Message from the Pastor

This past month, we began the Do Unto Others series in which we began to explore what it really means to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. We have considered what makes the golden rule truly golden, how grace makes room for us to love our enemies, the importance of compassionate listening, and what happens when we respect one another and the gifts each of us brings to the body of Christ. This Sunday, Wesley Foundation Director Julia Sheets will be bringing an important word from Mark 12:28-31 as you share Holy Communion together on World Communion Sunday. I have loved seeing photos of where you have placed your Do Unto Others stickers as a reminder and an opportunity to pray that the kindness of Christ would increase within us. I have been thinking a lot about the purple space that is created when we turn toward Christ and one another. My prayer for each of us is that we begin to recognize opportunities in our daily lives to seek out the purple space of humility, compassion, respect, love, and kindness. How might God call us to embody these spaces even when we may feel the pressure of spaces that seem to divide? I believe one of the ways we enter this purple space is through serving others. I hope you will take the time to read through the various opportunities you can give of your time and resources to others. Whether it is visiting with residents at Indywood this Saturday, supporting a trailer for a family in Rolling Fork, contributing to disaster relief via UMCOR, buying treats or supplies for Parks Elementary students, or supporting a single mother, Christ calls us to turn toward one another. When we serve, the compassion of Christ reframes our lens and gives us a dream and a passion to live into that which we hope for. I believe it was Martin Luther King Jr. who said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” I am thankful to serve alongside a church family that continues to ask this question and lean into a faithful response.

Grace and Peace dear friends,
Rev. Hannah

Sermon Series Scripture Lessons:
“The Liturgy of Our Politics”

Sunday, October 6 — Worship and Politics
1 Corinthians 10:16-18; Isaiah 1:10-17
Sunday, October 13 — Where is Your Treasure
Matthew 6:19-24
Sunday, October 20 — For the Life of the World
Jeremiah 29:4-7
Sunday, October 27 — The body of Christ
1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Lectionary Readings for October

Sunday, October 6 — Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost
Job 1:1; 2:1-10
Psalm 26 or Psalm 25
Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12
Mark 10:2-16
Sunday, October 13 — Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost
Job 23:1-9, 16-17
Psalm 22:1-15
Hebrews 4:12-16
Mark 10:17-31
Sunday, October 20 — Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost
Job 38:1-7 (43-41)
Psalm 104:1-9, 24, 35c
Hebrews 5:1-10
Mark 10:35-45
Sunday, October 27 — Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost
Job 42:1-6, 10-17
Psalm 34:1-8 (19-22)
Hebrews 7:23-28
Mark 10:46-52

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

OPPORTUNITIES TO BELONG

Saturday, October 19, there will be a field trip for the children to Bull Bottom Farms near Grenada. Children will enjoy a pumpkin patch, corn maze, petting zoo, and other fun fall activities. Everyone will need to meet in the church parking lot at 8:00 a.m. and then caravan to the Farm together.

St. Luke, First UMC, and Calvary Episcopal invite you to a come and go Blessing of the Animals at the First UMC Greenspace on Tuesday, October 21, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. We will also be collecting donations of cat and dog food for the animal shelter at the event.

Please mark October 27 on your calendar, as it will be a busy day for our St. Luke children. That morning we will observe Children’s Sabbath, with children participating in and helping to lead the order of worship. Claire Rogers is planning the service and will be practicing with the children during the Sunday School hour for several Sundays leading up to the 27th, so you will want to make sure your child is in Sunday School.

That afternoon from 3-5:00 p.m. we will join with several other churches at 1st UMC for a giant “United We Boo” Trunk-or-Treat. There will be games and a petting zoo on the green space and trunk-or-treating set up in the adjoining parking area. Each church is needing 6-7 trunks so if you can help with decorating your car trunk/tailgate, please contact Pastor Hannah or Brittany Dean. We will also be collecting bags of candy so if you can help with a bag or two, it will be greatly appreciated. A collection bin will be available in the narthex next week.

OPPORTUNITIES TO BELIEVE

United Women in Faith Grace Circle will not meet in October. The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, November 6, at 10:00 a.m. in the St Luke Library. Please note this meeting will be held on a Wednesday instead of Tuesday!

OPPORTUNITIES TO BECOME DISCIPLES

Please join the Mission Outreach team this coming Saturday, October 5, at 1:30 p.m. at Indywood Estate. We will deliver and hang the Fall "door hangers" that members of the church creatively painted at our BBQ. No talent in art is required to join us Saturday! The point of our visit is to spend time with the residents there and to enjoy their company. We'll do some mini-pumpkin painting if you're interested in that part of the visit, too. Hope you can be there to spread love from St. Luke.

The United Methodist Men’s Annual Fish Fry will be held on Tuesday, October 8, from 5-7:00 p.m. in the First UMC Fellowship Hall. Tickets are $15 each (carry-outs will be available). Proceeds will fund community organizations. Please see Jim Shempert (The Pastor’s Wife) if you would like to purchase a ticket.

St. Luke will host an AR Party at Parks Elementary on Wednesday, October 9, at 2:00 p.m. This party is to reward students for reaching or surpassing their Accelerated Reading goals. If you can help serve popsicles to those students, please contact Pastor Hannah.

St. Luke once again will provide supper for the students at the Wesley Foundation on Wednesday, October 16. Please contact Kay Daves if you can help serve.

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.

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.

More Opportunities to Help

Disaster Relief

We have all likely witnessed the recent devastation from Hurricane Helene, particularly in Western North Carolina. They are certainly in need of our prayers. Additionally, if you would like to contribute directly to the Western North Carolina Conference of the UMC, you may click here. To donate to the United Methodist Committee on Relief in which 100% of your donations go towards relief efforts, you may click here.

Parks Elementary Partnership

1) PBIS Closet- Parks keeps a closet filled with goodies for students who do well with their positive behavior system. This includes items such as fidget toys, slime, and other small prizes. When the children meet their goals, they are able to shop this closet as a treat and means of positive reinforcement. You may contribute to this cause or purchase items and bring them to the office.

2) Feminine Hygiene supplies- Parks has an area in the office dedicated to storing feminine hygiene supplies for girls who need them. Specifically, they try to keep a current stock of pads (no tampons please) and girls underwear in all sizes. You may bring these items to the church office as well.

3) Reading with students- Do you like to help students with their reading? If you had 1-2 hours a week to give during school hours, the students at Parks could use your help. Reading with students is a proven way to help raise their AR scores while also providing quality time with these children. If you are interested in this, please let Rev. Hannah know.

Baby Amazon Wishlist

About a month ago, Tricia Walker introduced me to a former student of hers, Holley. Holley lives in the neighborhood and is a talented student at Delta State planning to graduate next spring. She is also a single mother expecting a baby boy who is due in November. In lieu of a shower, she has an Amazon wish list with items she needs for the baby (most especially a glider for the nursery). With her permission, I am sharing this list so that we can help make sure she has what she needs for her precious baby boy. If you would like to contribute, you may click here to see her wishlist. I know she would be most grateful.

Homes for Rolling Fork

St. Luke’s Mission Outreach Coordinators, with the blessings of our Finance Committee, have agreed to help a family in Rolling Fork purchase the FEMA trailer in which they have been living since the devastating tornado that occurred there in 2023 destroyed their home. FEMA is allowing families to buy the trailers at a significantly discounted price (based on ability to pay) and with St. Luke’s help a family will be able to buy their trailer. Although St. Luke can cover this expense from Outreach’s operating budget, Outreach wanted to give the congregation the opportunity to make a specific contribution toward this mission project. Any gifts that our membership makes toward this effort will be credited back to the Outreach account, to be used for future local mission projects by Outreach. We hope you will consider making a special gift to cover part of the effort by Outreach and enable Outreach to do more toward supporting our local mission needs. Please mark your contribution “Rolling Fork Trailer.”

This is not “our” family or “our” trailer, but another family who have already been helped to purchase the home they have been living in since the tornado. We are so blessed to be able to help others!

Kairos Weekend Retreat

Kairos Outside is a ministry designed for the wives, mothers, sisters, daughters, grandmothers, and any other female relative or partner of men and women who are incarcerated. So often, they are “doing time” right along with their incarcerated loved one.

Kairos Outside is set up as a Weekend Retreat to help strengthen the family unit and encourage small support groups. Two weekends each year provide a secure place for up to 24 women to share their struggles. We invite them into a Christian Community that cares about them and their needs.

Kairos means God’s Special Time and, in the lives of these women, we know it will truly be a Special Time. We ask for your support and participation, for our weekend of October 18-20, 2024.

Below are a few ways that you can show your support for the upcoming weekend. Contact Deb Cole for more information and/or to offer your help.

1. Volunteering to work in the background as support staff or serve on the kitchen and prayer team (men are welcome to volunteer).

2. Providing food items (all must be individually wrapped);
snacks (chips, nabs, cookies, raisins, nuts, snack cakes, etc.);
bags of chocolate candy or hard candies (individually wrapped);
sodas (cans or small bottles only, any variety or brand - no 2-liters);
water (preferably small bottles)

3. Providing cuddly stuffed animals (10” - no logos)
To be held by aching arms (preferable teddy bears).

4. Providing financial assistance to help with the cost of the retreat.
a. Sponsor a guest for the whole weekend: $100
(covers meal tickets & bed tickets)
Tickets are placed on guests’ bed w/message that reads
“Your stay has been paid for by a caring Christian in town/state”
b. Sponsor a guest with any monetary amount.
All donations will be helpful and greatly appreciated!

Please drop off donated items or monetary donations by Monday, October 14. Make checks payable to St Luke with “Kairos” on the memo line, place it in the offering plate or bring to the church office.