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Two St. Luke’s Options
1. Financial Health 2. Read the Gospel of Matthew Financial Peace University: Discovery Night Thursday, January 12 at 6:30 pm It has been a challenging year with inflation and rising interest rates. It will be especially hard for those of us carrying a balance on our credit cards from the Christmas Holidays. Stresses like this are hard on all of us, but they are especially hard on families. Study after study has shown that when marriages fail, over 80% of couples list financial problems as the major cause. So, when I hear that over 70% of American families are living paycheck-to-paycheck, right now, that is a concern. It is no wonder people are stressed out by money. What is a wonder is that we put up with that stress! Now, if you are one of the 70%, or you love someone who is in that group, then this course is for you. It can change everything, your money, your story, your life. At Financial Peace University, you can learn God’s ways of handling money. You are invited to see what it is about for yourself on Thursday January 12th. Once you have had a chance to see it, then decide whether this might be just the thing for you or someone you love. Read the Gospel of Matthew Begins Sunday, January 1, 2023 Jesus has changed the world for all eternity. To quote another Gospel writer, “It is Good News of Great Joy for ALL the People.” (Luke 10:b). A survey from 2021 found that 11 percent of Americans read the Bible daily. Trends in reading habits over four years showed that the majority of Americans never read the Bible outside of worship. You are invited to be counter-cultural by reading the Gospel of Matthew weekly or daily; alone or with others. Some complimentary scripture is included to fill out the reading plan. Enjoy! Weekly Readers: Attend Worship between January 1 – April 16 and you will hear a majority of the Gospel. This includes Special Lent Worships. Daily Readers: Read all 1,071 verses of Matthew. This is done by enjoying all the Worship Readings, plus additional readings Monday – Friday. This starts on January 1 and is completed April 16. Bible Study Options: Wednesday Night Study, 6-7 PM in the Great Room. Each week will stand on its own. Come as often as you are able. Contact: Mollee Erickson ([email protected]) Individual Study, Follow the daily reading plan. You choose time and place. There are Serendipity Bibles available in the St. Luke’s Library next to the Great Room. It provides questions and insights to deepen your study. Another alternative is to listen to it online, just 2 minutes a day: https://youtu.be/mgUWg3ZY_C8 Small Group Study, is one of the best ways to read the Bible. If interested, contact the office or Pastor Rob. The best days and times will be chosen by those interested. For those who are already in a Bible Study, please let the office know if you would like to open it to others. Questions contact Pastor Rob. Contacts: [email protected] [email protected] 952-881-5801 952-881-5801 ext. 103 Here’s the First Week: January 1-6 (No readings for Saturdays, or use it to catch up.) Jan. 1 – Sunday Worship. Matthew 2:1-12 M: Jan. 2 – Matthew 1:1-17 T: Jan. 3 – Matthew 1:18-25 W: Jan. 4 – Matthew 2:13-15 Th: Jan. 5 – Matthew 2:16-18 F: Jan. 6 – Matthew 2:19-23
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“…busy making Christ Known to the World.”
We had a multitude of angels in the sanctuary this morning. St. Luke’s Preschool Students praised God by lifting their voices in song. What a wonderful way to kick off the Christmas Week. Click here to watch. Christmas is one of the best times of year when people are open to hearing Good News of Great Joy. That is what the angels did inviting the shepherds to the manger, announcing, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” (Luke 2:14) It is what the shepherds did after they went and saw the sign, “a child wrapped in bands of cloth lying in the manger, the Savior, Messiah, the Lord. They returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” (Luke 2:20) So you are invited to play the role of an angel or a shepherd this Christmas inviting others to come and see. We have five opportunities in person – Christmas Eve Worship at 2:00, 4:00, and 10:00 PM Christmas Day Worship at 8:30 and 10 AM Plus we will live stream the 2:00 and 4:00 PM worships, which means they will be recorded for you to enjoy at your choosing. We opened with the children singing, let us close with the sending prayer from their teacher Ms. Candi. “Lord, we came here today to celebrate Christmas with song. These precious, deeply loved preschoolers worked so hard to learn the words and actions and they did an amazing job. We thank you for their joy, their families, and our school. We are grateful for the ways you work to bring people together and praise you for the reason we celebrate Christmas. God, we ask you to help us remember the true meaning of Christmas…the best gift you ever gave us. Jesus. We pray that you help us keep Him at the center of our celebrations, but also that we feel encouraged throughout the whole year to sing like the angels, shout the good news like the shepherds and take time to worship the King who was born for our salvation. Please keep us safe as we travel today and each day, be with those who may be dealing with difficult things, let them feel your love and comfort and Lord, show us the ways we might shine your light every day. In Jesus name. And all God’s children say, “Amen!”  This coming Sunday, December 18, at 8:30 Worship we will enjoy the long standing tradition of Lessons and Carols. Illinois Public Media shared some history in their recent blog.
Lessons and Carols grew out of the ashes of the First World War. In 1918, a 34-year-old former army chaplain named Eric Milner-White was appointed Dean of King’s College. Nothing could prepare him for the atrocities he witnessed on the Western Front when he volunteered for service in 1914. He came home believing that the church was failing the troops. How could he communicate a message of God’s love to those who had been brutalized and traumatized by war? Milner-White devised A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols as a means of outreach to those who felt alienated by the church or religion as a whole. Instead of a complicated mass, the carols service was simpler, alternating between choral anthems, congregational hymns, and readings. The resulting service had more drama and color, was more accessible and meaningful, and acknowledged the suffering of those impacted by the Great War. This gesture was particularly important to the town of Cambridge, which had lost 211 men from King’s College alone during the war. This loss prompted the Dean to include a prayer to honor the fallen, which is still read at the beginning of the service to this day. Although the readings, prayers, and music change from year to year, the tradition remains. Please join us as the St. Luke’s Choir leads us in worship. If Lessons and Carols are not your thing, the 10 AM Worship led by Jubilee Praise Team will happen as usual including a message. Both will have communion. May this coming Sunday prepare your hearts and minds for the miracle of Christmas, the coming of God in the weakness of a child, Jesus the Savior. (Updated from the previous post on 1/18/2022)
St. Luke’s is facing a steep year end deficit, $70,000, which is $15,000 more than we anticipated being at this point in the year. The church budget is only balanced two days a year, December 31st and January 1st. During the year there are peaks and valleys. And December tends to always be a valley. Read below to learn more about Church Budgeting. Thank you to those who have faithfully given their tithes and offerings throughout the year. Thank you to those who are planning to give a year-end gift. However, more importantly prayers for those who personally find themselves in a financial valley. Costs have increased considerably this year; although as I write this some prices are starting to trend down. It all comes down to: “Spend less than you earn.” or “Earn more than you spend.” Congrats to anyone continuing to read. Few people like to talk about budgets. Often people who hear the first quote above feel ashamed, guilty, or embarrassed. It is the people who resonate with the second quote that feel motivated, determined, and have a sense of pride. Why the difference? The first is focused on what you cannot have while the latter is focused on what you can have – The “Have Nots” and the “Haves”. “I can’t have that.” verses “I can have this!” Do you know what helps transform a person from a “Have not” to a “Have”? Living the promise, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” – Acts 20:35c There was a time in our life when Nancy and I were living beyond our means, due to a number of unforeseen circumstances that unfolded. Nancy and I were newly married. We bought our first home, thankfully only taking out a mortgage that, if necessary, one of us could pay for if needed. What caught us off guard was that the home had some unknown necessary repairs. If you ever saw the movie “Money Pit”, that is what we were living. Roof, pipes, carpenter ants and mouse infestations, to name a few. The extent of the repairs were not fully known for a number of years. As they kept appearing, I asked Nancy if I should quit seminary until we were in a better financial situation. Instead Nancy took on a second job, of all things doing bill collections. When a client said they didn’t have the money, she would reply, “Then get a second job; that’s what I’m doing calling you.” More came to light after things had settled down, Nancy finally told me that her mom was purchasing diapers and other necessities for us. Fast forward to today. Nancy is only working one job. I will be celebrating my 25th anniversary of my seminary graduation. We have a child in college. And most recently we now have four drivers. We are debt free, except for our mortgage - that is our greatest expense. The second largest payment we make is my tithe and our offerings. As a pastor I am called to tithe, giving a tenth of what I receive from the church (Numbers 18:26). I had grown to a tithe of my income, but upon arriving at St. Luke’s it was pointed out that my entire compensation includes the benefits that comes from the church, so a full tithe is to give 10% of all I receive. I’ve been asked, “How do you do that?” It’s Budgeting 101. Nancy and I are grateful for our blessings we receive and in turn joyfully share them giving thanks to God. Each year when doing our taxes I recalculate what we anticipate to receive and adjust our giving accordingly, starting with a tithe and then determining our additional offerings. This includes gifts to other organizations including supporting two children overseas, the least we could do with God blessing us with two of our own children. Financial Peace University – New Year’s Resolution: Learn how to budget faithfully. This is how I learned how to do our household budgeting. It is more than numbers on a page. It looks at your understanding of money, how to best payoff bills, how to build savings, necessary insurance, and in the end learning how to live a generous life. There are so far three households interested in this nine week class. It will begin in January on the day and time that works best for all who are interested. To learn more about Financial Peace University, follow the link HERE and then when you’re ready contact me: [email protected] / 952-881-5801 ext. 103. Church Budgeting 101 How does the church budget? Pledges + History of Giving = Guestimation of Income Building + Programming + Mission + Staff = Planned Expenses St. Luke’s is required to propose a balanced budget to be voted on at the annual meeting. It comes down to Budgeting 101, “Spend less than we will receive.” or “Receive more than we spend.” Here’s the difficulty in doing so, we can at best guestimate how much St. Luke’s will receive. Everything is dependent on what members give and keeping expenses below that number. Currently spending is below projections, so much thanks to the Council and Staff for being diligent in spending. Also, thank you to a few members have made anonymous gifts for expenses not planned in the budget. Thank you to those who have shared their 2023 pledge. If you have not, please do so by Tuesday, December 15 to help the Council make the best decisions possible for year ahead. (Click here for the pledge form. You are invited to come and learn more about St. Luke’s finances. St. Luke’s holds two budget meetings the two Sundays prior to our annual meeting. Sundays, January 15 and 22, 2023 at 9:30 AM. Please make plans to join either or both. The Annual Meeting with be Sunday, January 29, 2023 at 11:15 AM. And one last reminder – 2022 Budget ends on December 31, 2022. Year-end gifts must be received in the office or postmarked on or before December 31. A gift of stock needs to be in process prior to December 31. Questions contact, Heather Kambeitz, Minister of Finance; [email protected] / 952-881-5801, ext. 106. Ongoing prayers and blessings, Rob [email protected] / 952-881-5801 ext. 103 |