t. Luke Presbyterian Church Christmas Joy Offering Collected Session Class of 2021 Ordained, Installed Church offices will be closed January 1, 2019.

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1 S Presbyterian Church t. Luke JANUARY 2019 VOLUME tum. Nullam 55, ISSUE 1 NAN KEMP & MELISSA SHIELDS, CO-EDITORS Christmas Joy Offering Collected Thank you for participating in the Christmas Joy Special Offering. St. Luke collectively contributed $654 to this cause. We know that the only perfect gift ever given was the one we received in Jesus Christ a perfect gift from a gracious God. Although we cannot give the perfect gift, we can give generously to support our past, present, and future leaders knowing that every generous act of giving...is from above. If you missed the opportunity to give through our congregation, you may still make a donation through the website (presbyterianmission.org/give/ christmasjoy) or you can text JOY to to give $10. Session Class of 2021 Ordained, Installed During the worship service of December 9, Mary Holmlund, Susan Burnette, and Ashley Denham were ordained and installed to the class of David Kemp and Bill Beaty, already elders, were installed. The committees they will serve on: Mary Worship, Dave and Susan Fellowship, Ashley Outreach, Bill Property. Susan will also serve on the Personnel Committee. Thanks for Cards The Congregational Care Committee thanks everyone who has donated greeting cards to the committee to be sent to St. Luke members and friends. We appreciate it very much. Cards and stamps (or money for postage) are always welcomed. Kim Lacey STAY IN 3001 Bell Street Amarillo, TX (806) Office (806) Fax Find Pastor Kati s blog at pastor@stlukeamarillo.com admin@stlukeamarillo.com Visit our website at Find us on Facebook: St. Luke Presbyterian Church of Amarillo On Twitter, look for: StLuke.AmarilloTX TOUCH Church offices will be closed January 1,

2 Mission Committee Supports Many Programs BY DALE BALLARD The Mission Committee wishes and prays for a peaceful, healthy, and happy new year here and around the world. Before I forget, we want to thank the Jolleys for hosting the Christmas party for the committee! Thanks to all who have helped with Mesa Verde Elementary activities (making cookies, decorating, serving the teachers and staff a meal, making copies, etc.) The committee is pleased to announce a new mission Amarillo Heal the City. More about this in coming months. The High Plains Food Bank is always in need of food during the holidays. Every Sunday, please bring canned food and paper goods to church. Money is also appreciated. Please make checks to St. Luke Presbyterian and notate High Plains Food Bank on the memo line. Watch for future announcements for upcoming missions. The Mission Committee routinely supports: Amarillo Children's Home - Contact JoAnn Jolley. Partners in Education (Mesa Verde Elementary) - Contact Stacy Clopton Yates or Krista Berry. Eveline Rivers Sunshine Cottage - Contact Sallie Amason. Meals on Wheels of Amarillo - Volunteers are needed to deliver meals one day a week. Contact Dale Ballard. Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Prayer Shawl Ministry / - Contact Ann Hefner and Susan Barnes. Helping Hands - Contact Tom Heyde. Heal the City. High Plains Food Bank - Food bank barrels are located in Fellowship Hall. Peanut Butter Sunday - On the first Sunday of every month, bring a jar of peanut butter to church. A collection basket is located in Fellowship Hall. The Hope and Healing Place - Contact Marcie Robinson. Thank you to all who make these projects possible. These Days: Daily Devotions for Living by Faith for the first quarter should be available from the table in the narthex next week. Christian Education News BY MELISSA CROFT Another year is upon us, and the Christian Education Committee wishes you all a happy and blessed Before 2019, however, there is an adult Sunday school class at 9:45 a.m. on December 30. Travis McBride will lead the lesson. Beginning in January, the adult Sunday school class will be viewing and discussing the video series Embracing the Prophets by Walter Brueggemann. He takes us on a wild ride through the poetic prophesy of the Hebrew scripture identifying cultural contexts, putting a framework to Israel s history. He will be drawing connections between Israel s sociological, economic, and spiritual status and that of America today. The first class is January 6; the lesson is Moses, Pharaoh, the Prophets and Us. The children will continue to coordinate with the lessons in LOGOS. Kendra Jones will be leading the month of January so join her for a fun time! DeColores, Melissa Nov. Finances Year-to-Date Detailed financial reports are always available for review by church members. Simply stop by the church office during regular hours and request to examine the previous month s financial documents. 2

3 WITH REV. KATI COLLINS The Wholeness of Beauty This month our congregation received the gift of a new singing bowl! I was amazed by how enormous it is, and I found myself awestruck with the depth of the hollow canyon inside. As I gazed at the emptiness, I realized it was also full of vibrations. The huge cavity which seemed vacant was actually what provided the beautiful tone and the possibility for such a loud sound. As I stood striking the tone on that first Sunday, I couldn't help but parallel the large round container of the stone with my huge womb vibrating next to it. (It's okay, you can laugh. I did.) My pregnant belly and the bowl seem to be about the same size, and you might say both contain the beginnings of life. Sadly, this connection reminded me of the times when my womb has felt strikingly empty like a bowl which could never make a sound. But there I stood, seeing the beauty in sound created from nothing, echoing and lifting out into the room, connecting us to one another and to God. The emptiness of the bowl also held a sense of wholeness and possibility, and the fullness of my baby belly caused me to give thanks for the beauty in these parallels. entrusted to me. I decided that the word "wholeness" described how I felt that God saw and loved me, and I wanted that for myself. Over the year, the word provided a tool to hold several challenges in front of me. I began to see how the "wholeness" of beauty includes both light and dark, grief and joy, mistakes and skill. Looking for wholeness allows me the space to love my flaws alongside my talents, and it gives me the permission to remember those I have lost with dignity and hope while we welcome this new little bundle of joy into our lives. Just as the bowl sings and fills the valley of space with peace, God fills in our gaps to create a masterpiece. Do you feel like you could benefit from a new word for the year? I will leave a bowl of words in the narthex outside the sanctuary at St. Luke, and you can choose one or two to ponder and keep throughout the year. You can choose at random or you can make an intentional choice. I would love to hear what words you choose or if you choose your own word. You can send me a personal message or you can comment on my blog with your choice of word. May the Holy Spirit speak to you as we transition into a new year and all of the new beginnings that come! "Wholeness" has been a word that I have been "holding" and pondering during For the past several years, I have enjoyed choosing a word in January to guide me throughout the year. It started with a book called, One Word that will Change Your Life, by Dan Britton, I would also like to extend my Jimmy Page, and Jon Gordon. The heartfelt thanks for the generous book gives a guide to choosing a Love Offering taken within the word which can guide your personal congregation! I feel overwhelmed life or your organization. The authors by the kindness of our St. Luke have guided teams and individuals family. This gift will help me get and many organizations to give their some new shoes once the baby is work and life a focus for growth. I born and supplement our medical have used their methods to choose expenses. words over the years, or I have just chosen a word from a pile of Stay Informed suggestions. For 2018, I was struggling with my body image, and I St. Luke s app for your smart phone was looking for a way to renew my is the easiest way to stay connected. relationship with my body, mind, and spirit. I had already begun a new practice of eating and exercising with Robbie, but I knew that the spiritual component would establish a strong ground for me to enjoy this beautiful and resilient creation that God had St. Luke Pres., Amarillo TX is available from the Google Play store for Android. Or to install the app for ios, search for The Sharefaith App. When you install the app, type in St. Luke Pres., Amarillo TX and select! 3

4 Bible Study on January 9 th St. Luke Women will meet on Wednesday, January 9 at 9:30 a.m. when Nona Fulton will provide a brunch for us. Ann Hefner will present a devotional, and a Bible lesson to be led by Betsy McCampbell will follow. The lesson this month is God with Us When We are Powerless, from the Horizons Bible study. Kendra Jones will lead the business meeting afterwards. Members are asked to bring a Valentine card and $10 to fund the holiday gifts we send to the many college students we have at St. Luke. All women of the church are invited to the Bible studies. You don t have to read the lesson beforehand, although it s helpful. We hope to see you on the 9th! Happy New Year! The Session had its regular monthly meeting on December 16, The meeting was held via . Following is the clerk s report: November 2018 average attendance for worship 96 Active membership as of November 30, Two members, Robbie Collins and Lynn Wilson, were welcomed into active membership by letters of transfer on Sunday, December 9, Commendations A. Margaret Heyde, Ann Hefner, Nicole Payne, and Jennifer Denham for the beautiful and delicious elder appreciation dinner. B. Bob, Mila, the instrumentalists, and choir (especially Cathy and Steve Weber) for the Christmas cantata. C. Camille Hoy, for her years of service as Nursery Coordinator. D. Mary Holmlund, Alice Cooke, and Dean Yates for special music. E. Marilyn Shillings and Mary Holmlund for all their visits and phone calls to our church members and nonmembers who are/were having health issues. F. Outgoing class of elders: Bob Hansen, Helen Thorsheim, Tom Heyde, and Stacy Clopton Yates, for their dedication and the passion they are passing on to our rising class of elders. G. The many volunteers who have contributed to the Thanksgiving meals, the cookie decorating activity, and the end of semester meal at Mesa Verde. H. Our LOGOS teachers for including all of the children and presenting a fun and inspiring Christmas pageant. I. The Finance Committee for their work balancing our 2018 budget and preparing the 2019 budget. Seek and Ye Shall Find FROM HELEN THORSHEIM There are several items that have been left in the fellowship hall (water bottles, cups, a bowl, and a lid). They are sitting on the window sill next to the dishwasher in the kitchen. Could you please take any that are yours? Unclaimed items will be donated somewhere in Also, don t forget to check for outerwear on the various clothes racks (especially in the fellowship hall) to be sure that you or your child haven t left anything. Again, if they remain there for an extended period of time, they will be donated. Giving Statements If you did not pick up your Giving Statement last week, it has been ed to you; please check your if you haven t already. This statement reflects your giving through December 15. The purpose is to allow you to review that we have properly recorded all your year-to-date 2018 gifts as you have directed. It also gives you the opportunity to correct any errors before the final 12- month statement is released in January All contributions to be applied to the current year must be received by the close of business on Monday, January 31. If you made in-kind donations, send your receipts to the church office so that those may be acknowledged as well. If you have questions or would like to make a correction to your past giving, please call Melissa in the church office. 4

5 ooojanuarytoo Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat WEEKLY SCHEDULE for SUNDAYS 9:30 am Coffee & Fellowship 9:45 am Choir Rehearsal 9:45 am Sunday School 11:00 am Worship Service Epiphany of the Lord Peanut Butter Sunday Communion will be celebrated. Baptism of the Lord 4:00 pm Stated Session Mtg. Epistle deadline New Year s Day Church offices will be closed. No Mat Yoga Class No LOGOS 6:00 pm Creative Class 9:30 am Church Women United hosted by St. Luke Mat 9:30 am St. Luke Women 12:00 noon Finance Com. Mtg. No LOGOS Human Trafficking Awareness Day Family Promise Community Amarillo Downtown Public Library :00 pm Christian Educ. Com. Mtg. Mat LOGOS 6:00 pm Creative Class Week of Prayer for Christian Unity begins Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Mat LOGOS 11:30 am Lunch Bunch Mat 7:00 pm Farkle Night LOGOS 6:30 pm OAC Metropolitan Community Church THURSDAY January 24 11:30 a.m. 5

6 Congregational Meeting Set The annual congregational meeting will be held on February 24, 2019 immediately following worship. Watch for more information in the February Epistle. Sharing Our Life and Mission BY STACY YATES With our building remodel complete and our new pastor installed, we are excited to share St. Luke s life and mission with the larger community through our website and social media. In sharing pictures of our inclusive community of faith, we want to protect the privacy of families and individuals who prefer not to have their images made public. You can help with this in two ways. 1) If you and your family prefer not to have your pictures published, please inform Melissa in the church office. 2) When posting your own St. Luke pictures on social media, please share only pictures of people you know are comfortable having their pictures on the web. When in doubt, please err on the side of caution particularly for pictures of children. Peanut Butter Sundays Continue in 2019 Sunday, January 6 will be Peanut Butter Sunday. Please bring jars to contribute to the basket in the fellowship hall. (Non-perishable grocery items, empty egg cartons, and paper sacks are also accepted every week.) This mission benefits High Plains Food Bank. If you wish, you can make a cash donation; just note HPFB on the memo line of your check. Watercolor I Class Offered A beginning watercolor course taught by St. Luke s Sharron Fitzner is scheduled to begin on January 19 and to continue weekly on Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. through March 2. This continuing education course is offered through Amarillo College. Beginners will learn the basics. If you are a more experienced painter, you will work on individual projects. For additional information, please call Deadline for February Epistle The deadline for the next edition of the Epistle will be Sunday, January 27. As always, please send your news to editor Nan Kemp. The newsletter will be mailed on January 31. Prayer Shawls Available prayer shawl ministry has placed some prayer shawls and lap robes in the sanctuary for the use of anyone who gets chilly during the service. In addition, prayer shawls and lap robes are always available on the south wall in Fellowship Hall to be taken to anyone in need of a tangible reminder of God s love. When you take one, please make a note in the book on the table beside the shawls. CWU to Meet at St. Luke for Human Rights Day Celebration St. Luke Presbyterian Church will host the January 4, 2019 Church Women United Human Rights Celebration. The event will begin with coffee and refreshments being served at 9:30 in Fellowship Hall. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was drafted between January 1947 and December It aimed to form a basis for human rights all over the world and represented a significant change of direction from events during World War II and the continuing colonialism that was rife in the world at the time. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is considered as the most translated document in modern history. It is available in more than 360 languages and new translations are still being added. Generosity & Endowments: You Can Build a Brighter Future, Today Every gift, no matter the size, is vital to continuing the life and operation of a congregation. When a regular contributor passes away, his or her gift is missed. For some churches, this effect is drastic and may cause programs or staff positions to be eliminated. But you can make a difference and change the lives of others. Pick up a Generosity & Endowments brochure from the table in the narthex to learn more about the advantages of creating an endowment. 6

7 By DARCY CASTLEBERRY We hope you enjoyed your muchneeded break and are ready to start our second semester. January 16 will be our first night back. We will be having a Fiesta Party with cream cheese chicken chili. January 23 will be a Pajama Party and Invite-a-Friend Night. We will be eating pancakes and sausage for dinner. January 30 will be a Touch Down with Frito pies and cake to celebrate January and February birthdays. We hope to see everyone there! Joys & Concerns Prayers for the family of Dan Reed, who died November 18. He was the inspiration behind Amarillo s Candy Cane Lane, aka Gainsborough Road. Our prayers, love, and Christian sympathy are extended to Kaci and Kendra Jones and family upon the passing of Kaci s mother, Wanda Joy Jones, on Sunday, December 16. Services were held in Plainview. Continue to remember: Lynn Wilson and Robbie Collins were received into membership during the worship service on December 9. Lynn comes by letter of transfer from Covenant Presbyterian Church, Lubbock. Robbie comes by letter of transfer from FPC, Manhattan, KS. Lynn can be reached at ; phone is (806) Robbie is Pastor Kati s husband, so has the same contact information. ; the people of Johnson Chapel A.M.E. Church; and the students, teachers, and staff at Mesa Verde Elementary School. If your birthday is not listed or if there is an error, please call the church office * Trace Emily Juliana Tom Nicholle Judy Travis Alex Mila* Larry Colby Brian Melissa* Janelle Friend of St. Luke From the Mailbag Dear Friends at St. Luke, We have experienced Christ's love through so many doctors, nurses, family and friends the past four months. Thank you to all who sent cards, food and prayers and continue to check on us. We do hope to be back to church services before too long! Jim and Lucille Dunn Postscripts Travis Kemp was awarded a hockey stick signed by all the players at an Amarillo Bulls Christmas party. This was to thank him for his assistance in broadcasting their hockey games. Doug Tanner, the Lap-Rat, has accomplished his goal for the year. On December 16, he reached mile 2,914 of his coast-to-coast lap swim, which is the driving distance from San Francisco to New York City. He began counting laps on January 23, 2009, nearly ten years ago and swims a mile a day on most days. What's next? He's also counting toward mile 2,979--the distance from San Francisco to Virginia Beach. His ultimate goal is the 3,165 miles from Boston to Seattle, which he hopes to reach in the next year or two. St. Luke received a donation in honor of Chip and Chris Newell in recognition of all the many contributions they have made within the church and in deep appreciation for their friendship. Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you Isaiah 60:1 7