together in ministry everyday
The Suntanned Do-Gooders Club by Lori Crantford
(l to r):
Being supervised on the job site. Getting serious about insulation. Raising walls. Rev. Marsha Hutchinson should keep her day job.
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If you’ve been around St. Luke’s for very long, you’ve figured out by now that there’s a group of some of the Smartest People on Earth in this church. You can usually identify them by their deep February tans, accentuated by their bright white smiles. Why are they smiling, you might ask? Did they get a tooth-whitening system and a case of spray tan for Christmas? While I can’t tell you definitively that they did not receive those things for Christmas, I can tell you that this group of the Smartest People on Earth have spent a week in Naples and Ft. Myers, Florida in January and February, helping build houses for Habitat for Humanity. I can hear it now. “What? Habitat for Humanity builds houses in Naples, Florida? For WHO? Have you ever been to Naples, Florida, Lori?” As a matter of fact, I have been to Naples, Florida, and the only reason I ever came back to Indianapolis was because, umm, let’s see, there must have been some good reason, like a sudden, violent allergic reaction to having the time of my life. Indiana in February will cure that right up.
Here’s the thing about Naples (I’ll get to Ft. Myers in a minute). For every jaw-dropping mansion you see, there are ten service industry workers who labor for minimum wage. These folks are washing dishes, taking care of pools, yards, cleaning houses, working in kitchens, driving school busses, etc. Their pay is low, but the housing costs are astronomical, according to Rev. Lisa Lefkow, Executive Director of Development at Habitat for Humanity of Collier County (www.habitatcollier.com). “The average twobedroom apartment rent is $1000,” says Lefkow, “and these folks are making minimum wage. That sets up the situation. The demographic is kinda like a third-world country—there’s not a lot of inbetween, just the haves and the have-nots.” So why isn’t this apparent when one drives through the immaculate, pristine Naples area? “We do a good job of hiding poverty,” Lefkow shares. “Maybe the housing looks good on the outside, but on the inside . . . in nearby Immokalee there are trailers with no potable water, exposed wires, code violations, broken floorboards with vermin. It happens in Naples as
January—march 2012
world missions | community
Sundays in the South well, but it’s very well hidden. There are areas, pockets that exist in our own backyards. In order to afford the rent on such low income, you might have 16 people living in a 900-square foot apartment.” Jamie McCaw had no idea she would become part of an annual group of other St. Luke’s members who spend a week of their lives each year helping these families attain decent, affordable housing when she first went on a Habitat trip to John’s Island, SC. Jamie and her husband Bruce have a condo in Bonita Springs, Florida, in the Ft. Myers/Naples area. “When I drove my van from Bonita Springs to John’s Island to work on the St. Luke’s Habitat project there, I fell in love with the work. So the next year I talked some of my New Song pals into going with me to a Habitat project in Ft. Lauderdale, which was a completely different experience—it was pretty rough, we worked with prisoners, it was difficult. The girls said “Why are we going over here when we could work in your area and stay in your condo?” McCaw remembers. “So we checked with Lee County (Ft. Myers) and started building houses in a neighborhood there. When that neighborhood got built out, they couldn’t guarantee us another neighborhood where we could all work together.”
A St. Luke’s tradition that sprung up in conjunction with the two winter Habitat work trips is Sundays in the South. The brainchild of St. Luke’s member Bob Zehr, who has had his hand in so many St. Luke’s projects as a member and former staff member that they are too numerous to mention (sorry, Bob!), this service for St. Luke’s snowbirds, vacationers and whoever may be around takes place at 11AM on Sundays, beginning with the St. Luke’s Habitat work trip team in January and typically ends with The Garden’s Habitat work trip team in February. It takes place at North Naples United Methodist Church, Naples, Florida and has since January 2005. Bob Zehr shares his thoughts on how the service got started: “Back in the “good ol’ days before St. Luke’s entered the video streaming world... the church staff often heard about how the snowbirds of our congregation were having trouble finding churches in southern Florida that felt like home. They missed the outstanding preaching and music, as well as not having the chance to visit with long-time friends. Many folks participated in the Habitat projects sponsored by St. Luke’s and The Garden... some met every Friday for breakfast... others found ways to keep their Indiana connections... but none of this filled their need for the Sunday morning St. Luke’s experience. “One winter day, (snowy and cold in Indiana, but a balmy 80 degrees in Naples, Florida) after hearing one more time how my parents, Bud and Jo Zehr, couldn’t find a church like St Luke’s in the area, I was driving around Naples and pulled into the parking
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January—march 2012
“When St. Luke’s arrives, we do a blitz build. They just swarm over a project! There is great camaraderie not only with themselves, but with the Habitat family doing sweat equity. It’s a beautiful thing to watch” —rev. lisa lefkow SUNTANNED, cont’d from page 5
By this time, the group was growing rapidly and keeping everyone working in close proximity was difficult, so the leaders contacted the Collier County Habitat offices, where “Sam Durso (President, Habitat for Humanity of Collier County) says he had to do a sales job on us,” McCaw says. “He took us to see where they (the Habitat families) had been living—it was awful. To see where they lived and learn what landlords had been charging was a real eye-opener.” Staying at the Retreat House conference center on Ft. Myers Beach had been working well in the beginning, but St. Luke’s members who had condos in the area would say “I can take people in” and soon most everyone was housed in the Florida homes of St. Luke’s members, creating a strong community. It was 2001 when St. Luke’s first started working with Collier County, and the group peaked at around 75-80 people. “When St. Luke’s arrives, we do a blitz build,” Lefkow says. “They just swarm over a project! There is great camaraderie not only with themselves, but with the Habitat family doing sweat equity. It’s a beautiful thing to watch.” There are more than 10 applicants for every one Habitat home in Collier County, which built just over 100 Habitat homes in 2011. “More than ten will apply, eight will qualify, and then when they qualify we do a screening process: visit, interview every member of the family, get an idea of the true need and reliability. The screening process is the hardest work we have to offer,” Lefko admits. “It’s heart-breaking, gut-wrenching. The people who make it lead to our program’s success. Are they going to make their payments, get involved in homeowner’s associations, be leaders? Our funding is being returned,” Lefkow says. “Our largest and most important income streams were income from mortgages rather than donations. That circle of helping people become contributing citizens and, in turn, providing funding so that we can help others is incredibly important.”
An average monthly Habitat mortgage is between $550$600, which includes an interest-free loan. Homeowners are responsible for property taxes and insurance. Habitat also helps fund the cost of materials and other expenses through partnerships. St. Luke’s is a Community Partner, contributing $4000 to Habitat... and then every year, the St. Luke’s gang donates another $1000 from their own pockets. “Each year,” McCaw says, “we’d ask every person to pay $100-$200, which we’d use to provide lunch for the whole crew each day, plus one or two dinners. We’d give $1000 to Habitat, and then we’d have $3000-$4000 left to give back to St. Luke’s World Missions. It’s like loaves and fishes.” I asked Jamie if she would send me some pictures of past Habitat projects. She was kind enough to do so, and wrote this note: “So many memories flood back while I go through the years of pictures... Great people and great times! I am thrilled that the Naples Habitat project continues to touch the lives of those working on their sweat equity, while touching the lives of those who participate in the build. I am not sure who gains more—a definite Win-Win for everyone.” Meanwhile, over at The Garden... not to be outdone in the Suntanned Do-Gooders category, a team of about 20 folks from St. Luke’s satellite ministry, The Garden, has been doing an annual build in the Ft. Myers area for more than a decade. Janet Harlan has helped organize the trip for a couple of years. “I started going to Ft. Myers Habitat right after my husband passed away in 2001. I wasn’t sure how much money I would have to live on at that time, but the bulletin talked about Florida in February and the cost was very low for the room and board—just had to get yourself there. “When we arrived, the fellowship was immediately wonderful, and I met friends that have remained special to this day. I was hooked that first time and have made — —
family ministries
together in ministry everyday
FAMILY, cont’d from page 9 So how does the church help families to do this work of creating healthy “soil?” Allow me to amend Kurt Bruner’s analogy a little bit. Certainly, the church does try to pour a little water into the lives of children through all its educational programs. But our hope as well is to give families a little “fertilizer” in order to help parents and spouses establish life-giving environments within their homes.
One of the new ways we’re doing this is through the new Couples, Inc. ministry. The “Inc” in the title stands for “in community”—our goal is to help couples within our church thrive in their relationships together, and we believe that the best way for a couple to thrive is to live in community with other couples. To that end, we launched five small groups for couples this past fall, and there will be more groups offered in 2012. These small groups are informal contexts where couples of all ages and stripes can come together—to reflect on their own relationship, to laugh at some of our common missteps, to share and care for one another. For those couples who cannot fit a weekly small group meeting into their schedule, we will also be offering one-day workshops and retreats, as well as “date nights” to encourage couples to have fun together (because one of the best ways to protect your relationship is to enjoy it!). At the heart of this new ministry is the recognition that the relationship that exists between spouses sets the tone for the entire home environment. At the same time, we also recognize the uniqueness of each family here at St. Luke’s—not all fit the “traditional” picture of family, and no matter the size and make-up of their families, all parents share the common ground of wanting to raise their children well. With that in mind, every 3rd Sunday of the month, your family is invited to participate in Family Fellow-
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ship night. We kick things off with a pizza dinner at 5PM, and then the kids break to their respective areas (youth head out to the Lodge; elementary-aged kids are welcome to participate in Mission Possible Kids; little ones go to the childcare area to hang with “Miss Bunny”). Meanwhile, we adults meet to work on the task of becoming better parents. This spring we’ll be working through a resource entitled “KidUnique” by Dan Webster. Just as each family is unique, so is every child, and together we’ll be learning how to tune into our children’s gifts, how to focus on the “miracle” they are and not just the “mess” they sometimes create, and how to generously communicate their gifts and strengths so that we can equip our children with the gift of true self. These are just two of the ways that we’re trying to help families enhance the “soil” of their everyday living— other opportunities include the IMPACT parenting conference in February, “Family Fuel” on the first Sunday morning of every month, or any number of parenting studies offered by the UMW or UMM. One of our recent participants in the UMM’s Raising a Modern Day Knight program offered this quote, which captures well what our hope is for all parents within our church: “I so appreciate the hour I spend here every week, because it gives me a chance to step back and think strategically about how I’m parenting and leading my family.” I love how he put that, because the truth is, when you’re down in the trenches of everyday living, it’s hard to step back and see the soil that you’re living in, it’s hard to get a clear picture of where you’d like to go. All you can do is simply react to the situations that confront you. But you come to a context where you join together with other couples or other parents, a safe place where you can share both your joys and your failures, a place where you’re challenged and equipped to change unhealthy patterns—well, you take some of that fertile soil of Christian community and mix it in with the soil of your own family, and you have a potent, life-giving combination. It’s a place where everyone—mom, dad, husband, wife, brother, sister, child—can thrive. And that’s what St. Luke’s family ministry is all about. n
community service
together in ministry everyday
What If There’s a Bigger Picture? by Chris Thornsberry, Associate Director of Adult Ministries
It couldn’t have come at a better time. I was driving down 86th Street this past August and listening to radio station KLOVE. A song came on that I had never heard before by Matthew West entitled “My Own Little World.” In the chorus of the song West asks, “What if there’s a bigger picture? What if I’m missing out? What if there’s a greater purpose, that I could be living right now. Outside my own little world.” The words made the hair stand up on my neck and arms. What if I was missing out on something bigger than me? How can I have a view that this world is not all about me, but about serving others as Christ commanded us to?
night before. It definitely helped us get a jump on the day. Our “to-go meal” team stood in an area the size of a small closet and prepared 830 meals for shut-ins as our serving volunteers began to arrive to get things ready for those joining us to dine in. We also had some staff members come down to help, Jan Nichols and Lori Crantford. They both jumped in and started working on those to-go meals. The next thing you know I turn around and there’s our senior pastor, Rob Fuquay, in the kitchen washing dishes while his wife, Susan, and daughter Julie served drinks alongside our other volunteers.
The perfect opportunity came to live this out as Chef David Mitchell and I began to piece together the annual Thanksgiving Service Project to feed many of the homeless and shut-in of Indianapolis. September quickly came upon us. We started talking about preparation and volunteer recruitment. We knew this year was going to be the year of all years because of the continued economic downturn and wide-spread job loss. As it turned out, we really had no idea what we were in for.
At the end of the day, between the to-go meals and those dining in, we prepared 1281 meals, the most that we had ever prepared in my time serving at St. Luke’s. So to answer the question, what if there’s a bigger picture, what if I’m missing out? Not this day. We were right in the thick of it taking care of those who needed us the most.
October soon passed us by, and Chef Dave and I found ourselves sitting in the West Passage each Sunday in November taking down the names of volunteers who wanted to serve and deliver meals. We found that many were dropping off checks and cash, but the normal amount of donated turkeys was lacking. By the last Sunday in November we had less than 20 turkeys, so we started praying. By the end of the services on that Sunday we had raised more than enough not only to purchase all the turkeys we needed, but also all the other food, supplies, etc. We were thankful to say the least.
But it doesn’t end there. Maybe you donated or volunteered to help out on Thanksgiving Day and we are incredibly thankful for you. However, we all know that people need to eat every day, not just on holidays. If you don’t want to miss what matters the most in life, serving others, we have plenty of opportunities here at St. Luke’s to get involved.
I sat in my office on Tuesday, November 22 and realized that not only were we going to be feeding a lot of people at the shelter, but the final meal delivery count was 830 meals. That’s more than we have ever done in my three and a half years on staff. Chef Dave and I tried to figure out if we had enough turkeys. We prayed about it and Dave decided to go out and buy some more, bringing the total count to 116 turkeys to cook.
Here’s the challenge. Go online and listen to Matthew West’s song “My Own Little World.” Ask yourself, “How can I get involved with St. Luke’s Community Ministries or World Missions to make an impact in someone else’s life?” Pray this prayer with me and ask God to open you up: “Father break my heart for what breaks Yours. Give me open hands and open doors. Put Your light in my eyes and let me see, that my own little world is not about me.” —Matthew West n
As we arrived at the shelter on Thursday morning, we were thankful for our volunteers who helped bring down food the — —
spiritual life center
together in ministry everyday
The Social Gospel It’s In Our/My DNA by Betty Brandt, Director, Spiritual Life Center
Storyteller Sally Perkins brought her moving performance of “Hugged by These Walls” to the St. Luke’s community on Friday, November 18, 2011. Sally was commissioned by Indiana Landmarks and Storytelling Arts of Indiana, with the generous support of Frank and Katrina Basile, to tell the story of Central Avenue Methodist Church’s 120-year history. This story culminates with the restoration of the building at 11th and Central by Bill Cook and others. When I joined St. Luke’s in 1968, I learned that 15 years earlier our forward-thinking church leaders left Central Avenue Methodist and started to meet in the Broad Ripple American Legion Hall. Eventually they bought land at 100 W. 86th Street and named their little church St. Luke’s. I knew many of those first leaders; their children were my friends. But I must admit until I heard Sally’s story, I never thought much about the theological legacy they brought with them when they formed St. Luke’s. It turns out that Central Avenue Methodist was at the forefront in Indianapolis of the Social Gospel movement of the early 20th century. This movement announced that Christian discipleship is not just about personal salvation. It is about service in the world and justice for the mistreated and forgotten. No wonder St. Luke’s has a heart for mission and service. It is in her DNA. And it is in my personal DNA. One day after I heard Sally’s story, I listened to Krista Tippet’s “Being” show at 7amon FM90.1. That show was about theologian and German Baptist minister Walter Rauschenbusch (1861-1918). He is the person who is most closely associated with the Social Gospel movement. He made it his life’s work to write and lead his congregations into a new consciousness about the growing poverty and neglect of so many in a country of great abundance. Rauschenbusch’s view of Christianity was that its purpose was to spread a Kingdom of God, not through a heaven and hell style of preaching, but by leading a Christ-like life. Rauschenbusch did not view Jesus’ death as an act of substitutionary atonement but, in his words, he died “to substitute love for selfishness as the basis of human society.”
Images from “Hugged by These Walls” presentation
My personal roots are in a small German Baptist congregation in North Wales, PA where my grandmother and my aunt’s mother were the “church ladies,” with my mother as their trainee. The Social Gospel is in my personal DNA. Now I know why my mother wanted no part of the Baptist Church in Arlington Heights, IL when we moved there in 1951. I know why she joined the First Presbyterian Church, because it, too, was a Social Gospel church and remains in that tradition today. I know why I was attracted to St. Luke’s in 1968 and resonate today with her vision statement—“We envision being transformed by God and transforming the world into a compassionate, just, inclusive, Christ-like community.” I am indebted to Sally Perkins, Krista Tippet, my grandmother, my mother, St. Luke’s founders and everyone who has nurtured the Social Gospel theology at St. Luke’s and in my personal life. I am grateful to be a part of this powerful and loving Christian congregation and tradition. n
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January—march 2012
spiritual practices
Let There Be Peace on Earth and Let It Begin with Me: Memories of the 9/11/11 Prayer Vigil for Peace and Unity by Betty Brandt, Director, Spiritual Life Center
People of every faith tradition and every nation seek peace. Unfortunately, many people believe that war is the only path to peace. Since we follow the One who preached that peace comes through non-violence, we are faced with a responsibility. With that in mind, the External Connections Committee of the Spiritual Life Center, under the leadership of Lynn Jackson, invited twelve different congregations and faith traditions to come to St. Luke’s on 9/11/11 to participate in an 11hour Prayer Vigil for Peace. “The 10-year anniversary of 9/11 brought back all those feelings of dismay and disbelief and horror that I think everyone felt back in 2001. Coming together with people of different faiths, especially the Muslim group, helped to turn some of those feelings into hope. There will always be a radical few who have a distorted view of the world, but on that anniversary, I could see the vast majority shared my views of acceptance and tolerance. That brought me a great deal of comfort, and that’s what I try to hang on to.”—Nancy Jarosinski, St. Luke’s member Many people who came stayed beyond the hour of their own tradition. Some Muslims attended the Quaker hour. People who came to walk the labyrinth pulled up chairs and joined the Miami Indians’ drum circle. “I came out of the church wishing I could stay for the Miami Indians’ session and as I walked out, there they were in the parking lot wafting smoke with the eagle feather. So I left feeling that God truly held me in the palm of His/Her hand. I feel that shift in energy. I’m not sure exactly where it’s coming from but there’s just a joy, a sense of expansion. I feel it in myself and I feel it in the people I’m coming into contact with and I think they’re aware of it too. I’ve never had so many people in so many different paths of my life tell me that they’re feeling an energy, a passion to make a change.”—Indu Vasuderan, The Sai Center Over 300 people from St. Luke’s and the larger community came to experience prayer with the Orthodox, Baha’i, Muslim, Hindu, Quaker and the Progressive Spiritualists faiths. Groups from Congregation Beth- El Zedeck, LifeJourney Church, the Indiana Buddhist Center, the Sai Center and the Miami Nation of Indians joined St. Luke’s Labyrinth Ministry in offering diverse and meaningful hours of ritual, song, silence, spoken word and drumming. “I just want to say Thank You to St. Luke’s for the opportunity to spend some time reflecting on the importance of who we are and prayerfully thanking the Creator for all that is put before us.”—Chief Brian Buchanan, the Miami Nation of Indians YOU can join the people who came to St. Luke’s on 9/11 by beginning 2012 with a decision to pray for peace every day. n — —