Reformation Cross Connection
Dear Family and Friends of St. Luke,
+ Grace and Peace to you.
So, teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.
Psalm 90:12
Have you ever felt bombarded by requests for support, time, and resources? There are so many causes, projects, and trends that compete for our attention and claim our allegiance. The need for prioritizing is paramount if we are to live intentional lives. This is especially true as Christ followers.
In the buffet of demands on our lives, to what do we apply ourselves, our hearts? I suppose that the older we grow, the choices become clearer. Certainly, the ability to postpone and defer decisions decreases. The psalmist pleads for instruction. We need guidance and good counsel not only in our individual lives, but most certainly in our life together.
During these weeks of build-up to the Presidential election, there will be opportunities for each of us to consider what it means to be a faithful Christ follower considering other causes, projects, and trends. I encourage us all to pray with the psalmist for an awareness and appreciation of the finite nature of our lives as citizens of this earthly realm so that we may apply our hearts to wisdom. It is that wisdom calling us into the future being prepared for us citizens of the kingdom of God.
In a more immediate concern, I want to take this opportunity to highlight our planned celebration on Sunday, October 20 as we pay off our mortgage from the 2020 Vision Building Campaign. Clearly God has provided all that we need through the generous and faithful support of so many of our family and friends. I look forward to this time of thanksgiving not only for the debt retirement, but especially for your commitment and dedication.
As we anticipate the future, may we do so with all boldness and hope — grounded in the love of God in Christ Jesus! We can rejoice for the many and various ways that we are equipped to respond to God’s call upon our lives as we continue to minister to one another and our community and world. May we continue to value our life together and apply our hearts to wisdom, in Jesus’ name!
In Christ’s love for you,
Pastor Christopher Frye
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Worship
Sundays and Special Days
October 6 *20th Sunday after Pentecost; What does it mean to receive the kingdom of God as a child does? Congregational Meeting
October 13 *21st Sunday after Pentecost; Our assemblies counter this message with the invitation to find life by divesting for the sake of the other. 2nd Sunday Fellowship
October 20 *22nd Sunday after Pentecost; We pray this gathered around the cross, a sign of great shame transformed to be the sign of great honor and service. Mortgage Payoff Celebration
October 27 *Reformation Sunday; Are our prayers an honest answer to Jesus’ question, “What do you want me to do for you?”
November 3 *All Saints Sunday; It’s easy for us to say with the writer of the letter to the Hebrews that sacrifices aren’t needed anymore, but harder to acknowledge that all our worship, all our community service, all our social action, all our family caregiving is worthless if it is done without love.
November 10 *25th Sunday after Pentecost; She, like the widow of Zarephath who shares her last bit of food with Elijah, does something of great importance. 2nd Sunday Fellowship
November 17 *26th Sunday after Pentecost; The more we see the last day approaching, the more important it is to meet together to provoke one another to love.
November 24 *Christ the King Sunday; We look forward to the day he is given dominion, knowing his victory will be the nonviolent victory of love.
Worship Support
Interested in continuing to serve or new and wanting to help out? Look for the worship support sign-up sheets for 2025, coming mid-October. Worship Support includes positions such as lector, communion assistant, AV tech, acolyte, assisting minister, etc.
Sunday Worship Services
10a.m. every Sunday; In-person and online
Wednesday Healing Services
We have a weekly service of Prayer, Healing, and Holy Communion every Wednesday at 11a.m.
Zoom Prayer & Share
Prayer & Share happens via Zoom every Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m. Join us!
Holy Communion Prayer Service @ Menno Haven
Join us and invite your friends. 3rd Thursday of each month at 1:00pm in the Arbor Room off the main Dining Room at Village Square. This service will be led by Pastor Frye.
Church Records
Deaths
Kathryn Coppock—August 27. 2024
Pete Mason—September 6. 2024
Stewardship Report
Thank you! We are grateful for your generous giving to support St. Luke’s ministries & mission. Your contributions continue to grow our community.
| August 2024 | YTD 2024 | |
| Total Income | $22,544.24 | $275,128.15 |
| Total Expenditures | $31,360.88 | $302,502.48 |
| Net Income | -$8,816.64 | -$27,374.33 |
Education
Adult Faith Formation
Advent is coming! Join us at 8:45 a.m. each Sunday in Advent for a study entitled ‘Making All Things New.’
Youth Group
Youth group for grades 6-12 is back in action! Join us for our monthly events.
October—Hayride & Corn Maze in the Dark
November—Bowling
December—Christmas Party
January—Snow Tubing
More information to come!
Confirmation
Confirmation classes started in September and will continue through the year. This year we have 7 students, coming from three different congregations! Joining together is allowing us to form bonds across the Conference and have great conversations about faith in our class times. The first class became a ‘hands on’ event that jumped straight into a lesson on service. Our Pentecost Project partner showed up just as class started so our students jumped in and helped load their trailer with all the jackets, hoodies, blankets, and personal care packs we had collected!
Outreach
Adopt-a-Highway
Our last day of service for this year is Saturday, October 12. Join us at the church parking lot by 8:00 a.m. to spend an hour cleaning the roadside along Black Gap Rd. All supplies provided.
Get to Know Your Neighbors
St. Luke is inviting all our neighbors from Luther Ridge to join us for a luncheon on Wednesday, November 20 at 11:30 a.m. Our goal In having this luncheon is to get to know the Luther Ridge residents and let them know that we are here and that we care. Information about our church will be available for them to pick up should they want. Join us too and help us welcome them! Sign up on the bulletin board at St. Luke for this soup & sandwich lunch.
Pentecost Projects
Our three Pentecost Projects are still going for two more months! Look for more information on the table in the Gathering Area.
1) Fruitbelt Farmworkers—collecting coats, hoodies, hats, & blankets. Monetary donations also accepted.
2) Chambersburg Homeless Shelter—collecting paper products and canned soup. Monetary donations also accepted.
3) Kandete Widow’s Project—collecting monetary donations to provide micro-loans for widows in Tanzania to start businesses to support their families.
South Mountain 2025 Calendar Collection
We are collecting 2025 calendars for the residents of South Mountain Restoration Center from now until Sunday, November 24. They will be delivered Monday, November 25. Please place them in the bin located near the keypad door. Calendars alone are requested this year, so please bring ONLY calendars. There are 100 residents at South Mountain, so that is our goal. Thank you in advance for your donations. The residents greatly appreciate them.
Council Highlights
August 2024
· Men’s restroom in the back hall has been changed to a family restroom
· Pentecost Projects are still accepting donations
· There will be possible changes to the offering envelopes.
September 2024
· October 5 Worship Support Training
· October 6 Congregational meeting to approve using $50,000 to pay off mortgage
· Mortgage Payoff/Burning Celebration will be October 20.
St. Luke Library
Did you know…
St. Luke has a library located in the hallway next to Pastor Frye’s office. You are welcome to borrow books and DVD’s from the library at anytime and return them when you are finished. Recently, the seven books of the Narnia series by C.S. Lewis were added to the library. Also, various translations of the Bible are available and some were recently added, including The Jerusalem Bible, the Life Application NVSV, the Revised English Bible, the Harper Collins Study Bible NRSV, the Holy Bible RSV, and the Living Bible. Look for book highlights to come in each newsletter.
Mortgage Burning & Luncheon
Following our Congregational vote on October 6, we will be set and ready to pay off the mortgage for St. Luke, in record time! We plan to celebrate! Join us Sunday, October 20 during worship for a celebration and short ceremony where we will symbolically burn the mortgage. Then join us in the Fellowship Hall following worship for a catered luncheon with music and festivities. Don’t forget to sign up in the Gathering Area for the luncheon!
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]