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Sunday, August 25th
The earth and everything in it belong to the Lord. The world and all its people belong to him. Psalm 24:1 A new school year is right around the corner, and what better way to prepare than having Blessing of the Backpacks and Animals. Join us on Sunday, August 25th for our outdoor worship at 10am (weather permitting). Bring your fury friend and/or your backpack to receive a blessing. The fall is full of new opportunities, like starting a new school, or having a new teacher, or maybe starting a new job or settling into new routines after summer. Whatever this new season of life brings you know that God is always with you. I saw a saying recently that says you can’t control the wind, but you can adjust your sails. Meaning that you can’t control everything that happens in life, but you can control how you react to those events. God of all wisdom and knowledge bless and guide us through this new season of life. Join us Sunday, August 25 as we offering blessings for the start of the school year, for our pets and all creation. 8:30 AM – Worship in the Sanctuary 10:00 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
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 Have you ever wondered what it takes to run a successful Sunday worship at St. Luke’s, or any church for that matter? Well, there are many moving parts to that answer, and I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that we could honestly be here all day if we discussed them all. So, for the sake of this blog, I’m only going to talk about one. Luckily for all of you, I think it just so happens to be one of the most important elements. The volunteers.
First, we must realize that a church, while many things, is a community. A place of worship that is, by and large, run and organized by the people who attend it and call it their “home church”. Whether it’s an official staff job or a volunteer position, St. Luke’s and many other churches rely on people stepping forward to fill the positions and do the jobs that need to be done. On any given Sunday, all it would take is a quick glance around for you to see these people at work. Whether it’s the ushers, camera, sound, or video tech, communion assistants, or any of the other dozens of people volunteering their time to the church, they are all around you. These people are the backbone of the church, unified in one coherent goal: Make this Sunday morning run as smooth as possible. I’ve had the privilege of volunteering as video tech at St. Luke’s for the past seven years, and I can say from experience that we could always use “an extra set of hands”, or many, for that matter. Now, I am admittedly a little biased. We definitely need more video techs, but we also need more sound techs, more camera techs, more ushers, and more volunteers in general. Stewardship is a core value of Christianity, and it’s a lot more than just tithing, which is still important, don’t get me wrong. Stewardship, however, is also the giving of time and talent. God calls us all to be good stewards, each in our own way. For me, and hopefully a few of you out there reading this, it is volunteering as a video tech. For others it could be communion, it could be as an usher, maybe the choir, or something else entirely. I’m almost positive I’m not the first person to say something like this, and I know the emotions that can come with being asked to devote time to volunteering. It’s easy to say, “I just don’t have the time”, or “I wouldn’t even know where to start”, or “too much responsibility”. Which are all perfectly understandable responses to such an upfront proposal. But I urge all of you to consider what “being a good steward” looks like for you. Ask yourself, what has God called me to do here? What role has he set aside for me here? Maybe it’s in a volunteer position, maybe it’s not. But It’s important to note that it’s never a lifetime commitment, and no matter how much time you spend here, the value is immeasurable. So, whether you join as volunteer at St. Luke’s or not, (which I really hope you do), praying and asking yourself questions like these, in situations like these, can be helpful anywhere. Not just exclusively at St. Luke’s, but in any avenue in life. “Whenever I’m afraid I will trust in God.” – Psalm 56:3 God is good! Joy and Laughter, Singing and Dancing, Sharing stories of God’s guidance, wisdom, and peace are making memories and building faith not only in the children we are serving, but the St. Luke’s Students, Adults, and friends who are leading. Advent Lutheran and Trinity Lutheran on the Upper West Side of Manhattan are enjoying their first Vacation Bible Schools in years. Advent’s last vacation Bible school was when St. Luke’s and Prince of Peace in Roseville came to New York in 2019. Due to COVID they were unable to do it the following year, nor the years after. They are so excited to have us back this year. We are sleeping at Advent where we lead vacation Bible school. The mornings come early with the students waking up at 7:15 AM, packing away all their personal items and the air sleeping mattresses that members of both churches shared with us. That is followed by a continental breakfast and preview of the day. The children start arriving at 8:30 AM with VBS kicking off with opening worship at 9 AM. This is followed by a rotation of Art, Science, Bible Story, Games, and Snack. We end VBS with a closing worship with the final prayer being a prayer of thanks for a good day and saying a table grace as we end the day with a community lunch. After the children go home, the students and adult leaders review the day and plan the following day, including singing the songs for the next day. Thanks to the Cokesbury Music Videos we enjoy the worship songs karaoke style, including movements with all the songs. Then we can walk 9 blocks to Trinity Lutheran where we are able to take showers between 2-6 pm. The time constraint is due to the church hosting, Trinity Place Shelter, where the homeless can get a meal, shower, and a place to sleep for the night. We will be serving with them on Thursday after VBS, preparing the meal and joining them at their table. On Friday we will be serving with Advent’s Food program. They rotate a food pantry with a hot meal every other Saturday. This coming Saturday we will be serving the meal before we go out for our last evening adventure. Yes, we are working hard, but we are also playing hard exploring the city. We’ve enjoyed the subways, which took us to Brooklyn going under the East River, so we could walk back to Manhattan across the Brooklyn Bridge. Yesterday we went to The EDGE, the highest outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere. One of the students in a statement of fear and trust said, “If this building were to collapse my first question to God would be, “Why did you make me fall so far, when I was already so close to you.” Thank you, St. Luke’s and the St. Luke’s Foundation, for helping make this mission trip a possibility. Students and friends are already excited for the future summer mission trip rotations, as we will continue with Good Neighbors, a habitat organization in Kentucky that former member Jason Benedict leads. I understand that was a long-time tradition for St. Luke’s. Although geared toward youth, adults are invited to join us. As for VBS in NYC five years from now, 2029, we hope we will have to find some new churches. The leaders of Advent and Trinity are making plans to have a vacation Bible school next summer. If so, mission accomplished, as we live out the Great Commission. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations…” These churches will be doing likewise, knowing that - Whenever their afraid, they just need to put their trust in God. Look forward to more stories of our mission and adventure, later this fall. Thank you for your prayers, know that you are in ours.
 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]  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 |
