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REPORTER
Our five week emphasis on stewardship is winding
down. To recap, each of the past few Sundays we have
focused on an aspect of stewardship using the theme,
“Walking Together.” We have emphasized service, worship, mission, and prayer. On November 9th we will focus on our financial commitment to our church. Please
bring your commitment cards to the front as you come
up for communion and place them in the basket on the
table.
This year you may also access the commitment card on our website,
www.stlukeslutheranchurch.org. You can fill out the form and submit it
electronically.
Remember, stewardship is ongoing on our lives, so just because the fall
emphasis is over, it doesn’t mean our stewardship efforts are over. Let’s
continue “Walking Together” in faith in God and love for each other into
the future.
The Richardson Interfaith Alliance is celebrating its second community Thanksgiving service on
November 20th with the theme of “Compassion”.
The service will be held at 6:30 p.m. at First United
Methodist Church, 503 N. Central Expwy. The service will again be represented by the many different
faith communities in the City of Richardson. This year there will be a
children’s message from Pastor Kris. There will also be a children’s choir
and you are invited to bring your children and grandchildren to the service. If you are interested in the children’s choir, please ask Pastor Kris
for more information.
The assisting ministers at my last congregation served
at both worship services when they were assigned to a
week. That meant they heard my sermon twice. It was
not unusual to hear “Boy, was your sermon different at
the second service!” It was basically the same words,
just a whole different sermon. That was because the
energy in the congregation was very different. You see,
I get fed by the energy that comes back to me, and it comes out in the message I
deliver. At the early service, there was rarely any expression on the faces of the
people, and certainly no laughter or response. It always felt like my sermon went
over like a lead balloon. At the late service, it was just the opposite. So my energy level in delivery was higher too. Same message, different sermon.
Does this mean the early worship folks didn’t appreciate the sermon? No, not at
all. They just had a different piety about them. Worship is a time of quiet reflection, almost a somber experience. Does that mean it’s wrong? No, not at all. It
was just a reflection of how they grew up understanding worship.
Does this mean the late worship folks did worship better? No, not at all. They
just had a different piety about them too. For them, worship feeds their spirit
when it is exuberant and joyful. Not better, not right, not wrong. Just different.
It gets tricky when you have only one worship service filled with people of both
pieties. That’s the case here at St. Luke’s. We have those who want worship to
be quiet and reflective, and those who like exuberance. Somehow we need to
find a way to blend the two.
The issue where this is coming out the most is in clapping. For some, clapping is
an expression of joy. For others, it is a disturbance to the reflective tone of worship. Neither is wrong. The bigger issue is whether it is expressing appreciation
for a “performance” or whether it is just an expression of gratitude and joy. So
what I propose is this: if you are clapping simply out of politeness because you
are responding to a performance, then it is better not to clap. However, if you are
so moved by a stirring offering of music that you feel a need to express thanks to
God for the gift with which others have been blessed, then that’s ok too! In other
words, if the Spirit leads you to clap, then clap. If it’s just a polite response, then
don’t. And there are some times when it just shouldn’t be at all because of the
somber nature of the season (like Good Friday.)
We are so very blessed that our worship lately has been filled with stirring music
(thanks to Dale and the amazing choir.) So there has been a whole lot of clappin’
going on that has been a spontaneous response. This is a good dilemma for us to
have, because it means we are discovering new life and energy here. God
doesn’t care whether we clap or not, just that we are here celebrating worship
together. We just need to be respectful of each others’ needs and also joys.
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Social Seniors, lets go to brunch! We will go to the Egg
and I located at 930 E. Campbell Road, 1/2 mile east of
Central Expressway on Friday, November 14th For waffles, pancakes, eggs benedict, omelets, frittata, corned beef
hash, eggs, and more. Meet at the church at 9:30 a.m. to
carpool, or you can meet us at the restaurant about 9:45 a.m. When you
sign up, let us know if you want to carpool or if you plan to go directly
there. That way we will know how many to expect.
Are you interested in being a bus driver? How
about a sound technician? We are in
need of volunteers for both. Please
contact the church office if you
would like to know more about these
volunteer opportunities at St. Luke’s.
We are looking for a few people to be on the church
council for the next two years. The open positions are President, Treasurer, and Chairpersons for the following teams:
Music &Worship, Christian Education, Service Outreach,
Congregational Life and Congregational Resources. Nominations are now open for these positions. Ed Lysen and Carol Brant will
be heading up the nominating committee and, will also be looking for
people to be on that committee. Here is an opportunity to be of service to
your church. Contact Ed or Carol if you or someone you know are interested in being nominated for one of these positions.
The Lutheran Men in Mission breakfast will be held
on Saturday, November 22 at 8:30 a.m. at Holiday Garden Inn on 190 at Waterview. For more information, contact Ralph Rizzo, 972-231-3269.
Remember to set your clocks back an hour
November 2— or you’ll be an hour early for
church!!
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In November, we'll be embarking on a new journey
in our adult Sunday School class. For this journey,
we'll venture into the next Animate series: Practices. As you can tell by the name, it's not just a discussion about topics. It will invite us to think about some
of the practices we have in our faith life, and to stretch
ourselves to broaden those horizons. Because we will be encouraging participants to try some daily exercises, you are encouraged to get one of the
faith journals to accompany the class. However, they are not required to
participate! If you would like to order one, please let Pastor Kris
know. We may also take more than one week to work through each session. Flexibility is the key.
The topics (and video presenters) we will cover are: Prayer (Brian
McLaren,) Food (Sara Miles,) Worship (Mike Slaughter,) Sacraments
(Phyllis Tickle,) Money (Shane Claiborne,) Service (Enuma Okoro,) and
Community (Doug Pagitt.)
Even if you have never tried an adult Sunday School before, please consider checking this one out. It's very user friendly, and a great way to
learn about why we do the things we do!
This is a reminder that if you need a convenient way to make recurring
contributions or plan to make an additional gift before the end of the year,
we encourage you to check out our electronic giving options. As the pace
of life speeds up around the holidays, you may find electronic giving a
most welcome way to make contributions.
To set up a recurring giving schedule, visit us online at stlukeslutheranchurch.org and locate the Online Giving button. If you ned help, please
contact the church office..
If you are already giving electronically we will not be giving you envelopes for 2015. If you need to have them, please call and request them.
Thank you for your generosity and support!
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Women of St. Luke’s
November brings us to the third lesson of our individual circle Bible
studies. Mary Ruth and Rebekah Circles are studying Transformation Takes Time (Transforming Life and Faith) by Carol LaHurd from Gather Magazine. Sarah Circle is studying “The Meaning of Thanksgiving” from The Thoughtful Christian.
WE ARE CALLED: Theme Ver se for November is “Now Jesus
did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in the
book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah,
the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.”
John 20: 30-31
By reading a portion of the Exodus deliverance story, we will understand how God
uses signs both to show his power to Pharaoh and to strengthen the fail of Moses and
the Israelites. Both Pharaoh and the Israelites vacillate in their response. We will see
that for people in the Bible and for Christians today growth in faith takes time. Transformation takes time. Are you being transformed?
NOVEMBER ACTIVITIES
November 1: Leadership Team Meeting 9:00 a.m. Adult Education Room
November 5: Activity Day, 9:00 a.m. in the Congregational Life Center . Come
join in as we continue to work on quilts, layettes, school and health kits for Lutheran
World Relief. There’s work for women able to stand and for those who need to sit.
November 8: 9: 00 a.m.
Sarah Circle will meet in the church conference room. Hostess: Carol Brant, Study
Leader: Joy Uhler. A study on “The Meaning of Thanksgiving.”
November 11:
10:00 a.m. - Mary Ruth Circle will meet in the adult classroom. Hostess: Ann
McMullen, Study Leader: Martha Eastwood
7:30 p.m. - Rebekah Circle members meet in the home of the hostess. Hostess: Adele
Bakken, Study Leader: Ursula Peters.
LOOKING AHEAD TO DECEMBER: Our Annual Women of St. Luke’s
Christmas Luncheon will be held in the Congregational Life Center on December 6th
at 11:30 a.m. This will be a Potluck Luncheon. Please bring a non-dessert dish to
share. Each circle is asked to provide two Christmas decorations to be used as table
centerpieces, two volunteers to help set up on Friday the 5th, and two volunteers to
help take the dishes from the ladies as they arrive to be placed on the serving tables.
All women of St. Luke’s (18 and older) are invited and encouraged to attend a circle
meeting and are especially invited to attend the Christmas Luncheon. Please feel free
to join any of the circles at any time.
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Booksome Ladies
The Booksome Ladies will meet on Wednesday,
November 19th at 9:30 a.m. in the Conrad Library. Our
book for discussion is I Am Malala, a memoir by Malala
Yousafzai, who was a young girl when the Taliban
brought terror and took control of the Swat Valley in
Pakistan, where she lived. Her father, a school owner,
often spoke out for the rights of children to have an education. Malala accompanied him to many meetings, and from age eleven
spoke out in behalf of education for girls in her country. Encouraged by
both parents, she refused to be silenced. In 2012, when she was fifteen,
Malala almost paid the ultimate price for her actions. She was shot in the
head while riding the bus home from school. Few expected her to
live. Malala was taken to England for medical treatment and her recovery
is considered miraculous. Her determined fight for education has taken
her on an extraordinary journey from a remote village in Pakistan to the
United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she became a global symbol of
peaceful protest and an outspoken advocate for education of girls. Her
story reveals the power of one voice and the difference it has made in
thousands of lives. She is a memorable part of history.
All are welcome to come, listen, learn, participate, and enjoy.
Peace,
Martha Eastwood
Since our pictorial directory came out in
2013, we have had several changes: We have
some new members, some members with new
addresses and some who have left the church.
There are up-to-date print outs on the table in
the narthex. Please pick one up if you would
like to have a new list of current members..
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The members of St. Luke’s and their families that are being prayed for
during the month are listed below.
THE FAMILY OF TED LEHMUSVIRTA
BILLY HARRIS
SHELLA GROOM
DORIS AUTREY
CRYSTAL GARNER
LOUIS RODENCAL
RITA HUMPHREY
NANCY ROSER
BERNIE HUMPHREY
DON VAN KURIN
MARY JAN
BEA ORGISH
IRMA YOUNG
EMILY EASTWOOD
TRACY GOLDEN
IONE NELSON
SUZANNE SLAUGHTER
VIRGINIA FISCHER
RONNIE GROOM
Our appreciation to St. Luke’s Prayer Chain for their dedicated and
faithful prayers and service.
“Sing unto the Lord a new song, for He
has done marvelous things…”
Betty Kennedy, Prayer Chain Chairperson
972-235-6309
972-774-2002
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November 30 is the first Sunday in Advent! The
Worship and Music Team has announced that we
will have Advent services on the three Wednesdays during the season (December 3rd, 10th, and
17th) beginning at 7 p.m. We will again sing the
Holden Evening Prayer for those services. All are
invited to join us.
Plans are being made for special Sunday services in December by
the choir and children also. Information on these will be forthcoming
during the month.
We do know that this year we will have two Christmas Eve services, one
at 4 p.m. and one at 7:30 p.m.
We are St. Luke’s are blessed that we were able to pay off the
mortgage on our facilities ten years ago. But even though we don’t
have a mortgage, we do have upkeep on our buildings.
In 2010 we listed some repairs and upkeep items that needed to be done
to keep the facilities in good shape. We set up a special fund and called
it the “Mission Improvement Fund.” Those of you who remember that
know that this fund was set up to receive dedicated donations from
members to pay for these repairs and improvements. As you will also
remember, a big part of that fund was to replace the air conditioning
system in the sanctuary. We completed that project last year. We have
also replaced the furnaces for the pastor’s office and the kitchen, and
had work done on several other systems in the past couple of years.
The council would like to keep this fund active as it has been very helpful in saving money for other repairs to the church also. At the last
council meeting it was decided we should change the name of this fund
to “Building Improvement Fund.” This makes it more clear exactly
what this money is used for. When you get your pledge card for
2015,you will see that change in the wording on the form. However,
the name change did not get done in time to have it changed on the envelopes. So please remember that the “Mission Improvement Fund”
category on your 2015 envelopes is the same as the “Building Improvement Fund” on your commitment cards. Please continue to pledge to
this fund to help keep our building in good repair.
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Max and Beverly Ashby
Barbara Hollowell
Natalie Harvey
Bill Mechler
Daniel Vogt
Ellie Wilkins
Chris Cesaretti
Ben Hong
Adele Bakken
Alexis Anderson
Dennis Brant
Carol Rizzo
Derek Harvey
Arlene Bakner
11-14-1963
11-01
11-03
11-03
11-03
11-04
11-09
11-09
11-12
11-15
11-15
11-17
11-18
11-20
Chad Huffhines
Ted Bender
Sumi Jacobs
Gary Bowers
Helgard Fleming
Joy Dukowitz
Eileen Larsen
Judy Reed
Claudia Townsend
Dianne Plumb
Barbara Wright
Gregory Bakken
Michelle LeGrande
11-20
11-21
11-21
11-24
11-24
11-26
11-26
11-26
11-27
11-28
11-28
11-29
11-30
Welcome to Marlin and Milyon Pope who were baptized into the family of God on October 12th.
Congratulations to Bailee Slye-Nelson and Nichola Chatto who
were confirmed on October 26th.
Thanks so much to everyone at St. Luke's for their prayers, telephone visits and cards when I had surgery. And a
special thanks to Pastor Kris for her hospital visits. I am
doing very well.
Blessings,
Ruth Brink
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Serving in November
Nov 2
Assisting Minister:
Lector:
Communion Servers:
Acolyte:
Ushers:
Carol Herrman
Carol Herrman
Shirley Shanahan, Earl Scheler
Marlin Pope
Arnie & Sheryl Prosser
Eileen Bottolfson, Don Young
Shella Groom, Diane Thorpe
Greeters:
Nov 9
Assisting Minister
Lector:
Communion Servers:
Acolyte:
Ushers:
Emily Hoffman
Jim Seagraves
Jim Seagraves, Eileen Bottolfson
Caroline Plumb
Chris & Brenda Sherrod
Ed & Carol Lysen
Suzie Habhegger
Greeters:
Nov 16
Assisting Minister
Lector:
Communion Servers:
Acolyte
Ushers
Andrea Herrman
Diane Thorpe
Diane Thorpe, Kara Herrman
Milyon Pope
Chris & Brenda Sherrod
Ed & Carol Lysen
Barbara Tate, Kathryn Kraefft
Greeters:
Nov 23
Assisting Minister
Lector
Communion Servers
Acolyte
Ushers
Larry Wecsler
Ann Wecsler
Ann Wecsler, Barbara Tate
Virginia Sherrod
Marcie Cook, Allyne Harris
Beverly & Max Ashby
Betty Kennedy, LaVerne Domel
Greeters:
Nov 30
Assisting Minister
Lector
Communion Servers
Acolyte
Ushers
Chris Sherrod
Chris Sherrod, Kathryn Kraefft
Ashley Sallee
Marcie Cook, Allyne Harris
Beverly & Max Ashby
Earl Scheler, Betty Kennedy
Greeters
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To get a head start on ordering your poinsettia for the
Christmas season, you may
use this form. Mail it in or
put it in the offering plate on
any Sunday. Deadline for
ordering is December 14th.
Help beautify the sanctuary for Christmas by purchasing a
poinsettia for the chancel. Fill out the following form and turn it in
with your check or cash by December 14th. This year the poinsettias are $9.00 each.
Your Name ___________________________________________
Number ordered: _____________ x $9.00 = _________________
Check enclosed ___________ or cash enclosed ______________
Given:
_____to the glory of God
or
_____in honor of _______________________________________
or
_____in memory of _____________________________________
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NETWORK OF COMMUNITY MINISTRIES
Ingathering days are the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month. Items always
needed are: Jell-O, Peanut Butter, jelly, canned meats and vegetables, soups,
paper products, personal hygiene products, baby diapers and baby food.
Please place items in the box marked Network in the Gathering Area.
The Reporter
Published for and by
St. Luke’s Lutheran
Church
Next deadline—Nov. 15
gail@stlukeslutheranchurch.
org
All members of St. Luke’s
are invited to submit articles of interest for publication in THE REPORTER.
Articles may be submitted
in written form using
WORD format or electronic form. Please include
your name and phone
number. Articles should
be no longer than 250
words. Those over 250
may need to be edited.
St. Luke’s Lutheran Church
Pastor
Rev. Kristine Totzke
Administrative Assistant
Gail Johnson
Director of Music Ministries…………………. Dale Dietert
Council Members
President, Ed Lysen
9/233-6585
Vice President, Carol Herrman ……...
9/669-8936
Secretary, Emily Hoffman
9/669-0125
Treasurer, Jack Greene
9/423-3482
Financial Sec., Shameka Young
2/478-5832
Christian Ed., open
Evangelism, Barbara Tate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9/437-5009
Congregational Life, open………….... . . .. . .
Congregational Resources, Gail Johnson
9/231-3361
Indoor Property, Jerry Zimmerman
9/234-0771
Outdoor Property, Ralph Rizzo
9/231-3269
Worship & Music, Carol Brant - - - - - - - - - -.-9/422-7288
Service Outreach, Vernon Hardyman . . . . . . 9/979-0215
Youth, Open - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Contact Us:
pastorkris@stlukeslutheranchurch.org, Ph.414-416-8660
gail@stlukeslutheranchurch.org
ddietert@smu.edu
adam@stlukeslutheranchurch.org
www.stlukeslutheranchurch.org
Sunday Schedule
Worship at 10:00 a.m.
Sunday School at 8:45 a.m.
Phone number: 972-234-8804
www.stlukeslutheranchurch.org
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