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 It is an honor to I introduce myself as the newly appointed Church Council Secretary. Faith is a central role in my life. I see faith as trust in God and a call to action. When I was approached my immediate thought was no; but said I would think about it. That evening, I pulled out Each New Day by Corrie ten Boom and read several of her messages.
My prayer that night was asking Jesus to help me make a decision. I knew I wanted to say yes, but it was tempting to say No. Father, you know what is in my heart. Give me strength to accept and follow your call. May every decision I make be pleasing to you. I woke with a yes in my heart. So here I am to serve our church. My husband Andy and I have been members of St. Lukes since 1970. We were married in 1969 at Lake Nokomis Church and our pastor suggested St. Lukes as he was a friend of Paul Werger. We visited the church and felt very welcome and never left. Over the years I have been very active in the church, our children were baptized, attended nursey school with Mrs. Jacobson, confirmed here. I went on children’s choir trips, vacation bible school, and attended women’s circles. Currently, I lead Loaves and Fishes (if interested in helping let me know); serve Meals on Wheels and enjoy the Monday morning bible study group (a wonderful place for women to grow in faith). I thank you for your trust and confidence in me to serve and ask for your prayers for guidance. Many Blessings Jan Pankratz  Hello, St. Luke’s family!
I’m honored to introduce myself as your Church Council President. My family and I found our home at St. Luke’s after moving to Bloomington, and from the moment we walked through the doors, we were welcomed with warmth and kindness. This church has been a place of faith, connection, and community for us, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve in this role. My journey with St. Luke’s began with the Faith Practices and Neighboring Practices committee, where I developed a deep appreciation for the ways we live out our faith not just within our congregation but in the greater community. That experience shaped my understanding of how we can strengthen relationships, both inside and outside our church walls, to reflect God’s love in meaningful ways. As I step into this role, I am excited about the opportunities ahead. One of my greatest hopes for this year is to deepen our sense of connection with one another. St. Luke’s has always been a place where relationships matter, and I want to ensure that everyone -newcomers and longtime members alike-feels a sense of belonging here. I also have a heart for our youth and am passionate about making sure they feel supported, encouraged, and engaged in their faith journeys. They are not just the future of the church; they are an essential part of it right now. My hope is that we continue creating opportunities for them to grow in faith, build meaningful relationships, and find their place in our community. I’m grateful for the leadership that has come before me and for each of you who make this church a welcoming place. I look forward to working together as we continue growing in faith, service, and love. Thank you for being part of this journey, and may God bless our work together! Kelsey Newby Church Council President Meet Bev Brosam - St. Luke's Council Representative for Missions and our February Mission Partner2/4/2025  Bio: I first came to St. Luke's with my BFF Joy Rasmussen Dixon when I was about 15 yo. I joined in my 20's, and over the years I have enjoyed singing in the senior choir, serving as secretary on Church Council, supporting our congregation on Card Ministry, being a treat provider and serving on the Missions team. I believe serving others enriches not only the recipient but the giver. When we cannot afford to give financially, we can give of our time and talents. All contributions, great and small, have value to the recipient.
I love working with our Missions team, and I look forward to continue my ministry in a leadership role. I am retired after working 42 years at The Toro Company, I live with two toddler cats (one who is a possible future felon/cat burglar), I enjoy eating out with friends, and I host a Paper Crafters club in my home frequently throughout the year. At St. Luke’s our Missions is to be a welcoming and growing community of faith, busy making Christ known to the world. As you know, we do that in a lot of different ways. Over the Holidays, we supported Oasis for Youth and Kennedy Kids through our Giving Tree and Coat collections. I am pleased to report that we provided Christmas gifts for 39 kids and gift cards totaling $350 to Oasis and $740 to Kennedy Kids. In addition, during our Coat/clothing drive, we collected around 250 items: new and gently used coats, hats, mittens, scarves, and men’s and women’s clothing. I’ve taken 3 car-loads of coats and clothing to Oasis, and I have one small load yet to deliver. Thank you so much! Your generosity will warm heads, hands, hearts and bodies. February Mission Partner: Ebenezer Glenn Orphanage – Haiti Ebenezer Glenn Orphanage (EGO) in Haiti was founded by missionaries Don and Doris Peavey in 1972 when they moved to Haiti with their four children in answer to God’s call to serve. We've been supporting it for 7 years. Today EGO continues the mission that the Peavey family started. Their primary ministry is through orphan care to the approximately 71 children who call EGO home. These infants and children were placed in their care through Haitian Social Services because of deceased family members, parental abuse, neglect, and special medical needs. In 2012, Ken and Marla Drowley took over from the Peavey’s as on-site directors, and they handled the day-to-day operations up until 2021 when, due to the safety issues, they temporarily relocated to the United States. Ken and Marla continue managing the operations from the States. The Ebenezer Glenn team focuses on the long-term needs of the kids to ensure that they have the education and training they need to become independent, responsible, and contributing adults. EGO also serves the community by providing family support through:
Since Ken and Marla returned to the States, they have established a team of four Haitian staff to continue their duties and run the day-to-day operations including management of:
They meet often and make decisions as a team. Ken and Marla are in daily contact with them (when internet access permits), and Marla continues to manage their finances. While the borders have closed, EGO has developed a method to receive the funds needed to run their operation. Due to the gang activity in their area, they have requested that we keep their location and their methods confidential to protect their safety. State of things: EGO had been in the process of transitioning from dormitory lodgings to housing the children in smaller home-like structures with 6-7 kids per house and a staff “parent”. St. Luke’s helped raise money for bricks during the first two years of the project. Just before the gangs took over the country their last semi load of cement blocks was stolen/not delivered, and they had to put the housing project on hold. EGO has a small clinic onsite, but there are currently no doctors in their town, and they have to take sick children to far away hospitals through gang-controlled areas. The good news is that they are mostly self-sufficient. They have both traditional and hydroponic gardens, raise their own animals and crops for food, raise Talapia in a pool, make their own shampoo, soap and sundries (crafts which they teach to the children), and run on solar power, including a solar cook stove. In addition to the 4 on-site managing staff, they have 89 employees that help run and maintain the campus and school. In Haiti, education is not free. All families must pay to have their children educated. In 2018 there were a total of 73 children attending the Ebenezer Glenn school (56 kids from the orphanage and 17 from the surrounding community), in June 2019 there were 372 children enrolled in the school and today they have over 600 kids enrolled – most of whom are children from surrounding communities. Going to school provides kids in the community with an education, a safe harbor and a daily meal. Ebenezer Glenn truly is a blessing to the community. The cost to send a child to school is between $10-$30 per month or $100-$300 for a 10-month school year. This includes a uniform, books for all classes, notebooks, pens, pencils, compass, calculator for 6th grade, back-packs and all the other supplies necessary for students and teachers. I encourage you to go to the Ebenezer Glenn Orphanage website and read through their newsletters from 2018-2024. They publish just 2-3 a year, and they are short but very informative. I’d like you to get to know Ebenezer Glenn and see how the funds you have donated in the past have been used, and how funds are needed to continue with their future. Newsletters - Ebenezer Glenn Orphanage Over the years, many of you have enthusiastically purchased ABC blocks, with the funds going to help Ebenezer Glenn replace their dormitories and build new housing. Craig Brandt made a shelf to display the blocks as funds were donated. Now we have cleared the shelf, and we are once again asking you to purchase blocks with a donation for Ebenezer Glenn. We will be selling the blocks between services during the month of February (suggested donation of $5 per block or anything you can give). We want to fill and refresh the shelf with blocks, once again. A donation can also be made through your offering – just designate the funds for EGO. Proverbs 11:25 says “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” Blessings, Bev Brosam Missions |
