rally day on sept. 10 kicks off new season of spiritual growth · rally day on sept. 10 kicks off...

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Volume XXXIV • Number 9 St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, ELCA September 2017 Many faith formaton opportunites offered for all ages Rally Day on Sept. 10 kicks off new season of spiritual growth To Know Christ and To Make Him Known All members of the congregation are invited to join us in the sanctuary on Sunday, September 10 at 9:45AM to learn more about all the opportunities and events that are starting a fresh, new season. After the brief introduction, kids and teachers will meet each other and then all of us will gather in the Celebration Center for food and fellowship. Here are a few highlights of what’s offered this year: Sunday Morning Adult Faith Formation • Guest speakers on Domestic Violence and Online Gaming • New Member Class Home Church • Sign up in the narthex: now - September 17. Home Churches begin the week of October 8 through November 19 Personal Spiritual Formation • Sacred Journey retreat • Grief Recovery class • Entering the Narrow Gate class • Labyrinth retreat Connecting to God > Connecting to Each Other > Connecting to Our World Wednesday Evenings • Service of Word and Sacrament • Just Matters: Food Scarcity St. Luke’s Healing Week • October 15–20 with guest speakers and Healing Service For full details about these opportuni- ties, pick up your copy of the Spiritual Formation Happenings booklet in the narthex; or, download a copy from the church website: saintlukeschurch.org. Happenings , C L s e k u L . t S S l a u i p S r a t l i m m o r F r a o t F n o n RG • FALL 2017 to you through kshop, a class, or h 3215 FOUR MILE t Y Mark 12:10: “Yo ous heart, and with all and with all your s Are you hungr your faith life? Do to a life indwelt by experienced? If yo quesons, you are It is my hope t Happenings” book E ROAD • GRAND RAPID l shall love the Lord with all your soul, and with all yo t th ” S, MI • 616.363.2381 • SA d l your our mind, , Luke’s offers the Holy Spir i f AINTLUKESCHURCH.OR . Perhaps God will speak rit during a retreat, a work f t i V S E K U L . T S pp g to intenonally ma in the many spiritu Y trength.” y for greater depth and vitality in you sense that there must be more y the Holy Spirit than what you have ou answered “Ye es” to either of these not alone. hat this new “Spiritual Formaon let will serve as an invitaon for you ake space for God by parcipang ual formaon opportunies St. community f newly‐formin that you will so doing exp If you ha es or want chruch office s es listed in open to the Sharon Ross, St. Luke’s s Lut e R r r T Th he Sacre ed Journey Re e t A6 i t tb d th formaon opportunies such as our ng Home Churches. It is my sincere prayer prayerfully consider parcipang and in perience vibrant, spiritual growth. ave quesons about any of the opportuni‐ to register for them, please email the e at stlukes@stlk.org. F o i All of the opportuni‐ the Spiritual Formaon Happenings are public. , Minis ster o f Spiritual Fo ormaon theran Church a tr t e re ea t t t A 6‐session retreat based on the co of the ficonal novel, “Sensible Sho Fall sessions meet on alternate Tue from 9:30‐11:30AMat St. Luke’s Lut Church. Cost for all six sessions is $ Some scholarships are available. Meeng dates: September 19, Oct 3, 17, and 31, November 14 and 28 i i h h o i s s a p s i e h S e d a e l t a e e t e re u t i ri ir p s , r, o t s a p S l a c i g o l o e h Th n o t e c n in ri P , v, i D M (M n w o r B h g u o l rl a G n o o a h S r r ( v ri T r ir r r ontent oes.” esdays theran $75. ober 8 d m o c . b u l c s e : e t i s b . d o G e h t o t n in s rs e h t o t u o b a e t a n o r. o h t u a d n a , r, , r, o t c e re i di l a u a s i ) y) ry a n in m e S i ry dr r r r r i N O I S S I M S E K U L . T S , , Registra maon, p abidingw t d n a t s i r h C w o n k o o N T , on is open now. For more please email Sharon at ayministries.com n w o n k m i H e k a m o t e o h s e l b i s n e s b e w r e h t i s i Vi f o e v o l p e e d g n i di d e h p e h s rdi e infor‐ V a E o t g n i t c e n n o C , d o G o t g n i t c e n n o C N O I S I V o t g n i t c e n n o C , r e h t O h c d l r o W r u O o All singing persons high school age or older are invited to join the Adult Choir this fall. The choir mainly sings at the early service (8:30AM), but with enough new members, the choir could alternate singing between both services! Members of choir will tell you that they have a lot of fun together, and there is usually food involved at least a cou- ple of times each year. Rehearsals take place on Tuesdays at 6:30PM in the sanctuary. If you would like to join or have questions about the choir, please contact Jonathan Lonsway, Minister of Wor- ship & Music at [email protected] . Make a joyful noise to the Lord > Join St. Luke’s Adult Choir

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Page 1: Rally Day on Sept. 10 kicks off new season of spiritual growth · Rally Day on Sept. 10 kicks off new season of spiritual growth To Know Christ and To Make Him Known All members

Volume XXXIV • Number 9St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, ELCASeptember 2017

Many faith formation opportunities offered for all agesRally Day on Sept. 10 kicks off new season of spiritual growth

To Know Christ and To Make Him Known

All members of the congregation are invited to join us in the sanctuary on Sunday, September 10 at9:45Am to learn more about all the opportunities and events that are starting a fresh, new season. After thebrief introduction, kids and teachers will meet each other and then all of us will gather in the CelebrationCenter for food and fellowship. Here are a few highlights of what’s offered this year:

Sunday morning Adult Faith Formation• Guest speakers on Domestic Violence and OnlineGaming• New member Class

Home Church• Sign up in the narthex: now - September17. Home Churches begin the week ofOctober 8 through November 19

personal Spiritual Formation • Sacred Journey retreat• Grief Recovery class• Entering the Narrow Gate class• Labyrinth retreat

Connecting to God > Connecting to Each Other > Connecting to Our World

Wednesday Evenings• Service of Word and Sacrament• Just matters: Food Scarcity

St. Luke’s Healing Week• October 15–20 with guest speakers and Healing

Service

For full details about these opportuni-ties, pick up your copy of the SpiritualFormation Happenings booklet in thenarthex; or, download a copy from thechurch website: saintlukeschurch.org.

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A 6‐session retreat based on the coof the fic1onal novel, “Sensible ShoFall sessions meet on alternate Tuefrom 9:30‐11:30AM at St. Luke’s LutChurch. Cost for all six sessions is $Some scholarships are available.

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All singing persons high school age or older are invitedto join the Adult Choir this fall. The choir mainly sings atthe early service (8:30Am), but with enough new members,the choir could alternate singing between both services! members of choir will tell you that they have a lot of funtogether, and there is usually food involved at least a cou-ple of times each year. Rehearsals take place on Tuesdaysat 6:30pm in the sanctuary. If you would like to join or have questions about thechoir, please contact Jonathan Lonsway, minister of Wor-ship & music at [email protected].

Make a joyful noise to the Lord > Join St. Luke’s Adult Choir

Page 2: Rally Day on Sept. 10 kicks off new season of spiritual growth · Rally Day on Sept. 10 kicks off new season of spiritual growth To Know Christ and To Make Him Known All members

Dear Friends inChrist:

Grace and peaceto you from Godour Father and theLord Jesus Christ.

HURRICANE HARVEY - Re-ports from the hurricane ravagedarea of Texas indicate it will takeyears for the people to rebuildfrom the loss of lives, homes, workand infrastructure. members of St.Luke’s can assist in providing aidto those who fell victim to Hurri-cane Harvey in prayer and provid-ing financial aid via LutheranDisaster Response (LDR). LDRworks with other disaster responseorganizations and other religiousentities to provide relief in theUnited States and around theworld. LDR is often the first to ar-rive in disaster areas and the lastto leave long after the dust hassettled. members can give directlyto LDR via the EvangelicalLutheran Church in America’swebsite – elca.org – or to St. Luke’s(please indicate your gift is forHurricane Harvey relief). Thankyou for your care and ministry tothose in need! THANK YOU! for your gener-ous response to help a former fam-ily of St. Luke’s in need. SHARON ROSS – St. Luke’sminister of Spiritual Formationwas recently hospitalized for aplanned surgery. The surgery wentas planned, however while in thehospital some other unforeseenhealth issues surfaced and havetemporarily sidelined her plans toreturn to the office. Keep Sharonin your prayers. please refrainfrom phone calls, texts or visita-tion as she needs plenty of rest toregain her strength. If you desireto express your well wishes, send

Bits & Pieces

A Message from the Senior Pastor

an email or consider sending acard to her home: 6150 pottersRoad, Saranac, mI 48881. PRAYER LIST NAMES – Somemembers have inquired why therewas a change in the listing ofnames on the prayer list from in-cluding full names to only the firstname. Respecting privacy is thereason for the change. Not every-one wants to be identified whenrequesting prayers. We will printthe full name if permission comesfrom the person(s) being listed.We understand God knows whoeveryone is so we share the firstname in prayer as a way of sayingto God, “Here is one of your chil-dren in need of your blessing andcare. You know who they are,please grant them your healingSpirit.” The names are lifted up forGod not for us. If you suspect thename you hear may be someoneyou know and are concerned, givethem a call and tell them you werethinking about them, whether it isor isn’t them that was on the list,a caring phone call still goes along way in saying, “St. Luke’smembers are thinking about you!” ST LUKE’S WEEK – In addi-tion to a very busy month of Octo-ber will be our Third Annual St.Luke’s Week which begins on Sun-day, October 15. please watch fordetails of presenters and activitiescelebrating our community’snamesake. BIBLE STUDY – The TuesdayBible Study will resume on Sep-tember 19 from 1:00pm – 2:00pm.The study is based on the as-

signed lessons (lectionary) for theupcoming Saturday & Sundayworship services. Get an in depthlook to the lessons we hear duringworship and insight to the mes-sage presented that day. You don’tneed to be a Bible expert to attend.We welcome all people who areseeking a greater understanding ofScripture. please note, Bible Studywill not be take place on the sec-ond Tuesday of the month becauseof Senior Fellowship. SCHOOL – It’s time for school.please keep students, teachers,administrators and support staffin prayer. Also, remember St.Luke’s Faith Formation programsand keep our students, teachers,Faith Formation Committee andstaff in prayer. WEDNESDAY WORSHIP TIMECHANGE – Beginning Wednesday,September 6, St. Luke’s weeklyHoly Communion service willbegin at 6:00pm. CONGRATS TO PASTORPAUL – pastor paul Kuhlman, for-mer interim pastor at St. Luke’s, isnow officially retired. His lastSunday at Grace Lutheran inHastings was August 27. Thankyou, pastor paul, for your serviceand care in the name of Christ.Enjoy your retirement! Finally, dear members of St.Luke’s, enjoy these last few weeksof the summer season and I lookforward to seeing you Sunday!God bless you all! Pastor Dave

Information and updates on events that affect us

Page 3: Rally Day on Sept. 10 kicks off new season of spiritual growth · Rally Day on Sept. 10 kicks off new season of spiritual growth To Know Christ and To Make Him Known All members

By Associate Pastor Marcy Miller On Sundays, September 10 and 17 we will be“checking in” with the Great physician, Jesus, to seehow we are doing with identifying and using the spir-itual gifts. Spiritual gifts will be our topic for preach-ing and worship.

What are spiritual gifts? In Holy Baptism, God gives eachone of us one or more gifts or abilitiesto do God’s work on earth.

“God has given each of us the ability to do certainthings well.” Romans 12:6

“Each one of us has received a special gift meas-ured out by Christ who gave it.” Ephesians 4:7

Why discover spiritual gifts? Discovering and using our spiritual gifts willbring us many benefits. It will:

• Help us understand What God is calling us to do. “As each has received a gift, employ it for one an-other.” 1 peter4:10

• Help the church grow and build itself up in love,creates relationships in the church as we work to-gether toward God’s mission in the world.“From Christ the whole body, joined and held togetherby every supporting ligament,, grows and builds itselfup in love, as each part does its work.” Ephesians4:16

• Glorify God. “That God in all things may be glori-fied through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and do-minion for ever and ever.” 1 peter 4:11

What do I need to do? Our church council has decided that we wouldlike every adult member (age 18+) to take a SpiritualGifts Assessment. It can open your eyes to see whereGod might be leading you next. It can also affirmwhat others have told you about where you might becalled to serve. It can make you feel you have some-thing important to offer. And you do!

SPIRItuAL GIftS ChECkuPIdentify your gifts and ways to use them by taking an assessment

Take the Spiritual Gifts assessment either onlineat www.elca.org/en/Our-Work/Congregations-and-Synods/Faith-practices/Spiritual-Renewal/Assess-ment-Tools?_ga=2.24961848.326244313.1504025562-1670892052.1504025562. It will take about 20

minutes of your time. print twocopies of your results.

Or, you may also take the as-sessment on a paper survey that willbe handed out at church. A “quietspace” to take the assessment will be

offered in the Gathering Room on Sundays betweenservices if you would like to just it here. Or, you canbring the assessment home. The next step is to reflect on and discern if youcan see these gifts in yourself. Read Romans 12, 1Corinthians 12, or Ephesians 4 to learn more aboutthe gifts that are given for the upbuilding of thewhole church.

Examine how you feel about the gifts that wereidentified for you. Do you enjoy serving in that par-ticular area? (i.e. prayer, administration, hospital-ity)? If so, it is likely you do have that gift. Usingyour spiritual gifts usually results in feelings of joyand accomplishment. pray for the Holy Spirit’s helpas you consider your gifts. Sign up to meet with a member of the spiritualgifts team for a 20-minute interview to talk about theresults of your assessment. (Be sure to bring themwith you.) These will be offered at various times ofthe day and evening, weekdays and weekends. Theteam members will be able to answer your questionsand guide you to places in St. Luke’s ministrieswhere your gifts will be appreciated. prayerfully experiment with where you mightserve. Just like the body, we each have unique func-tions that enable the church to thrive.“There are dif-ferent kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There aredifferent kinds of service, but the same Lord. Thereare different kinds of working but the same Godworks all of them in everyone.” 1Corinthians 12:4-6

SpiritualGiftsCheckup

Page 4: Rally Day on Sept. 10 kicks off new season of spiritual growth · Rally Day on Sept. 10 kicks off new season of spiritual growth To Know Christ and To Make Him Known All members

ALSO ON OUR RADAR

• Dégagé Ministries in down-town Grand Rapids on Friday,September 8 at 6:00pm.

• Supper House at St. AlphonsusChurch on Thursday, September14 at 4:30pm.

• Women’s Ministry Annual FallLuncheon at St. Luke’s on Sun-day, September 24 after the sec-ond service. See the invitation onpage 7.

• Women’s Ministry Book study“A Fall of marigolds” by Susanmiessner, on monday, November6 at 7:00pm; place TBD.

9AM – 5PM: Monday –ThursdayClosed on Friday

I go to the beachfor perspective.The pure ex-panse of thewater across thehorizon, the blueblue sky hang-

ing above it. No wonder the an-cients thought we were livinginside a supersized globe! This time when I went tobeach off the coast of Virginia onvacation I was taken by thewaves (both literally and figura-tively!) I’m not as young as Iused to be- not as physicallyable to dive through the hugewaves with powerful force. But, Istill enjoy them at low tide,when for me, they are moremanageable. The constant flow of thewaves reminds me of the manyebbs and flows in my life. Justabout the time I think I havefound a place where I can stand,a surging wave sucks theground out beneath me! Life isfull of surprises- highs and lows;the only thing that is constant isthe endless waves. Yet the Creator, the One whoreigns over sky, sea, and sandcares for even me- my joys andmy sorrows. God is in the midstof it all. Encouraging me andhelping me to get back up againto experience all that this life of-

fers. God is full of wonder – won-der full! Since His Son our Saviorcomes to me clothed in my hu-manity, I know that I am loved.Because he accepts me for who Iam, I too, can have compassion formyself. Sometimes it is good to getaway and gain perspective – evenas a congregation. I hope that inyour travels you are able to visitother churches sometimes. It alsohelps to attend synod events inorder to interact with other churchleaders – to hear their strugglesand joys as we are the church to-gether. It helps to see that many ofour problems are not unique, andyet at the same time God made usunique in specific ways as a con-gregation. The God of sea and skysmiles on us through His Son. I think of a hymn entitled, “myLife Flows on in Endless Song” byRobert Lowery:

My life flows on in endless song:above earth’s lamentation.I catch the sweet, though far off hymnthat hails a new creation.No storm can shake my inmost calmwhile to that Rock I’m clinging.Since Christ is Lord of heaven andearth, how can I keep from singing?

Your sister in Christ,

Pastor Marcy

A Message from the Associate Pastor

Perspective

FALL WORSHIPSCHEDULE

BEGINNING

Saturday, September 9Worship 5:00PM

Sunday, September 10Worship 8:30AM & 11:00AM

Rally Day 9:45AM

NURSERY PROVIDED ON SUNDAY

Page 5: Rally Day on Sept. 10 kicks off new season of spiritual growth · Rally Day on Sept. 10 kicks off new season of spiritual growth To Know Christ and To Make Him Known All members

Our Social Justice team (formerly Social min-istry) is placing a greater emphasis on education forunderstanding social issues. To that end, a class isbeing offered this fall from the Just Faith series. “Just matters: Hunger for Change” is an in depthstudy on food scarcity both at home and worldwide.As people of faith, we remember Jesus’ words frommatthew 25: “I was hungry and you fed me, I wasthirsty and you gave me something to drink.” We have enough food and resources to feedeveryone, so why isn’t that happening? This classwill look at some of the structures and systems thatkeep people hungry. It is an 8 week, 2 ½ hour class

Just Matters: Hunger for Change

from 6:30 to 9:00pm on Wednesday nights beginningSeptember 27. There is also an additional 1 hour ofreading for each class. You will be asked to make acommitment for at least 7 out of the 8 weeks. Costfor the book is $13. St. Luke’s has received a grant from Bread forthe World to reduce the cost of our congregation’sregistration. Come and dig a little deeper into yourfaith! It can make a difference!

mark your calendar and get your items ready for St. Luke’s Annual Silent Auction & Chili Cook-Off. It willtake place on Sunday, November 5 at 5:00pm in the Celebration Center. This is one of our only large fundrais-ing events to help send our youth to the National Gathering next sumer. Be thinking about new or very gentlyused items to bring for the auction. We also welcome tickets to entertainmentevents, baskets with a theme, services, crafts, or whatever creative idea you have tohelp us raise funds for the youth! Youth and families will be asked to be there thatnight to set up, work the dinner, and clean up afterwards. This will help defer someof their costs for the trip. They will also be asked to help solicit donations from localbusinesses. Come for an evening of good food and fun!

Chi i Cook-OffSilent Auction +

The ELCA National Youth Gathering is happening in Houston, TX on June 17-July 1, 2018. The theme is,“This Changes Everything!” This event hosts 35,000 Lutheran youth who gather to meet up for prayer, danc-ing and bands, famous speakers, and service events. It’s also just a BLAST! Lots of new friends are made andfaith really GROWS! An informational meeting for parents and students from 8th –12th grade will take placeSunday, September 10 during the Faith Formation hour (9:45-10:45Am) in the youth room on the Lower Level.Come and check it out!

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By Jonathan Lonsway, Minister of Worship & Music We’ve been talking about this historic occasionsince last year, and have already experienced a num-ber of events, such as the Hymn Festival led by JohnFerguson, and the Service for Healing betweenLutherans and Catholics. This fall things will rampup with many ways for you to learn, experience andotherwise mark the occasion. The Catholic Information Center is coordinatingwith St. Luke’s and other local Lutheran churches tohold several learning opportunities beginning in Sep-tember and continuing through November.

Ecumenical Conference The first event will be a conference titled “500thAnniversary of Reformation: From Conflict to Com-munion,” held at the Catholic Information Center,September 9, 8:30Am – 12:30pm. Special guest speak-ers include Dr. Karin maag, director of H. Henrymeeter Center for Calvin Studies at Calvin College,and Dr. Susan K. Wood, Sister of Charity of Leaven-worth, Kansas and professor of Systematic Theologyat marquette University, Wisconsin. Cost is $15 perperson, please register in advance by calling 616-459-7267. Information on all other learning eventscan be found at the website reformation500gr.org.

Art Exhibit & Juried Art Show Also beginning in September is an art gallery ex-hibit entitled, “Stirring the World: printmaking in theAge of martin Luther” at themeeter Center at Calvin College.This exhibit will include portraitsand theological writings ofLutheran and his contemporaries,sixty engravings and woodcuts,as well as numerous prints de-picting biblical and mythologicalnarrative scenes.

Throughout the month of October there will be ajuried art show entitled “Renewed in Faith, Word andGrace.” Art will be shown at St. Luke’s as well asChrist Lutheran, Trinity Lutheran and FaithLutheran churches, Samaritas, and the Catholic In-formation Center. All local artists are invited to par-ticipate. A link to the registration page can be foundon our website reformation500gr.org. For more infor-mation, contact Judy Blank, who is organizing theart show, at 814-706-3301. Each of the churches isencouraged to select on art piece to purchase for per-manent display. Stay tuned for more informationabout this exciting event.

Musical based on Luther “Reformation” is a full-length musical stage pro-duction based on martin Luther, whose struggle tounderstand God dividedthe Church, a nation,and the movement henever wanted to create.It will be presented atWealthy Theatre, Octo-ber 19-21. Ticket prices are $10 in advance and $15at the door, available at the Wealthy Theatre Box Of-fice or online.

Commemorative Worship Service Our remembrance of this historic occasion willculminate in a Service of Common prayer for the Ec-umenical Commemoration of the Reformation to takeplace at the Cathedral of Saint Andrew on October29 at 3:00 pm. The service will be led by CatholicBishop David John Walkowiak and Lutheran BishopCraig Alan Satterlee. The Diocesan Choir will bejoined by choir members from Grand Rapids areaLutheran churches and others in a shared worshipobservance that will include homilies offered by bothbishops. This will be an historic worship gatheringfor Grand Rapids, and all are invited to share in it.

500th Anniversary of the Reformation

A Musical by Gary Sironen

Don’t miss extraordinary events as commemorative anniversary culminates

Page 7: Rally Day on Sept. 10 kicks off new season of spiritual growth · Rally Day on Sept. 10 kicks off new season of spiritual growth To Know Christ and To Make Him Known All members

Beginning Tuesday, September 12, St. Luke’s will be hosting amonthly Senior Fellowship gathering. All St. Luke’s seniors, friends,and anyone available to attend are welcome to join in a time of wor-ship, fellowship and entertainment. The day’s event will begin at11:00Am with a brief communion serv-ice and hymn sing. Lunch prepared byour very own chef, Larry Sakala, willbe served at noon. A program will takeplace after lunch. A free will offeringwill be taken to help offset the cost of the lunch. please call the church office to make reservations: 363-2381.Senior Fellowship will take place on the second Tuesday of the monthbeginning at 11:00Am from September to may. Here is a listing of the programs to date:September 12 – “Hope for Consuelo”: Becky and Scott Spencer andnonagenarian friend, Diet Eman, will present their ministry and mis-sion in the Dominican Republic.October 10 – “music with monty and Ginger Williams”: St. Luke’s tal-ented troubadors will share some of their favorite folk tunes andsing-a-longs. November 14 – “meet the Bishop”: Bishop Craig Satterlee will join uson this day. Something you want to know about the synod or bishop?Get your questions ready!December 12 – December 12– Special music presentation from the“Varsity Voices” of Northview SchoolsJanuary 9 – “Wine with pastor Dave”: Grapes to wine power pointpresentation as well as a few samples to share.February 13 – Video presentation of Rick Steves’ “Luther and the Ref-ormation”March 13 – To be determinedApril 10 – “Spirituality Basics” presentation by Sister NancyBrousseau May 8 – picnic Celebration

New senior fellowship group to begin at St. Luke’s

• A huge “Thank you” to themen who spent Tuesday, Au-gust 22 in the St. Luke’s sanc-tuary replacing the light bulbs.A big job and a tedious onetoo! Thanks to our friends atBethlehem Lutheran for theuse of their lift and to TonyBarclay for his efforts on thelift to reach all the bulbs! Thenew lighting should brightenup the worship space and alsosave money.

Kudos !

Women’s Ministry AnnualFall Luncheon

Schedule your use of church building to avoid busyness When planning your commit-tee or small group meetings oractivities that involves use of thechurch building, please contactthe church office in advance. St.Luke’s is an active church andthe building is used everyday. In addition, the church hosts

Bible Study Fellowship on mon-day nights. BSF uses the entirechurch from 6:00pm – 10:00pm.It would be wise to scheduleyour activity on a different nightto avoid the busyness of theparking lot and the building.

Page 8: Rally Day on Sept. 10 kicks off new season of spiritual growth · Rally Day on Sept. 10 kicks off new season of spiritual growth To Know Christ and To Make Him Known All members

St. Luke’s enjoyed a unique opportunity to host guestsfrom our partner synod in Honduras on Saturday, August19 during and after the 5:00pm service. Rev. Ortiz preached at the service and he and othersfrom the Honduran Lutheran Church shared their Chris-tian work there. Honduras is considered one of the mostdangerous countries in the world due to gang violence.

Parishioners enjoyed dinnerand a presentation by

our sisters and brothers of theLutheran Church in honduras

Page 9: Rally Day on Sept. 10 kicks off new season of spiritual growth · Rally Day on Sept. 10 kicks off new season of spiritual growth To Know Christ and To Make Him Known All members

Sunday, September 10 – Rally Day. After opening prayer and introduc-tion in the sanctuary, youth and parents from 8th grade through highschool are invited to come to an informational meeting about the Na-tional Youth Gathering in Houston in 2018. We will also ask families tosign up to help with the fundraising events that offset the cost for thetrip. Information on mentoring for completion of confirmation will alsobe available. In addition, we would love to have your input and partici-pation in upcoming youth events this year.

Monday, September 18 @ 7 pm- Youth Advisory Board meets. Anyyouth or parent is welcome to join us in making plans.

Saturday, September 30 @ 4 pm - Youth event at Robinette’s followedby a bonfire at church. Join us for some fun fall activities and then acampfire with songs and goodies! Bring a friend!!

Sunday, November 5 @ 5 pm. SACC-Silent Auction and Chili Cook-off.mark your calendars now! This event helps defray costs for our youth togo to the National Youth Gathering , Summer 2018. (See more details inthe articles on page 5.)

Saturday, November 11- photo Scavenger Hunt in Rockford. Servicemeal for veterans. We will be having some fun with a scavenger hunt inthe town of Rockford. Then we will come back, cook and serve a mealand hear some stories from some of our members or friends who are USmilitary veterans. Let us know who we need to invite!

youthnewsSt. Luke’s Activities and information

for Middle School and High School youth

Youth AdvisoryBoard Members:

Cathy Crawford, Josh Crystal,Erin Magley, Jared Rice,Joordn uecker-herman,

Cathy Vogel,and Pastor Marcy.

Recruitment begins for the next class of Stephen Ministers Stephen ministers are called tobe caregivers! Is God calling you tolisten or care? Do you have a pas-sion to share God’s love? St.Luke’s needs you! What is a Stephen Minister?• A child of God who walks besidea hurting person;• a caring Christian friend who re-ally listens;• a lay person who has received 50hours of training in how to provide

distinctively Christian care.A Stephen Minister is not:• a counselor or therapist;• a problem-solver;• a casual visitor. members interested in becom-ing a Stephen minister please con-tact pastor Dave or pastor marcy.([email protected])([email protected]) pick up a Stephen minister ap-plication at the Welcome Desk.

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CURRENT pRAYERS

AlAndreaCherylDawn & familyJeff & RobinJordanJuneKellimallory

CONTINUING pRAYERS

JasonmaryReed & LauraRiak FamilySarah

pRAYER FOCUS

Our Church Council, pastors, staff and leadershipBishop Elizabeth EatonBishop Craig SatterleeAssistants to the Bishop: pastors Chrysanne, Sarah and David

Death: Donna Taylor, August 7

Care Ministry

mILITARY

Jordan Adams (marines)Taylor Ahn (Army)max Angel (Army)Alex Bickel (Air Force)matthew Crawford (Army)Blaine Hughes (Air Force)Corey Hughes (Air Force)melissa Valentino (Air Force)Kelli Walker (Air Force)Alex Yurush (Army)

HOmE BOUND

BeaBettyCrisDonnaFranJeannineJohnJoyceJune DJune G

In Our PrayersChurchCouncil

AugustHighlights

Reports were given fromthe various committees:

• Growth & property – Sanctuary Lighting projectscheduled for August 22.They are also doing somework in the playground area.

• Hospitality liaison is work-ing on forming a small com-mittee to help support all theprograms we have at St.Luke’s.

• Council approvedTravis Atkinson, KristinLinkfield, Dale pomeroy, RayShulte and Sarah Elliott asthe 2017-18 NominatingCommittee.

Complete minutes areavailable in the churchoffice.

By Associate Pastor Marcy Miller The events in Charlottesville, VA were upsettingto many of us. The violence and discord hurts us tothe very core. I heard a number of people asking,“What can I do?” As those who follow Jesus, we indeed do have aresponsibility to speak and respond in making ourworld a more just place. One thing we can do is pray.That is not just “wishing” for change. prayerstrengthens us, gives us courage, and reminds usthat we are not alone in standing against injustice. We can name that which is against God’s will:hatred, violence, not treating people with equality

‘What can I do?’ – Responding to recent societal discordand respect. We can name the sins of white su-premacy and Naziism. In our every day life we can tell people when weare offended by racist jokes and be more aware of theperspective of people of color and give them voicewhen needed. We can reach and create relationships with thosewho are different and learn from them. We can useour right to vote for that which is just. We can learn more by reading and informing our-selves. Two books I have recently heard about are“Waking Up White” by Debbie Irving and “The NewJim Crow” by michelle Alexander.

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Reports from the various hurricane-ravagedareas of Texas indicate it will take years for the peo-ple to rebuild from the loss of lives, homes, work andinfrastructure. members of St. Luke’s can assist in providing aidto those who fell victim to Hurricane Harvey inprayer and providing financial aid via Lutheran Dis-aster Response (LDR). LDR works with disaster re-sponse organizations and other religious entities to

provide relief in the United States and around theworld. LDR is often the first to arrive in disasterareas and the last to leave long after the dust hassettled. members can give directly to LDR via the Evan-gelical Lutheran Church in America’s website:elca.org or to St. Luke’s (please indicate your gift isfor Hurricane Harvey relief). Thank you for your careand ministry in Christ to those in need!

Support our fellow citizens on Gulf Coast with a disaster relief donation

Photo credit: CNN Photo credit: ABC News

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THE EPISTLE is published monthly as a min-istry of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church of GrandRapids, Michigan. The congregation is invitedto submit articles to the Editorial Staff. Articlesare due by the second Sunday of each month.Support Staff: Jackie McGee and LindaReyelts.

Church StaffMinisters ......................................All MembersSenior Pastor ...............................David BlankAssociate Pastor ..........................Marcy MillerMinister of SpiritualFormation ...............................Sharon Ross

Minister of Worship and Music ......................Jonathan Lonsway

Treasurer ..................................Scott SpencerAdministrative Assistant ...........Jackie McGeeSecretary..................................Deb MarcusseCoord. of Worship Tech ...............Josh CrystalCoord. of Early ChildhoodMinistry .........................Susan VanderLaan

Custodian......................................Eric GlazierMaintenance .........................Mike FessendenPhone Number: ........................616-363-2381Fax Number: ............................616-363-5713Website: www.stlk.orgE-mail: [email protected]: www.facebook.com/stlukesgrAddress: 3215 Four Mile Rd.

Grand Rapids, MI 49525

Congregational Council

President ......................................Jan Barclay

Vice President..............................Sarah Elliott

Secretary...................................Alanna Klomp

Finance liaison.............Caleb Uecker-Herman

Growth & Property liaison .............Lynn Bardo

Hospitality liaison ...........................Amy Eagle

Social Ministry liaison...................Ray Schulte

Spiritual Formation liaison............Cathy Vogel

Stewardship liaison.............Richard Notestine

Worship & Music liaison .............Deb Granger

Youth representative..................Nate Bollman

We are a

congregationsteohen

MINISTRY

First day of AutumnFriday, September 22

“The tree is knownby its fruit.”Matthew 12:33

people regularly change anemail address or perhaps droptheir land line service. If your pri-mary email or phone numberchanges, please note this on theAttendance Card or contact thechurch office (363-2381;[email protected]) so the officerecords may be updated. If your college-age offspring has a different address for the comingschool year, please fill in the back of the Attendance Card or email it tothe office. Their church family wants to keep in touch with them whilethey’re away at school.

Please tell us about a change in your contactinformation or your student’s college addresses

Ever wonder what to do with your faded or damaged American Flag?Bring in your old flags and place them in the Flag Retirement Box lo-

cated in the foyer of the Celebration Center en-trance. Flags in the box will be picked upthroughout the year and properly retired as partof an Eagle Scout project by Troop #219 whichmeets at St. Luke’s from September throughmay. The flag retirement ceremonies not only

provide a community service, but serve as a visible reminder to Scoutsof their duty to country and challenge Cub Scouts to get involved, too.The collection box is for everyone in the community to use.

Scouts’ project collects old flags for proper retirement