 St. Luke’s Faith Practices and Neighboring Practices Learning Cohort will be hosting a neighborhood block party on Sunday, August 25 at 11:30 am. 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 on Sunday 8/11 and Sunday 8/18 between services. If you have any questions reach out the Leah DeSchepper at [email protected]
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 Site of the 2024 American Guild of Organists (AGO) National Convention!
I, along with over 1000 other organists from the US and around the world, descended on the City by the Bay for a week of concerts, worship services and workshops. It’s always an exciting time as attendees meet and catch up with their colleagues, hear and see magnificent organs and performances, and get educated on hymn leading, new technologies for both instruments and performance, and musicians’ health and wellbeing, among other interesting topics. It’s also a chance to hear and see the many wonderfully talented new organists coming up who will keep the organ relevant and vibrant in the future. Thank you to St. Luke’s Foundation for their financial support that allowed me to attend the convention this year. Also, many thanks to all of you who support me with your encouragement and kind comments. I am truly grateful to be able to share my musical gift with you every week in worship. Lori Murray  A couple of weeks ago, after undergoing major surgery, I encountered something very profound and special that I’d like to share with you. As I woke up in the ICU, I felt a distinct calm amid the normal disorientation. I realized that my nurse was holding my hand and was present to address my every need. I thanked her for that healing touch. She then told me she notices that same sense of calmness in most of her post-op patients each time she provides that touch. It was a human touch, yet it truly was a touch of God. What an angel!
Someone once said, "Of all the gifts we can give to people, the gift of our touch is one of the most priceless. Through our hands we convey a kind of radiance. A warmth seeps out from our inner fire, a wrap for someone's chill, a light for another's dark." “The touch of God, in essence, is God’s power contacting us to influence or change our lives. He could touch our bodies, hearts, or even circumstances; this divine touch can occur as we receive the Word, pray or when someone ministers to us.” I love hugs and have come to love prayers said with laying on of hands – the TOUCH. But not everyone likes to be touched or hugged. I like to think that they still feel and share God’s touch and presence in other ways. “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” - Leo Buscaglia I’ve been on the St. Luke’s prayer list since my first cancer diagnosis in April. THANK YOU! I have felt your touch. I have felt your prayers. I have felt God’s presence. I have received many blessings of love, friendships, care and healing. The power of prayer. The power of the human touch. The power and healing of God the Almighty. Thanks be to God. Let us all continue to share the gift of the human touch in whatever form that it is. Alanna Teragawa, Bells of Praise Director  We have had a wonderful start to St. Luke’s week at Lake Wapogasset Lutheran Bible Camp in Amery, Wisconsin. Thank you for your prayers! In a world marked by constant change, the Camp Wapo theme “ALWAYS” serves as a powerful reminder of God’s unwavering love for us. We hold fast to the promise that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8) As we live out called and claimed lives, together we’ll discover ways to connect to our ever present God. Inspired by 1 Thessalonians we’ll find those connections points by learning to “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstance” (1 Thess. 5:16-18). We are doing that at camp through Chapel, Bible Study, Campfire Worship, Evening Devotions, along with games, post-high school age counselors sharing their faith, and meeting new friends from other churches. Decades of a close partnership between churches and Bible Camps, raise up new church leaders who are passionate about sharing the love of God in Christ through innovation, fun, and engaging activities. Camp experiences among ELCA ministers are widespread and impactful. Two-thirds (64%) of survey respondents attended overnight Christian summer camp at least once, and a third (34%) served on summer camp staff. All told, nearly half (49%) of all ELCA rostered ministers agreed that their camp experiences were instrumental in their call to rostered ministry. I am one of them. No wonder positive views of camp are so widespread! Below are responses and pictures from the five St. Luke’s students and a post-high school counselor enjoying Youth Camp (4th-8th Grade) this week. There are three more students coming for Seeds camp (1st -3rd Grade) this weekend, and St. Luke’s also has a Grandparent coming with her two grandchildren, Sunday – Tuesday next week, to Grandparents’ Camp. Name of Student: Favorite Song – Favorite Canteen Item – Favorite Game - Best part of Camp - How many years at Camp. Alexus: Always - Lemonade slushy – Zookeeper - The people - 13 years. 1st year counselor. Chris: Always – Firework Faygo – 9 square – Chapel – 3 years Aubrey: Always – Lemonlime slushy – Chip noodle – Felt homesick, but cabinmates sang songs which made me feel better – I worship more here – 4 years. Levi: Always – Maltcup – Gagaball or 9-Square – Biblestudy, campfire and Chapel – 8 years. Skyler: Radical God – Cookie ice cream sandwich – Paddleboarding – Bible study – 2 years. Danica: Always – Malt cup – Chip noodle - Bible Study and singing – First year. Rob: This is Holy Time – Cookie ice cream sandwich – Exploding Enchiladas – Love watching campers grow in their faith - 43 years. A special thanks to those who took a card to send to one of our campers. Special request, Allie Erickson, who is a summer counselor would love some mail. She is here until August 16. Send to: Alexus Erickson – Counselor Camp Wapo 1204 74th Ave Amery, WI 54001 Prayers and blessings back to all of St. Luke’s! In Christ, Rob  Click on picture to watch video  Vacation Bible School was a great week this year at Camp Firelight. This year we had around 50 kids (more than last year) and many volunteers including many of our youth volunteers who will be going to NYC for our mission trip. It was so fun to see the world of VBS through the eyes of the children through the crafts, games, science, bible time, and even snack. Some of the highlights from VBS included- wanting VBS to last all summer long, the “dirt cup” snack made out of pudding and Oreos and making new friends. One of our songs from VBS, had a verse that keeps coming to mind: “I’m not alone, you're not alone, and we're not alone.” I keep thinking how powerful God’s love is and that we can do anything with God. I am so thankful for everyone who helped with VBS, including those who brought supplies, who volunteered, and for our wonderful families. For VBS this year for our mission project we did a book drive and collected over 100 books to use in our St. Luke’s Little Free Library. Jesus Loves You S’more Than You Know!
Click here to see the fun we had during VBS!  "Whenever I'm afraid, I put my trust in you." (Psalm 56:3) Campers start their day with fun songs led by Patrick and then Hank 10 and Rock join us to tell us jokes and teach us in their own unique way about the story and theme of the day. Campers are exploring timeless Bible stories showing how Old and New Testament Campers trusted God, faced their fears, and went on to do great things in God's name. Read along with the campers: Bible Stories: God Goes with Jacob (Genesis 28:10-22) Young Jesus Shares Wisdom (Luke 2:41-52) Jesus Calms the Storm (Mark 4:35-41) The Good News Sparks Joy (Acts 8:26-40) The theme and bible stories are reinforced with fun crafts, snacks, games, and science. Our mission project is collecting books for our Little Library. Donations welcome. VBS families are invited to join St. Luke's at FMSC on Saturday, June 29th 12:00 - 1:45. Join Code is LD9M24 Click here to sign-up online.  Vacation Bible School is coming right up and it’s one of my favorite parts of the year. When I was growing up my grandparents always signed my brother and I up for VBS and other camps/overnight camps through our church. My grandparents knew how important these events were to us. My grandpa Forrie also made sure that we would have the opportunity to go to church/Sunday school each week. He would drive out of his way to pick us up, bring us to church, and then drop us back off at home afterwards. He knew that doing these things would help build the foundation in our lives.
When I started at St. Luke’s in July of 2021, it was the week of VBS- The Rolling River Rampage. It was such a great way to get introduced to everyone and learn a little more how things work. That Wednesday of VBS, was unfortunately the day that my grandpa passed away. Part of me thought maybe it would be a good day to take off and grieve, but I also knew that Grandpa Forrie would want me to go to VBS and to not be sad. That day we learned so many touching songs that spoke to me and I knew I made the right choice. I look back on everything that my grandparents did for us, and I am so thankful. I am so glad I ended up at St. Luke’s as the Director of Children and Family Ministries and I know my grandparents would be so proud of me. Emily Hendricks Thank you to everyone who donated items to the garage sale. Thank you to everyone who volunteered to make the garage sale a success. We raised a little over $2,000! The money will be used to host community outreach events. The first of these events was on Saturday afternoon. Around 40 children enjoyed the Children's Event - bounce houses, popcorn, cotton candy, and more.
What's next for the Annual Outreach Event Team? St. Luke's Holiday Market and Fine Arts Festival. Friday and Saturday November 8th and 9th. Do you have something to sell or know someone who does? Click here for the Vendor Registration and information. Do you have any ideas or want to help? If so, contact: Deb Krieg 612-799-3686 [email protected] or Barb Roberts 952-412-5453 [email protected] We look forward to future events hosted by the Annual Outreach Event Team. I like to rise early in the morning, as dawn is the most fascinating time of the day for me. I know you can watch the sunrise, but did you know you can also LISTEN to a sunrise, in a manner of speaking? The process starts with a lone bird song. After about two minutes, another bird off in the distance will answer the first bird’s call/song. Shortly thereafter, a third bird will join in and so the process goes, until a symphony of bird songs fills the morning sky, along with the risen sun. For about an hour, one can hear an orchestral concert of sorts by many birds, some of whom you won’t hear for the remainder of the day. At dusk, the process reverses itself, until darkness prevails, and all is quiet, including the birds. So, the next time you sit outside and watch a sunrise, don’t limit yourself to just watching, try listening too, because there is so much more going on behind the scenes.
Needed! One more volunteer to complete the Audit Committee of three voting members (as required by the Constitution of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church).
Minnesota statute requires charitable organizations, including churches, with greater than $750,000 annual revenue to file an audited financial statement prepared by an independent CPA. St. Luke’s doesn’t quite meet that revenue threshold … yet, so we are permitted to conduct an internal audit. The primary purpose of an audit is to ensure that year end financial statements are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Secondary purposes include spot checks of church financial transactions and payroll reporting and ensuring the practice of using two tellers whenever counting money. Although not required, the Audit Committee may also review the minutes of Council meetings. Internal audits should be an annual process. If we complete an internal audit just once every few years, we likely won't get helpful results or make the best use of our time and effort. It's also helpful to use the same internal audit committee each year, if possible, to reduce or eliminate time spent on organizing the process. The bad news: We have not completed an internal audit since 2019. The good news: We are blessed by the professional expertise of our Minister of Finance, Heather Kambeitz, and by our Council Treasurer, Paul Sundet, and his predecessor, David Johnson. We are also blessed by the commitment of two prior members of the Audit Committee, Mike Kurtz and Mick Thorsland, to participate in the audit of our 2023 finances and Council activities. Again, we are asking for one more volunteer with a general business background. Specific accounting or finance experience is not required. We hope to start the process by the third quarter of the year, July 1st, at the latest. The process involves meeting with Heather and Paul periodically and should not take an unreasonable amount of time to complete. Think days, not weeks. If interested, please contact the church office, and either Paul Sundet (Audit Committee Chair) or I will follow up with you. Thanks and blessings, Mark Bergherr Past-President |
