  street  and  touring.”

They   concluded  saying,   “Who  knew  the  Kingdom  of  God  could  expand  through  such  a  simple  act  as  knocking  on  a  door  and  saying  a  prayer?”    

Thanks  for  all  the  support,  in  prayer  &  finances!  

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Kenya deadline fast approaching There was a lot of energy following Memorial Katy’s Maono (Vision) Sunday when Pastor Davis, Brenda, Pastor Leland and Sieg shared their experience and our church’s vision for a partnership in Kenya. Since then, many expressed interest in going to Kenya on our next vision clinic trip October 18-28 and many others donated to the cause.

If you are interested in going on the trip the application deadline is July 15. At this time a $600 deposit is also due with the rest of the bill coming later in August and September. As mentioned, we fundraised quite a bit to help our next team, so do not let money be the issue! In te res ted app l ican ts should contact Vicar Chitwood ASAP to procure an application. Contact him at ken@mlckaty.com or call at 832.795.3564.

You’re invited to a feast...

a feast for five…thousand!

This year ’s Music in Mission VBS camp is a musical based on the miracle of Jesus feeding the five thousand. There are only two miracles consistently listed in all four Gospels: the Resurrection and the feeding of the five thousand. Throughout the week in Bible times, drama & choir sessions, mission projects & crafts, the children attending will learn about the greatest miracle: how God uses the small, not-so-likely, to accomplish His will. And what is his will? That all people would come into relationship with Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. And how does God do this? He sent Jesus, a man who had “no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him… rejected by men (Is. 53:2b-3a)” to bring salvation to us!

Likewise, in the miracle of feeding the five thousand, Jesus uses a small boy’s lunch of 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish to feed a multitude! God cares for us, for our eternal needs and our physical present needs. And he works through small, normal people like you and me to accomplish His will of offering life and salvation through Jesus Christ. Save the date for July 13 at 6pm – invite your friends and family to the closing dinner and

musical production for the Katy community. And pray that God’s love would touch the hearts of those who hear His word of salvation through the kids songs and skits.

Still want to sign up or help with the camp? Contact Music Director E l i z a b e t h C h i t w o o d a t musicdirector@mlckaty.com

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The next Kenya vision clinic trip is October 18-28. The deadline for applications is July 15.

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In   the   fall,   Memorial   will   begin   to   launch   ACTS  Communi@es  in,  and  around,  the  Katy  area.  

In  our  effort   to  extend  the  community  of  Christ   in  the   heart   of   Katy   and   beyond   we   see   these  communi@es   of   believers   living   out   the   rhythm   of  life  in  mission  as  essen@al  to  our  vision.    

Our   ACTS   Communi@es   func@on   as   “missional”  communi@es.   The   ACTS   stands   for   Accepted   by  God,   accep@ng   of   others,   Connected   in   Christ,  connec@ng  with   others,   Trained   and   training   and  Serving  our  community.  

If   you   are   s@ll   wondering   what   a   missional,   or  ACTS,   community   is   here   is   an   ar@cle   from  Mike  Breen  on  the  “5  Essen@al  Ingredients  of  a  Missional  (ACTS)  Community.”

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We’ve   been   doing   Missional   CommuniLes   for  years  and  years,   and  in  that   Lme,  we’ve  always  tried   to   boil   it   down   to   the   most   essenLal  ingredients  to  help  pass  it  on  to  others.

In   the   last   year,   I   believe   we’ve   most   simply  honed   it  down  to  these  5  essen7al   ingredients  of  a  Missional  Community:

•. Size   of   an   extended   family.   A  missional  family  is  best  understood  in   the   range   of  20-­‐50  people,   as  it  is   small   enough   to   care   but   large  enough   to   dare.   From   much  experience,   I’d   say   it   can   be  difficult   to   sustain   long-­‐term  missional   acLvity   for   a   group  smaller  than  this.

•. UP/IN/OUT.   IntenLonally   lives  out  the   three  dimensions  of   Jesus’   life.  UPward  dimension  of   life   with   the  Father,   INward   dimension   of   life  with   the   Body   of   Christ   together,  OUTward   dimension   of   fully  stepping  into  a  broken  world.

•. Clear   mission   vision.   Who   is   this  Missional   Community   trying   to  bring   the   Kingdom   of  God   to?  The  most   successful  MC’s   have   a  very  clear   answer   that   could   only   be  true  of  their  group.

•. Lighweight/Low   maintenance.   If  the   Missional  Community   can’t   be  led  by  people  with  normal  9-­‐5    jobs  who   aren’t   paid   to   do   it,   it’s   not  lightweight   and   low   maintenance  enough.   It’s   got   to   be   simple   and  reproducible.

•. A c c oun t a b l e   l e a d e r s .   T h e  person(s)   leading   the   Missional  C o m m u n i t y   n e e d   t o   b e  accountable   to   others   so   there  exists  a  dynamic  of  low  control  and  high   accountability.   It’s   one   thing  t o   s a y   y o u   h o l d   p e o p l e  accountable,   it’s   another   thing   to  do  this  well.

If   done   well,   these   can   lead   to   the   incredible  phenomenon  of  a  scagered  and  gathered  church  where   it   is   the   lay   leaders  of   the   church   being  released   to   the   edges  of   the  missional  fronLer,  seeing  extraordinary  Kingdom  breakthrough.

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Interested  in  leading,  or  being  a  part  of,  an  ACTS  community?  Our  ACTS  community  pilot  will  launch  August  26.  Contact  Vicar  Ken  Chitwood  for  more  informa@on  -­‐  ken@mlckaty.com  //  

“If done well, these can lead to the incredible phenomenon of a scattered

& g a t h e r e d c h u r c h . . . s e e i n g extraordinary Kingdom breakthrough.”

The 5 Essential Ingredients of an ACTS CommunityBy Pastor Mike Breen of 3DM

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