time-2010-01

JANUARY—MARCH 2010

Wait Loss“Now is the TIME” Encourages a High Carpe Diem Diet

Clocking InSt. Luke’s New Pastors Punch In January 1

Drop and Give God 40!Spiritual Spring Training Arrives for 40 Days of Lent

jan10_mag:Layout 1 12/22/09 4:49 PM

ST. LUKE’S CLERGY STAFF: Kent Millard, Linda McCoy, Marsha Hutchinson,Marion Miller, Stan Abell, David Williamson,

Jamalyn Williamson, Adolf Hansen

ST. LUKE’S STAFF: Kathy Alexander, Administrative Team Assistant

Jason Barnes, Director of AV/MediaDawn Bick, Assistant Director of Children’s Ministry,

ElementaryBetty Brandt, Director of Spiritual Life CenterKristi Chamberlain, Childcare CoordinatorTerri Coe, Director of Adult Ministries

Marsha Coyner, Director of Joyful RhythmsLori Crantford,

Director of Communications, Marketing & DevelopmentKevin Davis, Director of Youth Ministries

Jan Emmons, FinanceSylvia Forbes, Membership & Care

Bertie Gilster, ReceptionistMary Hach, Assistant Director of Children’s Ministry,

Early ChildhoodAdolf Hansen, Theologian in Residence

Leslie Hazelwood, FacilitiesKathleen Headington,

Associate Director of Youth MinistriesMartha Heinrich, IT Manager

Carol Helmus, Special Event/Wedding CoordinatorSharon Holyoak, Oasis Bookstore ManagerJulia Johnson, Executive Director of MinistriesMike Keller, Director of Wesleyan Ringers

Faina Kleyner, FinanceBeth Lammers, Building Scheduler

Erica Lampe, Benefits/Development AssistantTujuianna Lockhart, Facilities

Bobbi Main-Jackson, Director of Weekday MinistriesCharles Manning,

Assistant Director of Music MinistriesLinda McGlothlin, Adult Ministries

Bonnie McMenamin, Music Ministries AssistantJanet Miller, Children’s Ministries

DeAnna Moran, Adult Ministries RegistrarRickie Murphy, Facilities

Debra Nethercott, Director of Children’s MusicSarah Nevin, Publications Design

Jan Nichols, Coordinator of World Missions ProjectsJulie O’Connor, Administration & Celebration Team Matt Peyton, Associate Director of Youth Ministries

Rich Potterf, Building & Grounds MinistryBrian Schnitz, Facilities

Mary Katherine Schnitz, Director of Care MinistriesCara Scott, ReceptionistKelly Scott, Facilities

Winnie Sibotshiwe, FacilitiesMark Squire, Director of Music Ministries

Tara-Lynne Sinicki, Director of Children’s MinistriesBen Spillman, Facilities

Alison Strawmyer, Assistant Director & Registrar,Weekday Preschool & Parent’s Day Out Program

William Taylor, FacilitiesJayne Moynahan Thorne, Director of Outreach Ministries

Chris Thornsberry, Associate Director of Adult MinistriesCheryl West, Director of New Song

Adra Wheeler, Director of Hospitality & VolunteersRich Wisman, Facilities

THE GARDEN CLERGY STAFF:

Linda McCoy, Stan Abell

THE GARDEN STAFF: Troye Kinnett, Director, The Good Earth BandSteve Whipkey, Director, Oak Hill BandJudy Tolley, Administrative Team LeaderBeth Fried, Communications & Worship

Larry Fletcher, Director of Marketing & Operations

st. luke’s identityWe are an open community of Christians gathering to seek, celebrate, live and share the love of God for all creation.

st. luke’s vision We envision being transformed by God

and transforming the world into a compassionate, just, inclusive,

Christ-like community.

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in this issue | mission | staff together in ministry everyday

100 W. 86th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46260TELEPHONE: 317-846-3404 • FAX: 317-844-1034 • WEB: www.stlukesumc.com

EDITORIAL/PRODUCTION STAFF: Editorial: Lori Crantford; Design: Sarah NevinCONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Dave Boyer, Betty Brandt, Al Dalton, Kevin Davis, Beth Fried, Jenny Hawke, Kathleen Headington, Judi Hosfeld, Marsha Hutchinson, Doug Lark, Minnetta Millard, Dr. Marion Miller,Matt Peyton, Rich Potterf, Jackie Reed, Mary Rudy, Charlie Russell, Mary Katherine Schnitz, Allison Smith, Nancy Spohn, Chris Thornsberry, Tricia Thomson. CIRCULATION MANAGER: Sylvia Forbes.

NEXT T.I.M.E. DEADLINE: March 1 for April—June 2010

IN THIS ISSUE:4 Welcome Williamsons7 NOW IS the TIME8 Special Event9 Spiritual Spring Training11 Youth Ministries12 Endowment / Sundays in the South 13 Grief Ministries14 Adult Education15 World Missions18 Social Justice20 Community Ministries24 Children’s Ministries25 The Garden / Oasis26 Welcome New Members27 Celebrations & Concerns28 Lent & Easter

9 Spring Training

18 Pedal for Peace


Friends:

Do you ever procrastinate or put off doing something that you know you should do and want to do?

I often procrastinate on cleaning up my home office. I have books and files stacked all over myhome office that I intend to read sometime or file in their appropriate places. I have a stack ofarticles I have clipped out of newspapers or magazines that contain good sermon material whichshould be filed, but right now they are just in stacks on the floor.

My wife, Minnietta, describes my office as having a fungus that grows larger every day with mybooks, articles and stacks of paper increasing regularly. I intend to clean it up and organize it,but I just never get around to it.

Several months ago my doctor told me that I should exercise more and lose a few pounds to beat the optimum weight for my age and body type. But I haven't done it.

I suspect that all of us sometimes procrastinate and put off doing what we know we should doin some area of our lives.

During January and February 2010, we are focusing on the theme Now Is the TIME. We are encouraging everyone to look at the areas of their lives where they put off doing what they knowthey should be doing and say Now is the Time to stop procrastinating to move to a new, moreeffective way of living.

My sermon series for the first two months of 2010 focuses on us joining together as a communityto support each other in not procrastinating and in taking some small steps towards a better life.

Now Is the TIME:

SUNDAY, JANUARY 3—To Improve our Health What are the habits of eating, exercise, drinking or smoking inhibiting our physical health that we need to change?

SUNDAY, JANUARY 10—To Volunteer People often tell me they know they would find fulfillment in doing volunteer work to serve people in our congregation or community, but they never actually get around to doing it. We will have an Open House on January 10 with many volunteer opportunities available.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 17—To Build Bridges Together This Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday we will think about what steps we can take to break down racial barriers among usand build bridges of communication and understanding.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24—To Overcome Procrastination How are we doing in not putting offuntil tomorrow what can be done today?

SUNDAY, JANUARY 31—To Improve Our Family Life Rev. David and Jamalyn Williamson,our new pastoral couple, will be doing a dialogue sermon. David will be working with ourMen's and Family Ministries, and Jamalyn will be working with our Children's Ministries.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7—To Forgive Do we carry any resentments against others that prevent us from living fully and completely?

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14—To Love Valentine's Day is a good time to remember Jesus’ Great Commandment "to love." To love God with our whole being and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Scripture says “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” God givesus just one day at a time. When we overcome procrastination and recognize the small steps wecan take today towards a better life for ourselves and our community, God can use us all totransform the world. NOW IS THE TIME!!

Grace and Peace,

Kent Millard

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JANUARY—MARCH from the desk


staff together in ministry everyday

David & Jamalyn’s Excellent Adventuresby Lori Crantford

One evening in , David Williamson and JamalynPeigh were meeting friends at Smee’s. What you need tounderstand is that this was not just your average friendlyget-together. This was the night of David’s Big Test. Yousee, David and Jamalyn had recently become engaged, andthis was the night that David was thrown—rather like the

Bible’s Daniel—into the lion’s den of Jamalyn’s friends,to be questioned mercilessly so as to determine whether hewas suitable to marry Jamalyn. I didn’t ask David if hewould rather have been throwninto a pit of lions, but I’m sureyou can when you meet him ifyou want.

As the Big Test was about tocommence, however, Dave seemeddistracted, unable to focus on thevery important task at hand. Jamalyn pulled him aside.“You’re gonna get grilled, andyou need to pass the test. What isgoing on?” Turns out what wasgoing on was that Dave couldn’tkeep his mind off the fact thatalso sitting in Smee’s thatevening was a young quarterbacknamed Peyton Manning. Dave isfrom Tennessee, is a huge Ten-nessee Volunteers fan (whereManning QB’d in college), and,well, it was just too much for oneman to handle. “Oh, just go talkto him,” Jamalyn advised.

So he did. Turns out David and Peyton knew many of thesame people in Tennessee, and Peyton happily posed for apicture with the soon-to-be-married couple. I don’t knowhow the grilling turned out or if it even took place, ‘causeif I saw my girlfriend’s fiancée making easy chit chat withPeyton Manning, my vote would be “heck yes.”

Excellent adventures like this seem to be an integral partof David and Jamalyn Williamson’s lives. Their newest adventure, of course, is joining the staff of St. Luke’s beginning January . David will be a full-time AssociatePastor of Family Ministries, and Jamalyn will be a three-quarter time Associate Pastor of Children’s Ministries.

They are currently living and working in Milroy, Indiana,where David is the Pastor of Milroy United MethodistChurch. Milroy has a population of around , Milroy

UMC has membership of around with an average attendanceof , and it is important to notethat Milroy, Indiana does nothave a gas station. It would havebeen very important for me tohave noted the lack of refuelingcapabilities before I drove thereto interview the Williamsons, butit is enough that I am passing onthis vital information to you. Sothat you don’t have to have anexcellent adventure like me. Butthat’s another story.

David and Jamalyn’s adventurestogether began when they met atDuke University in seminary.They had both already graduatedfrom college (David from Davidson College, Jamalyn from Purdue), but experiences in theirlives led them to seminary. David

was in his third year at Duke and was a Teaching Assistantin a class Jamalyn was taking as a second semester student. . . a situation which ironically ultimately led to Dave’sBig Test night at Smee’s.

They got married in January . Jamalyn graduated inMay ; David had graduated in and had beenworking for the UNC Hospitals as a Pediatric Chaplain,and also at the Trilogy Learning Center. In August

LEFT: Jamalyn, David, Margaret and

Nathan Williamson

LEFT: Jamalyn, David andyoung Margaret with orphans

in Haiti

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“Panera.” Jamalyn suddenly says. “I’mlooking forward to having a Panera justdown the street!”David’s eyes becomewistful as he quietly utters “Chipotle. And Chik Fil A.”


they began a two-year adventure in Haiti. Jamalyn had takena class trip to Haiti through Family Health Ministries, which isheadquartered out of Chapel Hill, NC. Haiti had gotten in Jamalyn’s blood, so she and David made the decision to com-mit that time in their lives to the work and people there.

During their time in Fondwa, Haiti, Jamalyn ran a sponsor-ship program, worked with administration, matched up andmaintained correspondence with students and their sponsors(as we dubbed her during our interview, “the Sally Struthers ofHaiti.”). David taught English to - grade students andbuilt relationships with the teachers and administrators. It wasthrough those relationships that community needs were discovered—like the need for a generator (Fondwa has no pub-lic electricity). While home during the military coup, theWilliamsons raised , for a generator, which is whateveryone should do when they have downtime during a coup.

And then there was the orphanage. David and Jamalyn spentthree or four afternoons a week with the kids (ages -)who lived in the orphanage. “We just spent time with them, orhelped with homework, or bathed them. There are caregiversthere, but they don’t really give the kids any emotional sup-port. It was really awful to leave,” David shares. “I don’t cryeasily,” he says while Jamalyn interjects “He didn’t even cry atour wedding!” Laughing, David says, “Jamalyn had to tell meto pull it together. It was tough leaving there.”

They returned to North Carolina in April before comingto their new assignment in Milroy in July . The William-sons wanted to come to Indiana (which sounds like hah! canyou believe they actually wanted to come to Indiana! when that’snot the case at all). Jamalyn is from Terre Haute, and quite afew Duke friends and acquaintances live in the area (like Brentand Lauren Wright), plus David’s mom lives in Nashville, TN.And, as everyone knows, there’s no better place to start a fam-ily than in Indiana. Their daughter Margaret was born in ,and son Nathan in .

Fresh from Haiti, David and Jamalyn thought their focus inMilroy would be on missions, but it turns out perhaps Godhad other plans. While they have taken several people from thecongregation on trips to Haiti, an emphasis on families quicklybecame the focus of their ministry. “When we started therewere two kids here. We’ve gone from that to a peak of or,” David reports. “It’s a little lower now – probably kids inSunday School, seven in youth group—but we have built a coreof young families from scratch. The fun part for me is thatmost of the families either had not attended church or had badexperiences, but now they’ve come back,” David continues.“I’ve probably done as many adult baptisms as babies. Thisministry has been a surprise to me, but it’s been incredibly re-warding, bringing these people to the church.”

The new families attending Milroy UMC started bringing theirnew-found ministry into the community, beginning or bolster-ing existing activities like Milroy Community Day each August(a day of games for children and service projects, a meal and

JANUARY—MARCH

Williamson Trivia & Fun Facts

All about DAVE

BORN in Paduka, KY; GREW UP in Brownsville, TN

PARENTS: The late Rev. Read Williamson and Sandra Williamson

SIBLINGS: One brother, Stephen

COLLEGE: Davidson College, Art, 1998

WORK: Mountain T.O.P. (1994-1998), Salem UMC (1998-2001); UNC Hospitals Pediatric Chaplain (2001-2002); Trilogy LearningCenter (2003); Family Health Ministries Missionary (2003-2005);Milroy UMC (2005-2010)

FAVORITE COLOR: Blue

FAVORITE FOOD: Chicken Parmesan

LEAST FAVORITE FOOD: Tuna Salad

FAVORITE MOVIE: “Dead Poet’s Society”

FAVORITE BOOK: Catcher in the Rye

FAVORITE SINGER: Paul Simon

FAVORITE RESTAURANT: Chipotle

FAVORITE VACATION SPOT: Destin, FL

FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM: Tennessee (Volunteers, not Titans)

FAVORITE BIBLE PASSAGE: Philippians 3:7-14 – “Yet whatever gainsI had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More thanthat, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value ofknowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss ofall things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christand be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comesfrom the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteous-ness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power ofhis resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like himin his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal;but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made mehis own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; butthis one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward towhat lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heav-enly call of God in Christ Jesus.”

PET PEEVE: Water rings on tables

SECRET TALENT: Excellent quilting stitch

FUN FACT: David has incredible recall of Bible verses. This is due tohis grandmother, who paid him $1 for each verse he could memorizeevery week, up to $5 a week. He tried to double his money by performing this feat for his other grandmother, but upon her demandthat he first recite the five he had memorized the week before, hequickly settled for the $5/week from grandma #1.

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EXCELLENT ADVENTURE, cont’d from page 5

an overall celebration for the community); Christmas Com-munity Dinner (free dinner for anyone in the community withgames for children and a visit from Santa); Wacky Wednesday(an afterschool program for elementary students); and Mil-roy’s only food pantry. “When we came to Milroy, the churchhad a reputation as being the church you had to ‘dress nice’ to attend,” David says. “It was intimidating to people who weren’tcomfortable with church. Now I think people would say ourchurch is active and involved. These young families havehelped create a positive atmosphere.”

The Williamson’s pastoral work with families and children wasnot intentional, or as David put it “Not by our design, but byGod’s design.” For David, this accidental ministry path startedwith his work as a pediatric chaplain, then at a school for special needs kids, and then the work in Haiti. His desire topursue ministry was fostered while working at Mountain T.O.P.summer camp while at Davidson. As a program director, heworked with people who needed help with their homes. “Thenat night we’d have worship at camp, and during the day I’dvisit with these folks, and I discovered I felt drawn to these activities of visitation and worship.” David’s father (who diedwhen he was six years old) was a pastor, and David grew up attending 1st United Methodist Church in Brownsville, TN.

For Jamalyn, her ministry leanings were fostered by that best ofall recruiting programs: innocent volunteer work. “I was work-ing in the Attorney General’s office in Indy when I started getting involved in various church activities. Eventually Istarted helping lead worship, and I realized I was feeling morecomfortable in my church world than in my business world. Iwent to seminary not really sure what I would do, but I feltcalled. While I was in seminary, I was a chaplain for an after-school program in an inner-city situation. I learned a lot, including that kids aren’t that scary. I was shocked by howmuch I love children’s ministry.”

So now David and Jamalyn’s Excellent Adventure brings themto St. Luke’s. “Excited” would be the adjective that both ofthem used when describing how they feel about coming here.“We’re excited to see what the possibilities are in a larger envi-ronment,” says Jamalyn, while David says “What excites me isworking with families. I feel like we’re in the middle of it—parenting, marriage, finances, all the things young families arestruggling with. I’m looking forward to sharing what we’velearned in seeking out God’s wisdom.”

“Panera.” Jamalyn suddenly says. “I’m looking forward to having a Panera just down the street!” David’s eyes becomewistful as he quietly utters “Chipotle. And Chik Fil A.” Theseare things the Williamsons are also looking forward to on theirnext adventure. I’d like to add a couple to that list: Speedway,BP, Shell . . .

(David and Jamalyn will be preaching at St. Luke’s on Sunday,January . They begin working here on January . Please helpus welcome them and their children to the St. Luke’s family.) n

together in ministry everyday

——

All about JAMALYN

BORN in Franklin, IN, RAISED IN Terre Haute

PARENTS: Darrell and Lois Peigh

SIBLINGS: Two brothers — Kyle (older) and Josh (younger)

COLLEGE: Purdue University, Sales and Sales Management, 1997

WORK: Indiana Attorney General's Office Consumer Protection Division(1997-98); McLeodUSA-Account Executive (1998-2000); Hinton RuralLife Center (2000 and 2001 --summer), Oxford Manor Children's Chaplain (2000-2001); Evergreen UMC (2001-2003); Family Health Ministries Missionary (2003-2005); Greensburg UMC (2005-08); Milroy UMC (2008-2010); Family Health Ministries--Fondwa ProjectManager (2008-present)

FAVORITE COLOR: Orange

FAVORITE FOOD: Ruth Chris steak

LEAST FAVORITE FOOD: Sauerkraut

FAVORITE MOVIE: “When Harry Met Sally”

FAVORITE BOOK: Jayber Crow

FAVORITE SINGER: James Taylor

FAVORITE RESTAURANT: Carrabba’s

FAVORITE VACATION SPOT: Destin, FL

FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM: Purdue Boilermakers

FAVORITE BIBLE PASSAGE: Luke 4:18 – “The Spirit of the Lord is uponme, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He hassent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to theblind, to let the oppressed go free.”

PET PEEVE: Cutting in line

SECRET TALENT: [unable to come up with a response of her own and in response to David’s suggestion]: “Apparently my secret talent is I’m agood stain remover.”

FUN FACT: Jamalyn has never seen one episode of “Star Trek,” nor one“Star Trek” movie. She is quite pleased about this. It seems that Davidwould refer to this as a not-so-fun Jamalyn fact.

LEFT: Amazingly lifelike wax statues of David & Jamalyn atMilroy UMC. Ok, it’s really them.


Please plan to join us for the St. Luke’s Open House on January 10, 8:30AM-12:30PM. Spend the morning visiting areas of the building that you have never seen.Have you been to the Spiritual Life Center? Do you know where the music departmentis located? Where do those teenagers hang out every Sunday morning?

The Open House is the kick-off for the next T.I.M.E. theme, “Now is the TIME.” Asa church family we want to help you with those New Year’s resolutions. What have youbeen meaning to do that you just haven’t found the time or support to accomplish inthe past?

Maybe 2010 is the year for real spiritual growth. Visit the Spiritual Life booth andgather information about upcoming classes.

Take a look at the classes and workshops offered by the Health ministry. They canhelp with weight loss issues, smoking cessation, and addictions.

Sign up for a “clutter class” and make 2010 the year that you really work on thoseclosets. That information will be available at the Care Ministries booth.

Visits all of the different “TIME zones” of the building, and you will be eligible to bein a drawing for great prizes. It will be a fun morning. Please join us. There is no TIMElike the present. n

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JANUARY—MARCH together in ministry everyday | slc

St.Luke’s Open HouseJanuary 10, 2010by Mary Katherine Schnitz

On November 2 at 12:45PM received a challenge! I remember thedate and time because what initially seemed pretty ordinary, some-thing I had heard many times before, became something I heard ina new way. What I heard was, “Love your enemies.” Those familiarwords became a challenge because I was moved beyond my usualbehaviors of cleaning up my negative brain chatter and praying for allthose people who are annoying me in big and small ways. I was chal-lenged to take actions that could be observed—to make “love” a verband “enemies” the object.

In the midst of my quandary about what action to take, I was bom-barded with emails containing “The Charter for Compasssion.” People like His Holiness the Dalia Lama, Nobel Peace Prize winnerJody Williams, actor Forrest Whitaker and one of my favorite writers,Karen Armstrong, are spearhading an effort to replace the violenceand hatred that we faithful Christians experience and tolerate withcompassion and respect—love our enemies. “Compassion impels usto work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, todethrone ouselves from the centre of our world and put anotherthere…”

The word they use is “work,” not just “think about” or “say a prayer.”What could we accomplish if each one of us did just one thing to fur-ther compassion and respect everyday. We could do small things likesmiling at people we don’t like or turning off our TVs when some-thing violent appears, or bigger things like writing letters of forgive-ness and thanksgiving to people from whom we are estranged. Wecould take down the walls that separate us rather than put morebricks in.

So NOW IS THE TIME to hear old Biblical words in a new way andtake action to love our enemies. Together we could make 2010 theYear of Compassion. Now that is a challenge! n

Go to http.//charterforcompassion.org

call to bring the world together…The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethicaland spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as wewish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelesslyto alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselvesfrom the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour theinviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody,without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.

It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consis-tently and empathically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violentlyout of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit ordeny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others—even our enemies—is a denial of our common humanity. We

“Now Is the Time” to Accept a Challengeby Betty Brandt


special event together in ministry everyday

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As part of our Lent theme “Spiritual Spring Training,” author A. J. Jacobs will share his experi-ences while trying to follow—as best he could—hundreds of Biblical laws, which is chronicled inhis book The Year of Living Biblically.

The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible, isa New York Times bestseller and has garnered rave reviews around the country. For this book, he attempted to abide by the hundreds of rules in the Bible, from the famous (the commandments,be fruitful and multiply) to the often neglected (stone adulterers and avoid wearing clothes ofmixed fibers). Jacobs manages to find humor in his attempts to comply with the more arcane stric-tures, but also, somewhat unexpectedly, finds comfort and meaning in both the rituals and themeaning of the Old Testament. The book has been optioned by Paramount Pictures.

Jacobs is the Editor-at-Large at Esquire magazine, where he writes feature articles (Universal Stu-dios has optioned his article “My Outsourced Life.”) For that piece, Jacobs hired a team of

assistants in Bangalore, India, to do everything for him, from answer his e-mails to read bedtime stories to his son. His most recent book, The Guinea Pig Diaries—My Life asan Experiment, includes that experience along with others, such as living a month of radical honesty. His first book, The Know-It-All: One Man’s Humble Quest to Become theSmartest Person in the World, a memoir of the year he spent reading the entire Encyclo-pedia Britannica from A to Z, all million words of it. The book was also a New YorkTimes bestseller.

Jacobs has also written for The New York Times, New York Magazine, Entertainment Weekly,among others. He has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, Fox News, CSPAN, as well as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. For two years, he was an occasional correspondent for NPR’s “Weekend Edi-tion.” Jacobs was also senior editor at Entertainment Weekly, and was a staff writer for MTV’s animated show Celebrity Deathmatch. For more information on A. J. Jacobs, visit www.apbspeakers.com or www.ajjacobs.com. n

Tickets are /person and will be available for online purchase at www.stlukesumc.com, as well as at

St. Luke’s United Methodist Church. Credit cards accepted online; cash and check only in person. The

event begins at ; Mr. Jacobs will sign books following his presentation.

A.J. JACOBS NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLING AUTHOR & ESQUIRE EDITORcoming to St. Luke’s Tuesday, March , at

acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and thatsome have even increased the sum of human misery in the nameof religion.

WE THEREFORE CALL UPON ALL MEN AND WOMENo to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religiono to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation

of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate

o to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures

o to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity

o to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of allhuman beings—even those regarded as enemies.

We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world. Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can breakdown political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries.Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential tohuman relationships and to a fulfilled humanity. It is the path toenlightenment, and indispensible to the creation of a just econ-omy and a peaceful global community.

COMPASSION, cont’d from page 7

A.J. Jacobs


Discipline…yuck! That’s the first thought that comes to mind when I encounter theword “discipline.” I think I have to give up something or do something differently, andI pull back from that idea. Fortunately, I stumbled upon a passage of scripture thatgrabbed my attention and pulled me back from dismissing the word.

That passage is Hebrews 12:11, and it states, “No discipline seems pleasant at thetime, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peacefor those who have been trained by it.” (NIV)

This passage was underlined, circled, and highlighted in my Bible. I’m assuming thatwhen I did all those things I was probably at a crossroad similar to where I am today.You see, I have this problem. I like cheeseburgers. Actually, it’s more of a loving relationship than anything else. The fact is that when I think about cheeseburgers Ismile and want to run to the nearest Wendy’s. There’s something special about a hot hamburger with melted cheese, two slabs of bacon, and delicious ketchup on top.It’s almost irresistible. However, there’s a conflict. Cheeseburgers are not very goodfor me. Even though they taste really great, if I have too many, they will do damage to my body.

So I was thinking, what do cheeseburgers have to do with discipline? Well, that’s simple. For me it takes a huge amount of discipline to stay away from those things.Sometimes it means not going anywhere near a Wendy’s (you can argue this point, butWendy’s, in my opinion, has the best cheeseburgers). Sometimes it means taking mylunch to work instead of going out to eat. Needless to say, I have to watch what I doin order to make sure that I don’t give in to the call of the cheeseburger.

Being disciplined about not eating cheeseburgers has also carried over into other areasof my life. Every day I take time out to pray and thank God for all the things that Goddoes for me. I also take time each week to worship. When I say worship, I don’t justmean showing up at church on Sunday morning. I mean doing everything I can togive glory to God in all the things that I do. For me, worship isn’t a weekly ritual. It’strying to live out each day in a way that is pleasing to God.

I also take time each night before I go to bed to journal. One of the greatest parts ofjournaling is looking back on how far I’ve come in life. I always look back to the yearbefore and read the entry for the day that I’m journaling to see where I was this timelast year. I also take time to be silent every day. In the words of that great sage FerrisBueller, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you

The Call of the Cheeseburgerby Chris Thornsberry

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JANUARY—MARCH lent

Gifts�&�Talents

Acts�of�ServiceFasting

Meditation�

Devotion

Worship�

Spiritual�Directors

Worship

Discipline

Spiritual Spring Training Just like the major and minor league baseballplayers go off to Arizona or Florida to get in shapefor the season, we all need to get in shape too—spiritual shape. The clergy, staff and volunteersfrom several program areas want to coach you soyou’ll be better equipped to be fully in the “closerto God game.”

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, FEBRUARY 17and continues until Easter on APRIL 4. During thistime Kent will be preaching on the disciplinesmentioned in this article—Worship, Prayer, Meditation, Journaling, Spiritual Direction andFasting. Think of including those disciplines inyour daily life as your own personal “SpiritualSpring Training.”

On FEBRUARY 21 you will be given the chance tolearn about your individual “Spiritual Type.” Youmay be a natural at swinging a hammer for God orsitting in meditation. You’ll learn what disciplinesfit best with your strengths. You will also learnabout disciplines that are a stretch for you. Youwill be invited to learn a new discipline or delvemore deeply into an old one. Then like a greatpitcher or hitter, it is practice, practice, practice.

In the remaining weeks of Lent you will be encour-aged to take advantage of the opportunities during worship, in Sunday morning and weekdayclasses and in special events. There will be serv-ice projects and times to celebrate successes. ByEaster you will have left the safety of the grand-stands to be fully in the “game.” You can’t lose inthis game. Your efforts are guaranteed to bringyou closer to God. n



might miss it!” So it’s important to take time to look, listen, and be silent to maybesee or hear something I otherwise would have missed.

When I practice these disciplines some amazing things begin to occur. I find that I haveso much more time in my life to do the things that I have deemed important. I alsobegin to realize that God has graced me with gifts and talents that I can use to helpmyself and others.

So maybe discipline is not that bad when I think about it. Scripture says it’s not goingto be easy at first. My father used to tell me, “Chris, anything worth anything is worthworking hard for!” I have come to believe that is true. Sometimes I find myself notwanting to pray, not wanting to be silent, not wanting to journal, not wanting to worship, or not wanting to fast. These are the times I have to be the most disciplined,because these are the times when I need God the most.

By the way, I know I am not the only one out there who may be struggling with discipline. Everyone around me struggles with these same things. The good news is thatyou and I are all in this together and we can help each other to be disciplined aboutgrowing closer to God.

Here are some quick tips on how to get going with some of these disciplines…

1. PRAYING. It doesn’t have to be long winded or sound like the King James Version of the Bible. It can be a simple, “Thank you God!” or “God, grant mepeace and understanding.” God desires to communicate with us. You can talkwith God wherever you are, whatever you’re doing.

2.FASTING. Yikes! Does that mean you have to give up eating?! Not necessarily.Maybe you should think about giving up TV for a day or drinking fewer DietCokes. The goal of fasting is to help us grow closer to God. So, instead of watching TV, take time to pray, read your Bible, have coffee with someone, or dosomething that brings you closer to God. If it’s cheeseburgers, then begin withgiving up one cheeseburger.

3.JOURNALING. You don’t have to journal every day. Try starting with once aweek. Be sure to write an account of exciting things going on in your life alongwith a gratitude list.

4.WORSHIP. Worship is doing things that are pleasing to God. However, worshiping through song, liturgy and teaching while in fellowship with others isvery important to our spiritual lives. Take time once a week to worship with others, but also commune with God on your own.

5.MEDITATION. Some people confuse meditation and prayer. Meditation is simplybeing quiet and focusing on your breathing. Or as Psalm 46:10a says, “Be stilland know that I am God…” Start with 5-10 minutes once a week to just bequiet. By the way, if you fall asleep during this time, that’s not a bad thing.

Now is the time for us “to seek the righteousness and peace” Hebrews 12:11 promises. I know the way. You know the way. Practice our disciplines! PS: If you seeme eating a cheeseburger feel free to say something. n

“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” HEBREWS 12:11

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JANUARY—MARCH youth ministries

When we sat down as team to think about what the newyear means to us, we got excited at all of the possibilitiesthat a fresh start could bring. In addition to our usual newyear’s resolutions (i.e. exercise less, eat more ice cream andplay more games of capture the flag) we thought thiswould be a great time to unveil some new opportunitiesfor both youth AND adults to get plugged into Live inTune Youth Ministries.

After months of conversations about how best to welcomeyouth and their families, a number of themes kept comingup. We realize that in order to be a transformative min-istry, we need to reach youth where they are.

While this doesn’t mean knocking on all of the youths’doors on Sunday morning to wake them up for church (although, Matt volunteered for the job—provided he hashis coffee first), it does mean that we need to look at theneeds of our youth and identify how we can best reachthem where they are in order to help lead them where Godcalls them.

So, what exactly does that mean?

Well for the Junior High, itmeans embracing the hugedevelopmental differencesbetween a grader andan grader. Eighthgraders have this new abil-ity called abstract thinking.No, seriously, there arestudies! The way you canteach an grader aboutthe parables and Jesus’ lifeare vastly different than the ways you can teach a

grader. Because of this idea, our Sunday morning JuniorHigh ministry, Unplugged, will move to a format focusedon small groups.

Building on the success we had last semester in our confirmation small groups with Senior High youth men-toring Junior High youth, the groups will be broken up bygrade level and gender, so that lessons can be taught in arelevant way to each of the youths’ lives. This also meansthat graders are free to be 6th graders, graders arefree to be graders, and 8th graders are free to be goats.No, just kidding, we don’t allow goats in Luke’s Lodge.

In addition to Wake Up at Starbucks where Senior Highyouth will continue to have the opportunity to gather andtalk about their faith in relevant ways in the community,there will also be an on-site option called Wake Up at theLodge, which will take place at Luke's Lodge from :-

: every Sunday morning.

We also recognize that with all of the stress and demandsin the lives of our teens, it's important for them to be ableto have time to hang out and relax with their friends.That's why we're also now providing Open Gym andMovie Time on every Sunday evening from :-:

for our Senior High Youth. All youth grades - are invited to bring their friends and enjoy some fellowshiptime together each week.

The welcoming atmosphere continues through to Sundaynights as well. Junior High REMIX and Senior High LIVE!At the Lodge, will begin again with our brand new WinterKickoff on Sunday, January 10 from ‒ in Luke’sLodge. This is going to be a great opportunity to come to-gether after the winter break and reconnect as we preparefor an exciting spring semester.

Speaking of exciting, we'll have the chance to experience anew winter retreat this year. Both Junior and Senior highyouth (and their friends) are invited to join us as we headto Michigan for our Springhill Winter Retreat from Feb-ruary -. It's going to be an awesome weekend full of

snow-tubing, basketball,swimming, worshipingwith the band Seven-Glory, and TONS ofcrazy fun with youthfrom churches all overthe Midwest.

Now here's where YOUcome in! As we begin thenew year together, we'rethankful for the ministryvolunteers who have saidYES to being a part of St.

Luke's Youth Ministries. No matter where your talents lie,consider this your invitation to being a part of a life-changing ministry experience. Say YES to God's call inyour life by being a part of the lives of youth at St. Luke's.

If you've ever considered being a part of something incredible, NOW is the time. Contact Kevin Davis, Director of Youth Minstries at [email protected] or846-3404 x326. n

Get Plugged In in 2010by Kevin Davis, Kathleen Headington and Matt Peyton

LEFT: Youth getting plugged in.

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endowment | worship together in ministry everyday

On March 7, 2009, St. Luke’s said good-bye to a dear and faithfulfriend, John McKinley. Born in 1923, John spent 33 years working asan engineer at Allison Division of General Motors. He and his wife,Betty, became members of St. Luke’s in the early ‘80s, and were devoted Christians, attending church services every Sunday. They werealso active members of the Elderberries for many years. Both quiet andgentle in nature, their faithfulness was unwa-vering, and the legacy they leave behind is atestament to their love for the church.

“John and I first met at the George Vickerysupport group years ago and soon became verygood friends,” said Bob Waeltz. “We starteddoing business together in 1996, and Johnand Betty soon became members of the En-dowment Society, attending the annual lunch-eons each year.” John and Betty trusted in thework of St. Luke’s and its powerful message ofGod’s faith and love. The investment theymade together in 1996 towards the endow-ment is a demonstration of the devotion theyfelt for St. Luke’s future.

John’s faith and love remained steadfast, even when Betty developedAlzheimer’s and his mother and sister became terminally ill during thesame time. He leaned on his church family, neighbors and friends, whocared for him and prayed for him as he struggled through the most try-ing time of his life. Betty passed away in 2003, and John startedspending his time volunteering in the church office a couple days aweek, opening mail and answering phones. “John was a quiet and gen-tle man. The staff has missed him greatly,” said Julia Johnson, St.Luke’s Executive Director of Ministries. Bonnie McMenamin, MusicAdministrative Assistant, worked beside John during his volunteer shiftand remembers that “he was reliable, always on time and on task, gen-erous, and brave to enter into a world of new phone technology duringhis elder years.”

John became sick a couple years ago, first un-dergoing bypass surgery on his heart and strug-gling through myeloma on his arm. Hislong-time neighbors and close friends, BobWaeltz, Jim Bethel and Sue Webster, cared forhim during his last days. “John was a compas-sionate person who did not say much. Butwhen he did, it was meaningful,” said Waeltz.John died on March 7, 2009, and Dr. CarverMcGriff presided over his funeral.

John and Betty did not have any children orother immediate family to speak of—their family was the church and the many friendsthey made over the years. Fellow St. Luke’s

member and John’s attorney, Roger Reason, remembers John as “hard-working, charitable, quiet, but passionate. He worked hard, saved, andused his funds to make a difference.” His lifetime of hard work allowedhim to leave a bequest of over $300,000 towards St. Luke’s Endow-ment to help sustain programs and services, and provide for capitalimprovements and missions for generations to come. John and Betty’slegacy comes in the form of a transformational gift to St. Luke’s future.Their memory will live on in the hearts of those that knew them bestand, because of their devotion to the church, future generations willcome to know them through the legacy they leave behind.

With the addition of the McKinley bequest, St. Luke’s Endowment iscurrently valued at $2,512,000. If you are interested in learning moreabout how you can leverage change and leave your legacy at St. Luke’s,please contact Jim Price, St. Luke‘s Endowment Committee Chair, [email protected], 208-3726 (o) or 466-0112 (h). n

John and Betty McKinley: A Legacy of Silent Inspirationby Tricia Tomson

Sundays in the Southby Rev. Marsha Hutchinson

John & Betty McKinley

—1—

No need for snow removal in this church's budget! NorthNaples United Methodist Church on Goodlet Road is alwayswarm, sunny and welcoming to "snowbirds" and sun-seekingvisitors from the north. For many years, this church has beena "sister" church to St. Luke's members who travel to CollierCounty to work on the Habitat for Humanity projects, and hasalso become a church home for many St. Luke's members whoare now fully retired in that community. Like St. Luke's, thechurch is friendly and open.

Senior Pastor Dr. Ted Sauter enjoys sharing the beautifulchapel at North Naples (see right) with pastors from St. Luke'swho come down to preach "Sundays in the South." He evenhopes to come to St. Luke's at some future date (and was alsoquick to add "but only in the summer!"). In a conversationabout the community of North Naples UMC, Dr. Sauter com-mented, "We have a very diverse socio-economic congregationand surrounding community. There are many needs here asthere are in all communities where people live. We care about people. It's great to have returning friends from St. Luke's."


HUGS Leadership Team(FRONT LEFT) Susan Whittleton, Marsha Hutchinson,(BACK LEFT) Donna Cripe, Denise Beck, Helen Vriesman, Becky Moody, Sharon Bowes, Denise Randall (NOT PICTURED: John Sullivan).

JANUARY—MARCH grief ministries

This is often the question asked of people who have expe-rienced the loss of a loved one. “What can I do?” “Do youneed anything?” These are well-meaning questions thatcome from others who feel the hurt and the pain for theirfriends or family members.

In the beginning, people are anxious to “do” somethingto help. They want to bring baskets of baked items andcome for a visit; and, because they care, people sometimesattempt to “fix” the grief by saying things like, “He’s somuch happier now.” Though it may be true, those kind ofstatements don’t usually help.

For those who grieve, loss is a time of chaos; people don’treally know what they need, and they usually utter a coura-geous, “I’m fine; I think everything is taken care of.” Lossis confusing and difficult both for the griever and for theloving friend. n

“How Can I Help?”by Rev. Marsha Hutchinson

This year there will be only three "Sundays in the South"All services are held at 11AM

JANUARY 31—with Dr. Kent MillardFEBRUARY 7—with Dr. Linda McCoyFEBRUARY 14—with Rev. Marsha Hutchinson.

If any of you are in the Naples/Ft. Myers area on thoseSundays, come join others in the North Naples UMCchapel to greet old friends or meet new ones who seekto worship our Lord, and Savior, Jesus Christ. n

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The H.U.G.S. (Healing Under Grief Support) leadership team

offers these suggestions if you

find yourself wanting to help

someone following a loss:

1. Offer to do tasks that you think mi

ght be helpful

(mow the lawn, shovel the dr

iveway, drive a carpool,

entertain the children, drop o

ff “basic” grocery items).

2. Give or send a package of notes w

ith stamps

for thank-you notes.

3. Drop off some flowers from y

our garden

or a plant several months lat

er when the cards and calls

have stopped.

4. Send a note on special days (ann

iversary of the

death, birthday of the deceas

ed, holidays, etc.)

5. Send a letter about a wonderfu

l memory you

had with the person.

6. Ask questions like: “What times

of the day are

the most difficult for you?” “

What do you miss the

most?” “What does this pain

feel like?”

7. Offer physical hugs and informa

tion about

the H.U.G.S group at St. Luke

’s or any place that

has support.

8. MOST IMPORTANT…LIST

EN! Your presence,

even without words, is huge.


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church as family together in ministry everyday

Two families are relocated to a large metropolis. The firstfamily initially feels overwhelmed by the size and the pacebut quickly becomes involved in the social fabric of thecity. They carve out a manageable portion to which theycan relate and begin to find community. The other familyis also overwhelmed at first but is unable to scale the citydown to a digestible size and in a short time develops asense of isolation and aloneness. The first family thrives;the second in time gives up and moves away. This is notunlike what can happen to new members of a large

church. It’s a problem that all largechurches face. How can a new con-gregant relate to such an enormousbody of the faithful? How can theclergy possibly minister to so many?But those who have become mem-bers of the Empty Nesters Sundayschool class resemble the first family.In fact it is family. Actually, it’s muchmore than that; it’s a church withinthe church.

The Empty Nesters was formed in as a group of adults transition-ing from “Honey, do you know wherethe kids are?” parents to “Honey, haveyou heard from the kids?” grand-parents. Today it is + seniors whohave experienced all that life throwsat you. And through it all, the Empty

Nesters has been a source of prayer and support to itsmembers. Here are only a few of the many stories of love,support and faith that can be found among this group of“prayer warriors.”

Jim & Ann Townsend“On December 20, 2005, my wife, Ann, and I were in mydoctor’s office when he put my x-ray on the screen,flipped on the light, and (with much hesitation) told meI had fourth stage lymphoma. In those few moments, myworld turned upside down. After I caught my breath, Iasked him to give me the bottom line. He said, ‘It is veryserious and you have two years.’ Now I know the feeling aconvict must have when he receives the death sentence. Iwas years old and had never had an illness worse thana cold or flu. I thought, ‘God, what a Christmas present!’That was on December . By the same day,Ann and I were in the office of a highly trained oncologist.He informed me that I would need several treatments ofradiology and chemotherapy. Because of my advancedcondition, he gave me a double dose and put me in thehospital on January , . There I remained for the next days under large quantities of morphine to control thepain. The pain was greater than I thought was humanlypossible to endure. With God’s help and lots of prayers, Iwas released from the hospital and sent home to be caredfor by my beautiful wife, Ann, who is an angel from

heaven. After four months of nurturing, encouragementand physical therapy, I was beginning to feel almosthuman. It has been four years since that dreadful day, andI am currently working part-time and playing golf fourtimes per week. My doctor did not realize I am a personwith great determination, and I have many people count-ing on me, namely my wife, my four wonderful children,my eleven ambitious grandchildren and my friends andinsurance clients. The prayers and cards from the EmptyNester group were a constant inspiration to me in myfight for recovery from cancer.”

Jim & Lorraine Vollnogle“As charter members of St Luke’s Empty Nesters Sundayschool class, a wonderful group of people who have become our extended family, we are more than attendees,due to a bond we feel for each other. We have received lov-ing support through prayers and encouragement duringsad times, challenges, and even good times. We feel soblessed to be able to share our difficulties with each other.In addition to Sunday’s class, we socialize once a monthusually in each other’s homes. This gathering unites usfurther.”

Cathy Jefferson“You hope when you attend a Sunday school class that youwill walk away after each class feeling somewhat spirituallyuplifted and filled with thought-provoking ideas for thecoming week. But you never expect to walk away from aclass and feel like you just bonded with a new spiritualfamily. A few years ago, a group of Empty Nesters, who really didn't know me at all, took me under their wingsand helped guide me through a serious, life-threateningillness with multiple surgeries and long-term lingering effects. They all cared deep from within. Sunday Schoolwasn't just a book class—it was a super-charged Christianwalk with a group of adults who uplifted me and guidedme with a spiritual charisma like no other. I know, look-ing back, that their prayers, their love, and their caring wasGod's way of helping me and telling me that it was alright.I formed a bond that can never be broken and the inter-esting fact is that it continues to this day, not only for me,but anyone else who walks in those doors.”

Dave & Judy Woempner“What is the meaning of the word ‘friend?’ What is the definition of the word ‘compassion?’ How do we define‘commitment?’ How do we answer our friends and fam-ily when they ask us, ‘What about your faith?’ or ‘Do you really believe in prayer?’ In the last few years, Dave and Ihave been what we call ‘tested’ by God. We have experi-enced long illnesses and losses in our families. I was fortunate to be a member of the Empty Nesters when myfriend and a member of the class had serious heart surgery and experienced many months in the hospital

The Empty Nesters: A Church within the Churchby Charlie Russell


JANUARY—MARCH world missions

On August 28, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast of America. Eighteenhundred lives were lost, with over $81 billion in devastating damage. St Luke’scongregation gave generously to the Katrina recovery. St. Luke’s World Missions’call to action was to lead volunteers in building the Seashore District VolunteerCenter in D’Iberville, Mississippi. Over 200 volunteers from across the state ofIndiana took part in the building process on the property of Heritage UnitedMethodist Church. Through the building of the Volunteer Center, lifelong friend-ships were also built.

I cannot begin to express how much the folks at Heritage UMC appreciate St.Luke’s. Dot Ellis of Heritage UMC said to me at the dedication “When you lookback and wonder what you have done with your life, I want you to remember this,”and with that she gave me a hug and a thank you! St. Luke’s you can be proud!The Volunteer Center has housed over 7,000 workers since its opening on April 30,2006 and was in need of some TLC. On November 13, 2009, St. Luke’s WorldMissions completed its last scheduled work trip to D’Iberville. Eleven peopleworked diligently all week to clean, repair and repaint the entire center. Like somany work trips before, I watched in awe as this project was transformed intosomething great. Again, the Seashore District Volunteer Center looked like it didthe night we left it upon completion in April 2006.

Annually, St. Luke’s mission teams have returned to the Gulf Coast to further thegoal of Hurricane Katrina recovery. Over the course of these years, good friendshave been made with other volunteers and the members at Heritage UMC. Afterthe floods in southern Indiana, Rev. David Cumbest of Heritage UMC lead a workteam to Indiana that helped with the disaster clean-up and rebuild in the Colum-bus area. They wanted to show their thanks to the Indiana folks who helped themthrough their disaster. The mission work and friendships continued in early November 2009 when Rev. Cumbest and his team joined St. Luke’s in Port Arthur,Texas on a Hurricane Ike recovery/rebuild work trip.

Hurricane Katrina was this country’s worst natural disaster. Please don’t wait foranother disaster to help someone in need. St. Luke’s World Missions can help youhelp someone. St. Luke’s UMC and Heritage UMC will come together to work to-gether in 2010 around Memphis, Tennessee. Get for further information atwww.stlukesumc.com/outreach and join us! n

BELOW: Seashore District Volunteer Center

New Directions with D’Iberville, Mississippi Friendsby Al Dalton

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followed by months of recuperation. Immediately theEmpty Nesters class stepped forward, prayed and neverleft our sides. Every night for over three months at leasttwo people showed up at the hospital to make sure Iwas taken out for dinner. Then during the five monthsof rehab that followed, there was always someone either coming by or calling to make sure we were okay.I define that as a true friend who showed compassionand had honest commitment. These people helped mesurvive a tremendous ordeal. Then this last year (thefirst of our marriage) we were again both ‘tested.’ Bothof Dave’s daughters had been diagnosed with multi-ple sclerosis a few years ago. While on a month-longdriving vacation to California, we received a call hisoldest daughter had complications and was in criticalcondition. With just two phone calls to Empty Nesters,we immediately felt the love and care of the class withtheir prayers and concerns. Unfortunately, we lostKristi. This is probably the worst nightmare a parentcan experience. But we were once again able to definewhat a true friend is who has compassion and able toshow commitment in the tough times.”

A large church is like a city full of motion that can bedizzying if you don’t find a distinct neighborhood inwhich to live or family with which to connect. TheEmpty Nesters has been that family, that church withinthe church, for so many here and now gone. But so areall small groups within the church and their impor-tance cannot be understated. Just ask Judy Woempner,“Do we have faith? Yes. Do we believe in prayer? Defi-nitely. Does being the member of a group such asEmpty Nesters really help? Absolutely!” n


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Zimbabwe! Prayer! Hospitalityby Rich Potterf

ABOVE (l to r): Girls at Blue Hills School

Young men at Senga Secondary School helpingwith locating the storage

tank for safe water

First completed well atSenga Secondary School,

Gweru. David Hogan inspects the installation

Solomon and Catherine(Winnie's daughter)

in Bulawayo

Zimbabwe Team Doug Lark, Rich Potterf,

David Hogan, and a young woman from

Zimbabwe working at Indianapolis airport

[EDITOR’S NOTE: In August 2009, a group of men fromSt. Luke’s World Missions Commission, St. Luke’s MenMinistry, the Men’s Group at E. 91st Street ChristianChurch, and New Life International traveled to Zimbabweto create wells to provide clean, safe water. You can findthe story of this incredible mission effort at the followingblog spots: http://solomonzim.wordpress.com andhttp://safewateringwerupart2.wordpress.com. The follow-ing articles are from Rich Potterf and Doug Lark, twomembers of that team, with reflections on their experi-ences in Zimbabwe.]

Zimbabwe! Until several years ago, this was just anothername of an African country on a map to me. I have metonly one person who had been there or who had comefrom there. I work at St. Luke’s with a young womanwhose name is Winnie Sibotshiwe, and she is from Zim-babwe. Several years ago she began asking me to pray forher family and brother, Solomon, who are in Zimbabwe.Solomon showed up in Indianapolis, unannounced, inJanuary 2009.

Prayer! Wow!! If you have never tried praying for some-thing bigger, more unknown than yourself, your friends, oryour immediate family, TRY IT! When Solomon showedup, I began a prayer journey that continues still. I haveprayed for partners. The partners that God provided forthe Zimbabwe project have prayed for guidance, vision,wisdom, direction, leading, council, healing, safety, bold-ness, faithfulness, understanding, compassion, finances,thanksgiving, and more partners with a heart for safewater in Gweru. We prayed as we departed Indianapolis.We prayed to give thanks for our safe arrival and trans-portation that was provided for us. We thanked God forthe privilege to see the awesomeness of that part of Hiscreation in Zimbabwe. We prayed for the protection andwise use of the large amount of cash that we had to carryon us because of the failed economy in Zimbabwe. Weasked God to alert us or prevent us from making foolish

mistakes and choices. We prayed for trust in the partner-ships that we formed in Gweru with people whom we hadjust recently met. We prayed for confidence that we wouldtrust God to work in all of our hearts to complete theagreements. We gave thanks to God to see God’s faithfulpeople worshiping in truth and spirit despite their cir-cumstances. We asked God to open our eyes to needsother than safe water. We prayed with individuals we metin the street. We prayed for God to find us a way back outof Zimbabwe after our plans had collapsed! Ephesians6:18 “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with allkinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alertand always keep on praying for all the saints.” And thatbrings me to my third thought.

Hospitality! These folks were generous, warm and wel-coming. Several times in conversations the talk came toa question. Why had we abandoned them? Toward the endof our trip, God provided Steve and Chris, who are 30+year missionaries who live in Bulawayo. They had hosteda conference in Bulawayo the week before we arrived, andwere recuperating at the same place where we were stay-ing. They shed some light on the question. Only lay lead-ers, pastors and missionaries attended their conference,and there were only two or three people below the age of50 in attendance. Their explanation: one third of the pop-ulation has fled the country in the past 20 years becauseof the politics. Many of the ministry areas left also. Thelocal economy cannot support pastors and missionaries.The collapsed economy means that an average familycannot even invite neighbors (or guests) for a meal (nomoney, no food, no gas to cook with, sporadic electricity,limited safe water). I recently read an article that said anartist usually had 15-20 guests, per month, looking topurchase his sculptures in previous years. He has hadonly one or two people come in the past year or so. TheU.S. government does not recommend travel to Zim-babwe. We saw a two-day-old baby girl who had been

cont’d on page 18


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JANUARY—MARCH world missions

In Matthew :-, the Pharisees were laying a trap for Jesus when theyasked him about paying taxes to Caesar. “Show me the coin used for pay-ing the tax." They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, "Whoseportrait is this? And whose inscription?" "Caesar's," they replied. Then hesaid to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."This passage took a new meaning to me on our trip to Zimbabwe.

In my work with New Life International, I am inconstant contact with people missions in devel-oping countries. I have previously traveled toAfrica several times and thought I had a goodidea of what to expect on this trip to Zimbabwe.So I thought!

When we flew into Bulawayo, I was struck by how“westernized” the city looked from the air. Land-ing at the airport, there was a new terminal underconstruction (later found out that it had been“under construction” for -plus years with no work in recent years). As we deplaned, weboarded a bus that took us to an old sheet metalhanger, complete with birds flying indoors, thatserved as the terminal. My first reaction confirmed what I expected to find in Africa… infrastructure that was old and behind the times.

As we drove into town, what I saw changed my opinion. Here were beau-tifully built homes and sub-divisions, nicely built buildings and qualityroads (no famous African potholes). You could see where trees and flow-ers used to line parkways. There was a Holiday Inn. It is not uncommonfor western hotels to be located in capital cities of developing countries—but in secondary cities?

We drove to Gweru where we would be doing our work with Solomon.Traveling down the highway at kilometers per hour ( mph), an unheard of speed in my other African travels; I couldn’t help but observethe quality of the construction of the road, bridges, train tracks, etc.

The situation in Gweru was similar to Bulawayo. Nice homes, nice tree-and flower-lined streets, factories, indoor water and sanitation and all theother signs of advanced culture. Just one problem: the country has %unemployment and the infrastructure is not being maintained and isfalling apart. On the roads, there is very little traffic. In the stores, there isvery little on the shelves. How can it be that countries with so much mod-ern infrastructure and outwardly appearing prosperity have so little?

Last summer, the country had a complete eco-nomic collapse. It wasn’t that long ago that theZimbabwe currency was stronger than the U.S.dollar. Zimbabwe grew so much food that theywere a net exporter of food. They also had a strongmanufacturing sector. So what happened? It allcollapsed. At one point last year, the Zimbabwegovernment was printing trillion dollar bills.Inflation got so out of control that people told usthey went to a barter system. Businesses folded,shelves in the stores became empty. Water andsewer lines were not maintained. Savings accounts, pensions, the value of assets all disap-peared. Almost everything a person owned became worthless. Finally, the government admit-ted monetary defeat and adopted the U.S. dollar

as their currency. Even with the new currency, the situation has onlyslowly started to improve.

While we were in Zimbabwe, the shelves were still mostly empty. Attimes we had difficulty buying bottled water. To order the battery or thewater tanks, we had to pay the merchant in cash; then they would orderit from South Africa and it would arrive several days later. Without atruly functioning banking system, businesses could not carry inventoryand all transactions were in cash. We saw and smelled raw sewage running down city streets because the sanitation pipes were not beingproperly maintained.

This was a country where most people were enjoying the comforts andconveniences of western lifestyle. They worked in factories or farms,

Give... to God What Is God’sby Doug Lark


Dry eyes were hard to find at 10PM on October 17 as Pedal forPeace closed its inaugural bicycling fundraiser for its first recipi-ent, Mar Elias/Nazareth Galilee Academic Institute. This school innorthern Israel seeks to be a world-class university of peace in theMiddle East. This school educates Muslims, Jews, Christians, andDruze together in an environment that builds understanding andmutual respect.

As the cleanup began, tears of joy came from all those involved inthe planning and implementation as Maryjane Behforouz's dream(which was adopted by all) became reality, and as a terrifically demanding job was accomplished with class. Not only was theevent successful in raising over $37,500, but all reports of theday were filled with exuberance and just a good ol' fun time!

Between 350-400 people came out on an unusually cold OctoberSaturday, gathering in team tents filled with food and supplies(like space heaters!) or snuggling in warm coats sitting in thebleachers watching bicyclers flying around the Major Taylor Velo-drome. Team spirit ran high as each rider took a turn at winning aprize for the "Eye Rollers," "Grateful Treads," "Pedal Tones," "GodB," "Zumbalocous," "Radiant Racers," etc. Naming the team washalf the fun. Congratulations to the "Team Second Saturdays" and"Passionate Pedalers" (each raising about $2,600) for tying for thelargest amount of funds raised from the 21 teams! Lots of ridershad a fun time jokingly comparing their dowdy appearance andslow speed with the zippy and professional Marion University four-time National Biking Champs team.


Joyful Inaugural Event!by Minnietta Millard and Nancy Spohn

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GIVE TO GOD, cont’d from page

they had savings, they planned on retirements, and they sent theirkids to school.

Now it is all gone. For those lucky enough to find work, the averagewage (including teachers) is per month.

So why am I sharing all of this? The thought that what happened in Zimbabwe could happen to us in the U.S. kept crossing my mind.I’m not suggesting anything, but what if all our material possessionssuddenly became worthless? How would that affect my life? In par-ticular, how would it affect my relationship with God? I kept askingmyself, do I truly trust God to provide all of my needs, or am I count-ing on my (k) and savings account as a safety net? Sure, I (we all)had some financial setbacks this last year, but I still had my physicalhealth so I could keep working. But what if it all disappeared? WouldI still be praising God and giving God the glory? Am I giving to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s? An honest answeris, now that I am home in my comfortable house with food in the refrigerator, it is a daily struggle.

The good news is that God is still at work in Zimbabwe. We saw it inthe packed pews of the churches we visited. We heard God’s praisesung. As other missionary friends we met told us, the church is beingstrengthened as people seek answers. God is being glorified.

Matthew : - says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures onearth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in andsteal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” That is a versethat we would say that we all understand. But until you travel to aplace like Zimbabwe and realize that the money and everything thatcomes with it can disappear overnight, does the verse really begin tohave meaning. “Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what isGod's."

I want to thank everyone for your commitment, prayer and financialsupport and for the opportunity to participate with St. Luke’s UnitedMethodist Church and your service to meet the spiritual and physi-cal needs in Zimbabwe. n

[Doug Lark is with New Life International in Underwood, Indiana.]

ZIMBABWE, cont’d from page

abandoned and rescued by a great group family at the Rosedaleorphanage. We saw kids who had been abandoned because theyhad AIDS or their parents had AIDS or had died from AIDS. Theworld walked out on them when their government went wrong andthe economy failed.

The question remained: Why have we abandoned them? That isthe cry of their heart! They need someone to come so they canshare their hospitality (as limited as it may be). They need folksto be hospitable to. They need someone to share in their walk,prayers, and faith. Pray about joining a future team to Gweru towork on orphanages, schools, churches, and helping to make theirwater safe. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10: Two are better than one, becausethey have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friendcan help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one tohelp him up! n


There was never a dull moment as DJs and volunteerskept non-riders busy with Zumba, Yoga, good music,peace quotes, massages, prizes, and just keeping trackof great riding.

Volunteers were sensational, sponsors were generous,and teams (each expected to raise $1000) used all man-ner of means to raise money beyond the goal set by thecommittee whose plans first began nearly a year earlier.So plan now to be a volunteer, sponsor, team leader, orcommittee member for the 2010 Pedal for Peace to beheld on Saturday, October 2! If interested in helping,contact Maryjane Behforouz ([email protected],317-443-2632).

Pedal for Peace is an event that promotes peace and con-nection throughout the world by raising funds for organ-izations that are transforming their towns, cities, andnations into communities of peace. In 2010, our goalwill be much bigger, the event will be more fun, and ourpeace recipients will be author and activist Greg Morten-son’s (Three Cups of Tea) Central Asia Institute, andAWAKEN, an organization based in Muncie, Indianastarted by an Afghan woman that is also building schoolsfor uneducated Afghan children. Be sure not to miss this"born to spread far beyond Indy" event! n

JANUARY—MARCH social justice

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BELOW: Pedaling for peace

RIGHT (top to bottom): Planning committee (l to r): Dawn McCord, Darcie

Chamberlain, Pat Hull, Elizabeth Miller, Vanessa Stiles,Jessica Sachs, Nancy Spohn, Maryjane Behforouz.

(MISSING: Minnietta Millard)

Raed Mualem, President of Nazareth Galilee Academic Institute

Kent Millard at the microphone, A Zumba class

Young pedalers


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community ministries together in ministry everyday

Monica Duff moved her family from Evansville to Indianapolis to becloser to her daughter’s doctors. Her daughter Amber, who has cere-bral palsy, uses a wheelchair nearly all the time. It was impossible for Amber to get into their mobile home with her wheelchair, and attempting the stairs was dangerous because of Amber’s jerky, unpre-dictable movements. Monica felt like they were prisoners in their ownhome since Amber could not easily come and go.

These fears weighed heavily on Monica in church one Sunday morning.She tearfully prayed, “Dear God, show me a way to better care for my

daughter.” During the sermon herpastor said write down your biggestworry and lift it up to God by plac-ing it in the collection plate.

The answer to Monica’s prayercame the next day when she received a call from Rik Hagartyof Servants at Work (SAWs). Mon-ica’s pastor had heard of the workbeing done by SAWs and con-tacted them after reading her cardfrom the offering plate. SAWs is acollaboration between St. Luke’sand Second Presbyterian Churchthat builds ramps for individualswho are mobility challenged dueto cerebral palsy, muscular dys-trophy, multiple sclerosis, heartdisease, respiratory disease andother illnesses.

Amber’s ramp to freedom began with a site visit from Rik Hagarty, whosurveyed the need, methods and materials, and discussed the ramp-building process with Monica. Next, the prefab crew measured, cutand prepared the frame parts for Amber’s ramp. Tara Lineweaver sentout the call for two shifts of weekend volunteers (skilled and unskilled)from St. Luke’s to join the Second Pres workers. On the following Sat-urday, 11 volunteers assembled the ramp so Amber could safely enterher home for the first time. The following week, five more volunteersof the finishing crew returned to router and sand the handrails to com-plete Amber’s ramp.

The ramp built for Amber in two Saturdays took approximately 75 vol-unteer hours and $1,100 in materials. Monica’s relief and Amber’sjoy could not be measured but could be seen in Amber’s expressionafter her first trip down the ramp.

This story is replayed twice a week from February until late Novemberby hundreds of St. Luke’s and Second Presbyterian SAWs volunteersfrom the two churches. In 2009:

• SAW’s completed 46 projects in 34 Saturdays, 33 Tuesdays, 32Wednesday/Thursdays and 10 Fridays, a 53% increase from theprevious year.

• Volunteers worked 3,450 hours and traveled over 24,672 milesto and from the ramp builds in the Indianapolis area; each rampaverages 60-75 volunteer hours.

• 2,924 miles were driven to survey and prequalify sites by thesurvey group; I made 85 site visits to qualify projects.

• Over $23,000 was spent on materials and 23% in savings wasrealized on material costs with the support of Hall and HouseLumber, Mullin Tool Rental, and IMI Concrete.

• Grants totally $8,300 were received from Henkle Corporation,the Fisher’s Rotary Club, the Presbyterian Women’s Group andMs. Ellie Thurston.

• We partnered with 1st Presbyterian Church in Martinsville,Methodist Church from Dayton, OH and the city-wide Faith Hopeand Love project this summer.

• Constructed the new stage in Luke’s Lodge lead by Ken Rainger.

• The St. Luke’s Missions Building received a new ramp in November lead by Jim Hamilton.

In 2010, St. Luke’s and Second Pres SAWs’ goals are:

• Implementation of its new project management web system, developed by Robin Reese, Faith Presbyterian member, to coordinate, communicate and control projects.

• Reduce and find additional uses for scrap materials.

• Build more than 50 ramps.

• Raise an additional $15,000 in donations and grants to help fund the purchase of building materials, which average$500-600 per build.

Like Monica, hundreds of others pray for a way to help their home-bound loved ones or to be freed themselves from their disability-created prisons. You can help St. Luke’s SAWs through sharing yourtime, talent and resources. Join us in this rewarding local mission.Contact me at [email protected] or Jayne Thorne at St. Luke’sfor more information. n

God, Show Me a Way to Better Care for My Daughterby Dave Boyer, Chair, St. Luke’s SAWS (Construction Ministry)

TOP: Amber and her mother celebrating the completion of the ramp

BOTTOM: The SAWS mobile workshop


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JANUARY—MARCH

In Outreach, Inc. is preparing for a dramatic increase in the number of homeless and at-risk youth that areseeking guidance, services and a caring adult to help them face overwhelming odds.

Outreach is currently working in high schools all over Indianapolis (North Central, Perry Meridian, Broad Ripple, Manual, Howe, Northwest, Pacers Downtown, Pacers East, Pacers West, Southport, Arlington, Tech, toname a few) with three full-time staff case managers. We have already interacted with more youth in the first nineweeks of this school year that we did during all of last year. This means we have more youth in need and presentsoverwhelming challenges for Outreach staff to meet the needs of our youth.

Our Outreach street case managers and volunteers have interacted with over new youth since May .These youth have never connected with Outreach before. We have over young females pregnant and lacking adequate, fixed or stable housing.

I have two stories to share. As you read these stories, please keep our youth in your prayers.

Outreach, Inc. Serves Homeless and At-Risk Youthby Jackie Reed

LEFT: Renee, Outreach Case Manager,with youth and a Thanksgiving volunteer

RIGHT: Youth with Outreach SocialWorker, Megan

Early in , Adila ran away from home. Six months later she found herway to our doorstep at Outreach, Inc.

Adila’s story is much like our youth here in Indianapolis, except the homeshe ran away from was in East Africa. After enduring years of abuse, whilestill a teenager, Adila was told by her family she was to be “given” in anarranged marriage to a much older man. From a strict Sunni MuslimAfrican family, this was the norm. After seeing her mother suffer in sucha marriage, she wanted none of it. A charity organization helped get hera student visa and put her on a plane to Indianapolis where she has rela-tives, but no money for college tuition. Adila loved her classes, but shequickly ran out of what little money she had. She not only was unable topay her tuition and return for the next semester, she lost her student visa—the visa that enabled her to be here legally in the first place.

With no place to turn, she moved in with a relative who lived in the area.While there, she met a man and started seeing him. Quickly, the relation-ship turned abusive, and Adila was astonished to find herself exactly inthe kind of situation she believed she had successfully run away from. Sheended up at a local shelter, with no idea where to turn.

Through God’s grace, she found an attorney willing to help her file forrefugee status and allow her to remain in the U.S. For months, she hasbeen waiting on hearings to determine her status but still unable to workhere legally. With a strong work ethic and desire to provide for herself, thishas been a constant struggle for her. In the meantime, she would spend hertime at the library (as many in need do). This is where she met Kristin, oneof our Outreach street case managers.

Adila recognized she needed help, but because of her upbringing she washesitant to have Outreach help her. Kristin was persistent and consistent.In just a few short weeks, Outreach has watched Adila go from a timid,fearful, hopeless woman, to a strong woman with hope, and eagerness tohear who God truly is. God stepped in and guided her to accept Out-reach’s help. Though she is still waiting to find out legal status, she is nowliving in a transitional living apartment and volunteering at a local centerfor immigrants and refugees. Imagine all she has gone through in heryoung life, and she is helping others in need while she waits and prays forcontinued hope.

An African Girl Finds a New Home, and New Hope… as told by her Case Manager, Michaela



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Second Outreach Story as told by a current Outreach Youth

“I am a youth who is proudly associated with Outreach, Inc. Let me tellyou why…

Outreach has changed my life in so many ways! They helped me get myGED, made me a participant of the Step-Up program, and instilled in methe knowledge that I CAN be somebody.

The day I signed out of school I went straight to Outreach to get my GED.Not only did they administer the practice test but they prepared me for thereal test and also paid the testing fee. I earned the Honors Diploma. Out-reach held a graduation ceremony for all of the GED and High SchoolDiplomas recipients for , where we received numerous encourage-ment letters and other tools to help us enter the next phase of our lives.Talk about a way to get you going! I was so grateful to get recognized forwhat I had accomplished.

Then Outreach asked me to be a participant in the Step-Up program,which is a -step process that uses incentives to motivate youth to complete necessary tasks to become healthy in all aspects of life. I amlearning everything from how to get an apartment to setting and reach-ing financial goals. This has changed my life dramatically because now Ihave the stepping-stones to start building my own path in this world.

Outreach has never backed down from a problem I have, teaching me thatwhere there’s a will, there’s a way. They have never refused to support andencourage me when no one else thinks I can succeed. They have been socontagious with their “CAN DO” attitudes; now I know all the possibili-ties that lie ahead in my path. I am going to be somebody someday…andI owe it all to Outreach, Inc.!” —Jani

As I complete this article, I am thankful to St. Luke’s for the supportgiven to Outreach this past year. Members of St. Luke’s have providedthe encouragement notes, cards and letters for our graduation party,food, clothing, toiletries, and most of all prayers. In November ourStephen Ministry group provided much of Outreach’s Thanksgivingdinner and did the same for Christmas. This is my sixth year organ-izing our holiday dinners, and I could not do this without help from St. Luke’s.

I became involved with Outreach in by raising my hand at aStephen Ministry meeting where someone asked for volunteers to cooksloppy joes for this “group of homeless kids.” Our Lord shot my handup before I could even think. I became a meal provider, meal providercoordinator and drop-in center mentor in that order, all within athree-month period in . I know our Lord placed me with Outreach, as I was a lost soul after the death of our son Greg in .Greg was missing from June , until his remains were found onSeptember , . The last place we looked for Greg was BrooksidePark, on the Eastside of Indianapolis, on September .

We were out pounding on doors, putting up missing person flyers (aswe had all summer) talking with people in the neighborhood. We hadreceived a call the night before from someone from the area, thinkingthey had seen Greg at Brookside Park. They had gone back to a storewhere we had placed a flyer back in July and was certain the youngman he saw playing basketball at Brookside was our son, Greg. Sadly,it was not. As we were pounding the pavement at Brookside, Greg wasfound in a wooded area by a cell tower in Martinsville.

Brookside Park is just blocks from Outreach. Each time I get a hugfrom one of our youth, I am getting a hug from Greg. Each andevery time. I love these kids and I owe Outreach a big thank you forhelping me to heal. As Adolf Hansen has often said, “We hope good will come out of tragedy.” For me, good has come from Outreach,Inc. n

ABOVE: Case manager, Renee, with youth

“...Outreach has never backed down froma problem I have, teaching me that wherethere’s a will, there’s a way. They have

never refused to support and encourage mewhen no one else thinks I can succeed.”

—Jani, Outreach Youth


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JANUARY—MARCH community ministries

Even with the Christmas season just past, Fox HillElementary School is still celebrating the gift ofthe rewarding partnership that has been forgedthis school year.

When the school year began, Fox Hill teachers andstudents were full of hope and anticipation of whatthis partnership between church and school couldmean. Before the school doors opened for the year,Fox Hill halls were buzzing with over 100 volun-teers fixing desks, landscaping, arranging papersand sprucing up the place. Principal Kathy Levinethanked St. Luke’s on several occasions for savingher staff “literally hundreds of hours.”

Principal Levine says, “The Fox Hill staff andschool community have really enjoyed and appre-ciated all the fantastic activities that have happened here during our first semester together.The teachers continually comment on the reliabil-ity and helpfulness of the classroom volunteers.The influence of having the "extra pair of hands"cannot be measured. The children have grown veryfond of the adults who work with them.”

Joy can be seen in the faces of children and vol-unteers alike. St. Luke’s members were able tohelp with classroom parties, activities and after-school functions such as the Fox Hill Fall Festival. On any given day, 46 St. Luke's volun-teers can be found in Fox Hill classrooms. The volunteer activities range from reading one-on-one,to working with math flashcards in small groups,to helping budding young artists with their KingTut sarcophaguses.

One recent Sunday, Mrs. Marion Tewksberry, akindergarten volunteer, recognized a little girl atchurch. It turned out that she was the same littlegirl whom Marion read to at Fox Hill. What a wonderful, simple connection to see how easilythe faces of school and church can intersect.

Our faith in our actions led to a fight against theflu. Lots of noses and hands were wiped, throughthe donations of tissue, hand sanitizer and disin-fectant from St. Luke's members.

While Fox Hill’s efforts are on-going, volunteersand students alike are enjoying time together inthe media center, in the classroom and throughstudent mentoring. Super-volunteer Alice Curnow,who spends five hours one day a week at Fox Hill,has reconnected with some young friends. Mrs.Curnow saw a picture at Fox Hill of a student shehad formerly tutored at The Oaks Academy. For-tunately, she was able to find a time to continuethose sessions at Fox Hill with the same brother

and sister. Alice's smiling face is such a welcomesight on Tuesdays as she scurries from one class-room to another, ending her day in the cafeteriawith the After-School Achievers. Alice says, "Ithelps the children to work with a volunteer indi-vidually. I like seeing them achieve their goals. Ienjoy working with all the different grade levels."

Bud and Phyllis Bybee show Fox Hill time andagain there’s nothing like lovin’ from the oven. TheBybees have been and can be seen at schoolevents, typically with cake or cookies in hand,serving students, teachers and parents alike. The5th Grade Musical, "The Midnight Ride of PaulRevere" had a great cookie reception thanks to the Bybees.

Speaking of musicals, Monday afternoons you canfind St. Luke's volunteer Carol Landis playing thepiano for the after-school enrichment Musical The-ater class. She and the children are working hardto learn the songs from "Once Upon A Mattress,"which will be performed April 29 at Fox Hill.

Principal Levine would like to emphasize her appreciation at the gifts of time, treasure and tal-ent that St. Luke’s members have given. “We arevery grateful to St. Luke's and look forward tomany happy and productive years together.” n

IN OUR OWN BACKYARD:The St. Luke’s & Fox Hill Elementary School Partnershipby Alison Smith

Volunteer Alice Curnow enjoys workingwith all ages of children at Fox Hill


children’s ministries together in ministry everyday

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What Is 4/5 Fellowship?by Judi Hosfeld

4/5 Fellowship is an idea that began with parents whowanted their kids to experience another avenue of faith,fun and fellowship at church. What started as a brain-storming effort for the older elementary kids to feel more“plugged in” to church and to make closer friendshipswith the kids they see in Sunday School, choir, or in thechurch hallways, resulted in the creation of “4/5 Fellowship.” The mission statement of the group is “tofacilitate friendship and community within the 4th and5th graders at church, while creating opportunities forthe kids to experience faith and fun together.”

The students meet once a month during the school yearfor a theme-based activity at Luke’s Lodge on a Fridaynight. The evening begins with PIZZA! (We have provenstatistics that show we can reach the kids’ heartsthrough their stomachs.) Thereafter, we discuss a scrip-ture reading (that they eventually take home at the endof the night) and have a “mixer” event to encourage thekids to mingle. Then, the activities for the evening kickin—so far, we’ve enjoyed theme-based events of FallFun, God in Nature, Movie Night, and bowling, amongother activities.

Our schedule for the rest of this school year includes:JANUARY 8: Swimming party at the Rivi!FEBRUARY 5: Treasure Hunt throughout the churchMARCH 5: Service projects within and outside the churchMAY 7: End of the Year Fun to celebrate our new

friendships, and 5th graders look forward to joining the youth group!

Though the events are already planned for the year, wewelcome any feedback or suggestions for activities andevents. Parents are always welcome to stay to partici-pate in the fun or to help chaperone. This is a great timefor all—and easy for the parents who attend. What’s notto like!?

Students are always welcome to bring friends, thoughwe find that students are more likely to mingle and getto know other St. Luke’s friends when they come ontheir own. The kids always leave with smiles on theirfaces, and yet another reason to love St. Luke’s. n

ABOVE: "Let the Fun Begin."St. Luke’s kids "CreatingFriendships."


JANUARY—MARCH the garden | oasis

10% Giving Program Gets a Fresh Startby Beth Fried

Every month The Garden shares % of total Sunday donations to selected non-profit organizations. Initiallysuggested by Gardener and former Indiana LieutenantGovernor John Mutz, the % Giving Program started in. It began as a way for The Garden to give back to the community, to fulfill The Garden’s mission to shareunconditional love for all people.

In the nearly eleven years of the % Giving Program, TheGarden has shared almost , with different non-profit organizations. Ninety-nine percent of those organizations are located in the Central Indiana area. Inaddition to the monthly cash donations, approximatelyhalf of the recipient organizations have received theirown personal, professional-quality three- to five-minuteinformational video produced by The Garden. For others,The Garden has organized volunteer service projects andspecial item giving campaigns, like food drives.

For , The Garden’s % Giving Program is getting afacelift. Rather than selecting a different organization foreach month, recipients will be chosen quarterly, either onerecipient per quarter or one small group of collaborativeorganizations per quarter. Leadership and Outreach Teamvolunteers decided that by creating more of a relationshipwith local organizations, more of an impact could bemade on everyone involved, including Gardeners.

The Garden’s first % Quarterly Giving Recipient for will be Fresh Start of Indiana. Founded in andoperated since then by Gardeners Judy and Doug House,Fresh Start offers transitional support services to domestic

violence survivors who have made the brave decision toleave their abusive relationships. The Fresh Start missionis to assist domestic violence survivors and their childrenas they break free in their quest towards a non-violent,productive and self-sufficient life.

Plans for the renewed program for thefirst quarter of include: Gardenservice themes relating to domestic vio-lence prevention and recovery—such asgetting a “fresh start” in life—taking careof others, and forgiveness. The Garden’svideo production team has already created an informational video aboutFresh Start, which can be seen onYouTube and The Garden’s Facebookpage. Also planned are special fund andawareness-raising projects for Fresh Start; domestic violence information tables at both Garden locations;and increased media visibility. n

For more information on Fresh Start, go to freshstartofindiana.org or call (317) 541-1655.

LEFT: The Blessing Bowl: remember your personal wealth through your blessings

Inspirational Gifts, Jewelry & BooksConveniently located inside St. Luke’s UMCGift Registry Available

OASIS HOURS:TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY

10AM - 4PMSUNDAY 9AM - 1PM

S U P P O R T I N G T H E M I N I S T R I E S O F S T L U K E S

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If you would like to experience The Garden yourself, services are Sunday mornings at :, : : at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre at The Pyramids, and at : at The Mansion at Oak Hill in Carmel.

Get more info at www.stlukesumc.com/worship/garden, or find us on Facebook at facebook.com/virtualgarden.


WELCOME! new membersThe following persons completed the October, November and December membership classes.

October (top left) John Babione, Leslie Babione, John Bailey, Karen Bailey, JoAnn Erickson, Ben Forrest, Brad Frauhiger, Bob Hirschman, Jan Hirschman, Merribeth Hoffman, Leah Jamison, Jesse Jett, Loya Kelso, Melanie Kerr, Larry Ladig, Lisa Ladig, Jordan Ladig, Amber Laibe, James Parsons,Stephanie Parsons, Bob Richmond, Paula Richmond, Kellie Rumple, Lindsay Sappenfield

November (top right) Susan Barakat, Mark Bosler, Doug Cook, Becky Cook, Jennifer Cook, Teena Crist,Edgar Davis, Glenna Heath, Ronald Houck, Pam Houck, Steve Kosiba, Amanda Kosiba, Kelly Porter, Susan Toner

December 2009 (bottom three) Tom Ashburn, Cindy Ashburn, John Baker, Margaret Baker, Rashad Barksdale, Amy Bridges, Cindy Buchanan, Blair Buchanan, Deborah Bushfield, Berniece Carlino,Lois Christopher, Joyce Crowder, Jeffrey Day, Anthony Dean, Jennifer Dean, Jim Dickson, Julie Dickson,Andy Dillingham, Alicia Dillingham, Leonard Foy, Garret Harpe, Ashley Harpe, Carl Jacobson, Mark Lampe,Erica Lampe, Ann Lapp, Greg Loewen, Alexandra Loewen, John Loker, Wendy Loker, Larry Lovejoy, Linda Madagame, Mike Mathews, Laura Mathews, Sloan McCord, Gary Oxenrider, Linda Oxenrider, Nick Padula, Brenda Padula, Michael Robinson, Cathy Robinson, Kennedy Robinson, Greg Rogers, Kristin Rogers, Kelly Rogers, Larry Rose, Karen Rose, Jane Roy, Karli Shondell, Mary Slade, Jan Stevens,Kara Stolle-Foy, Madelyn Sundquist

The next opportunities tojoin St. Luke’s are:

Wednesday, January 13, 6:30-9PM

Wednesday, February 10, 6:30-9PM

Sunday, March 7, 11AM-12:30PM.

Contact Sylvia Forbes at 846-3404 or email

[email protected] to register.

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membership together in ministry everyday


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CONDOLENCES TO:

Linda Clevenger and Beth Jahns on the death of husband and father Vic Clevenger

Samantha Strantz on the death of her mother Sandra Bartenbach

Laura Lowe and family on the loss of her motherJane Rudolph

Winnie Brinkerhoff on the death of her brotherRobert Hisey

Naomi Treon and familyon the death of Norm Treon

Friends and family of Pattie Stackhouse

Terry Rinehart on the death of her motherBetty King

Marguerite Deckert andLinda McGlothlin andfamily on the death of daughter and sister Sandra Newman

Craig Stevens on the death of his grandmotherAudrey Stevens

Marcia Capron and Bonnie McMenamin on thedeath of Aunt Jean Grubb

Joyce Winner on the death of her mother Margaret Sipka

Betty Gerhart, K. K. Gerhart-Fritz andMonica Cochran on thedeath of husband and father Richard Gerhart

Rich Wisman on the death of his fatherLawrence Wisman

Friends and family ofMelissa Jensen

Friends and family ofMichael McDaniel

Mary Miller on the deathof her mother Doris Kenny

Nancy Keller on the death of her mother Jeannette Conard

Joyce Kneisley and family on the death ofJames Kneisley

Helen Boyer on the deathof her father George Roehm

Terri Coe on the death ofher mother Margaret Coe

Julie Johnson on the deathof her aunt Vera Julia Kunz

Family and friends ofKaren Finney

Mike Weaver on the deathof his mother Adah Weaver

Pat Sourwine on the deathof husband Jack Sourwine

Betsy Roby and Tom Rosson the death of theirmother Helen Ross

Natalie Thomas on the death of her fatherLarry Bontrager

Friends and family ofRichard Buschmann

Friends and family of Jesse Silotto

Friends and family ofJuanita Bell

Dan Wills on the death ofhis sister Pamela Sampsell

Janet Hardy on the death ofher mother Betty Schrader

Barb Lollar on the death ofher father Robert Lollar

Paula Harper on the deathof her mother Doris Carroll

Jason Rose on the death of his grandmother Thelma Rose

Sue Bahr on the death ofher husband Bob Bahr

Betty Crim on the death ofher husband Ray Crim

Friends and family of Joni McKenzie

CONGRATULATIONS TO:

Lesley, Rodney and Abigail Hoye & Eric Troyer

on their wedding of October

Barb Clements & Gary Fuller on their

wedding of October

Katie Brown & Tony Wright on their

wedding of October

Nanette Schulte &Matthew Russell on their

wedding of October

Julie Cox & Chad Bocockon their wedding of

October

Amanda Baker & Kevin Patrick Mulroony on

their wedding of October

Angela Carlisle & Roger Waggoner on their

wedding of October

Liz Hood & Matt Griffinon their wedding of

October

Mollie Pletcher & John “Pres” Maxson on

their wedding of November

Kendall Potter & Luke Hinton on their

wedding of December

Bud & Jo Zehr on their wedding anniversary

Andy & Jenny Noble, Hal & Barbara Noble Riceman,and David & Janet Ham onthe birth of son and grand-son Andrew Matthew

Jason & Angie Barnes on the birth of their sonNathan William

Andy & Sember Hahn andGeorge & Marli Howell onthe birth of son and grandson Palmer Mitchell

Andy & Lisa Jankowski on the birth of their sonJoshua Andrew

John & Carole Veatch on thebirth of twins Sydney Graceand Andrew Joseph

Ben & Maggie Anderson,John & Marsha Anderson,and Skip & Susan Hallamon the birth of daughter andgranddaughter Lydia Hart

Brian & Amy Jones on the birth of daughterVayda Noel

JANUARY—MARCH concerns & celebrations


NON-PROFITU.S. POSTAGE PAIDINDIANAPOLIS, INPERMIT NO. 1569

JANARY—MARCH 2010

St. Luke’s United Methodist Church • West Street • Indianapolis, Indiana

Address Service Requested

LENT & EASTER ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICE

Wednesday, February ,

LENT BREAKFAST SERIES

begins Saturday, February , , University of Indianapolis

MIDWEEK LENTEN SERVICES

Six Wednesdays, February -March , Noon-: in Robertson Chapel

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY , PM

Black History Month Music Festival in theSanctuary with choirs and musicians from ten

area United Methodist Congregations. This service is in support of the Barnes United Methodist

Church Community Center, which is decreasing teenage

and young adult crime in an inner city neighborhood.

TUESDAY, MARCH , PM

A. J. Jacobs speaks at St. Luke’s (see page for more details)

LENT SPIRITUAL RETREAT

Saturday, March , -Noon Spiritual Spring Training, led by Betty Brandt,Barb Hale & Kent Millard

HOLY WEEK:HOLY THURSDAY SERVICE, April ,

in the Sanctuary with communion

GOOD FRIDAY SERVICES, April Noon and , SanctuaryNoon, The Garden at Beef and Boards

EASTER Sunday, April : Youth Sunrise ServiceSanctuary Services: :, : and :

The Garden Services:, : : at Beef and Boards: at The Mansion at Oak Hill

Later@St. Luke’s,


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