Page 4 The St. Luke Connection October 8, 2014 Our Mission Statement: Making disciples of Jesus Christ for the glory of God through reaching, teaching and serving. A publication of St. Luke United Methodist Church Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Tupelo, MS 38804 Permit 240 Volume XLVIII, Number 37 October 8, 2014 Dr. Rick Brooks, Pastor Dr. Rick Brooks, Pastor The Week at St. Luke 1400 Clayton Ave. Tupelo, MS 38804 Phone: 662-842-6522 Fax: 662-844-5802 Address Correction requested We’re on the web: www.stluketupelo.org Welcome New Member... Steaks and Grace Men’s Retreat November 14th-15th Fellowship Christian Retreat at Crow’s Neck Camp Guest Speaker: Bro. Kerry Powell of Iuka Methodist Cost: $75.00 We welcome Bonnie Gaines who joined on October 5th. Bonnie is married to John Gaines who has been a member for several years. Come and Join in a Weekend of Faith, Fellowship, Steaks, and Football Sunday, October 12 7:30 a.m. Men’s Club meets 9:00 a.m. Sunday School 10:30 a.m. Worship Service 6:00 p.m. Youth meet Monday, October 13 9:30 a.m. Yoga Class–1st Pres. 10:00 a.m. Coffee Shop at Food Pantry Bldg. 6:30 p.m. Boy & Cub Scouts Tuesday, October 14 9:00 a. m. Mother’s Day Out and Preschool at St. James 10:30 a.m. St. Luke Staff 5:30 p.m. Supper in FLC 6:30 p.m. Classes/Programs 6:45 p.m. Prayer Ministry meets at Food Pantry Bldg. Wednesday, October 15 9:00 a.m. Mother’s Day Out and Preschool at St. James 11:00 a.m. Coffee Shop 6:00 p.m. Chancel Choir 7:00 p.m. Praise Band Thursday, October 16 9:00 a.m. Mother’s Day Out and Preschool at St. James Friday, October 17 5:30 p.m. Meet at Dickey’s BBQ for supper then off to the movies Saturday, October 18 10:00 a.m. Coffee Shop Please start bringing individually wrapped candy for Trunk or Treat. Please put your candy in the “big” box located in the FLC. From the Pastor… Here we are in October, the month we often associate with Halloween or Oktoberfest or the changing colors of the trees. For many of us, when we think of November we think of Thanksgiving time (along with Veteran’s Day, and All Saints Day at the beginning of it). There something in Jesus’ teachings about the kingdom of God, however, that suggests every month (if not every day) is for Thanksgiving. In the text for this Sunday, Matthew 22: 1-14, we hear another mystifying parable from Jesus about a wedding banquet and of the importance of both heeding the invitation to come to the banquet and coming to the banquet with the right kind of attitude (wedding attire). In other words, the invitation to the wedding banquet (kingdom of God) is not a casual matter. Recently, Lynn and I ran across an interesting movie, Pieces of April. Though rated PG-13, it’s still borderline edgy – not quite fitting for a feature clip on Sunday morning. It is not a wedding banquet but a Thanksgiving dinner that April Burns (Katie Holmes) has invited her unwilling guests to. She dresses in Goth style and lives with her boyfriend Bobby in a walk-up flat in the lower east side of Manhattan, whereas her proper family live in a Pennsylvania suburb. The oldest of three children, April has long been a pain in the side of her dysfunctional family. Always rebelling against their ways, she is regarded by her parents as a mess. However, her dour mother (wonderfully played by Patricia Clarkston), with the ironic name of Joy, has breast cancer. This dinner might be April’s last chance to reconcile with her and the family. It’s a story of journeys and of coming home, as most redeeming stories are. Without giving the film totally away, suffice it to say that the ending involves many different kinds of people gathered around the table. And from the first moment you see that final scene, Jesus’ words about the kingdom of God being like a (wedding) banquet come to mind. Jesus’ words are hard words and lovely words. By trying to take them to heart, though it’s but early October, let me be the first to wish you “Happy Thanksgiving!” Have a blessed week, and keep the faith! Rick Page 2 Page 3 Volume XLVIII, Number 37 Children’s News…. Please join us for Sunday School at 9am!!! Children’s Sunday School Classes meet in the following rooms: 2 and 3 Year Olds– Small Room in Trailer, Billie Jo Wilburn and Jennifer Wilburn, teachers 4 Year Olds and Kindergarten– Big Room in Trailer, Kenzie Dixon and Meredith Jenkins, teachers 1st-3rd Grade– Upstairs of FLC, Sherry Jenkins, teacher 4th-6th Grade– Upstairs of FLC, Karen and Mark Dixon, teachers Please Pray for: : Upcoming Events… Dinner and Family Movie Night on Friday, Childcare will be available from 5:00-9:30 pm Nursing Homes: Trunk or Treat 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. Sunday, October 26th St. Luke parking lot Christmas in Nashville Trip December 7th-9th Children’s Choir News... We will not have choir this Sunday, October 12th, because there is no school on Monday. Cots Needed… Our Mother’s Day Out program is growing and we are grateful for that. Because of this growth, we need to purchase eight (8) more cots for nap time. The cots are $25.00 each. If you are willing to help with this project, please write a check payable to St. Luke and mark it for cots. Thank you! Meaningful Missions Day Saturday, November 8th, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Community-Wide Chili Supper at 5:30 Church members are invited to bring a dessert Sign Up at the Desk to help with Projects Projects Wanted Need help with a project? Call 842-6522 or email us at [email protected] In the Hospital: NMMC Hospice—Rachel Beason (Debbie Bullock’s mom), Sanctuary Hospice —Mabel Simmons (grandmother of Pam Fretz) LeBonheur (ICU) Carson Bell (grandson of Hilda Bell) October 17th Meet at Dickey’s BBQ at 5:30 PM Then we will go see Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day $455.00 Trip Includes: 3 Nights Lodging Christmas with Christ Church Choir Radio City Rockette’s Christmas SpectacularRestless Heart Dinner Show at Opryland Hotel Tours of The Hermitage, Cheekwood Mansion and Gardens, Belle Meade Plantation, and Lockeland Springs Nashville Home Tour We will leave at noon on December 7th Fish Cookers Wanted We need to borrow several “Fish Cookers” for our Missions Day Chili Supper on November 8th. Contact Debbie Tubbs if you have one we can borrow. MEN'S CLUB meets this Sunday, October 12th, at 7:30 a.m. in the family life center for breakfast, program and fellowship. Jack Reed, Jr. will be the speaker. All men of the church are invited to attend. Traceway- Ruby Harrison, Virginia Sneed, Julia McElroy (Green House), Golden Living Center - Everette Cox Liberty, MS - Helen Neely Hayward Paramore (Marlene Nurse’s dad), Rose Alonzo (mother of Pamela Curtis) At Home: Carrie Ann Harris, Carolyn Crone, Patricia Hood (mother of Rochelle Tullos), Gene O’Callaghan, Ron Anderson, Gerri Cornwell, Carthal Wardlaw, Ilda Jones, Ruby Nell Boggan, Judy Daniel, Robert Jenkins, Steve Bullock, Glenda Bullock (Brad Bullock’s mom), Mary Inmon Ivy (Bridgette Elliott’s mom), Charlie Meador, Carl Cockrell, Ruby Murphree, John Ed Harris, Betty Flynn, Connor Morris, Cis Murff, Jeff Wiygul, Sarah Bryson, Marie Beachum, Susan & Maury Schuh, Ray Aycock, Jr., Jason Oliver, Doris Lamm, Mary Kathryn Fowler, Edna & Tom Cupit, Ken Kellerman, Donnie Harris, Kitty Hall, Linda Sanford, Jimmy Harris (son of John Harris), Kirby Lackey, Brad Bullock’s dad Bobby, Charlotte Huffman (Mark Huffman’s mom) , Gene Huffman (Mark Huffman’s dad) Servants for the week of October 12th... Ushers: Tommy Caldwell, Larry Coggin, Terry Anderson, Joe Fowler, Darrell Hink, Anthony Morgan, Jim Shempert Money Counters: Joe Fowler, Darrell Hink, Terry Anderson Greeters: Arlene Foushee, Jimmie Haynes, Russ and Dorcas Hutcheson, Sally and Anthony Morgan Reader for October: Karen Irwin Deliver Meals-on-Wheels in Oct.: Exodus Class Fellowship Time in Oct.: Good News Class Attendance for October 5, 2014 333 Received October 5, 2014 Operation Christmas Child… We will be filling shoe boxes this year for Samaritan’s Purse. We do have boxes this year so you won’t have to buy a new pair of shoes. More details to follow…. General Fund…………………..…… Food Pantry Fund……………….… Building Fund…..…………………… $ 19,112.25 405.00 35.00 Sympathy to… Jeff Bryant and family in the death of his grandmother, Mrs. Ellen Bryant, who died on September 30. Services were held in Starkville on October 3rd. The St. Luke Prayer Ministry Group will be meeting at our Food Pantry (on Eason Blvd.) beginning October 7th. They meet at 6:45 p.m. each Tuesday and would love to have others join them. Sunday School Attendance Reports… Beginning this Sunday, there will be a box labeled for Sunday School Class attendance reports. It will be located on the north-west wall on top of the mail slots. Please place Sunday School attendance record and offering in basket as early as possible so that your class will be included. The report will be projected on the screen