Welcome, visitors! 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.
Welcome, children! Our nursery is located downstairs (the first room on the left). 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. The nursery supervisor is Mrs. Fatu Colley.
Children ages 4 and up go to Sunday School after the children’s story, and meet their parents or adult relatives after Sunday School in the Wesley Room for refreshments. Their Sunday School teachers are Miss Heather and Miss Cherise.
Changes for Sunday School and Nursery. Since the number of children is growing, we are making some changes so that we will continue to have a safe and welcoming environment for the children. As of today the children’s Sunday School will be upstairs on the second floor. Also, we are making a rotation of parents/adults who are willing to assist our Sunday School teachers in the Sunday School room once every 6-8 weeks. Please contact Shalom to be on the rotation (if you haven’t already agreed to do this).
We plan to move the nursery up to the second floor (next to the new Sunday School) as of November 16th. If you have any nursery-age toys you want to contribute to the new nursery, please let Shalom know and bring them in by next week.
St. Luke’s web site is always current! Check it out at www.saintlukesmethodist.org. Thanks to Derek Willis for making this happen.
New church directories are available. Pick one up in the Wesley Room after church.
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.
Adult Sunday School has started up again. We are studying the Gospel of Luke. Please join us. We meet at 9:45 in the Wesley Room.
And now for something completely different from the Tuesday evening study group. If you’ve been interested in this weekly group, it’s a great time to jump in. We meet 7:30-8:30 in Anne’s office (rear office entrance).
Liturgist training after coffee hour today. Meet with Anne.
Counter training after coffee hour today. Meet with Rayna Luke and Shalom Mulkey.
Charge Conference Wednesday November 12th. Charge Conference is an annual meeting every United Methodist congregation has with its District Superintendent. We will report to our District superintendent on the life of the congregation in the past year. All church council members are expected to attend, and all members and friends of the church are also cordially invited to come. It’s a great way to discover more about the unique connectional tradition of United Methodism, and also an opportunity to meet our newly appointed District Superintendent, The Rev. David Argo. From 7:00-8:30 pm in the Wesley Room.
Pledge Sunday is November 16th. Please keep your 2004 financial commitment to St. Luke’s in prayer during the coming weeks.
Visions of India’s Villages: Paintings by Supti Sen
The upcoming exhibit in the Narthex Gallery will feature the work of one of our own parishioners, Supti Sen. Supti was born in Calcutta, India. After completing a master’s in science, she taught herself how to paint. Supti has traveled to many places in India, including the villages of the Himalayan region, where she found the inspiration for the landscapes that will be on display. To Supti, these scenes depict the true nature of India’s villages. Supti also is accomplished in embroidery, and one of her embroidered pieces will be on display. The opening of the exhibit will take place during a special coffee hour on November 16th, following the church service.
Volunteers in Mission Cuba trip meeting November 16th. Following the exhibit opening, we will meet in Anne’s office to speak with trip co-leader Greg Forrester by phone.
Shelter Dinner Opportunity November 16th. A group of church members and friends provides dinner for the Shelter residents on the third Sunday of every month. If you’d like to be a part of this rewarding experience, contact Nikki Parker and Cory Scott at nicoleparker555@hotmail.com.
Help the Homeless Walkathon November 22nd. Have you signed up yet? Our registrations and walking supports St. Luke’s Shelter/Next Step Kitchen. Registration forms are in the Wesley Room.
Georgetown University Gospel Choir concert Sunday November 23 at 5 pm. An opportunity to support the choir. The concert will be held in Gaston Hall on the university campus. If anyone wants a ride, please call the church office or sign up in the Wesley Room.
About St. Luke’s Choir. The St. Luke’s choir rehearses every Sunday morning at 9:30 am, and meets after coffee hour to plan music for upcoming worship. The St. Luke’s choir seeks to strengthen our worship by encouraging congregational singing, by honoring the varieties of the congregation’s faith heritages and traditions, and by embracing new ways of discovering God’s presence in our lives, through worship that is vibrant and alive. You don’t have to be able to read music to be a part of St. Luke’s choir. We keep it simple. For more information, contact Director of Music Ministry Deke Polifka, deke@saintlukesmethodist.org.
New! Children’s Choir. The children have a brief rehearsal every Sunday after church, and they will sing regularly during worship. First step: the Christmas pageant! For more information contact Deke, deke@saintlukesmethodist.org.
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 new program of St. Luke’s Shelter and St. Luke’s Church. Next Step Kitchen will provide job training in restaurant skills for 6-8 homeless men and women in a 12 week course, with the course to be offered 4 times yearly. The program will be located downstairs in the St. Luke’s kitchen. For more information, please consult the St. Luke’s Kitchen Notebook on the information table in the Wesley Room, or Susan Keenan, Executive Director, susan@nextstepkitchen.org.
Combined Federal Campaign. St. Luke’s Shelter/Next Step Kitchen is now a part of the Combined Federal Campaign. The CFC # is 7940.
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.
Wednesday evening prayer. A time for sharing, reflection and prayer. In the Chapel, 7:30-7:45 pm.
Joys and Concerns…
Joyce shared the joy of the Wagner’s son Matthew Scruggs being with them after his military service in Kuwait and Iraq
For the joy of being in church this morning, and for the joy of sharing this morning with friends and relatives
For all those who have died in this past year who are in our hearts
For Michael Veltri, recovering from additional surgery related to cancer
For the birth of Carmen’s nephew Nathan Joseph, and for the birth of Martin Gabriel, the second son of the family Penny worked for in London
For Beth and DJ, whose baby is due in early March
For Kim and Robbie, whose baby is due in January
For Nancy’s friend Arlene
For Heather Burns and her family in a difficult time
For Earl William’s mother and father
For the people of the Middle East
For our Volunteers in Mission team as it prepares for the trip to Cuba in August 2004
For the military in Iraq and for the people of Iraq
For Africa
For situations of danger and violence in the world
For the street people in downtown DC who gather to receive Grate Patrol meals each night.
For the community of St. Luke’s Shelter.
For Wings of Hope Orphanage in Haiti
For those living with HIV/AIDS
For our members who are unable to attend because of their health: Margaret Roberts, Jeanne Goss, Vernon Thomas, Lucille Dade, and Dorothy Bowers.
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.
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.”