Gather Austin

Looking for community with other 22-35 year olds? Join Gather:Austin on the first Thursday of each month at 6:30pm for dinner, followed by a faith practice!

Follow us on Instagram (@gather_austin) or check out our website (gatheraustin.org) to learn more!SUMMER 2026 SCHEDULE

June 4 - Pentecost/Fire Devotion @ Faith Lutheran Church

July 2 - Lectio Divina @ Triumphant Love Lutheran Church

August 6 - Pinthouse Theology with Pastor Ryan @ ShepHills Lutheran

Community Fellowship - Sacred Rhythms

Please join us after the service on June 14 and July 12 for a time of fellowship in the Chapel! Together, we’ll gather for conversation, connection, and community as we reflect on the Sacred Rhythms Newsletter Series.

Council Updates

At a recent specially called Council meeting, Council voted to form the SMLC Master Property & Facilities Plan Task Force comprised of 5-7 members of the congregation. Council welcomes suggestions of talented and willing persons from the congregation to serve on this Task Force. Please reach out to any Council member with any suggested names by this Monday, June 1.

The goals of this Task Force will be to 

(i) review and assess important property and facilities information, 

(ii) suggest a proposal for the next steps to be taken in this process, 

(iii) determine the current property value with the current historical designation, or

(iv) continue on the current path with continuing needed repairs.

The Council continues to discern our next steps in calling a Pastor for our congregation. We anticipate the appointment of a Call Committee in July. Additionally, steps are underway to find a replacement for Austin Shortes as Youth Minister as his last day with us will be May 31.

Stephen Ministry

On Sunday, June 14, our congregation will commission Erhard Goerlitz to join our Stephen Ministry. Erhard has completed his training and is prepared to provide the gift of caring to people in and around our congregation who are going through a variety of life difficulties. Please pray for Erhard and all the Stephen Ministers who bring hope and healing to those they serve.

St. Martin’s Endowment Fund

 The St. Martin’s Endowment Fund provides financial support to St. Martin’s each year for the church’s mission and to accomplish our work which might otherwise go unfunded. You may give charitable gifts to the Endowment Fund during your lifetime or as part of an estate plan.  

Currently, Creative Partners manages all endowment assets, and the Fund has appreciated significantly over the past few years. With your gifts of direct cash contributions, appreciated stock, Donor Advised Funds, or life insurance policies, the Fund will continue to grow.

Please consider including the St. Martin’s Endowment through these different financial channels. Assets left to the Fund are never spent, and earnings and growth will support the ministries of St. Martin’s in perpetuity. 

Should you have any questions about the St. Martin’s Endowment Fund, please contact Bill Grosskopf. We suggest visiting with a tax advisor regarding planned gifts. 

Time with Pastor Alan

As your new transitional pastor, I would like to become better acquainted with as many of you as possible during my time at St. Martin’s. For those with whom I haven’t already had the pleasure of doing so, and who are amenable to sitting down for a visit, please let me know after one of the worship services, by calling the church office (512-476-6757), or by emailing me (pastor.alan@saintmartins.org). Pastor Alan

2026 Sacred Rhythms Newsletter

Series Phase 1: Foundations

Week 6 - May 31, 2026

The Shema

To Hear is to Obey: The Hebrew word Shema ( שְׁמַע ) is usually translated as “Hear.” But in the Bible, hearing isn’t just about sound waves—it’s about action.

Think of telling a child, “Listen to me.” You don’t just want them to understand the words; you want them to actually clean their room. In Hebrew thought, you haven’t truly heard until you have responded with obedience. As we continue this series, our goal is to Shema—to listen so deeply to God’s design for work and rest that it actually changes how we walk, whether on Tuesday afternoons or Saturday mid-day......continue reading

The Bread For All Food Pantry (BFA) is operated by Austin City Lutherans out of Faith Presbyterian Church (1314 E Oltorff). Since September 2013, Bread For All volunteers have served our neighbors in southeast Austin on a weekly basis. Their food pantry provides the supplemental nutrition needed for a healthier diet. They serve upwards of 600 unique households every month, the equivalent of 2,500 people. Click here to for more information

You can donate here, click here Then choose “monthly benevolence” from the drop down funds list. For more information email serve@saintmartins.org.

Spread Hope

The Serves Committee encourages you to take part in SMLC’s service opportunities. Each act of kindness creates a ripple effect—let’s turn those ripples into a flood of kindness and service.

Check out this week’s highlights and ways to get involved: Keep the kindness going!

St. Martin's Serves at Bread For All-

Monday June 1, 2026

Bread for All, 10:30 packing and 4:30 distribution.

Click here to sign up.

Lunch Bag Ministry. Please continue supporting this vital program for our hungry neighbors. Click here to donate In the fund menu, select Lunch Bag Ministry.

St. Martin’s Serves at Loaves & Fishes: Volunteers are needed for the truck team on the second Monday of each Month 3:00-4:30.

Substitutes are needed for all shifts.

Contact Carey Henderson, chenderson@saintmartins.org to sign up.

News from the Youth

Upcoming Events:

May 30 -3:00pm - Youth End of the Year Party at the church

July 16-19 - High School Summer of Service trip to Corpus Christi

Sign ups for the High School Service Trip to Corpus Christi are here! This trip is open to current 8th-11th (incoming 9th-12th) grade students. We have a maximum of 11 student spots and we need 4 adults to go (2 men and 2 women). The cost is $100 per student (that’s for a member/child of a member of St. Martin’s), and $10 per adult. Non-St. Martin’s students are welcome to go, but it has been requested thatthey pay the full per-person cost of $285. The trip is July 16th-19th, going to Corpus Christi. There was a change in the housing location. Long story short, Galilean Lutheran won’t be able to house us after all, so we’ll be staying at St. John’s United Methodist Church where a friend and former classmate of mine is the Director of Youth Ministries. There are showers in the bathrooms of Fellowship Hall, and they’ve even offered to potentially provide a meal for the group. Full details here

We Remember in Prayer

Family of Cathy McHorse; family of Janie Barron; Patsy Stewart; Inessa, Mikhail, David, Anastasia; people in Texas Panhandle affected by wildfires, especially those who lost their homes; Katrina LaFaitte and Nora; Paul Levesque; the family of Irene Hilton; Kim; Sherene Ekstrom; Don and Kristina Samonte; Ralph Larsen; Ingrid Larsen; Amber Dodson; Marcella Wilson; LaVerne Haschke; Helen Altobello; US service men and women serving in the Iran War; JoAnn Buerger

We Continue to Pray For

Eugene Trautman; Kent Mickelson, Deb Johnson, Bill Martin, Sam Gourley, Ronnie Johnson, Peter Jordahl; Walt Knauff, Arvid Larson, Pat Larson, Doris McGaughy