The people of God at St. Luke take seriously their call to work towards the kingdom of God on earth. In many different ministries, we strive to bring the gospel into the life of this community, this society, and this world. For example, the congregation of St. Luke gives generously to support local organizations that help those in need. We donate food for the United Churches’ Food Pantry, we collect hygiene items and money for the Shepherd of the Street, and we take an offering of baby clothes and items for the Pregnancy Care Center every December. Additionally, we are the congregation with the largest contingent of walkers in the annual AIDS Walk in support of the AIDS Resource Center.

To effect a change towards gospel living in the world, we support the work of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America through our benevolence, helping that national church body maintain, among other things, nursing homes, schools, colleges, universities, mission work, advocacy on behalf of the poor and disenfranchised, and much more. We also support a missionary directly who helps Lutheran congregations in Costa Rica, Honduras, and Nicaragua develop ministries and spread the gospel. Every year we walk in the CROP Walk to fight hunger locally and around the world. More importantly, we give $10,000 to $15,000 annually to Lutheran World Hunger, an organization that develops the kind of hunger aid that helps people gain independence and develop sustainable living patterns around the world. The Heifer Project International has similar goals and is another charity we have supported.

Another way in which St. Luke reaches out to the community at large is the St. Luke Fund. All memorials and other monetary gifts our congregation receives do not support our general budget but go towards the St. Luke Fund. Every year all of the interest accumulated by this fund, plus a certain amount of its principal, is given toward charitable causes of all kinds: the prescription drug fund of the Susquehanna Health System, camp scholarships for youth, immunization and other health projects of the Rotary Club, the AIDS Resource Center, Wise Options, and many other causes. We give money to organizations that work hard to make life better and more just for people in need.

Our Lord Jesus Christ has given us a vision of the kingdom of God as a place where all people are fed and where justice reigns. As followers of Christ, we are called to make that vision a reality in this world. We at St. Luke take this call seriously. In our preaching and teaching, our worship and fellowship, our outreach and our stewardship of money, time, and talents, we do what we can to bring kingdom moments to God’s people today.