Dear St. Lukers,
Hopefully this finds you as you’re finishing up last-minute lists before Christmas. It’s been a beautiful season of concerts, plays, pageants, and worship that has prepared us for this very moment! Christmas Eve is upon us, and this year we even get to worship on Christmas Day.
We have opened up our “Preeve” worship services on December 23 to the community and we’ll be honest, it’s the first “real” Christmas season since the pandemic began (last year we still had masks and a surge!), so we aren’t sure what kind of crowds to expect. We invite you to help us welcome everyone to campus by volunteering at one of our services on either December 23 or 24. We are still in need of Greeters and Ushers on both evenings, so click here to sign up and let’s share St. Luke’s hospitality!
No matter when you come, arrive early (at least 30 minutes before the service you’d like to attend)! To help accommodate, we will have overflow seating available in the Youth Center. We will also be sharing worship live on St. Luke’s Facebook page on December 24 at 7:00 p.m. (Contemporary) and 8:30 p.m. (Traditional). These services will be recorded on December 23 to ensure the best quality of viewing. And just so you’re in the know, we will be listed at all Disney resorts as a Christmas Eve service guests can attend virtually or in-person!
When you come to campus, remember this is the night many from our community join in the celebration. We don’t always know why people may come only on this night. Maybe they haven’t felt that Jesus mattered to them, maybe they come out of obligation, maybe people will have decided to come back to worship since COVID, maybe something has just pulled them toward the manger.
Whatever it is, trust the Holy Spirit is doing some work in their lives. Believe in our God who takes every opportunity (even through a stable) to touch hearts with love and grace. Remember with grace, every pilgrimage matters, and whenever someone takes it, Christ is waiting. This may be the moment hearts will meet the baby Jesus who came to all of us. And who knows – someone in our crowd could just be today’s shepherds, whom the angels personally invited.
We know St. Lukers are ready and prepared to welcome Christ and welcome our community. We have spent four weeks making room in our hearts for this heavenly moment. We trust your hearts will be filled with Christ’s love and be ready to receive even more on this holy night. We trust we will also lean into our core values of discipleship and service, and that you will put on your best spirit and faces shining with the core values of acceptance, hospitality, and community so that everyone feels welcome! Thank you for your generosity of spirit ahead of time, and may everyone feel as if they have come home to St. Luke’s and to Christ this Christmas Eve!
We are still looking for a strong December with our Operating Budget and we are overwhelmed by how you continue to step up and make St. Luke’s ministry strong. The last date for all gifts to be given is on or before Saturday, December 31. Gifts can be given during on-campus worship in December, postmarked on or before December 31 and mailed or turned into the metal drop box outside Building C, or completed online (st.lukes.org/give) by 11:59 p.m. on December 31. If you have any questions do not hesitate to reach out to Scooter Leonard.
Thank you for your generosity and extra gifts over the last 6 weeks to help us move toward a positive end to 2022! Your gifts of tithes, offerings, time, and talents has helped us reveal God’s Kingdom in powerful ways.
In all 9 Christmas Eve services, as has been our tradition since St. Luke’s started, we will receive the offerings on behalf of children in our state and around the world who have had no place to call home. We will be sharing 100% of our offerings from the worship on December 23 and 24 with the Florida UM Children’s Home, and we will support new working families of vulnerable children in Rwanda and Zimbabwe through ZOE Empowers. Please click those links to learn more about how these two ministries so beautifully share the love, justice, dignity, and empowerment of God’s Kingdom with those most vulnerable.
We can’t wait to see your faces in the glow of Christmas Eve candles!
Love, grace, joy, and peace,
Your St. Luke’s Clergy Team