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St. Luke is a Welcome and Growing Community of Faith, busy Making Christ Known to the World.
St. Luke’s continues to live out its mission, living out God’s purposes: Service, Worship, Evangelism, Community, Stewardship, and Discipleship – Simply What Every Church Should Do Thank you to all who faithfully live out these core values – Simple What Every Christian Should Do. I listed off many of our ministries that make Christmas Eve Worship a success in the last blog, but I failed to also thank Bells of Praise. (I appreciated those who correct me. We are better together.) We had 340 people join for our Christmas Eve Worships. This was just one of the many wonderful things that happened in the past year. We will celebrate at our Annual Meeting on Sunday, January 25, 2026, following the 10 AM Worship. Please plan to attend. 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. As a community, we will end our year with a balanced budget. Thank you! St. Luke’s Budget Meetings. St. Luke’s holds two budget meetings the two Sundays prior to our annual meeting. Sundays, January 11 and 18, 2026. Individual Budgeting Opportunity My prayers turn to those who personally find themselves in a financial valley. Costs have increased considerably this year. 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 Financial Purpose – 4-Weeks to Better Financial Health. January 12, 19, 25, and February 2, 2026 Starring Diane LaFontaine, Council Representative for Stewardship One of the best things Nancy and I ever did was go through a Financial Budgeting Course. It is more than numbers on a page. It looks at your understanding of money, how to decrease debt, build savings, discover the necessary insurance needed for a safety net, and in the end learning how to live a generous life. Financial Purpose is Beyond Budgeting; it creates a Better Approach to Living. 78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. 70% have little to no savings. But God's wisdom offers a different path. Financial Purpose bridges the gap between biblical principles and practical application. We've created a framework that helps you: · Build confidence in managing money God's way · Create lasting financial stability · Experience the joy of generous living · Find freedom from financial stress This a four-week workshop. It will begin January 12. There is a book to guide our conversations. They will be available at the church the week of January 4. Cost is $18.00. For more information contact Diane: [email protected] And one last reminder – 2025 Budget ends on December 31, 2025 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. Blessings to you and yours in the New Year! Rob [email protected] / 952-881-5801 ext. 103
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“Good News of Great Joy for All People!”
The Angel’s announcement to the Shepherds is for you too! Gathering as a Church Family and welcoming all who join us: Candlelight Worship and Communion at 2:00, 4:00, and 10:00 PM. Completing our Advent Theme: Christ Be Our Light, there is a special gift for all who attend. A remembrance of The Light that Shines in the darkness did not overcome it. Come and See! Thank you to those who are helping make our Christmas Worship Wonderful: The Choir, Jubilee, Altar Guild, Communion Assistants, Ushers, Tech Team, Worship Assistants, Lectors, Treat Team, Dishwashers, Tellers, Welcome Desk Hosts, Greeters and Staff. There are still a few spots for you at 4:00 PM: Video Tech and two Communion Assistants. No Experience Needed. Contact the church office today: 952-881-5801 or [email protected] “Let us go with haste and see this thing that has taken place… Born this day is a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord!” Prayers and Blessings to you and yours, Rob "At Christmas play and make good cheer, for Christmas comes but once a year," attributed to 16th-century poet Thomas Tusser.
It's a proverb encouraging people to enjoy the unique festivities, generosity, and goodwill of the holiday season because it happens annually, urging them to seize the moment and appreciate the special time. For us it is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus, The Christ-Child, Messiah, Emmanual – “God with us.” Jesus embodies the love of God. A love that welcomes the Shepherds who by this time in history had become outcasts. A love that welcomes the Three Kings, Wisemen, Magi, who traveled a great distance following the star. They interpreted the star as a sign of a new king's birth and believed they were being divinely guided to find him. Here at St. Luke’s, there are six opportunities to celebrate Christmas in the weeks ahead 1. St. Luke’s Preschool Christmas - Thursday, December 18 at 10 AM 2. Lessons and Carols – Sunday, December 21 at 8:30 AM 3. St. Luke’s Children’s Pageant – Sunday, December 21 at 10 AM 4, 5, & 6. Wednesday, December 24th - Christmas Eve Worship at 2:00, 4:00, and 10:00 PM. Let us welcome all who come with God’s Love… Making space in the parking lot and in the sanctuary. If you are able, park further away from the main entrance. Door F will be open for the 2:00 and 4:00 PM worships. Making space in the sanctuary. Please do not ask someone to move if the person is sitting in “your” place. That is actually a comment on our Facebook Page, from a long time ago. Thankfully I reached out to the person and they attended again, finding us to be much more welcoming. Making space in your conversation. I encourage you to identify someone you do not know and introduce yourself. I like to call it the 2-minute rule; take the first 2 minutes after worship to welcome someone you do not know. The Community Life Team will have treats available. Make space in your heart. Enjoy Christmas again, for the first time. How will the story speak to you differently this year. You have six opportunities. Make space for loved ones. I still remember the last Christmas's with my parents, my niece, my in-laws. Christmas comes but once a year, and one Christmas might be the last. Prayers and Blessings to you and yours, for a very Merry Christmas… by Mark Roberts
There are many things this time of year that trigger fond Christmas memories for me: the smell of cookies baking; the warm glow of Christmas tree lights illuminating the house; the first few notes of Christmas songs by the likes of Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Johnny Mathis, Andy Williams or the Carpenters. These memory triggers are thanks to a childhood steeped in Christmas traditions such as driving around to see Christmas lights, shopping trips to Southdale with my mom or dad, and the general anticipation of the season as a kid. In addition, there was the annual trek to downtown Minneapolis to walk through Dayton's eighth floor exhibit, and in later years to also watch the Holidazzle parade. Christmas Eve was full of its own rituals, celebrating at my Grandmother’s house with aunts, uncles and cousins with a traditional dinner of Swedish sausage, Swedish meatballs, and rice pudding. After dinner, my parents would bring us to St Luke’s for Christmas Eve service, complete with the candlelight singing of Silent Night. Over the years, many of these traditions have changed or gone away: mall shopping has been replaced with online clicks, Dayton’s became Macy’s and the 8th floor Christmas display came to an end in 2016, and the Hollidazzle parade went dark in 2013. My grandmother died years ago, and the Christmas Eve dinner moved and changed. New traditions have arisen to take their place. But the tradition of Christmas Eve service at St Luke’s has remained an important part of Christmas for me. The congregation has changed and the look of the sanctuary has evolved over the years, but the feeling of an extended family has carried on, and the magic of the Christmas story continues to shine. And Silent Night is still sung by candlelight. Ultimately that is the Christmas message in a nutshell: God’s love for us, packaged in a baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manager, meant to bring hope and joy to all generations, has carried on for over 2000 years, despite an ever-changing world. It is the ultimate Christmas tradition. Whether this will be your first Christmas Eve at St Luke’s, or your 5th, or 10th or 59th, or too many to count, I invite you to take part in the magic that is the Christmas story and hearing it again side by side with family and friends. With services at 2:00, 4:00 and 10:00pm, and the option to watch online, I hope you find a way to worship with your St Luke’s family. Hello! I am Heidi Heitzman, and I’m excited to join the team in an office support position and be part of this church community. My faith has always been an important part of my life, so it’s a blessing to step into a role where I can support the work God is doing here. My husband, Mike, and I have been married for 24 years, and we have two wonderful kids, our son, Nathan, who’s a senior at the University of Minnesota, and our daughter, Paige, who’s married to Reid, and they recently welcomed a baby boy, Theo, who is now 11 months old. I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone and doing my part to help things run smoothly each day.  |