We welcome you as you join us in worship this morning! Please join us for

coffee, tea, and snacks in our Fellowship Café. We would enjoy meeting you and

learning how we can minister to your family. We kindly ask that you refrain from

bringing food or beverages into the Sanctuary. Thank you.

At St. Luke Lutheran Church, we use photographs and/or video to record our events and

ministry. These are used to help promote our ministry, and for archival purposes. We also

provide photographs to other publications for these purposes, such as on our website, or the

Press Enterprise. If you DO NOT want your or your child’s image used in this manner,

please contact the church office to make us aware of your wishes.

St. Luke Snapshot “Living in Faith...Linking Hearts and Hands”

Sunday, August 19, 2018

For the Week of August 19, 2018

Sunday, August 19: Pentecost 13

Worship Service: 10:30am

Lutheran: What Does This Mean? Class (after the picnic) (SC)

Monday, August 20:

Columbia-Sullivan Head Start In-Service 7:30am (SH)

Congregation Council Meeting 7:00pm (GE)

Tuesday, August 21:

Columbia-Sullivan Head Start In-Service 7:30am (SH)

Sawdust, 5:30pm

Wednesday, August 22:

Quilters in Bloom 9:00am (SH)

Bible Study with Pastor Luther 6:30pm (GE)

Thursday, August 23:

Quilters in Bloom 9:00am (SH)

Liturgical Bible Study, 5:30pm (GE,GG)

Pre-school Meet the Teachers night 6:00pm (SC,TPN)

Friday, August 24:

Eat more herbs and less salt today.

Saturday, August 25:

M.E.A.T 8:00am (Brass Pelican)

Tres Dias Men 8:00am (SH/K)

Vietnamese Bible Study, 12:00pm (GE)

PNO 5:00pm (TPN,SC,GG,FG)

Ministry Fair Set up 7:00pm (entire church)

Sunday, August 26: Pentecost 14

Worship Service: 8:00 am, 9:15 am, 10:30am

Learning Hour carnival/ministry fair 9:00am (entire church)

Snapshot Deadline is Wednesday, August 22 by 10:00am

Thank you for Serving in Ministry — 8/19/2018

Greeters: Addie & Owen Berlin, Bri McGovern

Ushers: Nancy Kluck

Counters: (8/20/2018) M. Austin, J. Johnson, A. Patterson, K. Roush

8/26/2018

Ushers: (8:00) Ken Roush (9:15) TBA (10:30) Mark Vincent

Acolytes: (8:00) Wesley Fruit (9:15) Cassie Shellenberger (10:30) Abryelle

LaFrenier

Counters: (8/27/2018) D. Blewett, D. Goetz, R. Hargraves, R. Klingerman

Website: www.stlukesway.org Church Office: 570 784 5035 Email: stlukelc@ptd.net

St. Luke Reading the Bible Together

First three adult classes are:

Holding Your Family Together;

Family Faith and Practices at Home

Book Study: The Road, The Rock,

and the Rabbi

By Heart: Conversations with Martin Luther’s

Small Catechism

LEARNING HOUR RESUMES

Sunday, September 9

9:15am

Monday 1 Kings 3:16-28 Acts 6:1-7 Tuesday 1 Kings 7:1-12 Acts 7:9-16

Wednesday 1 Kings 8:1-21 Mark 8:14-21 Thursday 1 Kings 4:20-28 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 Friday 1 Kings 4:29-34 Romans 13:11-14 Saturday 1 Kings 5:1-12 Luke 11:5-13

Psalms for the week are 101; 84

Lutheran: What Does This Mean?

Pastor Luther will be holding a class on what it means

to be Lutheran. This will be held in the Cinema Room

on Sunday, August 19th after the picnic. Everyone is

invited to attend. It is required that anyone who plans

to teach at St Luke attend. This will be repeated later

in our Learning Hour year.

GIFT stands for Generations in Faith Together

Have you seen the new GIFT wall in the Cafe? We are going to fill it with pictures of our St. Luke’s family. Pictures will be taken during the

church picnic and ministry fair later this month. You can also submit your own photo to Dorey Tabor

CREWS CRUISE. Workers from JLN Investments, Berwick,

have begun replacing sidewalks and curbs across the St.

Luke campus, anticipating a late August completion for

the project which will cost about $26,000. Surrounding

new roofs for the church and farmhouse, T-Ross Broth-

ers Construction, Northumberland, is still waiting for the

metal to be fabricated with plans to begin installation

near the end of the month or early September. Speak

with members of St. Luke Property Committee (Mark

Vincent, Rob Fruit, Frank Beishline, Frank Haubert, Liam

McCay) for further information and updates.

AND BACK TO SCHOOL

BLESSINGS

Prayer List for the Week of August 19, 2018

NOT AVAILABLE ONLINE

Sunday,

August 26

9:00am

Raffle Basket Donations Needed!

Please bring an item to donate to one of our raffle baskets for the upcoming Ministry Fair. Items can be geared toward men, women, youth, or children. Please leave your item in one of the appropriately

marked baskets in the Narthex. Thank you for your help!

Why Do We Go?

A number of years ago, I had an encounter with an acquaintance that I had not seen for quite a while. We got to chatting about different things, including our churches. She told me that she had not been to church recently because she “couldn't connect with the pastor.” When asked, she could not fault the content of his sermons, his stance on doctrine, or his leadership. She “just couldn't connect at a personal level.” I wanted to pursue this further with her, but the social setting was not right for that conversation. I do, however, want to pursue it further, here.

The pastor of a church is a teacher, leader and spiritual guide for a church. The pastor’s role is to hand over Christ Jesus so that God’s people hear and experience God’s grace. Connecting with a pastor “on a personal level” should have nothing to do with whether or not we attend church.

Why do we go to church? What is our purpose? What is our reason? Are we going out of guilt? Obligation? Tradition? Are we going because “it is the right thing to do”? Are we going because it is the place to make social connections to get ahead in life? Are we going because it is “the happening church”? Are we going because we like the pastor? What is our reason for being in church?

Regardless of the reasons people go to church, it is good for them to be there. If they are there long enough, they will begin to go for the right reasons. But what are those right reasons?

Firstly, we should go to church to worship God. Even though we can honor and worship God individually, there is something special and unique about group worship. Also, going to church is a statement to God that He is worth us setting time aside just for the purpose of enhancing our relationship with Him. It is a declaration of our priorities to God and those around us that God is important in our lives.

Secondly, we go to church to learn more about God and how we are to live as His children. Church is a place of instruction. We should go there to learn. We can explore scripture and doctrine through pulpit teaching and small group study.

Thirdly, it is a place where we come together to celebrate and take part in the Sacraments, primarily Holy Communion and Baptism.

Fourthly, it is a place where we can bring together the talents and resources of many to promote the ministry that we are all called to: sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Individually, we are limited. As a group, with the blessing of the Holy Spirit, all of our efforts and resources are magnified.

Fifthly, it is a place to come together as a community of believers. In this busy world that can be so isolating, church has become a vital point of contact where we can join together in fellowship with like-minded people. We need communion with other believers to stay encouraged and healthy. There, we can find strength, support, comfort, acceptance, and the reflection of God's love.

There are many reasons that people go to church. It is my hope that we go for the five reasons that I mentioned. If you or someone you know is going, or not going, for some other reason, think about it. Talk about it. Pray about it. Then go to church to worship, learn, celebrate the Sacraments, take part in ministry, and fellowship with other believers. After all, church is about you and God, not you and the pastor.

In Christian love--

--Mike McCay

School Supplies Donations

This year we are collecting school supplies for Vanessa Hemmen's school. They can use any school supplies,

but are especially in need of: backpacks, composition notebooks, pencils, crayons, Elmer’s liquid glue, loose leaf paper, and scissors. Gently used clothes (red, black or blue

collared polo shirts and khaki or black pants are also appreciated). There is a box in the Narthex to place donations.

Saturday, August 25, 2018 -

5:00pm-9:00pm

ONLY LIGHT SNACKS ARE PROVIDED

Please contact the church office to sign up for childcare.

M.E.A.T Saturday August 25, 2018 8:00 a.m. Brass Pelican Benton, PA

Cooking Class with

Bac Ly

Sunday, September 9

1:00pm - Social Hall

Bac Ly will be teaching

us how to make egg

rolls. A sign up sheet

is on the bulletin board

September 9 during all three services

Bibles will be presented to those age three, in first grade and 1st year Confirmation students. Please

contact Sherry Bingaman to add your child to our list.