In this Week's Update:

HopeSpring Update

Worship This Week

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities

Upcoming Small Groups, Classes & Sign-ups

Upper Room Daily Devotional

A Note from Pastor Jenn

Dear gifted people of faith –

I am writing for Bill this week because I'm so excited to share with you two things I'm passionate about for you to share in with me!

First, every year I find myself feeling the same thing...the heat of summer is usually getting to me, I'm ready for school to start, and I'm hanging on for one event: The Willow Creek Leadership Summit. Since 1999, the Summit has been my August oasis – a personal retreat to refill my bucket for ministry, my relationship with God, and reignite my passion for the gifts I've been given. I'm not kidding – each July I find myself parched, tired, and just waiting for the first week in August to sit and absorb, listen, be challenged, confronted, loved, and even sometimes, to get a little frustrated by God. It's been at the Leadership Summit where I've learned about my "Holy Discontent", the "dysfunctions of a team", how to move from "good to great", what "emotional intelligence" is all about, how to lead like a "contrarian". I've heard the guys from Google, the conductor of the Boston symphony, the speech writer for President Bush, Jimmy Carter, Sam Walton, the head of Harvard Business, the President of USC, the highest ranking female 5 star General, head of Hewlett Packard, Bill Clinton, Colin Powell, Bono, Randy Travis, and preachers who move mountains and souls with their sermons. The Sunday after the Summit in my former churches became known as "the sermon not to be missed" because I came back charged up with some new inspiration.

We have a wonderful opportunity to host a private viewing of this conference here at St. Luke's. We will join with 100's of thousands of others across the nation to hear speakers such as Tony Blair, Bono, David Gergen, Carly Fiorino, Patrick Lencioni and others. No matter what you do, each of us is a leader in one way or another. In this day and age, the world could use leadership who are amped up and who are able to increase the "bandwidth" of people they are willing to learn from, and who are passionate about leading out of God's love and spirit. I'm so excited because I know even though every speaker might not speak to you, God will use nuggets, pieces from each session to refill, renew, inspire, and even bother each person who attends. Imagine what this process can do for not only us as individuals, but for the community of St. Luke's? Can you tell I'm passionate about the Summit? Please go to our website page www.st.lukes.org/summit and check out the schedule of speakers and register. The event is next week August 6 and 7 in our sanctuary and the cost of $85 which includes snacks and lunch each day. Scholarships are available. Invite your coworkers, bring your employees, and come as teachers, mission team leaders, elected leaders, worship team leaders, choir members.

Second, (I know, I write as much as Bill!) we begin a new sermon series on my second passion – Relational Evangelism. Don't get scared – we are actually talking about how to be a friend to someone! Because Relational Evangelism is about being in a relationship with someone and serving them in ways that share the good news! We will be looking at the What, Who, How and Why of the conversations we have with others to share Christ. Much of the series will be based on a series of emails between Pastor Brian McClaren and April, a young girl who began asking questions about God and faith after they met at a book signing. You can purchase the book entitled "More Ready than you Realize: The Power of Everyday Conversations" online at Amazon or another vendor, or you can email me and we will put an order together. At the end of the month, you will have the opportunity to invite your friends to worship for "Ask Us Anything" where your friends who have questions about God, faith and the church can ask Bill and me any questions and we will answer to the best of our ability. More details about this later, but for now I invite you to make a covenant to join us in August for worship with the name of some people in your hearts. Bring them with you in your spirit as we seek to learn how to be better spiritual friends to those people in our lives who God has been really missing lately.

I'm so excited I can hardly WAIT!!!
Until Sunday!!!
Jenn