THE OUTLOOK St. Luke's United Church of Christ 727 N. Main Street, Independence, MO 64050, Phone: Pastor s Phone

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1 THE OUTLOOK St. Luke's United Church of Christ 727 N. Main Street, Independence, MO 64050, Phone: Pastor s Phone stlukes@stlukesuccindep.org Rev. E. Paul Emily, Pastor David Lyon & Ralph Koch, Pastor Emeriti Nanette Moore, Administrative Assistant/Director of Christian Education October 29, 2017 Have you heard the term hump day? It is often used to refer to Wednesday. That is the point of the week when you have completed what along the way seemed to be an insurmountable climb and now, finally, head downhill toward the weekend. It is a good feeling to be closer to the next weekend than the last one. It seems to me that at this point in the year we might suddenly realize that somewhere along the way we must have passed the hump. We are much closer to the end of this year than its beginning. In fact, with the Advent and Christmas season comprising most of the rest of the calendar year, we are close enough to coast the rest of the seemingly all downhill journey. There is one speed bump before we begin the freewheeling into a new year. We must slow down and make appropriate preparations for what the next year will bring. For our congregation that means planning for the financial requirements of the ministry to which we are committed. For each of us, it means taking time to consider our personal commitment to our church s ministry. As we give thought to these vital issues I would like to offer a couple of thoughts. First, it is important to remember that stewardship is much more than paying the bills of the church. Stewardship is a spiritual discipline. It is an area of service and an expression of worship of our God; it draws us into closer fellowship with God, resulting in increased growth in our spiritual lives. Let this thought frame Stewardship Sunday, November 19 th. Secondly, I pass on a thought from actor Matt Damon. He wrote that when he was a boy he became familiar with a quote from Gandhi which said, No matter how insignificant what you do may seem, it is important that you do it. This reminds me of how I often hear people refer to their giving. To some, their giving seems too small to be of any significance. Stewardship is more about the spiritual practice than it is the amount that we are able to give. Finally, remember that spiritual disciplines not only connect us to God, but they also connect us to others. In our giving we are connected to others in our congregation with whom we are joining our very spirits in order to faithfully fulfill the mission that we share as Christ s church. Our giving also connects us to those whom our shared ministry will touch. We are a people united by our sharing with one another. Perhaps these thoughts will prepare us for Stewardship Sunday on November 19 th. Perhaps they will prepare us for even more than that. Perhaps they will prepare us for another year of effective congregational ministry. Perhaps they will usher us toward growth in our personal faith development, connecting us to God and to one another which is our fullest JOY. May it be understood that any pictures/videos taken during any church event may be used for promotion. If you are not in agreement with this notify the church office. The deadline for the next Outlook will be November 15, 2017.

2 The Bishop's Wife November 18th, 5:00 PM We will begin the evening with a freewill offering dinner (with any money raised above the cost of the meal going to Holiday Helpers). Following dinner, Pastor Paul will lead an introduction to this year s Advent season. Then, we will watch The Bishop s Wife. The children will see a different movie, yet to be determined. This is a wonderful event for all ages. Please sign up on the sheet in the hallway or the Event Page on Facebook. We will be receiving new members on November 12, If you are not a member of St. Luke s UCC and would like to join that day, please contact Pastor Paul. TOTENFEST We will celebrate our annual Totenfest Service on Sunday, November 5th, during our worship service. Please join us for this very special service of remembrance. YOUTH BAKE SALE TO BENEFIT STEPPINGSTONE We recently learned that many of the Steppingstone apartments had flooded and many lost all of their possessions. While insurance will help, there are still large deductibles to pay. St. Luke s Bunch (Youth Group) decided to hold a bake sale to raise money for Steppingstone. The group will be gathering on November 11th to bake a lot of goodies and they will hold the Bake Sale on November 12th, before and after worship. All proceeds will be sent to Steppingstone to help with the needs of those impacted by the floods.

3 HEARTLAND MEN S CHORUS A St. Luke s group outing is being planned to see the Heartland Men s Chorus Holiday Concert, Packages with Beaus. The performance is 4pm Sunday, December 3, 2017 at the Folly Theater, 300 W. 12th St., KCMO. Group ticket pricing is $30 (normally $40) for groups of 10 or more. Car pooling can be arranged if people would like to ride together. If you d like to attend, please let the office know or sign up on the sheet in the hallway. You will be able to pay directly by phone closer to the date. St. Luke s will be advertising in all of Heartland s programs this concert season, giving us an opportunity to share information about our church and our Open & Affirming status. For more information about Heartland Men s Chorus, see Click on Season to read more about the holiday concert. Hope you can attend the show promises to be very entertaining! STEWARDSHIP SUNDAY NOVEMBER 19TH Everyone is encouraged to review what you give on a yearly basis and to give of your time and talents when possible. Each of us can contribute in many ways. Make sure you attend on November 19th. It s time for College Care Packages! Once again we are planning to send some love & support to our college kids as they prepare for their final exams this semester. If you have a student who would enjoy a care package containing a note and some goodies from St. Luke s, please let Julie Bernard know at jbernard8937@gmail.com by November 26. Please provide the student s name, mailing address, and the dates of their final exams week. If you d like to make a monetary contribution for the packages or postage, please give your donation to either Julie or the church office. Thank you! Salvation Army Bellringing Saturday, November 25th from 9:00 AM-1:00 PM & Saturday, December 23rd from 9:00 AM-1:00 PM at JC Penney, E 39th St. Sign-up Sheets are in the hallway. HOLIDAY HELPERS We are again participating in the Independence School District s Holiday Helper Campaign. We will collect money through December 4th and the donations will go to families in need that aren t helped by other programs. A family from our congregation will be matching all our gifts up to $500. Look for a Holiday Helper can in the hallway.

4 Daylight Savings Time Ends November 4th Remember to set your clocks back one hour. WINTER WEATHER INFORMATION All closings, due to inclement weather, will be announced on KMBC, Channel 9. We will also be posting any weather announcements on our website. All announcements for activities, meetings, and services will appear on the Home Page of the website. In case of inclement weather please check the website or Channel 9 before heading to church. And, when checking, remember there are other St. Luke s UCC churches so make sure it says Independence. POINSETTIAS Will be available to be purchased on Sundays, November 5th & 12th. The cost will be $12/each For more information please see Nancy Meyer. WARMING TREE The Christmas Tree in the Fellowship Hall will be our Warming Tree. Please bring things to put on it that keep people warm, such as: gloves, mittens, hats, scarves, etc. We will have a box beside the tree for blankets and coats. These items can be new or gently used. FOOD WAGON We are collecting HOLIDAY FOODS for November. Any types of dressing mixes, cranberries, canned vegetables, etc. are appreciated. All of the food will be donated to Community Services League. HANGING OF THE GREENS December 2, 9:30 AM Everyone is welcome and encouraged to come help us decorate our church for the Advent Season. We will carry the decorations up from the basement on November 26th. Many hands make light work.

5 MAJOR REPAIRS SLATED FOR ST. LUKE S In the early hours of March 7, 2017, the same storm system that spawned a tornado that devastated Oak Grove, Mo, dropped 2 inch diameter hail in NE Independence including the neighborhood surrounding the church. No immediate leaks were detected so we waited a while for the system to catch up with assessing damage in the KC area. On May 23, 2017, an adjuster from our building insurance company met with Noland Roofing (Dan), our roofing contractor for the past 35+ years, to survey damage to our buildings. All roofs on all buildings (sanctuary, chapel, educational building, fellowship hall, and garage) sustained hail damage as well as some siding and soft metal in these areas. Dan has been working with the adjuster to quantify the damage and estimate repairs to all areas except the sanctuary. Even though Noland Roofing, including Dan, installed the roof on the sanctuary some 35 years ago, he no longer feels comfortable working on such a steep roof and recommended another contractor (Triad) to do the work. Triad and our adjuster recently agreed on the scope, method, and cost of repairs and reroofing the sanctuary. Although not completely finalized yet, the cost of these repairs and new roofs is nearing $182,000. In conjunction with the roof work, some other related activities will be seen as well. For example, the tree on the west end of the sanctuary grew too large and was blocking access to the trim and roof for the contractor to carry out his work. This tree has been removed and other trees near the sanctuary have been trimmed to provide clear access to the roof areas. Other repairs not directly related to the roofs will be carried out as money permits. As noted, the roof on the sanctuary is some 35 years old and the flat roofs on the education building are 15 years old. Both roofs are near the end of their design life. Absent the hail damage and monies from our insurance coverage, we would have struggled mightily to finance the replacement of these roofs. We would like to thank the insurance company and their adjusters and our two contractors for their hard work and professionalism witnessed during this part of the process. We are confident both contractors will do good work on our behalf. Mel Sehrt and Jeff Ray reviewed documents and are working with all parties to insure the best methods and materials are employed for this work. Work will begin this fall on the sanctuary by Triad and possibly some of the shingled roofs by Noland. Work on the flat roofs requires a string of hot/dry weather to carry out and cannot begin until next summer. We will work with the contractors to minimize disruption to church activities and insure safe work practices. As schedules for major portions of work become finalized, notices will be issued and any needed adjustments to parking or traffic patterns will be advised.

6 The family of Millie Carlson Bob Fry Dorothy Van Hoy Marguerite Karl Freda Dobler Tanner Roy Lori Lucas Paul Finch Brandon Borgman Jean Hogge Linda Barrow Linda James Tina West Reta Compton Evelyn Thomas Helen Koch Cammie Lawrence Bob Peterson Wes Darneal Bev Kirkpatrick Alberta Franciskato Cammie Borchers Faith Wildschuetz Jim Dillie Peace for our World Our Sympathy is extended to the family of Millie Carlson who died on October 15, 2016 ANNUAL REPORTS All Annual Reports are due no later than December 17th. Please submit your report by or leave in the church office. Current Expense Income July 1, Sept. 30, 2017 The office will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and the Friday after, November 23rd & 24th. We hope everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving. The Living Memorial Fund for Church Improvement was established in 1982 with a principal of $18,500. The current principal is $207,239. The interest earned by this fund is used for equipment and building needs. One ongoing expense that has been covered by this fund is our copier contract which covers copy machines, toner, and service. We first started paying this expense in July, 2003 and have paid a total of $22, since then. We currently have a color copier that is used every day for letters, bulletins, Outlooks, and a myriad of other printed materials. Accumulated Shortfall $10,537 Knapheide/ Twiehaus Earnings $5,040 $50,655Required Offering $35,078 Through September, one-fourth of our fiscal year, our Current Expense offerings including Sunday School totaled $35,078. The Knapheide/Twiehaus Fund contributed an additional $5,040 toward our Current Expenses. These contributions result in a shortfall of $10,537 when compared to our budgeted Current Expenses. Thank you to everyone who has given offerings that help support the mission and programming of St. Luke's this month.