Message from the Pastor

It is hard to believe that we are in the summer months. It is even harder for me to believe that at the end of this month, my family and I will have been here a year. We are thankful for our time with you so far and look forward to what this next year will hold together.

As you may have noticed from Sunday morning announcements and this newsletter, we have the joy of hosting Vacation Bible School at the end of this month on June 26th- 28th from 5-7:15 pm. If you haven't registered your child or grandchild, there is still time. Please do so by Sunday, June 16th so we can have ample time to prepare for you. There are also several ways you can be involved with VBS.

1) Pray- Please pray for each child who will be attending and for those who are volunteering, Pray for our time together and for each station (snack, Bible, craft, science, and games). Pray that the stories shared and the fellowship together will leave each person (both children and children at heart) with a joy and delight in God. I have such wonderful memories of attending VBS as a child and helping with VBS over the years. Perhaps you do too. Together with First Presbyterian, Calvary Episcopal, and FUMC, we have a wonderful opportunity to offer a fun and meaningful VBS for children in our churches and community.

2) Serve- If you are not able to be physically present for VBS but would still like to contribute, we still have a few more items on our Amazon Wishlist. You can reach it by going to https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1WTLM45I93LI5/ref=hz_ls_biz_ex

You may also make a check payable to St. Luke with a memo to VBS and we will apply it to VBS expenses.

If you want to come and help, there is still time to sign up. You may go to Sign Up Genius and look through what slots we still need filled. The link to sign up is

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084CACA82AA3FAC70-49273137-vbsvolunteers#

Also beginning this month is our sermon series and small group study on the Beatitudes and the life of St. Francis of Assisi. Sitting with the Beatitudes over these next few weeks offers us a chance to explore the alternative way of the kingdom of God and give deeper consideration to what it means to be happy in the Lord.

On the surface, each of these statements of blessing appear the opposite of anything we would consider as a measure of happiness. How can happiness be ascribed to poverty/poor in spirit? How can happiness be ascribed to mourning? How can happiness be ascribed to one who hungers and thirsts? Perhaps there is more to the Beatitudes than lies on the surface. Maybe in the midst of these most tender and vulnerable places, the presence of Christ meets us and says "yours is the kingdom of heaven, you shall be comforted, you will inherit the earth, you will receive mercy, you will see God, and you shall be called children of God. Maybe these statements of blessing are the drink your soul needs this summer. If you find yourself in the Beatitudes like me, come and join us and receive what Christ to share with you.

Grace and Peace,
Rev. Hannah

Lectionary Readings for June

Sunday, June 2 — Second Sunday after Pentecost
1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20)
Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18
2 Corinthians 4:5-12
Mark 2:23 - 3:6
Sunday, June 9 — Third Sunday after Pentecost
1 Samuel 8:4-20 (11:14-15)
Psalm 138
2 Corinthians 4:13 - 5:1
Mark 3:20-35
Sunday, June 16 — Father’s Day
1 Samuel 15:34 - 16:13
Psalm 20 or Psalm 72
2 Corinthians 5:6-10 (11-13) 14-17
Mark 4:26-34
Sunday, June 23 — Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
1 Samuel 17:(1a, 4-11, 19-23) 32-49
Psalm 9:9-20
2 Corinthians 6:1-13
Mark 4:35-41
Sunday, June 30 — Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27
Psalm 130
2 Corinthians 8:7-15
Mark 5:21-43

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

OPPORTUNITIES TO BELONG

Vacation Bible School “Camp Firelight” will be held this year at St Luke on Wednesday, June 26 – Friday, June 28, from 5-7:15 pm. All kids entering 3k–6th grades for the upcoming school year are welcome! Registration is available online at www.stlukecleveland.com. Go to the “Children” tab and click on “Camp Firelight VBS 2024”, or scan the QR code in the VBS image below.

St. Luke members were proud to recognize our high school graduates on Sunday, May 9. During the worship service, they were greeted by Rev. Hannah and presented with a Bible from the congregation. Several of them assisted in the service, as acolyte, reader, or communion server. After worship, there was a potluck lunch in their honor and they were showered with graduation gifts. Congratulations to them all!

Lindsey Mae Givens, daughter of Mae and Lindsey Givens, is a graduate of MSMS and will attend Ole Miss.
Kolby Horton, son of Lisa and Shaun Horton, is a graduate of North Sunflower Academy and will attend MDCC.
Mariane Powell, daughter of Michelle Johansen and Chris Powell, is a graduate of MSMS and will attend Georgetown University.
Patrick Wessel, son of Susannah and Sean Wessel, is a graduate of Bayou Academy and will attend Ole Miss.

United Women in Faith once again say a very big THANK YOU to all who gave to the Spring No-Bake Sale. The sale netted $1,240. It supports many mission projects that help women, children and youth – some in our own community and some across the world.

UWFaith Grace Circle will meet on Tuesday, June 4, in the church library at 10 a.m. Pastor Hannah will do the program. ALL WOMEN WHO ARE FREE AT THIS TIME ARE INVITED TO JOIN US. I’m not sure what Hannah plans to do, but I’m sure it will be worth your time. After will be a brief business session.

UWFaith Lunch Bunch will gather at the Warehouse on June 26 at 11:30 p.m. I hope that some of you who are out of school for the summer will join us for a time of fellowship.

OPPORTUNITIES TO BELIEVE

St. Luke Sunday School has gone on summer vacation, except for the Coleman Class. Sunday morning services remain the same, however, so enjoy a little more shut-eye or an extra cup of coffee and then join your church family at 10:30 for worship. See you all in Sunday School in early September!

OPPORTUNITIES TO BECOME DISCIPLES

St Luke hosted the final AR party of the school year for the students at Parks Elementary on Thursday, May 16th. We were supposed to serve 76 students, but unfortunately, there were many students out that day. Not wanting any ice cream to go to waste, we were able to give some of the students second helpings as well as serve a fair amount of teachers and staff, so it was nice to be able to spread the joy! We had vanilla and chocolate ice cream, along with delectable toppings such as graham cracker crumbs, chocolate chips, sprinkles, chocolate syrup, Skittles gummies, gummy worms, and of course, whipped cream! Everyone seemed happy with full bellies by the end. Many thanks to Pastor Hannah for helping serve, as she did not have an easy job trying to get the ice cream to come off her scoop and into the bowl! It has been fun interacting with the students and teachers and to see how just a little reward can be a great motivation tool for reading more books. Here’s to hoping the students and teachers have a great summer and can also make time to keep reading! (Be sure to check out the party pictures in The St. Luke Scene!)

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 their discretion to help those in need.

Annual Conference Offering

The 2024 Mission Offering for Annual Conference will be distributed among our 11 Mississippi Conference benevolences that receive mission share dollars. Due to necessary budget cuts every area has been reduced, but, as Bishop Lewis always says, if we stop being involved in missions we might as well close the door of the church. So, this is one way that we can help fill the gap for the important ministries that do so much more than each church can do individually.

The 11 benevolences are:

Camp Lake Stephens
Seashore Assembly
Camp Wesley Pines
Gulfside Assembly
Choctaw Mission
Good Shepherd Community Center
Edwards Street Fellowship Center
Moore Community House
Wesley House Community Center
Bethlehem Center
St. Andrews Mission

If you would like to make a donation, make your check payable to St. Luke and note on the memo line “Annual Conference Offering”. Deadline to give is June 16.

Altar Arrangements

If you would like to help provide an altar arrangement sometime during the year, please look over the flower calendar located on the bulletin board across from the choir room, choose a date or two, and sign up. Your arrangement doesn’t have to be fresh flowers, it could also be a plant. If you sign up for two consecutive Sundays, we have a “flower fridge” where we can store your floral arrangement during the week and re-use them the second Sunday. Please contact Sandi Melton (Flower Steward) or the church office to sign up or for more info.

Summer Sermon Series
and Small Group Study

We use the term blessed a lot, but maybe sometimes you feel far from it. If that's the case, the Beatitudes may bring you comfort. We will be starting a new sermon series in June and July and hope you will make plans to join us on Sundays at 10:30. We will also have a small group study each week with opportunities for further discussion and learning about the life of St. Francis of Assisi.

VBS Camp Firelight

Meditative Yoga Class

Freedom Trail Revival Tour

You are invited to come and worship during the 2024 Freedom Trail Revival Tour! The Mississippi Annual Conference's End Racism For Good Committee is excited to announce a series of Spirit-filled worship gatherings in 2024 involving five local communities that will inspire all who long to end the sin of racism in our churches, our communities, and our state. We will worship together, deepen our connection with United Methodists and others across racial lines, and honor the pain and hopes of each community. It is our desire to listen to the Spirit together and go back to our communities with renewed energy and hope! Through worship, we aspire to awaken to our calling to be communities of courage and love that can bind us together as One. We hope you can attend one of the worship events nearest you - all events begin at 2pm: February 3 (Greenwood UMC); March 2 (Rust College); April 6 (Jackson); May 4 (St Paul UMC in Hattiesburg); and June 15 (Gulfside Assembly w/Bishop Lewis preaching).

The St Luke Scene

Graduate Reception

Kolby Horton

Mariane Powell

Lindsey Mae Givens

Patrick Wessel

Accelerated Reading Ice Cream Sundae Party

Next Month’s Calendar

July 2, Tuesday
— UWFaith Grace Circle, 10:00 a.m. (St Luke Library)

July 4-5, Thursday-Friday
— Church Office Closed for the 4th of July

July 10-13, Wednesday-Saturday
— Southeastern Jurisdiction Conference (Lake Junaluska)

July 14, Sunday
— Second Sunday Mission Project for Helping Hands

July 28, Sunday
— Blessing of the School Supplies during Worship Service

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Attendance and Offering Report

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June 2024

June 5, 2024St. Luke United Methodist Church

Message from the Pastor

Lectionary Readings for June