A Note from Pastor Bill

Dear Saints,

It’s busy around here again. (So what’s new about that, huh?) Beginning today and continuing through Tuesday of next week, we are hosting the annual “School of Congregational Development” which is sponsored by the General Boards of Discipleship and Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church. About 350 persons here will join a similar group in Grand Rapids, Michigan by live feed to learn how to create and develop disciple-making faith communities.

Monday is “St. Luke’s Day,” when we have been asked to share how we have been learning and adapting over the years to make disciples in a constantly changing culture. We intend to share our successes and our blunders. People want to come to St. Luke’s because we have a national reputation for making disciples “in the Wesley way.”

Many are surprised to learn that only about 25% of our new members have a United Methodist background.  Nearly 50% claim a Catholic heritage, and we always have a good representation of Lutherans, both ELCA and Missouri Synod. The rest are Presbyterians, Baptists, Episcopalians, Congregational, and virtually every other nuance of denominationalism. We also have received Mormons, Jews, Muslims and plenty of first-time believers. (You can imagine how interesting this makes our membership orientation classes!) But here is the remarkable thing: 95% of the transfers of membership we make to other churches as our St. Luke’s family members move away are to other United Methodist churches. We are making Methodist disciples for Jesus Christ, and I’ll bet most people don’t even realize it is happening to them! It’s probably happening to you!

So many people find the right theological and practical “fit” for themselves here at St. Luke’s because we live out the Wesley Way of discipleship. John Wesley’s advocacy for “scriptural holiness” under girds all that we do. The new sermon series begins on Sunday, and it is called “The Wesley Way.” Our first topic is grace. You already know it is “amazing,” but you might be surprised to learn that is also prevenient, justifying, and sanctifying. Let us make those churchy words understandable and personal for you this weekend, as we share Holy Communion.

Today is the debut of our new and continually improving church website. Thanks to the creative abilities of Tyson Schmick, Manager of Information Systems and Nan Knight, Manager of Communications for all of their terrific ideas and designs for a more user-friendly site. Check it out right now: www.St.Lukes.org. Also, be watching for a new St. Luke’s magazine, which will be published and also sent online in the fall.

For all of you who worship at the HopeSpring campus, you will be welcoming back Pastor Gary Shockley from his renewal leave this Sunday. He had a meaningful time away and we are delighted to have him back with us in leadership. If you have not been to worship at HopeSpring, this would be a great Sunday to join the excitement at Bridgewater Middle School, where they meet. Check out the HopeSpring website either through the St. Luke’s home site, or directly at www.HopeSpringFL.org.

We announced a couple of weeks ago that we have signed a lease for a new location for HopeSpring. It will be in the new Shoppes of Lake Butler at the intersection of Lake Butler Boulevard and SR 535. We are hoping for occupancy in early 2009. Your gifts to the BodyBuilding campaign have helped make this possible, and your commitment will bring others to Christ in a location where there are very few churches. So we end up right where we started with this enews message: congregational development!

With faith, hope, and love,