I was wondering…is it just me, or do you all feel something very positive is going on at St. Luke?  Call it a “vibe,” call it an “energy”…I prefer to call it a “wave of the Holy Spirit.”

I’m sensing this wave in various places.  At worship, when our Vacation Bible School kids are lighting up the worship space with their energy and smiles and song; in the hallway and entryway of our campus with people smiling and laughing; at a golf outing with laughter and fun; it’s all over the place!

Is it just me?

Might God be up to something?  Oh yah, He sure is!

…for our congregation.

Why?

Because I believe that everything we do at, and through, St. Luke should be covered in prayer.

God has given us the gift of prayer, and as His people, we are to turn to Him at all times to communicate with our Heavenly Father. The Bible says we have “access” to God through Jesus by one Spirit. Talk about wrapping up the entire Trinity in one Biblical truth! This means we can turn to God because of Jesus, and it’s the Holy Spirit that connects us in prayer to the Father.

So, St. Luke, will you please pray for our congregation? Will you pray that: 1) We keep Christ at the center of our discipleship and that we follow Him? 2) That we then share His love with the world around us? 3) That we continue to be faithful in our worship attendance? 4) That the Holy Spirit stirs in us a hunger for God’s Word and learning what it means for our lives? 5) That we continue to be a place that welcomes people looking for a church home, and that we continue our “pioneering spirit” even though we are growing? 6) That we serve one another as Christ would have us do so?

I’m convinced that we need to keep praying for St. Luke! Cover this great congregation in prayer! What would St. Luke look like if we ALL took time each day to pray for St. Luke? Well, let’s find out……….

…on Jesus Christ.

I pray in the midst of new outdoor worship, lots of new faces at St. Luke, and lots of energy and excitement about what’s happening in our body of faith–that we never lose our focus on Jesus Christ our Lord!

Remember our Vision Statement: “To be a CHRIST-CENTERED community…”–let’s never forget that.  It’s not about the numbers.  It’s not about us.  It’s about Christ, and following Him and sharing His love with the world.

I’m not saying we can’t rejoice that people are embracing summer worship outside on the lawn; and we should be praising God for all of the new faces around St. Luke; and the energy is great!  However, let’s keep each other accountable for keeping our focus on Jesus Christ! 

My prayer is that if anyone says anything about us at St. Luke, it’s that we are–indeed–a Christ-centered community!

Blessings!

Pastor Tim

I prayed and prayed that God would bless our outdoor worship gathering in His name on Sunday, June 4th.

He started blessing it with the weather. It was beautiful! Wind and all! What a blessing as we talked about an “Acts 2 Church” and the Day of Pentecost to have God’s wind blowing through the trees and across our sunny faces.

He continued blessing it with our True Mercy Praise Band–set up in the corner on the mulch: drums, guitars, bass, keyboard, and vocalists…ready to praise the living Lord and lead God’s people in worship.

He continued to bless it as His Holy Spirit started calling and gathering His people to worship in Spirit and truth–and did He ever! He kept calling…and gathering…and calling…and gathering…to the tune of over 260 people on the lawn, in the sun, in the shade…on blankets, in lawn chairs…young, and not-so-young…Christians, and those seeking truth in their lives…”members, and visitors…GOD BE PRAISED!

Thanks to all who came and gathered for our first outdoor summer worship service. Thanks to all those who worked so hard behind the scenes to make it happen. Thanks, most of all, to a loving God who continues to guide us and bless us with His presence and power!

SEE YOU ON THE LAWN!

Pastor Tim