From Anne …
As I get ready to leave St. Luke’s at the end of June, I wish I could adequately describe my appreciation of all of you and the life of this particular congregation. I consider it a miraculous thing that over and over, Sunday after Sunday, you are here in this place simply to rest in the presence of God, to remember all that God has done in your life, and to practice being open to God’s way of leading you into the future. I consider it a miraculous thing that St. Luke’s continues to reach out in love to each and every person who comes through its doors, and that through the membership of this small congregation you have embraced the entire world. I consider it a miraculous thing that you are so deeply committed to reaching out in love and concern both to each other and to our neighbors in need.
So I leave with much gratitude for you all. And also, a challenge for you: that in the weeks and months ahead you reach out in love to your new pastor as you have to me. Dave’s appointment will begin a new phase in the life of St. Luke’s. His gifts and skills and graces will open doors to the fresh breeze of the Spirit. Open the doors of your hearts and minds, too, and let the Spirit blow among you, and you will be amazed at what can happen here!
Please don’t fall into the nostalgia trap. So often in our lives what at first looks like an ending is actually a beginning. St. Luke’s is not completing its best time by any means. It’s likely actually poised to begin a richer, deeper phase of its life than any of us have yet imagined. Trust that in this as in all things God is actively and powerfully at work for good in the world, and in the life of this congregation, and in each of your lives, and commit yourselves to being joyful participants in God’s work. And in all things, give thanks.
You will always be in my heart,
Anne
June Calendar
4 Glover Park Day 11:00 – 4:00 pm
5 Holy Communion
Grate Patrol offering & meal making
7 Grate Patrol delivery 6:45 pm
9 Jazz in the Garden 6:30-8:30 pm
19 Church Council
Our turn with Shelter Dinner 6:45 pm
23 Jazz in the Garden 6:30-8:30 pm
26 Music Sunday
Farewell party for Anne after church
…and coming up in July
3 Rev. Dave Myers’ First Sunday
Holy Communion
Grate Patrol offering and meal making
Glover Park Day June 4th
Enjoy a community tradition of great food, entertainment and neighborhood fun. St. Luke’s and St. Luke’s Shelter will have informational tables at Glover Park Day, so be sure to stop by, 11:00 am-4:00pm
Grate Patrol Offering June 5
Our monthly Grate Patrol Offering supports the purchase of groceries and supplies to make 150 bag suppers for people living on the street.
Our next Grate Patrol night is Tuesday, June 7th. Sign up in the Wesley Room or email the church to be part of that night’s Grate Patrol team (6:45-9 pm; meet at the church).
Our Turn with Shelter Dinner June 19th
Once a month a group of members and friends prepares and shares dinner with the residents of St. Luke’s Shelter. For more information, contact the shelter dinner coordinator, Cory Scott, scottc@urbanretail.com
Welcome New Members
Welcome to Priscilla Alexander and Susan Swift, who joined St. Luke’s on May 22nd.
Summer Music Camp Registration
The dates for children’s summer music camp will be July 11-15. This program filled up very fast last year, and there will be a limit of 25 children. For more information please talk to Deke (deke@saintlukesmethodist.org)
Church Family News
Congratulations to Rosalynn Zulu on her graduation from Montgomery College, and to Sarah Saunders and Chris McKinney, who graduated from Georgetown University.
From Farai Chigumbura:
Thank you for your prayers and support at this time.
Dear St. Luke’s,
I am an inactive member. Many years ago I attended St. Luke’s, but I have drifted away in later years. I appreciate your sending me a copy of the Messenger each month. It is evident that the church leadership is striving to serve the community’s needs. The members of St. Luke’s Church are guided by the Christian tradition by reaching out to everyone and help with spiritual and physical human needs. I will pray for continued success at St. Luke’s Church in the process of carrying out Christ’s ministry and teaching. As I have moved away from the area, please remove my name from membership. Thank you,
Gereda Bolt
Dear Rev. Anne,
Grace and peace.
I hope I find you well. I had written to you earlier on to acknowledge receipt of the financial assistance you sent to us. We received the money with great appreciation. However, I am sorry the letter never reached you, as it was sent through pastor Mubvumbi whom I am informed had some problems at the airport on his arrival.
The church here sends you greetings and appreciation and is looking forward to a lasting relationship.
May the Lord bless you and the congregation.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. P.D. Charwadza
St. Dorcas United Methodist Church
Zengeza Circuit
Zimbabwe
June Birthdays
1 June Kress
3 Emma Cox
10 Karen Cox
10 Inne Kim
22 Dorothy Pearson
Scripture for June
5 Genesis 12: 1-9
12 Genesis 18: 1-15
19 Genesis 21:8-21
26 Genesis 22: 1-14
Coffee Hour for June
5 Inne Kim
12
19
26 pot luck
Thanks to all who have signed up to host coffee hour this month. The sign-up sheet is posted in the Wesley Room, or you can just contact the church office if you’d like to host next month. If you’ve never hosted and want guidance, contact Nancy Smrynas at 202-965-0084
St. Luke’s Shelter News
Next month, the shelter will conduct the first of three 12-week courses planned for the remainder of 2005. We are thrilled to be partnering with new Board Member Marianne Ali of DC Central Kitchen in delivering our enhanced life-skills and food service training program. As St. Luke’s site renovation is around the bend, our kitchen classes will be held at DC Central Kitchen. Modeled on the mission of our transitional shelter, the Next Step Kitchen program reaches out to people who are ready to take some steps toward reclaiming their lives and building toward more stable livelihoods. With DC Central Kitchen, we are recruiting female and male students from across the District and are beginning to approach a variety of culinary businesses that may be interested in providing internships for graduates.
Also of note, we are pleased to announce that Melvin (Assad) Hill joined the team as the associate shelter counselor at the beginning of May. He is our Sunday and on-call staffer. We are also looking forward to welcoming Jerald Thomas next month as the part-time training chef for the Next Step Kitchen program. Finally, copies of our June newsletter will be set out in the Wesley Room soon. Pick up a copy
Church Council News
At its May 15th meeting, the Church Council took action to help the men's shelter cope with a temporary cash flow shortage stemming from a disproportionate number of grants having been rewarded as funds earmarked for the Next Step Kitchen. St. Luke's will collateralize an interest-free loan of up to $20,000 by an individual who wishes to remain anonymous, waive payment of the Shelter's $400 per month utilities usage fee for 2005, and not charge the Shelter for expenses incurred this winter from operating the "Hypothermia Shelter.”
At the request of the incoming minister, the Council reallocated $13,000 from Rev. Dave Myers' salary to his housing allowance in order to reduce his overall income tax liability. The Council had previously agreed to enter an equity sharing arrangement with Dave to provide additional funds for a down-payment on a house; although still relatively new, this type of arrangement has been used by several other churches in our district and has become common in Dave's old district in Boston. The Council received an updated financial report comparing congregational giving this year with the same four-month period in 2004 (contributions are down 11.2 % or approximately $5,000 less than last year). In conjunction with the church audit -- which was completed this year in record time -- the Council was provided with a new Administrative Procedures Manual for its review and eventual approval.
On becoming a Reconciling Congregation. As a result of the congregational meeting earlier that day, there’s a basket in the Wesley Room to receive thoughts from the congregation about St. Luke’s becoming a Reconciling Congregation (which means that we would specifically and explicitly state our welcome of all who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender). Please offer your thoughts and reflections for the council to include in their process as we continue to think through what it means to be a place of Christian hospitality.
Music Notes
We will celebrate Anne Yarbrough’s time at St. Luke’s on June 26th with Music Sunday and a potluck luncheon after worship. What better way to remember her wonderful contributions than to honor her in song and fellowship? Music has been an important part of her ministry to us. She has shared great new songs (remember that lovely opening hymn on Pentecost?), led hymn sings and even incorporated music into several sermons. She will be missed tremendously by all of us.
Music Sunday is also a time to rejoice in the profound way that music enables us to worship God. We will share in hymns, anthems, prayers and scripture readings that remind us of this. I also like to use Music Sunday as an opportunity to recognize the people of St. Luke’s who contribute their time and talents to the music program. We are so grateful for their gifts!
-Deke Polifka, Director of Music Ministry
Annual Conference May 26th - 29th
Pastor Anne Yarbrough and Lay Member Adam Briddell will represent St. Luke’s at this year’s Annual Conference in Baltimore, MD. Annual Conference is a time for deliberation on the Church’s mission. This Annual Conference is the first for our new presiding bishop, John Schol, and promises to be an exciting occasion of revisioning and new direction for the Conference.
This year St. Luke’s has joined with several other congregations within the Annual Conference in a petition for district-wide education and discussion during the coming year on sexual orientation and identity within the community of faith. Other issues of concern at this Annual Conference include: reports on outreach and ministry within Native American communities; the conference’s partnership with the Zimbabwe Episcopal Area; and the UMC’s efforts to educate laity and clergy about domestic violence and substance abuse. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to talk to Anne or Adam.
Joys and concerns
For Rosalynn Zulu, graduating from Montgomery College
For Susan Calloway’s continuing recovery
For Priscilla’s family in Cape Town, S.A. on the death of her uncle
Theo and Eliot shared the joy of neighbors who had moved away coming back for a visit
Lisa and Jon back at St. Luke’s from Denmark
Inne’s mother safely here from Saudi Arabia
Beth’s parents here from Michigan
Kate and Mark back at St. Luke’s from Australia
Farai received approval of her asylum status, and brought her friend to church
Derrick shared the joy that Joyce is strong and well
For Dorothy Pearson, who fell last week
For Shalom and Nate, married this Saturday in San Diego
The joy of Emma Cox present in church on Mothers’ Day
For Dorothy Preston’s sister, Deborah, having surgery
For Chris and Sarah, graduating from Georgetown
For Curt, recovering from surgery
For Charles, having medical tests
For the Pyles’ young friend Eric, with cancer
For Beth Stroud and for the United Methodist Church as it moves toward becoming an inclusive denomination
For Nedi’s family
Continued prayer for Martha
For our congregation as we explore the process of becoming a reconciling congregation
For St. Luke’s future pastor, Dave Myers, and for his wife Deb, in this time of transition
For peace
For our military in Iraq and for the people of Iraq, and for our leaders that they may lead with wisdom
For the children and staff of Wings of Hope Orphanage, in Haiti.
For Prince of Peace Methodist Church in Holguin, Cuba
For the community of St. Luke’s Shelter.
For those living with HIV/AIDS
For our members who are unable to attend because of their health: Emma Cox, Jeanne Goss, Lucille Dade, Betty Lawrence, and Margaret Roberts
Put yourself on the map. We now have a map on the wall in the Wesley Room so that we can see where everyone is from and also the places we all keep in our hearts. Please add your places during coffee hour today.
Missed Church on Sunday?
You can still keep up with the latest prayer concerns and church events by checking the church web site, www.saintlukesmethodist.org. The Weekly Messenger appears there each week to help you stay in touch with your church family. And thanks to Derek Willis the site is always up to date and easy to navigate.