DEATHS
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Saint Luke's Members
April 13, 2010
Grady Burns Proctor Jr.,
April 18, 2010
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Jere Austill Jr., April 10, 2010; father of Bill (Steva) Austill.
Irene Wortman, April 16, 2010; sister of Carol Wier.
Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them.
Sunday Lectionary Readings
April 25, 2010
Acts 9:36-43 Psalm 23 Revelation 7:9-17 John10:22-30
O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. |
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The Christian Leader
This sermon was preached by the Rev. Richmond Webster on Sunday, April 18, 2010.
A recent article by David Brooks in the New York Times made the case for a new kind of leadership, a new model sorely needed in our world, and to begin this sermon I'd like to consider his thoughts for a moment. (Read more) |
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This Sunday, April 25
Family Fun Day at the Farm!!
The entire Saint Luke's family is invited to the Drehers' farm for fellowship, games, lunch, singing, and prayer. Fun for all ages, from children to senior adults! 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm. Click here for directions and more information.
Please note: The farm is very "senior adult friendly" and we have a van reserved for senior adults who would like to ride. Travel time is approximately forty-five minutes. Call Jeanna (802-6218) for a reservation on the van. The van leaves at noon and returns about 4:00 pm.
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Beautiful Music at Saint Luke's!
This Sunday morning, April 25, we will have a guest choir at the 10:30 am service. The Southern Chorale (Women's Chorus) of Birmingham-Southern College will sing the Messe Basse ("Low Mass") of nineteenth-century French composer Gabriel Faure'. They will sing some other selections during the course of the service, which will also be Stewardship of Creation Sunday. This choir will be accompanied on the organ by our Associate Organist Idabelle Gay, who accompanies this choir at Birmingham-Southern.
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4th Annual God & Jazz Concert
Wednesday, April 28
featuring Top Secret
Come for a light supper at 5:00 pm in Graham Hall!
A glorious night of music that brings together God and the original American musical tradition - jazz.
$10/person donation
Children under 12 years are free.
Saint Luke's Nave, 6:00 pm
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Consider Volunteering for Vacation Bible School
VBS Registration Deadline is May 1st!!!! That is right around the corner!!!! Don't forget to register your child and yourself to volunteer!
Do You Know . . .
It takes approximately...
90 people to run an Extraordinary VBS at St. Luke's
50 people to a SUCCESSFUL VBS at St. Luke's
30 people to run an AVERAGE VBS at St. Luke's
To date, Saint Luke's has 15 people confirmed to work the week of VBS...
Where would you like to help?
Register to help by calling 802-6211 or
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Swimsuits Needed for Sawyerville Day Camp
Sawyerville Day Camp is a mission sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama. Sawyerville is located in Hale County, AL in the heart of the Black Belt. This year the camp has expanded to two weeks meaning that over 400 children in this underprivileged region will be served. In the past, we have collected art supplies and goggles for the camp. This year, we are charged with collecting NEW swimsuits for the kids to wear during their favorite part of the day. Since there are specific needs with respect to sizes, we are approaching our collection with an "Angel-tree" philosophy. Pick up a size this Sunday, April 25th, and return the swimsuit to a bin the commons no later than June 1st. Swimsuits may also be purchased in your honor if you would rather make a donation.
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ECW First Monday NIGHT!
May 3, 7:00 pm
All women of the church are invited to our First Monday gathering in May. This will be a NIGHT meeting, and we are going to have some fun! Come to Graham Hall for a bunco party (for beginners) with a light dinner, dessert, and refreshments. Tickets are $10.00 and can be bought at the door or are available during the week in Barbara Vandergriff's office. We will have prizes. We will not have childcare for this event. |
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Friday, May 7
55th Place Spring Ingathering
On the first Friday of May (May 7) Saint Luke's will serve as a collection drop-off for 55th Place. We will accept used household items, linens, small appliances, small furniture, kitchen items, clothing, and more. Volunteers will be stationed at the porte-cochere to help remove donation items from your car between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. All you need to do is gather your items and drive to the church! 55th Place is one of our Saint Luke's outreach ministries, and proceeds go to help the needy in Birmingham.
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Coming Soon!
For Senior Adults and those Physically Challenged: Valet Parking on Sunday Mornings
Saint Luke's received a very generous gift to provide valet parking for our members and visitors who have reached their senior years and those who are physically challenged both permanently and temporarily. A contract is being finalized and optimistically we will be able to offer this service beginning the first Sunday in May. Watch for more details to follow. You may call Betty O'Neil in the church office (802-6201) if you would like more information immediately. |
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Gumbo Gala to Benefit Episcopal Place
11:00 am to 2:00 pm Caldwell Park
Enjoy Cajun food, music, entertainment, and fun as professional and amateur cook-off teams cook and serve gumbo and compete for the title of "Best Gumbo in Birmingham" at the annual Gumbo Gala. All proceeds will benefit Episcopal Place (one of our Saint Luke's outreach ministries), an affordable housing community near Caldwell Park. For more information or to register for the event, please go online at www.gumbogala.com or call 939-0085 or e-mail kmueller@episcopalplace.org. |
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Upcoming Events for Seniors!
Movie day in Graham Hall ~ Tuesday, April 27, Noon: Come enjoy pizza, coke, and the wonderful true story, The Blind Side, on Saint Luke's big screen.
JULIET Luncheon ~ Thursday, May 13: NOTE DATE CHANGE! We will meet at the church at 11:00 am and take the van to have lunch at the Bright Star in Bessemer. AARP Driving Course for Senior Adults
Saint Luke's will offer an AARP Driving Course for Seniors here at the church on Tuesday, May 11 and Wednesday, May 12 from 8:30 am until noon in Room 232. This is an opportunity to brush up on driving skills. The cost is $12. for AARP members and $14. for non-AARP members We still have some spots available, so call Jeanna if you're interested (802-6218).
Trip to Montgomery, Tuesday, June 15: There will be a chartered bus trip to Montgomery to tour Saint John's Episcopal Church and eat lunch at the Capitol City Club, accompanied by the Rev. Richmond Webster! Mark your calendar and look for details to come soon. |
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Might God be Calling You to Become a Stephen Minister?
Next fall we will launch a new training class for another group of Stephen ministers. Stephen ministers support the pastoral care ministry of our church, working alongside our clergy to provide Christian care, encouragement, and emotional and spiritual support to people who are going through a difficult time, such as divorce, grief, hospitalization, unemployment, terminal illness, relocation, chronic illness, or loneliness.
The ministry is open to men and women. Candidates must be at least thirty years of age, confirmed communicant members of Saint Luke's for a minimum of three years, faithful in worship attendance and involved in the parish life of Saint Luke's. All candidates should understand that serving as a Stephen minister is a demanding but rewarding calling. A minimum commitment of two years is called for, which begins with the successful completion of a five month-long training class. The training consists of weekly classes and outside-of-class reading assignments. Once trained, a Stephen minister is paired with a care receiver, with whom the Stephen minister is expected to meet on a regular, usually weekly, basis. Stephen ministers also meet on two Tuesday evenings each month as a whole group for case supervision and on-going training. An annual weekend retreat is held.
Stephen ministers are a loving and close-knit community of servants. If you have gifts for caring, encouragement, and especially for listening, and are prepared to meet the time requirements, we invite you to prayerfully consider whether God might be calling you to this challenging ministry. If you think you might be interested, or just want to know more, speak with Fr. Steve DeGweck (802-6203) who can provide you with more information and an application. Interviews will begin this summer.
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Community Grief Support
Offers Groups
In addition to the grief support group offered twice a year by Saint Luke's, there are groups offered through the Community Grief Support Service in Homewood. These groups are professionally led and provide an excellent resource for healing and support for persons suffering loss. This is a community resource I highly recommend!
Groups being offered over the next few months include:
· Widowed persons of employment age, Tuesdays, May 4-Jul 13, 5-7:45 pm, S. Highland Presbyterian Church
· Widowed persons, retired, Wednesdays, May 5-Jun 23, 10-11:30 am, CGSS Office, 1119 Oxmoor Rd, Homewood
· Loss of Adult Child, Mondays, May 17-Jul 5, 6-7:30 pm, CGSS Office, 1119 Oxmoor Rd, Homewood
· Loss of Parent, Sibling, or Grandparent, 6-7:45 pm, Apr 29-Jun 17, Thursdays, CGSS Office, 1119 Oxmoor Rd, Homewood
The Community Grief Support Service is an interfaith, non-profit organization which affirms spiritual values and welcomes persons regardless of religious or denominational background. Call CGSS for more information at 870-8667.
--Father Steve DeGweck |
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Giving to God, Giving to Others
By the Rev. Steve DeGweck
Last month's spiritual wellness thoughts centered on finding ways to serve God in one or more of the church's ministries. Christian life is about taking the posture of a servant, and seeking to have our time and talents be used by God to further his kingdom. My time and my personal gifts are not my own. Indeed, if I take scripture seriously, I am not "my own," not completely anyway. Paul reminds me in I Corinthians 6:19 that "you are not your own; you were bought at a price." The saving grace of Jesus Christ, purchased with his shed blood on a cross, has made me God's child, his own possession. All that I have, all that I am, and all I will ever be, belongs to him. The sum total of those gifts, however humble or great they may be, is given to me for one purpose: that I may glorify my God and Father, in them and through them and with them.
Not only are my time and talents given to me as God's gifts to be used for his glory, but my treasure as well. April's touchstone on the road toward spiritual growth is this: am I growing in my desire and actions to give sacrificially to God's work in the church and in other ministries? Am I teaching my children about generous giving and putting God first before materialistic desires? Tough questions indeed.
They are tough precisely because the climate of materialism which surrounds us is almost suffocating in its domination of American popular culture, not to mention astonishingly successful in shaping our thoughts and habits. More is better. A lot more is better still. If I want it, I deserve it. Material success measures my worth as a person. The more I have, the more I am. The purpose of life is to acquire. He who dies with the most toys, wins. And so on and so on. It is a profoundly seductive way of looking at life. It sorts people into neat piles of winners and losers, helping us to keep "score" with those around us. It rewards us with a (seemingly) endless stream of creature comforts. It is a life which revolves around me - my comforts, my wants, my ambitions. Viewed as a game, it is one which is fun to play, if you're good at it.
The trouble is that it is a decidedly unbiblical game. Put differently, it is simply not the way God calls his people to approach life. Christians know that life is not about me - it is about God. The center of life is God's profound and all-encompassing love for us, made known to us through Christ, love that is for every creature. The call to Christians is a call to find real life in serving. Time, talent, and treasure - yours, mine, and ours - are no more than tools for getting that simple, yet daunting job, done. Jesus Christ, God's own Son, reminded his friends of this truth when he said, "I am among you as one who serves" (Luke 22:27) and "Whoever would be great among you must be your servant" (Matthew 20:26). The primary focus of my life is to be an outward, not an inward, focus. Every day that I live, I believe more strongly that the one inescapable mark of a true Christian is a generous heart. A generous heart asks "What can I do?" It asks "How can I help?" It prays "Lord, make me a blessing and a witness."
Am I saying that it's wrong to make or acquire large sums of money? Not at all. I'd be a great hypocrite if I did, for I am rich by the standards of most people living on this planet. Scores of wealthy Christians through the ages have been an enormous blessing to others through their generosity. Paul also says "Command [the wealthy] to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share." (I Timothy 6:17). Thus the pivotal question is this: to whom does my time, talent, and treasure belong? A heart genuinely seeking God is a heart which seeks ways to support the church and its ministries, and other worthy causes at home and around the world. Is that where my life is pointed? Do I teach the values of generosity to my children, creating opportunities for them to experience giving to others? If stewardship of time, talent, and treasure is every Christian's orientation to life, how am I doing? And recognizing that all Christian life - yours, mine, and ours - is growth toward God's dream for us, is this train going in the right direction? You decide. And by the way, happy Easter! |
Stewardship of Creation Sunday
Each year our Episcopal diocese proclaims one Sunday in April as Stewardship of Creation Sunday. This Sunday, the music, lessons, prayers, and sermon will focus on our call to care for the earth as responsible stewards. The majesty of God's creation is one of God's great gifts to us, and caring for the health of our planet and its ecosystems is a sacred responsibility. As the Psalmist says, "The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof..." (Psalm 24:1). Join us this week as we praise God for his goodness and give thanks for the rich privilege of caring for the earth. |
Saint Luke's Reusable Grocery Bags
Buy Yours This Sunday!
In honor of Stewardship of Creation Sunday, members of the SOC committee will sell reusable cloth bags emblazoned with our church logo after all services this Sunday, April 25th. Similar to the cloth bags we see in grocery stores, these blue bags have the Saint Luke's cross on one side and a scripture verse on the other. Cost is $2 each. All profits will go to support the local Audubon Society, a organization dedicated to preserving the health of eco-systems which support birds and other wildlife. |
E-Cycle Day a Great Success!
Our electronics recycling day at Saint Luke's was a great success. Thanks to all family and friends of Saint Luke's for taking time to recycle all of their old electronics, cell phones, tapes, CD's, and even sunglasses. A special thank to our Youth Minister Lars Porter and youth volunteers Holden Naff, Chase Crumbaugh, Henry Cobb and Robert Corey who helped all afternoon cutting cords, lifting and separating electronics. Overall, we we collected 2,700 pounds of material; the Technical Knock Out (TKO) truck was almost full by 3:00.
If you were out of town or forgot to bring items by Saint Luke's, TKO is located just off of Highway 31 in Homewood and will accept everything EXCEPT TELEVISIONS. |
April is Earth Month!
God has given us this beautiful planet earth. Here are a couple of ways we can put our stewardship into action.
Remember your BAG - take re-usable bags for any type of shopping.
Buy organic and/or local - this supports the natural eco-system and limits toxic chemicals into the air and water.
Go vegetarian once a week - try one meatless meal a week.
STOP for 60 seconds during your day and look around at this beautiful planet and be thankful. |
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Sunday, April 25th...Last day of Sunday School This Sunday, April 25, is the last day of Sunday School until September! A BIG Thank you to all those who volunteered their time this past year to make our Sunday School classes such a big success!!!
Rotation Schedule
1st Thou Art Room #111
2nd Holywood Movies Room #216
4th Parable Place Drama Room #227
5th B.C. to P.C. Computers Room #211
3rd grade Bible 101
Join us for year-end fun!
6th grade Seekers
Bible Feast and character presentation! Parents are invited to the Feast as well.
Attention Parents of rising 3k-6th graders
You should have received your spring mailer regarding the upcoming school year. Please note that we will have another parent information meeting, Sunday, May 16th at 9:15 a.m. in room 232. Childcare will be available for children 4 and under. Please come to discuss next year and to turn in your volunteer forms.
Vacation Bible School 2010!
June 7-10!
Vacation Bible School registration is now OPEN!!!! Go to www.saint-lukes.com/vbs.html for information and to register.
There are two ways to pay:
1) CHECK: Please make checks payable to Saint Luke's Episcopal Church and mail them to c/o Emily Boles at the church or drop them in the basket in the Children's Ministry Office.
2) ONLINE: Pay online using PayPal. You can access this option by visiting our VBS registration page listed above!
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May 2nd is Confirmation Sunday
May 9th is Youth Sunday!
On this special day, youth will participate in all areas of worship, from ushering to preaching. Please contact Lindsay Joe (802-6206 or ljoe@saint-lukes.com). All youth need to sign up to participate in Youth Sunday as soon as possible.
May 1st is the deadline for the Urban Ministry Junior High Mission Trip.
This trip is offered for rising 7th graders through rising 9th graders. The mission trip is June 6-11th.
June 1st is the deadline for Appalachia Service Project volunteers. This Senior High Mission trip is for rising sophomores through graduated seniors. The dates are July 3rd-11th. There are still spots available for male and female adult chaperons.
For more information, contact Lars Porter (802-6212 or lporter@saint-lukes.com).
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Day School Parents: Mark Your Calendars for these
Important Dates!
Spring Plant Sale is going on now! We are selling 5" geraniums in four different colors for a fundraiser for our school. Each plant is $6.50 and our school will get a little over $2 per plant. There are extra order forms outside Cheryl's office.
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Summer tuition is due by April 25! This is also when May tuition is due. If your child will attend all 6 weeks, the total due is $510. If your child attends only 3 weeks (1st or 2nd session), the total due is $300. If you will need early care, it will be an additional $50 per session ($100 for the entire 6 weeks).
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May 9 - PreK (4 year olds) Blessing at Saint Luke's Church @ 10:30 am
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May 19 - PreK Graduation at 1pm - NO CARPOOL this day
May 20 - Last day of school for students |
Subscribe to our Podcast!!
You can now subscribe to the Saint Luke's podcast! Enjoy listening to sermons and teachings from the clergy of Saint Luke's, updated every week. Search for "Saint Luke's" in iTunes, or click here to follow step-by-step instructions. |
New Email Address?
So you won't miss any of the Saint Luke's digital newsletters, be sure to let Nancy Cain in the office know if your email address changes. Contact her at (ncain@saint-lukes.com or 802-6200).
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