Dear St. Lukers,

On Sunday, we gave you a quick update on how our first quarter giving ended by sharing a video from our chairs of Finance, Ben Witten and Stewardship, Raphnel Vasquez. Click here to watch this fun short video. We also wanted to say thank you for your generosity toward our annual Lenten Offering. Between your special gifts and the offerings during the Ash Wednesday, Holy Thursday, and Good Friday services you gave above and beyond your tithes and offerings to the operating budget, a total of $22,700. This money goes directly to missions with $13,500 going to finish up our giving to our first two ZOE working groups and adding a new ZOE working group! Click here for more about the amazing ministry of ZOE and see how in Rwanda we are helping children lift children out of poverty. The remainder of the Lenten Offering went to help the following denominational and local mission ministries:

Denominational: 

• Warren Willis Camp Scholarships
• United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) special offering
• FLUMC Annual Conference Offering which will also help support ZOE and ministries of innovation

Local/National: 

• Orange County Public School Social Workers Emergency Fund
• Young Adults connected with St. Luke’s going on mission trips through their colleges 
• Paul de Vincent food pantry

Thank you for your generosity and continued support of our ministries not only at St. Luke’s but kingdom work in our community and around the globe. I’m looking forward to the second quarter update and how much your gifts help us accomplish for transforming the world.

This past Sunday, Pastor Jad and I preached about seeing one another as resurrected people of God. Many have asked about the book we referenced when speaking about the boxes we tend to put people in when our heart is at war.  Anatomy of Peace: resolving the heart of conflict by The Arbinger Institute has been a part of worship and studies across our annual conference this month, and personally has made a difference in my personal life. It’s an interesting read that gives practices through storytelling.

This week we go deeper into 2 Corinthians 5 with the rest of Paul’s call to the church in Corinth. If we see one another as resurrected, no longer regarding people from a human point of view, then we are given the “task of reconciling people to him.” (verse 18) What a task! What a calling – not just for professional religious people, but for all resurrected children of God. How do we do that? What does that look like in our ordinary everyday life? Come join us Sunday as we unpack this calling we have been given. I’ll be preaching at the 8:00 and 9:30 a.m. traditional worship services and then moving to 11:00 a.m. contemporary and Pastor Jad will be preaching at the 9:30 a.m. contemporary and 11:00 a.m. traditional worship services. See you Sunday in the place where it’s just not the same without U!

Grace and peace,

Jenn.

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