Luke Adventures
Luke Family,
Whether the air feels cool or not, Fall is upon us! Soon, the weather will change, the leaves will turn and fall from the trees. This always reminds me of the endless cycle of life. Just as sure as the trees losing their leaves and the grass turning brown is the knowledge that in just a few months, the trees will once again leaf, the grass will turn green and need cutting, and the hummingbirds will return!
While Fall is sometimes thought of as the harbinger of the end of the year, it is also a time of beginnings. We begin to think about the start of the holiday season: Thanksgiving, Advent, Christmas, and the New Year. We also think of the start of football season, the start of the baseball championship series, and relaxing around the patio fire pit.
It’s also a time to dream. A long-held dream of mine has been to offer a place where people from other places could come and
find a safe place to learn to read and write English. A place with no judgement or political agenda. On October 4 we will offer ESL (English as a Second Language) classes to the community. I expect that most of our students will be from Central America, and many have little or no ability to read English and verylimited English-speaking ability. We have been gifted a very effective program for helping non-English speakers learn to read and write English and I know that many people are joyfully waiting to join us!
We will need lots of help! The classes will be held weekly on Wednesday nights after Luke Life. Please pray and see if the Lord is calling you to join us in this important outreach to the community! No special training is needed; other than your ability to speak English and a desire to help some of the ften-overlooked members of our community. Please contact me at brothergary@gmail.com if you want more information or if you are ready to join us!
Remember that God is ALWAYS with you- you are Never alone!
His servant,
brother gary
Leadership Teams
Elders
Lonnie Shupe
Preaching & Local Missions Ministry
Leslie Nichols Akin
Children’s Ministry
Frank Akin
Pastoral Care Ministry
Jenn Bull
Ministry of Spiritual Formation/Retreats
Gary Chapman
Foreign Missions & Evangelism Ministry
Nancy Hill
Worship Ministry
Michelle Lavergne
Ministry of Spiritual Formation/Small groups
Deacons
Danielle McCants
Shin Shupe
Tara Chapman
Edna Watson
Bart Kennedy
Kelley Kennedy
Judy Walker
Trustees
Janet Anderson
Bryan Cowart
Justin Reine
Larry Savignol
Linda Landry
Marsha Boutte
Ted Hansen
Sunday School Teachers
Durwin,
Tara, Lonnie
Youth – Alleigh, Chris, Kathryn
Children – Brittany
Luke Life
Interested in exploring deeper and fuller living? Join us on Wednesday nights in the Sanctuary from 6:30 – 8PM. Together, we will share a meal and explore our understanding of and experiences with the Spiritual Disciplines presented by Richard Foster in his book Celebration of Discipline. (Book not required but recommended.) Call the office if you have any questions.
Dinner and childcare provided.
YAA News
Young Artists Academy hosted our first annual summer theatre workshop July 14th & 15th. We had a blast learning all about stage directions, expressions, and improv! Fall registration is fast approaching, so mark your calendars!
Fall Semester: September 2 – October 27, 2023
Registration opens August 4, 2023
You Can Speak English!
Registration on Wednesday, September 27
See Brother Gary for more info
OCC Collection Week
will be here soon!
Women’s Walk to Emmaus
September 14-16
Luke 24:13 – 35
for more information and sponsorship forms
www.lcwe.org
Mark your calendars! Every first Sunday of the month, we meet together for an evening of laughter, fellowship, good food, and Bible study. This month the meeting will be
Sunday, September 10
5-8 PM
at the Martin’s House
LANDERS
At Landers, the fun begins after school ends! We get to have lots of fun while learning and sharing kindness. We learn about God’s love and about his beautiful Earth, we do homework and study, play games, make crafts, and have the most fun Fridays! The kids also love gardening and making their own snacks like pizzas and sundaes. God and Mrs. Marsha blessed us with a beautiful caterpillar/butterfly home this week. We now have two pet caterpillars that we hope to watch grow into butterflies. We also saw caterpillars in the butterfly garden that was recently planted! We love seeing the children grow in love and faith!
Can you help healthy snacks like string cheese, yogurts, and chips?
Can you volunteer?
Ms. Michelle blessing the backpacks for Back-To-School!
Please continue to pray for the kids, teachers, and law enforcement that are on campus and studying in their homes.
CAMP KINDNESS
CELEBRATING CREATION
52 children and youth gathered one Saturday afternoon to celebrate God’s Creation.
In order to help to become more comfortable with prayer, children were led on a prayer walk on the grounds.
Mr. Gary supervised the planting of a new butterfly garden behind the mission house. We already have monarch caterpillars!
August Ladies Night
at the
Hawaiian Indoor Pool
Tons of delicious food!
“How do I get into this thing?”
Hula lessons!
Relaxing in the pool served by our own very cute cabana boy!
Don’t miss the September Back to School Bash!
Bring a friend!
Tara and her trusty sidekick Gary go all out to make our Ladies Night special! Giggles, food, decor, prayer, and fellowship truly make memorable fun!
September 4th at 6PM
Spiritual Formation — What is it?
an excerpt from Renovare’
We are all spiritual beings. We have physical bodies, but our lives are largely driven by an unseen part of us. There is an immaterial center in us that shapes the way we see the world and ourselves, directs the choices we make, and guides our actions. Our spirit is the most important part of who we are. And yet we rarely spend time developing our inner life. That’s what Spiritual Formation is all about.
Spiritual Formation is a process, but it is also a journey through which we open our hearts to a deeper connection with God. We are not bystanders in our spiritual lives, we are active participants with God, who is ever inviting us into relationship with him.
Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (Jn. 10:10). We at Renovaré (and Luke 10:27) believe that such abundant life is possible here and now because Jesus showed us the way to it. As we take on the life of Jesus – become like him – we experience a richness in life and faith that is truly renewed day by day (Col. 3:10).
Why is Spiritual Formation Important?
Closeness with God brings us true freedom and fullness (Jn. 8:36, Col. 2:9 – 10). Yet many people – Christians included – find their lives fall short of the kind Jesus promised and proclaimed. If God is present with us, why is there so little joy, power, energy, and peace in our lives?
We keep trying: to find happiness, to experience God, to fill the emptiness. And that’s the problem. Trying just tires us out, distracts us from what’s important, and discourages us when we fail.
We are eternal beings, but have lost sight of eternal living. We spend time, energy, and money on our physical needs, but neglect our souls. Our misplaced efforts leave us feeling powerless and detached from God.
That’s not how God intended it to be. We are meant to be in relationship with God and others in a way that is dynamic, whole, and fresh every day (John 17:24, 2 Cor 4:16) – relationship that extends beyond church services into every facet of our lives.
Spiritual Formation helps us reclaim our relationship with God as it was meant to be.
It’s not trying – it’s training in eternal living, determined discipleship to Jesus Christ, and the way we discover the renewable source of spiritual energy we’ve been looking for (2 Cor 4:16).
Opportunities for Spiritual Formation
Luke Life on Wednesdays
Currently studying The Celebration of Discipline led by the Sojourner group.
You can read ahead or just show up. We will learn from each other ways to draw to near to God.
A podcast for honest conversations about interactive life with God. Nathan Foster draws wisdom from guests — including authors, pastors, and artists — who are all seeking to be more like Jesus.
A podcast from Renovaré where three very different friends take listener questions about life and faith, with the goal of listening, learning, and helping one another go deeper with God.
Your Church Reaches Out
AA Meetings
Mon -Sat – 12 pm
Mon., Thurs., & Sat. – 7 pm
AlAnon Meeting
Tues. 6 pm
Calendar
Luke Life – Wednesdays –
September: 6,13,20,27 6:30 – 8pm
Ladies’ Night – September 4: 6 pm
Youth Gathering – September 10; 5-8pm
Women’s Walk to Emmaus – Sept. 14-16
1st Day of Autumn – Sept. 23
You Can Speak English Registration – Wed., Sept 27 8 – 10 pm
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