Sleep in Heavenly Peace is a national nonprofit that builds and provides beds for children ages 3-17, who are without a bed. There are opportunities to volunteer and provide new bedding or financial support. Families or organizations (schools/nonprofits) can apply for beds. More information is available at https://shpbeds.org/ . The Orlando West Chapter has built and delivered more than 3,000 beds locally to ensure that No Kid Sleeps on the Floor in Our Town.®
There is a team of St. Luke’s volunteers who deliver beds on Tuesdays and the last Saturday of each month. You can sign up for one time or more often to join us as we deliver and assemble beds for local children. To get involved, email serve@st.lukes.org.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace hosts bed builds throughout the area a few times each month with opportunities to volunteer. St. Luke’s hosts a bed build in the fall and spring right on campus. We need 200 volunteers each time.
The Bed builds are family friendly. No experience needed. You will be trained at the event and able to select your role, helping with other various duties, including cutting, measuring, sanding, staining, etc. All tools are provided. You can volunteer with your children; children under age 12 must be supervised at all times during the build.
Our therapists are trained in a variety of therapeutic modalities and techniques. This allows us to customize the approach to best fit your needs and preferences. While each counselor may specialize in different approaches, some of the common approaches include:
The Community Counseling Center provides a full range of mental health counseling services for individuals, couples, and families. Offered by licensed mental health professionals, each session is tailored to your unique needs and preferences. Our goal is to meet you where you are and help you get to where you want to be.
Individual Counseling
Our one-on-one sessions provide a private space for you to explore your thoughts and feelings. We can help you navigate a wide range of concerns. Some of the most common include:
Couples and Relationship Counseling
Healthy relationships require intentional work. We help couples and partners improve communication, resolve conflict, and deepen their connection with each other. Our work can support you…
We are also pleased to offer pre-marriage counseling for those seeking to proactively build a strong foundation of communication and conflict resolutions skills combined with identify hopes and wishes for a fulfilling life together.
Counseling with Children and Adolescents
Childhood and the teenage years can be a difficult time to navigate. Our counselors are experienced in working with children and adolescents to help them express themselves, manage big emotions, and build healthy relationships with others. We create a safe and engaging space for kids and teens to work on:
There is a $15 charge for the workbook, payable via Realm. You can pick up the workbook from the church office in Building C.
The first Sunday of every month is “All-In Sunday”, where families are encouraged to worship all together, children included! There is childcare available during All-In Sundays for children up to Kindergarten age.
During Sunday church services, care and discipleship are offered for infants to Kindergarten on the first floor of Building B.
During Wednesday Night Programming, care is provided for infants to Kindergarten in Building A, room 110.
There are many ways to get involved with St. Luke’s KIDS—from serving on Sunday mornings or Wednesday nights, to helping at seasonal events like VBS and theater productions. Volunteers can assist in classrooms, lead small groups, or support with check-in and hospitality. They can help guide kids in sports leagues, provide snacks and supplies, or help with any of the behind-the-scenes work. Contact Lana Stevens to see how you can get involved.
Yes! We are committed to creating a welcoming and supportive environment for every child. We recognize that each child has unique needs, so we take an individualized approach. After speaking with the parent or guardian, we work together to understand the child’s learning style, behavior, and any specific needs. Our goal is to thoughtfully integrate those needs into the classroom setting to ensure a positive and successful experience for everyone.
No pre-registration is required! Families are welcome to arrive and register on-site. Our friendly volunteers will be available to guide you through the process and help your child get settled into the appropriate group. Elementary-aged children can be checked in upstairs in Building C, above the Rotunda. Babies through Kindergarteners will check in just inside the entrance of Building B.
Children’s Ministry is held primarily in Building B (for babies through Kindergarten) and Building C (for 1st through 5th grade), Childcare for special events is held in Building A. Sport Leagues occur on the church campus on the front fields and in the gym.
St. Luke’s KIDS programs are offered during Sunday morning worship services and on Wednesday evenings during the school year. Weekly programming typically happens in Buildings B and C on the church campus.
Special seasonal events, summer programs like VBS and camps, and family engagement opportunities also take place throughout the year. Our soccer and basketball leagues occur in the spring and fall on the church campus on the front fields and in the gym.
Children’s Ministry / St. Luke’s KIDS serves children from birth through 5th grade, with dedicated programming and support tailored to each developmental stage, including nursery, preschool, and elementary-aged children.
A gift of stocks and/or mutual funds is the most common way to make an additional gift to the church. These gifts are tax-deductible at the full fair market value subject to some limitations. Also, the gain is not subject to taxation to the donor or the church. Example: a donor paid $2,000 to purchase stock now worth $10,000. If the donor sells the stock, he/she pays capital gains taxes on the $8,000 gain. If the donor gives the stock to the church, neither the donor nor the church pays taxes and the donor receives a $10,000 tax deduction. Contact Andrea Whisnant-Burgis, awhisnant@st.lukes.org or 407-955-4796 for more information about non-cash contributions and always consult your legal, financial and tax advisor about the tax deductibility of your gifts.
If you are 70 ½ or older and planning your IRA withdrawal strategy, you may want to consider making charitable donations to the church through a Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD).
A QCD is a direct transfer of funds from your IRA payable to a qualified charity. QCDs can be counted toward satisfying your required minimum distributions (RMDs) for the year, if certain rules are met. In addition to the benefits of giving to charity, a QCD excludes the amount donated from taxable income, which is unlike regular withdrawals from an IRA. Keeping your taxable income lower may reduce the impact to certain tax credits and deductions, including Social Security and Medicare. Also, QCDs don’t require that you itemize, which due to the recent tax law changes, means you may decide to take advantage of the higher standard deduction, but still use a QCD for charitable giving.
Qualified charitable contributions must be made by December 31 each year in order to exclude that amount from taxable income.
A permanent, donor-funded pool whose earnings fuel ministries and special projects beyond the church’s annual operating and building budgets—ensuring St. Luke’s mission endures for generations.
Governance & Investment
Overseen by an Endowment Committee elected by Charge Conference. Gifts may come via wills, insurance, real estate, cash, etc.; principal is preserved and invested with the Florida United Methodist Foundation for long-term growth.
Ways to Give
Cash / checks • Bequests (fixed sum or %) • Stocks / bonds • IRA or retirement-plan designation • Payable-on-death account • Gift annuity • Life-income contract • Trusts • Life-insurance (full or partial) • Personal property • Real estate • Memorial/tribute gifts • Any living gift for immediate tax benefits.
Designated Endowment Funds
Already named St. Luke’s in your estate?
Thank you! Let us know—confidentially or anonymously—so we can honor your intent and express our gratitude.
Give Online? Just select “Endowment Fund,” note specific fund.
Give in Person? Note the fund name in the memo line in the offering plate envelope or Building C lockbox.
Questions / seminars: Contact Scooter Leonard, Executive Director of Administration, 407-876-4991 x223.
To modify a gift: Once you log in to your Pushpay account (click “Your Account” in the upper right corner of the screen), “Recurring Gifts” is in the upper right corner, gifts set up appear underneath, and the word “Edit” is right next to the gift. After “Edit” is clicked, there’s one more step – clicking a big blue “Edit recurring” button at the bottom. Any part of the set-up can be changed – from the amount, to the frequency, to the fund, etc.
A Parish Nurse or Faith Community Nurse (FCN) is a nurse with specialized training which focuses on the intentional care of the spirit as well as the promotion of health and the prevention of illness. A Parish nurse focuses on the “whole” person (body, mind, and spirit) working alongside the pastors and Care team to identify and meet the health needs of the congregation.
What can a Parish Nurse do for YOU? Faith Community Nurses work in several different settings including churches, community outreach centers, hospitals, faith-based schools, and more. As your Parish Nurse, I will be focusing on our St. Luke’s congregation and community. The focus of a Parish Nurse is to provide listening, caring, support and resources to individuals and families on health -related issues, all the while bringing God into whatever crossroads they find themselves in during their daily lives.
To help you better understand, I’ve listed a few different ways a Parish Nurse can serve our congregation. Remember, Parish Nurses don’t take the place of your medical team, but rather help ‘fill the gaps’ in care.
I am so very honored and blessed to serve as your Parish Nurse. I hope this brings a better understanding of the many ways a Parish Nurse can provide loving and spiritual care for you and your families and walk alongside you in your health journey. Let me know how I can help you.
Lisa Crump, RN, BSN, FCN
407-955-4756 direct line
lcrump@st.lukes.org
St. Luke’s Missions serves on campus, locally in the Central Florida area and globally. There are ways to get involved with various levels of commitment. Explore our programs to learn more, or subscribe to the Missions Newsletter.
You are able to donate to many of St. Luke’s Mission opportunities as well as participate in donation drives on campus throughout the year. The best way to stay informed is to subscribe to the Missions Newsletter.
Sign up for one of our programs. Some programs are a short term commitment, while others are on-going. We are always seeking St. Lukers to join us in making a difference.
Event registration/payment is handled through our Realm Connect platform. You can use the Realm Connect app, or log in online.
No, youth don’t have to come every week (as much as we would like them to though)!
Yes! You can pick up your child before programming ends.
No, you don’t have to stay. Youth are able to check themselves in and out of the Youth Center.
All adults can benefit from connecting with Realm. As a matter of fact, over 500 St. Lukers are already using it!
Realm allows for custom privacy settings. When you select your profile (initials or photo on top left), you can select each element of your information (address, phone, etc.) and decide who may view that information.
Log in to your Realm account. Select “More” on the bottom right. Then select your initials (or photo if you have added one) on the top left to access your profile. Next, make any changes to your information and be sure to save any changes.
Yes. The app is called Realm Connect and can be downloaded for free.
How to download the app on your iPhone from the App Store:
How to download the app on your android from Google Play:
Send an email to realm@st.lukes.org to request an invite.
Signing up for an account gives you access to your profile in the church’s database. You can verify and change your contact information without having to contact church staff. You can also use REALM to search and sign up for serving opportunities, classes, and more! You can also view your giving statement and pledge information at any time.
Visit the Recycle More page to learn how to recycle things you can’t just put in the bin.
Join the Green Team!
Join the movement to save the Earth! The Creation Care Green Team is a diverse group of St. Lukers aspiring to care for God’s Creation. This team organizes and participates in Creation Care events like Tree planting, Beach cleanups, and Shoreline restorations as well as supports St. Luke’s green initiatives like the Grow It Forward Microfarm, the UWIF Rummage Sale, and going Solar. This is an intersectional ministry! Opportunities to serve in this ministry are vast and there is truly something for everyone. The team needs researchers, event coordinators, volunteers, and advocates. All are welcome and encouraged to join this team and to care for God’s Creation!
Contact Saniye Kazan at skazan@st.lukes.org if you are interested in joining a team of Creation Care activists who work on making our community more sustainable and earth-friendly.
A relationship with God’s creation and a ministry of caring for and healing the earth is integral to being a United Methodist.
We believe that all of creation is God’s and that we are responsible for how we use and abuse it. Our natural world is to be valued and conserved because God has called humanity to be its caretakers (Genesis 1:26-31). Explore the ways we, as United Methodists, care for and love all of creation and are committed to keeping our planet green, clean, and sustainable for all.
To Restore Hope for our neighbors experiencing hunger, homelessness, and poverty, we have to actively be involved in Creation Care. In the words of EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan, “The impacts of climate change that we are feeling today, from extreme heat to flooding to severe storms, are expected to get worse, and people least able to prepare and cope are disproportionately exposed.” The most severe harms from climate change fall unfairly upon underserved communities that are least able to prepare for and recover from impacts like heat waves, poor air quality, and flooding. The climate crisis exacerbates issues like the refugee crisis, hunger, disease, poverty, biodiversity loss, deforestation, air pollution, and scarcity of resources.
Our responsibility to repair the damage we’ve done is biblical. As bearers of God’s image, all people have the responsibility of caring for God’s creation. The Book of Discipline calls United Methodists to be caretakers of God’s Creation: (¶ 160 Preamble) All creation is the Lord’s, and we are responsible for the ways in which we use and abuse it. Water, air, soil, minerals, energy resources, plants, animal life, and space are to be valued and conserved because they are God’s creations and not solely because they are useful to human beings.
Pastors, staff, and the Prayer Team pray for all prayer requests submitted weekly from online Connection Cards, website, and personal prayer requests.
Licensed mental health counselors are available for individual, couples, family, or group counseling various days of the week. The counseling center’s typical office hours are 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday, although each counselor may have different or expanded hours of availability. Sessions are available in-person or via a secure, easy-to-use telehealth platform.
To learn more about the services offered by the Community Counseling Center, or to arrange for an appointment, call the Center at 407.876.8237 Monday through Friday between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM, or e-mail us directly at counseling@st.lukes.org. A staff member or therapist will get back to you within 2 business days.
The Community Counseling Center is located at 4851 S Apopka-Vineland Road, Orlando, FL 32819, Suite A111, in Building A, with a private entrance and separate parking.
We know each person has a different experience with the church — some are positive, some are not, and others choose to have no relationship with the church at all. Even though we are located on the St. Luke’s United Methodist Church campus, the counseling center is available to all members of the community. You do not have to pass through any explicitly religious spaces in order to enter our office or meet with our counselors.
Some groups meet once a week and some are once a month. It all depends on the group!
On Wednesdays from 6:00-7:00 p.m., the evening will begin with Children’s Choir rehearsal and then move to programming in The Treehouse.
6:00 – 7:00* – Children’s Choir Rehearsal (Upstairs, Building A Room 201)
7:00- 8:00 p.m. – The Treehouse
*Sign-out at this time can be arranged if needed.
