Connect Fall 2016 by St. Luke's UMC

connect

FALL 2016

…Connections p. 4

…Outreach p. 6

…Family p. 8

…Stewardship p. 12

Pastor’s Notes Recently the Pew Research Center released more information from its US Religious Landscape Study. Not surprisingly the findings showed the majority of Christian denominations are declining with the exception of Protestant evangelical churches. One key reason is “generational replacement.” Simply put, our kids don’t follow us to church. More revealing information is expected in months ahead about just why religious “nones” are on the rise and what lessens people’s involvement in religious communities. You can find the full report at pewforum.org and search for “choosing a new church.” So far I am not finding that the Christian faith is losing appeal. Nor am I reading that communities that seek to put their faith into practice are being rejected. In fact, just the opposite. Churches bucking the trend seem to be doing both of these really well. Perhaps we are discovering that going through religious motions will no longer hold people, and this generation and the ones following will have less interest in being religious than actually feeling connected to God and making a difference in the world. The tag line we repeat around St. Luke’s is intended to communicate those truths: we want to help people find and give hope through Jesus Christ. In this edition of Connect you will find many ways to celebrate St. Luke’s doing just that! We become our authentic selves through community that helps us connect to God and each other and to make a difference in the world. The worst decline is the kind that can happen in our soul. So may this fall be a time to get pumped up in faith and life. Scientists point out that the brilliant fall color of leaves is actually a tree’s true colors. Changing conditions like falling temperatures, declining daylight, and other factors, bring out these colors. Tough conditions usually do. When we face changing conditions our true colors will show. The time we spend tending our souls determines the brightness of those colors. This is a great season to spend developing our true colors that will help us shine bright no matter the conditions. May this resource help you find places to add color to life! Faithfully Yours,

Rev. Rob Fuquay SENIOR PASTOR

The church does not exist to build an institution. It exists to build people. Helping each of us grow to be the individuals God made us to be is the aim of St. Luke’s.

Sunday Worship

In this issue...

St. Luke’s is an open community of Christians, offering multiple worship opportunities designed to meet you where you are in your journey with Christ.

Adult Discipleship: Celebrating Connections!

TRADITIONAL • SANCTUARY 8:15 & 9:30AM with Rev. Rob Fuquay 11AM with Rev. David Williamson CONTEMPORARY • ROBERTSON CHAPEL 11AM with Rev. Rob Fuquay

LATER@ST. LUKE’S • ROBERTSON CHAPEL 6PM

Outreach: Fantastically Fine!

TAIZÉ • 5PM • SANCTUARY Third Sunday of each month, near the baptismal font with musical community and Rev. Kim King

8 Family: Celebrations!

Connect With Us

10 More!

St. Luke’s on The City info@stlukesumc.com @stlukesumcindy Search for St. Luke’s United Methodist Church

Ragtime: The Musical

Celebrating Stewardship!

OFFICE HOURS: 8:30AM-5PM, Monday-Friday. Please enter through Door 6. Our Prayer Chapel is available for silent prayer and meditation during office hours.

14 Welcome our New Staff

URGENT PASTORAL CARE NEEDS: In case of a pastoral emergency, call 317-8463404. After hours, leave a message including how our on-call pastor can reach you. 3

ADULT DISCIPLESHIP

Adult Discipleship Celebrating Connections that find & give hope By Rev. Eric Burton-Krieger Pastor of Adult Discipleship

In Adult Discipleship we celebrate the way God is transforming people’s lives simply by connecting them with others. Celebrating can sometimes be a challenge. It requires that we pause long enough to marvel at what is happening around us. The changing of seasons, the shift in our routine, the newfound confidence a child has. In Adult Discipleship we celebrate the way God is transforming people’s lives simply by connecting them with others. TRENT WOOD and PATTY DAVIS are but two examples.

Trent Wood is a young adult, with whom I’ve been impressed from the

start. When he and his wife moved to Indy after graduating from DePauw in 2011, they made their way to St. Luke’s where Natalie’s family were members. Looking for a place to connect, Trent tried several things, including a Dave Ramsey Financial Peace course. A year later he helped to lead that study and joined the men’s softball team. Then he was invited into Men’s Ministry leadership. Each step led to new friendships and the opportunity to encourage others through improving their finances, men’s offerings, or softball glory (the last one is questionable.) Trent continues to serve in leadership for St. Luke’s Men and is hosting a young adult guys small group this fall. He is also teaching a new class called “Freed Up Financial Living” on Tuesdays starting October 11th. What began as a desire for connection personally, has grown into opportunities to give hope and connection to others.

Trent and Natalie Wood

Patty Davis received sustaining support from her Sunday morning class and Stephen Ministers.

In Patty Davis’ own words, connection through our Older Adult Sunday Morning Class (formerly Empty Nesters) has been a place where she has found hope in the face of illness. In March 2009, after attending the Empty Nesters Sunday morning class for only a couple of months and having lead some class discussions, I found out unexpectedly that I was having major surgery, so I let my friends know that I would be unavailable for a while. This started a period of five years of health issues for me. Thankfully, members of the Empty Nesters class and my friends, were with me every step of the way. After the first surgery I was in the hospital for about 3 weeks and then moved to rehab where things took a turn for the worse. Between pneumonia, internal bleeding, a pulmonary embolism and pancreatitis I spent the next two months in the hospital. During this time, I had a total of 18 blood transfusions.

I know you are wondering where the Empty Nesters and St Luke’s come into this picture. They supported me through daily prayers and frequent visits. Class members even donated blood back to the blood bank for the transfusions that I had been given. All of these activities helped sustain me. Stephen Ministers from St. Luke’s came almost every day to visit and offered prayers each time. These prayers and God’s loving grace got me through this bad time. Those four months stretched into a four year period, with me spending many, many weeks in the hospital, again and again, for a variety of reasons. Every single time, the Empty Nesters class members were saying prayers for me and visiting. Once I got home, class members even brought ready-to-eat meals to me so I didn’t have to cook, saving me the stress of figuring out how I was going to manage meals while recuperating and living alone. I still believe that it was all the prayers from these folks and all the loving visits that got me through this unsteady period in my life. There are no guarantees in life… but I do know that my Christian family and the Empty Nesters (my church community) have been there for me in the past and will continue to be there for me in the future, along with my God who watches over me. It’s good to be connected!

So where is your place of belonging? This summer we hosted an Adult Discipleship Fair, Picnics in the Park, and young adult gatherings to help people at St. Luke’s meet others they might journey with. We’ve launched new small groups in the neighborhoods in which people live. Yet what is most exciting is when one person finds the group where they can be themselves and share their life with God and others. This is the way God wired us to be from the start and it’s how we find and give hope to the world. That is always worth celebrating.

S U N D AY MORNING CLASSES

MEET OUR TEAM

New people are welcome every week. Classes are ongoing through the fall. See the website for more details. ON BEING 9:30-10:30AM | Parlor Radio show discussion Led by Betty Brandt SERMON DISCUSSION GROUP 10:45AM-12PM | E212 Led by Craig Overmyer & Gary Chambers CHRISTIANITY & WORLD RELIGIONS 9:30 & 11AM | N101-102 Led by Rev. Eric Burton-Krieger & Susan Fuquay ADULTS IN MID-LIFE 10:45AM | E213 Bible Studies on “Half-Truths” and Rob’s book, “The God We Can Know”

REV. ERIC BURTON-KRIEGER Pastor of Adult Discipleship burtonkriegere@stlukesumc.com

SUSAN FUQUAY Director of Classes and Faith Formation fuquays@stlukesumc.com

LAURA MARINE Adult Discipleship Administrator marinel@stlukesumc.com

OLDER ADULTS 10:45AM-12PM | Parlor Led by various speakers NEW PERSPECTIVES 11AM-12PM | N103-104 Led by Betty Brandt

C O N N E C T @ S T. L U K E ’ S 5

KELLY WITTE Connections Bookstore Manager wittek@stlukesumc.com

OUTREACH

Outreach

Celebrating “Fantastically fine!” By Paul Snyder Imagine that you are the single grandmother of three kids ages 10, 8 and 3, and you don’t want them to go to foster care. Your plan wasn’t to adopt them, but your deep faith shows you that God’s plan is, indeed, for you to adopt them. You move forward with that plan because you know that somehow, with God’s help, you will get it done. Imagine that the youngest, has spinal bifida and cannot walk. You have no experience with handicapped children, but know the plan can work with faith. Your brother and sister-in-law help when they can, but you have become the responsible “Nanna.” This was the new reality for Avila. Getting to the driveway meant carrying him down the stairs, retrieving the folding wheelchair then putting both in the car. Avila faced the same challenge in reverse once back home. Imagine how hard it is

to carry a child with a disability up and down the stairs just to get in and out of the house. And her back wasn’t getting any younger! Avila and her grandson.

The impossible dream was to somehow have a wheelchair ramp. Someone asked her, “What do you need most?” The impossible dream was to somehow have a wheelchair ramp. A friend suggested Avila call SAWs, “They build wheelchair ramps for people like you and your grandson.” She called, and some nice folks from SAWs came to survey the house and find the best way to build a wheelchair ramp in the space available; a wonderful team of volunteers came one Saturday, and started and finished the ramp in one day! Later I talked with her, and asked how her grandson was doing. Avila said, “Fantas-

tically fine! He found out how to escape the house by himself! All I had to do was put an alarm on the back door so I would know when he had escaped! Every 3-year-old boy needs his freedom, to get out, get dirty and have fun making mud pies!” His sisters can take him for walks now where before he was always stuck in the house. He even has a little swimming pool in the yard! “I have no idea what we would have done without SAWs. Absolutely it was a blessing that we got the ramp. He is just learning to walk a little so he will need the ramp for quite a while.” Listening to her story, I had a big grin as I thanked her for blessing my day!

Donations are truly needed and appreciated, and volunteers are wonderful, too! Building skills are not a requirement. To sign up, visit www.sawsramps. org and click the “Volunteer” button. A team of SAWS & St. Luke’s volunteers after building a ramp. 6

OUTREACH

Celebrating Families By Lindsey Blom Our family participated as evening hosts for the Family Promise guests recently. We felt very fortunate to find a service opportunity that allows our entire family (with an 8 and 4-year old) to participate in a family to family setting similar to hosting someone in our home. Initially we were a bit nervous about this role, but the experience has been amazing. As evening hosts, we were able to share a meal, play games, and read stories with the four Family Promise families at St. Luke’s. This opportunity to interact in a playful manner welcomes all ages, life experiences, and situations and has impacted our family so positively. It was especially rewarding to watch the adult male volunteers support, interact and play with the boys in the guest families in a father-like manner, something that many of the children are not accustomed to. I have also enjoyed watching the natural interactions of our children and the Family Promise children. Through this opportunity, we have experienced and shared love, compassion, fun, mutual understanding and respect.

St. Luke’s will be hosting Family Promise guests November 20-27, Thanksgiving week. Will you have extra time to serve? Needs include donating meals or parts of meals, spending a few hours with our guests in the evening, sleeping in Luke’s Lodge as an overnight host, or driving the van. Please watch for further details in the coming weeks or contact Bob Dillingham at robertdillingham@yahoo. com to volunteer.

Celebrating Hope in Haiti By Kay Walla With your help, our ministry partner, Hearts and Hope for Haiti has purchased 4 acres of land on which to build a new clinic to serve the needs of the poor who cannot make it to medical care in Port-au-Prince 25 km south of the new clinic. A wall was built on the property to protect and keep it secure. A gate was installed and a well was drilled. Blessed with good water, trees were planted. Meanwhile, the current ALOM Clinic takes place in a rented house in Cabaret, providing affordable quality health care and is overflowing with patients. Just this month they began service 24-hours a day. Patients had been asking for night service for assistance in delivering their babies. The first night they were open a baby was born! In addition, medical teams are sent to remote areas each day to those who cannot come into town or cannot afford to pay. One of the mobile clinics is held at the gates of the new ALOM facility to share with people that help is on the way. A woman was brought to this mobile clinic recently in a wheelbarrow, nearly dead from cholera. IVs were administered to her as she lay on the ground and she was given C O N N E C T @ S T. L U K E ’ S 7

antibiotics to take home. A life was saved because of ALOM. The new building cannot come soon enough. In a recent week Dr. Vlad Roseau, Director of ALOM reported that they saw 328 patients and administered 370 lab tests; patients were educated about cholera, and other local diseases. The new clinic will house a birthing room, a surgical suite to encourage US surgeons to come, as well as dental and optometry space. Two new Haitian Academy doctors have been added to the staff to help meet the growing needs. Thank you for your generosity. The $42,000 raised during the Robertson fundraiser will continue to help us meet our goals. We ask that you continue to pray for our fundraising effort so work can begin. These doctors have worked diligently since their 2008 graduation. Through the 2010 earthquake and continuously since, they have served. They deserve our support. 65% of the $475,000 needed to build this facility has been pledged. As little money as most Haitians have, they give donations to the new clinic. Let’s continue to help them bring hope to their community.

FEATURE STORY

Family

Celebrating… Celebrations! By Rev. David Williamson Pastor of Family & Worship Ministries

“Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.” –Luke 15:23 Shortly after my first child was born, I read a book called The Parent You Want to Be by Les & Leslie Parrott. Truth be told, I was reading a lot of parenting books in those days. People joke that babies don’t come with “how-to” manuals, so I was making up for it with as many books as I could get my hands on. Most of the books I read focused on the child—what is happening in his or her development. The Parrotts’ book, by contrast, focused on the parent. Their simple assumption is that whatever is in a parent’s character will eventually end up being absorbed by the child. So the question of “what kind of child do I want to raise?” cannot be answered without asking also “what kind of parent do I want to be?” The Parrotts offered a “Top Ten” list of traits to cultivate as a parent. Of course, I used it as a measuring stick. How did I score? Did I get six out of ten? Seven? Eight? Some of the traits came naturally to me—traits like being “affirming” and “attentive”. I chuckle now to think I gave myself high marks on “patience”—I had no idea how much patience would be necessary for the job! But

there was one trait that stood out on the list as a deficit for me. That trait? Being a “celebratory” parent. It wasn’t that I grew up without special celebrations or birthday parties. My mom did a great job of establishing traditions and creating memories. But perhaps one reason I struggle with celebration is that I tend to be achievement-oriented. Now you’d think that someone who was focused on accomplishments would celebrate when he hit them. But for most milestones I hit as I was growing up, the celebration I felt was short-lived. There was always another goal to focus on ahead. Luckily, I married someone who would’ve listed “celebrations” at the top of her list. This was perhaps what drew me to Jamalyn in seminary—just about any reason was good enough to throw a party. And over the years, she’s thankfully rubbed off on me. I’ve come to see just how important celebrations are. Celebrations, simply put, are about making a big deal about the things that matter most. The sad truth is that we often fail to make a

big deal out of important things—we allow the “whirlwind” of tasks and daily to-do lists to consume our focus. So here are just a few things I’ve learned from watching my wife up close through the years: • Great celebrations require an investment of time. The kinds of parties that create life-long memories don’t get planned at the last minute. • Great celebrations are often spontaneous. This one might seem contradictory of the point above, but it’s not. Sometimes celebrations require us to drop whatever is on our to-do list, and set aside time and attention for those we love. • Great celebrations communicate value to the one who is being honored. To use a line from the Parrotts’ book: When we celebrate someone, we are saying to them, “I notice you. I’m tuned into your life, and I delight when something good or special happens to you.”

“…start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” -Proverbs 22:6

The truth is, the celebrations you create often end up plotting the story of your life or your family. It starts with a wedding. Then perhaps a child eventually comes along. And those moments are huge—we remember and relive them every year going forward. We mark educational milestones (first day of school and graduation), life milestones (sleeping in a “big boy” bed, learning to ride

a bike), and spiritual milestones (baptism, confirmation or receiving your first Bible). This last set of milestones was the inspiration behind our new STEPS curriculum— it grew out of a desire to make a big deal out of the milestones we mark in a child’s spiritual development. When we connect those dots—from baptism to preschool

SATURDAY, OCT. 8 7PM | Sanctuary Doors Open 6:30PM General Admission $24 Premium Tickets $40 Childcare Provided!

Join us October 8 to strengthen and celebrate your relationship! C O N N E C T @ S T. L U K E ’ S 9

to first Bible to confirmation to graduation and beyond—we are able to tell our kids a lasting story of love, belonging, grace, and purpose. There are lots of ways we’re working as a family ministry staff to create celebrations for the children and families in our church. We’re hosting a “Date Night Comedy Tour” this October to help couples celebrate and strengthen their marriage. We’ve planned a year-long focus for elementary students to research the story and meaning of their own baptism. And we have a whole slew of parties and retreats planned throughout the year for our teens to create lasting memories of faith and friendship. The table is set. But the table that matters most is the one you set at home, the celebrations you create with the friends and family with whom you share your life. So throw a party. Make it epic. Make a big deal about the things that matter most. And the real secret? It may not be the thing you’re celebrating that ultimately matters. It just may be the people—and the God—with whom you celebrate that matter most in the end.

WORSHIP & ARTS

Celebrating More! By Deleath Blomberg

Whether we talk about the Traditional services or the Contemporary service, there is a lot going on at St. Luke’s. In the midst of our growth, there is more: more worship, more classes, more on Wednesday nights, more outreach, more opportunities, more transformation!

Director of Marketing & Communications

God is calling us to do more at St. Luke’s and to share more with those around us.

As so many things do, it all began with a vision for more… and prayer. In 2013 a group of people envisioned a change for St. Luke’s and by the spring of 2014 that vision became a reality with the launch of the 11AM Contemporary worship service. Change isn’t always easy and there were some bumps in the road. However, the changes that have occurred have been exciting and prayers have been answered positively. In the past two and a half years, the Contemporary service has been blessed with a

So we find ourselves in the midst of more – once again.

dedicated core group of people who strive each and every Sunday to bring glory to God and make disciples of Jesus Christ. It’s been a journey filled with abundance and growth, and Robertson Chapel is now filled to capacity almost every Sunday morning! We now need room for more! In response to where we believe God is leading, on December 4th, we will again be expanding our Sunday morning worship services when we add another Contemporary service at 9:30AM in Robertson Chapel. It’s an exciting place to be in the life of our church!

Celebrating Change! by Carol Helmus It’s all up in the air…that’s where you’ll need to look to see the work that has been taking place the month of September in Robertson Chapel. We have had electricians and audio visual experts on hand installing a lot of equipment over the last month. Our new sound system, house lights and theater lights will allow us to create even more meaningful worship services. A new easy to use – one touch system – for those with minimal AV experience will be installed to support small events, weddings and funerals. The worship team can’t wait for the confidence monitor to go up so they can get rid of the music stands. We expect the entire system to be up and functioning by the time you read this – from here on out you may notice a few of the changes as we work with the new system. Exciting times in Robertson!

In a few weeks we will begin sharing all of those things with people who may or may not be familiar with St. Luke’s. You may notice some billboards popping up or commercials playing that invite our community to find out more about us. And you will be invited to participate. You may decide to put up a yard sign or wear a t-shirt encouraging people to learn more. You may share a social media post or even hand someone a postcard so that your friends and neighbors can be a part of all of this. You will be asked to do more… welcome, volunteer and invite! God is calling us to more at St. Luke’s and to share more with those around us. More is expansive and inclusive and it’s who we are!

DISCUSSION

COMING SOON FRIDAY OCT 21 7:30PM SATURDAY OCT 22 4PM

Celebrating the Arts! Celebrating Diversity! “And there was distant music, Simple and somehow sublime,

Because Ragtime addresses so many things that are currently culturally relevant, we are using it as a springboard for further conversation. Following the Saturday performance, Rev. Eric Burton-Krieger will host roundtable conversations in the Great Hall about Ragtime themes and questions for audience members. Additionally, several opportunities for group study and conversation are being planned for the weeks following. Rev. Jamalyn Peigh Williamson has several community conversations also planned, as well as several concrete ways interested individuals can get involved in community service in the areas of poverty, race relations, and community transformation.

Giving the nation a new syncopation. The people called it Ragtime!” By Mark Squire Director of Worship & Arts

St. Luke’s audiences will be transported to the turn of the 20th century, with the production of the Tony Award-winning musical, Ragtime! With an energetic musical score (Wheels of a Dream; Goodbye, My Love; Till We Reach That Day; Make Them Hear You), the talented multigenerational cast will tell the remarkable story of Coalhouse and Sarah, Tateh and his daughter, the community of New Rochelle, with special guest appearances by Booker T. Washington, Henry Ford and Harry Houdini. Ragtime tells a remark-

able story raising questions of immigration, racism, white privilege – all incredibly relevant topics for us today. In the end, it is a powerful show about hope. The talented cast is comprised of St. Luke’s members as well as the Indianapolis community, and will be supported by orchestra and a full production team. Ragtime will offer a memorable experience and a fantastic opportunity to invite friends and neighbors to St. Luke’s who may have never visited before. Highly entertaining, this show will also be a catalyst for meaningful conversation, as well as effective community work, in the months that follow.

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The show is unflinching in its portrayal of race-relations of that era, and includes language which may be difficult to hear. Because of this, and two dramatized scenes of violence, the production is not recommended for young children. The opinions of community and church leaders were sought, and we’ve been strongly encouraged to use the racial epithets included in the score, as the only way to truly, authentically tell this story. General admission ($20) and premium tickets ($50) are available. Tickets are available on-line, Sunday morning West Passage tables and from the main office during the week.

FEATURE STORY

Stewardship

Five Families who Celebrate Stewardship By Leanne Jackson

What motivates you to pledge to St. Luke’s each year? Five families share their stories.

When DAVE JACKSON and I married we agreed to write our first check every month to our church pledge. We taught our two daughters to pledge 10% of their allowances, and later their summer jobs, to church. They worshiped and served alongside us, as we had done with our parents.

CHRISTINE GONZALEZ’s parents knew times of plenty and times of want, but they always made a commitment to give to the church. They taught her to “give from the heart, what you have, whether it’s money or time.” They gave her coins to put in the offering plate and modeled serving in their church.

We have fun giving up to a tithe! Each fall we prayerfully make our St. Luke’s pledge, between five and ten percent of our income. Then throughout the year we give the rest to St. Luke’s (Habitat, Haiti), and others (wheelchairs, clean water), plus our time and talents (playing violin, reading scripture, answering phones, Lenten group).

Christine and her husband Rob strongly believe they should use their monetary blessings to support the mission of St. Luke’s. Their greatest hope for their 8-year-old sons, Nicholas and Owen, is that “they learn the importance of giving to others with a cheerful heart.” The family reads together II Corinthians 9:7 (“God loves a cheerful giver.” /NRSV) and Luke 6:38 (“Give away your life and you will find life given back…with bonus and blessing.” /Message)

We once consulted a financial advisor who balked at our church pledge. He stated he could not find in our budget any other “available funds to invest.” As Dave stood up to leave he declared, “Sir, our pledge is the best money we spend!”

During 2016 Summer Splash the boys (also motivated by the boys vs. girls contest!) decided to contribute money from their piggy banks to missions. Rob and Christine matched their gifts.

NATE MONTGOMERY blames his parents for his stewardship habits and PAULA, his wife, blames Nate. In high school Nate pledged because it was important to his parents. The church gave him pledging envelopes. When they married they pledged an amount they thought they could afford.

Fifteen years ago when MONIKA NYBY became a Christian and GREG HALE renewed his faith, they immediately began giving more than 10% to their church. When they joined St. Luke’s last year they pledged for the first time. “It’s a joy to pledge!” “We are grateful the Lord led us to this church home…grateful for the preaching, teaching, corporate worship…grateful for the ministries that support our church community and the less fortunate.”

At St. Luke’s they began “stretching toward a tithe” in response to Kent Millard’s sermons: “It is not our money. We can afford it when we think we can’t. Only after we give do we begin to see the fruits.” They took that leap of faith, together.

“Pledges allow St. Luke’s to plan ahead. We trust the leaders. They handle the funds honorably, prayerfully, as good stewards.” Monika and Greg feel strongly that their pledge be more than a tithe, and that special gifts, such as renovating Robertson Chapel, be beyond that. “It’s all the Lord’s – all of our gifts, our finances. We are amazed we get to keep any of it!”

“Our pledge begins our giving.” Their tithe goes to St. Luke’s. Then the excitement builds, as they teach Sunday School, lead Crooked Creek Food Pantry, give to a teacher requests website. Their sons, Noah (11) and Tobin (9), set aside 10% of their allowances for St. Luke’s, which they contribute in Sunday School.

“Every single time we give, blessings come back and hit our souls, our spirits. That’s not why we give… but that’s God!”

“Setting that goal to tithe was the key! We are blessed beyond what we give away.”

Fifty years ago BOB AND JANE THARP joined St Luke’s, Dick Hamilton was pastor and worshipers sat on folding chairs in what is now the donut room. All the succeeding pastors have inspired them to support St. Luke’s by pledging annually to the operating budget – vital for ministry, missions and maintenance – plus wonderful upgrades to the facility as the church grew. In grade school Bob walked two blocks to attend church with his friends. Bob and Jane first attended St. Luke’s with friends. They taught Sunday School at St. Luke’s for many years – Jr High and first grade – loving the kids and making it fun so that they kept coming back. Bob and Jane are thrilled to be involved in small groups, getting to know people of all ages personally and welcoming them “home.” “Giving is never a burden; it is a privilege. We always wish we could do more to bring new people to our St. Luke’s family. C O N N E C T @ S T. L U K E ’ S 13

EMERGING ADULTS

Young Adult Celebrating the Promise of Community By Shanique Edwards

“In being part of this Body, I have received so much of the abundant life that Jesus promised us, because I have given some of my time and talents to this Body.” Being new is probably one of the defining characteristics of my life. And yes, I’ve actually come to celebrate it (I say this with the profound wisdom of a 28-yearold.) Between moving to new countries or states, and new schools or jobs, I’ve worn a lifetime’s worth of nametags, learned thousands of names, and created about a dozen mental scripts for introducing myself. And if there’s one thing that I’ve learned in each new place, it’s that you flourish where you are rooted, you establish roots through community, and the best way to be part of a community is to, well, be part of a community.

For me, the Church has always been my community. In every new place, the Church has been a constant: a place where I can be certain that I can connect with others, because God’s love for me is there. The people differ, the style differs, but the Gospel message and the purpose remain the same. The Church has taken many forms for me over the years: the small local church where everyone knows everyone; the mid-sized church, full of new life; the dying church, struggling to find its place in a rapidly changing community; the campus fellowship run entirely by college students on fire for the Lord.

A recent Young Adult gathering 14

In each manifestation, the body of Christ has looked different, just as each of our physical bodies looks different. But in each place I have loved, served, lived and flourished as part of this body, and as a member I’ve contributed to its function and been supported and nourished by its interconnectedness. I have connected with Christ’s body, the Church, through music and dance ministry, Sunday School, Bible study, outreach and much more, each ministry connecting me to this Body in the same way that the parts of our physical bodies are connected by tendons and ligaments and blood vessels and neurons. And so I have loved the Church and celebrated in all its messiness, because I am a part of it, much as I have learned to love the imperfections of my own body because they are part of me. In being part of this Body, I have received so much of the abundant life that Jesus promised us, because I have given some of my time and talents to this Body. This is the promise of community that Christ offers to us all , the reciprocity of giving and receiving as members of Christ’s body.

Welcome new staff Laurie Highsmith Director of Weekday Early Childhood Programs highsmithl@stlukesumc.com

Deleath Blomberg

After 20 years in the IPS system, Laurie followed her heart and opened a Christian preschool on the near eastside of Indianapolis for children in poverty. She loves working with very young children in a church setting and enriching their very first experience in school.

Director of Marketing and Communications blombergd@stlukesumc.com Keeping everyone “in the loop” about the vast number of activities at St. Luke’s is Deleath’s primary goal. Her secondary goal is to enrich spiritual lives through participation in a host of opportunities. If all of this can be done with good humor, even better!

Jeanne Lewis Graphic Designer lewisj@stlukesumc.com

Lauri Evans

Jeanne is a rebounder on the St. Luke’s staff! Having been on staff many years ago, she’s back in the fold after raising her children and keeping her skills sharp as a freelancer. She brings an artistic eye and passion to everything she creates.

Assistant Director of Weekday Early Childhood Programs evansl@stlukesumc.com After teaching middle school for over ten years, Lauri decided that it’s good to be loved. Since preschoolers love to see their teachers each and every day, Lauri is all in, in her now role at St. Luke’s!

Gay Talbert Director of Music, Children and Youth talbertg@stlukesumc.com

Susan Fuquay

Gay brings a wonderful passion for connecting with children and youth throughout the church and community, using music as a powerful instrument for worship, faith-development and fun!

Director of Classes and Faith Formation fuquays@stlukesumc.com Susan Fuquay has been on staff in United Methodist churches for over 20 years leading youth, children and adult discipleship. She is the creator of Disciple Fast Track, has one of the biggest smiles around and is passionate about helping people explore Scripture and grow in their faith.

Carol Whitsitt Assistant Director of Weekday Early Childhood Programs whitsittc@stlukesumc.com Carol comes to the preschool with a musical background, having taught band and choir for 20 years. She married late in life, had a daughter, followed her to preschool and decided to stay!

C O N N E C T @ S T. L U K E ’ S 15

new here?

Welcome! We’re happy to see you! St. Luke’s strives to be an open and welcoming faith community helping people find and give hope.

JOIN US FOR LUNCH

THE CITY

Anyone new to St. Luke’s is invited to meet St. Luke’s pastors over lunch and learn more about the church. Children are welcome for lunch. Childcare provided for the meeting with the pastors. Please register online.

St. Luke’s is on The City! Download the app for free on iOS or Android devices and engage with one another and get current information from ministry areas. Not just on Sundays, but 24/7. Simply request a City invitation (Click the link, then type stlukesumc in the box) and get connected!

Sunday, October 16 12:15-1:30PM in Luke’s Lodge

REGISTER ONLINE! CONSIDER JOINING US FOR OUR EXPLORING MEMBERSHIP CLASS Pastors Rob Fuquay and Eric Burton-Krieger share the purpose of the church and the meaning of membership at St. Luke’s. You may decide to join St. Luke’s after this class. Sunday, November 13 12:15-1:30PM in Luke’s Lodge

LEARN MORE Visit our Welcome Center on Sundays in the gathering area outside of the sanctuary or contact Terri Coe, Director of New Here Ministries at 317.846.3404 x308 or coet@ stlukesumc.com.

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