I M M A N U E L M A R T H O M A C H U R C H ,
1 2 8 0 3 S U G A R R I D G E B L VD.
S T A F F O R D , T X 7 7 4 7 7
V I C A R
R E V . J O S E P H J O H N
1 0 2 1 2 F O U N T A I N G A T E D R . S T A F F O R D , T X 7 7 4 7 7
H O M E : 2 8 1 . 5 6 1 . 9 1 4 7
C E L L : 7 1 3 . 3 3 0 . 5 2 9 9
E M A I L : V I C A R @ I M M A N U E L M T C . O R G
A S S I S T A N T V I C A R
R E V . S A N T H O S H T H O M A S
6 8 4 2 B E A R S P A T H L A N E
M I S S O U R I C I T Y , T X 7 7 4 5 9
C E L L : 8 3 2 . 8 3 7 . 4 7 2 1
E M A I L : A S S T . V I C A R @ I M M A N U E L M T C . O R G
(This newsletter is for private circulation only)
Published by P. M. Jacob, Parish Secretary
For and on behalf of Immanuel Mar Thoma Church, Houston
Cell: 832.567.0745, email: Secretary@immanuelmtc.org
Immanuel Mar Thoma Church
Houston, TX
N E W S L E T T E R
O c t o b e r 2 0 2 4
W o r s h i p s c h e d u l e O c t o b e r 2 0 2 4
Oct. 06 Voluntary Evangelist’s Sunday: Every Marthomite is a witness to the
Kingdom of God
8:00 AM
English HQ assisted by Bethlehem area
prayer group
1st Lesson
2nd Lesson
Epistle
Gospel
2 King 7: 3-11
1 Thess. 2:1-12
2 Tim 2: 1 -13
Luke 9: 1- 6
10:30 AM
Malayalam HQ assisted by Edavaka Mission
1st Lesson
2nd Lesson
Epistle
Gospel
2 King 7: 3-11
1 Thess. 2:1-12
2 Tim 2: 1 -13
Luke 9: 1- 6
Oct. 13 Yuvajana Sunday: Youth—Period of life
with meaningful vision
8:00 AM
G3 & English HQ assisted by YF
Lesson
2nd Lesson
Epistle
Gospel
Dan. 1: 1-21
Eph 6:10-18
Phil. 3:7-14
Luke 19:1-10
10:30 AM
Malayalam HQ assisted by Yuvajana
Sakhyam
Lesson
2nd Lesson
Epistle
Gospel
Dan. 1: 1-21
Eph 6:10-18
Phil. 3:7-14
Luke 19:1-10
Oct. 17 Thursday Holy Qurbana
10:00 AM Malayalam Holy Communion
Oct. 20 Day of the differently abled: All are created in the image of God
10:30 AM
English HQ assisted by HOPE
Lesson
2nd Lesson
Epistle
Gospel
Gen. 1: 24-31
2 Cor. 12: 1-10
Phil. 2: 25-30
Mark 3:1-5
Oct. 27 Family Sunday: Family—Celebration of Relationships
8:00 AM
G3 CFF & English HQ assisted by CFF
1st Lesson
2nd Lesson
Epistle
Gospel
Gen. 45:1-15
Acts 16:19-34
Col.3:18-25
Luke. 2:41-52
10:30 AM
Malayalam HQ assisted by Carmel Area
Prayer group
1st Lesson
2nd Lesson
Epistle
Gospel
Gen. 45:1-15
Acts 16:19-34
Col.3:18-25
Luke. 2:41-52
H a r v e s t F e s t i v a l & A n n u a l A u c t i o n
Auction: Please bring at least one item from home and buy a mini-
mum of one item through the auction. You may bring home grown
vegetables, homemade pickles, snacks, pictures, arts, paintings, and
so on to the auction. Items can be dropped off on Friday evening at
the Immanuel center or you can bring them by 8:30 am on Saturday.
We will also have a variety of food and snack items prepared fresh
on-site for you to buy and enjoy.
2024 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
OFFICE BEARERS
Vicar Rev. Joseph John 713.330.5299
Assistant Vicar Rev. Santhosh Thomas 832.837.4721
Vice President Mr. Mathew T. Scaria 281.857.5611
Secretary Mr. P.M. Jacob 832.567.0745
Treasurer Mr. Joy N. Samuel 832.606.5697
Accountant Mr. Johnny M. Mathew 281.704.6901
Lay Leader (Malayalam) Mr. Jeffrin. C Varghese 346.888.7189
Lay Leader (English) Mr. Ajel John 281.854.8078
AREA REPRESENTATIVES
Bethel Mr. Mathews Varghese 832.205.6860
Bethlehem Mr. Varghese Rajesh Mathew 832.630.0748
Carmel Mr. Mathew P. Varghese 832.771.4723
Ebenezer Mr. Jacob Kunnumpurathu 713.254.9448
Hebron Mr. John K. Philip 832.744.0271
Horeb Mr. Rajan Daniel 832.628.5481
Jerusalem Mr. Abraham Komattu 281.750.5837
Salem Mrs. Annamma Jacob 832.332.1007
Sehion Mrs. Mariamma Abraham 516.467.7926
Sharon Mr. Thomas Thyparampil 832.488.0545
Sinai Mr. Philip Mathew 682.246.1255
Tabor Mr. John Varghese 281.746.0005
CHURCH ORGANIZATION REPRESENTATIVES
Choir Mr. Bibin George 713.922.8232
Edavaka Mission Mr. Alexander Jacob 469.982.1576
Senior Fellowship Mrs. Sara Philip 281.889.8566
Sevika Sanghom Mrs. Lata Mathews 832.205.6861
Sunday School Dr. Anita Joy Thomas 630.864.1375
Young Family Fellowship Mr. Ajay Thomas 281.948.5114
Youth Fellowship Mr. Daniel Kalathoor 281.967.0607
Yuvajana Sakhyam Mr. Christopher George 832.851.3597
DIOCESAN ASSEMBLY & MANDALAM MEMBERS
Diocesan Assembly Mr. Binu Pappachan 405.922.5716
Diocesan Assembly Ms. Jewel Zachariah 832.334.8622
Diocesan Assembly Mr. Siju Philip 516.503.5589
Sabha Mandalam Mr. M.G. Mathew 281.857.3088
OTHER ELECTED MEMBERS
IMC Administrator Scheduler - -
IMC Facility Manager Mr. John Varghese 832.938.8664
IMC Facility Manager Mr. John P. Mathew 832.656.1836
Technology Director Mr. Abraham Kurien 832.623.2330
AUDITORS
Auditor
Mr. Sam Thomas 832.868.5465
Auditor
Mr. Aji Daniel 214.995.4232
F R O M T H E V I C A R ’ S D E S K
Dearly beloved in Christ Jesus,
This month, we observe Family Dedication Sunday on the 27
th
, as per the
Church Lectionary. Family is an integral part of God’s plan for our lives. It
is within the family unit that our joys and sorrows, achievements and
setbacks, dreams and frustrations are shared, and our lives find meaning
and relevance. When God ordains a man and woman to become husband
and wife, and joins them together in the sacrament of holy marriage, they
are endowed with great privilege and responsibility. They are called to
know and love each other, and be subject to each other out of reverence
for Christ (Ephesians 5:21). They are called to participate in the creative
act of God by bringing forth children and nurturing them in the ways of
God. Our homes become places not only of nurture and growth, but also a
sacred space where faith is imparted. Faith education and spiritual
formation should not be confined to children alone, but should extend to all
members of the family, including elders. Regardless of our age or
experience, we are continually called to grow in our Christian faith and
strive to become better followers of Christ each day. It is essential to
recognize that our leadership and participation in the church and public
spaces gain true relevance and integrity only when they are underpinned
by our authentic witness within our families.
Blessed families, loving couples and righteous children do not happen by
chance. It takes God’s abundant blessing and human initiative to build
blessed families. We need to invest our God-given resources and
creativity to nurture our families. Expensive gifts cannot substitute for the
time, patience, love and care that we need to bestow on each other on a
daily basis. The values and principle that are lived in a small circle of the
family are what makes love and solidarity in the church and larger society
possible.
“The family is a necessary good for peoples, an indispensable foundation
for society and a great lifelong treasure for couples. It is a unique good for
children, who are meant to be fruit of love, of the total and generous self-
giving of their parents” - Pope Bendict XVI
Prayerful Regards
Rev. Joseph John
J U B I L E E P R O J E C T U P D A T E
A r e a P r a y e r M e e t i n g s
AREA PRAYER
GROUPS
Jerusalem area prayer meeting is arranged to be
held on Sunday October 6th at 6:30 pm at the resi-
dence of Mr. Siju Philip (ID # 538). Address: 17214
Milrig Ct., Richmond, TX 77407.
Sinai area prayer meeting is arranged to be held on
Sunday October 27th at 6:30 pm at the residence of
Mr. Santosh K. Cheriyan (ID # 679). Address: 2910
Brinson Dr., Fresno, TX 77545.
Jerusalem area prayer meeting is arranged to be
held on Sunday November 10th at 6:30 pm at the
residence of Mr. Vinod Abraham (ID # 508). Address:
17607 Murrayfield Ct., Richmond, TX 77407.
Construction activities continue to progress on a fast paced schedule. The
metal structure for the gymnasium has been completed. Insulation and
roofing work are in progress and should be completed in the next few
weeks. After this the focus will be on exterior walls and bricks. The Jubilee
Hall structure is being completed after which roofing activities will com-
mence. The bank loan for the project has been approved and will be
closed in October. Please honor your pledges and commitments to the
project so that we can minimize the loan.
Above all, please remember the project in your daily prayers.
w w w . I m m a n u e l m t c . o r g
We invite members to check out the updated church website with new fea-
tures and functionalities at www.immanuelmtc.org. There are several
new features like updated lectionary, Bible Verses in three different lan-
guages, various channels for our organizations, exclusive channels for me-
dia that include podcasts, video and photo galleries, exclusive section for
our church history, and that of the North American Diocese.
T h e B i b l e
The Bible has 3,566,480 letters, 810,677 words, 31,175 verses, 1,189 chap-
ters, and 66 Books. The longest chapter is the 119th Psalm. The middle
verse is in the 8th verse of 118th psalm. The longest name is in the 8th
chapter of Isaiah; it contains 18 letters.
The word “and” occurs 46,627 times, the word “Lord” 1855 times. The 37th
chapter of Isaiah and the 19th chapter of 2 Kings are alike. The longest
verse is Esther 8:9, the shortest is John 11:35. Ezra 7:12 has all the letters
of the alphabet except the letter J. The name of God is not found in Esther.
The word “boy” occurs in the Bible three times and the word “girl” two times.
Christ is the key to the entire book.
Z E L L E P A Y M E N T S
Email address for the transaction is:
U P C O M I N G E V E N T S
10/19 - Harvest Festival & Auction
11/17 - Parish Day
11/30 - House to House Christmas Caroling starts
12/24 - Christmas Carol Service
12/30 -12/31 – Year End Retreat
As every one knows, the sole source of funding for operating the church is
through the generous donations of its members. We are in the 10th month
of the year, yet it’s worrisome that we have collected only 35% of the
budgeted annual contributions. Out of the 515 families, just 300 families
have paid any subscription at all.
Kindly do your part to support the church financially. Please pay your sub-
scriptions and other dues now rather than wait till the end of the year.
A n A p p e a l f r o m t h e T r u s t e e S
O C T O B E R W E D D I N G
A N N I V E R S A R I E S
Naveen Varghese & Chrisna Jose 3-Oct
Siju Philip & Nisha John 4-Oct
John Kurien & Mariamma J. Kurien 5-Oct
Jacob Thomas & Lally Thomas 6-Oct
Mathew Jacob & Sumy Jacob 6-Oct
Preven C. Jacob & Tina V. Philip 7-Oct
Reji V. Kurian & Mini T. Luke 7-Oct
Cecil Koshy Mathew & Lesiley Susan Mathew 7-Oct
Dr. Abraham Chacko Jr & Priya Ann Chacko 8-Oct
Zachariah Koshy & Grace Zachariah 9-Oct
Shiju Pappachan & Anjaly Skaria 10-Oct
Sam Rajan Daniel & Courtney Woodson 12-Oct
Saji Mathew & Mereena Mathew 16-Oct
Santhosh Paul Joseph & Roshini E. Joseph 16-Oct
Varghese Koshy & Jessy V. Koshy 17-Oct
John Joshy & Aleykuy Joshy 18-Oct
Saji John & Anitha Philip 18-Oct
Ricky Kuruvilla & Monica Mathews 20-Oct
Philip Thomas & Susha Thomas 20-Oct
Samuel K. Samuel & Mariamma K. Samuel 21-Oct
Aswin Cherian Mathew & Evelin Mary Sam 22-Oct
Oommen K. Mathew & Mariamma Oommen 23-Oct
M. A. Varughese & Annas M. Varughese 24-Oct
Toby C.Thomas & Jamie S. Thomas 25-Oct
George Jacob & Reena Jacob 26-Oct
Vinod Abraham & Manju Abraham 27-Oct
Dr. Sajan K. Eapen & Dr. Julie C. Eapen 27-Oct
Santhosh J. Kalathra & Jiny Kalathra 28-Oct
Jacob John & Gemini Jacob 29-Oct
V.J. Thankachan & Mariyamma Thankachan 30-Oct
C o n d o l e n c e
1. Mrs. Aleyamma Samuel, 84 years old, sister of Mrs. Rachelamma Koshy
(ID # 183) of the Bethel area prayer group and aunt of Mr. Joe Eapen, and
cousin of Mr. T.V. Mathew was called to eternal rest in Kavungumprayar,
Kerala .
The Vicars and members of the Immanuel Parish express our heartfelt con-
dolences. May our thoughts and prayers comfort and console the families
during this time of bereavement.
Sunday School Oct. 9:30 am: Sunday school starts
Senior Fellowship Oct. 05: Prayer meeting @ 10 am
Oct. 10: Pakalveedu Fellowship @ 10 am
Oct. 17: HQ in Malayalam @ 10 am
Yuvajana Sakhyam Oct. 13: YS Sunday
Oct. 13-20: YS Varam
IMAFF Oct. 18: Prayer meeting @ 7:30 pm
O R G A N I Z A T I O N A N N O U N C E M E N T S
E D A V A K A M I S S I O N S U N D A Y A C T I V I T I E S
Mission Sunday: October 6
th
: Members to assist during the service.
A one-year Bible reading plan will be distributed during the service.
Neighborhood Mission: October 10, 2024, at 3 PM
Cancer Survivors Meet: Friday, October 11, 2024, at 6 PM
Family Enrichment Program: Saturday, Oct. 12th, 9:30 AM to 1 PM
Speaker: Very Rev. Dr. Sham P. Thomas
(1) October 6th - VOLUNTEER EVENT (Sandwich Event for Homeless).
Calling students 4th grade and up. Please check Sunday School Weekly
Email for details and sign up here: https://forms.gle/oYmNBNMB3Rv7oFZb6
(2) October 13th - IMAFF FAMILY NIGHT. Calling students interested to
participate in a dance. Please
volunteer.
(3) October 19th - HALLELUJAH NIGHT. Please
S u n d a y s c h o o l a n n o u n c e m e n t s
O n e C a l l N o w
Apart from announcements during service and newsletters, we use One
Call Now communication platform to disseminate key information regarding
church service and other activities. If you are not receiving regular emails or
voice calls from parish, please contact the parish secretary.
O C T O B E R 2 0 2 4 B I R T H D A Y S
Rosie Mathew
1-Oct
Anisha Philip
Ajo T Koruthu
2-Oct
K. J. Abraham
Addyson Hope Varghese
Varkey T. Varkey
3-Oct
John Kurien
Nakul P. Joy
Terish Mathew Thomas
Susan V. Kattappuram
Varghese K. Idiculla
4-Oct
Samuel K. Samuel
Acsah Beth Joseph
Sosamma Varghese
Sherin M. John
Joshua Dennis Mathew
Rony Johnson
Jissan Cherian
5-Oct
Reyan Abraham
Ishaan Joseph James
6-Oct
Nikhil Raphael James
M.M. Thomas
Jacob Thomas
Anoop Kayyalackal Varghese
Sheena Abraham
Rupesh Koshy
Gijitha Jacob
Joe P. Varghese
7-Oct
Rija Dena Roby
Shanthi Cherian
Kuruvilla Velangadan
Sara Chacko
Aji Varghese
Stephen Kattuvilath Varghese
Chandler J. George
8-Oct
Timothy Ajay Thomas
Daniel Varghese
Anugraha Ann Jeffrin
Edwintom Joseph
Sherline Rachel David
Sonia Eapen Varghese
Veena Benny Chacko
Stanley Jacob
9-Oct
Sheeba M. Varghese
Shawn Samuel Oommen
Neal Johny
Jesmi Jacob
10-Oct
Sarah Marie Thomas
Ajo Thomas
Sachin Kulkarni
Annamma Abraham
Christina Ann John
11-Oct Brady Varkey Mathew
Christian Alexander Mathew
Mercy Varghese
12-Oct
Varghese T. Mathai
Benjamin M Ninan
Lian Jacob
Yohannan Mathunny
13-Oct
Angel Annie Philip
Thomas Koshy
Baizil S. John
Belinda Roy Thomas
Robin John Kaarikottu
Sosamma Samuel
Naveen Varghese
14-Oct
Shane V. Matthew
Sharon A. Matthew
Annamma Mathai
Evelyn Marie Mathew
Shogan Reni Kavalayil
Josiah Jacob
Isabelle Ann Mathew
Cyril Thomas
15-Oct
Joel M. John
Mariam Vicky Varghese
Shibi Babu
Reena George
Febin Jose
16-Oct
Acha Ann Grace Jacob
Leah Philip
O C T O B E R 2 0 2 4 B I R T H D A Y S
Jewel Elise George
17-Oct
Sosamma Mathew
Nidhin Mathew Varghese
Minal Thomas
Biju J. Thomas
Aannamma Daniel
18-Oct
Crystal N. Samuel
Neethu T Kourth
Shibu John
Jaeron George Mathew
Chris Sajeev
Johan Sajeev
Sheela George
Sneha M. John
19-Oct
Mereena Mathew
Ethan Joji
George P. Thomas
Julia Vera
Selah Ann Jacob
20-Oct
V.J. Thankachan
Saramma Rajan
21-Oct
Caroline Suzanna Chacko
Sindhu P. Mathew
Thomas O. Keerikattu
22-Oct
Mithun Mathew Thomas
Anil K. Oommen
23-Oct
Elias Koshy
Shawn B. Varghese
Emarie Mariam John
Mathew Daniel
Amelia Arun
Gena Ceana Abraham
Dr.Tara Ninan
Naysa Ann Shybu
Amy Mercy Sinu
Elizabeth Thomas
Neha Abraham
Thomas Samuel
24-Oct
Manoj George
Julie Varghese
Jonah Mathew
Sosamma George
Jonah Mathew
Lincy George
Christopher Chacko
25-Oct
Dr. Thomas Kannankara
Sujith Kurian
Angel Mary Roy
Caleb George Eapen
26-Oct
Tony V. Philip
Magie M. John
Riya Regi
Justin J. Samuel
Thomas Mathew
27-Oct
Dannie N Jacob
Dr. Varghese George
Gracy Thomas
Riju Kuruvilla
Susamma Oommen
28-Oct
Ruby Varghese
Shiney SusanThomas
Daniel T. Mathew
Reuben Kurian Thoams
P.I. Cherian
Daisy A. Philip
29-Oct
Dr. Anita Abraham
Shiju Kuruvilla
Abel Philip
Ann Philip
Sherin E. Varghese
30-Oct
Emmanie Olivia Thomas
Jince Jacob
Talia Mathew
Jacob K. Alexander
Michele Mariam Jacob
Tessy Eapen
31-Oct
Shibu Thomas
Joyce John
Elijah Sunny Praveen
