Monthly

Newsletter of

the St. Lucas

Lutheran

Church

For

with

God, Nothing

will be

Impossible

(Luke 1:37)

The Acts of

St. Lucas November 2014

Healthy Congregations Develop Generous People

Workshops on Stewardship:

Saturday, November 1, 2014 from 9:00 a.m. to Noon (breakfast & registration 8:30 to 9:00 a.m.) at Glenwood Lutheran

Church, 2545 Monroe St., Toledo, Ohio 43620 OR Sunday, November 9, 2014 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. (lunch &

registration 12:30 to 1:00 p.m.) also at Glenwood Lutheran Church, 2545 Monroe St., Toledo, Ohio 43620. Please plan

to attend ONE of these TWO events and make your reservations by writing a note on the back of your “I Worship

Today” card or by e-mailing or calling the St. Lucas Office at stlucasoffice@gmail.com or 419-243-8189. All of the past

“Healthy Congregations” Workshops have been informative and enjoyable (according to those in attendance). The goal is

to have 100% of the St. Lucas membership attend one or the other of these two workshops. Glenwood Lutheran has

elevator availability. There is no charge for attending either of these workshops. Need a ride—Please contact the

Church Office (stlucasoffice@gmail.com or 419-243-8189).

Historic Trinity Detroit Trip Planned The bus is full but …..

someone has offered to drive a van or you can drive and join us there.

The pastors of Glenwood, St. Paul’s (downtown) and St. Lucas Lutheran Churches have arranged a bus trip to Historic Trinity Lutheran Church in Detroit on Sunday, November 16, 2014. This trip will be for both fun and education. The organist at Historic Trinity is a friend of Pastor Billmeier and will give

us a tour of this beautiful neo-gothic church which will already be beautifully decorated for the Christmas holidays. Organist Karl has also arranged for Pastor David Eberhard of Historic Trinity to tell us about the Cathedral Ministry model that he conceived to revitalize Historic Trinity, which was dangerously close to closing back in the 1980’s, but is now built up to over 1,000 members. All St. Lucas leaders of any kind and parishioners are invited to participate in this trip.

We will leave from the Glenwood Lutheran parking lot by bus at 12:30 p.m. (after the 10:30 a.m. service) on November 16th and plan on arriving at Historic Trinity by approximately 1:45 p.m. Glenwood will supply box lunches

for the bus trip. Please reserve your desire to go on the back of your “I’m Here Today” card with “Bus Trip.” After the tour and talk from Pastor Eberhard, we will have dinner in Greektown before we return. A $10.00 donation (payable now) per person will cover the cost of the bus and each attendee will pay for his/her own meal in Greektown.

Pastoral Acts

by Pastor Martin Billmeier

Greetings in Jesus’ name,

November is busy at St. Lucas. Our stewardship campaign is in full swing with November 1 & 9 Healthy

Congregations Workshops and Commitment Sunday on Nov. 16. On Nov. 2 we will celebrate All Saints Sunday

with its annual remembrance of the blessed dead, especially of those who have died in the last year. Back to

the 16th and we leave for a bus trip to Historic Trinity in Detroit. November 27 is the national holiday

Thanksgiving, for which we will offer a service on Thanksgiving Eve at 7pm. Then the season of Advent begins

on Nov. 30.

Maybe that national holiday centering on Thanksgiving anchors the whole month. We remember the blessed

dead with thanksgiving for lives shares with us and for the promise of eternal life in Jesus’ death and

resurrection. We make our commitment of time, talent and treasure in the stewardship campaign in

thanksgiving for the gifts of time, talent and treasure that all come from God. We also give thanks for a time

of community togetherness as we travel by bus to Historic Trinity. Finally, we embark on the Advent season

with thankful hearts for the mystery of the incarnation (=coming in the flesh) of Jesus that we anticipate in

Advent and celebrate at Christmas.

Those are our public thanksgivings. What do you have to be grateful to God for privately? Good health?

Family? Love? Wealth? Possessions? Faith? Let thanksgiving anchor your November, too. November is a

gray and cold month in my mind and the true harbinger of the winter to follow. It is a month when the

summer lawn furniture has long since been put away, the leaves raked and piled, and the storm windows up.

Closed in November invites contemplation of life, faith and God. Contemplate from a gratitude perspective

this November.

Peace,

Pastor Billmeier

Abundant thanksgiving Project

The youth will be taking donations from now until Thanksgiving for their

annual thanksgiving baskets for the most needy of families referred by

the Toledo public schools.

Please consider donating a ham or turkey to this worthy cause.

Notable Upcoming Dates

Healthy Congregations – on Saturday, Nov. 1, 8:30am @ Glenwood Lutheran

Sauerkraut Supper – on Friday, Nov 7, 6:30pm in the Gym

Healthy Congregations – on Sunday, Nov 9, 12:30pm @Glenwood Lutheran

Deadline for ordering Poinsettias

Trip to Holy Trinity in Detroit on Sunday, Nov. 16, 12:30pm @ Glenwood Lutheran

W.E.L.C.A. meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 10am to Noon in the Community Room

Healing Ministry – on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 6—7pm in the Sanctuary

Decorate the church for the Christmas Season after the 10:30am service on Nov. 23.

Luncheon provided

No Catechism class Wednesday, Nov. 26.

Thanksgiving worship service on Wednesday, Nov. 26.

Catechism Schedule 5th—Apostles’ Creed First Article 12th—Apostles’ Creed 2nd Article Part I

19th—Apostles’ Creed 2nd Article Part II 26th—Thanksgiving Break

Did You Pick Up Your New St. Lucas

Address, Phone, & E-Mail Directory?

They are in the narthex with your annual report and

quarterly offering statement.

ST. LUCAS SCRIP GIFT CARD PROGRAM

Just a reminder on how to place a scrip order; 4 pm Sat worshipers, please make sure your order goes

in the bulletin box in the narthex or give to Pastor. 8:30 worshipers, please give to Carmen Ball. 10:30

worshipers, please give to Georgia Steele (419-215-4150). Our big order goes in on Sunday night. It is picked

up on Tues. or Wed. morning and brought to church. The filled orders for 4pm Sat and 8:30 worshipers are

placed in the bulletin box and taken to church on Fri. This ensures everyone gets their order on time. We

wanted you to know the process so you can plan accordingly.

The next FREETASTESGOOD.COM Free Wash Day is Saturday, November 1, 2014 10:00 a.m.

until 12:20 p.m. (last time to start a wash load) at the All Wash on Broadway near St. Lucas. Two loads per family and everything is provided!

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FREETASTESGOOD.COM

THIRD SUNDAY SUPPERS

November dinner moved to 4th

Sunday 4:00 to 5:30 p.m.

Sunday, November 23, 2014 Sunday, December 21, 2014

November 23rd is actually the 4th Sunday, but we will be doing

the 23rd as it is the Sunday before Thanksgiving and we will have a

full Thanksgiving Feast with Turkey, Dressing, and all the fixings.

Joni says, “Hey Pastor B as always it was so good to see you yesterday! After talking w/everyone, they said we had

approximately 200 people. It was so AWESOME!! Super cool to continue to watch God at work. We have revamped our

Thanksgiving Dinner to be able to serve 300. If we have leftovers, we know your kitchen will be able to put the leftovers to

good use Hope to see you next month!” Please visit www.freetastesgood.com if you would like to learn more

about Extreme Couponing, the Third Sunday Supper ministry, or would like to volunteer to help.

Our Superintendent needs a little help. Is there someone who has taken the Child Safety Training (or who would be willing to do so) who could be Joe Carriel’s

assistant [Joe is the Sunday School Superintendent]? Joe sings in the choir and needs to head over to the Sanctuary

around 10:00 a.m. for choir practice. The Sunday School needs coverage from 10:00 a.m. until10:25 a.m. when the

Sunday School Building needs to be closed up and locked for the morning. Instructions will be provided! Please contact

Sharon Schaefer (419-351-5804) or the St. Lucas Office (419-243-8189 or stlucasoffice@gmail.com) if this is something

that you would be willing to do. Thank you!

St. Lucas/Cindy’s Corner Café Requests Cindy’s Corner Café has placed grocery bags on the Narthex tables with lists of requested groceries needed for the Café stapled to them. Please take one home and bring it back (filled with whatever is on the list) the next Sunday or anytime during the week! Thank you! There are many children and adults who depend on this ministry for their daily food. Your generosity is truly appreciated! Thank you!

Ride Needed: A person who lives in the Stickney/Lagrange area would like to attend St. Lucas. She needs a ride! Please speak

with Pastor Billmeier (pastorstlucas@gmail.com or 419-243-8189) if you are able to help out! Thank you! Aluminum Can Recycler: St. Lucas is looking for a volunteer to take our collected aluminum cans to the recycler. Can

you help? If so, please speak with Pastor Billmeier (pastorstlucas@gmail.com or 419-243-8189) if this is something you would like to do. Thank you!

Windows Financial Report:

Loan Amount $56,000.00

Donations to Date 9,566.00

Remaining Goal $46,304.00

Proceeds from the purchase of SCRIP Cards go toward

the retirement of this debt. For other donations made

toward this project, please mark checks or envelopes

with: “Window Project.” Thank you!

St. Lucas Financial Report: Balance Forward—8/1/2014 $ (29,814.04)

Receipts + 15,801.04

Fund Transfers (00.00)

Disbursements (13,951.07)

Balance—8-31-2014 $ (29,963.27)

Balance Last Year $ (18,570.97)

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Annual Meeting Information

Two new members were voted onto the church council; Garry Adams and Russ Wells. Your new council for 2015 is listed on the back page of this newsletter.

The Long Range Plan was accepted. Watch for a display of our goals in the near future.

Thank You to Rick Charchol and Jason Slough for preparing the delicious lunch and dessert.

TOLEDO CONFERENCE URBAN CLUSTER From St. John’s October Newsletter

Once upon a time our church was part of the Old South End Cluster but recently the whole cluster system of our conference has been reorganized. Our church and St. Lucas were originally grouped with the East Side churches but we felt that we were better suited to be a part of the Urban Cluster with such churches as St. Paul, Glenwood, Redeemer, Ascension, Salem, Faith, and a few others. One of the purposes is to see what we can do better together than as individual churches. Some of these churches already combine for youth groups and catechism instruction. We have combined with St. Lucas and Faith for several years for our South End Seniors. Redeemer only has about 20 people at Sunday worship but about 50 attend their midweek service before their Feed Your Neighbor (which, during the summer, offers fresh fruits and vegetables) site opens. They ran a sum-mer program for seven weeks with assistance from sever-al other churches. They have an after school tutoring pro-gram and will possibly be offering a pre-school. Glenwood will NOT be selling their property to the Muse-um any time soon. They continue to operate their FREE STORE on two Saturdays a month as a service to the community and also hold worship before the store opens. Mercy Health Partners offers periodic health screenings at the church. They have a new music director and the choir has grown from 6 to 20 and a bell choir has also been organized. Representatives from churches in this cluster plan to meet about every two months to share ideas.

Prayers of the St. Lucas Parish

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Please pray for the people and situations noted in this section of the Acts, for those about whom/which you know there are needs, and for the financial well-being of St. Lucas so that we, as a congregation, may continue to do God’s work with our hands. Also, please remember to give God thanks for the blessings which He has provided.

Prayers of Concern, Healing, Protection, Guidance, Leadership, and Encouragement The Adults of All Ages at St. Lucas, Marcus Beightol, Lois Bening, Ed Bloedow, the Children of St. Lucas, Bill Cottle, Ruth Fox, Heidi Gillenwater and her parents (Gene & Joanne Jenny), Pat Goeble, Bill Granger, Carl & Judy Hischka, James Hoch, Ellamay Jerman, Dolores Jones, Cheryl Jones, Cindy Kirk, Ray Klekamp, Helen Nostrant, Carol Petoskey, Marilyn Pockmire, Alice & Carl Ritter, Betty Schmidt, Deanna Thomas, the Youth of St. Lucas, those in the Service, those seeking employment, the Leadership of all St. Lucas, St. Lucas Ministries/Church Council/Pastor Billmeier, all those unable to attend services, and those who are caring for loved ones.

Prayers of Thanksgiving & Praise For God’s blessing of the Summer Appeal and faithfulness to us in all things. For God’s blessing of the St. Lucas Faith Community. For all of the friends of St. Lucas who support our mission.

Since our Newsletter editor, Dave Jerman, is unavailable at this time, we have done our best to put out a shorter version this month.

Thrift Shop Volunteer Schedule

Wednesday, November 05 Sue & Rose

Worship Leaders

Acolyte: Jill Hojnacki

Lector:

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Our prayers and thoughts go out to Dave Jerman for the death of his Dad, Harold Jerman, on Monday, Oct 27th. A memorial service was held on Friday, October 31, 2014 at Tidd Funeral Home in Hilliard, Ohio. Dave’s Mother, Ellamay Jerman remains at home under Dave’s care in Hilliard, Ohio.

May the Lord bless and keep them both in the palm of His hands.

Happy Birthday!

Jack Gorny—1, Francis Hamilton—5, Partick Codden—6, Robert Kasee—6, Carla Steele—7, Dan Hamilton—7, Robb Cairl—10, Brayden Adkins—10,

Kara Burns—17, Andrew Wells—20, Karen Chaundy—21, Janet Ritson—26, Darrell Carver—29, Carol Hamilton—29

Happy Anniversary!

Dave & Barb Nostrant—7, Adolf & Hildegard Ruelke—16, Bob & Sue Alley--25

Have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving!

November 2014

The Acts of St. Lucas Newsletter

AFFIRMATION OF WELCOME All people are welcome within our membership and are encouraged to participate in the sacramental life and work of our

congregation, including those of all sexual orientations, gender identities, ages,

races, abilities, economic levels, and previous religious experiences.

Come dressed as you are…All are Welcome!

Parish Staff Martin E. Billmeier, Pastor Sharon Jordan, Secretary Jamie Dauel, Organist Ron Lang, Choir Director Vernon Williams, Custodian

Church Council Phil Chambers, President; Lee Jagodzinski, Vice-President; Mike Biscay, Garry Adams, Joe Carriel, Bill Dennler, Brian Hoch, Randy Hyter, David Jerman, Theresa Johnson, Cindy Kirk, Sharon Schaefer, Steve Seaton, Russ Wells and Lorraine Willoughby

Parish Office Information Tuesday-Friday—9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Phone: 419-243-8189 Fax: 419-243-8180 Secretary Email: stlucasoffice@gmail.com Pastor Email: pastorstlucas@gmail.com ACTS Newsletter: steamloco80@hotmail.com /419-351-4723 Website: www.stlucastoledo.org

Northwest Ohio Synod Evangelical Lutheran Church In America 621 Bright Road, Findlay, Ohio 45840 1-419-423-3664 Rev. Marcus Lohrmann, Bishop Website: www.nwos-elca.org

Worship & Sunday School Times

Saturdays: 4:00 p.m.—Service with Healing Rite. Sundays: 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Services. Sunday School: 9:15 a.m.—Classes for ages 3 through Adults Wednesdays: 11:45 a.m.—Wednesday Prayer Circle The Sacrament of Holy Communion is offered at all services.

Mission and Vision

ST. LUCAS PURPOSE STATEMENT:

The people of St. Lucas Lutheran Church invite and welcome everyone to enter and feel God’s presence.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES:

1. We believe that Jesus is Lord and Savior. 2. We embrace diversity and welcome all unconditionally. 3. We commit to live God’s Word and share the Good News. 4. We strive for closer relationship with God and each other. 5. We demonstrate compassion and forgiveness through open hearts and open minds.