The Spire - St. Luke's United Methodist Church

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Awaken Embrace 2 Train Move Continued from Cover Love Transcends All Languages and Distances There is a Dominican Republic proverb that says, “Absence is the enemy of love; as the distance is from the eyes, so it is from the heart.” Many of you know that our Student Ministry sent a team to Santiago, D.R. last year to work alongside G.O. Ministries, an on-the-ground ministry that seeks to empower passionate local leaders serving inside their cultures to redeem people, renew communities and restore Creation. I recently had the privilege to spend a week in the D.R. with 50 students and 14 adult leaders from St. Luke’s as they returned to Santiago for a second time. For some of the students it was a trip filled with the anticipation of visiting with friends made last year. For others, they anxiously awaited experiences and relationships soon to be made. Having been on the initial exploratory team from St. Luke’s, I was excited to see the fruits of the partnership being built between G.O. Ministries and St. Luke’s and our students. It was rewarding to watch as our students found kinship not only amongst themselves but also with their leaders, the G.O. staff and the Dominican children. Our students worshiped together, worked hard digging holes for the foundation of a soon-to-bebuilt Medical facility, played baseball with Dominican youth and put on Vacation Bible Schools. We also visited several nutrition centers where the students helped to feed children, jump rope together, and we toured some very impoverished places. No matter where we were or what we were doing, you could always find a happy, smiling Dominican child sitting atop the shoulders of a St. Luke’s student. The love and kinship shared between our two cultures was very apparent and you could see God at work in so many ways. Our St. Luke’s family should be proud of the students who showed they cared by making their way to the D.R. and “loving on” the Santiago community and also for those who supported them financially and through prayer. The friendships built have brought two communities closer and helped build on the vision that St. Luke’s is truly a church “Where No One Walks Alone.” Next Steps: •Visit our website: www.stlukesmethodist.org/senior-high •Find links to photos and videos of our trip •Learn more about G.O. Ministries •Move in Ministry! Join us on future trips in 2013 •Family Trip •Adult Trip •Student Trip •For more information contact Alice King at 713-402-5067 or aking@stlukesmethodist.org Don’t Miss Two New Summer Workshops For Kids Just for kids, FASST and CATTS are two workshops starting this summer and are led by the Nick Finnegan Counseling Center (NFCC) child specialist Amy Birchill, M.Ed., LMFT-S, LPC-S. FASST stands for Friendship And Social Skills Training and helps children ages 7-11 increase confidence levels, raise their self-esteem and master new social skills. They practice skills each Tuesday afternoon from July 10 until August 28 with a group of their peers. Using an interactive approach, FASST teaches kids about making/ keeping friends, listening, sharing, feelings and respecting/appreciating differences. Meanwhile, CATTS is the Children’s Art Therapy Team Support program for youth ages 5-17 that have a relative with a long-term/life-threatening illness. The children are divided into age-appropriate groups as they express emotions with art. This helps them reduce feelings of isolation and anxiety while learning to understand the diagnosis and to accept the illness’ unknown aspects. CATTS meets Thursday evenings from July 12- September 13. Please note that FASST is $20 per session, and registration for all 8 sessions is required by July 2; CATTS is free to attend, but registration is required by July 5. To register or for more information about NFCC’s youth-centered services, call 713-402-5090. Opportunities to Serve: During our summer study of The Twelve, we will be suggesting ways each week you might respond to God’s call to apostleship. Opportunities will be available all summer. Find them Sunday mornings in the worship bulletins or at StLukesMethodist.org/summer. DO IT AT HOME* Christian Community Service Center No Sew Blankets Be creative with “no-sew” blankets! Help needy individuals and families keep warm by making these fun blankets. This is a great project for families, groups or individuals. Blankets can be large or small. Baby blankets are welcomed as well. For more information contact Clare Bruce at cbruce@ccschouston.org or 713-961-3993 X211. Please drop at Connection Center. DONE IN A DAY reVision Outreach reaching out to our community and the world What do you like to do? Chances are it would be a fun activity/outing for you and 4-8 reVision Youth. Transportation is provided and staff also participates in this ministry to gang-affected youth. Contact Laralee DeHart at ldehart@stlukesmethodist.org or 713-416-0234. MAKE A COMMITMENT Gethsemane Food Pantry Volunteers are needed to serve weekly as receptionist/ greeters, interviewers and food packagers in this food pantry located on our Gethsemane Campus. For more information contact Clare Bruce at cbruce@ccschouston. org or 713-961-3993 X211. More information about these opportunities is available at StLukesMethodist.org/summer. *Family-friendly activities The Connection Center is looking for volunteers to share smiles and warm hospitality, as a welcoming face for St Luke’s. Contact Sondra Koenig at 713-402-5023. Breakdancing Ministry is looking for volunteers on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays to bring and serve a simple meal, and visit with these young dancers from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Gethsemane Campus. Please contact Alice at 713-402-5067 or aking@ stlukesmethodist.org for more information. Westheimer Campus: 3471 Westheimer | Houston, Texas 77027 Gethsemane Campus: 6856 Bellaire Blvd. | Houston, Texas 77074 StLukesMethodist.org 713-622-5710
Awaken Embrace 3 Train Move Meet the Duke Divinity School Interns Kaitlyn Bowie I grew up in the midwest (Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa) but most recently spent four years in Houston, TX teaching in Aldine. I am claiming Houston as home and plan to return after my time at Duke. What you are working on at Duke: I just finished my first year towards my MDiv (Masters of Divinity). I am working with reVision this summer, specifically helping to start a summer credit recovery and tutoring program for our students. I am also spending time building relationships with the students involved in reVision and plan to work on spiritual formation this summer as well. I love the people of Houston; it is really a blessing to be able to return in a different capacity. Of course there are surprises! Spending time with people always adds an element of surprise that is not necessarily present when studying academically. I love the rhythm of connecting with people and seeing the ways in which God is actively moving and shaping lives. I am horribly addicted to caffeine (so if you have any recommendations for local coffee!), I am a dork and love learning new things (whether it’s through experience or reading), and I love traveling to new places (I’d love to visit all the continents minus Antarctica). I am so thankful to be here; I can already see how God is moving in this place! Thank you for allowing us to walk with you in this journey for the summer. Brandon Hudson Hometown: Columbus, OH I am a senior (3rd year) in the Master of Divinity program at Duke Divinity School. This summer I am working with reVision to provide academic enrichment and spiritual formation for young people in the program. I’m really enjoying my time in Houston. The vast array of festivals, museums, and restaurants will keep me plenty busy. The ministry of reVision is truly a gift. It’s amazing to be able to see how churches can partner with local government and community organizations to empower young people and their families. You should know that I love reading, play chess, and am a hip hop emcee. Maranatha Wall I am from southern California and Kansas City, MO. I have spent significant time in both cities. However, I currently live in North Carolina as I complete my degree. I am working on my Masters of Divinity degree at Duke. This summer, I am an intern with St. Luke’s and Rev. Justin Coleman is my supervisor this summer. My activities vary, but include assisting with the worship and formational life at St. Lukes. I went on a missions trip with the youth from the Westheimer campus to the Dominican Republic my second week into the internship and am interested in working in the various local outreach ministries. So far, I really like Houston. It is a fun city with lots to do. Ministry work is going well, and the DR trip offered several surprises, especially in regards to my assumptions about short-term missions trips. Justin Hubbard I am working on my Masters in Divinity and a certificate in International Development Policy I will work closely with Justin Coleman and participate in teaching classes, preaching, and hanging out with the folks in Revision. I enjoy Houston because of its diversity in people and yes, food. I love exploring different kinds of food and flavor. It is ridiculously hot, but I am getting used to it. Hospitality has been wonderful, particularly from my host-adopted grandmother, Lela Davis. Working under Justin Coleman has been a privilege and he has helped me acclimate to Houston and all it has to offer. Ministry work is going well and I have really enjoyed my time thus far with the folks at St. Luke’s. It is challenging of course. You are meeting people coming from different walks of life, shaped by different stories and what it means to live faithfully, different perspectives and worldviews. The challenge is to create a space where we can come together with all our particularities and think critically and honestly about what it means to be a church committed to the Gospel. Navigating those conversations can be difficult, but rewarding. One surprise thus far is that I enjoyed preaching last week. Before beginning my studies at Duke I lived in eastern DR Congo working with Congo Initiative, Bilingual Christian University of Congo. It was a wonderful and deeply formative experience…beautiful country, beautiful people and love opportunities to share and inform others about the initiative and the challenges in the region. I try to think critically and theologically about the intersect between faith and issues of human rights, justice and the environment. I enjoy traveling, exploring different cultures, sports, the outdoors (hiking, kayaking, fishing, duck hunting), and photography. Gethsemane Campus Scholarship Awarded Rafael M. Basa is the reciepient of the Gethsemane Campus’ UMW Scholarship. A graduate of DeBakey High School for Health Professions, he will attend the University of Houston in the fall. Westheimer Campus: 3471 Westheimer | Houston, Texas 77027 Gethsemane Campus: 6856 Bellaire Blvd. | Houston, Texas 77074 StLukesMethodist.org 713-622-5710
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