In keeping the health and safety of our congregation, staff, and community as our highest priority, St. Luke’s is working with our ministry partners to review COVID-19 protocols. Mask and social distancing requirements may vary by serving opportunity, location, and environment. Please review the specific guidelines for each serving opportunity and contact your ministry leader or a St. Luke’s Missions Ministry staff member at serve@st.lukes.org for more information.

Those who are fully vaccinated are not required to wear a mask on campus. Those who are not fully vaccinated (over the age of 2), are expected to continue wearing masks. For the time being, please continue to social distance on campus. 

As we are navigating these uncharted waters on how to continue with our community work during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are grateful to God for opening doors for us to stay connected with families we support through Missions Ministries and the community in general.

Agua Viva

Work has stopped, to protect workers and community. However, we are still in connection with our partners at Agua Viva Serves. In-country trips from the U.S are canceled through August 2021.

Circles East Winter Garden

St. Luke’s weekly Circles meeting has successfully gone virtual.

Coalition for the Homeless

During the COVID-19 pandemic, St. Luke’s utilized disaster response funding to feed 500 in the shelter program toward the beginning of the pandemic. St. Luke’s continues to share donated food and gleaned produce each week.

COVID-19 Emergency Assistance

Distributed personal hygiene kits for 200 women, 75 children/youth and 25 men who are income-constrained in East Winter and Pine Hills. St. Luke’s distributes food each week to families experiencing reduced wages or job loss.

COVID-19 Resource 

Compiling and updating resources helpful to our families during this crisis. See st.lukes.org/resourcelist above.

Educational IMPACT

OCPS schools continue to be a combination of in-person and virtual learning. Volunteers are not allowed on campus at this time.

Family Promise

St. Luke’s funded four families’ stay in a hotel for a week during March, which was St. Luke’s scheduled family hosting week.

Families are still sheltering in place at a hotel, and St. Luker’s shared their hospitality by providing the evening meal and food donations for the families during the year. Volunteers can bring meals to the day center for these families.

Gleaning

St. Luker’s have been gleaning throughout 2020/2021, which has helped to provide produce to our families who come weekly for food at St. Luke’s, during the pandemic.

We partner with Society of St. Andrew and have a couple of gleaning opportunities coming up. There is a gleaning opportunity coming up on Thursday, March 18 and on Saturday, March 27 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Visit the Society of St. Andrew webpage for more information and to register to glean.

Inside Out Jail Ministries

The 33rd jail is closed for volunteers at this time. A volunteer team is creating a newsletter for continued communication, inspiration and sharing love.

Volunteers are needed to be Pen Pals to inmates at the 33^rd Street Jail. For more information, contact Amy Winslow at awinslow@st.lukes.org.

Jobs Partnership

Ministries continue through online classes and meetings. Some sites are doing in-person this spring at a limited capacity.

Meals on Wheels

Meals continue to be delivered to these vulnerable seniors once a week.

Volunteers deliver 10 frozen meals to the seniors to limit contact for this community and the volunteers.

Restoring Hope

• Stable Housing Initiative: Our trained Family Advocates are in regular contact with the families that St. Luke’s assisted. Family Advocates provide encouragement and prayer. We are also connecting the families with resources for food and rent payment.
• ESOL – These 12 families are connected with a St. Luke’s volunteer to determine what needs they have during this period of uncertainty. Volunteers are attending webinars to learn about support for this community.
• Food Security: In collaboration with Second Harvest, HEBNI Nutritional Consultants and other community partners, St. Luke’s is coordinating grant application and pop-up meal sites to provide fresh produce and cooked meals to families.

Shalom Readers and Pen Pals

No volunteers working in the jails at this time. The Pen Pal program continues.

UMW

Volunteers sewed masks that were used at the Coalition for the Homeless and for Shepherd’s Hope. They have opened up their Marketplace Gift Shop, in the St. Luke’s Annex, to continue help support Missions. They will have a Rummage Sale coming up on April 17, 2021.

ZOE Empowers

Teams traveling to ZOE locations were canceled this past year. A ZOE Virtual Mission Trip was shared in October, 2020.

St. Luke’s seeks to Restore Hope for an estimated 60 families from Maxey and Mollie Ray Elementary Schools as part of the church’s 2020+ Vision.  Because our resources are limited to help our neighbors who seek financial assistance, St. Luke’s will now refer family assistance calls and walk-in requests from the community, as well as agency requests, to alternative resources. St. Lukers who encounter a community member in need are empowered to share our official resource list (yellow sheet) available in the information racks in the Sanctuary Narthex and outside of the church reception office in Santos Welcome Hall (Building C). Click the button below, to view the Central Florida Community Resource List.

 

There are many opportunities to serve within the church and to serve our community, right here on the St. Luke’s campus.  There are opportunities in our Commit, Connect & Care, Grow, Serve, as well as our Worship Ministry areas.

St. Luke’s Commit Ministries:

• • • Front Desk Volunteers: Volunteers are needed to assist the staff at the front desk with welcoming guest and answer the phones. There are options to assist with data entry or projects the staff needs help on. Currently there are openings on Thursday afternoon from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Friday morning from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.. Training provided. Contact Luky Nova for more information.

St. Luke’s Grow Ministries:

• • • Vacation Bible School Volunteers: Volunteers are needed to help with this years Vacation Bible School. Come out and enjoy time with the children from around the community as a group leader, teacher of class, or prep work. Training provided. Contact Lana Stevens for more information.

• • • Administrative Volunteers: Volunteers are needed to follow up via phone with those sick, hospitalized or recovering at home. May also assist in data entry, mailings, copying and other administrative duties. Training provided. If you would like to serve in Care Ministries please email Kim Paredes or call 407.876.4991 ext. 262.

St. Luke’s Worship Ministries:

• • • Connection Card Baskets: Meets on Fridays at 9:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary to replace connection cards, pens, and other basket items.
    • Worship and Welcome Volunteer Opportunities: It takes hundreds of volunteers to facilitate worship and connection at St. Luke’s each Sunday. Support your church, pastors, and staff by serving once a month as an Usher, Greeter, Connection Point Volunteer, First Time Guest Host, or Communion Server.

Learn more by emailing Luky Nova or calling 407.876.4991 ext. 215.

God has uniquely gifted you to be “on mission” for His Kingdom! We have many opportunities for you to serve and share the love of Christ with others.

CLICK HERE to view opportunities to serve locally with your family and friends.

If you need help finding a place to serve that is right for you, contact Amy Winslow, Director of Missions, at 407.876.4991 ext. 297.

St. Luke’s is serving beyond Central Florida. Such global connections give us incredible opportunities to encounter Christ’s love and grace in a unique way – through the experience of people from other cultures – and use our resources with our partners so they can live out their calling to reach their communities.  There are several ways you can serve in St. Luke’s Global Missions Ministries even if you cannot/do not want to travel.

Click here to learn about St. Luke’s global missions partners. Contact Amy Winslow, Director of Missions, at 407.876.4991, ext. 297 to learn how you can participate in an international mission experience or support St. Luke’s global missions.

If you need help finding a place to serve that is right for you, contact Amy Winslow, Director of Missions, at 407.876.4991 ext. 297.

Welcome to our “Training Information” section where you can become familiar with our training held throughout the year and stay updated on the current training schedule. To learn more about training dates, contact Amy Winslow at awinslow@st.lukes.org.

Click on the button below for information on our trainings: Bridges out of Poverty,  Cost of Poverty Experience (C.O.P.E.), Dignity Serves, Go All In, Meet Jesus on the Road, Mission Effectiveness 101: Moving Beyond Benevolence, Racial Wealth Gap Learning Simulation, Toxic Charity, Understanding Cultural Intelligence (CQ)

                                                                                                                           

 Staff

• • • Mariam Mengistie, Executive Director of Missions
      Responsible for the overall vision and strategy for missions at St. Luke’s.  Works with lay leadership in developing strategy and implementation of Orlando and Global Missions, liaison with local community partners at the organizational level, and connects with global mission partners and supporting organizations in those countries. Serves on the Leadership Team (pastors and Executive Directors) of St. Luke’s. Click Here to contact.
    • Amy Winslow, Director of Missions
      Develops service opportunities from entry level through habit and leadership, coordinates community service days, family and intergenerational mission trips, as well as oversight for new initiatives, such as Grow it Forward and Drive it Forward, and ensures quality of volunteer experience and Missions Communications.  Click Here to contact. 
    • Peggy Caverly, Administrator of Missions
      Preparation and updates to the Mission Calendar, communications utilizing the Marketing Ministry area for promotion of Mission Events and needs and posting needed information on all forms of internal promotion, budgeting and record keeping (attendance, registrations, events, etc.).  Click Here to contact.