A call to generosity: "You enable us to be the church we say we are"

November 2020Dear Friends,This month St Luke’s is focused on endings and beginnings. We have left our storefront space of five years for a new building; we have said farewell to congregational members and we welcome others who we’ve met only remotely; we mourned the lives of many Saints and we trust in God’s promise of new life. Amidst constant ending and beginning there is also a continuing: St Luke’s continues to be a Powerful Church, Transforming Lives, Changing the World. Our lives and our world are currently framed by the upheaval of COVID-19, overdue calls for racial justice, a tumultuous national election season, and so much more. Though it all we continue to take seriously our responsibility to enact God’s mission in the world. Your faithfulness and generosity throughout the year enable St. Luke’s to be the church we say we are.As a powerful church, we are intentional about gathering and deploying our assets and resources. This year we served as a “Teaching Congregation” host site for multiple field education students, continued to see steady financial giving, and made a major decision (in a pandemic!) to move to a new space with potential for increased ministry and community engagement.We transform lives through relationships and commitment to one another. In 2020 we took on the unprecedented work of moving the activities of church online while finding ways to stay connected whether people are here in Chicago or spread out across the country. We have continued to be a touchstone and offer grounding amidst upheaval. Our children’s ministry continues and we completed our first confirmation class in many years.We change the world to be more in line with God’s vision. Action this year included collecting supplies and raising funds to support public calls for racial justice, protesting unjust structures in person and in our cars, and raising funds for the Chicago Community Bond Fund, among many other actions and commitments of individual members.In response to God’s goodness, for the last several years St. Luke’s has observed a season of generosity around this time of year. The reality is that financial contributions are what allow us to harness our power for the sake of individuals and the world. We are grateful for the ministry that has happened this year and we hope you are, too. If you are able, we invite you to make an additional financial contribution or increase your regular online giving. Please do so by December 14. Your gifts will ensure continuation of St. Luke’s ministry across many future endings and beginnings.   Thank you,The Generosity NetworkKatie BaxterAlyson HankwitzAnna Moorhead