The season of Advent is upon us and with it, the beginning of a new church year.

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1 The In-Between Times A Newsletter of St. Luke s Episcopal Church December 2017 In This Issue 1 Advent Word 2017 Father Earl Mahan 2 Upcoming events, Services, Birthdays, Vestry Meeting Update 3 4 Christmas - Music, flower donations, financial report, Preschool Update Our early Christian ancestors could never have imagined how sorely needed Advent is to people living in 21st century American culture. The commercialization and materialization that descends on our lives stands in stark contrast to the spirit of calm reflective anticipation for the coming of our Savior that is the reason for Advent. Often called the little Lent, Advent is, likewise penitential in tone, but unlike Lent its focus is less somber. Advent is hopeful just as the message of our Savior s Gospel is hopeful. As Christians, we have reason to be hopeful every day and every season of life, and this is the witness we are called to offer to the world. Our families, friends, and neighbors, like us, are caught up in the cultural chaos that the month of December brings. Let us serve to remind them, as we remind ourselves, that hope is born this season. One way to help you observe a holy Advent is to sign up for the Advent Word 2017 meditations, available from the Anglican Communion and the Society of St. John the Evangelist, an Episcopal monastic community. #AdventWord the Anglican Communion s Global Advent Calendar - begins on Sunday, 3 December, 2017, with images and meditations available via , Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. During the 23 days of Advent, a daily featuring the #AdventWord of the day will go out at 5 a.m. each day, and respondents are encouraged to share their responses to the meditations and images to the aggregated prayer walls within the advent calendar. Assist-A-Family, St. Nicholas Day 5 Third Sundays, Holiday Festival 6 C.A.T. Survey Results Summary 7 The season of Advent is upon us and with it, the beginning of a new church year. December Calendar St. Luke s Episcopal Church 444 Brightfield Trail Manchester, MO stlukesmo@sbcglobal.net "As monks we pray with images of the Jesus in icons. AdventWord helps teach every one how to pray with images as we prepare for the coming of Emmanuel. We developed AdventWord to bring joy. We have passed it on to Virginia Theological Seminary to work with Anglican Communion Office and we are excited to see AdventWord being offered to a wider world." If you would like to receive AdventWord this year we invite you to go to this link Peace and Hope! Fr. Earl Mahan Christmas Services: Sunday, December 24th - 10:00 am & 5:00 pm

2 Annual Parish Meeting January 28th Food will be served after the service, then the annual meeting will commence. ANNUAL REPORTS: ***Please turn in your annual report to the office by January 8, Either leave on the secretary s desk in the church office, or (even better), it to stlukesmo@sbcglobal.net. Thank you. Greening Of The Church (After service) December 17th A sign-up sheet is posted on the bulletin board (outside the church office) regarding lunch for those who help with the greening. This is a wonderful way to help the church, consider this a special time to set aside in preparation for this most important season. ECW Update January 13th 9am Planning meeting and breakfast December 3 First Sunday of Advent Altar Guild: Linda Bell, Wendy Wirkus Lectors/EM: Bruce Ward, Kathy Joslin Usher: Julie Ray Readings: Isaiah 64:1-9; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:24-37 Psalm 80:1-7, December 10 Second Sunday of Advent Altar Guild: Mary Miller, Sally Nolan Lectors/EM: Marion Lyons-Koch, Bruce Ward, Deacon Dayna Usher: Kathy Joslin Readings: Isaiah 40:1-11; 2 Peter 3:8-15a; Mark 1:1-8; Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13 December 17 Third Sunday of Advent Altar Guild: Kathy Joslin, Cynthia Farrar Lectors/EM: Wendy Wirkus, Dennis Farrar, Dave Miller Usher: Phil Davis Readings: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 John 1:6-8,19-28; Psalm 126 December 24 Fourth Sunday of Advent Altar Guild: Kaye Weerts, Marcie Imrie (10am service) Linda Bell, Wendy Wirkus (5 pm service) Lectors/EM: Chris Sturgeon, Kathy Joslin, Bruce Ward Ushers: Cynthia Farrar & Julie Ray (5 pm service) Readings: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16; Romans 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38; Canticle 3 DECEMBER MEAL-A-MONTH The monthly food donations are taken to the Circle of Concern, a food pantry located in Valley Park. Stuffing mix & Pot Mixes, Cranberry Sauce, Canned Gravy & Dry Gravy Mixes, Canned Sweet Potatoes & Veggies, Salad Dressings, Pudding & Gelatin Pie Fillers & Pie Crust Mixes All your contributions are greatly needed and appreciated. Please place your donations in the red plastic container in the narthex. December Birthdays 1 Malachi I. 12 Yara Sarkyssian 18 Kaye Weerts 29 Sarah Lommen We want to wish Marcia a happy belated birthday. (November 27th) and Oliver (November 28th) The Vestry meeting was held on Monday, November 20th. Following are highlights from the meeting minutes: October minutes were approved Treasurer's Report St. Luke's application for the White Fund Loan approved Preschool Report 4 new students enrolled, ahead of the preschool's growth plan Jr. Warden's Report New water fountain installation Switching to energy efficient LED lights for better lighting Thermostat settings for the sanctuary were discussed Sr. Warden's Report No new items to report Priest-In-Charge Report Indian Congregation update: about 20 people attended Facility use consideration by The Crossroads Program 2018 Vestry openings: nominations Deacon Dayna was officially assigned to St. Luke's Old Business Stewardship Campaign update Exterior sign update: installation beginning week of 11/27 New Business Church and Preschool security plan Treasurer to begin preliminary budget planning The Vestry adjourned at 7:30 PM. The next Vestry meeting will be Monday, December 18th at 7:00 PM. A record of the detailed minutes are available for all to review in the office. Please see Father Earl or any Vestry member with questions or concerns. Diocesan convention, Nov

3 Christmas Eve Music & Worship, Sunday Dec. 24th Year to date Financials October 2017 Full reports will be available in the church office Please join us at 5:00 PM on Christmas Eve for a short, but lovely presentation of Christmas music featuring talented musicians from St. Luke's. The program is approximately 15 minutes long, and will be followed by worship service at 5:30 PM. Thank you to all the participants for your hard work and for sharing your talents on this special night. Receipts Actual Budget Pledges $70,867 $71,900 Plate Offerings $11,876 $11,900 Holy Day $755 $1,000 Preschool $5,200 $6,450 Christmas Flower Donations 2017 & 2018 Sign-Up $440 The season of Advent and Christmas will be soon be upon us- the Altar Guild will be busy with the preparation of the church. Cash donations will be used to purchase Christmas flowers and decorations that will be used every year and are only possible with the financial help from the parishioners and friends of St. Luke s. Poinsettias purchased, will adorn the altar for Christmas Eve through Epiphany Sunday. Building Use Other $1,020 $1,135 $150 Total Receipts $93,098 $93,840 Expenses Actual Budget Salaries/ Housing $46,667 $36,750 Office $3,975 $4,190 Utilities $13,459 $14,600 Mortgage/Tax $178 - Insurance $10,661 $9,800 Program Materials $0 $200 Maintenance $18,769 Outreach/ Preschool $343 _ Diocesan Pledge $1,875 $1,875 Total Disbursements $142,346 $137,736 Please take one of the envelopes located by the bulletin board outside of the church. If you wish to donate the flowers in thanksgiving or memory of loved ones, please be sure to have your envelope placed in the Altar Guild mailbox, in the office by December 10th in time for the Christmas Eve bulletin & mark them CHRISTMAS FLOWERS. Thanks to everyone who has donated in the past and for future services for Christmas and for the weekly flowers. To sign up for a week in 2018, please check the bulletin board next to the office and choose a date from one of the blank spaces. Weekly flowers are $35.00 per Sunday and Christmas flower donations are whatever you wish to donate. All donations are appreciated. Thank you again and blessings to all. Mary Miller, Altar Guild Director $17,415 PRESCHOOL UPDATE The preschoolers had so much fun making food for our Thanksgiving Feast. They sang and gave thanks with parents and grandparents! 3

4 About St. Nicholas As someone who grew up on the west coast, I did not learn about St. Nicholas until moving to St. Louis with my children in As a student in the nursing program at St. Luke s Hospital, I met another woman in the program whose kids were about the ages of mine. Michele was a native St. Louisan and was a Roman Catholic. She and her husband took my little family under their wings and provided much-needed hospitality and friendship over several years. It was Michele and Russell who taught me about St. Nicholas. The first thing I learned was that St. Nicholas Day always occurs on December 6 th. Actually, December 6 th is St. Nicholas Feast Day. He was born circa 280 in Patara, Lycia, Greece, an area that is part of present-day Turkey. He lost both of his parents at an early age and reportedly used his inheritance to help the poor and the sick. A devout Christian, he later served as Bishop of Myra, a city that is now called Demre. In St. Louis, and in other areas, St. Nicholas Day is a celebration. It is common practice for children to put out their shoes the night before. In the morning, they discover the gifts St. Nicholas has left for them, usually nuts, fruit and candy. There is great delight among the children as they feel the excitement of the celebration of St. Nicholas Day. In America, St. Nicholas went through many transformations and eventually became Santa Claus. In our family, we acknowledge St. Nicholas instead of Santa Claus. An interesting fact is that Clement Clarke Moore wrote a poem in 1820, entitled An Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas, known to us as T was the Night Before Christmas. It is also interesting to note that Clement Clarke Moore was a professor at The General Theological Seminary in New York City, and donated the land in Chelsea Square where the seminary resides today. I will be going to Calvary Church, Columbia on December 2 nd for the St. Nicholas Bizarre. It s early, of course, but they have a wonderful brunch and sell hand-made church mice. Additionally, I will remember my adult children on St. Nicholas Day. If I don t, they are certain to remind me of my forgetfulness. Have a quiet and introspective Advent, and a joyous and blessed Christmas. Deacon Dayna Take-a-Tag, Trim-a Tree, Assist-A-Family Profiles from Grace Hill. Family #1 A 27 year old single, unemployed, mother of 2 daughters, ages 4 and 7. She is looking for a job, meanwhile her electric has been shut off and she is in need of food, clothing, shoes, house hold items, toys, & games. Family # 2 A 24 year old mother of 2 daughters, ages 4 and a new born. She is a graduate of the St. Louis College of health careers, her major was Pharmacy Technician, but due to a brutal childhood and being abandoned by the children's father, she has had to live in psychiatric home on occasion, which makes working difficult. She appreciates the support she receives from her mental health doctors and a support group at Cardinal Glennon called Happy Mothers. She needs clothes, shoes, toys, baby supplies and household items. Family #3 A 36 year old single mother of 4 children: a boy 15, twin boys 9 and a daughter age 4. Her oldest son has been bullied and struggles with self-esteem problems. The 9 year old twins both have many health and emotional problems and have many weekly doctor visits and medications. As a result, the mother missed a lot of work and was fired. The mother struggles to pay rent, utilities, gas for her car, buy food, clothing, toys, and household items. This mother is under a lot of stress and is depressed as a result of her tough family situation. Family #4 A 33 year old mother and her 3 children: 7 and 2 year old sons and a 6 year old daughter. One child has special needs. The mother is seeking stable employment. The family is in need of food, clothing, many household items and toys. As you can see all of these families are in dire need of help and each family feels blessed to be adopted by our church and thankful for any help they receive. PLEASE REMEMBER TO SECURELY TAPE THE ORIGINAL TAG TO THE OUTSIDE OF ALL GIFTS. Leave your items under the tree. The tree is up and the tags will be up through December 10th. Contact Barb Rumley at with any questions. The Community Concerns Committee 4

5 THIRD SUNDAYS Begin January 21st :15 AM 12:30 PM Join us for our new ministry every 3 rd Sunday! Unplug for 75 minutes from the chaotic world, and connect with neighbors and friends from your community. All are welcomed, regardless of your spiritual beliefs. Coffee, snacks & fellowship Prayer or Meditation Uplifting music More! Saturday, December 9 th, 10:00 am, we ll meet at the church and go out into the neighborhood surrounding St. Luke s to invite our neighbors to join us for Third Sundays Unplugged, as well as Christmas services at St. Luke s. Lunch will be served following. Our friends from the Indian Congregation had their first worship service at St. Luke s on November 13 th, and it was a great success. Their next worship service is December 10 th, at 5:00 pm. The Holiday Festival of Good News is Saturday December 2nd at Noon. Come meet Pastors Clive and Sujanna and the members of the congregation. All are welcome! 5

6 The Members of St. Francis Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Missouri Invite you to share in the dedication of our new church building on Sunday, December 3, 2017 at 2:00pm. 602 Rockwood Arbor Dr. (formerly Brewster Rd.) Eureka, MO C.A.T. Survey Results Summary for St. Luke s in 2017 The Congregation Assessment Tool was recently administered for St. Luke s. 50 persons were invited to participate; of these, 33 persons responded. A response from every member is not required to provide valid results. A summary of that report is provided below. Overall, approximately 42% of your members are clearly satisfied with things in the church This, along with other information, indicates that members can imagine a church with a higher level of vitality than they are currently experiencing and are searching for a pathway that will lead them to a stronger church. Not every question is of equal importance to members. When asked how satisfied they are, members tend to focus on the issues addressed in the questions below. When they feel more positive in these areas, they tend to feel more positive overall. The music at our church is outstanding in quality and appropriate in style to our congregation. Our church does a good job helping each member understand that he or she is called to ministry. The worship services at our church are exceptional In both quality and spiritual content. The leaders of our church show a genuine concern to know what people are thinking when decisions need to be made. Problems between groups In this church are usually resolved through mutual effort. Conversely, when your members feel less positive about the areas above, they tend to feel less satisfied with their experience in the church overall. Every church exhibits patterns m its life that contain strengths and potential weaknesses. Your church has potential strengths related to stability and clarity of belief. Potential weaknesses include a tendency to become tradition-bound and conflict-prone. As members look to the future, their top four goals are: Make necessary changes to attract families with children and youth to our church. Develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to reach new people and incorporate them into the life of the church. Work to renew and revitalize the community around the church by building coalitions with partners that share this vision and commitment. Develop ministries that work toward healing those broken by life circumstances. In comparison to other churches, three goals that are unusually strong for your church are: Work to renew and revitalize the community around the church by building coalitions with partners that share this vision and commitment. Expand outreach ministries that provide direct services to those living on the margins of society. (i.e. homeless, immigrant, transient persons) Strengthen the pastoral response of the church with special needs. These may warrant attention from the leadership even if they are mid-level priorities. All the information in this report should be explored and validated in further conversation. Survey data is not the end of a conversation but the beginning. St. Luke s Vestry asks that you think and pray about these results. More conversation will happen at the Annual Parish Meeting, Sunday, January 28th. Holy Cow! Consulting tabulated these survey results. 6

7 December 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat am Preschool Chapel 6 pm Praise Ensemble ECW Augusta Glass Blowing Trip & Lunch 11-4pm Indian Congregation Holiday Event 12-4pm The First Sunday of Advent 11 am Preschool Chapel 6 pm Praise Ensemble Sunday School 9am Worship 10 am The Second Sunday of Advent 11 am Preschool Chapel 6 pm Praise Ensemble Sunday School 9am Worship 10 am Indian Congregation Worship 5:00 pm The Third Sunday of Advent Sunday School 9am Worship 10 am Children s Pageant Greening of the Church (after service) ECW Bake Sale Vestry Meeting 7:00 pm *Newsletter articles due to office 11 am Preschool Chapel Preschool Christmas Program 6 pm Praise Ensemble Preschool Break (through 1/2/18) The Fourth Sunday of Advent Sunday School 9am Worship 10 am The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ No Service AA Group meetings Sunday 8:00pm Friday 8:00 pm Service Schedule 9:00am Sunday School 10:00am Holy Communion Christmas Service 5pm 31 New Year s Eve The First Sunday after Christmas Day 7

8 St. Luke s Episcopal Church 444 Brightfield Trail Manchester, MO