December 2022 Cross Connection
A Letter About the St. Luke Family
One of the things I love about the St. Luke family is your ability to encourage and welcome. To be honest, it’s the reason Charles and I and our children decided to start attending here in early 2019. You might think it was because of my parents, and they were a big draw, but we actually went “church shopping” before settling here. The main reason – Charles said, “I just feel like I belong at St. Luke.”
You are a people who welcome.
One of the blessings of our church is that it’s the size it is – not too big that you don’t know who is new. I see people reach out and say hello to visitors weekly – and not just one person, but there is often several people waiting after service for their chance to introduce themselves and welcome our visitors. Then there is the ‘passing of the peace’. The handshake, elbow and fist bump, and hugs don’t just happen in your pew, but across the center aisle and from front to back. There are no boundaries! Lastly, anyone who has entered the front doors of the church during the week know they will get a smile, and possibly a hug too, from our Office Administrator Christine.
You are a people who encourage.
I hear you say thank you often. That is not always the case as you go about your daily lives in this world. At St. Luke, I hear thank you for the worship service, thank you for serving on a committee, thank you for events, dinners, faith classes, opportunities, etc. Whether through a simple ‘thank you’ or a full blown email or face-to-face conversation, I can speak from experience and say you encourage me and that is something I’m grateful for.
You are a people who give.
You are a people that are amazing at giving. You’ve become known in the Chambersburg area for your charity. You give your furniture, household items, toiletries, calendars, food, money, the most important – your time, and literally the clothes off your back to the community of Chambersburg.
Why?
Well, you see it in your leadership. I have literally seen Pastor Frye run to greet someone with a hug who stepped in our doors for the first time. And not just once, but on multiple occasions. And you see it in Jesus, the reason why we all come together each Sunday in Worship. The Bible is full of verses about how we should live our lives. As Hebrews 13:7 says. “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.” Another one of my favorite verses is “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” – Matthew 7:12
Thank you, St. Luke family, for being who you are and mirroring Jesus in your words, deeds, and actions. During this season of Advent, may you continue to be the image of Jesus to this world.
In His love,
Shelly Davies
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Worship
Sundays and Special Days
Dec. 4: Second Sunday of Advent, At the heart of our Advent preparation stands John the Baptist, who calls us to repent and make a new beginning.
Dec. 11: Third Sunday of Advent, We pray that God would open our eyes and ears to the wonders of Christ’s advent among us.
Dec. 18: Fourth Sunday in Advent, On this final Sunday of Advent we prepare to celebrate the birth of the one born to save us from the power of sin and death.
Dec. 24: Nativity of Our Lord, In winter’s deepest night, we welcome the light of the Christ child.
Dec. 25: Nativity of Our Lord II, As on the first day of creation, on this Christmas Day the Word illumines the world, shining forth to bring all things into being.
Sunday Worship Services
10 a.m. every Sunday; In-person and online
Wednesday Prayer Service
Prayer & Share will be on hiatus for the month of December so that you can enjoy the Wednesday Evening Advent services and the rest of the holidays with your families. See you January 4th at 7:00pm!
MidWeek Advent Services
“Make Room for Holy Disruption”
December 7: St. Paul’s Lutheran Church 44 East Main Street, Fayetteville, PA Offering: Food Pantry at St. Paul’s Message: “Releasing,” Rev. Christopher Frye
December 14: Scotland United Methodist Church 4040 Scotland Main Street, Chambersburg, PA Offering: The Homeless Connection Message: “Receiving,” Pastor Bill Smith
December 21: St. Luke Lutheran Church 2695 Luther Drive, Chambersburg, PA Offering: Little Daisy’s Closet Message: “Rejoicing,” Rev. Christopher Frye “Blue Christmas Service”
WEDNESDAY WEEKLY SERVICES BEGIN AT 7:00 PM
Wednesday Healing Services
We have a weekly service of Prayer, Healing, and Holy Communion every Wednesday at 11 a.m. This simple service is a great way to connect with a smaller group of people in a supportive environment. There will be no service on December 28.
Support
Parish records
Deaths
Christina Bemus, Nov. 3, Service Dec. 10 11am
Jon Jones, November 9
New Member
Janet Lundblad, November 6
Worship Support
We are in great need of Volunteers for the
upcoming year, in all areas. Please take a moment at the church to fill out a form or call the office and Christine will fill it out for you.
“Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.” -Elizabeth Andrew
Card Showers
If you’d like to request a special card shower for a special someone, please reach out to the office at St. Luke!
Education
ELCA Good Gifts
Still don’t know what to get for your loved ones this year? Why not consider donating an item in their honor? ELCA’s Good Gifts program has options ranging from as little as $10. Options include chicks, a pig, school supplies, a water filter, honeybees, Bibles, a motorbike, etc. These gifts are donated to families all around the world. During the season of Advent, there will be a tree in the Gathering Area at church filled with ornaments representing gifts. Our goal: clear the tree! By the end of Advent we’d love to see all the ornaments gone, representing that all the gifts have been given.
Advent Reflections – You Shall Have a Song
November 27, December 4, 11 & 18
God promises, “You shall have a song” (Isaiah 30:29), even when things look the most bleak and hopeless. In a time like that, God provided a song about a servant who would bring justice and light to all the world. The lyrics of this song, recorded in Isaiah 42, are later echoed in the story of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Join us in the Fellowship Hall at 8:45 am each Sunday in Advent. Books available from Shelly Davies.
No Faith Formation
December 25 & January 1 – No Faith Formation classes for all ages
Youth & Children’s Christmas Party
December 9 @ 6:00pm
Join us for an evening of Christmas lights, nativities, ice cream, and cocoa. We will meet at the church and then drive together to view a few drive-thru displays. Parents are encouraged to join us at 7:30pm in the Fellowship Hall for ice cream and cocoa. Sign-ups will be on the Bulletin Board or by calling the church office. All ages (under 18) are invited!
Outreach
Christmas Caroling
December 16 @ 6:30 pm
Meet us at the church and we will go caroling around the Luther Ridge neighborhood. Wear something festive and warm and bring your holiday light-up necklaces/lanterns/candles etc. Christmas cookies to follow. All are welcome.
Christmas Cards for Our St. Luke Family
During the season of Advent, the youngest in our congregation have been working to spread a little holiday cheer. The children have sent Christmas cards along with cut-out objects representing the season, to our family members that can’t always make it to the church building. We want them all to know they are loved and prayed for, especially in this season!
Church Photo Directories
We start our Advent Season with a gift to you, the long-awaited St Luke Photo Directory is ready. There are copies for all the families in the front hall, look for your gift tag. I, Christine, want to thank all the people of St Luke for your patience, Shelly and Pastor Frye and Pastor Amy for help in getting the photos, and all the ladies that put the tags and finishing touches on the Directory. Merry Christmas!
Congregation, Council, Committees
COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS November 2022
· The Choir Mic was previously approved (May) to purchase but was not available. The Mic is now available at increased cost. Approved the purchase at the new cost.
· 2023 Spending Plan was approved by council and will be presented to the congregation at the annual Meeting.
· Regular giving for October was down .96%.
· The Nominating Committee is seeking candidates for Council.
· Saturday, Dec 17 at 10:00 am we will be Hanging the Greens. All are welcome to join in decorating the building for the holiday season.
· Jan 22, 2023, we will conduct our Annual Congregational Meeting after the 10:00 am service.
A Message from the Council President
Church council has approved the 2023 spending plan and will be presented to the congregation for approval at the annual meeting in January.
St. Luke was basically shut down during COVID like most institutions but when restrictions lifted, we aggressively returned to where we were including increasing staff. Benevolent giving for 2022 was approximately $128,227.00, which amounted to about 25% of our total expenses. That didn’t even include your support of non-budget activities. Our mortgage is very manageable and is forecast to be paid ahead of schedule. The income for this years budget (2022) is projected to fall short by approximately $20,000.00. We do maintain a “rainy day” fund that we can use to cover this shortfall, however, we have the opportunity, for the remainder of this year, to reduce that shortfall or even eliminate it altogether. This is a good place to consider some year-end giving especially if you are looking for a 2022 tax shelter for some extra funds. Overall, St. Luke is one of the Chambersburg Conference of Lutheran churches that is doing quite well. That is to be attributed to you the congregation, our leaders, and the outstanding work of our staff.
Bob Huss
Council President
Calendar
Visit our online calendar for the most current updates to meetings, events, and services.
Connect
2695 Luther Drive, Chambersburg, PA 17202
717-261-1213
[email protected]