Welcome to St. Luke’s! We invite visitors and guests to come and explore this community at worship, at work caring for God’s world, and in fellowship together as we seek to create a community of faith in the city.
There is a visitor card in the pew rack; if you’d like a call this week, please fill out the card and give it to the pastor or place it in the collection plate.
Please join the congregation for refreshments after worship in the Wesley Room.
Welcome, children! Our nursery is located upstairs. Just follow the signs. Mrs. Fatu Colley is in charge of the nursery. The nursery is available from 10:45 until 12:15. Parents can take their infants, toddlers, and younger preschoolers to the nursery at any time during the service.
Today – Clint Riley is guest preacher. Thanks to Clint for offering the sermon this week.
This evening – Our Turn with Shelter dinner. Dinner coordinators Corey Scott and Nikki Parker are away this week, but the dinner group will gather as always at the Shelter at 6:45 this evening to bring and share dinner with the Shelter residents. Please check with Clint Riley or Penny Andrews if you would like to come, too.
August 19 – Jazz in the Garden. Bring your friends and a picnic supper to enjoy the Benito Gonzales Trio, 6:30-8:30 in the garden.
August 22 & 29 –The Rev. Mark Schaefer is guest preacher. Mark is the United Methodist Chaplain at American University.
St. Luke’s Choir and children’s choir are taking a summer break. For more information contact deke@saintlukesmethodist.org or 202-333-4949.
St. Luke’s Shelter is a ministry of St. Luke’s Church. The Shelter, which is located in the church, provides a small group of homeless men with a secure residence for up to six months. The Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place refers residents to the Shelter. The Shelter operates every night of the year. The dinner meal is provided 365 nights of the year by neighbors, members of nearby churches and synagogues, and several Wisconsin Avenue restaurants and grocers.
St. Luke’s Shelter Next Step Kitchen is a program of St. Luke’s Shelter and St. Luke’s Church, providing job training in restaurant skills for homeless men and women. The first class graduated on July 2nd! The program is located downstairs in the St. Luke’s kitchen. For more information, go to www.saintlukesmethodist.org, or Susan Keenan, Executive Director, susan@nextstepkitchen.org.
Yoga classes. A practice of breath and posture that helps integrate body and soul. Beth Sworobuk leads yoga Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in the sanctuary balcony, 9:30-11:00 am. Classes are half-price for church members and friends. Contact bethsworobuk@aol.com for more information and for her summer schedule.
St. Luke’s web site is always current! Check it out at www.saintlukesmethodist.org. Thanks to Derek Willis for making this happen.
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.
Sermon copies for the hard of hearing can be picked up every Sunday in the narthex. Each week’s sermon is also available on the web.
Joys and Concerns...
For Clint Riley’s sister Megan’s recent success with work
The Sworobuks shared the joy of a great trip to visit family in Tennessee
For Richard Pyle’s recent good trip working with the Peace Corps in West Africa
Continued prayers for Jen
For the Pyle’s young friend Eric, who is moving toward death from cancer
For Nancy Smyrnas
For the beauty of the day, and the blessing of living in Washington DC
For the Volunteers in Mission trip to Cuba
For Adam Briddell’s aunt diagnosed with cancer and for his cousin
For the flooding of towns in New Jersey
The joy of Cecilia Rossiter’s cello students playing during coffee hour
For Marcus Matthews, recently elected a bishop in the United Methodist Church
For Paige Trevor and her family on the death of her grandmother
The joy of Nana Sue Crane and Frances Fort having their family from California with them today
Eliza Wharton asked for prayers as she travels home to New Orleans next week for a visit
Molly McCracken shared the joy that she and Vince Meehan are engaged
The joy of our first children’s summer music camp, and appreciation for Deke’s leadership
The joy that Gladys Manuel, a church member who now lives in California, is celebrating her 100th birthday on July 21st
Penny Andrews shared the joy of receiving a letter from Annette and Rob in Norway, and asked for continued prayers for Rob’s safety while he is in Iraq
Carmen Rottenberg shared the joy of her father John being with her this weekend , and for Arianne’s birthday
Marian Potter asked for prayers for Meg Markham, long-time supporter of St. Luke’s Shelter, on the unexpected death of her husband Allan
Continued prayers for Marian’s mother, Mary Van Puten
For Earl Williams’ cousin Eric, in Iraq
For Charlene, who is scheduled to have surgery in the next few weeks
For Leslye Wooley’s grandmother Evelyn, who fell and broke her shoulder
Deke Polifka shared the joy of his sister and brother-in-law moving to Washington soon
Darryl Smith shared the joy of his daughters Hannah and Naomi returning home after a month-long visit with family in Ethiopia, and of their being in church together
For Arianne Perkin’s cousin, Nicole, who has been charged with participating in an insurance scam, and for her children and family
For Jen Runyon, whose father died as the result of a car accident in early July, and for Jen’s family
Farai Chigymbura shared the meaning of her church uniform which is worn by the women of her church, St. Dorcas United Methodist Church, in Zimbabwe, and which she has worn to church today
For Emma Cox who has been diagnosed with shingles
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 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: Margaret Roberts, Jeanne Goss, Vernon Thomas and Lucille Dade.
Our Mission Statement
St. Luke’s United Methodist Church seeks to serve the community’s spiritual and physical needs. We are a small congregation dedicated to creating an atmosphere of inclusiveness in which all feel welcome to worship. At. St. Luke’s, we try to follow the example of Christ’s ministry and teaching by sharing our building, our time and our prayers in many community partnerships. We embrace new ways of giving thanks and work to teach the joy of God’s grace to all whom we can reach.
We follow in the Wesleyan tradition in our belief that “scriptural holiness entails more than personal piety; love of God is always linked with love of neighbor, a passion for justice and renewal in the life of the world.”