JANUARY—MARCH 2010
Clocking In St. Luke’s New Pastors Punch In January 1
Wait Loss “Now is the TIME” Encourages a High Carpe Diem Diet
Drop and Give God 40! Spiritual Spring Training Arrives for 40 Days of Lent
in this issue | mission | staff
together in ministry everyday ST. LUKE’S CLERGY STAFF:
st. luke’s identity We are an open
community of Christians gathering to seek, celebrate, live and share the love of God for all creation.
st. luke’s vision We envision being transformed
by God
and transforming the world into a compassionate, just, inclusive,
Christ-like community.
9
Spring Training
18
4 7 8 9 11 12 13 14 15 18 20 24 25 26 27 28
IN THIS ISSUE: Welcome Williamsons NOW IS the TIME Special Event Spiritual Spring Training Youth Ministries Endowment / Sundays in the South Grief Ministries Adult Education World Missions Social Justice Community Ministries Children’s Ministries The Garden / Oasis Welcome New Members Celebrations & Concerns Lent & Easter
Pedal for Peace
100 W. 86th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46260 TELEPHONE: 317-846-3404 • FAX: 317-844-1034 • WEB: www.stlukesumc.com
Kent Millard, Linda McCoy, Marsha Hutchinson, Marion Miller, Stan Abell, David Williamson, Jamalyn Williamson, Adolf Hansen ST. LUKE’S STAFF:
Kathy Alexander, Administrative Team Assistant Jason Barnes, Director of AV/Media Dawn Bick, Assistant Director of Children’s Ministry, Elementary Betty Brandt, Director of Spiritual Life Center Kristi Chamberlain, Childcare Coordinator Terri Coe, Director of Adult Ministries Marsha Coyner, Director of Joyful Rhythms Lori Crantford, Director of Communications, Marketing & Development Kevin Davis, Director of Youth Ministries Jan Emmons, Finance Sylvia Forbes, Membership & Care Bertie Gilster, Receptionist Mary Hach, Assistant Director of Children’s Ministry, Early Childhood Adolf Hansen, Theologian in Residence Leslie Hazelwood, Facilities Kathleen Headington, Associate Director of Youth Ministries Martha Heinrich, IT Manager Carol Helmus, Special Event/Wedding Coordinator Sharon Holyoak, Oasis Bookstore Manager Julia Johnson, Executive Director of Ministries Mike Keller, Director of Wesleyan Ringers Faina Kleyner, Finance Beth Lammers, Building Scheduler Erica Lampe, Benefits/Development Assistant Tujuianna Lockhart, Facilities Bobbi Main-Jackson, Director of Weekday Ministries Charles Manning, Assistant Director of Music Ministries Linda McGlothlin, Adult Ministries Bonnie McMenamin, Music Ministries Assistant Janet Miller, Children’s Ministries DeAnna Moran, Adult Ministries Registrar Rickie Murphy, Facilities Debra Nethercott, Director of Children’s Music Sarah Nevin, Publications Design Jan Nichols, Coordinator of World Missions Projects Julie O’Connor, Administration & Celebration Team Matt Peyton, Associate Director of Youth Ministries Rich Potterf, Building & Grounds Ministry Brian Schnitz, Facilities Mary Katherine Schnitz, Director of Care Ministries Cara Scott, Receptionist Kelly Scott, Facilities Winnie Sibotshiwe, Facilities Mark Squire, Director of Music Ministries Tara-Lynne Sinicki, Director of Children’s Ministries Ben Spillman, Facilities Alison Strawmyer, Assistant Director & Registrar, Weekday Preschool & Parent’s Day Out Program William Taylor, Facilities Jayne Moynahan Thorne, Director of Outreach Ministries Chris Thornsberry, Associate Director of Adult Ministries Cheryl West, Director of New Song Adra Wheeler, Director of Hospitality & Volunteers Rich Wisman, Facilities THE GARDEN CLERGY STAFF:
Editorial: Lori Crantford; Design: Sarah Nevin CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Dave Boyer, Betty Brandt, Al Dalton, Kevin Davis, Beth Fried, Jenny Hawke, Kathleen Headington, Judi Hosfeld, Marsha Hutchinson, Doug Lark, Minnetta Millard, Dr. Marion Miller, Matt Peyton, Rich Potterf, Jackie Reed, Mary Rudy, Charlie Russell, Mary Katherine Schnitz, Allison Smith, Nancy Spohn, Chris Thornsberry, Tricia Thomson. CIRCULATION MANAGER: Sylvia Forbes.
Linda McCoy, Stan Abell
EDITORIAL/PRODUCTION STAFF:
NEXT T.I.M.E. DEADLINE:
March 1 for April—June 2010
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THE GARDEN STAFF:
Troye Kinnett, Director, The Good Earth Band Steve Whipkey, Director, Oak Hill Band Judy Tolley, Administrative Team Leader Beth Fried, Communications & Worship Larry Fletcher, Director of Marketing & Operations
from the desk
JANUARY—MARCH
Friends: Do you ever procrastinate or put off doing something that you know you should do and want to do? I often procrastinate on cleaning up my home office. I have books and files stacked all over my home office that I intend to read sometime or file in their appropriate places. I have a stack of articles I have clipped out of newspapers or magazines that contain good sermon material which should be filed, but right now they are just in stacks on the floor. My wife, Minnietta, describes my office as having a fungus that grows larger every day with my books, articles and stacks of paper increasing regularly. I intend to clean it up and organize it, but I just never get around to it. Several months ago my doctor told me that I should exercise more and lose a few pounds to be at the optimum weight for my age and body type. But I haven't done it. I suspect that all of us sometimes procrastinate and put off doing what we know we should do in some area of our lives. During January and February 2010, we are focusing on the theme Now Is the TIME. We are encouraging everyone to look at the areas of their lives where they put off doing what they know they should be doing and say Now is the Time to stop procrastinating to move to a new, more effective way of living. My sermon series for the first two months of 2010 focuses on us joining together as a community to support each other in not procrastinating and in taking some small steps towards a better life.
Now Is the TIME: SUNDAY, JANUARY 3—To Improve our Health What are the habits of eating, exercise,
drinking or smoking inhibiting our physical health that we need to change? SUNDAY, JANUARY 10—To Volunteer People often tell me they know they would find
fulfillment in doing volunteer work to serve people in our congregation or community, but they never actually get around to doing it. We will have an Open House on January 10 with many volunteer opportunities available. SUNDAY, JANUARY 17—To Build Bridges Together This Martin Luther King, Jr.
Sunday we will think about what steps we can take to break down racial barriers among us and build bridges of communication and understanding. SUNDAY, JANUARY 24—To Overcome Procrastination How are we doing in not putting off
until tomorrow what can be done today? SUNDAY, JANUARY 31—To Improve Our Family Life Rev. David and Jamalyn Williamson,
our new pastoral couple, will be doing a dialogue sermon. David will be working with our Men's and Family Ministries, and Jamalyn will be working with our Children's Ministries. SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7—To Forgive Do we carry any resentments against others that
prevent us from living fully and completely? SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14—To Love Valentine's Day is a good time to remember Jesus’
Great Commandment "to love." To love God with our whole being and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
Scripture says “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” God gives us just one day at a time. When we overcome procrastination and recognize the small steps we can take today towards a better life for ourselves and our community, God can use us all to transform the world. NOW IS THE TIME!! Grace and Peace,
Kent Millard
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staff
together in ministry everyday
David & Jamalyn’s Excellent Adventures by Lori Crantford
LEFT: Jamalyn, David,
Margaret and Nathan Williamson LEFT: Jamalyn, David and young Margaret with orphans in Haiti
One evening in , David Williamson and Jamalyn Peigh were meeting friends at Smee’s. What you need to understand is that this was not just your average friendly get-together. This was the night of David’s Big Test. You see, David and Jamalyn had recently become engaged, and this was the night that David was thrown—rather like the
Excellent adventures like this seem to be an integral part of David and Jamalyn Williamson’s lives. Their newest adventure, of course, is joining the staff of St. Luke’s beginning January . David will be a full-time Associate Pastor of Family Ministries, and Jamalyn will be a threequarter time Associate Pastor of Children’s Ministries.
Bible’s Daniel—into the lion’s den of Jamalyn’s friends, to be questioned mercilessly so as to determine whether he was suitable to marry Jamalyn. I didn’t ask David if he would rather have been thrown into a pit of lions, but I’m sure you can when you meet him if you want.
They are currently living and working in Milroy, Indiana, where David is the Pastor of Milroy United Methodist Church. Milroy has a population of around , Milroy UMC has membership of around with an average attendance of , and it is important to note that Milroy, Indiana does not have a gas station. It would have been very important for me to have noted the lack of refueling capabilities before I drove there to interview the Williamsons, but it is enough that I am passing on this vital information to you. So that you don’t have to have an excellent adventure like me. But that’s another story.
As the Big Test was about to commence, however, Dave seemed distracted, unable to focus on the very important task at hand. Jamalyn pulled him aside. “You’re gonna get grilled, and you need to pass the test. What is going on?” Turns out what was going on was that Dave couldn’t keep his mind off the fact that also sitting in Smee’s that evening was a young quarterback named Peyton Manning. Dave is from Tennessee, is a huge Tennessee Volunteers fan (where Manning QB’d in college), and, well, it was just too much for one man to handle. “Oh, just go talk to him,” Jamalyn advised.
“Panera.” Jamalyn suddenly says. “I’m looking forward to having a Panera just down the street!” David’s eyes become wistful as he quietly utters “Chipotle. And Chik Fil A.”
So he did. Turns out David and Peyton knew many of the same people in Tennessee, and Peyton happily posed for a picture with the soon-to-be-married couple. I don’t know how the grilling turned out or if it even took place, ‘cause if I saw my girlfriend’s fiancée making easy chit chat with Peyton Manning, my vote would be “heck yes.”
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David and Jamalyn’s adventures together began when they met at Duke University in seminary. They had both already graduated from college (David from Davidson College, Jamalyn from Purdue), but experiences in their lives led them to seminary. David was in his third year at Duke and was a Teaching Assistant in a class Jamalyn was taking as a second semester student . . . a situation which ironically ultimately led to Dave’s Big Test night at Smee’s.
They got married in January . Jamalyn graduated in May ; David had graduated in and had been working for the UNC Hospitals as a Pediatric Chaplain, and also at the Trilogy Learning Center. In August
JANUARY—MARCH
Williamson Trivia & Fun Facts they began a two-year adventure in Haiti. Jamalyn had taken a class trip to Haiti through Family Health Ministries, which is headquartered out of Chapel Hill, NC. Haiti had gotten in Jamalyn’s blood, so she and David made the decision to commit that time in their lives to the work and people there.
All about DAVE BORN in Paduka, KY; GREW UP in Brownsville, TN
During their time in Fondwa, Haiti, Jamalyn ran a sponsorship program, worked with administration, matched up and maintained correspondence with students and their sponsors (as we dubbed her during our interview, “the Sally Struthers of Haiti.”). David taught English to - grade students and built relationships with the teachers and administrators. It was through those relationships that community needs were discovered—like the need for a generator (Fondwa has no public electricity). While home during the military coup, the Williamsons raised , for a generator, which is what everyone should do when they have downtime during a coup.
PARENTS: The late Rev. Read Williamson and Sandra Williamson
And then there was the orphanage. David and Jamalyn spent three or four afternoons a week with the kids (ages -) who lived in the orphanage. “We just spent time with them, or helped with homework, or bathed them. There are caregivers there, but they don’t really give the kids any emotional support. It was really awful to leave,” David shares. “I don’t cry easily,” he says while Jamalyn interjects “He didn’t even cry at our wedding!” Laughing, David says, “Jamalyn had to tell me to pull it together. It was tough leaving there.” They returned to North Carolina in April before coming to their new assignment in Milroy in July . The Williamsons wanted to come to Indiana (which sounds like hah! can you believe they actually wanted to come to Indiana! when that’s not the case at all). Jamalyn is from Terre Haute, and quite a few Duke friends and acquaintances live in the area (like Brent and Lauren Wright), plus David’s mom lives in Nashville, TN. And, as everyone knows, there’s no better place to start a family than in Indiana. Their daughter Margaret was born in , and son Nathan in . Fresh from Haiti, David and Jamalyn thought their focus in Milroy would be on missions, but it turns out perhaps God had other plans. While they have taken several people from the congregation on trips to Haiti, an emphasis on families quickly became the focus of their ministry. “When we started there were two kids here. We’ve gone from that to a peak of or ,” David reports. “It’s a little lower now – probably kids in Sunday School, seven in youth group—but we have built a core of young families from scratch. The fun part for me is that most of the families either had not attended church or had bad experiences, but now they’ve come back,” David continues. “I’ve probably done as many adult baptisms as babies. This ministry has been a surprise to me, but it’s been incredibly rewarding, bringing these people to the church.”
SIBLINGS: One brother, Stephen COLLEGE: Davidson College, Art, 1998 WORK: Mountain T.O.P. (1994-1998), Salem UMC (1998-2001);
UNC Hospitals Pediatric Chaplain (2001-2002); Trilogy Learning Center (2003); Family Health Ministries Missionary (2003-2005); Milroy UMC (2005-2010) FAVORITE COLOR:
Blue
FAVORITE FOOD:
Chicken Parmesan
LEAST FAVORITE FOOD:
Tuna Salad
FAVORITE MOVIE:
“Dead Poet’s Society”
FAVORITE BOOK:
Catcher in the Rye
FAVORITE SINGER:
Paul Simon
FAVORITE RESTAURANT:
Chipotle
FAVORITE VACATION SPOT:
Destin, FL
FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM:
Tennessee (Volunteers, not Titans)
FAVORITE BIBLE PASSAGE:
Philippians 3:7-14 – “Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.”
PET PEEVE:
Water rings on tables
SECRET TALENT:
Excellent quilting stitch
FUN FACT: David has incredible recall of Bible verses. This is due to
his grandmother, who paid him $1 for each verse he could memorize every week, up to $5 a week. He tried to double his money by performing this feat for his other grandmother, but upon her demand that he first recite the five he had memorized the week before, he quickly settled for the $5/week from grandma #1.
The new families attending Milroy UMC started bringing their new-found ministry into the community, beginning or bolstering existing activities like Milroy Community Day each August (a day of games for children and service projects, a meal and
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together in ministry everyday LEFT: Amazingly lifelike wax statues of David & Jamalyn at Milroy UMC. Ok, it’s really them.
EXCELLENT ADVENTURE, cont’d from page 5
an overall celebration for the community); Christmas Community Dinner (free dinner for anyone in the community with games for children and a visit from Santa); Wacky Wednesday (an afterschool program for elementary students); and Milroy’s only food pantry. “When we came to Milroy, the church had a reputation as being the church you had to ‘dress nice’ to attend,” David says. “It was intimidating to people who weren’t comfortable with church. Now I think people would say our church is active and involved. These young families have helped create a positive atmosphere.” The Williamson’s pastoral work with families and children was not intentional, or as David put it “Not by our design, but by God’s design.” For David, this accidental ministry path started with his work as a pediatric chaplain, then at a school for special needs kids, and then the work in Haiti. His desire to pursue ministry was fostered while working at Mountain T.O.P. summer camp while at Davidson. As a program director, he worked with people who needed help with their homes. “Then at night we’d have worship at camp, and during the day I’d visit with these folks, and I discovered I felt drawn to these activities of visitation and worship.” David’s father (who died when he was six years old) was a pastor, and David grew up attending 1st United Methodist Church in Brownsville, TN.
All about JAMALYN BORN in Franklin, IN, RAISED IN Terre Haute PARENTS: Darrell and Lois Peigh SIBLINGS: Two brothers — Kyle (older) and Josh (younger) COLLEGE: Purdue University, Sales and Sales Management, 1997 WORK: Indiana Attorney General's Office Consumer Protection Division
(1997-98); McLeodUSA-Account Executive (1998-2000); Hinton Rural Life Center (2000 and 2001 --summer), Oxford Manor Children's Chaplain (2000-2001); Evergreen UMC (2001-2003); Family Health Ministries Missionary (2003-2005); Greensburg UMC (2005-08); Milroy UMC (2008-2010); Family Health Ministries--Fondwa Project Manager (2008-present) FAVORITE COLOR:
Orange
FAVORITE FOOD:
Ruth Chris steak
LEAST FAVORITE FOOD:
Sauerkraut
FAVORITE MOVIE:
“When Harry Met Sally”
FAVORITE BOOK:
Jayber Crow
FAVORITE SINGER:
James Taylor
FAVORITE RESTAURANT:
Carrabba’s
FAVORITE VACATION SPOT:
Destin, FL
FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM:
Purdue Boilermakers
For Jamalyn, her ministry leanings were fostered by that best of all recruiting programs: innocent volunteer work. “I was working in the Attorney General’s office in Indy when I started getting involved in various church activities. Eventually I started helping lead worship, and I realized I was feeling more comfortable in my church world than in my business world. I went to seminary not really sure what I would do, but I felt called. While I was in seminary, I was a chaplain for an afterschool program in an inner-city situation. I learned a lot, including that kids aren’t that scary. I was shocked by how much I love children’s ministry.”
FAVORITE BIBLE PASSAGE:
Luke 4:18 – “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free.”
PET PEEVE:
Cutting in line
SECRET TALENT: [unable to come up with a response of her own and in
response to David’s suggestion]: “Apparently my secret talent is I’m a good stain remover.”
So now David and Jamalyn’s Excellent Adventure brings them to St. Luke’s. “Excited” would be the adjective that both of them used when describing how they feel about coming here. “We’re excited to see what the possibilities are in a larger environment,” says Jamalyn, while David says “What excites me is working with families. I feel like we’re in the middle of it— parenting, marriage, finances, all the things young families are struggling with. I’m looking forward to sharing what we’ve learned in seeking out God’s wisdom.” “Panera.” Jamalyn suddenly says. “I’m looking forward to having a Panera just down the street!” David’s eyes become wistful as he quietly utters “Chipotle. And Chik Fil A.” These are things the Williamsons are also looking forward to on their next adventure. I’d like to add a couple to that list: Speedway, BP, Shell . . . (David and Jamalyn will be preaching at St. Luke’s on Sunday, January . They begin working here on January . Please help us welcome them and their children to the St. Luke’s family.) n
FUN FACT: Jamalyn has never seen one episode of “Star Trek,” nor one
“Star Trek” movie. She is quite pleased about this. It seems that David would refer to this as a not-so-fun Jamalyn fact.
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JANUARY—MARCH
together in ministry everyday | slc
St.Luke’s Open House January 10, 2010 by Mary Katherine Schnitz
Please plan to join us for the St. Luke’s Open House on January 10, 8:30AM12:30PM. Spend the morning visiting areas of the building that you have never seen. Have you been to the Spiritual Life Center? Do you know where the music department is located? Where do those teenagers hang out every Sunday morning? The Open House is the kick-off for the next T.I.M.E. theme, “Now is the TIME.” As a church family we want to help you with those New Year’s resolutions. What have you been meaning to do that you just haven’t found the time or support to accomplish in the past? Maybe 2010 is the year for real spiritual growth. Visit the Spiritual Life booth and gather information about upcoming classes. Take a look at the classes and workshops offered by the Health ministry. They can help with weight loss issues, smoking cessation, and addictions. Sign up for a “clutter class” and make 2010 the year that you really work on those closets. That information will be available at the Care Ministries booth. Visits all of the different “TIME zones” of the building, and you will be eligible to be in a drawing for great prizes. It will be a fun morning. Please join us. There is no TIME like the present. n
“Now Is the Time” to Accept a Challenge by Betty Brandt
So NOW IS THE TIME to hear old Biblical words in a new way and take action to love our enemies. Together we could make 2010 the Year of Compassion. Now that is a challenge! n
On November 2 at 12:45PM received a challenge! I remember the date and time because what initially seemed pretty ordinary, something I had heard many times before, became something I heard in a new way. What I heard was, “Love your enemies.” Those familiar words became a challenge because I was moved beyond my usual behaviors of cleaning up my negative brain chatter and praying for all those people who are annoying me in big and small ways. I was challenged to take actions that could be observed—to make “love” a verb and “enemies” the object. In the midst of my quandary about what action to take, I was bombarded with emails containing “The Charter for Compasssion.” People like His Holiness the Dalia Lama, Nobel Peace Prize winner Jody Williams, actor Forrest Whitaker and one of my favorite writers, Karen Armstrong, are spearhading an effort to replace the violence and hatred that we faithful Christians experience and tolerate with compassion and respect—love our enemies. “Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ouselves from the centre of our world and put another there…”
Go to http.//charterforcompassion.org call to bring the world together… The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.
The word they use is “work,” not just “think about” or “say a prayer.” What could we accomplish if each one of us did just one thing to further compassion and respect everyday. We could do small things like smiling at people we don’t like or turning off our TVs when something violent appears, or bigger things like writing letters of forgiveness and thanksgiving to people from whom we are estranged. We could take down the walls that separate us rather than put more bricks in.
It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others—even our enemies—is a denial of our common humanity. We
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special event
together in ministry everyday
A.J. JACOBS NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLING AUTHOR & ESQUIRE EDITOR
coming to St. Luke’s Tuesday, March , at As part of our Lent theme “Spiritual Spring Training,” author A. J. Jacobs will share his experiences while trying to follow—as best he could—hundreds of Biblical laws, which is chronicled in his book The Year of Living Biblically. The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible, is a New York Times bestseller and has garnered rave reviews around the country. For this book, he attempted to abide by the hundreds of rules in the Bible, from the famous (the commandments, be fruitful and multiply) to the often neglected (stone adulterers and avoid wearing clothes of mixed fibers). Jacobs manages to find humor in his attempts to comply with the more arcane strictures, but also, somewhat unexpectedly, finds comfort and meaning in both the rituals and the meaning of the Old Testament. The book has been optioned by Paramount Pictures.
A.J. Jacobs
Jacobs is the Editor-at-Large at Esquire magazine, where he writes feature articles (Universal Studios has optioned his article “My Outsourced Life.”) For that piece, Jacobs hired a team of assistants in Bangalore, India, to do everything for him, from answer his e-mails to read bedtime stories to his son. His most recent book, The Guinea Pig Diaries—My Life as an Experiment, includes that experience along with others, such as living a month of radical honesty. His first book, The Know-It-All: One Man’s Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World, a memoir of the year he spent reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica from A to Z, all million words of it. The book was also a New York Times bestseller. Jacobs has also written for The New York Times, New York Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, among others. He has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, Fox News, CSPAN, as well as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. For two years, he was an occasional correspondent for NPR’s “Weekend Edition.” Jacobs was also senior editor at Entertainment Weekly, and was a staff writer for MTV’s animated show Celebrity Deathmatch. For more information on A. J. Jacobs, visit www.apbspeakers.com or www.ajjacobs.com. n
Tickets are /person and will be available for online purchase at www.stlukesumc.com, as well as at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church. Credit cards accepted online; cash and check only in person. The event begins at ; Mr. Jacobs will sign books following his presentation.
COMPASSION, cont’d from page 7
acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion.
o to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity o to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings—even those regarded as enemies.
WE THEREFORE CALL UPON ALL MEN AND WOMEN
o to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion o to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate o to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures
We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world. Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity. It is the path to enlightenment, and indispensible to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community.
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lent
JANUARY—MARCH
Gifts & Talents Discipline
Acts of Service
Fasting Meditation Devotion Worship Spiritual Directors
Worship
The Call of the Cheeseburger by Chris Thornsberry
Discipline…yuck! That’s the first thought that comes to mind when I encounter the word “discipline.” I think I have to give up something or do something differently, and I pull back from that idea. Fortunately, I stumbled upon a passage of scripture that grabbed my attention and pulled me back from dismissing the word. That passage is Hebrews 12:11, and it states, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (NIV) This passage was underlined, circled, and highlighted in my Bible. I’m assuming that when I did all those things I was probably at a crossroad similar to where I am today. You see, I have this problem. I like cheeseburgers. Actually, it’s more of a loving relationship than anything else. The fact is that when I think about cheeseburgers I smile and want to run to the nearest Wendy’s. There’s something special about a hot hamburger with melted cheese, two slabs of bacon, and delicious ketchup on top. It’s almost irresistible. However, there’s a conflict. Cheeseburgers are not very good for me. Even though they taste really great, if I have too many, they will do damage to my body. So I was thinking, what do cheeseburgers have to do with discipline? Well, that’s simple. For me it takes a huge amount of discipline to stay away from those things. Sometimes it means not going anywhere near a Wendy’s (you can argue this point, but Wendy’s, in my opinion, has the best cheeseburgers). Sometimes it means taking my lunch to work instead of going out to eat. Needless to say, I have to watch what I do in order to make sure that I don’t give in to the call of the cheeseburger. Being disciplined about not eating cheeseburgers has also carried over into other areas of my life. Every day I take time out to pray and thank God for all the things that God does for me. I also take time each week to worship. When I say worship, I don’t just mean showing up at church on Sunday morning. I mean doing everything I can to give glory to God in all the things that I do. For me, worship isn’t a weekly ritual. It’s trying to live out each day in a way that is pleasing to God. I also take time each night before I go to bed to journal. One of the greatest parts of journaling is looking back on how far I’ve come in life. I always look back to the year before and read the entry for the day that I’m journaling to see where I was this time last year. I also take time to be silent every day. In the words of that great sage Ferris Bueller, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you
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Spiritual Spring Training Just like the major and minor league baseball players go off to Arizona or Florida to get in shape for the season, we all need to get in shape too— spiritual shape. The clergy, staff and volunteers from several program areas want to coach you so you’ll be better equipped to be fully in the “closer to God game.” Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, FEBRUARY 17 and continues until Easter on APRIL 4. During this time Kent will be preaching on the disciplines mentioned in this article—Worship, Prayer, Meditation, Journaling, Spiritual Direction and Fasting. Think of including those disciplines in your daily life as your own personal “Spiritual Spring Training.” On FEBRUARY 21 you will be given the chance to learn about your individual “Spiritual Type.” You may be a natural at swinging a hammer for God or sitting in meditation. You’ll learn what disciplines fit best with your strengths. You will also learn about disciplines that are a stretch for you. You will be invited to learn a new discipline or delve more deeply into an old one. Then like a great pitcher or hitter, it is practice, practice, practice. In the remaining weeks of Lent you will be encouraged to take advantage of the opportunities during worship, in Sunday morning and weekday classes and in special events. There will be service projects and times to celebrate successes. By Easter you will have left the safety of the grandstands to be fully in the “game.” You can’t lose in this game. Your efforts are guaranteed to bring you closer to God. n
together in ministry everyday
might miss it!” So it’s important to take time to look, listen, and be silent to maybe see or hear something I otherwise would have missed. When I practice these disciplines some amazing things begin to occur. I find that I have so much more time in my life to do the things that I have deemed important. I also begin to realize that God has graced me with gifts and talents that I can use to help myself and others. So maybe discipline is not that bad when I think about it. Scripture says it’s not going to be easy at first. My father used to tell me, “Chris, anything worth anything is worth working hard for!” I have come to believe that is true. Sometimes I find myself not wanting to pray, not wanting to be silent, not wanting to journal, not wanting to worship, or not wanting to fast. These are the times I have to be the most disciplined, because these are the times when I need God the most. By the way, I know I am not the only one out there who may be struggling with discipline. Everyone around me struggles with these same things. The good news is that you and I are all in this together and we can help each other to be disciplined about growing closer to God. Here are some quick tips on how to get going with some of these disciplines…
1. PRAYING. It doesn’t have to be long winded or sound like the King James Version of the Bible. It can be a simple, “Thank you God!” or “God, grant me peace and understanding.” God desires to communicate with us. You can talk with God wherever you are, whatever you’re doing.
2. FASTING. Yikes! Does that mean you have to give up eating?! Not necessarily. Maybe you should think about giving up TV for a day or drinking fewer Diet Cokes. The goal of fasting is to help us grow closer to God. So, instead of watching TV, take time to pray, read your Bible, have coffee with someone, or do something that brings you closer to God. If it’s cheeseburgers, then begin with giving up one cheeseburger.
3. JOURNALING. You don’t have to journal every day. Try starting with once a week. Be sure to write an account of exciting things going on in your life along with a gratitude list.
4. WORSHIP. Worship is doing things that are pleasing to God. However, worshiping through song, liturgy and teaching while in fellowship with others is very important to our spiritual lives. Take time once a week to worship with others, but also commune with God on your own.
5. MEDITATION. Some people confuse meditation and prayer. Meditation is simply being quiet and focusing on your breathing. Or as Psalm 46:10a says, “Be still and know that I am God…” Start with 5-10 minutes once a week to just be quiet. By the way, if you fall asleep during this time, that’s not a bad thing. Now is the time for us “to seek the righteousness and peace” Hebrews 12:11 promises. I know the way. You know the way. Practice our disciplines! PS: If you see me eating a cheeseburger feel free to say something. n
“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” HEBREWS 12:11
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youth ministries
JANUARY—MARCH
Get Plugged In in 2010 by Kevin Davis, Kathleen Headington and Matt Peyton
When we sat down as team to think about what the new year means to us, we got excited at all of the possibilities that a fresh start could bring. In addition to our usual new year’s resolutions (i.e. exercise less, eat more ice cream and play more games of capture the flag) we thought this would be a great time to unveil some new opportunities for both youth AND adults to get plugged into Live in Tune Youth Ministries.
We also recognize that with all of the stress and demands in the lives of our teens, it's important for them to be able to have time to hang out and relax with their friends. That's why we're also now providing Open Gym and Movie Time on every Sunday evening from :-: for our Senior High Youth. All youth grades - are invited to bring their friends and enjoy some fellowship time together each week.
After months of conversations about how best to welcome youth and their families, a number of themes kept coming up. We realize that in order to be a transformative ministry, we need to reach youth where they are.
The welcoming atmosphere continues through to Sunday nights as well. Junior High REMIX and Senior High LIVE! At the Lodge, will begin again with our brand new Winter Kickoff on Sunday, January 10 from ‒ in Luke’s Lodge. This is going to be a great opportunity to come together after the winter break and reconnect as we prepare for an exciting spring semester.
While this doesn’t mean knocking on all of the youths’ doors on Sunday morning to wake them up for church (although, Matt volunteered for the job—provided he has his coffee first), it does mean that we need to look at the needs of our youth and identify how we can best reach them where they are in order to help lead them where God calls them. So, what exactly does that mean? Well for the Junior High, it means embracing the huge developmental differences between a grader and an grader. Eighth graders have this new ability called abstract thinking. No, seriously, there are studies! The way you can teach an grader about the parables and Jesus’ life are vastly different than the ways you can teach a grader. Because of this idea, our Sunday morning Junior High ministry, Unplugged, will move to a format focused on small groups. Building on the success we had last semester in our confirmation small groups with Senior High youth mentoring Junior High youth, the groups will be broken up by grade level and gender, so that lessons can be taught in a relevant way to each of the youths’ lives. This also means that graders are free to be 6th graders, graders are free to be graders, and 8th graders are free to be goats. No, just kidding, we don’t allow goats in Luke’s Lodge. In addition to Wake Up at Starbucks where Senior High youth will continue to have the opportunity to gather and talk about their faith in relevant ways in the community, there will also be an on-site option called Wake Up at the Lodge, which will take place at Luke's Lodge from :: every Sunday morning.
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Speaking of exciting, we'll have the chance to experience a new winter retreat this year. Both Junior and Senior high youth (and their friends) are invited to join us as we head to Michigan for our Springhill Winter Retreat from February -. It's going to be an awesome weekend full of snow-tubing, basketball, swimming, worshiping with the band SevenGlory, and TONS of crazy fun with youth from churches all over the Midwest. Now here's where YOU come in! As we begin the new year together, we're thankful for the ministry volunteers who have said YES to being a part of St. Luke's Youth Ministries. No matter where your talents lie, consider this your invitation to being a part of a lifechanging ministry experience. Say YES to God's call in your life by being a part of the lives of youth at St. Luke's. If you've ever considered being a part of something incredible, NOW is the time. Contact Kevin Davis, Director of Youth Minstries at davisk@stlukesumc.com or 846-3404 x326. n
LEFT: Youth getting plugged in.
endowment | worship
together in ministry everyday
John and Betty McKinley: A Legacy of Silent Inspiration by Tricia Tomson On March 7, 2009, St. Luke’s said good-bye to a dear and faithful friend, John McKinley. Born in 1923, John spent 33 years working as an engineer at Allison Division of General Motors. He and his wife, Betty, became members of St. Luke’s in the early ‘80s, and were devoted Christians, attending church services every Sunday. They were also active members of the Elderberries for many years. Both quiet and gentle in nature, their faithfulness was unwavering, and the legacy they leave behind is a testament to their love for the church.
John became sick a couple years ago, first undergoing bypass surgery on his heart and struggling through myeloma on his arm. His long-time neighbors and close friends, Bob Waeltz, Jim Bethel and Sue Webster, cared for him during his last days. “John was a compassionate person who did not say much. But when he did, it was meaningful,” said Waeltz. John died on March 7, 2009, and Dr. Carver McGriff presided over his funeral.
“John and I first met at the George Vickery support group years ago and soon became very good friends,” said Bob Waeltz. “We started doing business together in 1996, and John and Betty soon became members of the Endowment Society, attending the annual luncheons each year.” John and Betty trusted in the work of St. Luke’s and its powerful message of God’s faith and love. The investment they made together in 1996 towards the endowment is a demonstration of the devotion they felt for St. Luke’s future.
John and Betty did not have any children or other immediate family to speak of—their John & Betty McKinley family was the church and the many friends they made over the years. Fellow St. Luke’s member and John’s attorney, Roger Reason, remembers John as “hardworking, charitable, quiet, but passionate. He worked hard, saved, and used his funds to make a difference.” His lifetime of hard work allowed John’s faith and love remained steadfast, even when Betty developed him to leave a bequest of over $300,000 towards St. Luke’s EndowAlzheimer’s and his mother and sister became terminally ill during the ment to help sustain programs and services, and provide for capital same time. He leaned on his church family, neighbors and friends, who improvements and missions for generations to come. John and Betty’s cared for him and prayed for him as he struggled through the most trylegacy comes in the form of a transformational gift to St. Luke’s future. ing time of his life. Betty passed away in 2003, and John started Their memory will live on in the hearts of those that knew them best spending his time volunteering in the church office a couple days a and, because of their devotion to the church, future generations will week, opening mail and answering phones. “John was a quiet and gencome to know them through the legacy they leave behind. tle man. The staff has missed him greatly,” said Julia Johnson, St. Luke’s Executive Director of Ministries. Bonnie McMenamin, Music With the addition of the McKinley bequest, St. Luke’s Endowment is Administrative Assistant, worked beside John during his volunteer shift currently valued at $2,512,000. If you are interested in learning more and remembers that “he was reliable, always on time and on task, genabout how you can leverage change and leave your legacy at St. Luke’s, erous, and brave to enter into a world of new phone technology during please contact Jim Price, St. Luke‘s Endowment Committee Chair, at his elder years.” jim.price@wfadvisors.com, 208-3726 (o) or 466-0112 (h). n
Sundays in the South by Rev. Marsha Hutchinson
No need for snow removal in this church's budget! North Naples United Methodist Church on Goodlet Road is always warm, sunny and welcoming to "snowbirds" and sun-seeking visitors from the north. For many years, this church has been a "sister" church to St. Luke's members who travel to Collier County to work on the Habitat for Humanity projects, and has also become a church home for many St. Luke's members who are now fully retired in that community. Like St. Luke's, the church is friendly and open.
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Senior Pastor Dr. Ted Sauter enjoys sharing the beautiful chapel at North Naples (see right) with pastors from St. Luke's who come down to preach "Sundays in the South." He even hopes to come to St. Luke's at some future date (and was also quick to add "but only in the summer!"). In a conversation about the community of North Naples UMC, Dr. Sauter commented, "We have a very diverse socio-economic congregation and surrounding community. There are many needs here as there are in all communities where people live. We care about people. It's great to have returning friends from St. Luke's."
grief ministries
JANUARY—MARCH
“How Can I Help?” by Rev. Marsha Hutchinson
team ort) leadership p p u S ef ri G er to help (Healing Und rself wanting u o y d n The H.U.G.S. fi u o y ggestions if offers these su wing a loss: someone follo helpful ink might be th u o y t a th s rpool, task 1. Offer to do n, shovel the driveway, drive a cary items). groce (mow the law p off “basic” ro d , n re d il ch entertain the amps t s h it w s e t o n a package of 2. Give or send u notes. for thank-yo en
HUGS Leadership Team (FRONT LEFT) Susan Whittleton, Marsha Hutchinson, (BACK LEFT) Donna Cripe, Denise Beck, Helen Vriesman, Becky Moody, Sharon Bowes, Denise Randall (NOT PICTURED: John Sullivan).
our gard calls y m o r f s r e w e flo s and 3. Drop off som eral months later when the card v or a plant se . have stopped
of the s (anniversary y a d l ia ec sp n ) ote o 4. Send a n ay of the deceased, holidays, etc. death, birthd emory you m l u f r e d n o w about a 5. Send a letter person. had with the y are mes of the da ti t a h W “ e: k s the tions li 6. Ask ques cult for you?” “What do you mis e?” the most diffi is pain feel lik th es o d t a h W most?” “ about d information n a s g u h at l 7. Offer physicagroup at St. Luke’s or any place th the H.U.G.S has support. nce, Your prese ! N E T IS L … RTANT 8. MOST IMPO words, is huge. even without
This is often the question asked of people who have experienced the loss of a loved one. “What can I do?” “Do you need anything?” These are well-meaning questions that come from others who feel the hurt and the pain for their friends or family members. In the beginning, people are anxious to “do” something to help. They want to bring baskets of baked items and come for a visit; and, because they care, people sometimes attempt to “fix” the grief by saying things like, “He’s so much happier now.” Though it may be true, those kind of statements don’t usually help. For those who grieve, loss is a time of chaos; people don’t really know what they need, and they usually utter a courageous, “I’m fine; I think everything is taken care of.” Loss is confusing and difficult both for the griever and for the loving friend. n
This year there will be only three "Sundays in the South" All services are held at 11AM JANUARY 31—with
Dr. Kent Millard FEBRUARY 7—with Dr. Linda McCoy FEBRUARY 14—with Rev. Marsha Hutchinson. If any of you are in the Naples/Ft. Myers area on those Sundays, come join others in the North Naples UMC chapel to greet old friends or meet new ones who seek to worship our Lord, and Savior, Jesus Christ. n
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church as family
together in ministry everyday
The Empty Nesters: A Church within the Church by Charlie Russell
Two families are relocated to a large metropolis. The first family initially feels overwhelmed by the size and the pace but quickly becomes involved in the social fabric of the city. They carve out a manageable portion to which they can relate and begin to find community. The other family is also overwhelmed at first but is unable to scale the city down to a digestible size and in a short time develops a sense of isolation and aloneness. The first family thrives; the second in time gives up and moves away. This is not unlike what can happen to new members of a large church. It’s a problem that all large churches face. How can a new congregant relate to such an enormous body of the faithful? How can the clergy possibly minister to so many? But those who have become members of the Empty Nesters Sunday school class resemble the first family. In fact it is family. Actually, it’s much more than that; it’s a church within the church. The Empty Nesters was formed in as a group of adults transitioning from “Honey, do you know where the kids are?” parents to “Honey, have you heard from the kids?” grandparents. Today it is + seniors who have experienced all that life throws at you. And through it all, the Empty Nesters has been a source of prayer and support to its members. Here are only a few of the many stories of love, support and faith that can be found among this group of “prayer warriors.”
Jim & Ann Townsend “On December 20, 2005, my wife, Ann, and I were in my doctor’s office when he put my x-ray on the screen, flipped on the light, and (with much hesitation) told me I had fourth stage lymphoma. In those few moments, my world turned upside down. After I caught my breath, I asked him to give me the bottom line. He said, ‘It is very serious and you have two years.’ Now I know the feeling a convict must have when he receives the death sentence. I was years old and had never had an illness worse than a cold or flu. I thought, ‘God, what a Christmas present!’ That was on December . By the same day, Ann and I were in the office of a highly trained oncologist. He informed me that I would need several treatments of radiology and chemotherapy. Because of my advanced condition, he gave me a double dose and put me in the hospital on January , . There I remained for the next days under large quantities of morphine to control the pain. The pain was greater than I thought was humanly possible to endure. With God’s help and lots of prayers, I was released from the hospital and sent home to be cared for by my beautiful wife, Ann, who is an angel from
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heaven. After four months of nurturing, encouragement and physical therapy, I was beginning to feel almost human. It has been four years since that dreadful day, and I am currently working part-time and playing golf four times per week. My doctor did not realize I am a person with great determination, and I have many people counting on me, namely my wife, my four wonderful children, my eleven ambitious grandchildren and my friends and insurance clients. The prayers and cards from the Empty Nester group were a constant inspiration to me in my fight for recovery from cancer.”
Jim & Lorraine Vollnogle “As charter members of St Luke’s Empty Nesters Sunday school class, a wonderful group of people who have become our extended family, we are more than attendees, due to a bond we feel for each other. We have received loving support through prayers and encouragement during sad times, challenges, and even good times. We feel so blessed to be able to share our difficulties with each other. In addition to Sunday’s class, we socialize once a month usually in each other’s homes. This gathering unites us further.”
Cathy Jefferson “You hope when you attend a Sunday school class that you will walk away after each class feeling somewhat spiritually uplifted and filled with thought-provoking ideas for the coming week. But you never expect to walk away from a class and feel like you just bonded with a new spiritual family. A few years ago, a group of Empty Nesters, who really didn't know me at all, took me under their wings and helped guide me through a serious, life-threatening illness with multiple surgeries and long-term lingering effects. They all cared deep from within. Sunday School wasn't just a book class—it was a super-charged Christian walk with a group of adults who uplifted me and guided me with a spiritual charisma like no other. I know, looking back, that their prayers, their love, and their caring was God's way of helping me and telling me that it was alright. I formed a bond that can never be broken and the interesting fact is that it continues to this day, not only for me, but anyone else who walks in those doors.”
Dave & Judy Woempner “What is the meaning of the word ‘friend?’ What is the definition of the word ‘compassion?’ How do we define ‘commitment?’ How do we answer our friends and family when they ask us, ‘What about your faith?’ or ‘Do you really believe in prayer?’ In the last few years, Dave and I have been what we call ‘tested’ by God. We have experienced long illnesses and losses in our families. I was fortunate to be a member of the Empty Nesters when my friend and a member of the class had serious heart surgery and experienced many months in the hospital
world missions
JANUARY—MARCH
New Directions followed by months of recuperation. Immediately the Empty Nesters class stepped forward, prayed and never left our sides. Every night for over three months at least two people showed up at the hospital to make sure I was taken out for dinner. Then during the five months of rehab that followed, there was always someone either coming by or calling to make sure we were okay. I define that as a true friend who showed compassion and had honest commitment. These people helped me survive a tremendous ordeal. Then this last year (the first of our marriage) we were again both ‘tested.’ Both of Dave’s daughters had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a few years ago. While on a month-long driving vacation to California, we received a call his oldest daughter had complications and was in critical condition. With just two phone calls to Empty Nesters, we immediately felt the love and care of the class with their prayers and concerns. Unfortunately, we lost Kristi. This is probably the worst nightmare a parent can experience. But we were once again able to define what a true friend is who has compassion and able to show commitment in the tough times.” A large church is like a city full of motion that can be dizzying if you don’t find a distinct neighborhood in which to live or family with which to connect. The Empty Nesters has been that family, that church within the church, for so many here and now gone. But so are all small groups within the church and their importance cannot be understated. Just ask Judy Woempner, “Do we have faith? Yes. Do we believe in prayer? Definitely. Does being the member of a group such as Empty Nesters really help? Absolutely!” n
with D’Iberville, Mississippi Friends by Al Dalton On August 28, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast of America. Eighteen hundred lives were lost, with over $81 billion in devastating damage. St Luke’s congregation gave generously to the Katrina recovery. St. Luke’s World Missions’ call to action was to lead volunteers in building the Seashore District Volunteer Center in D’Iberville, Mississippi. Over 200 volunteers from across the state of Indiana took part in the building process on the property of Heritage United Methodist Church. Through the building of the Volunteer Center, lifelong friendships were also built. I cannot begin to express how much the folks at Heritage UMC appreciate St. Luke’s. Dot Ellis of Heritage UMC said to me at the dedication “When you look back and wonder what you have done with your life, I want you to remember this,” and with that she gave me a hug and a thank you! St. Luke’s you can be proud! The Volunteer Center has housed over 7,000 workers since its opening on April 30, 2006 and was in need of some TLC. On November 13, 2009, St. Luke’s World Missions completed its last scheduled work trip to D’Iberville. Eleven people worked diligently all week to clean, repair and repaint the entire center. Like so many work trips before, I watched in awe as this project was transformed into something great. Again, the Seashore District Volunteer Center looked like it did the night we left it upon completion in April 2006. Annually, St. Luke’s mission teams have returned to the Gulf Coast to further the goal of Hurricane Katrina recovery. Over the course of these years, good friends have been made with other volunteers and the members at Heritage UMC. After the floods in southern Indiana, Rev. David Cumbest of Heritage UMC lead a work team to Indiana that helped with the disaster clean-up and rebuild in the Columbus area. They wanted to show their thanks to the Indiana folks who helped them through their disaster. The mission work and friendships continued in early November 2009 when Rev. Cumbest and his team joined St. Luke’s in Port Arthur, Texas on a Hurricane Ike recovery/rebuild work trip. Hurricane Katrina was this country’s worst natural disaster. Please don’t wait for another disaster to help someone in need. St. Luke’s World Missions can help you help someone. St. Luke’s UMC and Heritage UMC will come together to work together in 2010 around Memphis, Tennessee. Get for further information at www.stlukesumc.com/outreach and join us! n
BELOW: Seashore District Volunteer Center
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together in ministry everyday
Zimbabwe! Prayer! Hospitality by Rich Potterf ABOVE (l to r):
Girls at Blue Hills School Young men at Senga Secondary School helping with locating the storage tank for safe water First completed well at Senga Secondary School, Gweru. David Hogan inspects the installation Solomon and Catherine (Winnie's daughter) in Bulawayo Zimbabwe Team Doug Lark, Rich Potterf, David Hogan, and a young woman from Zimbabwe working at Indianapolis airport
[EDITOR’S NOTE: In August 2009, a group of men from St. Luke’s World Missions Commission, St. Luke’s Men Ministry, the Men’s Group at E. 91st Street Christian Church, and New Life International traveled to Zimbabwe to create wells to provide clean, safe water. You can find the story of this incredible mission effort at the following blog spots: http://solomonzim.wordpress.com and http://safewateringwerupart2.wordpress.com. The following articles are from Rich Potterf and Doug Lark, two members of that team, with reflections on their experiences in Zimbabwe.] Zimbabwe! Until several years ago, this was just another name of an African country on a map to me. I have met only one person who had been there or who had come from there. I work at St. Luke’s with a young woman whose name is Winnie Sibotshiwe, and she is from Zimbabwe. Several years ago she began asking me to pray for her family and brother, Solomon, who are in Zimbabwe. Solomon showed up in Indianapolis, unannounced, in January 2009. Prayer! Wow!! If you have never tried praying for something bigger, more unknown than yourself, your friends, or your immediate family, TRY IT! When Solomon showed up, I began a prayer journey that continues still. I have prayed for partners. The partners that God provided for the Zimbabwe project have prayed for guidance, vision, wisdom, direction, leading, council, healing, safety, boldness, faithfulness, understanding, compassion, finances, thanksgiving, and more partners with a heart for safe water in Gweru. We prayed as we departed Indianapolis. We prayed to give thanks for our safe arrival and transportation that was provided for us. We thanked God for the privilege to see the awesomeness of that part of His creation in Zimbabwe. We prayed for the protection and wise use of the large amount of cash that we had to carry on us because of the failed economy in Zimbabwe. We asked God to alert us or prevent us from making foolish
mistakes and choices. We prayed for trust in the partnerships that we formed in Gweru with people whom we had just recently met. We prayed for confidence that we would trust God to work in all of our hearts to complete the agreements. We gave thanks to God to see God’s faithful people worshiping in truth and spirit despite their circumstances. We asked God to open our eyes to needs other than safe water. We prayed with individuals we met in the street. We prayed for God to find us a way back out of Zimbabwe after our plans had collapsed! Ephesians 6:18 “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” And that brings me to my third thought. Hospitality! These folks were generous, warm and welcoming. Several times in conversations the talk came to a question. Why had we abandoned them? Toward the end of our trip, God provided Steve and Chris, who are 30+ year missionaries who live in Bulawayo. They had hosted a conference in Bulawayo the week before we arrived, and were recuperating at the same place where we were staying. They shed some light on the question. Only lay leaders, pastors and missionaries attended their conference, and there were only two or three people below the age of 50 in attendance. Their explanation: one third of the population has fled the country in the past 20 years because of the politics. Many of the ministry areas left also. The local economy cannot support pastors and missionaries. The collapsed economy means that an average family cannot even invite neighbors (or guests) for a meal (no money, no food, no gas to cook with, sporadic electricity, limited safe water). I recently read an article that said an artist usually had 15-20 guests, per month, looking to purchase his sculptures in previous years. He has had only one or two people come in the past year or so. The U.S. government does not recommend travel to Zimbabwe. We saw a two-day-old baby girl who had been cont’d on page 18
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world missions
JANUARY—MARCH
Give... to God What Is God’s by Doug Lark
In Matthew :-, the Pharisees were laying a trap for Jesus when they asked him about paying taxes to Caesar. “Show me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" "Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." This passage took a new meaning to me on our trip to Zimbabwe. In my work with New Life International, I am in constant contact with people missions in developing countries. I have previously traveled to Africa several times and thought I had a good idea of what to expect on this trip to Zimbabwe. So I thought!
The situation in Gweru was similar to Bulawayo. Nice homes, nice treeand flower-lined streets, factories, indoor water and sanitation and all the other signs of advanced culture. Just one problem: the country has % unemployment and the infrastructure is not being maintained and is falling apart. On the roads, there is very little traffic. In the stores, there is very little on the shelves. How can it be that countries with so much modern infrastructure and outwardly appearing prosperity have so little? Last summer, the country had a complete economic collapse. It wasn’t that long ago that the Zimbabwe currency was stronger than the U.S. dollar. Zimbabwe grew so much food that they were a net exporter of food. They also had a strong manufacturing sector. So what happened? It all collapsed. At one point last year, the Zimbabwe government was printing trillion dollar bills. Inflation got so out of control that people told us they went to a barter system. Businesses folded, shelves in the stores became empty. Water and sewer lines were not maintained. Savings accounts, pensions, the value of assets all disappeared. Almost everything a person owned became worthless. Finally, the government admitted monetary defeat and adopted the U.S. dollar as their currency. Even with the new currency, the situation has only slowly started to improve.
When we flew into Bulawayo, I was struck by how “westernized” the city looked from the air. Landing at the airport, there was a new terminal under construction (later found out that it had been “under construction” for -plus years with no work in recent years). As we deplaned, we boarded a bus that took us to an old sheet metal hanger, complete with birds flying indoors, that served as the terminal. My first reaction confirmed what I expected to find in Africa… infrastructure that was old and behind the times. As we drove into town, what I saw changed my opinion. Here were beautifully built homes and sub-divisions, nicely built buildings and quality roads (no famous African potholes). You could see where trees and flowers used to line parkways. There was a Holiday Inn. It is not uncommon for western hotels to be located in capital cities of developing countries— but in secondary cities? We drove to Gweru where we would be doing our work with Solomon. Traveling down the highway at kilometers per hour ( mph), an unheard of speed in my other African travels; I couldn’t help but observe the quality of the construction of the road, bridges, train tracks, etc.
While we were in Zimbabwe, the shelves were still mostly empty. At times we had difficulty buying bottled water. To order the battery or the water tanks, we had to pay the merchant in cash; then they would order it from South Africa and it would arrive several days later. Without a truly functioning banking system, businesses could not carry inventory and all transactions were in cash. We saw and smelled raw sewage running down city streets because the sanitation pipes were not being properly maintained. This was a country where most people were enjoying the comforts and conveniences of western lifestyle. They worked in factories or farms,
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together in ministry everyday
GIVE TO GOD, cont’d from page
they had savings, they planned on retirements, and they sent their kids to school.
Joyful Inaugural Event!
Now it is all gone. For those lucky enough to find work, the average wage (including teachers) is per month.
by Minnietta Millard and Nancy Spohn
Dry eyes were hard to find at 10PM on October 17 as Pedal for Peace closed its inaugural bicycling fundraiser for its first recipient, Mar Elias/Nazareth Galilee Academic Institute. This school in northern Israel seeks to be a world-class university of peace in the Middle East. This school educates Muslims, Jews, Christians, and Druze together in an environment that builds understanding and mutual respect.
So why am I sharing all of this? The thought that what happened in Zimbabwe could happen to us in the U.S. kept crossing my mind. I’m not suggesting anything, but what if all our material possessions suddenly became worthless? How would that affect my life? In particular, how would it affect my relationship with God? I kept asking myself, do I truly trust God to provide all of my needs, or am I counting on my (k) and savings account as a safety net? Sure, I (we all) had some financial setbacks this last year, but I still had my physical health so I could keep working. But what if it all disappeared? Would I still be praising God and giving God the glory? Am I giving to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s? An honest answer is, now that I am home in my comfortable house with food in the refrigerator, it is a daily struggle.
As the cleanup began, tears of joy came from all those involved in the planning and implementation as Maryjane Behforouz's dream (which was adopted by all) became reality, and as a terrifically demanding job was accomplished with class. Not only was the event successful in raising over $37,500, but all reports of the day were filled with exuberance and just a good ol' fun time!
The good news is that God is still at work in Zimbabwe. We saw it in the packed pews of the churches we visited. We heard God’s praise sung. As other missionary friends we met told us, the church is being strengthened as people seek answers. God is being glorified.
Between 350-400 people came out on an unusually cold October Saturday, gathering in team tents filled with food and supplies (like space heaters!) or snuggling in warm coats sitting in the bleachers watching bicyclers flying around the Major Taylor Velodrome. Team spirit ran high as each rider took a turn at winning a prize for the "Eye Rollers," "Grateful Treads," "Pedal Tones," "God B," "Zumbalocous," "Radiant Racers," etc. Naming the team was half the fun. Congratulations to the "Team Second Saturdays" and "Passionate Pedalers" (each raising about $2,600) for tying for the largest amount of funds raised from the 21 teams! Lots of riders had a fun time jokingly comparing their dowdy appearance and slow speed with the zippy and professional Marion University fourtime National Biking Champs team.
Matthew : - says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” That is a verse that we would say that we all understand. But until you travel to a place like Zimbabwe and realize that the money and everything that comes with it can disappear overnight, does the verse really begin to have meaning. “Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." I want to thank everyone for your commitment, prayer and financial support and for the opportunity to participate with St. Luke’s United Methodist Church and your service to meet the spiritual and physical needs in Zimbabwe. n [Doug Lark is with New Life International in Underwood, Indiana.]
ZIMBABWE, cont’d from page
abandoned and rescued by a great group family at the Rosedale orphanage. We saw kids who had been abandoned because they had AIDS or their parents had AIDS or had died from AIDS. The world walked out on them when their government went wrong and the economy failed. The question remained: Why have we abandoned them? That is the cry of their heart! They need someone to come so they can share their hospitality (as limited as it may be). They need folks to be hospitable to. They need someone to share in their walk, prayers, and faith. Pray about joining a future team to Gweru to work on orphanages, schools, churches, and helping to make their water safe. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10: Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! n
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social justice
JANUARY—MARCH
BELOW: Pedaling for peace RIGHT (top to bottom):
Planning committee (l to r): Dawn McCord, Darcie Chamberlain, Pat Hull, Elizabeth Miller, Vanessa Stiles, Jessica Sachs, Nancy Spohn, Maryjane Behforouz. (MISSING: Minnietta Millard) Raed Mualem, President of Nazareth Galilee Academic Institute Kent Millard at the microphone, A Zumba class Young pedalers There was never a dull moment as DJs and volunteers kept non-riders busy with Zumba, Yoga, good music, peace quotes, massages, prizes, and just keeping track of great riding. Volunteers were sensational, sponsors were generous, and teams (each expected to raise $1000) used all manner of means to raise money beyond the goal set by the committee whose plans first began nearly a year earlier. So plan now to be a volunteer, sponsor, team leader, or committee member for the 2010 Pedal for Peace to be held on Saturday, October 2! If interested in helping, contact Maryjane Behforouz (indianamj@gmail.com, 317-443-2632). Pedal for Peace is an event that promotes peace and connection throughout the world by raising funds for organizations that are transforming their towns, cities, and nations into communities of peace. In 2010, our goal will be much bigger, the event will be more fun, and our peace recipients will be author and activist Greg Mortenson’s (Three Cups of Tea) Central Asia Institute, and AWAKEN, an organization based in Muncie, Indiana started by an Afghan woman that is also building schools for uneducated Afghan children. Be sure not to miss this "born to spread far beyond Indy" event! n
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community ministries
together in ministry everyday
God, Show Me a Way to Better Care for My Daughter by Dave Boyer, Chair, St. Luke’s SAWS (Construction Ministry)
Amber’s ramp to freedom began with a site visit from Rik Hagarty, who surveyed the need, methods and materials, and discussed the rampbuilding process with Monica. Next, the prefab crew measured, cut and prepared the frame parts for Amber’s ramp. Tara Lineweaver sent out the call for two shifts of weekend volunteers (skilled and unskilled) from St. Luke’s to join the Second Pres workers. On the following Saturday, 11 volunteers assembled the ramp so Amber could safely enter her home for the first time. The following week, five more volunteers of the finishing crew returned to router and sand the handrails to complete Amber’s ramp.
Monica Duff moved her family from Evansville to Indianapolis to be closer to her daughter’s doctors. Her daughter Amber, who has cerebral palsy, uses a wheelchair nearly all the time. It was impossible for Amber to get into their mobile home with her wheelchair, and attempting the stairs was dangerous because of Amber’s jerky, unpredictable movements. Monica felt like they were prisoners in their own home since Amber could not easily come and go. These fears weighed heavily on Monica in church one Sunday morning. She tearfully prayed, “Dear God, show me a way to better care for my
The ramp built for Amber in two Saturdays took approximately 75 volunteer hours and $1,100 in materials. Monica’s relief and Amber’s joy could not be measured but could be seen in Amber’s expression after her first trip down the ramp. This story is replayed twice a week from February until late November by hundreds of St. Luke’s and Second Presbyterian SAWs volunteers from the two churches. In 2009: •
SAW’s completed 46 projects in 34 Saturdays, 33 Tuesdays, 32 Wednesday/Thursdays and 10 Fridays, a 53% increase from the previous year.
•
Volunteers worked 3,450 hours and traveled over 24,672 miles to and from the ramp builds in the Indianapolis area; each ramp averages 60-75 volunteer hours.
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2,924 miles were driven to survey and prequalify sites by the survey group; I made 85 site visits to qualify projects.
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Over $23,000 was spent on materials and 23% in savings was realized on material costs with the support of Hall and House Lumber, Mullin Tool Rental, and IMI Concrete.
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Grants totally $8,300 were received from Henkle Corporation, the Fisher’s Rotary Club, the Presbyterian Women’s Group and Ms. Ellie Thurston.
daughter.” During the sermon her pastor said write down your biggest worry and lift it up to God by placing it in the collection plate.
•
We partnered with 1st Presbyterian Church in Martinsville, Methodist Church from Dayton, OH and the city-wide Faith Hope and Love project this summer.
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Constructed the new stage in Luke’s Lodge lead by Ken Rainger.
The answer to Monica’s prayer came the next day when she received a call from Rik Hagarty of Servants at Work (SAWs). Monica’s pastor had heard of the work being done by SAWs and contacted them after reading her card from the offering plate. SAWs is a collaboration between St. Luke’s and Second Presbyterian Church that builds ramps for individuals who are mobility challenged due to cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, respiratory disease and other illnesses.
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The St. Luke’s Missions Building received a new ramp in November lead by Jim Hamilton.
In 2010, St. Luke’s and Second Pres SAWs’ goals are: •
Implementation of its new project management web system, developed by Robin Reese, Faith Presbyterian member, to coordinate, communicate and control projects.
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Reduce and find additional uses for scrap materials.
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Build more than 50 ramps.
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Raise an additional $15,000 in donations and grants to help fund the purchase of building materials, which average $500-600 per build.
TOP: Amber and her mother celebrating the completion of the ramp
Like Monica, hundreds of others pray for a way to help their homebound loved ones or to be freed themselves from their disabilitycreated prisons. You can help St. Luke’s SAWs through sharing your time, talent and resources. Join us in this rewarding local mission. Contact me at tbucket2@sbcglobal.net or Jayne Thorne at St. Luke’s for more information. n
BOTTOM: The SAWS mobile workshop
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JANUARY—MARCH
Outreach, Inc. Serves Homeless and At-Risk Youth by Jackie Reed
In Outreach, Inc. is preparing for a dramatic increase in the number of homeless and at-risk youth that are seeking guidance, services and a caring adult to help them face overwhelming odds. Outreach is currently working in high schools all over Indianapolis (North Central, Perry Meridian, Broad Ripple, Manual, Howe, Northwest, Pacers Downtown, Pacers East, Pacers West, Southport, Arlington, Tech, to name a few) with three full-time staff case managers. We have already interacted with more youth in the first nine weeks of this school year that we did during all of last year. This means we have more youth in need and presents overwhelming challenges for Outreach staff to meet the needs of our youth. Our Outreach street case managers and volunteers have interacted with over new youth since May . These youth have never connected with Outreach before. We have over young females pregnant and lacking adequate, fixed or stable housing. I have two stories to share. As you read these stories, please keep our youth in your prayers.
LEFT: Renee, Outreach Case Manager,
with youth and a Thanksgiving volunteer RIGHT: Youth with Outreach Social
Worker, Megan
An African Girl Finds a New Home, and New Hope… as told by her Case Manager, Michaela Early in , Adila ran away from home. Six months later she found her way to our doorstep at Outreach, Inc. Adila’s story is much like our youth here in Indianapolis, except the home she ran away from was in East Africa. After enduring years of abuse, while still a teenager, Adila was told by her family she was to be “given” in an arranged marriage to a much older man. From a strict Sunni Muslim African family, this was the norm. After seeing her mother suffer in such a marriage, she wanted none of it. A charity organization helped get her a student visa and put her on a plane to Indianapolis where she has relatives, but no money for college tuition. Adila loved her classes, but she quickly ran out of what little money she had. She not only was unable to pay her tuition and return for the next semester, she lost her student visa —the visa that enabled her to be here legally in the first place.
Through God’s grace, she found an attorney willing to help her file for refugee status and allow her to remain in the U.S. For months, she has been waiting on hearings to determine her status but still unable to work here legally. With a strong work ethic and desire to provide for herself, this has been a constant struggle for her. In the meantime, she would spend her time at the library (as many in need do). This is where she met Kristin, one of our Outreach street case managers.
With no place to turn, she moved in with a relative who lived in the area. While there, she met a man and started seeing him. Quickly, the relationship turned abusive, and Adila was astonished to find herself exactly in the kind of situation she believed she had successfully run away from. She ended up at a local shelter, with no idea where to turn.
Adila recognized she needed help, but because of her upbringing she was hesitant to have Outreach help her. Kristin was persistent and consistent. In just a few short weeks, Outreach has watched Adila go from a timid, fearful, hopeless woman, to a strong woman with hope, and eagerness to hear who God truly is. God stepped in and guided her to accept Outreach’s help. Though she is still waiting to find out legal status, she is now living in a transitional living apartment and volunteering at a local center for immigrants and refugees. Imagine all she has gone through in her young life, and she is helping others in need while she waits and prays for continued hope.
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together in ministry everyday
Second Outreach Story as told by a current Outreach Youth “I am a youth who is proudly associated with Outreach, Inc. Let me tell you why… Outreach has changed my life in so many ways! They helped me get my GED, made me a participant of the Step-Up program, and instilled in me the knowledge that I CAN be somebody.
Then Outreach asked me to be a participant in the Step-Up program, which is a -step process that uses incentives to motivate youth to complete necessary tasks to become healthy in all aspects of life. I am learning everything from how to get an apartment to setting and reaching financial goals. This has changed my life dramatically because now I have the stepping-stones to start building my own path in this world.
The day I signed out of school I went straight to Outreach to get my GED. Not only did they administer the practice test but they prepared me for the real test and also paid the testing fee. I earned the Honors Diploma. Outreach held a graduation ceremony for all of the GED and High School Diplomas recipients for , where we received numerous encouragement letters and other tools to help us enter the next phase of our lives. Talk about a way to get you going! I was so grateful to get recognized for what I had accomplished.
Outreach has never backed down from a problem I have, teaching me that where there’s a will, there’s a way. They have never refused to support and encourage me when no one else thinks I can succeed. They have been so contagious with their “CAN DO” attitudes; now I know all the possibilities that lie ahead in my path. I am going to be somebody someday…and I owe it all to Outreach, Inc.!” —Jani
“...Outreach has never backed down from a problem I have, teaching me that where there’s a will, there’s a way. They have never refused to support and encourage me when no one else thinks I can succeed.” —Jani, Outreach Youth
As I complete this article, I am thankful to St. Luke’s for the support given to Outreach this past year. Members of St. Luke’s have provided the encouragement notes, cards and letters for our graduation party, food, clothing, toiletries, and most of all prayers. In November our Stephen Ministry group provided much of Outreach’s Thanksgiving dinner and did the same for Christmas. This is my sixth year organizing our holiday dinners, and I could not do this without help from St. Luke’s.
We were out pounding on doors, putting up missing person flyers (as we had all summer) talking with people in the neighborhood. We had received a call the night before from someone from the area, thinking they had seen Greg at Brookside Park. They had gone back to a store where we had placed a flyer back in July and was certain the young man he saw playing basketball at Brookside was our son, Greg. Sadly, it was not. As we were pounding the pavement at Brookside, Greg was found in a wooded area by a cell tower in Martinsville.
I became involved with Outreach in by raising my hand at a Stephen Ministry meeting where someone asked for volunteers to cook sloppy joes for this “group of homeless kids.” Our Lord shot my hand up before I could even think. I became a meal provider, meal provider coordinator and drop-in center mentor in that order, all within a three-month period in . I know our Lord placed me with Outreach, as I was a lost soul after the death of our son Greg in . Greg was missing from June , until his remains were found on September , . The last place we looked for Greg was Brookside Park, on the Eastside of Indianapolis, on September .
Brookside Park is just blocks from Outreach. Each time I get a hug from one of our youth, I am getting a hug from Greg. Each and every time. I love these kids and I owe Outreach a big thank you for helping me to heal. As Adolf Hansen has often said, “We hope good will come out of tragedy.” For me, good has come from Outreach, Inc. n
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ABOVE: Case manager, Renee, with youth
community ministries
JANUARY—MARCH
IN OUR OWN BACKYARD:
The St. Luke’s & Fox Hill Elementary School Partnership by Alison Smith Even with the Christmas season just past, Fox Hill Elementary School is still celebrating the gift of the rewarding partnership that has been forged this school year. When the school year began, Fox Hill teachers and students were full of hope and anticipation of what this partnership between church and school could mean. Before the school doors opened for the year, Fox Hill halls were buzzing with over 100 volunteers fixing desks, landscaping, arranging papers and sprucing up the place. Principal Kathy Levine thanked St. Luke’s on several occasions for saving her staff “literally hundreds of hours.” Principal Levine says, “The Fox Hill staff and school community have really enjoyed and appreciated all the fantastic activities that have happened here during our first semester together. The teachers continually comment on the reliability and helpfulness of the classroom volunteers. The influence of having the "extra pair of hands" cannot be measured. The children have grown very fond of the adults who work with them.” Joy can be seen in the faces of children and volunteers alike. St. Luke’s members were able to help with classroom parties, activities and afterschool functions such as the Fox Hill Fall Festival. On any given day, 46 St. Luke's volunteers can be found in Fox Hill classrooms. The volunteer activities range from reading one-on-one, to working with math flashcards in small groups, to helping budding young artists with their King Tut sarcophaguses. One recent Sunday, Mrs. Marion Tewksberry, a kindergarten volunteer, recognized a little girl at church. It turned out that she was the same little girl whom Marion read to at Fox Hill. What a wonderful, simple connection to see how easily the faces of school and church can intersect. Our faith in our actions led to a fight against the flu. Lots of noses and hands were wiped, through the donations of tissue, hand sanitizer and disinfectant from St. Luke's members. While Fox Hill’s efforts are on-going, volunteers and students alike are enjoying time together in the media center, in the classroom and through student mentoring. Super-volunteer Alice Curnow, who spends five hours one day a week at Fox Hill, has reconnected with some young friends. Mrs. Curnow saw a picture at Fox Hill of a student she had formerly tutored at The Oaks Academy. Fortunately, she was able to find a time to continue those sessions at Fox Hill with the same brother
Volunteer Alice Curnow enjoys working with all ages of children at Fox Hill and sister. Alice's smiling face is such a welcome sight on Tuesdays as she scurries from one classroom to another, ending her day in the cafeteria with the After-School Achievers. Alice says, "It helps the children to work with a volunteer individually. I like seeing them achieve their goals. I enjoy working with all the different grade levels." Bud and Phyllis Bybee show Fox Hill time and again there’s nothing like lovin’ from the oven. The Bybees have been and can be seen at school events, typically with cake or cookies in hand, serving students, teachers and parents alike. The 5th Grade Musical, "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" had a great cookie reception thanks to the Bybees. Speaking of musicals, Monday afternoons you can find St. Luke's volunteer Carol Landis playing the piano for the after-school enrichment Musical Theater class. She and the children are working hard to learn the songs from "Once Upon A Mattress," which will be performed April 29 at Fox Hill. Principal Levine would like to emphasize her appreciation at the gifts of time, treasure and talent that St. Luke’s members have given. “We are very grateful to St. Luke's and look forward to many happy and productive years together.” n
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children’s ministries
together in ministry everyday
What Is 4/5 Fellowship? by Judi Hosfeld
4/5 Fellowship is an idea that began with parents who wanted their kids to experience another avenue of faith, fun and fellowship at church. What started as a brainstorming effort for the older elementary kids to feel more “plugged in” to church and to make closer friendships with the kids they see in Sunday School, choir, or in the church hallways, resulted in the creation of “4/5 Fellowship.” The mission statement of the group is “to facilitate friendship and community within the 4th and 5th graders at church, while creating opportunities for the kids to experience faith and fun together.” The students meet once a month during the school year for a theme-based activity at Luke’s Lodge on a Friday night. The evening begins with PIZZA! (We have proven statistics that show we can reach the kids’ hearts through their stomachs.) Thereafter, we discuss a scripture reading (that they eventually take home at the end of the night) and have a “mixer” event to encourage the kids to mingle. Then, the activities for the evening kick in—so far, we’ve enjoyed theme-based events of Fall Fun, God in Nature, Movie Night, and bowling, among other activities.
Our schedule for the rest of this school year includes: JANUARY 8: Swimming party at the Rivi! FEBRUARY 5: Treasure Hunt throughout the church MARCH 5: Service projects within and outside the church MAY 7: End of the Year Fun to celebrate our new friendships, and 5th graders look forward to joining the youth group! Though the events are already planned for the year, we welcome any feedback or suggestions for activities and events. Parents are always welcome to stay to participate in the fun or to help chaperone. This is a great time for all—and easy for the parents who attend. What’s not to like!? Students are always welcome to bring friends, though we find that students are more likely to mingle and get to know other St. Luke’s friends when they come on their own. The kids always leave with smiles on their faces, and yet another reason to love St. Luke’s. n
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ABOVE: "Let the Fun Begin." St. Luke’s kids "Creating Friendships."
the garden | oasis
JANUARY—MARCH
10% Giving Program Gets a Fresh Start by Beth Fried
Every month The Garden shares % of total Sunday donations to selected non-profit organizations. Initially suggested by Gardener and former Indiana Lieutenant Governor John Mutz, the % Giving Program started in . It began as a way for The Garden to give back to the community, to fulfill The Garden’s mission to share unconditional love for all people. In the nearly eleven years of the % Giving Program, The Garden has shared almost , with different non-profit organizations. Ninety-nine percent of those organizations are located in the Central Indiana area. In addition to the monthly cash donations, approximately half of the recipient organizations have received their own personal, professional-quality three- to five-minute informational video produced by The Garden. For others, The Garden has organized volunteer service projects and special item giving campaigns, like food drives. For , The Garden’s % Giving Program is getting a facelift. Rather than selecting a different organization for each month, recipients will be chosen quarterly, either one recipient per quarter or one small group of collaborative organizations per quarter. Leadership and Outreach Team volunteers decided that by creating more of a relationship with local organizations, more of an impact could be made on everyone involved, including Gardeners. The Garden’s first % Quarterly Giving Recipient for will be Fresh Start of Indiana. Founded in and operated since then by Gardeners Judy and Doug House, Fresh Start offers transitional support services to domestic
violence survivors who have made the brave decision to leave their abusive relationships. The Fresh Start mission is to assist domestic violence survivors and their children as they break free in their quest towards a non-violent, productive and self-sufficient life. Plans for the renewed program for the first quarter of include: Garden service themes relating to domestic violence prevention and recovery—such as getting a “fresh start” in life—taking care of others, and forgiveness. The Garden’s video production team has already created an informational video about Fresh Start, which can be seen on YouTube and The Garden’s Facebook page. Also planned are special fund and awareness-raising projects for Fresh Start; domestic violence information tables at both Garden locations; and increased media visibility. n For more information on Fresh Start, go to freshstartofindiana.org or call (317) 541-1655.
If you would like to experience The Garden yourself, services are Sunday mornings at :, : : at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre at The Pyramids, and at : at The Mansion at Oak Hill in Carmel. Get more info at www.stlukesumc.com/worship/garden, or find us on Facebook at facebook.com/virtualgarden.
Inspirational Gifts, Jewelry & Books Conveniently located inside St. Luke’s UMC Gift Registry Available
OASIS HOURS: TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY
10AM - 4PM SUNDAY 9AM - 1PM
S U P P O R T I N G
T H E
M I N I S T R I E S
O F
S T
LEFT: The Blessing Bowl: remember your personal wealth through your blessings
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L U K E S
membership
together in ministry everyday
WELCOME! The next opportunities to join St. Luke’s are: Wednesday, January 13, 6:30-9PM Wednesday, February 10, 6:30-9PM Sunday, March 7, 11AM-12:30PM. Contact Sylvia Forbes at 846-3404 or email forbess@stlukesumc.com to register.
new members
The following persons completed the October, November and December membership classes.
October (top left) John Babione, Leslie Babione, John Bailey, Karen Bailey, JoAnn Erickson, Ben Forrest, Brad Frauhiger, Bob Hirschman, Jan Hirschman, Merribeth Hoffman, Leah Jamison, Jesse Jett, Loya Kelso, Melanie Kerr, Larry Ladig, Lisa Ladig, Jordan Ladig, Amber Laibe, James Parsons, Stephanie Parsons, Bob Richmond, Paula Richmond, Kellie Rumple, Lindsay Sappenfield
November (top right) Susan Barakat, Mark Bosler, Doug Cook, Becky Cook, Jennifer Cook, Teena Crist, Edgar Davis, Glenna Heath, Ronald Houck, Pam Houck, Steve Kosiba, Amanda Kosiba, Kelly Porter, Susan Toner
December 2009 (bottom three) Tom Ashburn, Cindy Ashburn, John Baker, Margaret Baker, Rashad Barksdale, Amy Bridges, Cindy Buchanan, Blair Buchanan, Deborah Bushfield, Berniece Carlino, Lois Christopher, Joyce Crowder, Jeffrey Day, Anthony Dean, Jennifer Dean, Jim Dickson, Julie Dickson, Andy Dillingham, Alicia Dillingham, Leonard Foy, Garret Harpe, Ashley Harpe, Carl Jacobson, Mark Lampe, Erica Lampe, Ann Lapp, Greg Loewen, Alexandra Loewen, John Loker, Wendy Loker, Larry Lovejoy, Linda Madagame, Mike Mathews, Laura Mathews, Sloan McCord, Gary Oxenrider, Linda Oxenrider, Nick Padula, Brenda Padula, Michael Robinson, Cathy Robinson, Kennedy Robinson, Greg Rogers, Kristin Rogers, Kelly Rogers, Larry Rose, Karen Rose, Jane Roy, Karli Shondell, Mary Slade, Jan Stevens, Kara Stolle-Foy, Madelyn Sundquist
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concerns & celebrations
JANUARY—MARCH
CONDOLENCES TO: Linda Clevenger and Beth Jahns on the death of husband and father Vic Clevenger Samantha Strantz on the death of her mother Sandra Bartenbach Laura Lowe and family on the loss of her mother Jane Rudolph Winnie Brinkerhoff on the death of her brother Robert Hisey Naomi Treon and family on the death of Norm Treon Friends and family of Pattie Stackhouse Terry Rinehart on the death of her mother Betty King Marguerite Deckert and Linda McGlothlin and family on the death of daughter and sister Sandra Newman Craig Stevens on the death of his grandmother Audrey Stevens Marcia Capron and Bonnie McMenamin on the death of Aunt Jean Grubb
CONGRATULATIONS TO: Joyce Winner on the death of her mother Margaret Sipka Betty Gerhart, K. K. Gerhart-Fritz and Monica Cochran on the death of husband and father Richard Gerhart
Mike Weaver on the death of his mother Adah Weaver Pat Sourwine on the death of husband Jack Sourwine Betsy Roby and Tom Ross on the death of their mother Helen Ross
Rich Wisman on the death of his father Lawrence Wisman
Natalie Thomas on the death of her father Larry Bontrager
Friends and family of Melissa Jensen
Friends and family of Richard Buschmann
Friends and family of Michael McDaniel
Friends and family of Jesse Silotto
Mary Miller on the death of her mother Doris Kenny
Friends and family of Juanita Bell
Nancy Keller on the death of her mother Jeannette Conard
Dan Wills on the death of his sister Pamela Sampsell
Joyce Kneisley and family on the death of James Kneisley Helen Boyer on the death of her father George Roehm Terri Coe on the death of her mother Margaret Coe Julie Johnson on the death of her aunt Vera Julia Kunz Family and friends of Karen Finney
Janet Hardy on the death of her mother Betty Schrader Barb Lollar on the death of her father Robert Lollar Paula Harper on the death of her mother Doris Carroll Jason Rose on the death of his grandmother Thelma Rose Sue Bahr on the death of her husband Bob Bahr Betty Crim on the death of her husband Ray Crim Friends and family of Joni McKenzie
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Lesley, Rodney and Abigail Hoye & Eric Troyer on their wedding of October Barb Clements & Gary Fuller on their wedding of October Katie Brown & Tony Wright on their wedding of October Nanette Schulte & Matthew Russell on their wedding of October Julie Cox & Chad Bocock on their wedding of October Amanda Baker & Kevin Patrick Mulroony on their wedding of October Angela Carlisle & Roger Waggoner on their wedding of October Liz Hood & Matt Griffin on their wedding of October Mollie Pletcher & John “Pres” Maxson on their wedding of November Kendall Potter & Luke Hinton on their wedding of December
Bud & Jo Zehr on their wedding anniversary
Andy & Jenny Noble, Hal & Barbara Noble Riceman, and David & Janet Ham on the birth of son and grandson Andrew Matthew Jason & Angie Barnes on the birth of their son Nathan William Andy & Sember Hahn and George & Marli Howell on the birth of son and grandson Palmer Mitchell Andy & Lisa Jankowski on the birth of their son Joshua Andrew John & Carole Veatch on the birth of twins Sydney Grace and Andrew Joseph Ben & Maggie Anderson, John & Marsha Anderson, and Skip & Susan Hallam on the birth of daughter and granddaughter Lydia Hart Brian & Amy Jones on the birth of daughter Vayda Noel
JANARY—MARCH 2010 NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID INDIANAPOLIS, IN PERMIT NO. 1569
Address Service Requested St. Luke’s United Methodist Church • West Street • Indianapolis, Indiana
LENT & EASTER ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICE
Wednesday, February , LENT BREAKFAST SERIES
LENT SPIRITUAL RETREAT
Saturday, March , -Noon Spiritual Spring Training, led by Betty Brandt, Barb Hale & Kent Millard
begins Saturday, February , , University of Indianapolis
HOLY WEEK: MIDWEEK LENTEN SERVICES
Six Wednesdays, February -March , Noon-: in Robertson Chapel SUNDAY, FEBRUARY , PM
Black History Month Music Festival in the Sanctuary with choirs and musicians from ten area United Methodist Congregations. This service is in support of the Barnes United Methodist Church Community Center, which is decreasing teenage and young adult crime in an inner city neighborhood.
TUESDAY, MARCH , PM
A. J. Jacobs speaks at St. Luke’s (see page for more details)
HOLY THURSDAY SERVICE, April ,
in the Sanctuary with communion GOOD FRIDAY SERVICES, April Noon and , Sanctuary Noon, The Garden at Beef and Boards
EASTER Sunday, April : Youth Sunrise Service Sanctuary Services: :, : and : The Garden Services :, : : at Beef and Boards : at The Mansion at Oak Hill Later@St. Luke’s,