Dear St. Lukers,

Welcome to 2019! A new year and a new chance to live deeper into our relationship with God and one another. In Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase of Scripture entitled The Message, John 1:14 says:

“The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood.”

Don’t you just love this imaginative way of speaking of the Incarnation. The Word, Jesus, became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood where we live, ushering in the Kingdom of God, giving us not only a glimpse of Godself, but how we should relate, serve, and be in community with one another.

Our purpose statement at St. Luke’s is Building the Kingdom by Building Disciples. We try to express discipleship by our strategies to become a Disciple who:

worships regularly,

connects in community for care,

grows in small groups and disciplines,

serves using spiritual gifts and passions

and commits to stewardship of prayers, presence, gifts, service and their witness.

(Didn’t know that’s how we define discipleship? Come to our next Discover St. Luke’s Class on Sunday, February 10 from 12:15 to 3:00 p.m. in the Youth Center. Lunch is provided, and childcare is available. Click here to RSVP.

But what does it mean to be a part of Building the Kingdom? Can we explain what the Kingdom of God is, looks like, should be like among us? That’s what 2019 is all about!

For the entire year of 2019 we are going to consider every worship service and ministry work from this one concept: God has moved into the neighborhood. Our theme for the year is just that – God’s Neighborhood. What does it mean to be a St. Luker living in God’s neighborhood and seeing Orlando and our community through God’s intended vision for us, our community, our families? What would it be to move through the common places or ideas of a neighborhood understanding it through God’s vision for us. What would God’s Farmer Market produce? What would it mean to go to God’s vocational school and learn about our calling and gifts? What does it mean for our faith journey to understand gardening or wellness according to Kingdom values and Kingdom goals?

Join us this week as we celebrate Epiphany and the arrival of the Magi as we are invited to God’s Housewarming Party. God’s moved in and invited us all to come and see Jesus for ourselves. What gifts are we all called to bring to proclaim him as our King as the Magi did?  Pastor Jad will be in Contemporary and I’ll see you in Traditional as we begin to look at our lives and where we live differently because God has moved in!!

Grace and peace,

Jenn.

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