7 Nov Newsletter
SERVICE - Fr Gerth from Naples will conduct the service on Nov 10. Unfortunately, no further information about any of the services, feast days or homilies / sermons was available at time of publication. For the rest of the year, we will have a variety of other supply priests, depending on their availability
Remember our Wednesday morning Healing service conducted by Canon Bill Lester @ 10:00 am in the chapel. (James 5:16)
ST. LUKE’S OUTREACH – We are proud to list the following programs where the people of St. Luke’s reach out to the less fortunate in our community to help in their hour of need. Especially during the holidays, where many of us face no worse problems than overweight and where to find a parking space, it is easy to forget that there are others of God’s children facing hunger, homelessness and the effects of crime. Following are 4 programs where we, the people of St. Luke’s, reach out, in love, to help.
FOOD BANK – Thanks to all who have contributed to the load of food that was taken to All Souls on Tuesday, 5 Nov. O.K., what’s next? Well, Thanksgiving is Nov 28 and some more festive foods are in order. Please consider cannedcranberry sauce, sweet potatoes or yams, pumpkin, boxes or bags of stuffing, rice mixes, smaller bags of rice, sugar or flour.
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD - Daughters of the King have partnered again with Samaritan Purse and have one of their projects: Operation Christmas Child. You can use one of the plastic boxes that were distributed in the Parish Hall on the 20th or go to Hobby Lobby and purchase one for $3.99 OR use a regular cardboard shoe box (some people like to decorate theirs). Many items can be found at a Dollar Store or on Amazon. Ideas to fill: toys and books, toothbrushes, combs, brushes, undergarments, crafts, doll, stuffed animals, balls, eating utensils, sunglasses, flip flops, flashlight with batteries, school supplies (pencils, notepad crayons). DO NOT INCLUDE: food, candy, gum, medications, seeds, used items, liquids, breakable items.
You must label boy or girl and ages 2-4, 5-9 or 10-14. You must also include $10 for mailing. If you include a check, it will be a while before it is cashed, or you can include cash for Samaritian Purse and mark that on the envelope, putting that on top of your filled box. Some folks prefer to print their labels and track their package where it goes to: https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/label-options/
BOXES DUE NO LATER THAN NOV 17th to be taken to distribution site. Please return box to Suzanne Jager, or any other Daughter of the King member.
ANGEL TREE CHARITY - This is an extension of our prison ministry sponsored by prisonfellowship.org to provide wrapped presents for the children of incarcerated parents. There is a “tree” in Haynes-Burgess hall decorated with “Angels” identifying the needy children. Please pick one or more, noting your choices on the sign-up sheet near the tree so we can keep track of our progress. The fellowship suggests a $25 value for the gifts.
Please bring your wrapped present back to St. Luke’s by Dec. 15 for distribution on Dec 21. If you would like to share the joy of delivering the gifts to the “Caretaker” families, volunteers are welcome. Please contact BARBARA FLYNN (bflynn1073@aol.com) or DONNA WILLIAMS (donnawilliams211@comcast.net) to sign up.
FRIENDS OF ANNA CHARITY - Once again, as has happened every year at recent Christmastides, we have been asked to help out ANNA’S FRIENDS (Formerly “Guardian ad Litem”) a non-profit group started to help children who have become wards of the 20th District Court which has expanded to help all foster children.
Some of these children, ranging in age from infancy through the teen years, have been removed from their homes with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. Anna’s Friends maintain a “Comfort Closet” to provide the things needed for day-to-day life. This is where we come in. Suggested gift items include clothing (esp. socks, underwear and pajamas), diapers (esp. larger sizes), “onesies” for infants, wipes, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothbrushes and paste, toys, books (appropriate for the age group), bed linens or blankets (twin size), or $5 - $10 gift cards for the teens.
Gifts should NOT be wrapped or labelled. A decorated collection box will be placed in Haynes-Burgess Hall to collect the gifts. They will be picked up by Anna’s Friends between Christmas and Epiphany. Mark 10: 13 - 16
MUSIC Year B, Pentecost 25 - Proper 27 - Our scriptures today remind us that Christ died once for all by sacrificing himself and we hear once again the story of the widow's mite. Our hymns are familiar this week: Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessings (686), Before Thy Throne, O God, We Kneel (574), Not Here for High and Holy Things (9), and God of Grace and God of Glory (594). St. Luke's Choir will sing again Anton Bruckner's (Austrian, 1824 – 1896) Locus iste (This place was made by God) and Englishman (Sir) Edward Elgar's (English, 1857 – 1934) beautiful setting of the text Ave verum corpus. The opening voluntary will be a "touch piece" (toccata) by Johann Pachelbel (German, 1653 – 1706) and the final voluntary is an improvisation by Paul Manz (American, 1919 – 2009) based on the final hymn (God of Grace and God of Glory). Join us with your family and friends for this wonderful fall service!
After a few years of neglect, significant maintenance work has already been done to bring our organ back to its full working order at a cost of about $6,500, with some recently discovered termite damage yet to go. Several stops on the organ are once again playable and making music. Broken electric contacts have been restored and/or replaced. We are blessed to have such a fine organ and an exceptional organist/choirmaster to lead us in worship.. Let's all do our part to help pay for this work, for the glory of God. Make your check payable to St. Luke's/Friends of the Choir.
ST. LUKE’S CHOIR - If you are interested in singing with St. Luke’s Choir, please join us. Weekly rehearsals are held every Thursday at 7:00 pm in the Choir Room followed by a time of fellowship in the Library. The Choir reconvenes each Sunday at 9:00 am for a warm-up in preparation for the 10 am Service. ALL ARE WELCOME TO JOIN WITHOUT AUDITION! Come help us make a joyful noise unto our Lord! If you are interested, please contact our Director of Music Ministry, Dr. Ronald Doiron.
FINANCE – The good news is that we paid the quarterly insurance bill and we still have our heads above water. The bad news is that, due to recent changes in code requirements (massive hurricane-proof foundations), the cost of the sign, to be placed in front of our church, has increased by $3,000.00. Please help us to meet this expense by giving a one-time gift designated to “Church Sign”. Thank you for your faithful support as we continue to rebuild our parish.
BUILDING – Work has been slowed down by Helene and Milton and we still have the skylights, gutters and downspouts, the fence, some outside electrical (lights) work, the main church doors (this is the “biggie” still remaining) and the carpet to go. BUT IT IS STILL COMING ALONG!
THEATRE NIGHT- All of the responses to the inquiry expressed a desire to see the Christmas production at Broadway Palms. As a result we are going to go on Dec 1 (Sunday) for the evening performance and dinner. Barbara Flynn (bflynn1073@aol.com) has volunteered to help you buy your tickets – which include dinner – are expected to be $98.00 each. Please let her know ASAP so we can book the seats as a “block”.
VISITOR PLAN – Remember, we are implementing the new VISITORS PLAN to try to grow our church and make sure it survives. We are ALL part of the plan and we are counting on YOU to help make sure that all our visitors are warmly welcomed and supplied with the yellow “Connect Cards” that are now both in the pews and the folders. In case you have misplaced your copy of the plan it is attached to this newsletter below.
COFFEE HOUR – We need volunteers to provide “goodies” for the coffee hour, Please sign up on the sheet in Haynes-Burgess Hall
CALENDAR - Nov 11 – Serendipity Bible Study- (239) 560-4535, 7 PM
Dec 15 – Lessons & Carols
If you want more, less or different information, tell your vestry.