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Joyce Jacobson made a confession to me one Sunday morning, “Rob, I like your sermons, but I really like watching all the children in the Prayground.”
My friend and collegue Pastor Heather Roth Johnson asked on Facebook, “What are the best reasons for children, youth, and families to be in worship?” She received about 40 answers. Here is how she summed up them up:
Would love to hear your answer: Comment on the blog “What are the best reasons for children, youth, and families to be in worship?” Much thanks to heatherrothjohnson (sTORYBOARDINGCHURCH.COM) September 7, 2023/
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Love your Neighbor! St. Luke’s 2nd Annual Block Party
Saturday, September 20 from 4 – 7 PM. Come have some fun, enjoy some good food and greet the neighbors. One of most asked questions I get is, “Why don’t more people come to church?” Do you know what the number one reason a person attends a church for the first time – Because they were invited! Read the Blog from September 2nd Click here to learn more... Love God and Yourself! Wednesday Church Nights begin on September 24. Come get a mid-week Spiritual Recharge. We have dinner ready for you, and you don’t have to do the dishes. There are activities for all ages on Wednesday evenings; preschoolers to adults. For those interested in Bells and Choir, no rushing home to make dinner, simply come and enjoy. For Choir it can be dinner, Bible study, and rehearsal. Here’s the Timeline – 5:30 pm: Dinner-$3 each (suggested donation) Kids under 5 are free! We invite entire families for $10/household 5:45 pm: Bells of Praise Rehearsal 6:00 pm: Preschooler and Parent, Children's Ministry, Confirmation (with high school peer leaders) and Adult Bible Study 7:00 pm: Choir Rehearsal Block Party + Sunday Worship + Wednesday Church Night = A Great Week! The early Church met frequently-often daily-for fellowship and teaching (Acts 2:42-47). By the modern period, many churches adopted Wednesday evenings as a practical, culturally recognized midweek time slot. This tradition is rooted in the broader biblical directive to “not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing” (Hebrews 10:25). Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his, we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him; bless his name. For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever and his faithfulness to all generations.- Psalm 100 Beginning Beginnings. That is our Fall Theme as so many things will be beginning again. This Sunday is Rally Sunday, September 14 – The Choir is beginning again. Both Worships will be a little different, specifically opportunities to stay seated. In our current worship the Congregation is invited to stand and sit about 7 times. Some people refer to it as Lutheran Calisthenics. Furthermore, out of the 24 parts of 8:30 AM Sunday worship, with communion, the congregation is asked to stand for all but 4 parts: Announcements, First Reading, Sermon, and Communion, when not walking to the Altar Rail. It is meant to be more welcoming to new attenders. For the 10 AM Worship we will begin worship singing 2 songs and close with 2 songs. Just as students go up each year in school, so to we encourage the same for worship. The Prayground is for preschoolers and early elementary. Older children are welcome to assist the younger ones in both the prayground and Children’s Church. By sixth grade we encourage students to participate in worship, including helping as readers, ushers, tech team, and more. Last, but not least, please consider using the first 2 minutes following worship to welcome someone you do not know. First time attenders tend to be the last to enter and the first to depart. Your friends will stick around to talk with you, actually, they should be doing the same thing. Remember our Mission. St. Luke’s is a Welcoming and Growing Community of Faith, busy Making Christ Known to the world. See you at Worship! St. Luke’s Faith Practices and Neighboring Practices Learning Cohort will be hosting a Neighborhood Block Party on Saturday, September 20th. We are excited to invite all neighbors and members of St Luke’s to gather for food, fellowship, and fun for all ages!
The goal of the event is getting to know our neighbors! Some ways to do that include: 1. Asking Questions: How long have you lived in the neighborhood? What’s your favorite thing about the neighborhood? What is a skill you know so well you could teach others? 2. Practice listening more than talking. 3. Find the people you know the least! You can learn more about ways to engage with neighbors before the Neighborhood Block Party by joining the Faith Practices and Neighboring Practices members this Sunday, September 7 during God’s Work Our Hands. They will be in the Youth Room following both worships. Whether or not you can attend, you can still support the Block Party by signing up to bring any of the following…
Sun Current Readers’ Choice Awards Voting ends on September 13 at 10 PM. You can vote once per day. Vote Now! Follow LINK: https://apgecm.secondstreetapp.com/Bloomington-2026-RCA/ Scroll to “Religion” and Vote for St. Luke’s as Best…
Thank you to all who are voting for St. Luke’s. It is a wonderful recognition letting the community know how much our members and friends appreciate St. Luke’s; we’ve won awards 5 out of the last 7 years, including last year! “I am only one, but I am one.
I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.” ― Edward Everett Hale God has given you, me, every congregation, and all people something to share. The love of Jesus is made known best through our actions, caring for creation including all people. As the Bible Verse states, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” – Acts 20:35. This is the 10th Anniversary of the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) 2025 God’s Work Our Hands Video (https://www.elca.org/our-work/congregations-and-synods/gods-work-our-hands-sunday This year at St. Luke’s we are reminding people that this is not just a day, but a way of life. Along with Service Opportunities there will be a mini ministry fair. There are so many ways to be God’s Hands in the world in service, Worship. Evangelism, Community, Stewardship, and Discipleship – Simply What Every Church/Christian Should Do. Service Projects will include… Following Both Worships:
(There are even more that happen outside of our building)
Children’s Ministry Children’s Church For all of St. Luke’s Ministries browse the website (stlukesbloomington.org) Read the “Get to Know St. Luke’s” Ministry Handbook Thank you to all who share not only the Gospel, but their very lives… There is truly something for everyone. “…Do not refuse something you can do.” The earth and everything in it belong to the Lord. The world and all its people belong to him. Psalm 24:1
In the days and weeks ahead there will be children putting things into backpacks to head off to school and animals being left at home for the day. Lord we ask for your blessing for both and much more… Lord we ask for your blessings for the teachers, para-professionals, administrators, custodians, bus drivers, school nurses and social workers, volunteers, lunch room and hallway monitors, parents and especially the children. Lord we ask for your blessings on not only our pets, but all animals and creation itself; for veterinarians, farmers, forest rangers, and conservationists. Join us Sunday, August 24 as we offer blessings for the start of the school year, for our pets and all creation. 8:30 AM – Worship in the Sanctuary 10 AM Worship outside welcoming our pets to join and receive a blessing Let us extend our blessings to our neighbors by supporting VEAP, the Twin Cities’ largest food pantry, providing access to healthy foods (for both humans and pets), social services, and financial assistance. They also do a collection every year for school supplies. See the list below and prayerfully consider bringing a donation to share. Food Pantries list of most needed items:
School supplies most needed: (Please make sure all items are new.)
Traditional supplies requested:
For more information go to: VEAP.ORG Make a Financial Contribution or Volunteer
If someone new walked into St. Luke’s, What would they feel? What clues would they pick up about our culture? Would they see our Mission and Core Values being lived out?
In the Church Growth world, it is important for a church to regularly do a self-assessment. Does our Mission Statement speak to who we are? “St. Luke’s is a Welcoming and Growing, Community of Faith, busy Making Christ Known to the World.” Do we live out our Core Values: Service, Worship, Evangelism, Community, Stewardship, and Discipleship? – “Simply What Every Church Should Do.” If you were in church on Sunday, August 3, during the sermon/message those in attendance were asked to grade St. Luke’s on how we are living out our Core Values. The Respondent gave St. Luke’s an overall grade of a “B” (3.06) Below is the composite of the grades of our six core values: Service = A- (3.6) Worship = B+ (3.45) Evangelism = B (2.9) Community = B- (2.67) Stewardship = B (3.02) Discipleship = B- (2.72) What was interesting was that a third of the respondents also did a personal self-assessment. The self-grading was lower than a composite of C+ (2.22) Service = C+ (2.5) Worship = B- (2.7)) Evangelism = C (1.95) Community = C+ (2.35) Stewardship = C (1.95) Discipleship = C (1.95) The takeaway from this grading experience is that as a congregation we feel we are good, but there is room for improvement. Seeing that the individual grading was lower, think of it this way. St. Luke’s is only as strong as the members. So… · Want to see a church that has a deep passion for the mission? Then exude passion. · Want to see our church full during worship? Then attend worship. · Want to see a church that invites people on Sundays? Then invite people on Sundays. · Want to see a church where people feel welcomed? Then welcome · Want to see a church that gives generously? Then give generously. · Want to see a church that is growing in faith? Then make time to grow in your faith. Join us on Sunday, September 7 for God’s Work, Our Hands. All Six Core Values will be represented for ways in which you can grow in each area. St. Luke’s Core Values when we individualize the mnemonic -Simply What Every Christian Should Do.  from Kimberly Bihm, Manager of Fisher House
We currently have a single mother staying at the Fisher House supporting her 26-year-old son who is undergoing a long recovery process. He was airlifted from Germany four months ago, and she has been there for him every day. Without her by his side, he may not have made the progress he has thus far. His Mom is right across the street at the Fisher House so she can be there in a moment's notice if needed. She is at the hospital when the doctors make their rounds, when physical therapy is teaching him how to walk again and when the speech therapist is teaching him how to speak again. His mother has said more than once just how grateful she is for the Fisher House, the staff, and the volunteers. She wouldn’t have been able to afford a hotel for more than a week let alone food. After a long day at the hospital, she is so thankful to come back to a warm, homemade meal made with love by our wonderful volunteers! --- his story was submitted by Fisher House to share with you a glimpse into the services and hope that Fisher House provides to our veterans and their families. I was blessed to meet this young man and his family while we were preparing and serving supper for Fisher House on April 7. His family members travel from the southern United States, alternating so that someone is always there to support him. Without Fisher House, 4-6 months of food and lodging near the MN VA would be cost prohibitive for them, and he would not be able to receive the same rehabilitative care in a state closer to home. His grandmother approached me after seeing our own Kim Gaslin working in the kitchen cutting fruit and vegetables. Kim is blind from a traumatic brain injury from a car accident when she was 19 years old. Seeing Kim working and interacting in the kitchen gave his family so much hope and joy. Thank you for your support of Fisher House and for all who have volunteered to prepare and serve meals 4 times a year. I am looking for someone to take over management of this Mission event. It requires very little time and effort (2-3 hours every 3 months), and we have a great group of volunteers at the ready to help serve this community. Contact me through the office or via a yellow pew card if you are interested. Bev Brosam Missions Good Neighbors is a 501c3 charity focused on changing lives through Purposeful Relationships and Positive Experiences. Their work centers around the belief that: It is possible to make a lasting difference through serving others - a belief that they have seen become a reality, time and time again, through their ministry. Located in Eastern Kentucky, an area rich in natural resources, natural beauty, unique culture, and musical talent. It is also an area in which extreme poverty exists along with a high rate of people receiving government assistance. Good Neighbors help the people who are the working poor and are not receiving government assistance. There is another story, however, untold by the statistics and overlooked by government programs... and this is where our "Good Samaritan" story begins: Good Neighbors help working-poor families who have been "Mugged by Life" – whose resources are enough to provide for their family on a daily basis, but not enough to repair a home that is falling apart around them. Good Neighbors relies on people sharing their time to tend to the homes and those who live in them. It is funded through tax-deductible contributions from individuals and businesses. Funding does not come from government grants, nor do the mission trip fees cover all the expenses necessary to repair families homes. In a nutshell, Good Neighbors are funded by good neighbors - and it doesn't take a lot to make a big difference! St. Luke’s students experienced this firsthand. The twelve participants were divided into 3 teams of 4, each with an adult and three students. Each crew was directed by a Good Neighbor Staff member who served as the Site Project Coordinator. Pictured below are the crews. The work was important, but also were the relationships built between the homeowner, the Good Neighbor Staff, the local community, one another, and God. As one student said during our closing worship, “This was the most important thing I did all summer.” Thank you St. Luke’s for helping these students and adult leaders live out our mission, “St. Luke’s is a Welcoming and Growing Community of Faith, busy Making Christ Known to the World.” Look forward to having you hear the students’ stories in a celebration worship later in the year. Ongoing prayers and blessings…    The simple answer to that question and using the common response to “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?”, is “PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE”. While indeed that is true (more on that later), how singers from St. Luke’s choir came to represent the choir and the congregation on the famous Carnegie Hall stage is quite a story. Well over a year ago, St. Luke’s Choir received an invitation from Dr. Jennaya Robison, director of the National Lutheran Choir, and Manhattan Concert Productions to participate in a Church and Community Choir Festival at Carnegie Hall in New York City in June of 2025. Intrigued, more information was gathered and presented to the choir at their first gathering of the year in early September 2024. The response was quite unexpected, and it was clear we had well over the minimum number of interested singers to move forward with this incredible opportunity. Between October 2024 and June 2025, those singers committed to participating spent their own money and time in preparing and planning for the trip and the concert. Most of their work was spent learning the 7 pieces of music (which each singer bought out of their own pocket) to be sung at Carnegie Hall. Hours were spent on their own using Practice Tracks provided by the concert production folks to learn their parts inside and out. Nine group rehearsals were held here at St. Luke’s and Elk River Lutheran Church (a choir also participating in the concert). Needless to say, the practice, practice, practice got the choir to where they needed to be before leaving for New York City. Once in New York, the singers had plenty of time to sightsee but there was more work to be done. Dr. Jennaya Robison led three rehearsals with over 180 singers at the hotel where participating choirs stayed plus a dress rehearsal with instrumentalists (brass ensemble and organ) at Carnegie Hall. All the efforts came together on the evening of June 24th with a concert that included the church and community choirs, a youth choir, Mozart’s Requiem and a Louisiana wind ensemble. The concert was well received and all who participated were moved by the experience. This fall there will be a congregational event where all will get a chance to experience the concert on our sanctuary’s big screen. Look for more information to come out on this as we get closer to the fall. The simple answer to that question and using the common response to “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?”, is “PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE”. While indeed that is true (more on that later), how singers from St. Luke’s choir came to represent the choir and the congregation on the famous Carnegie Hall stage is quite a story. Well over a year ago, St. Luke’s Choir received an invitation from Dr. Jennaya Robison, director of the National Lutheran Choir, and Manhattan Concert Productions to participate in a Church and Community Choir Festival at Carnegie Hall in New York City in June of 2025. Intrigued, more information was gathered and presented to the choir at their first gathering of the year in early September 2024. The response was quite unexpected, and it was clear we had well over the minimum number of interested singers to move forward with this incredible opportunity. Between October 2024 and June 2025, those singers committed to participating spent their own money and time in preparing and planning for the trip and the concert. Most of their work was spent learning the 7 pieces of music (which each singer bought out of their own pocket) to be sung at Carnegie Hall. Hours were spent on their own using Practice Tracks provided by the concert production folks to learn their parts inside and out. Nine group rehearsals were held here at St. Luke’s and Elk River Lutheran Church (a choir also participating in the concert). Needless to say, the practice, practice, practice got the choir to where they needed to be before leaving for New York City. Once in New York, the singers had plenty of time to sightsee but there was more work to be done. Dr. Jennaya Robison led three rehearsals with over 180 singers at the hotel where participating choirs stayed plus a dress rehearsal with instrumentalists (brass ensemble and organ) at Carnegie Hall. All the efforts came together on the evening of June 24th with a concert that included the church and community choirs, a youth choir, Mozart’s Requiem and a Louisiana wind ensemble. The concert was well received and all who participated were moved by the experience. This fall there will be a congregational event where all will get a chance to experience the concert on our sanctuary’s big screen. Look for more information to come out on this as we get closer to the fall.  |