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.
Older children are encouraged to remain in worship until they leave with Amy Catania at the beginning of the final hymn. Then they’ll have about a half hour of learning and sharing before joining us at coffee hour.
Welcome, new members – Welcome to all those who are joining St. Luke’s today!
This afternoon – church council meets at 12:45 downstairs in the Fellowship Hall.
This afternoon -- Worship and reception for the new bishop of The Baltimore-Washington Conference, Bishop John Schol, begins at 4:00 pm at First UMC Hyattsville, Queensbury & Queens Chapel Rds, Hyattsville, MD.
Every Tuesday – the weekly study group is discussing The Purpose-Driven Life. 7:30-8:30 pm in Anne’s office.
October 3rd – Understanding the Common & Historic Foundations of Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Richard Pyle will lead a six week series beginning on October 3rd. The course will use Bruce Feiler’s Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths (HarperCollins, 2002). The course aims to offer a vision of hope from insight into the common origins of these three major faiths. The class will meet at 9:45 a.m beginning on October 3rd.
October 10th – Second Sunday Concerts begin at 2:00 pm today with a piano recital by Molly Orlando of Chopin, Beethoven, Kabalevsky and Liszt. Second Sunday Concerts are free and all are welcome. In the sanctuary, with refreshments afterward in the narthex.
October 17th – Blessing of the Animals. In the spirit of St. Francis we will offer a blessing of the animals in the church garden during coffee hour.
October 17th – worship leaders training after coffee hour. If you feel drawn to the ministry of reading scripture and leading worship on Sunday mornings, please plan to attend this training workshop, led by Allen Hengst.
Support St. Luke’s Shelter/Next Step Kitchen this month by registering for the Fannie Mae Help the Homeless Walkathon on November 20. Walk for St. Luke’s Shelter/Next Step Kitchen! To register on behalf of St. Luke’s, use the link at the St. Luke’s web site, www.saintlukesmethodist.org.
Federal employees can also support St. Luke’s Shelter/Next Step Kitchen by designating #7940 as your pledge in this year’s Combined Federal Campaign. If you would like a speaker from St. Luke’s Shelter/Next Step Kitchen for your CFC campaign kick-off, please contact Susan Keenan, susan@nextstepkitchen.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 program of St. Luke’s Shelter and St. Luke’s Church, providing job training in restaurant skills for homeless men and women. 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.
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…
The joy of Evander Burgess, new son of Paula Akompong Burgess and Paul Burgess
Thanks that Sonia Kassambara is safe after a frightening close call on the highway, and a reminder to take care of ourselves
For Deke and Amy’s grandmother Winifred, recently diagnosed with lung cancer
For Don Scroggin as the trial against the tobacco industry gets underway
For all those left homeless by the hurricanes
For Penny Andrews and her family on the unexpected death of her brother-in-law
The joy that Gladys Manuel and her daughter Lorraine May will be visiting in October
For Jannelle and Joel Rynes as they prepare for the birth of their second child
For Captain Dennis Pascal of USAirways
Derrick Wagner shared the joy of vacation time away and Marc’s fourth birthday; and asked for continued prayers for Joyce’s parents as they adjust to assisted living and nursing care
For the blessing of family and friends gathered for Reese Kolasky’s baptism
For Next Step Kitchen’s new class, beginning September 13th, and for Director Susan Keenan’s family on the death of her grandmother
For Julie James’ aunt Catherine, recovering from a heart attack
For the safe return of our VIM team from Cuba, and gratitude for the congregation’s support of the trip
The joy of Shirley Henderson being in worship
For Eliza Wharton, who has recently moved back to New Orleans to live
For Anne McAfee on her 90th birthday
For those suffering around the world
Shirley Henderson asked for prayers for her relatives in Florida during the hurricane
Karen Westergaard asked for prayers for a family friend, Joanne, who has had surgery for colon cancer
For the Micah family in Mali
For President Clinton
For the children, families, and teachers who suffered in the terrorism in Beslan, Russia
The joy of Amy Catania being at St. Luke’s, and the joy of our new children’s ministry as it unfolds
For the pastor and members of Farai’s home church who were involved in a car accident.
Continued prayers for Jen
For the Pyle’s young friend Eric, who is moving toward death from cancer
For Earl Williams’ cousin Eric, in Iraq
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: Emma Cox, Jeanne Goss, Lucille Dade, and Margaret Roberts..
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.”