St. Luke’s Episcopal Church |
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Lifelines: News and updates for you from St. Luke's |
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St. Luke's annual meeting is this Sunday, February 12,
in the Fellowship Hall following worship.
Join us in person or tune in on Zoom!
More details below
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If church annual meetings had pages on Google, I doubt they’d get five-star reviews. I’m guessing they’d average somewhere around 2.8. Like utility companies, they’re not all that bad but only malcontents would bother to review them. It’s the rare person, after all, who gets excited about a business meeting. A bunch of reports, muddling through budget numbers, approving meeting minutes—not the stuff of Sunday morning excitement.
And yet, what annual meetings lack in thrills, they make up for in importance. As members and friends of St. Luke’s, this is our official time to make sure we’re all on one page about what’s happening with our beloved little institution, the ways we’re planning to spend our money, and the people we want to lead us in the coming year.
This year, our meeting matters perhaps more than usual. As we continue to work our way out of the pandemic, our church is facing a handful of sizeable challenges. As I wrote about in our annual report, while we aren’t facing anything that’s insurmountable, the solutions are unlikely to be cheap, quick, or easy. From the apparent morass of challenging problems, I see an opportunity emerging. It’s more than an opportunity, actually; this is a holy invitation to trust in the incredible support we receive year after year and to creatively re-imagine and redesign our church for the years to come.
Good journeys often begin when a group assembles at a given place and time, reviews the plan, and then, perhaps after a prayer, heads out together. That is exactly what we’re doing on Sunday morning after worship: We’re gathering as the people of God to review where we’ve been and where we’re headed so that we can make our way together on this journey of discovery, seeking to follow God’s call and the Spirit’s lead.
As with many good adventures, I do not know where we will end up. I do know that I’m looking forward to traveling together with all of you. I’m excited about the encounters with God we’re sure to have along the way.
I’ll see you on Sunday!
Yours in Christ,
Justin
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Call or text: 612-618-3826
Email: revjustinc@gmail.com
Drop in Office Hours: Wednesdays, 12:30 to 3:00.
If you'd like a visit, communion, prayer, or just time to talk, please call, text, email, or drop by office hours. I'd love to connect with you!
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Sunday Eucharist: 9:30 a.m.
Please join us for worship on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. as we celebrate Eucharist on the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany. As always, please join us for coffee hour following worship.
If you can't make it in person, please tune in for the livestream on St. Luke's Facebook page. You don't need an account to watch the video; just click the link above and the livestream should be the first post on the page. Download the bulletin to follow along at home.
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Candlemas Thank you
We hope you were able to join us this past Sunday at St. Luke’s for the beautiful celebration of Candlemas sung by the combined choirs of Calvary and St. Luke’s. Under the direction of John Schulz and Jeff Daehn, the choirs sounded magnificent and filled the church with heavenly music. Under the direction of Shanna and Andrew Altrichter and Cara and Ted Schmidt, the reception filled the Fellowship Hall with heavenly smells and tastes, as well as lots of smiles, hugs and visiting. A big thank you to everyone who helped in every way to make this Collaboration event so memorable. If you were not able to be there in person, please enjoy the video of the sanctuary celebration on Facebook.
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Make Music with Us!
Choir
We need your voice! If you'd like to sing, please meet in the worship space Sunday mornings at 8:45 to rehearse the hymns and service music. We also rehearse at 7:00 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month.
Handbells
The St. Luke's Handbell choir practices weekly on Wednesday night from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. We meet in at St. Luke's, downstairs in the office area. Anyone interested in having fun while making a joyful noise is welcome. For more information, contact Harold Solbrig / harold@solbrigs.us / 507-319-2628
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Birthdays
- Linda Mansfield
- Sarah Klaehn
- Ronald Menaker
- John Pritchard
- Sarah Wiersbeck
- Kay Batchelder
- Marge Dent
- Mark Klampe
- Al Lichty
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Have news to share with the congregation? Please get in touch with Rev. Justin (612-618-3826, revjustinc@gmail.com) or Karen (507-288-2469, gouldk@stlukesepiscopal.org).
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Annual Meeting: February 12 |
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St. Luke's Annual Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, February 12, in the Fellowship Hall after worship. It is primarily an in-person meeting, but if you can't get here in person, please join us on Zoom (connection info is at below)
In addition to our usual items (budget presentation, reports, and elections), the vestry has approved an updated version of the bylaws for your consideration. The rationale for this update is that the bylaws haven't been revised in many years, they occasionally conflict with ECMN canons, and currently require several practices that no longer align with how we run the church. You can download the proposed bylaws here.
If you haven't yet received a copy of the annual report, please contact Karen in teh church office (gouldk@stlukesepiscopal.org, 507-588-2469) and she'll get you a copy.
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Topic: 2023 Annual Meeting
Time: Feb 12, 2023, approximately 10:45 AM Central Time
NOTE: Start time is approximate. It might be closer to 11:00 before we get going.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85946873526?pwd=TUNXUGR0ajZoRncxSXMwODVVbHFkdz09
Meeting ID: 859 4687 3526
Passcode: 1884
Dial in by phone: +1 312 626 6799
One tap mobile
+13052241968,,85946873526#,,,,*1884# US
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdqZoEUhKE
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Sunday Morning Faith Formation
In the Fellowship Hall during coffee hour
Faith Formation is on hold this week because of the Annual Meeting. Here's the schedule for the next few weeks:
February 12 - Annual Meeting (no faith formation)
February 19 - Safe Church Tier 1 Training (more details below)
February 26 - Episcopal 101: The Baptismal Covenant
March 5 - Coffee hour (no faith formation)
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The Safe Church Policies of the Episcopal Church establish and maintain standards intended to ensure that our faith communities are safe places where all of God’s people are loved and encouraged to grow into the people God calls us to be. These policies provide specific recommendations, best practices, and guidelines that seek to protect children, youth, and vulnerable adults.
All faith communities annually present Tier I Safe Church training to all members. Tier I training offers a broad overview of all Safe Church Policy documents through community conversation, with attention to the issues they address regarding vulnerability, power, and healthy boundaries.
Presentation will be Sunday, February 19th after the service as faith formation.
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We are thankful and blessed to now have enough individuals who have agreed to join our first small group! Our goal with these groups is to explore together a life centered on Jesus; centered together. This is a discipleship series of a guided small, gathered community exploring how to become more deeply rooted in love with God and connected with one another, so that we grow to look, act, and love more like Jesus. We are currently working with our first group to find a time for our first and ongoing gatherings. . Look for periodic updates from our first small group as we engage in this important work of discipleship together.
For those who would like to participate in a future small group, please reach out to Diane O’Mara ( dianeomara@charter.net, 507-261-3773) to express your interest. As enough individuals agree to participate to form more groups, we will kick them off. |
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Depolarizing: Respecting Others With Different Beliefs |
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The Episcopal Church in Minnesota, Braver Angles and the Episcopal House of Prayer invite you to a workshop designed to give congregations the tools to bring Americans together, bridge the partisan divide, and inspire the beloved community.
- Americans no longer see their political opponents as simply wrong or misguided, but as enemies who must be defeated at all costs. We do not accept this.
- Our mission is to strengthen our democratic republic by treating people who disagree with us with honesty and respect.
- We believe the contemplative approach can equip us to hold opposites in tension.
Join us at the ECMN offices at 1101 West Broadway Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55411 or via Zoom on Saturday, February 25, 2023 from 9:00am to 3:30pm. There is no charge to attend and lunch will be provided if you let us know you are coming at: ECMNBraverAngelsEHOP@gmail.com. If you wish to attend via Zoom, please email us at ECMNBraverAngelsEHOP@gmail.com and we will send the Zoom link prior to the workshop.
Peace,
Christine Luna Munger
Depolarizing: Respecting Others with Different Beliefs
Saturday, February 25, 8:30am to 3:30pm
ECMN Office, 1101 West Broadway, Minneapolis, MN 55411
No charge, lunch provided if registered
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Calvary - St. Luke's Collaboration Corner
Episcopalians Working Together
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- Rochester Public Schools needs volunteers to help our youngest learners, many of whom fell behind during the pandemic, improve their reading. St Luke's has had a long relationship with its neighborhood school, Sunset Terrace, and is helping recruit volunteers to listen to children read in the reading room. Lisa Levi, the reading specialist, can use our help for as little as 20 minutes, and as much as a full school day, 9:30-3:30. You choose the day, the time, and the recurrence (if you can come weekly, for instance). If you have to miss due to a vacation, that is just fine. The teachers and the little readers are so appreciative (and fun) 😊
- 1st step is to have a background check from the school district. On the webpage of Rochester Public Schools, scroll to the bottom, and click on ‘volunteers in education”. Fill out your name and address etc; answer “community member” on question about affiliation; answer “mentor” on question about function: and answer ‘Sunset Terrace” on question about building. In a few days you will be good to go.
- 2nd step is to contact the reading teacher with your preferred schedule at lilevi@rochesterschools.org and let her know you are from one of the Episcopal Churches.
- 3rd step is to please let Amy Caucutt know you plan to volunteer, so she can keep track of the numbers. 9 have already indicated an interest, and several have started from St Luke's.
- Remember, bring your collaboration ideas to Amy Crockett at Calvary (crockettsae@hotmail.com) or Amy Caucutt at St Luke's (amycaucutt@gmail.com). Got an idea? Let’s do it together!
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Please check out Calvary's weekly newsletter, The Visitor, published on Wednesdays. Current and archived editions are available here. In addition to a variety of worship services, Calvary regularly has other public events that are sure to be of interest to folks like us. |
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Sunset Terrace Elementary School has sent a huge “Thank You” to the parishioners of St. Luke’s for the donations we have made to the Operation Backpack program over this past year. So far our gifts have fed, warmed, and nurtured more than 100 kids and supported several families who were in great need. Thank you again for your generosity.
During the month of February, we are focusing on John Marshall High School needs:
1. Warm waterproof gloves/mittens for teens
2. Shampoo and Conditioner
3. Tooth brushes/Toothpaste/Floss
These supplies can be dropped off at St. Luke’s, Monday through /Friday, 8-5, and, of course, on Sunday. Drop in the bins that are located in the downstairs foyer.
Thank you so very much!
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St. Luke’s is partnering with ISAIAH, “a community of congregations of thousands of Minnesotans who are motivated to act for justice and equity, because of love for God and belief in the dignity and sacredness of all people.” What does ISAIAH do? “ISAIAH organizes communities of faith to shape public policy around shared values.”
“Why are we doing this?” you might be wondering. “I’m Christian and I believe in Jesus. I pray and go to church. Isn’t that enough?” That is good, but after reading and discussing “Do I Stay Christian” by Brian McLaren, and listening to Bishop Michael Curry, we know that is not enough. We have decided at St. Luke’s Episcopal, in Rochester, MN, to become a congregation who follows the Way of Jesus, the Way of Love. Here are Brian’s words from Chapter 24 for seven actions he advises everyone to take.
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Believe that in your life, you will follow the urge toward the wholeness of Jesus’ love, through reconciliation, mercy, peace and forgiveness.
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Go beyond opposition to create positive alternatives to help the children “find the flow” of a larger spiritual movement.
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Know that no one institution can be the whole answer as it can solve some problems, but the answer is much deeper. Widen our circle of empathy and understanding to experience a sense of connection with everyone, in every class and culture and race, not just our own familiar group.
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Support every positive change without belittling small incremental changes, as each is a flicker of light in defiance of the night, in this time of transition.
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Prepare for turbulence as the existing system of Christianity has been around for thousands of years and has amassed wealth, weapons and power and will be desperate to maintain their status quo.
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Nurture the practices of spiritual resilience in our community, even in the face of adversity by seeking strength together and individually, through a “Higher Power” in order to get through difficult situations.
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Believe – trust in an intelligence wiser than our human intelligence and trust in a desire stronger and wiser than our human desire, trust in a love deeper than any expression of our human love.
Brian reminds us that “naked of our religious labels, we are fragile humans who are here only for seventy or eighty circuits around the son and then we will surely die.”. He advises us to be a kind, humble and just human beings because “as foolish as you think someone else is, another thinks the same of you”. Be kind and gentle to each other and the earth because if the rains stop coming and the bees stop pollinating, we shall surely die. He advises us to intentionally and collaboratively seek ways to promote justice, kindness and humility to all people.
That is where ISAIAH comes in. Stay tuned for updates to learn how you can become involved in ISAIAH’s work.
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Mayo Clinic Hospice Volunteers |
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Mayo Clinic Hospice is seeking compassionate and caring volunteers to support the hospice philosophy of care and mission. The role of a Mayo Clinic Hospice Volunteer is very dynamic and will utilize your interests, hobbies, passions, and skills. Volunteers assist with administrative tasks, provide supportive companionship to patients, and grief support. We also welcome registered pet therapy teams.
If you are interested or would like to learn more about all the exciting and diverse volunteer opportunities Mayo Clinic Hospice has to offer, please contact Amy Stelpflug or Pam Roe, Volunteer Coordinators at mchospicevolteam@mayo.edu or 507-284-4002. Please visit https://volunteer.mayoclinic.org/ for more information and to submit an application. |
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If you have donations of new or gently used household items, including couches, tables with chairs, beds, bedding, towels, dishes, etc, here are many wonderful options.
Catholic Charities at 507-287-2047 will arrange pickup from your house and accepts all the above. Donations are used for refugee families.
St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church Resource Room at 507-288-7313 works with St. Vincent De Paul for helping Rochester homeless families and adults or for families in crisis with relocation needs to start their new apartments. They accept non-furniture items. They will arrange a time when you can drop off your items.
St. Vincent De Paul (507-250-5715) directly accepts beds, tables, dressers and household items, (not couches), but will usually ask you to hold onto the items until move in day, as they do not have a storage place. They appreciate a drop off, but will pick up if needed.
The Landing (507-884-0423) and The Warming Shelter (507-458-1223) accept new or gently used adult socks and jeans, which are given to homeless adults. Feel free to drop these off at St. Luke’s and we’ll get them delivered.
If you have any questions about any of these ministries or would like to help volunteer, please email dianeomara@charter.net.
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Bible Study: John
Since 2017, we've read and discussed the entire New Testament----with the exception of John's gospel. No more! On Wednesday, we're starting on fourth gospel.
Join us on Wednesdays from 10:30 till noon.
Meeting ID: 827 6194 5638
Passcode: 1884
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Book Group
Leaving Isn't the Hardest Thing by Lauren Hough (non-fiction)
Tuesday, February 28th, 6:30 pm
Discussion through Zoom.
Enjoy the book; then join us for a discussion led by Shanna Altrichter.
Watch for a St. Luke's Book Group notice to join the meeting by computer or phone.
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If you've got something to include in next week's Lifelines, get in touch with Karen (507-288-2469, gouldk@stlukesepiscopal.org). The deadline is Wednesday at noon. |
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St. Luke’s is...
Joyful community
Faithful service
Transformational worship
Growing in relationship with God in Christ.
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