Message from the Pastor

"Jesus got up and gave orders to the wind, and he said to the lake, 'Silence! Be still!’ The wind settled down and there was a great calm."

We have much to rejoice about as the Easter season approaches, and we have responsibilities to serve others in a stormy world.

We’ll celebrate Palm Sunday with a Potluck and an Easter Egg Hunt, and we’ll share Holy Week services with First United Methodist: Maundy Thursday will be at First UMC at 6pm, and our joint Good Friday service will be at St. Luke at 6pm. I hope you’ll attend both.

Easter morning, we have a sunrise service in the courtyard at 8:30 a.m., with some refreshments afterwards, then our regular service at 10:30 a.m., with a lot of special aspects of the service, including a handbell choir performance and baptism.

In the midst of celebration and new life, we still live amidst death and destruction. We take part in the resurrection when we serve people who need our help after disaster strikes.

I’ll turn over the rest of this newsletter column to the Reverend Vickie White, Director of Connectional Ministries and Communications at our conference office in Jackson:

On Friday evening, March 24, a series of tornadoes crossed our beloved state of Mississippi. The scenes of destruction have broken our hearts and inspired us to reach out to our brothers and sisters in need. United Methodists in Mississippi have been busy since Saturday morning helping in these communities in amazing ways. Just a few of the things that have been shared with me include helping find friends and loved ones, providing a listening ear to those who have lost loved ones, providing water, food and a safe place to stay and holding worship services on the front steps of the church as a reminder of the strength and goodness of God even in the midst of disaster.

We know that recovery from these storms will take months if not years. Many lives have been forever changed, but The United Methodist Church, through its mission arm the United Methodist Committee on Relief, UMCOR, will be there until the last person is recovered.

We have already received a $10,000 Solidary Grant which will be used for immediate needs in all the communities affected. We are forming a plan along with federal and state agencies and other non-profits to assess and prepare for the long-term recovery process that will be required. Many have called, texted and emailed from across the connection wanting to know what they can do to help. Here are a list of the immediate needs as of today:

Continue to pray for all those who have been affected, directly and indirectly.
Financial contributions either mailed to the Mississippi Conference, P O Box 1603, Jackson, MS 39215 or electronically https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/2411283.
We have been asked not to deliver anything directly to Rolling Fork. The storage facilities there are full.
People in Winona have been without power for four days and they have asked for prayer for them and those who are seeking to bring back power.
Disaster early response teams, ERT, teams will be starting tomorrow in Rolling Fork. If you are interested in being a part of an ERT team in one of our many affected areas, please reach out to Willie Morris at morris61@msn.com.

If you have questions about the various affected areas and want to volunteer, please reach out to Rev. Frank Newell at fnewell@mississippi-umc.org.

Lectionary Readings for April

Sunday, April 2 — Palm Sunday & Passion Sunday
Matthew 21:1-11; 26:36-46 — Prayer in the Face of Depression, Disloyalty, & Death
Thursday, April 6 — Maundy Thursday
John 13:1-17, 31b-35
Friday, April 7 — Good Friday
John 18:1 - 19:42
Sunday, April 9 — Easter Sunday - The Resurrection of the Lord
John 20:19-31 (Sunrise Service)
Matthew 28:1-10, 16-20 (Regular Service)

Sermon Series: Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit in Your Life & Relationships

Sunday, April 16 — Second Sunday of Easter
John 15:8-10; Luke 6:32-36 — Love
Sunday, April 23 — Third Sunday of Easter
John 15:8-11, 16:21-22 — Joy
Sunday, April 30 — Fourth Sunday of Easter
Romans 14:15-17, 19; James 3:16-18 — Peace

The Mission of St. Luke UMC is to be a Place to Belong, Believe, & Become Disciples of Christ

OPPORTUNITIES TO BELONG

Everyone is invited to our Passion Sunday Potluck and Easter Egg Hunt on April 2 following worship service. Adults are asked to bring their favorite dish to share. All kids are asked to bring one dozen treat filled plastic eggs and a basket for the hunt. Invite a friend or neighbor!

Our custom at St. Luke is to recognize new births within our church family with a rose or other flower placed in the chancel. The Worship Committee invites you to let us know of the birth of a child, grandchild, or great-grandchild. Please call the church office with the information so we can commemorate the happy event and share the news with our whole church family.

UWFaith Grace Circle will meet on Tuesday, April 4, at 10 a.m. in the church library. Jackie Pennington will lead a brief devotion as well as the business session. We open all of our meetings with information about and prayer for missionaries and the projects we support; and with the joys and concerns of our family, church and community. Any St. Luke member who wishes to share a joy or concern may do so by texting Jackie or by emailing (jackiebill@tecinfo.com).

UWFaith No-Bake Sale will be starting soon. You will be receiving a letter in the mail with all the necessary information. Thanks to all at St. Luke who have believed in the mission and ministry of United Women in Faith and supported us with your prayers and your financial contributions. I know that we can count on you once again.

UWFaith Grace Circle will hold a special meeting on Monday, April 17, at 5:30 p.m. in the fellowship hall. All women of St. Luke and their friends who may be interested are invited to attend. Childcare will be provided. We will share snacks and have a time of visiting and getting to know each other better.

Pastor Brad will open our discussion time with a prayer and briefly share some of his thoughts about the mission and ministry of UWFaith. Jackie Pennington will highlight the purpose of United Women in Faith by sharing one or two examples of how different elements of the purpose have been fulfilled. Lauren Williams will guide us in thinking of new ways to implement the purpose. Our structure allows for great variety in ways to fulfill the purpose and meet the needs of individuals who are part of the group. This meeting is a time for us to hear what you need in your life right now. Can your need be best met in a small group setting, and online chat group, or something else? Do you want Bible Study? What about a hands-on mission project? What about ??????? There are so many possibilities.

There will be a follow-up meeting on Monday, May 8, at 5:30 in the fellowship hall. If you can’t attend on April 17, but have some questions or ideas you would like to share; contact Lauren Williams or Jackie Pennington.

“I have been involved in United Methodist Women, now United Women in Faith, for over fifty years. The organization has helped me and changed my life in ways too numerous to mention here. Let’s just say that what I have learned and experienced over the years has made me a better person and has provided for good and bad times a support group that has sustained me. I wish this same experience for every St. Luke Woman.” —Jackie

OPPORTUNITIES TO BELIEVE

Mark your calendars to join us for our Maundy Thursday service on April 6 at 6:00 p.m. at First UMC. The Good Friday service will be April 7 at 6:00 p.m. here at St Luke.

Please join us in the Courtyard at 8:30 am on Sunday, April 9 for Easter Sunrise Service. A light finger-food type breakfast will be available in the fellowship hall afterwards.

Pastor Brad was the speaker at the final Lenten Luncheon at 1st UMC on March 29, when St. Luke provided the meal. (See pics at The St. Luke Scene, below.) His message, titled The Diverse Voices of the Bible, focused on seeming contradictions found in scripture and how we might understand them. Those in attendance were given an outline of his points, including the text of the relevant scripture passages. If you weren’t able to attend and would like to have a copy of the outline, contact Pastor Brad.

OPPORTUNITIES TO BECOME DISCIPLES

United Women in Faith along with the EPHFIC Woman’s Club is asking members of St. Luke to bring breakfast/snack items for children of our school district. The goal is to get enough items to share with schools in the district so that children will not go hungry. Some children, even though eligible for free breakfast, do not get to school in time for breakfast. We all know that hungry kids do not learn as well as those with full stomachs. There is a need at this time for juice boxes/pouches and Applesauce Squeeze packs. Granola bars and other similar snacks are not needed now. All items must be packaged for individual servings. Please bring your items and place in the basket in the narthex. If you have questions, contact Megan Armstrong, Julianne Bailey or Jackie Pennington.

Don’t forget that on the second Sunday of every month we collect bags of apples, jars of peanut butter, and also canned goods for the Helping Hands Ministry. That day is also our Dollar Sunday, when you are invited to drop a dollar or two into the basket in the narthex to help support our Compassion Fund, which the pastor uses at his discretion to help those in need.

Worship Greeters are needed for May, June, July, October, and November. A Greeter is a very important part of welcoming people to our worship service and helps by passing out bulletins, helping people in and out of cars (when needed), directing visitors to pews or various areas of the church, and helps in other capacities of the service. If you feel called to volunteer and want to sign up, a sign-up sheet is available in the narthex, or you can contact Bobby Horton or the church office.

Please consider signing up to help provide altar arrangements for our chancel area. Only one arrangement is needed, and you may choose to have a fresh arrangement from a florist, flowers from your garden, artificial flowers or greenery, or a potted plant. You may join with another person or family to help manage the expenses. Many arrangements will last for a week if stored in the "flower fridge" in the old kitchen, so please consider signing up for two Sundays in a row and plan to recycle! The Flower Calendar is available on the bulletin board across from the choir room. Please look it over and choose a date. You can contact Sandi Melton, Flower Steward, or the church office for more information.

Wesley Foundation Yard Sale

Bluegrass Mass & Parish Picnic

We’ve been invited by Calvary Episcopal Church to join them in their annual Bluegrass Mass & Parish Picnic, on Sunday, April 23, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. at Dockery Farms.

The worship committee has accepted their invitation and so we are planning accordingly, blending our talented musicians with the Delta String Band, and Pastor Brad will help the Rev. Les Hegwood in officiating the service and serving communion.

We won’t be worshipping inside at St. Luke that Sunday, so we hope everyone will come out to Dockery Farms to worship outdoors. Bring a blanket, a chair, and a good dish to share! Bring your own beverage as well. Saint Luke will donate some money to the Calvary kitchen team, so they can purchase extra servings of main dishes.

This will be a fun event, open to the whole community, with lots of room for kids to run around and play. In the event of rain, we will still worship and eat together, at Calvary’s building. (And we’ll send out an email notification ahead of time.)

We already blend our youth groups with Calvary Episcopal, and the Methodist church has a long and close history with the Episcopal Church, so this will be a lovely opportunity to worship and fellowship with our Christian sisters and brothers from another tradition.

MS Tornado Relief

The tornadoes that rolled through Mississippi last weekend caused an unprecedented amount of damage. The Mississippi Conference is working in partnership with the United Methodist Committee on Relief, UMCOR, and local agencies to provide immediate relief as needed. They are also organizing ERT teams and assessing long term needs of these communities. They will be asking for the assistance of the connection (UMVIM teams, equipment, etc.) in the coming weeks and months. Below you will find ways you can help immediately.

How You Can Help:

     1. Make a check payable to St. Luke UMC
          drop in the offering plate, drop off at the church office, or mail to
          St. Luke UMC
          1227 Deering St
          Cleveland, MS 38732

     2. Make a check payable to MS Conference Mission Shares and mail to
          MS Conference Mission Shares
          P.O. Box 1603
          Jackson, MS 39215-1603

Make a note that the check is in reference to “MS Tornadoes”.

3. Give online at
https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/2411283

As a united connection we have an opportunity to come together as people of God and help our brothers and sisters recover and heal utilizing the gifts of the Great Physician, Jesus Christ.

Delta Grace Missions

Vacation Bible School

The St. Luke Scene

Lenten Luncheon, March 29

Dates for your Calendar

April 1, Saturday
—Run4Zoe 5k, 7:00 a.m. (Zoe Coffee Shop)
(volunteers should arrive by 6:30 a.m.)
—DSU Wesley Yard Sale, 7:30-11:00 a.m. (904 S. Court St)

April 2, Sunday
—Potluck w/Easter Egg Hunt, 11:35 a.m. (Fellowship Hall)
—Virtual Lily for Camp Lake Stephens Deadline

April 4, Tuesday
—UWFaith Grace Circle, 10:00 a.m. (Church Library)

April 6, Thursday
—Maundy Thursday Service, 6:00 p.m. (First UMC)

April 7, Friday
—Good Friday Service, 6:00 p.m. (St. Luke UMC)

April 8, Saturday
—UMM “High on the Hog” Pork Loin Sale, 2:00 p.m. (First UMC)

April 9, Sunday
—Easter Sunrise Service, 8:30 a.m. (Courtyard)
—Easter Worship Service, 10:30 a.m. (Sanctuary)

April 11, Tuesday
—United Methodist Men, 6:00 p.m. (First UMC)

April 15, Saturday
—Crosstie Arts & Jazz Festival (Courthouse Lawn)

April 16, Sunday
—Church Council Meeting, 11:35 a.m. (Fellowship Hall)

April 17, Monday
—UWFaith, 5:30 p.m. (Fellowship Hall)

April 23, Sunday
—Bluegrass Mass & Parish Picnic, 10:35 a.m. (Dockery Farms)

Memorials and Honorariums

By:

Frankie Brewer, Lisa & Shaun Horton, Jackie Pennington

Kay Daves, Lisa & Shaun Horton, Al & Melanie Williams

In Memory Of:

Jay Holder

I.N. Hart

Attendance and Offering Report

April Birthdays

Dillard Melton
Carlie Rogers
Becky Foster
Steve Lewis
Mike Gressett
Bob Corban

4/12
4/16
4/19

4/26
4/29

April Anniversaries

Bertha & Glynn Neal
Sheryl Stump & Rick Torgerson
Billy & Laura Bassie
Beverly & Bob Card
Elaine & Larry Lambert
Brittany & Will Dean

4/09
4/13
4/18

4/20
4/27

Contact Us

Newsletter Blog

April 2023

March 31, 2023St. Luke United Methodist Church

Message from the Pastor

Lectionary Readings for April