2022 Annual Report

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P A S T O R R O B

I want to start by expressing my gratitude for you and your family and invite you to join me on a journey reflecting on the blessings of our lives together in this community. I am so grateful for you and all of the ways you have contributed to this congregation over the past year. I don’t know about you, but 2022 felt a little more "normal" compared to the last few years. Ministries launched back up in full force, our building was once again filled throughout the week, and more people made their way back to church or joined us for the first time ever! It's been a year of "Wow, God!" moments, and I am extremely grateful. I hope you’ll join me in celebrating some of the monumental outcomes, which you'll see throughout this report. Thank you, St. Luke's family, for supporting the vision to be a church that reaches hundreds of thousands of people with the inclusive love of Jesus Christ. If you'd like to continue supporting this mission, visit stlukesumc.com/give or scan the QR code on the back.

Blessings, Pastor Rob

O R T H I N D Y

Building Improvements for North Indy:

Restroom upgrades that are ADA-compliant, family-friendly, and unisex Unisex restroom in the Lodge

Repaired parking lot potholes

Added a 6-person golf cart for Sunday morning hospitality

Z h b id d

Currently, income from commitments in the form of pledges and/or recurring gifts is on target and we are projected to meet our budget. As we see expenses increase and we prepare for 2023, a year in which we will continue to live into our 5 year strategy, we project an increase in the budget to cover existing costs and new expenses that invest in the future ministries of St. Luke’s.

Thousands of volunteer hours have gone into getting the building ready for launch

The Launch Team has served as a re entry point for several people who have not been connected to church but are energized by St. Luke's mission and values, and the opportunity to bring these to a new community.

Launching on December 4, 2022

As we prepare to launch a St. Luke’s campus in Broad Ripple, we have completed the following improvements:

Repaired and improved drainage around the building

Interior painting Door replacement

Stairway upgrades painting, handrails, lighting

Fencing for the playground

Restroom improvements

Parking lot repairs

HVAC upgrades

Elevator and roofing repairs

Wireless Internet access points, network firewalls, and AV equipment

Check in stations for kids and youth ministries

A D U L T D I S C I P L E S H I P & C O M M U N I T Y F O R C O N T E M P L A T I O N & J U S T I C E

TRANSFORMATION BY BIBLE STUDY

By Scott Arant

Many people don't read the Bible regularly; quite a few never even look at it. Why is this? I think there are two main reasons. First, the hectic pace and pressures of daily living often seem to crowd out what little free time may be available for reading of any kind. Second, while they regard the Bible as important, they don't see how it applies to their complex, "real world" problems. As a result, they rarely even look at it.

These are the two main reasons why, for many years, I seldom read the Bible. Then I was introduced to Disciple I Fast Track and I found that it offers a real-world application of the Bible that makes sense to me. I took Disciple I through IV as well as several other classes. Several years later, I was invited to facilitate a Disciple class, and I've done that every year since.

Bible study has been transformational for me. Where I formerly couldn't see connections between the Bible and life's problems, I now see them often. And while the Bible sometimes seemed obscure, I now find that, with study and well written study material like Disciple, truths and insights are available to anyone willing to commit the time to study on a regular basis.

Now may be the time for you to begin a Bible study class, regardless of whether you've been reading Scripture for many years or, like some of us, you can't remember the last time you even picked it up. If you're willing to read and study daily, I'm sure that you'll be repaid many times over in countless ways that you never expected.

60 small group leaders

83 classes, book studies, and groups with 1,467 total participants in fall 2022

Force for Good, a Sub-committee of the Social Action Committee, was started to raise awareness in the congregation about gun violence and motivate people to advocate for common sense gun legislation.

Tenant Advocacy Group (TAG), a sub-committee of the Social Action Committee, is participating in an Eviction Court Watching Program. Similar projects in other cities have produced evidence that those being evicted are treated with greater respect and given more time to find new housing when Court Watchers are present.

Congregations United to Reduce Violence (CURV), a subcommittee of the Social Action Inter congregational Committee, seeks to network and build support for the City of Indianapolis' efforts to reduce gun violence through the implementation of the Gun Violence Intervention program (GVI). CURV makes presentations to congregations and neighborhood groups.

As part of the Racial Justice Ministry's relationship with Allen Chapel AME, volunteers help in classrooms at IPS 27 and supply winter coats, hats, gloves, and food during holiday breaks.

A new colorful labyrinth was painted on the back parking lot in September 2022.

Contemplative Mondays launched in the fall of 2022 with the following offerings: Taize Worship, yoga, labyrinth events, Mindfulness Community, and Spiritual Companionship Group.

St. Luke's adopted an Afghan refugee family of eight and has been assisting them with finances, education, language, food, clothing, entertainment, transportation, etc.

Nearly 100 people marched and/or staffed our booth at the 2022 Pride Parade and Festival! Together we raised $1 400 which was donated to the ministry through the sale of St Luke's Pride

E W H E R E & H O S P I T A L I T Y

T A R T I N G P O I N T A T T E N D E E S I N P A S T Y E A R

E W M E M B E R S I N T H E P A S T Y E A R

D U L T S W O R S H I P I N G F O R T H E F I R S T T I M E A T S T . L U K E ' S

O S P I T A L

T Y

O L U N T E E R

E W H E R E M I N I S T R Y V O L U N T E E R S

U M B E R O F C O N F I R M E D S T U D E N T S

T U D E N T S A N D L E A D E R S A T T E N D I N G W E E K L Y

E D I C A T E D W E E K L Y S M A L L G R O U P L E A D E R S

U M B E R O F S T U D E N T S E N G A G E D A T

A M P E P W O R T H , M A Y H E M , A N D M I S S I O N T R I P S

U M B E R O F S T U D E N T S I N T E E N R E S P O N D E R S L A U N C H

T T H E E N D O F O N E O F O U R M I S S I O N T R I P S , O N E O F O U R S T U D E N T S W A S U P S E T A B O U T L E A V I N G . I A S K E D T H E M W H A T M A D E T H E M U P S E T A B O U T G O I N G H O M E . T H E Y S H A R E D , " T H I S W E E K W A S T H E W E E K O F M Y L I F E . I W A S A B L E T O B E C O M P L E T E L Y M Y S E L F . I C A N ' T B E M Y F U L L S E L F A N Y W H E R E E L S E B U T C H U R C H . " E V E R Y W H E R E E L S E H O M E S C H O O L A T H L E T I C S , C L U B S S O M E O N E E L S E . B U

O U T R E A C H

A BIG THANKS to St. Luke’s UMC for the donation of student backpacks filled with school supplies (through Back to School Extravaganza) to Crooked Creek Food Pantry. Needless to say, the backpacks were a huge blessing. We get great joy from being able to distribute “bonus” items that truly are of value and help to the families we serve. Thanks for making that happen.

Because of your help, we were able to provide 55,000 diapers to the community in just one month. With rising diaper costs it has been difficult to keep up with the need, and this allowed us to add two additional partners over the next two months.

C R O O K E D C R E E K F O O D P A N T R Y

I N D I A N A D I A P E R B A N K

O U T R E A C H

I loved the enthusiasm present during Freedom School to help students build community and the empowering language used to help them know that they can do anything. I learned that taking the time to volunteer is always worth it. Thank you for doing this! It is so important to our community.

F R E E D O M S C H O O L V O L U N T E E R

work on would influence my life, my faith, and my world more than I ever thought possible. I have been blessed enough to meet a group of incredibly passionate and intelligent women who were all dedicated to the same cause. After a few meetings, I started to feel a deep connection and friendship with these women as we worked to create a better community. My faith has deepened, my life has been enriched, and this experience has been one of the best of my life.

U B F O R H O P E L A U N C H T E A M M E M B E R

O U T R E A C H B Y

T H E N U M B E R S

NORTH INDY

100 W 86th St Indianapolis, IN 46260 stlukesumc.com/northindy info@stlukesumc.com 317 846 3404

MIDTOWN

6185 Guilford Ave. Indianapolis, IN 46220 stlukesumc.com/midtown info@stlukesumc.com 317-846-3404

S T L U K E S U M C . C O M / G I V E