Christmas Care Gifts
For many years, St. Luke’s has prepared Christmas Care gifts for shut ins and those who have experienced loss. Recently the gifts have been organized by the Sewing Ministry as another way to show the love of God through Christian care.
Christmas Caroling
Caroling and homemade gifts are delivered by church members who sing carols to homebound, the sick, bereaved and in nursing homes. This is a wonderful partnership ministry with the sewing ministry. Held annually. It allows St. Luke’s to show God’s love and witness to members and the community.
Christmas Float
St. Luke’s offers Christian witness in the Saxonburg Christmas parade each November by building a float and handing out information on Christmas Eve services. Annual. It allows St. Luke’s to show God’s love and witness to members and the community.
Community Events
Every year St. Luke’s participates in different community events. For many years St. Luke’s in conjunction with the Pieceful Patches held a quilt show during the Saxonburg Arts Festival. As the makeup of both organizations changed and it became harder to set up and run the show, it was abandoned for other activities, including live music.
As one opportunity to show God’s love and witness to the community changed new opportunities arose. Saxonburg started Mingle on Main and Saxonburg Winterfest. Sometimes we are open for prayer, conducting stained glass window tours, having organ concerts and hymn sings and sometimes we are just a place to grab a drink, get warm, cool off or use the bathroom.
When the outside world changes and we don’t seem to fit anymore, we might retreat to the comparative safety of our congregation. But that’s not what God expects of us. As Christians, we have a responsibility to share with all of those around us, and when we support those in need we demonstrated how God’s love works.
The opportunities to touch the community’s heart are endless, simply requiring some thought, a bit of creativity, and a congregation eager to share God’s grace with their neighbors or even with complete strangers. Small steps can have large impacts.
Community Quiet Time
The sanctuary is open the 4th Monday of each month for open prayer. Members come and pray monthly. It also is open to the community. In the past, it has been open for National Day of Prayer. For over 10 years. It allows St. Luke’s to show God’s love and witness to members and the community by being open for prayer.
Disaster Relief
Supports efforts of domestic disaster relief. The original intent has been scaled down to gift cards each fall to support the NALC Disaster Relief. At least 8 years or more. It allows St. Luke’s to show God’s love and witness to the community especially those affected by disasters.
Embassy Chapel Service
Monthly worship service with song, scripture, prayer for residents. At least 8 years. It allows St. Luke’s to show God’s love and witness to nursing home residents.
FISH (Friends in Service to Him)
A team reviews suggestions for mission support funding, that is recommended for council, etc. Speakers are invited each month, along with prayers offered. It allows St. Luke’s to show God’s love and witness by identifying mission supports for council and congregational approval.
Food Bank (monthly)
On a monthly basis, a dedicated group of St. Luke’s volunteers meet at Cabot Food Bank to pack bags for distribution. The monthly ministry started around 25 years ago as a project for the “30-hour famine.” The group meets at 6 pm on the Monday before the third Wednesday of every month. All are welcome to come and share in the ministry. The food bank is located at Cabot United Methodist Church on Winfield Road. There is also a food cupboard in the parking lot entry way that parishioners use to donate food and other items to the food bank. Various members of the congregation pick up the items and deliver it to the food bank.
This is important because a mission of the Church is to feed the poor.
Food Bank (holidays)
Potato drive and Christmas fruit baskets for food bank recipients. Partnership with youth, Har-Low Farms. Over 10 years. It allows St., Luke’s to show God’s love and witness to members and the community.
Glade Run Angel Tree
Some 25 gifts are purchased by members for children at Glade Run for Christmas. The gifts are delivered in December. Annual for years. It allows St. Luke’s to show God’s love and witness to children of Glade Run.
Lenten Focus
A local mission is determined and supported during the Lenten season with education, Lenten financial coin boxes, speaker if possible, etc. It allows St. Luke’s to show God’s love and witness to community missions and serves as education.
Meals on Wheels
St. Luke's provides drivers to the Meals on Wheels - Freeport organization every week to pick up meals at their distribution site and deliver them to others who then deliver the meals to people's homes. Meals on Wheels is committed to addressing senior hunger and isolation, through wellness checks and nutritional meals. St. Luke's has been providing this service for over 20 years. This ministry is important because it allows St. Luke's to show God's love to those in need in our community.
Sewing Ministry
The St. Luke’s Sewing Ministry, meets every other week in the Fellowship Hall, where they work making blankets, quilts, and other items for those in need. They have donated items to nursing homes, hospitals, baby centers, animal shelters, NALC disaster relief, and many more. They are also the organizer of the Prayer Shawl ministry. To fund their ministry they organize a yard sale every year. This ministry wants to help show the love of God through Christian care by giving to those who need to know that they are loved by God and being held in prayer by the people of God.
“Souper” Bowl
Held each February, money is collected for the Souper Bowl. Benefits Cabot Food Bank. Youth. A monthly team supports the food bank by preparing the bags for years. It allows St. Luke’s to show God’s love and witness to community members who are food insecure.
