Dear St. Luke’s,

This week, you should receive information in the mail about an exciting campaign for our church home. Prepare Ye The Way II will build on the success of our original Prepare Ye The Way campaign and ensure that we are well positioned to grow and continue to meet the needs of the community we serve. We see this campaign as a convergence of opportunities and a catalyst for transformation as St. Luke’s pursues a vibrant and bright future. 

In the coming weeks, we have a goal of reaching $2 million in pledged support for Prepare Ye The Way II. These funds, which we will collect from Jan. 1, 2023, through Dec. 31, 2025, will support a plan to remodel the outdoor area on the south side of the church, improve the sound system in our Nave, improve our Courtland Street façade and entrance and address several critical structural repairs. These projects are detailed in your mailed packet. We ask that you prayerfully consider supporting this campaign and St. Luke’s. You may do so using the pledge card and return envelope in your mailed packet, or by filling out this online pledge card. 

I want to also take this opportunity to tell you about some exciting and important renovation work that will take place at St. Luke’s this summer. Thanks to the work and dedication of our Property Committee, we will be installing wood floors throughout the Glenn Gallery (on the main floor outside the sanctuary) and creating spaces for wheelchairs and walkers in the church. We are working to schedule these renovations during the week over the summer, so they will not impact our worship on Sundays. This is an incredible opportunity to make our facilities more welcoming and accessible for everyone.

This is an exciting time in the life of our parish. I am thankful for each of you and your continued generosity. 

—Winnie

Schedule for Worship

June 5 through July 31

8 a.m. Worship Service with Communion

Holy Eucharist Rite I, spoken

10 a.m. Worship Service with Communion

Holy Eucharist Rite II, with music (in person and streaming live)

This Sunday, St. Luke's Welcomes Author Brian McLaren

This Sunday, June 5, St. Luke's welcomes Brian McLaren, author and public theologian, as part of our "Building a 24/7/365 Faith" series with Ebenezer Baptist Church. Brian will preach at our 10 a.m. service.

At 1 p.m. in the church, he will lead a conversation on "Church and Society: Engaging Climate Change and the Future of our Earth."

Lunch 'N Learn: A Conversation on Gun Violence with Lisa Hagen

Last chance to sign up! Please join St. Luke’s Faith & Advocacy Network this Sunday, June 5, as we commemorate victims of gun violence. There will be a luncheon at 11:15 a.m. in Budd Hall featuring guest speaker Lisa Hagan, a Pulitzer Prize winning WABE journalist. Please wear orange and join us for this event, which is in partnership with The Temple’s Rothschild Social Justice Ministry and Ebenezer Baptist Church.

Billy Clifton-Strawn Art Exhibit 

Floral Majority by St. Luke's parishioner Billy Clifton-Strawn will be on display in our Glenn Gallery June 12 through Aug. 31. Billy works exclusively with mixed digital media. His entire catalogue exists virtually and is made physical as a "giclee" or a process of fine art and photo-quality print making. This exhibit is open to the public Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and on Sundays from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m.

Final Fourth Friday Event on June 24

Please join us June 24, for our final Fourth Friday event from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. We'll gather outside for a casual meal and all ages are welcome! Beginning Aug. 5, we will shift this event to take place on the first Friday of each month. 

Garden Workdays with Board of The Park at St. Luke's

Beginning this month, please join the Board of The Park at St. Luke's on the second Wednesday of the month from 10 a.m. until noon for our garden workdays. We need help pulling weeds, pruning dead branches and tending the garden. Board members will be on hand to support these efforts. Contact Hayward Fougerousse to RSVP, or if you'd like additional information. All are welcome!

Loaves and Fishes Continues During the Summer

Loaves and Fishes, our potluck dinner for adults, gathers on the last Sunday of each month from 6 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. The group will meet on June 26, at the home of Susan and Bill Willson.  

Respite Care Atlanta Volunteers Needed

Respite Care Atlanta (RCA) is seeking volunteers for its weekly respite program assisting adults living with mild to moderate dementia. Volunteers get to share their ideas and talents while helping to provide a safe and stimulating environment for program participants. There are three upcoming information sessions at Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church—June 13, July 11 and Aug. 8—all from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m. Contact Jane Brann to sign up or for additional information.

Canine Pastoral Care

How can therapy dogs comfort people through difficult times? Join parishioner Rosemary Jean-Louis, her therapy dog Leelyanne and other therapy dog teams from the Alliance of Therapy Dogs to share the benefits of canine TLC on June 26, from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. in the Hamilton Room and Memorial Garden.

Registration is recommended but not required. All are welcome.

For additional questions, please contact The Rev. Dr. Horace L. Griffin.

Eugene Martin

A funeral service in celebration of the life of Eugene "Gene" Martin will be held Monday, June 27, at 11 a.m., in the church at St. Luke's.

Charles Wright

A funeral service in celebration of the life of Charles Wright, Sr., will be held Tuesday, June 28, at 2 p.m., in the church at St. Luke's. Read Dr. Wright's obituary here.

Charles Winters

A funeral service in celebration of the life of Charles Winters will be held Sunday, July 24, at 2 p.m., in Asheville, N.C. Charles is the father of Karen Vaught. He founded the Education for Ministry program. Read Dr. Winters' obituary here.

June 12: Ice Cream Sundaes in the Park

Families with children of all ages are invited to join Dina in the park after the 10 a.m. service on June 12. We will enjoy ice cream sundaes and Parents of Little Ones (POLO) will have space to gather with babies and toddlers. POLO folks, please bring blankets for sitting on the grass. Light breakfast snacks and coffee will be served. 

Blessing of the Pregnancies

The next blessing of the pregnancies will be Sunday, June 12, during the 10 a.m. worship service. If you are interested in having your pregnancy blessed, please contact The Rev. Elizabeth Shows Caffey or Emilee Walker-Cornetta.

Update: CYF Redesign and Director Search Process

Later this month, members of our Renovation Committee and CYF Director Search Committee will meet to formally begin their work. Ministry Architects is supporting us in this process and they will be on site with us June 29 and 30. 

Emilee Walker-Cornetta, who has served in the role of interim CYF director, will be with us through June. We are grateful for her work and service to the children, youth and their families! We are currently looking for a second interim director while we conduct the search and interview process.

We will continue to provide regular updates on this process to the parish. Please continue to pray for all those involved. 

We will be collecting bottled water and non-perishable food items for Crossroads this Sunday, June 5, in celebration of Pentecost. Volunteers will collect donations before the 10 a.m. service and there will be a drop-off collection in the upper church parking lot (off Peachtree Street) from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Items needed include bottled water (unopened, non-carbonated), canned vegetables and fruit (any type/size; green vegetables are great) and dried goods (rice, coffee, chicken and beef broth, paper napkins).

June and July: Midtown Assistance Center (MAC)

In June and July, we'll be collecting donations for MAC, an organization that provides emergency assistance to low-income working Atlantans to help prevent homelessness and hunger during periods of crisis. 

Food Pantry Items: Canned Tuna, Salmon or Chicken, Chili, Beef Stew, Vienna Sausages, Mac & Cheese, Hamburger Helper, Rice, Baked Beans, Cooking Oil, Grits, Peanut Butter, Pancake Mix, Protein Bars, Canned Vegetables

Household Items: Laundry Detergent, Dish Soap, Paper Towels, Toilet Paper, Box Fans, Umbrellas, Reusable Shopping Bags, Diapers, Baby Formula

St. Luke's Hosts Atlanta Regional Housing Forum

On Tuesday, June 1, St. Luke's was honored to host the Atlanta Regional Housing Forum. More than 200 guests attended the quarterly event to discuss Extreme Market Conditions Impacting Affordable Housing. Several of our parishioners are organizers for this event. Watch the presentations below to learn more on the topic.