Building Re-Opening Eagle Scout Pastor Andy’s Trivia

Ministry Team update!

St Luke Union is blessed to have 7 thriving ministry teams to help guide the church. All are welcome to attend any team meeting to learn more about how you can make an impact. Meetings are on the e-

calendar at stlukeunion.org/calendar and you may email any of the team liaisons for further information:

Finance/Investment Team • Brent Paterson • [email protected]

Hospitality Team • Ginny Kolze • [email protected]

Learning Team • Laura Hinthorn •[email protected]

Mission Team • Ruth Trower • [email protected]

Stewardship Team • Lynne Wright • [email protected]

Resource Team • Bob Hinthorn •[email protected]

Worship Team • John Boerner • [email protected]

June 2020

Pastor Andy’s Trivia

April’s question #1: How many piec-

es of silver did Judas trade the life

of Jesus for?

April’s question #2: What was the

name of the high priest’s servant

who had his ear cut off by the disci-

ple and subsequently reattached by

Jesus?

April’s answer #1: 30

April’s answer #2: Malchus

Building Re-Opening The church doors will be opened on June 1 for church committee, team, and group meetings. However, all Sunday worship in June will continue to be online via Facebook and YouTube. Please read more about this on the last page of the newsletter in From Pastor Andy.

Eagle Scout On May 26, Daniel Ferrier passed his Eagle Scout Board of Review!

Congrats Daniel!

Once an Eagle, always an Eagle.

New Directions

Stories of Share and Care: As many of you know, Jim Munro and Charlene Beringer will be married on June

13th, 2020. I have watched Jim and Charlene date for the tens years I have served as St Luke Union

Church’s pastor; they began their courtship a few weeks after I arrived. They began to plan this wedding well

before the outbreak of Covid-19 and had hopes of including family, friends, and all of the St Luke Union com-

munity. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, the wedding ceremony will only include ten people and the

large celebration is being postponed. Although we are planning to live stream the wedding ceremony, the

grand celebration will need to wait. Let us take the time this month to share our love and reach out and care

for Jim and Charlene as we celebrate the convent they will be making on June 13th.

Heather Paterson

School: Illinois State University

Major: Nursing

Minor: Women’s and Gender

Studies

What’s next: Accepted a posi-

tion at OSF St. James Medical

Center in Pontiac, IL

Seth Gifford

School: Trine University

Major: Mechanical Engineering

What’s next: Accepted a posi-

tion at Tenneco (in Michigan) as

a manufacturing engineer for

their clean air division

Katie Verplaetse

School: University of Southern

Mississippi

Major: Marine Biology

Minor: English and Latin

St Luke Union Church is thrilled to congratulate 4 college graduates this year!

Matthew Staver

School: Luther College

Major: Environmental Studies

Minor: Biology

What’s next: Work in the envi-

ronmental field then attend

graduate school

Matthew 24:40 Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the

least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.

Happy Birthday!

4—Christine Kubiak

6—Audrey Scott

6—Mary Scott

8—Sara Kellum

12—Ben Gifford

19—Rebecca Schaefer

23—Rod Hawkins

27—John Boerner

27—Caroline Kubiak

27—Edward Proctor

28—Annie Otto

30—Aiden Luna

June 2020

Happy Anniversary!

7—Kevin & Amanda O’Rourke

8—Doug & Sanae Ferrier

12—Dan & Ann Austin

15—Scott & Sarah Luna

18—Bob & Marsha Hinthorn

22—Glenn & Sharon Stille

27—Tom & Linda Sellberg

29—Ed & Tammy Desmond

29—Chuck & Carol Parlette

Contact us!

Rev. Dr. Andrew Gifford

Pastor

[email protected]

Lisa Dornbush

Office Manager &

Program Coordinator

[email protected]

Website

www.stlukeunion.org

Facebook

Follow our Facebook page for daily updates on church news, events, & Reginald’s whereabouts!

www.facebook.com/

stlukeunionchurch

YouTube

Search: St Luke Union

Church

Church Office Hours

Monday: 9a-3p

Tuesday: 9a-3p

Wednesday: 9a-3p

Thursday: 9a-3p

Friday & Saturday: closed

Worship

Online only

Sunday: 10:30a

Offering In order to continue the greater mis-sion of Christ’s church, we are collect-ing offering through PayPal (link on the church website) and checks through mail. Thank you to all who have contin-ued to contribute through this time of social isolation.

*NEW* St Luke Union Church Weekly Email

Have you received the new weekly email from the church yet? If not, please email Lisa at [email protected] to get added to the mailing list! The weekly email consists of announcements, birthdays and anniversaries for the week, links to the Sunday service on Facebook and YouTube, and more!

Please understand this is different than the prayer chain email which is handled by several church members. However, if you wish to be placed on the prayer chain email as well, email the church to get connected.

Virtual Worship It is our plan to begin worshipping in person on July 5. It has also been de-cided that we will continue virtual worship! Those who miss an in-person Sunday morning can still join us online on Facebook and YouTube. The VMC is working on details to keep all worshippers safe and healthy.

State of the Church—June 2020

It has been some time since we produced a newsletter and shared in the events of St Luke Union Church. So I wanted to take this opportunity to give you a state of the church, words of encouragement and what to expect mov-

ing forward in this trying time.

To begin, St Luke Union Church is still here. We have been given a life lesson that the church is more than a build-ing; the church is the people. I have seen wonderful acts of kindness and outreach by church members to those who find themselves socially and physically isolated. I have seen the sharing of food and resources with those in need, and the hand of God in the love found in our hearts. I encourage you to continue to “Share and Care,” while living in God’s grace and mercy. All these acts of kindness fill my heart and leads me to long for the day when we

again be physically together. Keep up the great work and we will persevere.

You may like to know that besides putting worship together each week, the church staff has been busy in other are-as. David Sulzberger continues to amaze us with musical gifts I never knew he possessed, and with the help of oth-er church members we continue to offer worship each week via YouTube and Facebook. You will be happy to know that it is our plan to continue virtual worship even after we again can be together. A new camera has already been purchased. Juan Galvan, our custodian, has been doing a thorough job cleaning the church. Areas are now clean and disinfected as never before, including all chairs, carpets, and bathrooms. Lisa Dornbush, the office manager, has returned to regular work hours at church. While she has been behind locked doors throughout May, it is the plan to open the church office beginning June 1. I have attempted to reach out in some fashion to every church member via, phone calls, letters, email or even text. I also have been working closely with our church Vision and

Ministry Council (VMC) to assure the operation of the church in both mission and ministry.

Great Rivers Presbytery made an offer to pay for a Zoom video conference call subscription for one year. We ac-cepted this offer and the church now has a Zoom account that allows for any church committee, team, and group to use the account to hold meetings. This will help continue the work of the church at a safe distance. Scheduling

can be done through myself or Lisa.

Here are a few business matters that may be of interest to you. The VMC began investigating the possibility of ap-plying for an SBA Loan from the federal government when they first became available. It was decided during the first round of available funds that we would not apply, but after further examination and the availability of addition-al funds, VMC elected to seek an SBA loan to keep our staff salaries funded and our obligations met. That loan was awarded early in May with our plan to meet the federal requirements and allowing the loan to eventually become a

grant.

The second action taken by the VMC is that we elected to partner with the YMCA and be a host location for 27 chil-dren to come and be cared for while their parents return to work. They will be here from June 1 - August 14 and will use the lower level of our building. The YMCA will meet all the requirements for safety, cleaning, and health set forth from the CDC, DCFS, and the St Luke Union Church VMC. If anyone is interested in this protocol, it is available in the church office. This decision was made after a long, thorough discussion into the health and safety of the St Luke Union congregation and our call as a church to serve the greater community. I have begun to pray for us to

share God’s love while being vigilant in the steps needed to maintain health and safety.

The final note I wish to share is that while the church remains closed and worship is being conducted virtually, un-der the current state guidelines, St Luke Union Church will not be worshipping in person for the month of June. Be-ginning June 1st, groups of up to 10 people will be able to meet at church, but this will only be with certain social

distance protocols and protective equipment.

Please stay safe and healthy, and with God’s care we will see our way through. I miss you all, I love talking to each

of you, and please feel free to call.

Peace of Christ,

Pastor Andy Gifford

Isaiah 41:10 “Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help

you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.”

New Directions

Building Re-Opening Eagle Scout Pastor Andy’s Trivia

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