 DID YOU KNOW St. Luke’s has a Care Team Ministry?
DID YOU KNOW this Ministry has been an active part of St. Luke’s for several decades? DID YOU KNOW we have supported hundreds of members since inception? WELL, WHETHER YOU KNEW IT OR NOT, let me tell you all about it! How did it all start? In 1991, Pastor Mary Dodgson established the Stephen Ministry Program with a couple of St. Luke’s members. This Ministry included the care of homebound members. The name for this Ministry was changed to the Care Team in 2005 by Pastor Linda Willette and our long-time member, Margaret Dahl. The purpose of the Care Team is to provide support to aging, homebound, and chronically ill members, along with others who request our care. How does this work and what do we do as Care Team Ministers? The Team meets every other month or so to address several topics: After an opening devotion, we talk about CARE for the CAREGIVERS, which is our Team. We share with each other our recent ups and downs in life, including our own prayer needs. This is a very personal and intimate time that bonds us together as we prepare to provide support to others. Rob maintains a list of recipients of the Ministry and their respective Caregiver. We make contact with our members and share in conversation and visits, if requested. During visits, there is conversation, prayer, and communion is served if requested by the member, distribution of applicable Care Notes (found in the Narthex), along with other opportunities to help out where needed. We update the Team regarding the wellbeing of each member, how we can assist them, and lift them up in prayer. We also spend time reviewing and praying for everyone on St. Luke’s prayer list and address additional matters as they arise. Why do we do this? BECAUSE WE CARE! The members appreciate the calls and visits for so many reasons: Friendship, support, a listening ear, loneliness, hearing about St. Luke’s, prayer, reflection and forgiveness before receiving communion, and just knowing someone CARES. These visits also fill the hearts of our Care Team Ministers as we establish these special relationships. And, as Rob said in one of his emails to our Team: Thank you for your care and concern for others. You are living examples of the truth, “God cares for people through other people.” If you, or someone you know, would appreciate calls and/or visits, please contact the Office. We will be happy to help. There are several women and men who participate in this Ministry but we are always looking for additional Care Team Ministers. Please contact Rob if you are interested. TAKE CARE! Laurie Blanchard
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CAMP WAPO VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL HS MISSION HS SAILING
Winter is here, but Summer is coming… 2025 Registration opens on January 15. St. Luke’s is a Member Congregation which includes guarantee registration until February 15. There are opportunities for all ages. St. Luke’s chooses a specific time for Children, Youth, and Grandparents. There are a number of opportunities throughout the year for all ages. Find more at lakewapo.org Camp Wapo is on Lake Wapogasset Lake and Bear Lake in Amery, Wisconsin is a special place to encounter God's word, make friends, create memories, and build faith that will last a lifetime. If you went to camp, share one of your fond memories in a comment below. 2025 Summer Camp Weeks: St. Luke’s Registration Link is: Youth (4th-8th) July 6-11 = $700 https://lwlbci.com/stlukes-blmt Seed Camp (1st-3rd) July 11-13 = $300 Grandparent Camp July 13-15 (up to the 18th) = $225, plus additional participant costs. 2025 St. Luke’s Vacation Bible School - June 23-26 Voted #1 Vacation Bible School by Bloomington Sun Current. Make your plans now to attend. Worship, Story Time, Crafts, Science, and Snack makes for a fun-faithfilled day. More details to come in the months ahead… 2025 High School Mission Trip to Kentucky July 19-27. Located in Eastern Kentucky, an area rich in natural resources, natural beauty, culture and musical talent. It is also an area in which extreme poverty exists along with a high rate of people receiving government assistance. We help the people who are the working poor and are not receiving government assistance. These families have enough to provide for their family on a daily basis, but not enough to repair a home that is falling apart around them. Information Session and Sign Up is on Sunday, February 2 at 11:15 AM in Fellowship Hall. Cost will be the same as camp = $700. High School Sailing Trip for the Classes of 2025 and 2026. Cost = $500. (Dates TBD by those interested.) High School Students will be leaving their harbors and sailing onto the next adventure in their lives. A wonderful time of reflection and preparing for their futures. The trip includes living together on a sailboat, making meals, learning how to sail, having morning devotions and the students lead evening devotions. Each claims a Bible Verse for the year ahead.  Andrea Griner, although born in South Carolina, is a true Minnesotan! She is a Moorhead State graduate and her favorite place to visit is Duluth! Her background is psychology, sociology and human development. She has spent the last 22 years at Mount Calvary Lutheran employed as the Director of Faith Formation and Family Ministry. She has designed multiple ministries, led tons of retreats and wrote more curriculum than she can record. Presently Andrea is teaching Middle School Art at Nativity of Mary in Bloomington, writing a monthly newsletter called Sacred Ordinary and doing retreat work at Lutherpark in Danbury, Wi. Andrea has been a national speaker and teacher and is a Certified Spiritual Director. She considers herself a "free spirit" when it comes to ministry and loves to "play" in the biblical story. She refers to herself as a storyteller, a creator of sacred space, a "wanna be" artist, and a deep listener. She loves reading, "art-ing", pasta, her family and her dog Dudley! She is delighted to be working in a congregation again as she believes there is no better story to tell than that of Jesus'. Andrea has a husband Lyle who used to work at St. Luke's, two bonus "sons", a lovely daughter-in-law, 4 grandchildren, two sisters, a great brother-in-law, 4 nephews and one niece.
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