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ACT 29 E-NEWSLETTER November 12, 2008 |
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St. Luke’s Community Church 1140 S. McDuff Ave. Jacksonville, FL 32205 (904) 389-7726 www.stlukescommunitychurch.org
ACT 29 E-NEWSLETTER Volume 1, Issue 34 November 12,2008 Sunday Worship 10:00 am Wednesday Bible Study 7:00 pm
ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING Remember that next Sunday November 23, 2008 is the annual Congregational Meeting at Noon following our monthly potluck. This meeting will be held in the Sanctuary. The agenda items include: proposed 2009 budget, proposed by-laws including the church name change, the Board elections, and the affirmation of Rev. Harvey Carr as our Interim
BOXES OF LOVE Six of our congregants attended the Boxes of Love training session on Saturday, November 8. As a result, our church will receive 12 “Boxes of Love” containing a complete Thanksgiving dinner for a family of 4-6 people, a Bible and a Gospel tract. These boxes will be delivered on Saturday, November 22, to needy families in our area. On Friday, November 21, 9:00am – 5;00pm, there will be a “Packing Party” complete with refreshments, to prepare the boxes to be distributed to the respective churches. Anyone, even if you did not attend the training, may participate in the “Packing Party.” The location is the Benco Warehouse, 5107 University Boulevard West, (next to Sonny’s, behind the Racetrack gas station). If you know of a needy family to whom we can minister with a “Box of Love” please contact Rev. Harvey ASAP. If you want to assist at the “Packing Party” or with distributing the “Boxes of Love” can the church office ASAP.
FALL BARBEQUE The Fall Barbeque is this Saturday, November 15 at 6:30pm. The church will provide BBQ chicken, Dessert, and Drinks. Please bring your favorite side-dish to share $5. tickets are available now from your Hospitality Team. Tickets at the door will be $7. Join your church family as we celebrate our unity in a time of food, fun, and entertainment. Entertainers will be Lillian Ross, Chewie, Clay Birks, Rev. Harvey
NEW MEMBERS CLASS After our worship service this Sunday, November 16, we will have a New Members Class for those who were not able to attend the last class held on November 1 and any other persons requesting membership with St. Luke’s Community Church. If you have not already spoken to Rev. Harvey or Stephen about attending a New Members Class, please speak with them. In our worship services on Sunday November 2, we welcomed into membership, CaLynda Rowlands, P.J. Britt, Barbara Stafford, James Creekmore and Thomas Rowlands. CaLynda and P.J. were also baptized earlier in that service. Everyone of these new members had already become active in our church ministries. God continues to bless and strengthen our church.
“SOUPER” SUNDAYS November is the month of Thanksgiving. One way we show thanks is to follow Christ’s teachings and feed those who are less fortunate. This month we are celebrating our thanks to God for all the blessings we have been given by having a month of “Souper” Sundays. Every Sunday this month, bring at least one can of soup, or some non-perishable item, with you when you come to services and place it in the Food Pantry Ministry collections tub in the church foyer. We will dedicate these weekly gifts to God and our Food Pantry Ministry staff will distribute your gifts to those in need.
A MONTH OF SAINTS For those from liturgical backgrounds, Saturday, November 1 was all Saints Day. All of us know, or have known of, people who lived so God-like that we considered them “saints.” We have been celebrating some of the great saints of scripture and contemporary history during the month of November with a 4-week series entitled “People Who Have A Heart Like God’s,” with foundational scriptures found in Hebrews 12:1-2 and Ephesians 2;1-6. Sunday, November 16 – Esther, Deborah, Ruth and Mother Theresa Guest: Bruce Ross With Holiday Helpers Guest Soloist: Harriet Sorenson, Soprano Vocalist
Sunday November 23 – Christ New members will be received into fellowship during the service.
-REMINDERS- Fall Barbeque- Saturday, Nov. 15 at 6:30pm. Church will provide BBQ Chicken, Dessert, & Drinks. Please bring your favorite dish to share. $5 tickets are available now. See Hospitality Team. Bingo Night- Each month on 1st & 3rd Fridays at 7:00pm @ Twar Hall. 20 Games with $5 donation for all 20 cards. Hot dogs and soft drinks will be available for $1 each. Wednesday evenings- Join us at 7:00pm in the Sanctuary. PLEASE join us and bring your Bible. Choir Practice Every Sunday 9:15am. Cantata Rehearsals are Thursday at 7:00 pm. See any choir member or Rev. Harvey to join! Board Meeting- 2nd Sunday each month at noon in Twar Hall. RISEN CHRIST BOOKSTORE- Open every Sunday following Worship. (See announcement above about their big sale!) Congregational Meeting- Our annual Congregational meeting is coming Sunday, November 23.
Check out our new web site for a Calendar of Events: www.stlukescommunitychurch.org
SERVICE OF THANKSGIVING AND PRAISE Our Chancel Choir will present a special “Service of Thanksgiving and Praise” on Sunday, November 30, featuring music, dramatic reading, scriptures, and congregational participation, as we celebrate the Season of Thanksgiving as a church family. Bruce Ross will be with us again to finalize the Holiday Helpers Campaign. This will also be the First Sunday of Advent as we begin preparing our hearts for the celebration of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. God is giving us many opportunities for worship and for service. Invite your families and friends. Invite those you notice missing from services.
FLOWERS FOR SANCTUARY If you would like to provide flowers for services, you may call one of our members, Robert Wheeler at American Beauty Florist, 388-0094, or you may call the florist of your choice
CHRISTMAS CANTATA This year’s Christmas Eve service will feature the Christmas Cantata “Ring The Bells.” Choirs from 3 other churches are joining our Chancel Choir for this service. Rehearsals are on Thursday Evenings at 7:00 PM in the sanctuary. We are inviting anyone, male and female who wishes to sing in the cantata to join us for the presentation. We especially need more females to sing. We will also need some dramatic readers – Zacharias, Mary, one of the Shepherds, Simeon, one of the Wise Ones. All readings are very short but will need to be memorized and spoken in dramatic manner. Please see Rev. Harvey if you wish to participate as a singer or a reader. The community is being invited to join us for this special service.
“REFLECTION” FROM REV. HARVEY Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! – Psalm 133:1 Rob had been through the death of one congregation; he didn’t want to see it happen again. There really weren’t any problems that couldn’t be worked out in Christian love. This church had been through a lot, and there was no reason to believe that it couldn’t weather a lot more storms. If everyone would just remember that they were there to serve Christ, then everything would work out fine. If Christ could calm the Sea of Galilee, He should have no trouble with the church on earth. Christ built His church as a place for harmony and unity. It is a place for people to come together in celebration and love. Christ rejoices when his family lives together in peace. We, too, can rejoice, for there is nothing better than being able to dwell together in His love.
Prayer: The best friends in the world to have are those who are bonded together with me through my faith. Bring joy to my relationships, Lord, and Bless me with Harmony and Unity. Amen.
Prayer List Remember them in your prayers. Bill Kimak – (West Jax Rehabilitation) Jean Levy – (Heartland on Wells Rd.) John Ferguson – (Heartland on Normandy Blvd.) Don Green – Home Recovering Carmen Santos – Recovering at home from Knee Replacement Valencia – Alice’s partner – Knee Replacement Michael Mundy – Gary DeBusk’s former partner – non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Connie & Saundra Don’s Father Prudencia’s Aunt – with Cancer Rick Bill Solomon Rev. Lee Carlton – Cancer Ruth Hightower – Cancer Barbara Stafford – Cancer P.J. Britt – Follicular Lymphoma & Upper Respiratory Infection Margaret Chambers Robert Ford Lora Leatham – Incurable Brain Cancer CaLynda Rowland – Ten Broeck Hospital
Should you, or you know of any of our congregants or friends of the church who are hospitalized, please e-mail or phone the church office so that we can properly arrange for prayer and visitation.
St. Luke’s Prayer Warriors (Available to provide you prayer and support) Barbara Stump – Call Anytime. 272-6256 (Home), 318-4187 (Cell) Don Green – Call Tue., Thurs. – Sat. After 7:00pm, Sundays – afternoon & evening, 772-8466 (Home), 881-5922 (Cell) Angela Moody – 861-7533 Rev. Jack Inman – 672-9868
Why Go to Church??? A church member wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. “I’ve gone for 30 years now,” he wrote. “and now that time I have heard something like 3,00 sermons. But for the life of me, I can’t remember a single one of them. So, I think I’m wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all.” This started a real controversy in the “Letters to the Editor” column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: “I’ve been married for 30 years now in that time my wife has cooked some32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!” When you are DOWN to nothing…. God is UP to something! Faith see the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! THANK God for your physical AND our spiritual nourishment!
DECEMBER: A HOLIDAY FRUITCAKE The annual holiday concert by First Coast Chorus, “December: A Holiday Fruitcake”, will be Friday, December 12 and Saturday, December 13 at 8:00 p.m.; and Sunday Matinee, December 14 at 3:00 p.m. All performances will be at Riverside Baptist Church, 2650 Park Street (corner of King and Park).
Tickets are $20 per person and proceeds will benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of North Florida. Please see Gary Genson, our church pianist, for tickets for the Friday and Saturday evening performances. Tickets for the Sunday Matinee performance will be available only at the door.
CHILDREN’S CHURCH MINISTRY Monique Baker is heading up our Children’s Ministry. Parents should bring their children to the Children’s room off the courtyard and sign them in before going to the Worship Service. We need more adults on the Children’s Ministry Team. If you can take a Sunday to help out with the children please let Monique know. Two adults will be present at all times with children. We still need Children’s Bible Story DVD’s for this ministry, like “Veggie Tales” that are available at Wal-Mart. NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES
If your special day is not listed above, please e-mail stlukescommunitychurch@gmail.com Want to add something to in our web site’s calendar of events?? E-mail stlukescommunitychurch@gmail.com
FOOD PANTRY NEWS Help St. Luke’s do our part! PLEASE bring food items to donate and place them in the red bucket in the narthex or the shopping cart in Twar Hall. The food pantry is in need of toilet tissue, disposable razors, bar soap, bottled water, canned vegetables, canned meat, cereal, ect,. Be a blessing to someone in need! DON’T FORGET OUR “SOUPER” SUNDAYS PROGRAM DURING NOVEMBER. We always need more volunteers to work with the food pantry on Tuesdays from 10:00am to Noon. St. Luke’s co-sponsors with Trinity Lutheran Church @ the corner of McDuff and Park St. St. Luke’s also has volunteers the work at the food pantry. If you can help, see Michael Vetrano or call the church office. On November 4, gave 38 bags to Families and 5 bags to “New” clients, also 6 Homeless bags (Totaling about 49 bags, in ALL feeding aprox. 146 people.
RISEN CHRIST BOOKSTORE SALE The bookstore will be holding a clearance sale every Sunday in the month of November. A table is set up in Twar Hall with gently used books, CD’s and MCC memorabilia. Please help us clear out the Bookstore and get some great bargains! Everything on the tables is $1.00. We are getting the store ready for the Holidays and 2009!
Drop in the Bookstore (located on the far side of the courtyard)- home crafted bath salts are available, as well as books, devotions, rainbow stickers, and other items. COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS HIV Testing – 1ST and 3RD Sundays of each month @ St. Luke’s Sacristy 1:00pm – 3:00pm AA – Meetings held in the “Freedom Ministries” room (2nd floor) every Tue. & Fri. at 7:00pm SLAA – (Sex & Love Addicts Anonymous) Meets every Mon. & Thurs. evening at 7:00pm in the “Freedom Ministries” room (2ND floor) Retired Plus 60 Club – Meets the 2ND Thurs. every month at 2:00pm in Twar Hall PFLAG – Meetings held 3RD Thurs. of the month 7:00pm @ CCOP
HOSPITALITY TEAM WISH LIST If you can donate or help with any of these items, see Jerry Gardner or any Board Member. Please help out with any of these items needed to improve our kitchen area. First aid Kit Electrical cords – 2 or 3 100ft Commercial Cook top/Oven New Faucets (needed 2) A/C Unit for Kitchen (currently NO VENTILATION) prefer 200 volt unit due to size of kitchen Need donated commercial refrigerator repaired Supplies to Build a pantry wall like 2x4’s, sheet rock and concrete screws, ETC.
RECYCLE ALUMINUM CANS Bring them to the barrels in the courtyard under the stair. Drink cans, vegetable cans, etc. are all great to bring, but please rinse them out so they don’t attract ants. Proceeds go to help our Hospitality Team provide refreshments and supplies to run our kitchen. Many thanks to all who contribute cans.
What’s in a name? St. Luke’s – The name “St. Luke’s” was chosen as our name in 1984 because Saint Luke was the only Gentile writer of the Bible. He was a physician and patron saint of healing. St. Luke’s Gospel is the Gospel of women, gentiles, prodigals, and Samaritans. Act 29 Newsletter - Saint Luke also wrote the book of Acts, and it’s the New Testament book that records the history of the birth and growth of the church. The Book of Acts ends rather abruptly in the 28th chapter, but the history and growth of the church continues. Our e-newsletter strives to tell that continuing story of church growth and so the name Act 29 was chosen. St. Luke’s Community Church might be considered the 29th act in the drama of God’s redemption. -Reprinted from Act 29 Newsletter November 1985-
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