COMMUNITY OUTREACH

St. Luke offers a variety of opportunities for mission involvement and community outreach.
All of our work is guided by our growing awareness and understanding of how racism keeps our community from being what it can be.  Leaders and workers are invited to take part in "Healing the Wounds of Racism" weekend seminars in order to help shift from
charity work to justice work, from "giving to people" to "working with people."

In this way we are building relationships with the following groups:
Cookman United Methodist Church in North Philadelphia
Mary Jane Enrichment Center, a homeless shelter at 16th and Ridge in North Philadelphia.
Methodist Services for Children and Families, at Belmont and Monument Roads, providing a whole range of help for children in the Philadelphia area.

Members and friends of St. Luke have regular opportunities to work for and give to these
efforts:
 *through communion offerings on the first Sunday of the month
* through a "mitten tree" and toy collection at Christmas time
* through Food Bank and soup can label collections in the entrance to our sanctuary

* through workdays at Mary Jane Enrichment Center and other partner institutions
 

SPIRITUAL GROWTH

St. Luke encourages all of our members to be involved in the ministries of welcoming new people to faith, nurturing themselves and each other in the faith, living out our faith in the world.  We provide support for spiritual growth in these areas through 1) LIFE groups, 2) the Children’s Celebration, 3) Bible Study and 4) the United Methodist Women.
LIFE Groups, nurture and mission groups of various kinds meet weekly at St. Luke and in member's homes.  Called LIFE groups, for Living In Faith Everyday, these groups meet to support and challenge our members to live out their faith.
One group of college students meets regularly over a home-cooked meal at the church.  Another group meets weekly at the homes of shut-in or ill members or friends of the church.  A third group meets every other week for Yoga and Bible Study.  A fourth group for parents meets on the first and third Tuesdays of each month.

To join one of the LIFE groups or help us start a new one, talk to Donna Jarvis, the team coordinator at 610-645-5320.

College Students coordinator: Elaine McDermott  610-337-1718

Homebound visitation group (Monday evenings) Kathy Taylor, 610-265-6399

Exercise Our Faith (Every other Monday evening) Marilyn Arnott & Lisa Santomen 610-291-4801 or 215-483-3874

Parents LIFE Group
(First and third Tuesday evenings)
Lauri Cumming, 610-446-0955

A BRIEF HISTORY OF ST. LUKE

In 1876, a small group of Methodists belonging to the Radnor Methodist Episcopal Church had settled in the Bryn Mawr area and decided to build a house of worship more convenient to them.

The present site at the corner of Montgomery Avenue and Pennswood Road was chosen and purchased for $2,000.  Ground was broken on August 28, 1877.  The cornerstone was laid on October 1 and the church was dedicated June 29, 1879, free of encumbrance.
Bishop Simpson officiated.  The cost of the building was $8,700.
In 1880 the pipe organ was given and installed. The parsonage was built in 1891.  The Church basement was made ready for the Sunday School which met there for the first time in November 1915.  However, in time, better accommodations were needed and the
Educational Building was built and consecrated in November 1950.  It was renamed Lurwick Hall in 1983 in honor of the Rev. George Lurwick who served St. Luke Church as
pastor from 1948 to 1983.

By 1961 the congregation had outgrown the original Church building and a new sanctuary was completed. It was consecrated by Bishop Fred P. Corson on March 23,1962.  Church membership peaked at 465 in 1967. By 1968 the debt was paid in full and Bishop J.
Gordon Howard dedicated the sanctuary debt free on December 8th of that year.

ABOUT OUR PASTOR

Rev. David Tatgenhorst has been pastor of St. Luke since July 1996.  Pastor David is married to Catherine McCoubrey, a movement therapist and school psychologist, who also teaches at Drexel University. They have a son in elementary school, Elijah, who is a great delight in their lives.
Pastor David graduated from Union Theological Seminary in New York City in 1986 with academic honors and an award for person "most likely to succeed in parish ministry." Before coming to St. Luke, David served churches in South Philadelphia and then in West Philadelphia, where he and Catherine still live.
Previous to seminary, David worked as a community organizer in various neighborhoods in Philadelphia. He has a passion for building community, combating racism, and creating meaningful ritual and liturgy.

UNITED METHODIST WOMEN

UMW is the official women's organization within the United Methodist Church.  All women of the Church are invited to become a part of this group. “The organized unit of United Methodist Women shall be a community of women whose PURPOSE is to know God and to experience freedom as whole persons through Jesus Christ to develop a creative, supportive fellowship, and to expand concepts of mission through participation in the global ministries of the church.”
The general meetings of the St. Luke United Methodist Women are held on the second Tuesday of every other month at 11:00 a.m. from October through June.
The meetings of the Priscilla Circle are combined with Workshop and held on the second Tuesday at 11:00 am. September through May alternating with the U.M.W. meetings.
(Noni Nash – 610-789-1227)