Merry Xmas: Revealing God
I am willing to bet that all of us have had the feeling, you are really hungry, but you have a craving for something. You can put your finger on what you want, but you feel like you desperately need the thing you crave. It is frustrating, and very unsatisfying,Our fifth word in the Christmas sermon series is kortázo. While the word is challenging to pronounce, it means to be filled or satisfied. God cares enough for us to satisfy our needs. In many other religions God expects humanity to satisfy their needs. In Islam, people are expected to satisfy God’s need to be honored by all people. In Hinduism, people are expected to satisfy the needs of the gods to be worshipped and revered as holy; they expect people to appease their anger and bring peace. In the religions that worship ancestors, people are expected to satisfy their needs, which can vary from simple acknowledgement to providing food and drink. Sometimes people assert that the Christian God is the same as the other supposed gods in that He requires us to acknowledge his divine nature. Some Christians will say, “God just wants you to acknowledge that you are a sinner, and you place your life into His care.”In Fact, God does not need anything from us. Jesus said, “I have come that you may have life and have it to the full.” John 11:10. Jesus came to give us the gift of eternal life through his death on the cross. Jesus came to give us new life even as He raised Himself from the dead. Through Christ we can live lives of contentment and satisfaction. This Sunday we will explore the various ways that God fills us to overflowing with His love and mercy, In Him we will find satisfaction. Join us this Sunday at our regular worship times of 8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.
One Year Bible Challenge
2024 is the year for you to join me in reading through the Bible. Reading through the Bible seems like an impossible challenge, yet only takes an average of 20 minutes a day. St. Luke wants to partner with you to make this amazing New Year’s challenge a reality. We have prepared a webpage on our website with special tools that take the work out of a daily Bible reading program. When you go to www.stlukeaa.org/bible you will have access to an amazing collection of resources. You will find:
A tutorial walking you through Bible reading community page that will be activated January 1.
A link to the YouVersion Bible app for your phone. The YouVersion app is free. It will allow you to access the reading list without needing a computer.
A link to sign-up for the Bible reading plan from YouVersion. To keep in synch with all of us, you will not want to sign-up until January 1.
A link to download the daily reading plan that you can slip in your Bible.
When the Bible Reading Community page goes live, it will contain the readings assigned for each day, as well as a button to listen to the assigned readings. Most importantly, the page provides an anonymous form to submit questions for discussion during the Sunday morning Discipleship hour. God’s Word is powerful and effective. Please join us on January 1 as we start our one-year journey through the Bible.
Life Light Bible Study
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth O that we were there!Imagine if you could place yourself at the very beginning. It's not humanly possible of course. But, we hope you'll consider starting this New Year with a journey through the beginning of Holy Scripture i.e. the Book of Genesis.Starting Monday February 5, 2024 St. Luke will offer an in depth and intentional study of the Word of God through a program called Life Light. For those who desire a deeper study of the Scriptures, Life Light will offer a broader time frame than is available in the typical Sunday morning adult Bible class. The LifeLight program assumes a level of commitment that will bring participants to each of the nine weekly assemblies having read the assigned readings and attempted to answer the daily study questions. These daily readings and study will require from 15 to 30 minutes for the five days preceding the LifeLight small group gathering. The day following the gathering will be spent reviewing the previous week’s study by going over the completed study questions and the enrichment magazine.
This new group will be meeting on Monday evenings, from 7-8:30PM from Feb. 5th through June 10th at St. Luke. This winter and spring we will be covering the book of Genesis. Register here.
Rotating Homeless Shelter Program Update
St. Luke will once again be hosting the rotating homeless shelter program ran by the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County. Our weeks begin December 25, 2023 and January 15, 2024.We will need volunteers for the following areas:
Meals for the men each night
Overnight hosts - Sign up here to be an overnight host
Towel laundry
Allen and Sharon Morgan have coordinated/managed St. Luke’s participation with the rotating homeless shelter for many years and are looking for a person, couple, or group who would be willing to shadow them this year and then take the reins for the 2024/2025 season.
See here for more information. Please contact Allen with any questions or to volunteer for meals, towel laundry, or if you are interested in coordinating the rotating homeless shelter next season.
LWML Epiphany Brunch
The 2024 LWML Epiphany Brunch will take place on Saturday, January 13 at St. Luke, Ann Arbor..Many of you attended our last Epiphany Brunch and we look forward to welcoming you back for food, fellowship, and a presentation that you will not soon forget. Our special guest musician and speaker is Wendysue Fluegge, who will present “Reflections of Mary,” featuring the music and monologues of Christmas. You can look forward to an inspiring experience during a less stressful time of year…Epiphany!Please use the attached flyer to make your reservation by using the QR code or contact Debby Stinehelfer to make a reservation via email. You are very welcome to invite a friend to attend this event. Just make sure to reserve his/her place once they accept your invitation.
2023 Giving Statements
In past years, it has been possible for our donors to go into Connect and print out their giving statements. This is not possible with Church Center and our current giving platform. We are currently looking at other giving platforms to change this.
This year the giving statements will be printed by St. Luke and available to t be picked by January 14, 2024. The statements not picked up at the church will be mailed at the end of January.You may receive an email concerning your giving account being joined with your spouse’s, if applicable. The following option will be included in the email:
Please ignore this option. Due to our giving platform, you will not be able to access your donor profile.
Please contact Susan Jones (email or call 734.971.0550) if you have any questions or need your giving statement earlier than January 14th.
Seeking Communication’s Team Members
Do you love to write, take pictures, or produce graphic art? If you do, we value your participation in the communications team that we are forming in January. Depending on the number of people and the skill set, the team will help with the production of enews articles, social media posts, and website content. Don’t let technology intimidate you. Most of what the team will do is take pictures and write stories. No special equipment is needed. If you are interested send an email to pastor Jones at .
Back by popular demand . . .
THE MARRIED PEOPLE DATE NIGHT KIT time
for your USWhen you got married, the two of you became an US. While every US is different,
there is one thing every US needs—time. Your US needs time to simply be
together because it gives you space to laugh and connect. That’s what this date
night is all about—no therapy—just fun and connection. So begin your “time for your US”
by picking up a Date Night Kit on one of the dates below at: St. Luke Lutheran Church
4205 Washtenaw Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Saturday, January 13th, 2024 between 9:00 am – 12:30 pm
Sunday, January 14th, 2024 between 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Sunday, January 21st, 2024 between 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Date Night reminder:
Schedule your date night to happen within two weeks of picking up your "Kit".
You and your spouse plan your own date details
As you drive off for your date, open your "Date Night Kit" and follow the instructions in the order given.
Enjoy your date! Have Fun! This is “time for your US”!
Even though paying for your night out is not part of the deal, partial babysitting reimbursement is still available upon request. Please do not hesitate to fill out the form when picking up your Kit!
Comedy Night SAVE THE DATE: Looking for a girl's night out? Date night? Or just need a night of laughter? We've got you covered! Saturday, January 27 at 7:30pm St. Luke will be hosting comedian Andy Beningo! Check out one of his bits here. Tickets are $10.Click here to Purchase Tickets.
Office Hours
The office doors will be monitored by the staff from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday - Thursday. If you wish to enter the building during that window, ring the doorbell to the left of the door and wait for a response. Alternatively, you can call the office and make an appointment with someone on staff.You can connect with Pastor Todd either by email or cell phone 734-213-4256.
Livestream Worship
There are two different methods for watching our worship livestream. Services are simultaneously streaming on Facebook and YouTube
Sunday Morning Worship Times
8:30 a.m. Living Heritage Service
9:45 a.m. Bible Study / Sunday School Hour
11:00 a.m. Living Praise ServiceChurch Office
Monday-Thursday: 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.Phone: 734.971.0550
Email:
One Year Bible Challenge
THE MARRIED PEOPLE DATE NIGHT KIT
Comedy Night
