CAPITAL CAMPAIGN CORNER Three years ago this week, on Sunday, November 18, 2012, we had our First Fruits Offering to the Capital Campaign; the first gift offering of our three-year pledged commitment of $604,000 for the renovation and restoration of our historic church. Your faithful commitment to honoring your pledge, your generosity, and generous giving by others to our Cam-paign Fund has exceeded the pledged amount this week to $746,414. This is a clear testament to the dedication, sup-port, and desire of our church family and friends to Prepare the Present to Transform the Future! of St. Luke’s to serve God and his people in our community and the world. Watch for monthly updates on the progress of our transformation into the future.

† MISSION OF THE MONTH † Foster Care Ministries

We are in the process of learning the basic and special needs for taking of children in our state foster care programs. We’ll share with you what those needs are, and ways our church can help supply them. We will also be sharing with you in-formation about foster parenting options and the process for participating in this critical, gratifying program that of-fers children in foster care the opportunity to experience a family environment.

ST. LUKE’S CELEBRATES WITH FONDREN UNWRAPPED! 5:00 p.m., today, Thursday, November 19

Thanks to willing volunteers, we’re ready to greet friends and neighbors with home-made apple cider and mini chocolate bars, welcome

children to play in a Bouncy House, and invite visitors into our sanctuary to enjoy musical presentations. We’ll also pass out cards listing St. Luke’s Christmas events. Thanks again to everyone who so willingly responded to Priscilla Gaby’s re-quest for volunteers to help meet, greet, serve, usher guests in the sanctuary, monitor the Bouncy House, and pass out St. Luke’s Christmas event schedule, to welcome neighbors and to let this be a part of our Christmas Gift to the community.

DATES AT-A-GLANCE Thu., Nov. 19 Staff Meeting, 1:00 pm Thu., Nov. 19 Fondren Unwrapped, 5:00 pm Sun., Nov. 22 COMMITMENT SUNDAY Sun., Nov. 22 Morning Prayer Time, Communion in the Chapel, 8:30 am Sun., Nov. 22 Sunday School, 9:00 am Sun., Nov. 22 Fellowship Time, 9:50 am Sun., Nov. 22 Worship in the Sanctuary, 10:15 am Sun., Nov. 22 COMMUNITY THANKSGIVING SERVICE at FONDREN

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 6:00 PM Mon., Nov. 23 ECLC Thanksgiving Holidays Begin Mon., Nov. 23 NO Mississippi Girlchoir Rehearsal Tue., Nov. 24 NO Mississippi Girlchoir Rehearsal Wed., Nov. 25 NO CHURCH ACTIVITIES – THANKSGIVING EVE Thu., Nov. 26 CHURCH CLOSED – THANKSGIVING DAY Fri., Nov. 27 CHURCH CLOSED – THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY Sat., Nov. 28 THRIFT SHOP CLOSED – THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY Sun., Nov. 29 1st SUNDAY OF ADVENT / HANGING OF THE GREENS /

UNITED METHODIST STUDENT DAY Sun., Nov. 29 Morning Prayer Time, Communion in the Chapel, 8:30 am Sun., Nov. 29 Sunday School, 9:00 am Sun., Nov. 29 Fellowship Time, 9:50 am Sun., Nov. 29 Worship, St. Luke’s College Student Recognition in the Sanc-

tuary, 10:15 am Mon., Nov. 30 NO Mississippi Girlchoir Rehearsal Tue., Dec. 1 NO Mississippi Girlchoir Rehearsal Tue., Dec. 1 UMW Circle 4 Meeting, 6:30 pm

Dear Friends,

Wow! It was simply amazing to see all those shoeboxes on

the altar rail of the church last Sunday. We set a goal of 225

boxes this year and you provided 246! Boys and girls around

the world will experience just a bit more joy this year because

of you. Thank you!

While I’m on the topic of generosity, let me again thank you

for your support of our Capital Campaign. Three years ago,

you pledged $604,000 toward our renovations. To date, you

have given over $745,000 in support of this work! During

that same time, you increased your giving to the General Op-

erating Budget by 13%. As we complete the Capital Cam-

paign this month and move into 2016, your Finance Commit-

tee asks for you to consider how you will support the General

Operating Budget in the coming year. We anticipate a 5% in-

crease in our 2016 budget as our church and its ministries

continue to grow. To make sure we are prepared to meet

those needs, we are asking for everyone to complete a Com-

mitment Card indicating the ways you will support St. Luke’s

with your services and resources.

This Sunday, November 22, we will have a special time of

dedication of these cards during the morning worship service.

You may bring them next Sunday, mail them in, or bring

them by the church at your convenience. God has given this

church a wonderful place to serve and generous people to

support our work. Thank you for who you are St. Luke’s!

Grace and Peace,

Ricky

Growing Faith, Sharing Hope, Abiding Love

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St. Luke’s United Methodist Church

621 Duling Ave. Jackson, MS 39216

(601) 362-6381

info@stlukesjackson.org

www.stlukesjackson.org

Rev. Ricky James, Pastor

November 19, 2015

COMMUNITY THANKSGIVING SERVICE Everyone is invited!

6:00 p.m., This Sunday, November 22, at Fondren Presbyterian

St. Luke’s UMC, Fondren Church, Wood-land Hills Baptist, and Fondren Presbyter-ian churches invite you to gather with us

to give thanks for God’s gifts. Our own Rev. Ricky James will preach. A fellowship reception will follow the service

UNITED METHODIST STUDENT DAY Final Reminder: We will recognize St. Luke’s college stu-dents during worship on United Methodist Student Day, Sun., Nov. 29, and we will publish their names and addresses in the bulletin. We need names and current addresses of all college students by this Mon., Nov. 23. If you have not already done so, please call the church at 601-362-6381 or email secretary@stlukesjackson.org, with any updates. We don’t want to leave out anyone.

ST. LUKE’S SHARES THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT We invite you to join us in sharing

the spirit of love, hope, joy, and excitement of the season. On Poinsettia Sunday, Dec. 13, our sanctuary will be alive with the brilliance of fresh, red poinsettias placed by members of our church

family in honor, or in memory, of loved ones. To place a poinsettia(s), you may email your order to secretary@ stlukesjackson.org, or call the church (601)362-6381). Or-der forms are available in the office, or ask an usher for one on Sunday and drop it in the collection plate. The cost is $10.00 for each plant. You may take your plant(s) from the sanctuary after morning worship on December 13. Place your orders no later than Tuesday, December 8.

Season of Giving “Thank you:” This season of giving is our opportunity to express a heartfelt thank you to our dedicated St. Luke’s staff in a

more formal and tangible way. We invite you to thank our staff with a monetary gift. Simply write a check to St. Luke’s, or place cash in an envelope marked “Staff Christmas.” You may put your gift in the offering plate on Sunday or mail/bring it to the church office. SPRC will make sure each staff member receives a Christmas “bonus” on your behalf.

ST. LUKE’S DEDICATES 246 GIFT-FILLED SHOEBOXES During our worship service Children’s Moment this past Sun-day, St. Luke’s children, along with Rev. Ricky James, led us in a prayerful blessing of 246 gift-filled OCC Shoeboxes and for the children who will receive them. We thank all of you who con-tributed to this ministry in any way! A huge, heartfelt THANK YOU goes to Vicki Emfinger and UMW Circle 4 for their dedica-tion and hard work to make this sacred mission a huge success!

246 shoeboxes, stacked 5-deep along on the altar rail, receive our blessings

to share the Spirit of Christmas with children around the world.

St. Luke’s children who helped lead the dedication are: (from left) Brodie Akers, Nina Peeples, Emma Batson, Lily Tucker, Henry James, Taylor Tuck-

er, Jon Foster Batson, Lorelei Torrey and Ethan Upchurch.

THIS WEDNESDAY AT LUKE’S THANKSGIVING EVE, NOVEMBER 25

NO WEDNESDAY ACTIVITIES Regular Wednesday activities will resume on Dec. 2.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2015

Joel 2:21-27 / Matthew 6:25-33

THIS WEEK’S JOYS AND CONCERNS

~ Prayer Concerns ~ Jimmye Walker

~ Births ~

~ Deaths ~

ATTENDANCE AND STEWARDSHIP WEEKLY REPORT

11/15/15 Sunday School 93 Sunday Worship 160 Tithes/Offerings Needed in 2015 $450,665.00

Tithes/Offerings Needed Weekly $8,667.00

Tithes/Offerings Received 11/15/15 $5,648.00

Tithes/Offerings Needed to Date $398,682.00

Tithes/Offerings Received to Date $362,658.00

Tithes/Offerings Difference to Date -$36,024.00

THANKS FOR WORSHIPING WITH US

11/15/15

David Long Billy Overton Tiffany Hudnall Janis Barone

Keaton & Catherine Wilker

YOU’RE INVITED Millsaps Advent Lessons and Carols

Tuesday, December 8 12:00 Noon

Recital Hall

Gertrude C. Ford Academic Complex Millsaps College

1701 N. State Street, Jackson, MS