Outreach Happenings

There are lots of exciting Outreach Happenings coming up! Please click on the item you would like more information about and it will take you to that page for detailed information. You also may view events on the St. Luke's Outreach Calendar.

Ongoing Events

Tutoring of El Buen Pastor students - Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:00-8:30 p.m. This new ministry is providing one on one tutoring for El Buen Pastor students from grades 1-8.  It will be held on the St. Luke's campus in the Gray Building.  Tutors are needed.  Contact Rev. Jan Lamb for information.

Casseroles for Urban Ministries of Durham - The first Sunday of the month, Monnie Riggin brings her aluminum casserole pans and recipe to church.  They are available in the Sprague Room.  Members of the congregation take them home and prepare the recipe included and return the casseroles to church the following Sunday.  They are placed in the freezer and then all are delivered by Monnie on the following Tuesday for use in the Soup Kitchen.

Bone Marrow Dinner – On the first Thursday of each month, St. Luke’s provides a "homemade" dinner for families who have children in the Duke Pediatric Bone Marrow Unit. These young patients are often in the hospital for many months and a parent must be with them at all times, so the parents really appreciate some home cookin’. Pashioners provide food and serve as hosts by delivering and setting up the food and quietly being available to the parents if they wish to talk. Contact John Willard with questions: willarj@mindspring.com.

Durham Congregations in Action (DCIA) – DCIA is an interfaith, inter-racial organization of 62 congregations. Every member congregation has three representatives, including clergy, who serve as their liaison to the organization. DCIA Affirmation: In a spirit of reconciliation and with gratitude for the gift of diversity, DCIA seeks to engage and empower people of faith to create a community of justice and peace through our common prayers and acts of compassion; and with prophetic courage to act as advocates for the dignity and well-being of all persons, recognizing that behind every human face is the face of God. Our own Rev. Joe Hensley is Secretary to the organization. They meet on the third Tuesday of the month for lunch and a meeting, rotating among the member congregations. Contact Joe Hensley for more information.

Food Donation to Urban Ministries Soup Kitchen - There are two baskets in the Sprague Room for food donations from the parish to Urban Ministries.  Donations are accepted every Sunday. The number of meals that Urban Ministries serves each day has increased dramatically, while their financial resources have dropped.  These donations are critical to meeting the needs of the organization.  Not sure what to bring? Check on the Outreach Calendar for suggestions each Sunday.

HEIFER Ark Program - Gift cards are always available. St. Luke's has had the pleasure of donating funds to HEIFER to support four arks.  An ark is a donation of $5000 to support the distribution of two of each kind of animal that HEIFER distributes in their program.  We are well on our way to ark #5.  Gift cards are available for HEIFER throughout the year from Jean Willard or from the church office.  For information contact Jean at 471-0816 or willarjm@mindspring.com.  For information on HEIFER visit their website at www.HEIFER.org.

NetsforLife – Every Sunday
In January, 2011, the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina launched a year-long campaign, joining Episcopal Relief and Development as it seeks to reduce the number of deaths caused by malaria.  The goal for the diocese is to purchase 40,000 nets.  This goal is based on roughly one net for each confirmed Episcopalian in the diocese.  These nets will be sent to sub-Saharan Africa, where 90% of all malaria deaths in the world occur.  St. Luke's has taken up the challenge.  Our parish goal is 650 nets.  Each net costs $12, and one chemically-treated net can protect three children or a mother and one child from the mosquitoes that carry malaria.  Forms to purchase the nets are available on the Outreach Table in the Sprague Room.

Reconciliation and Reentry (R&R) Faith Team Ministry - This is a new ministry that we're launching in the fall of 2011. The Reconciliation and Reentry (R&R) Ministry is a one-year, renewable, covenantal partnership between individuals recently released from prison, on probation, or an adjudicated youth, and congregational Faith Teams to help the former offender and the community reconnect and restore wholeness to one another.  This program is a partnership between the Coalition for a Nonviolent Durham, the Criminal Justice Resource Center (a Durham government agency), individual faith communities like St. Luke's, and former offenders.

An initial informational luncheon was held on Sept. 18th, 2011.  Watch for details on next steps.  If you have questions, please contact Monnie Riggin at monnie.riggin@gmail.com.

IHN - Interfaith Hospitality Network – In the IHN program, temporarily homeless families stay in area churches, while volunteers from those churches provide rides and meals.  When St. Luke's hosts IHN, the families stay at Westminster Presbyterian Church - there are usually about 8-10 folks.  There are various ways you can help. You can drive families in the morning or late afternoon, bring a dinner (or fix it there), eat dinner with the families, or spend the night at Westminster with them (all comforts provided!).  Sign-up sheets are in the Sprague Room or you can contact Edith Keene at 493-9539 or edith.keene@da.org for information or to volunteer. IHN is on a 10-week cycle, so we host about every tenth week. Our next turn to host IHN is October 2-4, 2011.

United Thank Offering – UTO is sponsored by the Episcopal Church Women and is received twice each year.  It is a way to remind ourselves to be intentional about giving thanks.  Each year gifts from all over the country, totaling over two million dollars, are given away in grants to continue, support and strengthen the mission and ministry of the Church throughout the world.  For more information contact May Bailey, maybejim@frontier.com.

Duke Episcopal Center – The Episcopal Center at Duke University is a campus ministry of the Diocese of North Carolina.  The Advisory Board of the EC is composed of parish representatives from the Durham/Hillsborough and Chapel Hill area.  Our St. Luke’s Board member is Rich Kells.  In addition to offering advice and direction to the Chaplain, Rich also recruits volunteers from St. Luke's to assist with occasional center events.  John Willard also serves as Lay Advisor to the EC.  For information contact Rich Kells, 381-4149.

Habitat for Humanity of Durham – St. Luke's has been actively involved with Habitat for many years.  The five Durham Episcopal churches have worked together to build five Habitat houses.  The 2010 house was the first Interfaith Build where the Episcopalians joined with Beth El Synagogue, the Islamic Center of Fayetteville St. and the Episcopal, Jewish and Muslim Campus Ministries from Duke University.  St. Luke's is also represented on several Habitat committees, and a good number of retired members of the parish are involved as "Geezers" who work on a regular basis each Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  For more information contact John Willard, 471-0816.

Special Events

Fall Fling – The annual Fall Fling Yard Sale will be held on Saturday, October 22 from 8 a.m. until noon in Johnson Hall.  Donations of gently used household goods, kitchen items, sporting goods, toys, luggage, books and other items may be brought to Johnson Hall beginning October 16th – no clothes or shoes, please.  All proceeds are used to fund our outreach programs.  Sign-up sheets to volunteer for the sale are in the Sprague Room. Pick-up is available for bulky items or for people who have limited transportation by calling Bob & Ginny Atwell at 740-9381 or emailing gbatwell@gmail.com.

Episcopal Q – pick-up on Saturday, October 22nd from 11:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. St. Luke's will be selling one-pound containers of "church-cooked" barbeque on the day of the Fall Fling. Sign-up forms are available in the Sprague Room as well as here. Take a form and sign up your friends, neighbors and co-workers to enjoy delicious Carolina pork BBQ while supporting the many outreach activities at St. Luke's.  Sign-up sheets are also available in the Sprague Room to help prepare the “Q” on Friday evening and Saturday morning.

Fish/Shrimp Dinner to Benefit the Belize Teams – The menu is still being worked out, but plan to start your holiday feasting a week early by joining us on Saturday, November 19th for a fundraising dinner to support our Belize Mission Teams.   Watch for details in the newsletter, bulletin and on the website.

Poinsettia Sale - Proceeds from the sale of these wonderful, first-quality plants go towards the $6000 Bricks and Mortar expense that the Belize Teams must pay.  Your support is gratefully accepted!  Pick-up dates for 2011 are Sunday, November 20th and Sunday, December 4th.  For an order form, click here.

Alternative Gifts Fair - The 19th annual St. Luke's Alternative Gifts Fair will bring 23 different organizations to St. Luke's on Sunday, December 4th and again on Sunday, December 11th to offer you the opportunity to choose gifts for family, friends and neighbors that make a difference here in Durham and around the world.  Gift and honor cards as well as small pins and fair trade items will be available from the various organizations.  We need your help to make this an easy and fun event for all.   With your help, we can top the $10,000+ we sent to organizations last year!!   To volunteer, please sigh up on the sheets in the Sprague Room or contact Jean Willard at willarjm@mindspring.com or 471-0816.

Belize 2012 Adult Mission Teams – February 3 - February 18, 2012. St. Luke's will be returning to Belize for the 11th year in 2012.  We will again be taking two adult teams in February.  Watch for the annual Poinsettia Sale the team holds each year to help raise the $6000 Bricks and Mortar funds.  Individual contributions are also welcome.  Please make checks out to St. Luke's and put Belize 2012 in the memo section.

Durham CROP Hunger Walk 2012 – April 1, 2012. This annual event combines fun and fundraising to raise money for hungry people throughout the world and here in Durham.  Walkers gather at Duke Chapel for the 2:30 kickoff.  Watch for details on how you can participate and sponsor walkers in the bulletin and newsletter.